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SPOILER INFO
This fanfic novel is largely based on the events that occurred in an actual game of Skyrim I played. Therefore, it's inevitably a spoiler.
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previous day
4-202-02-07 07:00
Sleeping Giant Inn, Riverwood, Whiterun, Skyrim
I cast a glance at Lucia and Lydia's beds. They're both still sleeping. I hurriedly get up and wake Lydia. I feel I have to tell her about my dream right away.
I saw my family. My mother and father are alive. They live in the city of Camlorn. It's somewhere in the western High Rock. My father works as a weapons trainer and he is also a valued consultant on low-scale stealthy military operations. My mother has been learning handicraft over the years and her works are widely admired, but it's more a hobby than a serious source of income – which they actually don't need because of my father's fortune which he has invested in businesses all over High Rock. My brother is married and lives in Shornhelm. That's a city in the northwest, but away from the ocean. He is basically the one to watch over the family's business interests. My sister is to be married soon to someone powerful, so we'll have aristocratic relatives. How happy she is about it, I don't know yet. Neither do I know any of their names.
Oh... but I do know for sure my mother is a Nord. However, me and my siblings were all brought up among Bretons as Bretons.
Lucia wakes up and is a bit offended that we have been whispering about something behind her back. I have to promise her I'll tell her everything later. To bring her mind onto something else, I ask her if she knows about Jordis and Erik. Just a shot in the dark. Well, I'm glad I asked. Lucia knows all about Erik. He seems to have slept with half of the single women in the city. Lucia doesn't understand why he would do that and she doesn't even care all that much, she just senses it's the kind of information women somehow find intriguing. Further, she knows that Erik and Mikael hate each other. Lydia and I are greatly amused. And we think we know now the reason why Erik wanted so badly to become a warrior. That was the only way to get his father allow him to leave Roriksted where his, um, choices were very limited. I can imagine Erik will be very happy to stay in Hviterun permanently and forget all about adventures apart from occasional guard duty.
Today we're returning to the city for Vera's birthday party.
Halfway to Hviterun, I spot thalmors ahead. They seem to be escorting a prisoner and therefore unlikely to attack us, but it's still safer to keep away. So I lead Lydia and Lucia off the road towards Pelagio's farm.
It begins to rain just as we arrive in the southwestern suburb. Lucia endures it bravely while I shop with the market traders. I'm so grateful we had such luck with the weather yesterday.
Soon we are in our home, sitting in front of our nice fireplace. Jordis and Jenassa are already waiting for us there. Obviously I have no tasks for them today, but they had thought they'd take a little break from people. (And, I guess, appreciated having a private place to discuss their relationships and such.) We the travelers get into dry clothes and then we just chill. I fulfill my promise and tell Lucia (as well as all the others) what I learned about my family tonight.
After lunch, I take some time for shopping. I notice I'm beginning to like the cynical Breton shopkeeper Belethor more with each time. I also drop by the temple to say hello to the priestess Danica. Without Lucia who got fed up with the rain, I take a stroll in the eastern suburb and step into one of the two barracks. There's only one man there and he's sleeping naked. I use the opportunity to look him over from every angle.
I feel I really want to have sex with him and I don't care if Farengar might be offended. I strip naked and wake him up.
Wow. He has barely gotten out of bed. I'm flattered.
And it rises higher still even as I watch.
And it rises higher still even as I watch.
He makes me very happy I did. When I introduce myself afterwards, he says he knows my name already, but his is Harek.
After almost three hours, I leave and stroll through the eastern suburb towards the magic shop of Cyrelas. It's such an awesome place. It's got a cool magical feel to it unlike any other magic shop I've seen. They have succeeded in laying out simple things in an aesthetical way one rarely sees in Skyrim.
That must be the special skill of Cyrelas's wife Sinya whose acquaintance I get to make today.
The rain has ceased. I decide to return to the city through the western gate, passing by the Honningbrew Meadery. Maybe there's someone there who knows anything about Bronwen.
I walk past the farms where people are still working. Of course, it stands to reason that Vera didn't invite the entire population of Hviterun to her party. As I reach the meadery, I find a strange-looking man there. He's wearing a hood, but he's very skinny and looks generally pathetic. I ask him if he knows anything about Juvenal and/or the girl who went missing from this city. He says I'm sticking my nose into something that is not my business. I'm not sure what makes me reply I'm making this my business and the opinion of a puny little rat like him is of no importance. He jumps up and attacks me. Dammit, he turns out an excellent fighter. I'm in real trouble here. Get your act together, Laura, you can't die because of nonsense like this! What would people think?
I take a health potion and then I succeed in killing the man after all. He has a letter on him with instructions to kill people who are too curious about Juvenal's affairs. As to the whereabouts of Bronwen, I'm none the wiser. It now occurs to me that I didn't see her father anywhere in the city either.
It's beginning to get dark.
I return to the city by the main gate, say hello to Adrianne and step into the shop. I always like it there. Ulfberth has such cool wares on display. I love to look at them, especially the weapons, even though I'm buying only some ingots this time.
Back on the street, I encounter Ysolda. She's cordial as always, but I'm having the feeling something is bothering her. We walk along the street that runs next to the city wall towards her home, and she eventually confesses that she's in love with Mikael. Now, that is quite appalling news, but I'm afraid there's little point for me to try and say anything – after all, Ysolda, a native of this city, knows Mikael's character and lifestyle even better than I do. Sooner or later, she'll snap out of it, and I hope she won't suffer too much in the process. So I limit myself to saying to Ysolda she knows what I think of Mikael, and she replies "Yes, I do. That's why I didn't want to tell you about it in the first place." Well, good luck. We hug in front of her house and I walk to the marketplace. Carlotta is still there. I ask her if she has slept with Erik. She smiles and says: no, he doesn't want someone that old. I'm about to say that Mikael doesn't seem to mind, but then think better of it. I decide to ask her about Mikael and Ysolda instead, but then Lucia and Mila come running and urge us to come to the party that's just begun. Yes, absolutely. Let's go.
The children refuse to run ahead because, as Lucia puts it, they have to make sure we don't disappear along the way. Fine. :D
I'm not in a too festive mood, but I'm glad to observe my friends having a good time and everyone being amazed with our present, the pahmar statuette. Nevertheless, shortly after we've tossed Vera in the air, I catch a moment when no one is looking at me and escape.
Having given the guards a strict order not to tell anyone I've left the palace, I run down the stairs to the temple. I have remembered that the priestess Danica is a healer. Maybe she knows something about people who have lost their memory.
She doesn't, but she recommends I go and talk to the priest Rorlund at the Temple of the Divines in Solitud. They worship all the gods there, so if anybody can help me, he'll be the most likely one.
Well, that's better than nothing. Much better than nothing. I thank her and hurry back to the party. Mikki and Heidi have noticed I was away and ask teasingly if I got too drunk and had to go out and vomit. I say "no, of course not" with such an intonation as if I was lying. The last thing I want them to do is to start asking questions.
Looks like they're believing I'm lying. I look around. Fortunately, Lucia wasn't here to hear this. I go and find her, just to show myself to her and ask if she's enjoying herself. Then I leave the children to their games. Walking around in the palace, I wonder if I could just find a spare bed somewhere away from the noise and go to sleep. Yeah, good idea. But before that, I'll have to go and ask Vera in front of as many people as possible when she's going to get married – of course, choosing a moment when she has nothing at hand she could throw at me.
Well, suprise – Vera's reaction shows she may indeed be getting married soon. But I'm realizing now that all that will hardly interest you. So I'll spare you the rest of our female banter. Suffice to say I'm feeling increasingly better.
Eventually I notice Valdimar and Erik absorbed in a conversation and I go and join them. We talk about masculine things and I actually do get drunk – but only a little. Nothing like on the New Year's Eve, I assure you.
Still, I wouldn't mind sleeping somewhere in the palace, but when I notice Carlotta going home with Mila and Lucia, I join them. I want to be at home with my stepdaughter. I know it's important to her. I wasn't doing anything meaningful anyway, and if I go to sleep soon, I'll be able to have a good laugh at my dog-tired and hung-over followers in the morning.
Thank you! It feels good to be protected. ;-)
next awakening
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