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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
4-202-03-18 05:25
Plundered Mine, Bruma County, Cyrodiil
The sky is full of gray clouds and it's snowing. For the first time, the nature in Bruma County doesn't look picturesque.
This is, however, to change when we, after killing a group of daedra worshippers and hastily retreating from a cave inhabited by ogres, descend from the mountains.
This looks like Western Falkreath or even Summerset. Casting a glance at Jenassa, I suddenly remember her fascination with High Elves and I ask her if she would like to settle down permanently in Summerset. Instead of being surprised why I brought that up all of a sudden, she replies matter-of-factly that in principle, she'd like to, but if the authorities found out she's not only from Skyrim but also my long-time follower, they might interrogate and torture her so she'd tell them everything she knew. That's why she'll be better off with Nelacar.
"Nelacar is not really bad, Laura," she explains. "It's just that he's very absorbed in his research and gets easily annoyed when distracted. He hates trading, but he needs the money."
"Fine, but couldn't you make him mind his manners somehow? What if you got him scared of me?"
"Like how?"
"Well, tell him that I have a short temper and a violent nature."
Instead of an answer, Jenassa looks me in the eye with a hint of a smile on her face, so that I can't help laughing.
We are now walking in a valley with a birch forest and lush grass, and have arrived at another gracious, aspiring-for-the-sky-looking Ayleid ruin called Anga.
Should we go in?
Yes, we should. It's stronger than me. I have to go in there. The architecture is so fascinating and even that small part of the other Ayleid ruin Rielle, dark and ruined as it may have been, has somehow made me eager to see more.
We find ourselves in stone passages, some narrower, some wider. There's a lot of rubble and weeds and not very much light. In spite of that, the elegance of the architecture is exhilarating. I love this place and I'm enjoying every second, even in spite of all those bear traps on the floor.
I'm sure they don't originate from an ancient, extinct civilization, but have been placed here by someone much more recent and probably not all that civilized.
We proceed cautiously. The bear traps get fewer, but we start finding dead virrs.
Jenassa has heard it told there are magical torches that can go on burning for years.
This must be one of those, because the man certainly hasn't been killed recently.
This must be one of those, because the man certainly hasn't been killed recently.
Virrs aka Vigilants of Stendarr are, as you hopefully remember, committed to hunting down all kinds of undead as well as people who worship those.
Soon we encounter hostile mages. The first ones are easy to kill, so I'm not too worried, but when three of four of them attack us at the same time, I end up losing more than half of my health, and before I can heal myself, the next wave is already there and somehow some of them have managed to get behind us. Upon my command, we break through the latter and escape along the tunnel we came from. In the next somewhat bigger room, we heal ourselves and catch our breath. The enemies seem reluctant to pursue us. I put on my best anti-magic protection gear and lead my followers back into combat. This time we're able to kill the remaining mages. They turn out to be worshippers of Namira.
The passages and stairways take us into bigger halls now.
Some are empty, some contain various ritual objects as well as much blood and human remains. Thanks to our great caution, we are able to kill all the enemies without much damage to ourselves, but this place is designed so that always a part of a group of mages succeeds in sneaking up behind us. Fortunately, my girls are very efficient – I can focus on the forward direction and rely upon them to defend the rear. The mages cast very powerful magic, but die easily when hit with arrows from our enchanted bows. Without my Sense of Smell power, though, we would be in severe trouble here.
We find an Arcane Enchanter and this time there is no warning sign from the Synod saying that its unauthorized use is punishable. However, I'm not going to do any enhancing here and now.
We also encounter a small pack of rats, but they won't attack us on account of the Spriggan Soap.
In spite of all the gore, I can't emphasize enough how I love this place.
Had you told me a week ago I would feel ecstatic in a location with this level of lighting,
After hours of exploration, we end up back in a big hall where we've already been. This is where those creepy mages lived.
We might have well missed a side passage or two somewhere, but I can't be bothered to go back and re-explore everything. I've had my fill of Ayleid ambience, now let's return past all those corpses and dectivated bear traps and travel to Greenwood that shouldn't be far.
On our way to the exit, I'm reflecting upon my growing wealth. As I told you, I'm going to divide 3/4 of it up between my followers before I return to High Rock. As of today, Lydia and Jenassa would both get almost 1.8 million septims each. Jordis's share has just risen over 1 million septims. And Erik would get 17 thousand for mere two days' service. I know how to show my gratitude.
Needless to say, I'm not telling anyone about this. I don't want any of my followers to ever think that her share would get bigger if another follower died. And of course I don't sweat the money. If I had to pay a million septims for something I really really wanted to have, I would do it. But neither would I leave sellable loot behind just because I'm rich already.
In the courtyard, the remains of a path paved with large stone slabs lead west towards the river. We are attacked by a particularly ugly troll. He's incredibly tough.
Then we cross the river after helping an elf fisherwoman defeat a pack of mudcrabs. She is rather uncommunicative, so we leave her alone. Soon we reach a small village of Greenwood.
We find Afer and I give him the letter from Stantus. He wants to order some mead from here. Afer says they'd be delighted to do business with him, but theiy are in big trouble with their mead production, because a group of ogres have made camp at the source they get their water from. So we go and kill those ogres for them. And then we're informed that this village consisting of two small houses and a couple of beehives doesn't even have a place where we could sleep. Do we really have to return to Anga and sleep on the bedmats those Namira cultists were using? The villagers don't know any other settlements nearby.
Well, it's only 7 in the evening and there's a road going south. Let's see where it leads to. For that matter, Imperial City shouldn't be too far.
The villagers suggest that it's not a very good idea. On the roads leading towards the island on which the imperial capital lies are checkpoints where all arriving travelers are thoroughly searched and questioned. There are severe troubles up north in Skyrim as we undoubtedly know, as well as persistent rumors about an upcoming new war with the Aldmeri Dominion.
How about a possible coup in the Imperial City, I refrain from asking. Better not make ourselves suspicious. We'll travel to the east instead. We have business there anyway. Which reminds me – I ask the village elder, Amiel, if he knows where the Frozen Grotto near Sedor might be. He does, and marks it on my map.
All right, let's go then! Should the terrain get too difficult for traveling in darkness, we'll return to Anga for the night.
This is the road to the south we'd better not travel.
I strongly suspect that the increased security measures are because of the Stormcloak Breakaways.
I strongly suspect that the increased security measures are because of the Stormcloak Breakaways.
The eastern direction turns out not too bad. There's a fairly navigable valley between the mountain ranges that are to our south and north. I let out a shout of joy, noticing a small wooden house. Disappointingly, it's locked with an unpickable lock. It must be broken. I, however, am out of patience by this point. Using some big stones and war axes, we succeed in breaking the door down, only to find a shack full of rubble and devoid of anything like furniture. We'll have to move on eastwards. Increasingly annoyed as I may be, I'm not yet desperate enough to turn back.
Soaked through and through by the incessant rain, we explore a couple of pointless caves, and then it's gotten so dark I put on my Circlet of Night Eye. It's getting on midnight when we discover a nice country house on the shore of a small lake.
It's called Lakeside Retreat. Sounds like an inn. Either that, or it's some rich fellow's summer cottage. Is the door open? Yes. Must be an inn then.
Not quite. There are three or four men inside who attack us. The girls kill them before I can decide which weapon to use. Regardless of all my amazing abilities, their reaction time is still far better than mine.
It's two minutes to midnight now. We'll go to sleep. The exploration of this house can wait until the morning.
Basking in the memories from Anga,
next awakening
