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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
4-202-04-10 08:30
Canal House, Riften, The Rift, Skyrim
After the inevitable morning quickie, I go to have a bath with the girls while Madesi hurries to start his workday on the marketplace.
I do a little shopping. Agathe is a profoundly sorry sight, feeling downcast in the midst of all those appetizing breads and cakes:
Maybe her husband won't allow her eat any of those lest she get fat? At any rate, she doesn't seem to even have enough energy to replace that ghastly rag hanging from the rafter with something decent. And I'm still unable to make her talk about what's bothering her. I wonder if there's any chance to lure her if not into the inn then at least to my house and get her drunk.
I pay brief visits to the temple and the palace. The captain of the guards asks if I could do him one more favor. West of the town is an island in the lake on which bandits reside. They used to be a part of the Thieves' Guild, but turned independent several years ago as the Guild deteriorated and kept losing influence. The captain hates to have a criminal stronghold (called Goldenglow Estate, in case anyone wants to know) this close to the city. Unfortunately, the island can only be accessed over a drawbridge which the bandits keep raised up except when they need it themselves. The guards can't storm the island from the water, because they have far too few boats to transport a sufficient number of men. After all, this is only a lake, not the sea. However, me and my followers could perhaps swim onto the island without being noticed, and then lower the drawbridge.
I agree to give it a try. The bridge leads to the southern lakeshore and that's where a party of guards head through the southern city gate while me and my followers exit by the main gate and head northwest. We pass by Dravin's farm where we stop to say hello and Dravin tells us his valuable bow has been stolen. He has reasons to believe the thieves were from the city, because he met a group of suspicious-looking men on his way back home on the day the bow got stolen. I promise him we'll look into it.
I know that bandit island, of course. It's near the place where we found the first delivery from Montaigu to Reginald a long, long time ago. It is not known whether or not the bandits on the island used to be on the late Maven Black-Briar's payroll, but even if they didn't, they're still bandits, so we'll kill them. And should we find out they're not bandits, we won't kill them. My mind is very sharp today, isn't it? [Grin.]
Form the lake shoe, one can see a big wooden house on the island.
We succeed in swimming over one by one. Getting to the drawbridge is easy. We kill the lookouts, lower the drawbridge and hold out in the gatehouse while the guards hurry across the bridge to help us. The bandits are many, but we kill them all except one who wan't put up any resistance. He doesn't answer my questions as to who he is and what he is doing there. I shrug and tell him he has to come with us. We'll escort him to the Riften jail where he shall be interrogated. He comes along meekly, which proves that at least he understands the human language.
Before leaving, we quickly check out the basement in which there is nothing interesting to find, just rats. What luck we're using Spriggan Soap!
They're not attacking us, I got injured by a trap. The rats seem intelligent enough to avoid them. :-)
We've never seen rats this big. Normally they're, like, half a skeever or even less.
Back in the city, we find out that among the things confiscated from the Ratway gang, there was indeed a bow that matches Dravin's description. When we bring it to Dravin, he probably refrains from hugging and kissing us only because his wife can see us. The bow is a dear memory of his ancestors and he is very happy to have it back.
It's dark already, but much too early to go to sleep, as well as much too late to travel anywhere. I mean, not anywhere. To the Heartwood Mill. We've been hearing about something mysterious and possibly exciting in its vicinity. That'll be in the west from here, halfway between Riften and Sunguard City. But as I said, we won't go there tonight, because if there is something interesting to find, I'd rather look for it in daylight.
There is, however, enough time for us to go and check if everything's in order at the former Black-Briar country mansion. I'll decide later whether we'll sleep there ot return to Riften for the night.
Just outside the city's line of sight, we witness someone (it's too dark to see whom) fighting a large flame atronach. It's much bigger than Elle. Could be three meters tall. At the very least two and a half. Doesn't matter, of course. I shoot it dead.
Flame atronachs always burst in flames when they die.
Its adversary turns out to be a virr, just as humorless as all the others we've seen. Could someone tell them the world won't go under if they loosen up a bit?
Short of the Black-Briar Lodge, we kill a group of three bandits. Around the next hill, and we're already seeing the mansion. It looks very inviting in this dark forest.
I'm pleased to see the place securely guarded by soldiers. The infamous horse, the one that Louis Letrush was trying to buy from Sibbi who didn't own it, is no longer there. The soldiers inform me it was taken to the city stables. Come to think of it, we should let Louis have it. He may have paid only a half of the price, but with all the Black-Briars dead, no one has a stronger claim on the horse than he has.
I'll tell them at the stables tomorrow. But right now it's a little past 9 and I decide we'll sleep here tonight, in the large bedroom upstairs.
next awakening
