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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
4-202-04-16 06:19
Uthgerd's House, Hviterun, Whiterun, Skyrim
Today, we're going to explore the northern bank of the White River, east of Valtheim. We saw some strange ruins on our way along the southern bank more than half a year ago, and I'm curious to try and find them.
Before we leave the city, I remind Jordis that I'm not planning on returning to Hviterun before traveling to Falskaar, so if she would rather stay behind in Skyrim, then this is her last chance to tell me.
"Why, Falskaar is okay," she replies. "But I'll kill Svegard when I see him."
"No, you won't, unless I give you the permission or he attacks you."
"Okay." That was evidently the kind of answer she had expected. She was just trying me.
Our path along the northern bank of White River takes us past the Alessian Ruins. The entrance to the Cave of Borea which Carlina of Solitud wanted me to explore is right there. However, I feel extreme reluctance against going in after everything I've been told about the place, to say nothing about making Lucia worried.
We make a halt all the same. I look at the shabby wooden lid of the entrance for a while. Now I feel clearly we should not go in there. At least not until I have made Carlina give me a lot more information.
We proceed eastwards instead. Just look at this magnificent view!
Having reached the approximate area where those mysterious ruins ought to be, we carefully begin descending the steep mountains towards the northern riverbank.
Well, we end up walking back and forth, discovering a cave named Darkshade and a giant camp called Cradlecrush Rock along the way.
There is, however, nothing like a citadel ruin anywhere.
Darkshade has trolls living in it. They haven't done us anything, so there's no reason to kill them, so we just sneak out again.
We're basically headed for Dånstar to travel to Falskaar. We could go via Windhelm or via Hviterun. The latter way is a little shorter, so we choose it after some discussion. While we're in this region, we explore the mountains south of the Valtheim–Hviterun road to see if we really can't get to High Hrothgar from this direction. We can't, but we do discover the well-hidden Whiterun Stormcloak Camp:
Just a little farther to the west, mostly inside a high mountain is a bandit cave called White River Watch.
I also get this nice close-up of a sabercat:
We proceed to nearby Hviterun where it occurs to me I really should go and see how my boyfriend Harek is doing. It's been ages since we haven't met. More than two months, actually. In the meantime, I've been in the city only briefly and always too busy to hang around. But today I have enough time.
Well, sadly I'm informed that Harek lost his life fighting bandits.
Well, there's obviously nothing I can do about it. That's a risk that goes with being a city guard. Surely Harek's sacrifice made the city a little safer and possibly saved the lives of several citizens.
I find a secluded place and cry a little. Then I compose myself and go find my followers. We spend some time hanging around doing nothing worth mentioning. Having hugged Lucia and Carlotta and Mila goodbye on the marketplace, I walk towards the main city gate with my followers.
"Laura," says Jordis.
"What?"
"Before you ask, I still want to come to Falskaar with you."
I laugh and hit her arm playfully.
The weather is nice in spite of some clouds in the sky as we run to the north across the beautiful hilly grasslands.
Not far from the Loreius Farm, we discover the Mammoth Graveyard. It's quite a large compound with some bandits, mammoth corpses and great many mammoth bones. They are by no means a pleasant sight. I am much more fascinated by those brown stones with giant-made (as I presume) patterns or inscriptions:
Next to me: Jordis. Behind me: Lydia. In front of me: Jenassa.
This place is so close to the city (in fact, I think one can even see a small bit of the
Dånstar–Hviterun highway on the left) that it's quite amazing we haven't discover it until now.
This place is so close to the city (in fact, I think one can even see a small bit of the
Dånstar–Hviterun highway on the left) that it's quite amazing we haven't discover it until now.
Laintar Dale is no longer far. In fact, it's practically right behind those big rocks in the background:
We say hello to the nice people in Laintar Dale (yeah, rather grumpy, most of them, actually, but I don't mind) and continue our journey to Dånstar in heavy snowfall. We get past the bandit fortress without being bothered. The snowfall ceases soon:
When we get closer to the Shrine of Dibella a quarter of an hour later, I wonder if we ought to pay it a visit, but then I notice a group of three trolls at some distance who clearly express their dislike for us, and I decide not to disturb them.
We enter Dånstar at half past seven. The shops have closed for today.
Our plan is to give Lydia some time with Bjarne while the rest of us walk around and such. It would be optimal to cast off late in the evening and sleep on the ship. But then we're having such a good time talking to people (and maybe we get a little drunk) that I think we'd better spend the night in comfortable beds and travel in the morning.
Before turning in, I go and talk to the strange man Joshua with long hair who is evidently friends with that boatman at the northeastern part of the harbor. Well, he's got the most unbearable piepsing voice, is a megalomaniac loser unlike any I've ever seen, and talks very obscenely at that. All in all, a jerk as pointless as can possibly be.
Somewhat disappointed, I return to the inn and go to sleep.
next awakening
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