Always Lost, Always Hopeful (55) Too Peaceful to Sleep

———————————————
SPOILER INFO
This fanfic novel is based on the events that occurred in an actual game of Skyrim I played. Therefore, it inevitably reveals a lot about the game.
———————————————




previous day






4-201-10-11 12:23
Calixto's House of Curiosities, Windhelm, Eastmarch, Skyrim


I kiss Rayya and put a hand on her when she tries to get up.
"Did that caravan boss rape you?" I ask as gently as I can.
"Almost." Rayya casts her eyes down, which means onto my breasts, therefore she looks me in the eyes again. "I told him I was having my period, and he believed me. That very night, I ran away. Siddgeir was my first."
I caress her cheek.
After a moment she goes on: "I wouldn't have resisted the boss. I knew I didn't have a chance. I should have anticipated it before I joined the caravan, but I was so naive. My parents never allowed me to socialize with boys." After a moment of silence, she continues: "I'm terribly worried what might have happened to my family."
"Because you ran away from your job?"
She nods.
"Is it that serious?"
"Yes, it's very serious. I've been thinking if I ought to go and protect them in spite of putting myself in danger, but I couldn't even if I wanted to. The border has been closed."
The border has been closed...
Things flash in my memory. Lokil said I had been trying to cross the border. My co-prisoner back in Helgen, remember?
"In which direction is Hammerfell?" I ask.
She looks at me, slightly surprised. "Southwest. Our caravan crossed the border in Falkreath."
Falkreath... Helgen lies east of Falkert. If I had been trying  to cross the border, it means I hadn't crossed it. Was I trying to get from Skyrim to Hammerfell? What business could I possibly have had in Hammerfell?
"Why has the border been closed?" I ask, desperately trying to get some associations.
"There's been talk of a plague," says Rayya. "I overheard some Redguard men who were passing through Falkert, but I couldn't understand much of what they said. They named names of people and places that meant nothing to me. Why do you ask?"
I frantically search my memory. No. Nothing.
"Never mind, Rayya. Just trying to remember. Thanks for... trusting me."
"Please don't tell the others, okay?"
I nod and kiss her. Then we get dressed.

I don't have much appetite. That allows me to talk the more, until the girls have finished eating. I won't bring up Hammerfell yet, though. I want us to go and see how Rayya's family is doing, but I want to discuss it with Lydia and Jenassa in private first. I mean, maybe it's far too dangerous to even consider. I don't know practically anything about Hammerfell. That's why we'd better discuss it first without Rayya, to avoid getting her hopes up unnecessarily – or possibly her insisting out of false modesty that we mustn't do it for her sake. Once I'll be convinced we have a reasonable chance of achieving anything meaningful, we can discuss, all four of us, where and how to get across the border.

After breakfast, we go and dive headfirst into the bustling activity of this awesome city. After I've managed to sell almost everything we don't need, we leave for Dånstar. We're having such a wonderful traveling weather that I don't want to waste time on going to see Yrsarald.

The westward road leads to a bridge. On the northern bank of the river is Anga's Mill. This one is quite big and has even several workers. Past the mill is pretty wild country. We have to fight a fair number of trolls and wolves on the road. About 5 o'clock in the evening, we see a roadside inn called Nightgate. There's nothing interesting going on there. At Fort Dunstad south of Dånstar, we are attacked by bandits who have occupied the formerly empty fort. It's good exercise.

Off the road south of Dånstar, we discover a shrine of Dibella:

It's already dark when we arrive in Dånstar. I let Lydia go to her boyfriend while the rest of us visit the jarl. He is still up. I report to him on having killed the giant he wanted dead. (I hope that'll be the last ever giant I kill.) He thanks me and tells me that if I do his people some more favors, he'll nominate me a thane. A similar deal as in Morthal.

Late at night, I process our gear. We haven't looted anything better than what we're already using.

I had a chance to see this interesting map in the jarl's house:

Now I finally have an idea where all those provinces I've been hearing about are located.
As you can see (if you look very carefully), Cyrodiil, the ruling province of the Empire, is located south of Skyrim.
To the southwest of Skyrim and west of Cyrodiil is Hammerfell, the historic home of the Redguards.
To the east of Skyrim and northeast of Cyrodiil is Morrowind, the historic home of the Dark Elves. Solstheim belongs to Morrowind.
To the southeast of Cyrodiil is Black Marsh, the historic home of the Argonians. They have tense relations with Morrowind.
To the south of Cyrodiil is Elsweyr, the historic home of the Khajiits.
To the southwest of Cyrodiil is Valenwood, the historic home of the Wood Elves.

What about the Bretons? Well, the girls have told me our historic homeland is called High Rock. Where is it? No idea. (As you may remember, common people in Skyrim are not too good at geography.) Maybe I'll find out someday.  :-)
After midnight, I can finally retire at the inn for a good night's rest.

I have a nightmare. Me and my followers enter that Secret Enclave place. There are two young women inside. One of them looks really captivating. I'd like to get to know her better. I tell her I came to offer my services to... Juventus? Juvenalis? I can't remember. A name I can't recall of having ever heard in the real world. She tells me to strip naked. I'm like: what? She says: take 'em off, let me see what you've got. I realize that Juve-whatever must be running a brothel or an escort service. Very well, there are only women here. I can strip naked all right. I'm curious to see where it'll lead, and my followers can protect me, should something bad happen.

As soon as I start undressing, Callista (that's her name, or was it Callisto?) and her companion attack us. You stupid cow, if you wanted to kill me, why didn't you wait until I was naked? She just makes no sense. We kill them. I find a key on Callista's body. It opens the door that leads to next rooms, giant dogs in some, men in others. I say strange things to people, talking about things I don't understand anything about. There are battles. Horrible battles. After what appears to be the last one, I see Rayya stark naked. What are you doing, Rayya? Where are your armor and weapons? Then I realize she's dead. Tears burst from my eyes. I howl on top of my voice, hugging her body, trying to shake her awake. Lydia and Jenassa drag me away form her. I'm looking around for someone to kill, but everyone apart from Lydia and Jenassa is dead already. I look for the exit. There it is. Why did we have to pass through all those rooms anyway? Why didn't we just leave the way we had come? I start walking towards the door. The room begins to fade away into blackness...



next awakening






return to the table of contents

Always Lost, Always Hopeful (37) Alive and a Little Amused

———————————————
SPOILER INFO
This fanfic novel is based on the events that occurred in an actual game of Skyrim I played. Therefore, it inevitably reveals a lot about the game.
———————————————




previous day






4-201-09-22 00:28
Windpeak Inn, Dånstar, The Pale, Skyrim


A little past midnight, I have a bath and knock up my followers. They're not too happy, but their boss is rested and ready to depart and objections are smilingly ignored.

Our destination is Hviterun. More precisely, I want to visit Outcast Valley, alone. Don't ask me why. It's an intuition.

First we go south along the highway to kill a giant for the jarl at Red Road Pass nearby. It's easy. A little further, we discover the Hall of the Vigilant – a big country house with 7 or 8 virrs. They look like generally decent people, but talk like fanatics and there's nothing interesting for us to see there.

A little later, we pass by that Fort Dunstad again, and I figure this is a suitable opportunity to check out the interiors where we would presumably find many bandits and get some decent loot, and so wouldn't have to arrive in Hviterun empty-handed.

The ramparts are abandoned. The bandits we killed recently haven't been replaced.

The picture was taken after the indoors battles, just before leaving.
But it looked the same when we arrived, except that it was dark.

In the courtyard, there is an inn. Really? We go in. Yes, it's an inn, although probably not servicing travelers. But it even has a bath downstairs, as well as two alive bandits and one dead one. Needless to say, we make it three dead bandits.

Then we enter the actual fortress. There are two separate areas, in neither of which we succeed in attacking covertly. Especially the second one is a ghastly mess. Not only do I take dangerous damage, I completely lose control of the situation, so that two or three bandits actually turn up behind me, taking me completely by surprise. Fortunately, my girls are very efficient and we all survive that horror.

The village of Laintar Dale is not far from here. I think I can improve our gear at the smithy there (although I have very few raw materials) and Murzush will probably open shop soon. But first we go and check out an amazing metallic construction a little to the west from Laintar Dale.

It seems to be the same kind of apparatus we saw at Deep Folk Crossing in the far west. I had thought that maybe it was somehow using the energy of the flowing water, but this one isn't anywhere near a river.

We climb to the top of the higher building you can see in the previous picture,

but we're not going to look around for more Dwemer things that may be somewhere in the area. My curiosity is satisfied for today and we return to Laintar Dale. I succeed indeed in selling most of our excess gear to the smithess, and she allows me to use her smithing facilities. While I work, I let Lydia tell me about yesterday. Jenassa and Rayya heard it already in the evening when I was sleeping. Lydia tells me he was most touched when Bjarne didn't want to leave immediately after sex, but when she realized he wasn't going to get hard again, she suggested she shouldn't keep him from his work and indeed offered to accompany him, and then she went with him on a patrol and later they sat in the barracks with other guards, as well as Jenassa and Rayya, and chatted the evening away. I'm not surprised Lydia hadn't any difficulties finding a common language with the town guards.

We continue our journey southwards. I'm glad to see the Loreius couple are alive and well at their farm. Hviterun is not far now.

I get rid of the rest of our excess loot in the eastern suburb. Then we enter the city proper. Since I intend to go to Outcast Valley alone and I have no idea what I'm going to encounter there, I now give everything non-essential to my followers, so I'll be as lightweight as possible. Lucia walks with me to the palace where we chat a little with Farengar and Heidi. Then I go to the temple to get Kynareth's blessing and give Idgrod's letter to Danica. Lucia who doesn't want to see sick people waits outside. Then we walk downhill to the marketplace. I say hello to my dear Ysolda and ask Lucia to go back to work rather than accompany me to The Bannered Mare where I intend to deal with Mikael.

I'm prepared to kill, but astonishingly that obnoxious bard agrees to stop pestering Carlotta. He's quite flirtatious with me, though, and, to my utter shame, I must admit that I find myself not as repulsed by him as I've been used to. (Just please don't tell anyone, I'm begging you.)

Having brought the happy message to Carlotta, I notice Aela and two men apparently returning from a mission. I greet Aela and she stays behind to have a chat while the men proceed towards Jorrvaskr.

We ask each other what's new and such. Over Aela's shoulder, I notice Jon Battle-Born approaching along the main street. He smiles brightly when our eyes meet, but then he realizes it's Aela I'm talking to and walks past us like he doesn't know me. I find it amusing.

Rayya joins us and it occurs to me to ask Aela what she knows about Saadia. She says she remembers how Saadia came to Hviterun and Aela was positive she looked like she was running away from something, but she has never discussed it with anyone. Neither have the two ever talked – Saadia goes out rarely and Aela doesn't like hanging around in bars. But she recalls that a suspicious Redguard man was imprisoned some time ago. She describes his looks and it sounds very similar to those men who told me they were looking for a certain Redguard woman.
Rayya says the outfit which Aela described is typical for the warriors from a region called Alik'r. They are known for their fierceness, so if Saadia is being chased by them, she's in big trouble.
Aela replies that the Alik'r warriors (I shall call them "alikrs" for short) are known in Skyrim as troublemakers and that's why they aren't even allowed to enter Hviterun. She insists the city is safe and I agree with her. Rayya remains visibly skeptical, but doesn't dare argue.

We wish each other good luck and I go home to get some sleep. Yes, I know, it's only noon, but I've been up for 12 hours and I'm tired and I'm going to Outcast Valley later today and I've no idea if I'm going to have any sleeping opportunity there. So, I wish you good night for this afternoon.



next awakening






return to the table of contents