Always Lost, Always Hopeful (202) Old Thieves, Goodbye

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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






4-202-03-09 07:09
Manor Keep, Summerset, Aldmeri Dominion


Lydia and I wake up before the others and cook breakfast. Then we look around some more in our new property, but I'm going to leave a thorough exploration for the next time. I'm impatient (yes, I'm impatient and I don't care what anyone has to say about it) to return to Skyrim and have some new adventures – as well as stay away from Summerset until we can be sure we're not going to have a new all-out war with the Dominion.

Manor Keep is not very far from Alinor and in fact one can see the highest buildings from here:

This is what you see when come out of the front door and turn right:

We head for Shimmerene, towards the rising sun.

I've changed my mind about visiting Sunhold. My instinct tells me we're not going to find out anything all that exciting, and enjoy as I may being with Thoromhel, I'm still so happy from my intimacy with Bradwin that I'd rather not go to Sunhold today.

I very much hope we'll be able to return here for an occasional vacation.

Red Beggar's Hole is conventiently on our route. On our way there, we pass by that spriggan grove again.

We've used Spriggan Soap again this morning, so the spriggans just stand there peacefully and let us admire them. It's a pity we don't know how to talk to them.

That Red Beggar woman seems indeed to be delusional, but there's nothing we can do for her, so I just put down her Finely Crafted Bowl inconspicuously and we leave. I hope she'll be reasonably safe in that cave.

We do a bit of shopping and sightseeing in the Shimmerene village. I use an opportunity to talk to the mage Agol. I ask her about soul gem mines and the Corgrad trader Othanaro's strange reaction.
Agol laughs and says of course a soul gem vendor wouldn't reveal the location of a soul gem mine to me. She says she knows of only one soul gem mine called Attero Caverns. As a matter of fact, Agol knows where it is, but she won't tell me, because it would be very unsafe for me to go looking for it.
She explains that soul gem trade is a traditional business which is well arranged so that all participants are reasonably happy. Many people would be upset if I interfered and upset the balance, and why would I want to do that?
Obviously, I can't tell her that it's for strengthening the Skyrim militaru to fight the Aldmeri Dominion.
Besides, I reralize she is right. This country may technically be my enemy, but they have accepted me as their guest and it would be simply rude of me to abuse their trust and hospitality by using their own natural resources against them.
On the bright side, Agol makes it quite clear that she told me all that because she wants me to stay out of trouble because she likes me and wishes me well.
This makes me very happy. Apart from which, it pleases me once again to notice how the traders in Summerset tend to have many more metal ingots in stock than the ones in Skyrim have. Got to return here for shopping occasionally. Right now, though, it's time for us to run to the Mages' Guild and travel to Skyrim without even going inside.

After my casting the spell, we materialize as always at the upper end of the College bridge. We run quickly to the library so I can say hello to Ertzebet and inform her I talked to Drevis when I was here four days ago and hinted to him she might like him.
"Oh, so that's it," Ertzebet replies grinning.
"So what's it?"
She says she has been seeing him a lot in the library these past days. No small talk yet, though.
"Make sure you keep me informed!" I tell her.
Ertzebet rolls her eyes. Yes, I know – she has always kept me informed of everything. I am the one who can't make time for chatting. Right now, though, it's she who has to go. Her boss Urag wants something from her. I wish her good luck with Drevis and leave with my followers.

It's about noon and snowing. We have plenty of daylight left for traveling.

Having reached Amol City, I realize that now that we have those Cushioned  boots and thus won't have to be afraid of jumping down from high places, we can see if we can cross those mountains in the south, instead of bypassing them along the road southwest or down the hill towards the estuary.

First, we need (of course) to climb up. With some moderate effort, it's quite possible. My followers are also getting the hang of it. We end up overlooking a path that seems to be cutting through the mountains from east to west.

There are two mages who decide to attack us. We kill them easily. Then we jump down the ten or so meters to the path and follow it eastwards. It leads to the elven refugee camp northeast of Windhelm.

Looking from a distance at those round tents, I suddenly feel I don't want to go to Windhelm. I dread the mental image of meeting with Yrsarald, submitting to his rules, not knowing what he'll do to me... For that matter, I've been having doubts for several days now if I want to marry him at all, and while this may be just some temporary doubt and for that matter we aren't having any serious marriage plans yet to begin with, one thing I know for certain is that at this moment when I imagine walking into the Windhelm palace, everything inside me screams: "I don't want to! I don't want to! I don't want to! I don't want to!"

Of course I know I'm about a week away from my period. To some women it's a convenient excuse for everything. "I'm sorry I set the house on fire, but I couldn't help it – I was premenstrual (or almost or had recently been)." I hope I'll never fall so low. Nevertheless, we're not going to Windhelm today. We'll go back westwards and see where this path leads to.

Yeah, it looks like it's going to reach the road near Fort Kastav and that's too far north. So we turn south before that and climb up the mountains. There's some gold ore up here, in case you're interested. Soon we reach that horribly deadly drop where we would have an amazing view to Windhelm if there wasn't any snowfall.

We're not taking the deadliest route down – it'd take us straight to the city. We head south and, accompanied by great fear, reach the ground safely near the bridge that is east of Anga's Mill.

I remember now I wanted to check out the Shrine of Azura near Winterhold and I forgot. Well, no matter. We'll be in that area often enough.

I also realize that the next time I'm with Yrsarald I'll have to tell him I was here and didn't want to meet him. That's something very serious, but I'm utterly unable to think of a solution. It's in the future, so I'm just putting it out of my mind right now.

By the time we run through Kynesgrove, it has occurred to me I can tell Yrsarald I chose to bypass Windhelm because I was hoping to reach Broken Helm Hollow near Riften in daylight, and that is technically even true.

Before Vernim Wood, we meet a traveler who mentions an imp camp in southeastern Eastmarch. I haven't seen that yet, so I decide we'll turn off the road and check it out. We come across a hunter camp first,

and a little farther south there's indeed the Eastmarch Imperial Camp. We can even shop here.

Then we travel south along the path that runs parallelly to the main road. East of us (i.e. on the left) are high mountains. We notice a citadel on top of a steep rocky hill.

We succeed in finding a path up. The place seems to be an ancient Nordic ruin. A mage is busy with something near the campfire in front of the entrance.

We have no reason to pick a fight and he's not seeing us, so we just sneak back the way we came and proceed southwards.

We travel past Kagrenar, presumably a Dwemer ruin, and then see a group of thalmors and a group of Stormcloaks in combat. Since all thalmors are to be banished from Skyrim and all the agressive ones killed, we waste no time and start shooting arrows into the thalmors. As we approach after the battle, the Stormcloaks, apparently not recognizing us, tell us to go where we were going and not hang about.

The sun is setting and the birches with their yellow leaves are heartwarmingly beautiful.

Soon we are approaching the main gate of Riften. We catch up with my friend Wujeeta and walk with her sharing the news. Near the gate, we meet Asgeir Snow-Shod, the business partner of Maven Black-Briar whom I couldn't find the last time. He is evidently returning to the city. He insists he only invested in Maven's business and didn't know anything about any illegal activities – although he was greatly surprised at the astonishing speed at which Maven was able to win new customers for their meadery.

I inform Asgeir he'll have to come with us to the city jail. He may be telling the truth, but I'll leave it to the authorities to find out. The fact he hasn't escaped speaks strongly in his favor, but still I can't just let him walk free before he has been thoroughly interrogated.

Having handed the prisoner over to the guards, I go to the palace. I tell Jarl Laila about the skooma trade center I destroyed in the mountains near Vernim Wood, and she informs me Mjoll has dug up some documents proving that the late Maven Black-Briar had indeed participated in the narcotics trade just as I had presumed all along.

That taken care of, we walk to the inn. Keerava informs me all is generally well, but the people are really cross at me for having failed to destroy the Thieves' Guild. Yeah, I was planning on doing it tonight.

Before that, I just pay a quick visit to the orphanage to ask Constance if everything is all right. Turns out the city has become so safe that the children are even venturing out onto the streets:

Samuel is late returning and he'll be severely admonished. (Not beaten, though, Constance assures me.)

Now I take my girls and twenty soldiers and we enter the Ratway. I leave the soldiers waiting outside the Ratway inn entrance. Accompanied only by my followers, I walk up to Dirge and Vex and inform them that the activities of the Thieves' Guild in Riften cease as of now. Everyone in the premises will be taken to the city prison, all the Guild property will be confiscated and everyone who tries to resist or even says something that rubs me the wrong way will be killed on the spot. Tonilia is the only one to take me up on that last point. With two arrows in her back, she falls down in front of my feet. No one else makes a move to join her.

I tell the gangsters I am grateful to several of them for the favors they have done me in the past, but this is official business and I can't show any favoritism. I'm going to ask the city administration to be lenient and allow those who aren't guilty of very severe crimes to serve time in the prison and make themselves useful sweeping streets and repairing buildings or something like that. Then I order Jordis to call the soldiers in. All the people we find are stripped naked and handcuffed.

Now we smash in the secret door in the wardrobe and enter a larger area known as the Cistern.

There are more bandits there. They grab their weapons, but then they see me and hesitate. Walking towards them alone, I notice Sapphire. I've been feeling bad about getting her arrested, because we've been kind of friendly, but then I remembered she's a depraved criminal and deserves no compassion.

When I explain the gangsters the situation, including the possibility to be spared the death penalty, a man named Mercer who seems to be the leader of the "guild" tells his people that resistance is evidently futile and they ought to surrender quietly.

Strangely enough it's Sapphire, the only woman in this section, who urges the men to fight, screaming unspeakable insults at them. She is promptly killed. The rest is easy, although our thorough search of the premises lasts deep into the night. I wonder if Sapphire might have been guilty of something really terrible, so she realized she would not be among those who could avoid the death sentence, and thus figured she'd be no worse off trying to fight her way out. Be it as it may, I'm glad we were able to accomplish this raid with so little bloodshed.

Among the prisoners is Etienne whom we liberated from the Thalmor Embassy three months ago, but again – being held prisoner and tortured is no justification for hanging out with criminals. He should have stayed in Dragonbridge with Eydis.

The guards pick up many documents, but strangely enough the vault is almost empty. The gangsters insist they have no idea where all their treasures have gone and indeed cast very angry looks at each other, mostly Mercer.

Swaying on my feet, I reach our house together with my followers only by 6 o'clock in the morning.

next awakening






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Always Lost, Always Hopeful (182) Reckoning

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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






4-202-02-16 06:26
Proudspire Manor, Solitud, Haafingar, Skyrim

We leave the city without delay. Not even any shopping this time. However, I remember at the last moment that I wanted to take care of that shipment for the cider merchant Morilla of Morpork. So we head for the harbor. I don't think this will take long.

The harbor is almost empty at this early hour. We can see two bored-looking guards, as well as vague silhouettes of some people farther southerly.

After quick whispered instructions, we step up to the guards. They cheerfully greet Jordis whom they evidently know from earlier. I ask the guards if they know a High Elf named Inuril. One of them points down the quay towards a docked ship and a shack. I give a sign to Jenassa and we walk that way.

Indeed, there's a very tall man wearing typical thalmor clothes. I cast a quick glance over my shoulder and am pleased to notice that Jordis and Lydia are casually walking the guards away from us.

The tall man confirms that his name is Inuril. He's eating an apple.

I know Morilla wants him dead, but I have no reason to create more bloodshed than is strictly necessary. So I start by telling Inuril Morilla's apples are poisoned.

I curse my stupidity, but then I try to make him believe it's a poison that works slowly, and doesn't he find it strange that Morilla gave them up so easily? Morilla wanted to take revenge on him for he-knows-what. (I have, of course, no idea what it is Morilla hates him for, but I hope he does.)

Inuril hesitates for a few seconds, and then it no longer matters, because Jenassa stabs him from behind. I quickly search his corpse and find the documents for the apple shipment. We roll the body over the edge of the quay as quietly as possible. No one seems to be seeing us.

I arrange at the harbor office to have what's left of the apples delivered to Morpork. Then we travel across the moor to Morthal where everything seems peaceful. Even children are playing on the street.

I stop only to buy Black Soul Gems from the wizard Falion. They're very rare. But I won't waste time on saying hello to the jarl, let alone shopping. I absolutely want to be in Bitchen by tonight.

The directest route goes straight across the mountains to Hviterun. That means passing by Labyrinthian. Naturally, we're way beyond having any fear of ice trolls by now, but I still can't help feeling apprehensive about those creepy stone birds. Silly as it may seem to you, I'm glad I won't have to walk past them alone. (And if they are not really birds but some fable monsters, I don't want to know it.)

Having left the huge stone structures and a few newlydead trolls behind, we go through the mountain pass and reach the wide open grassland northwest of Hviterun. Quite near us is Silent Moons Camp – that bandit nest with a wide stone staircase that had an unusual smithing forge.

A little ahead of my followers as usual, I run in a straight line towards Hviterun without even bothering to check if there is anybody there. At the foot of those stairs, several bandits attack me. While my followers shoot arrows into them, I just charge at them with my sword. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" asks Lydia when the battle is over. Yeah, come to think of it, maybe I was. I've been feeling increasingly gloomy after we've left Solitud. I'm sorry. I'll be more careful from now on.

Without wasting time on looking for the bandits inside the structure, we run straight to Hviterun. Near the gate, I hesitate a little and then decide not to enter the city proper. We just pay a brief visit to the inn in the southwestern suburb. The proprietress Malene says it's business as usual, and Sabjorn at the Honningbrew Meadery tells us the same thing. We also exchange a few words with Alfhild who is on her way home to the Battle-Born Farm. Yes, it would seem things are as peaceful here as can be. I'm very grateful for that.

We're going to travel via Valtheim Towers and Fort Amol. That would mean crossing the White River by the bridge in the picture above and turning left.

When we're on the opposite bank and out of the guards' sight, I call a halt. We sit down on the roadside slope and I tell Jenassa that I need help with my self-doubts. I hurry to emphasize that this is not about slutty behavior (which, as you may remember, she forbade me to worry about and indeed I haven't). She acknowledges my explanation with a slight smile.

"What I'm worried about is my tendency to ruin my relationships," I tell the girls. "I chased Lorm away, I couldn't keep Erik who was in love with me, I've been neglecting Oudin, I had Aranath get bored with me, I've been using Gregor and Valdimar just for amusement, and now I'm jeopardizing my relationship with Yrsarald because of some stupid war. There are times I feel I'm a complete failure as a woman. And don't tell me I can't expect to have a normal relationship while I'm a traveling warrior. I've told that to myself a hundred times and it's not helping. Tell me something sensible."

Jenassa looks pensively at the Hviterun palace we can see beyond the big rock across the road. Then she turns to me. "I've been feeling a failure as a woman while having a steady relationship. I was living in the back room of an inn, and it didn't look like I could ever inspire my man to strive for something more."
"The point is," continues Lydia, "pitying yourself and finding reasons to think of yourself as a failure is the easiest thing in the world."
"The skill we need to learn is to pay attention to good things that are all around us," says Jenassa.
I smile, feeling good for the first time today.
After a few moments of silence, Lydia says: "We want people around us to be happy, and that's a good thing, but we mustn't think we're responsible for other people's happiness."
"...because you can't give more than you have," adds Jenassa.
"You can't be required to give more than you have."
"Right," confirms Jenassa. "You have to make the best of what you've got, and not feel guilty for not having the resources for righting all the wrongs in the world."
"...or the strength."
"...or not being in the mood for it at the moment."
They're so right. I stand up and hug them happily. "Thanks, girls. Let's go."

We see a couple of lovely hares and a couple of lovely elks on our way to Valtheim.

There's a Redguard woman outside Valtheim who demands that we pay a "road toll". I know I ought to kill her, but I feel kind of fed up with killing people. So I just tell her to shove off. Fortunately she has enough sense not to try anything.

The nature of the western Eastmarch is very beautiful. We meet a few travelers and get past Fort Amol without being harassed. (Or has the fortress been taken over by soldiers? I can no longer remember.)

I had planned on traveling along the road, bypassing Darkwater and Vernim Wood, but when we reach the Darkwater bridge, I feel I want to drop in just for a moment.

We don't do anything special, just speak a few words to a guard and then run across the hot pool area towards the Windhelm–Bitchen highway. We pass through Vernim Wood without stopping and soon reach Shor.

I realize now Bitchen is practically a stone's throw away and it's half past 3 in the afternoon, so we have plenty of time. We step into Gorn's shop. That often grumpy man is unusually happy. It would appear that the soldiers' taking over the fortress between here and Bitchen has been a real blessing for Shor. They now get a lot of business from travelers and the city people. Indeed, Gorn has enough money to buy all my excess wares. We are both very pleased.

The blacksmith Filnjar is also joyful and thanks me for arranging the peace. Then we stop for a minute to talk to a group of miners including Sylgja, and then we run to Bitchen.

The old Khajiit trader Dro'marash outside the city gate informs me that people have been reporting a few skirmishes here and there, but by and large the power transfer has been peaceful. Let's hope its rollback will be as smooth. Although, on second thought, there is no reason why the imps couldn't remain here even when we restore Jarl Laila to power. I can't remember if I've told you, but even though The Rift was technically stork territory, Laila wasn't exactly a fan of Ulfric. It's just that when you've got the stork headquarters practically at your doorstep, it's not easy to remain loyal to the Empire. But Laila always made it very clear that the interests of her people take precedence over everything else in the world.

It'll be a lot more difficult in Morpork, but I hope the storks now stationed there will not want to serve a gang of murderers and extortionists – especially so after I tell them about the rumors that the Silver-Bloods have actually organized forn attacks in order to scare people and thereby undermine Jarl Igmund's authority.

That's what goes through my head as me and my followers step in through the city gate greeted enthusiastically by the guard on duty, and walk towards the inn and the marketplace. The sky is partially cloudy, but there is no rain. The streets are strangely empty.

I greet my friends the market traders Marise, Madesi and Brand-Shei, but I won't stay for a longer conversation, because I want to take a look inside the palace first, alone. On my way there, I'm rather astonished to see Nivenor, the bored wife of the rich man Bolli stumble on the street very drunk.

Everything looks normal in the palace. That Black-Briar trash is acting as if she was actually a jarl. Maul is standing at his post, keeping an eye on everything and everyone. He greets me with a surprisingly warm smile and asks where Lydia is. I inform him we have some things to do, but she'll be with him tonight, I promise.

The Imperial guards inside keep serious faces in front of Maven and Maul, but the ones outside make no secret of their admiration for me the Dragonborn. I am most pleased. I'm getting increasingly optimistic about my tonight's mission. I'll have Lydia go and lure Maul away from the palace after the so-called jarl has gone to sleep, and the guards look like they will make no difficulties.

Still, killing Maven and her henchmen is not everything. The city needs to be administered after that. Jarl Laila is unlikely to return until there is an agreement as to whose soldiers will be keeping order in The Rift, so for some time they will have to do without a jarl here. Besides, Laila is clearly too soft and idealistic to be allowed to rule without competent guidance.

Therefore I've come up with an idea of establishing a sort of citizen council consisting of five people. I figure that is large enough so that no one can force his will upon the others, and yet small enough to be able to actually make decisions without getting lost in endless debates. Me and my followers have thoroughly discussed many candidates and ended up with Mjoll, Madesi, Brand-Shei, Maul and Bolli. Mjoll is a profoundly honest woman eager to establish law and order in the city. She hates the Thieves' Guild and will have a tough time sitting at the same table with Maul, but we need the Thieves' Guild's support for the time being and we have strong influence on Maul through Lydia. Madesi and Brand-Shei are respectable traders and my unquestionable allies. Bolli is not too smart, but he's wealthy and one of the most important entrepreneurs in the city. This council, even though its composition may change over time, should remain working permanently to watch over Laila and keep her from being manipulated by another Anuriel. There's no way of knowing in advance how this previously unheard of form of government will work, but obviously things can't go on in The Rift the way they used to.

Now, quite frankly, there is one rather delicate problem. I've been unsure if ought to tell you about it at all, but I'll tell now. We need Lydia to keep Maul away from the palace, but unfortunately she is having her period. She assures me it's all right – she'll keep her panties on and take care of Maul with her mouth. He's a big boy, he knows women have menstruations. I am skeptical about any man wanting to be with a woman on the rag, but we've discussed it back and forth in recent days and Lydia is confident she can pull it off. Well, she knows Maul a lot better than I do.

Between now and bedtime, what I need to do is to actually tell the prospective members of the government about my plans. However, I can well imagine Maven might have agents lurking around among people. I can't risk them reporting to her that I might be up to something suspicious. That's why I walk casually from person to person, making conversation the way I always do.

I find an opportunity to talk to Mjoll out of anyone else's earshot. I tell her I'm going to entrust her with a role in the city government after ousting Maven which will happen tonight. I tell her I have an official order for Maven's arrest and beseech her not to say a word to anyone and, for that matter, not to walk around looking happy. She'd better go home with her boyfriend and figure out a way to while away the hours until I send for her.

When it's about closing time at the marketplace, I bring Madesi to my house. Him being my boyfriend, that can impossibly make anyone suspicious. Then I tell him all about my plan and ask him if he would do me this favor of helping to manage the city at least for some time. I know he's not a politician (and, quite frankly, not a dominant personality, but I won't say that to his face), but I've seen he's intelligent and really good with people and he's the only one whom I can unconditionally trust. I tell him I can even compensate him for his loss of business.

Madesi says it won't be necessary and he'll help me all right, but can we continue talking in bed?

Oh... Sure. I hadn't thought about that. Silly me.

When Madesi has gotten more urgent matters off his... well, you know what I'm talking about, I ask him if he thinks Brand-Shei would also agree to participate in the citizen council I've conceived. Madesi thinks he would and he would be trustworthy too, but the people might dislike it if there was too much alien influence. I tell him that's why I'm including Maul and Bolli, so that three members out of five will be Nords. Madesi still thinks I might consider someone like Haelga, even though he personally would feel better to have his friend and colleague Brand-Shei for moral support.

Haelga! Now that's a good idea, because a woman with her lifestyle is bound to know many people's intimate secrets that might help keep them in line when necessary. However, her loyalties are entirely uncertain, as well as her interest in this kind of work. Well, there are many more subtle points worth considering, but I guess I'd better not bore you any more with all that politics.

Madesi and I leave the house well before midnight, so Lydia will be able to use it with Maul a little later. I stroll to the orphanage and talk a little with Constance. Then I return to the market square and chat with the streetwalker Lavinia until I realize she's actually working now and my presence might discourage men from approaching her, so I walk on. I meet up with Jenassa and Jordis and we examine the back alleys we've never ventured into so far. But for the patrolling guards, they look ideal places for robbing people careless enough to go there alone.

At quarter to 3 at night, we enter the palace. Maul is gone by now, of course. I show the guards General Tullius's order for the Black-Briar family's arrest. I learn that several of the imp guards are actually locals and know only too well what kind of a person Maven is. Far from making any trouble, they are eager to assist me, but I order them to stay downstairs and make sure everything is quiet. We don't want the court wizard Wylandriah to be disturbed in her sleep. That gets a grin out of them.

The operation goes like clockwork. After the guards have explained us the layout of the sleeping quarters, me and my two followers sneak up the stairs to Maven's bedroom. She is sleeping on a large bed with her back towards us. I walk up to her and stick a dagger into her back several times. It's a real shame to kill that snake instantly and painlessly, but I don't want to risk Wylandriah hearing anything and possibly deciding to defend her new boss. Maybe I'll be able to satisfy my sadistic urges by helping to interrogate Anuriel. And maybe I ought to learn to be more compassionate and merciful. And maybe I shouldn't be gabbing with you in my head while I have an extremely important job to do.

When we enter Hemming Black-Briar's bedroom, he turns himself restlessly in his sleep and moans, but a couple of seconds later, he lies quietly in a pool of blood.

I go and tell the guards the criminals lost their lives while resisting arrest, and their bodies are to be brought to the temple for the funeral rites in the morning. The girls and I, we hurry to the Black-Briar Mansion. I use the key taken from Maven's corpse and rush into Ingun Black-Briar's bedroom. To my disappointment, she is not there:

Maybe now that her mother lives in the jarl's palace, Ingun has chosen to move to the luxurious bedroom upstairs?

No, she's not there either. We search the whole house. It's empty. I wonder if Ingun sensed the danger somehow or she simply got too absorbed in her experiments at Elgrim's alchemy shop. We go to the shop where I very cautiously try the doorknob. The door is locked and the lights inside seem to be off. I'm reluctant to break in and potentially create undue scare. It's unlikely Ingun will sleep here anyway. We'd better return to the Black-Briar Manor.

I hope very much Lydia will be able to keep Maul busy until the morning, so he won't learn the news too soon and get stupid ideas. I had planned on staying at the inn which is even free tonight because it's a traditional holiday called Hearts' Day on which the good people of Skyrim apparently meet with their lovers and do things never talked about afterwards. However, with Ingun still at large (possibly in connection with this very holiday, in which case we have really no chance of guessing where she might be), we'd better spend the night in her house.

Apart from that, the inn may be uncomfortably crowded tonight. So I decide I'll sleep in the big bedroom upstairs and Jenassa and Jordis will take turns keeping guard just inside the entrance while the other one can use the other half of the bed.



next awakening






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