Always Lost, Always Hopeful (162) Steering the Forces

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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






4-202-01-27 05:02
The Copper Cask Inn, Darkwater, Eastmarch, Skyrim


I dreamed of my father.

When I wake up, the places and faces are all blurry in my memory, but I know it was about my father. The story Jenassa told us recently was true, and my father took part in it. He got indeed a huge fortune as his share from the robbers' reserve stash, but he was in a very difficult situation because he couldn't admit having it. But then he found a way to make a deal with a corrupt local leader in one of the backward regions of Morrowind who gave him a legal status in exhange of a significant part of my father's fortune. With the help of that legend, my father was able to settle down in the capital Blacklight having as much anonymity as one could reasonably expect, and he started a new life with a lovely country girl (my mother). They got married and had a son, my elder brother. Eventually Father, still a rich man, took his family to High Rock where I was born.

Clearly, I have no way of knowing if that dream reflected what actually happened, but it felt exactly the same as all those past dreams of mine that turned out to be true. At any rate, I don't need to know my father's past too exactly. He is my dearest loveliest father and I don't care if he has massacred and pillaged an entire nation.

Is my mother an elf then, Lydia asks when I tell my followers about it at the breakfast table. I know what she means – I look nothing like an elf. I have a very strong feeling that my mother was a Breton or at least Nord or Imperial, but I don't know.
"People say a Dragonborn can only be one who has a Nord mother," says Jordis.
Lydia nods pensively. "Yes, they do."
I stand up decisively. Enough of dwelling on the past, now! "I'll get some fresh air. Follow me when you're finished. No hurry."

It's getting light outside. Much too early for shopping, but there's already a man chopping firewood, and I can see a guard somewhat farther away.

I walk slowly to the pier and back, past the inn and towards the bridge. Then I sit down on the riverbank and watch the water flow by. Soon the girls arrive.

Today, we'll take on that Secret Enclave where we may find the missing girl Bronwen. After that, we'll go to Windhelm... or maybe take that holiday in Hviterun? No, we'll go to Windhelm. I've business with Ulfric.
"And with Yrsarald, what, Laura?" says Lydia in a teasing tone of voice.
I sigh. "Of course."
"Looking forward to it, aren't you? Or backward?"
I show her my teeth and growl like a wolf. But she won't let go:
"Are you going to do that  this time?"
"Yes, I am. What else can I do?" I know nine women out of ten would still try to talk their way out of it, but I just can't go back on my word like this. "I won't remind him, obviously."
Lydia gives me a gentle pat on my shoulder: "Don't worry, Laura. We've all been there. You'll survive. And if you don't, I'll kill him for you."
I smile. "Thanks, Lydia. There's no friend like you in the whole world."
I wonder if my next question would be too insensitive, but then I ask it anyway: "Jenassa, have you ever heard about men who do it with other men?"
"Oh yes, I have." She is silent for a second. "But one would be as good as dead if he'd do it in Skyrim. In the eyes of the Nords, that's the lowest a man can fall."
"No one would talk to him or have anything to do with him," says Jordis. "He'd be just about as close to dead as can be while still physically alive."
"The Bosmers are reputed to do it," says Jenassa. "At least everyone in Morrowind can tell you that." She grins. "I don't actually know how frequent it is down in Valenwood. We're just used to looking down on them." [Morrowind is the homeland of the Dark Elves or Dunmers to whom Jenassa belongs, and Valenwood is the homeland of the Wood Elves or Bosmers. Just to refresh your memory.]
"The Bosmers in Skyrim don't do it, I suppose?"
Jenassa laughs. "Oh, no."
"Wait, what about Fenris and Lodriel?" Lydia is referring to two Bosmer men who live in Hviterun's southwestern suburb.
"I haven't peeked into their windows at night," says Jenassa. "They could be just sharing a house to save money. What else they may be doing, I've no idea. I've never given it any thought."
"How about elsewhere?" I ask. "I mean, I don't know where you have been."
"In Morrowind, there are actually male couples who are openly homosexual, even among the Dunmers," she informs us. "The Redguard men often do it to their prisoners or slaves, in order to, I don't know, assert their superior status. I haven't heard about it happening among the Altmers, but they're not so panical about it like the Nords, so I wouldn't be too surprised if some of them did it. Cyrodiil... It varies greatly from region to region, but it's being told you can find absolutely any kind of perversion in the Imperial City. I haven't been there myself."
I laugh at the last statement while Lydia asks:
"But what are those men like? Are they remarkably feminine? Or, I don't know, is one like a man and the other one walks around dressed like a woman? Has it anything to do with being masculine and feminine at all?"
"Right," I cut in. "When a man allows himself to be penetrated, does it actually mean he feels female deep inside, or is there no connection?"
Jenassa shakes her head. "I wouldn't know. I was little and didn't pay attention to those things. You'll have to go Morrowind and find out yourself."
"Or Imperial City," says Lydia, grinning at me.
I grin back. "Rather Imperial City, I think. Might also find out about all those other perversions."
"Better do it before we get married," adds Jordis and we all burst out laughing. And watch out we don't end up enslaved, I think a few seconds later, but I don't say anything.

It begins to rain as we run towards Fort Amol, but it ceases on the northern bank of the river. Near Mixwater Mill, we meet a pair of virrs on patrol, and by the time we reach the Secret Enclave, the sun has come out. Won't do us much good in there, of course.

I know I shouldn't take a nightmare I had a couple of months ago too seriously, but I can't help it. I tell my followers to be more extremely careful than ever. And we shall kill everyone we see who is not an imprisoned young woman.

And that's what we do. Everything looks exactly like it did in my nightmare, but the essential difference is that this time I won't put us in danger by trying to talk to anyone. We succeed in sneaking up on many people before they notice us. Other times it gets a little messy, and I even shoot an arrow accidentally into Jordis once, but generally we're in control of the situation. That's on the bright side. The downside is that we don't find the girl. Only a small room that might have been used as a prison cell, and a note form someone calling herself Bronwen and saying she's held in captivity and hoping someone will find her. That's the only piece of writing around here, so we have no way of knowing where the girl is.

I shall talk to that boyish youngster and Bronwen's father one more time, and then I'll have a very serious word with that tight-lipped Khajiit slave trader in Dragonbridge. That's all I can do.

We're headed for Windhelm now, but then I catch a glimpse of Kynesgrove across the river and realize it's really close. So we descend to the river and swim over.

All is quiet in Kynesgrove. We do a little shopping and get some Alteration training from the local friendly witch Dravynea. Under the bright sun barely able to warm up the chilly air, we travel to nearby Windhelm which we reach just a few minutes before noon.

It's perfect. We'll have time to comfortably do everything we had planned. Tomorrow morning we'll go to Winterhold. (I guess I'll postpone that holiday in Hviterun.)

I feel very apprehensive as I walk towards the palace. I can't tell if it's because of the war of because of Yrsarald.

Ulfric is very haughty.

He's talking awfully big for a double-faced thalmor collaborator.

I've never realized before he has such a big nose. Like a small potato, really. It looks amusing when you look at it from as close as I am standing now.

After some dodging, Ulfric agrees to go to the peace talks in High Hrothgar if General Tullius will also attend. I inform him that I'm on my way to Solitud to bring Tullius the exalted summons.

Even though our conversation is not very long, it makes one thing very clear to me – there is no bending of the rules established by that man. I mean, I've never seen anyone so headstrong and dominant. Amusing as his nose may be, if he would look me in the eye and tell me to strip naked right here and now, I don't think I would dare disobey. Of course, if he would look somewhere else than my eyes, I might get my self-control back.

Sorry, I'm talking about utterly silly thoughts again. What I really meant to say was I know now it would be futile to ask Yrsarald to let me stay the night. It's just not going to happen. And now the logical part of my mind takes over again and I realize that if we're going to do that horrible thing, I'd better not stay the night even if it were possible, because there's no way of knowing what he'll want me to do in the morning, and I can hardly tell him to go and wash himself first, can I?

Enough of that now. I go and say hello to Yrsarald and promise I'll drop by in the evening. Then I walk out, still under the impression left by the overwhelming personality (not to mention voice) of Jarl Ulfric. I hurry towards the marketplace which is the most efficient remedy against all the frightening and confusing things in the world.

Indeed, I feel awesome after my rounds through the shopping areas and the harbors. That little girl Sofie is in her usual spot this time selling flowers.

I tell her she may sleep in my house when she has nowhere else to go, and as a return service, she can keep it in good order. I give her a key.

I visit some more shops and wander around in the elven quarter – alone, in order not to scare the people with too many foreign faces at the same time.

A little after 7 o'clock in the evening, I go to the palace to face my destiny. I'm no longer afraid. I can endure a little pain, and frankly I deserve a lot more than that as punishment for all those people I have killed when I actually had a chance to run away. Above all, I trust Yrsarald won't really  hurt me the way (as I presume) Lorm might.

Yrsarald walks me upstairs, holding my hand when we're out of the guards' sight, and leads me to his room. He takes a seat in the armchair and makes me strip naked in front of the fireplace. Having eyed me unhurriedly, he asks:
"Laura, do you remember what you promised me the last time?"
I nod.
"Say it!"
"Yes, I do remember."
"No, I mean, tell me what it is you promised."
What the hell? Can't you just get on with it? Why do I have to say it?
"I promised that if you want to do it in the other hole, I will not resist or raise any objections."
"What do you mean by "the other hole"?"
"What do you mean what do I mean?"
Yrsarald gets up and stands himself in front of me: "What is the other hole  called?"
"Anus," I say with downcast eyes.
"So, Laura, tell me one more time and clearly, what it is that you want me to do to you tonight."
I raise my head an look him in the eye. "I want  you to fuck my pussy, but if you intend to fuck my butthole instead, I won't object or resist in any way."
Yrsarald nods. "Fair enough." I believe to detect a hint of a smile as if he was impressed by my boldness.
Slowly raising his hands, he grabs my breasts. I can't help closing my eyes and smiling in delight, touching my lower lip with my teeth.
"Get onto the bed," says Yrsarald while he lets go if me.
I walk to the bed while he gets undressed. I don't know which way he'll want me, so I just lie down on my belly, close my eyes and wait. I can hear his almost inaudible footsteps as he approaches the bed, naked as I presume. I feel my buttocks pulled apart.
And then he enters me. What? You're hard already, just from looking and talking and thinking? Wow.
With your permission (or without it), I'll leave the rest to your imagination. It is quite an ordeal, but luckily it doesn't last very long. The girls have told me men come rather soon in that hole, because it's very tight and it doesn't get wet, so the friction is very intense. But I don't think you want to know it so precisely. The important part is, Yrsarald is in a jubilant and generous mood, so I have no difficulties making him promise he'll instruct the city guards to keep an eye on the little girl Sofie and protect her, should anything happen. That's the best I can do for her. This is not Hviterun.

Now it's time for me to carefully climb out of the bed and put my clothes on. Yes, I'm not telling Yrsarald I killed Alduin. I'm kind of not in the mood. I mean, I feel the treatment I got first from Ulfric and then from him is not what the Dragonborn who has just killed the most horrible among all the dragons deserves. They can learn it from rumors, whenever any such may reach them.

You'll be glad to hear I can walk away on my own two feet. I hope the passersby won't notice anything unusual, at least not in this awful darkness in which I can barely find my house.

I chase everybody out of the bedroom while I take a health potion. (I didn't want to do it in the palace or on the street in case anyone would see me and guess what it was for.) Then we go to bed. My new stepdaughter Sofie gets a bedmat in the other room, because Lydia and I share the only bed in this house and it would be unseemly for a child to see what we might be doing. I mean, it would be unseemly for me  to let a child see what I might be doing with Lydia in bed. I also let Jenassa and Jordis take their bedmats to the other room so that Sofie wouldn't be afraid alone.

Lydia realizes I only want some very gentle caresses tonight. No talking.



next awakening






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Always Lost, Always Hopeful (131) Thoroughly Screwed, but Basically Fine

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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.
———————————————




previous day






4-201-12-27 03:02
a tent, Falkreath Stormcloak Camp, Falkert, Skyrim


I'm very glad that the storks in this camp are so hospitable. Guess they appreciate us dropping by occasionally and selling them cool gear from the big wide world. And maybe they're hoping that if they do us favors, we'll show them our gratitude someday. You know what I mean. Quite frankly, we've no problem with that (or at least some of us don't), but they'd have to put up a tent at some distance from the camp for that. There are things that need privacy and we're not all that keen to lie down in the snow.

And we're not going to tell them any of that. There are certain things men have to figure out by themselves.

It's still pitch dark, so I have to continue using the ring which at least enables us to see a few meters in front of my feet. We travel past Helgen. On our way to the north, we get to admire most spectacular northern lights. My magic ring isn't making those look any different, because they're so far away.

But you can see how it lights the road.

As we turn east towards Riverwood, a cute hare joins us for a part of the way.

Soon we are in the midst of familiar houses. It's too early for the shops, so I walk straight to the inn and into the secret room. Esbern is there with Rudelphine. In spite of having refused to talk to me in Bitchen, he has come here after all. They've been waiting for me, says Rudelphine, in order to proceed together to a place called Sky Haven Temple. Esbern begins to do something and the next thing I know we're in a large cave, a part of which has stone walls that look slightly Dwemerish, except for a high relief depicting a narrow bald man's head that is properly creepy in this light.

Hey, you could have asked me first! My followers are still in Riverwood, you jerks! I can't teleport them here, because I don't know where this accursed place is, and even if I did, it's probably not in range anyway.

Esbern is looking at the walls and commenting on every chisel dent. He still gets very grumpy when I address him. I can't understand what's wrong with him. Maybe he can't take me seriously, because I'm a pretty young woman? Well, Rudelphine is not bad-looking either – I'd say outright dashing if you consider how old she must be. At any rate, Rudelphine becomes a kind of intermediary between him and me. She discusses things with Esbern and then transmits the gist of it to me. The most important part of it is that Sky Haven Temple – the place behind that scary face on the wall – is magically sealed so that it can only be opened by spilling some Dragonborn blood onto that large stone circle on the floor. Meaning, I'm supposed to cut my finger or something.

That's something I just can't do. Can we come back in a couple of weeks when I'll be having my period?

Rudelphine doesn't think it's funny. Neither do I. I wasn't joking. I can't cut myself with a knife.

With a sigh, Rudelphine comes to my "help". I tell her I swear if she cuts anything off, I'll skin her and Esbern alive. Peel off all the skin little by little and leave them die slowly and painfully, with their hands tied behind their backs so they won't be able to cast any healing spells. Then I look away and close my eyes while Rudelphine makes a little cut and lets blood drip onto the floor. It's revolting. I'd rather endure ten anal penetrations. (Four by Yrsarald. Or maybe five.)

I open my eyes when the floor under my feet starts to shake accompanied by a loud rumble. At the same moment, Rudelphine pushes me and screams for me to run away while she hurries to do the same.

I leap to a farther wall, turn around and see it wasn't actually necessary. It's the entrance wall that has moved. The gigantic stone face has been replaced by an opening, whereas the circle on the floor is exactly like it was before.

Rudelphine approaches gingerly from the wall opposite and says I should have the "honor" of entering first. Of course. [Rolling my eyes.]

While Rudelphine gently drags Esbern away from his stone carvings, I enter the temple. I sneak around, exploring everything (I believe) and don't encounter anyone.

In the center of the huge hall is a large crudely made relief. Honestly, I can't tell you what it depicts. Maybe some parts of it resemble dragons if you really want them to. But Esbern is outright elated. He acts as if he were seeing all women of Skyrim lined up naked.

What are you talking about, man? That thing looks like the wall of a very old sewer tunnel to me.

Esbern's blabber seems to never stop. I can see Rudelphine is almost as bored as I am. She keeps delicately reminding him this relief is supposed to contain something that'll help us defeat Alduin so he couldn't go on waking up more and more dragons. Unable to help overhearing, I eventually learn the relief depicts the occasion when Alduin actually was defeated by a race knows as the Akaviri (for good, as people erroneously believed).

Slouching in one of those uncomfortable chairs that are much too large for human beings, I am awoken from a half-slumber by Rudelphine's loud excited voice piercing my skull like a small spike of solid fire. Evidently Esbern has found out that Alduin was brought down by a dragon shout. But they can't tell which shout. Neither Esbern nor Rudelphine has ever heard of a shout that makes dragons fall down from the sky. Have I, asks Rudelphine. What? No, I haven't. Actually I know a shout that makes a dragon obey my orders, which includes carrying me on his back. But I don't mention it, because I just want this to be over as quickly as possible. I don't want to say or do anything that might provoke another discourse from those two.

They agree that the Gaybores might know. Rudelphine tells me I'm to go to High Hrothgar one more time and talk to Arngeir. It has to be me because they wouldn't talk to her and Esbern, she says. Well, I know that. The Gaybores wouldn't talk to Esbern and Rudelphine, because they don't talk to people. Having been admitted into their cult, I'm the only outsider known so far whom the Gaybores would talk to. I'm aware of all that. Can I go now?

Rudelphine says I can. She has become haughty and patronizing again. Maybe she is less afraid of me with Esbern present, or maybe the reunion with Esbern has subconsciously brought her back into her old manner of acting. I don't care. All I want is to get out of this place and get in touch with my followers.

Earlier I noticed doors upstairs that led outside. I go there now. Couldn't we just have entered from here and spared me that disgusting finger-cutting, I feel like asking Rudelphine. I exit, take a few steps and look down, way way down, over the edge. Yeah, I suppose we couldn't. Neither can I possibly descend to the ground from here. But at least I know now where I am – on that island east of Morpork, on and near which was that forn village Karthspire. I can now get in telepathic contact with the girls and instruct them to run to Northkeep and from there towards Granite Hall and I shall meet them somewhere halfway. I tell them to be damn careful, because if they get themselves killed, I shall be very disappointed.

I go back inside and then out to where we entered from earlier. Sure enough, on the other edge of that bloodletting cavern is a passage to the Karthspire mountain dungeon – the one where I killed the last forns to reach my goal of 100 and almost got killed myself. You may remember our path ended in a room full of flame traps before the bridges we had failed to lower.

I am now high up where, I presume, those bridges would have taken us back then.

As the bridges can evidently be lowered from below only, I shall have to jump down from here. Either that or spend the rest of my life with Esbern and Rudelphine in the Sky Haven Temple. (How are they  going to get out of here, you may wonder. I've no idea, and I'm not yet desperate enough to go back in there and ask them.)

There's a protrusion or platform below my current position, about two meters square. Or rather one and a half. The horizontal distance is about 5 or 7 meters, but since it's lower than where I am now, I may be able to jump onto it. Got to try. I put on all the health-increasing gear I have (which is not much) and jump. My jump turns actually out too long, but I'm fortunate enough to land on a ledge. It's a lot lower than the platform I was aiming for, but the landing is not too bad. I lose much less health than I was afraid I would. I heal myself and then jump onto the ground. Wasn't so bad after all. (Yes, I know, in fact it was insanely risky.)

The dungeon hasn't been reinhabited. I won't go and find out if the camp has. When I'm out of the cave, I turn east instead. That is after I've killed the dragon that seems to have waited for me here.

It has started to rain heavily, but that's not the main point right now. The important question is where to go next and where to meet up with my followers. Yeah, that's two questions. Actually, the answer to the first one is rather obvious. Old Hroldan is very near, although I don't know how accessible it'll be in this mountainous area. But I shall try and go there. The innkeeper in Old Hroldan is supposed to hold a letter addressed to Reginald. Old Hroldan, in turn, is not far from Fort Masser, that mysterious thalmor stronghold between Granite Hall in the south and Roriksted in the north. The one where the doors leading inside were locked with locks I was unable to pick, remember? I've been wanting to go and explore the courtyard one more time, and this is just the proper opportunity.

I send my girls the telepathic command to meet up with me in Granite Hall. I'll probably be there before them and wait. Then we'll go to Fort Masser together.

The white marker up on the compass shows the direction of Old Hroldan.

After I've swum across a not-too-wide river, it turns out relatively easy to find a path uphill and reach a road that leads south towards Old Hroldan. I run past a campfire with a tent next to it and a bear sniffing around. As I draw my bow and he sees me, he surprises me by running away. Well, suits me fine.

At the campsite, there's a dead woman. I don't know if that bear killed her or he was just passing by looking for food. The woman has a diary with her and apparently she was waiting for her lover, so they could elope together. It's too sad. I don't want to talk about it.

Old Hroldan inn is not far. A path goes downhill, between mountains, and there is my destination:

Actually, Old Hroldan Inn is everything there is. I mean, all that's left from the famous historic settlement of Old Hroldan. The innkeeper says the place has centuries of history, including a room where Tiber Septim himself stayed once. I may rent it if I want to. I thank her and settle for the letter addressed to Reginald. It says another item of supposedly great value has been hidden for me to find in a citadel called Bleakwind Bluff north from here. I know the place, I've been there.

Now, Bleakwind Bluff is so conveniently near that it would be a shame not to go there and retrieve that hidden treasure right away. But then it would make little sense to return all the way south to Granite Hall. Better proceed to Roriksted, wait for my followers there and attack Fort Masser from the north. In fact, I could use the time to be with Erik... and maybe practise you-know-what for Yrsarald?

Great idea! I get telepathically in touch with my followers again and tell them to come to Roriksted instead of Granite Hall. They haven't yet reached the crossing where they'd have to turn to the Roriksted road, so the change of orders will cause them no delay.

I leave the hospitable Old Hroldan Inn and return to the north by the same mountain road by which I came. I run past the recently-discovered Abandoned Lovers' Camp and then Soljund's Sinkhole where I say hello to a miner I've never seen before who is just coming out of the mine. I won't bother going in. Bleakwind Bluff is nearby, through that pass in the picture below and then to the left:

It's still abandoned and I find the treasure – a Royal Gold Ingot . The next clue will be in Dragonbridge, but I'm going to Roriksted which is in the east-southeast not far from here.

When I arrived at Bleakwind Bluff a few minutes ago, I saw a dragon flapping his wings above the hills behind a plateau in the east. He's still there. The way he's circling back and forth, it looks like he's attacking someone on the ground. Don't tell me Roriksted is beyond those very hills and under attack now. I shoot a couple of arrows at the dragon. He should be easy to hit while he's more or less floating in one place, but I find I can't hit him from so far. So I move closer. Turns out it's my old enemy Alduin waking up another dragon. Wait, Alduin saved my life in Helgen, didn't he? Without his interference, those Imperial butchers would have chopped my head off. What the hell am I doing letting myself be pushed into destroying my savior? I should be making mincemeat of the Imperial Army instead.

This is too complicated. Besides, Alduin is invulnerable to arrows anyway. So I focus on the dragon who is trying to get up from the ground. He hasn't saved my life, so I can kill him without scruples. Alduin waves me goodbye (or maybe it's my imagination) and leaves. I proceed to Roriksted.

They still have those delightful lanterns in various colors hanging above streets and such. It's only four days to the New Year's Eve and people are moderately merry already.

After I've visited the shops, I go to the inn and say hello to Erik. We go to his room this time. I tell him, trying to look shy, that he may do what he wanted to do the last time. I say I've never done it before (which is even true) and I've always been afraid to do it, but he's the first man whom I feel I can trust not to hurt me. Obviously, I can't tell him I want to practise for my main boyfriend. Hopefully he'll buy my story. Erik looks naive enough, having spent his whole life in this village growing up without a mother and with an overprotective father, so he shouldn't be too knowledgeable about women.

I've no idea which position would be the least taxing, so we try sideways. (No pictures this time, sorry.) I ask Erik to go very slowly and gently and not to stick it in all the way. (His length is actually quite impressive, but it's nowhere near as thick as Yrsarald's.) He does his best to oblige, but it's not helping much. I brave it for quite some time, only wailing slightly. But eventually I have to beg Erik to finish as quickly as he can. (Trying to squeeze him with my muscles to advance his climax is hopeless.) He has obviously been struggling hard holding himself back with arousal building up. Now the restraints are off, so to speak, and I scream as he pounds all he's got into my recently-virgin backdoor. At the same time, I must admit I'm feeling some strange kind of arousal rising up from somewhere. But the assault ends before I have the chance to make any sense of my confusing sensations. The only thing I can say with certainty is that Erik's pulling out leaves behind a most unusual kind of emptiness. Every muscle in my body goes limp as limp can be, and I feel actually sad the intruder has left, and I sort of yearn to get it back. A few seconds later, though, that longing is drowned in the pain which my tormented backside still feels and is apparently going to feel for some time.

Yes, I know. I can take a health potion. I will. As soon as I'll be able to move. Erik is caressing my body and I'm too knackered to turn around to face him. I'm glad Erik has enough sense not to ask me how it was. Or maybe he's afraid of my possible answer. He'd better be.

Eventually I take that health potion and get dressed and carefully walk onto the street. At least I know now what it's like.

My followers haven't arrived yet. It's half past four, so I can't afford to wait for them, lest we'll have to fight in the darkness again. I instruct them to go directly to Fort Masser, hide well out of sight and wait for me to begin the attack and then join me.

Fort Masser has been manned by a new group of thalmors. None of them are mages. Just swordsmen and archers we have no trouble killing.
[series of 2 pictures you can click through; click on the first picture to make it big, then click again to see the next picture etc.; press  Esc to return to the text]

Then we search every nook and cranny, but fail to find a way in, apart from those two locked doors. None of the killed enemies carries any keys. So how do they get in when they need to be relieved or something? Is there anyone in the interior at all, or have the thalmors lost the keys and can now use only the fortress exterior? There's no one here to answer my question.

It's almost dark by now, so we'd better go to Blackmoor for the night. It's a little way to the east. We should arrive just in time to do some exploring and... yeah, guess I don't fancy having sex tonight. My followers might, though.

We run along beautiful low hills in the dusk.

It's light enough to see our way comfortably, but unfortunately it's not sufficient to see clearly what is that weird structure ahead of us. It looks like two towers 10–15 meters high and 2 or 3 meters wide made of metal grating. We approach with utmost caution. There's what looks like an animal. It runs away. It's an elk. I can't detect anyone else. Getting closer, we realize this place is merely a Shrine of Stendarr, completely undangerous. Those two mysterious towers are only stone pillars. There's no metal grating on them, just a trick of the dusklight.

Less than an hour later, we're in Blackmoor.

We enter a nice building which is where the thane, the local ruler, receives visitors. There is no one about except a man Anedhel, quite Nord in spite of his elven-sounding name. He is dressed like a servant, but he completely forgets his manners upon the sight of us. Me, more precisely. He just stands there and stares at me with such admiration and desire that I get tingly all over.

After a few second of utter indecision, I turn around and leave the building.

"That was weird," says Lydia on the street. I can but nod and force my legs to walk.

We check out the temple. Curiously enough, a couple of guards are sleeping in the back room of it. Back on the street, we see a dragon attacking.

In fact, we heard him roaring before, but I was hoping he would just pass by. This time we have no choice, we have to kill him. Then we walk around some more and finally go to the inn to sleep.



next awakening






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