I have to say this about the Winking Skeever — their drinks go down pretty smooth.  After the Alto wine, I decide to try out the mead.  For science, you understand.  After all, you could say that mead is my area of expertise.  And sure enough, it’s just as good as the wine.  The barkeeper knows just how long to keep mead in the cask, whether or not to warm it, and how it should be served.  Marvellous.

This place is definitely upscale, as is Solitude in general.  I can tell that this isn’t the type of place where you can start a good old-fashioned brawl and expect to get away with it.  Even my old pub back in High Rock wasn’t this classy.  It’s a great place if you want to have a few social drinks with friends — but if you’d rather drink yourself into a stupor, not so much.

Continue reading “Chapter 19: Drunk & Disorderly” →

As I nod my thanks to my intrepid companion, I slowly roll onto my feet and quietly retrieve my weapons.  Jenassa drops to a crouch and moves forward, motioning for me to stay behind her this time.  Since I still feel some pain and stiffness from my recently-healed wounds, I’m not inclined to argue.

All the shades have returned to their original positions.  The necromancer has obviously called them back, and with them he seems to be enacting some kind of dark ritual.  We can’t see much of it from the narrow corridor, but we can hear him chanting while his minions moan in a strange kind of harmony.

Continue reading “Chapter 18: Sword & Sorcery” →

As I step out of Jorrvaskr the next morning, it’s hard to believe that the sun is up.  The sky is heavy with dark clouds and the smell of rain is in the air.  Great.  Today Jenassa and I are supposed to travel to Mount Kilkreath near Solitude, but it doesn’t look like the weather is going to make it easy.

The wind is rising as I walk briskly to the Drunken Huntsman to meet Jenassa.  The sky grows steadily darker and low rumbles of thunder roll down from the mountains.  By the time I get to the tavern, it’s already starting to drizzle.

Continue reading “Chapter 17: Banishing Shadows” →

Next morning as Jenassa and I are having breakfast, we overhear a conversation between the innkeeper and another one of the townsfolk.  It seems this guy is well acquainted with Klimmek, the man we met on the bridge yesterday who gave us the sack of preserved food.  The two of them appear to be in business together as the local fishmongers.

Sounds like the Greybeards eat a lot of dried fish.  In fact, that probably accounts for most of their diet.  And I thought living on top of a frozen rock was bad enough.

Continue reading “Chapter 16: Miss Popularity” →

Jenassa and I wake up bright and early the next morning.  There’s a lot to do before we head out.  We check over our gear, pack some extra provisions, and eat a hearty breakfast.  We’ve got a long road ahead and those seven thousand steps aren’t going to climb themselves.

The innkeeper has plainly seen all this before from many previous patrons who have made the same journey.  He makes a few reasonable suggestions of what to take and what to leave behind, as we intend to bring only what we’re likely to need.  However, not every piece of advice he offers is helpful.

Continue reading “Chapter 15: Pilgrim’s Progress” →

When Jenassa and I reach the Ivarstead barrow, it’s still early evening. The sun hasn’t set completely and the barrow looks tranquil in the fading light. The very idea that this place might be haunted seems absurd.

However, there’s also very little evidence that the barrow is a bandit hideout. I don’t have extensive experience with bandits, but every time we’ve stumbled on a hideout it’s remarkably obvious by the time we get within a stone’s throw — usually because we’re busy dodging arrows and getting swarmed by poorly-geared ruffians with lousy personal hygiene.

Continue reading “Chapter 14: Truth in the Rumours” →

After leaving Dragonsreach, I make a point of dropping in on the Companions to inform them of recent events — namely, that there are dragons on the loose and I seem to be the local dragon-catcher.  I mention the Jarl’s insistence that I go to visit the Greybeards, and that I’ll be heading out in the morning.

The reaction is mixed.  Most of the whelps are polite but somewhat suspicious, as if they think I’ve invented this story to make myself seem important.  The exception is Ria.  She actually looks a bit weepy, and says she’ll hunt a bear for me while I’m away so that I don’t owe Aela anything.   The last thing I’m concerned about is that third bear pelt, but I give her a hug and thank her.

Continue reading “Chapter 13: Slow Going” →

I force myself to put one foot in front of the other as Jenassa and I walk out of Dragonsreach.  There appears to be no way out of this mess, at least not without making things worse, so I might as well get it over with.  I just hope dragons kill their victims quickly.  I’ve seen the roasted corpses of Helgen, and I have no doubt that I’m heading straight toward my doom.

Jenassa finally realizes that I’m not all sunshine and rainbows.   She suggests we take a detour through the town to a shrine and obtain a blessing.  Fine, whatever.  I guess it can’t hurt.

Continue reading “Chapter 12: Living Legends” →

The sunset view from Bleak Falls Barrow is truly inspiring, but Jenassa and I have only a short time to appreciate it.   Night is falling and we’d rather not spend it in a small tent perched on a cold stony cliff, nor do we want to trudge all the way back through the barrow.   That leaves us with only one option — try to get down from this cliff without breaking our necks.

We manage a slow descent from the cliff by jumping from rock to rock until finally our feet touch the forest floor.  However, by this time it’s quite a bit darker, which makes it hard to find a good place to camp.   Also, from the sound of all the howling and snarling, there’s a wolf pack somewhere behind us.  We start making tracks in general direction of Riverwood.

Continue reading “Chapter 11: That Escalated Quickly” →

The following day dawns clear and bright.  I walk down the steps of Jorrvaskr, meet up with Jenassa, and we head straight to the market.  Our bags are heavy with yesterday’s haul and we have a lot of trading to do.  These mammoth tusks in particular are ridiculously awkward to carry — I can’t wait to be rid of them all.

Fortunately they seem to be a popular item.  We don’t even make it to Belethor’s before we have an interested party.  Y’know what, just take one.  No charge.

Continue reading “Chapter 10: The Quick & the Dead” →