It's blinding at first. The exit and surrounding area is blanked by sparking white snow. Just beyond is a lush expanse of the Riverwood valley, my internal name for the area who's most important feature, to me, is Riverwood. It's familiar yet alien, like it has the spirit of the place I've known but hundreds of years have passed since I last saw it. The snow is melting at the very edge of my sight down the mountain, where the air is too warm for white. Beyond it I can see pretty butterflies, monolithic pines, and idyllic snow capped mountains that straddle a river. The air is delicious, although being free is probably adding something to that. It's like how you'd expect that overpriced mountain spring water to taste. The sky is a baby blue with poofy floofy clouds as whiter than snow lazily drifting by. Except for one that dark cloud that flies right over head.
"Wait!" Hadvar shouts, pushing us back.
Alduin wizzes past with a roar to the sky. We lay back hidden behind a fallen tree as he becomes smaller in the sky. Nobody moves a muscle until finally he becomes a dot and disappears into the horizon.
"There he goes. Looks like he's gone for good this time." Hadvar exhales.
"Aye, but I don't think we should stick around to see if he comes back." Ralof says, dusting off his knees
"It's probably best if we split up now." Hadvar says.
"Why?" I ask. "We're all going to Riverwood. We're more vulnerable if we split up and we might accidentally end up killing each other before we get there. Hell your families might kill each other if you two don't coordinate your stories before you enter town."
"You're not wrong. We can even cover for each other if anyone else from Helgen is headed to Riverwood. Only question is what story do we tell the village.
"That should be simple." Ralof says. "One of us just has to arrive a little earlier than the other. I could enter Riverwood first. That should give me a chance to settle in and lay low. That way my sister will think I'm safe and no one in the village will think you had anything to do with me."
"That... could work. My uncle is pretty reasonable about these things. What about you?" Hadvar says motioning to me, "What are you going to do?"
"I'll enter town after the both of you. I found more than enough gold to spend a few nights at the inn comfortably and then I'll probably head to Whiterun." I say. "You can tell your folks about me if you want but I think it's best if for now we all keep a low profile until this whole thing blows over."
"That's as good a plan as any. We'll work out the rest on the way there. Come on, if we move now we should be able to reach Riverwood before nightfall." Hadvar says.
We move down the mountain, leaving the snow behind. The temperature starts to rise but it's still Skyrim so it's not uncomfortable, if anything I was getting chilly. There are many different kinds of flora and fauna exploding all around us that it's hard not to stop and stare, especially when I recognize many as potion ingredients. I have to remind myself to focus on getting to food and bed, the bread is gone. As we make our way a little further down, the boys stop to point at a set of dark ruins on the otherwise snowy mountain opposite us.
"See that ruin up there?" Hadvar says, pointing to a collection of snow capped stone structures on the mountain opposite us. "Bleak Falls Barrow. When I was a boy, that place always used to give me nightmares. Draugr creeping down the mountain to climb through my window at night, that kind of thing. I admit, I still don't much like the look of it."
"I never understood how my sister could stand living in the shadow of that place." Ralof says. "I guess you get used to it."
It's certainly sinister looking for sure, dark blackish stone arches and big enough to see probably at twice this distance. It's a problem for later though. We've covered a fair bit of distance and I'm honestly surprised at our stamina. We should be dead tired by now but all of us, even me, continue to Riverwood at a brisk pace. We're not running but we're not walking either, more of a light jog, although I am getting very hungry. If I remember right you usually can make it to Riverwood by mid afternoon. That means another hour or so of travel judging by the sun, as the road, while familiar, is much longer here than in the game. The path now takes a zig zags pattern down the mountain face, a pattern I remember. Eventually we get closer to the valley floor and now I can see a trio of nostalgic stone pillars as we hit the final zag. They are human height stone monuments in a flattened cone shape with a big hole near the tip you can see through, carved with some familiar constellations.
"These are the Guardian Stones. Three of the thirteen standing stones that dot Skyrim's landscape." Hadvar explains.
"Go ahead, see for yourself." Ralof offers.
The three stones of the Warrior, Mage and Thief stand waiting. I need all the help I can get if I'm going to learn how to fight so I choose Warrior. Magic seems to come easily to me and I can always change my stone later if I need to. I place my hand on the depiction of the Warrior and the stone responds, glowing blue in the groves of the carving, until the light collects in the hole like a small floating star, before shooting it up like a laser to the heavens.
"Warrior, good. Those stars will guide you to honor and glory." says Ralof.
"I was certain you'd pick mage." Hadvar says. "I don't blame you for wanting a stronger arm after today."
"Does everyone in Skyrim visit these stones?" I ask curious as the starlight beam starts to fade out. It seems like such a wonderful free resource.
"Some do, at least once in their lives. It's a tremendous privilege to take." say Ralof.
"Most ordinary folk don't bother. The stones are pretty out of the way." explains Hadvar. "These are the easiest to get to, and only if you live in Riverwood or Falkreath."
"Aye, but any warrior worth their mead has touched the same stone you have there, no doubt." says Ralof with an air of pride.
"True. But we could keep going. We're getting close." Hadvar says.
We continue down the last zag of the mountain. The air is noticeably wetter and its no wonder as the river rises higher to meet us on the left. The sound of running water is pleasant, if a little worrying. The sound could muffle an ambush and Bleak Falls Barrow looms over us now, making the scene much less cheery than the flowers, butterflies and bunnies would suggest. Still we press on and nothing interesting happens to us. Soon the town was in sight. As expected it's much bigger than the one I remember from the game. Not Helgen sized but the small timber town seems to have widened in all directions. There are even a few homes on the other side of the river where previously… not there. The town still seems to be built around the main road running through it, like an old western mining town but more developed.
"Alright this seems as good a spot as any. We'll wait here for a while." I say to Ralof, finding a spot by the river. The area is lush enough to easily hide anyone not on the main road.
"Good luck. I couldn't have made it without your help today." he says, shaking my hand. He turns to Hadvar and just gives a nod before heading to Riverwood.
Hadvar and I sit down on a small ledge over the river bank. It's rather pleasant with my feet dangling off the ledge, though I'd rather have the free time to dip them in the water. Neither of us appear up for much idle conversation so we just watch the water and the fish that swim by for several minutes. Then Hadvar breaks the silence.
"How do you think those two are doing back there?" he asks.
It takes me a minute to realize he's talking about the two we left behind in Helgen.
"They should be fine. I doubt anyone else went through that keep. As long as the place didn't collapse they're probably moving by now." I reply. With how durable I'm finding my own body I'm finding it hard to believe that anything other than a fatal wound can keep someone down in this world.
"That's… not exactly what I meant. What I'm asking is if it's alright for them to be together like that." Hadvar throws a stick into the river. "Working together to survive a dragon attack is one thing but outright fraternizing with the enemy is asking for trouble."
"You think they got together? I mean I did help a little with that potion-"
"Yeah, saw that."
"-but that doesn't mean they're in love."
"That's easy for a Breton from Cyrodil to say. I guess life down south must be easier but here it can be pretty brutal. Natives here tend to lover fast because we also die fast." Hadvar says sadly.
"That's..."
"Harsh? Welcome to Skyrim." he says getting up. "I suppose he's had enough time now, I can't stand waiting anymore. You're welcome to come with me if you want, I'm sure my uncle would help you out.
"Thanks but I think I'll have to refuse. Wouldn't want Ralof to get jealous." I reply. Hadvar smiles at that.
"True. Take care of yourself and maybe think of seeing me in Solitude. I know today wasn't the best introduction to the Legion but I hope you'll give us another chance. We could really use someone like you."
"I'll give it some thought, Hadvar." I reply
"I suppose that's all I could ask. Take care of yourself." he says with a wave before leaving.
It's not a bad offer. The Legion offers everything I could want right now. Food, shelter, equipment and training. But if I was successful at the job I'd bleed half of Skyrim and be under the thumb of the General and his Emperor. I suppose he's technically my Emperor now, at least until I cross the border. I mainly refused Hadvar's offers because all I want to do, besides eat, is lock myself in a room for a while. Preferably with a comfy bed but I'm not picky right now. Twilight starts falling so I stand up to make my own entrance just as the world starts to dye orange. Walking in no one greets me or pays me much mind after they've got their first look. The town is definitely larger than I remember but all the familiar landmarks are there. There's the smithy, the trading post and finally (and most importantly) the inn. With a faint smile on my face I climb the steps to head inside.
I'm pleased to find the place is just as rustic and inviting as I'd hoped it would be. It's bigger than I remember (that's starting to be the norm), and looks more like how I'd expect a major Viking hall to look than a lowly inn. It has a raised roof in the main room, a big rectangle probably to draw smoke or trap heat or something. Opaque yellow windows, six squares to a pane, line the bottom of the upper roof, letting light that would be warm year round. It's aided by candles in curved horns, studded into the timber supports and hung from chandeliers of four, far away from the thatched roof. Great fur pelts cover the stone floor, and heads of elk and dear stare down from behind the bar and an alchemy lab is tucked away to the side. I am not the only visitor, the hall is filled with inhabitants of the town looking to unwind after a day's labor with some food and drink. Some look like Npcs I recognize from the game but most are strangers, and I find myself reminded that this is far from the Skyrim I remember. My eyes are burning so I beeline it to the innkeeper, a sharp blond Breton Npc that I recognize, and wait to rent a room.
"Orgnar... Orgnar! Are you listening?"
"Hard not to." replies a gaunt looking Nord behind the counter with long hair and a bored expression.
"The ale's going bad. " the innkeeper says, looking expectantly at Orgnar. "Did you hear me?"
"Yep. Ale's going bad." he says, not making eye contact.
"I guess you don't have potatoes stuck in your ears after all. Just make sure we get a new batch soon." she says, hands on her hips. Her very wide hips.
"Excuse me." I say, stepping up.
"Yes? Oh." she says, taking me in. "We don't get a lot of travelers here in Riverwood. I'm the innkeeper. It's my business to keep track of strangers. So what's your story? Just here to...relax?"
"After what happened at Helgen I want to do a little more than relax." I reply, trying to keep a gleam out of my eye.
"What happened? Did Ulfric escape? Last I heard he had been captured but if you're here looking like that it must be bad." the innkeeper replies.
"You're pretty good, ma'am. Ulfric and his Stormcloaks escaped right out from under the General's nose." I say, genuinely impressed. She may not have guessed the dragon part but who would? Apart from anyone who's played Skyrim that is.
"You look like you could use an ale. Tell you what, why don't you come with me to the bar and I'll trade you an ale or two for that story." she says gesturing to the counter where the surly Nord was working overtime fighting a nap.
"If it involves a dragon can I get a meal too?"
The inn stops. Everyone turns to look at me. I fucked up.
-
The next morning I wake like the living dead. The door is closed and I'm not sure if I did it or if it was the innkeeper after my six or seventh ale. I need to piss.
"The outhouse is just outside behind the inn." Delphine explains with a smirk. "Feel free to use the river to wash up, got soap for sale if you want it."
I run towards salvation. It's my first time in an outhouse and I can't say it's particularly better than the indoor plumbing I used to enjoy. Given that the longer I stay here the more likely it will be that I will have to shit in the woods, it's probably the height of luxury. Suffice it to say I look forward to learning whatever the mage equivalent of the bidet spell is as soon as possible. I can't imagine having a period here. I wonder if periods are even a thing here. I never installed a mod for a menstrual cycle, but I also never installed a pissing mod (I swear). Sitting in the stall did give me plenty of time to think about what I wanted to do today though.
After I gather a few supplies I'll head back to Helgen to scavenge whatever I can. Thinking about it now from a gamer mindset I left quite a bit of loot behind and who knows what's there now that this world is bigger. The road should still be clear and Helgen should be abandoned right now. In the game it becomes home to bandits but that's after like a week of in-game time. Hopefully it'll be the same here. I grab some rations from the inn, enough for a few days. It's actually just normal food but I guess the inventory system keeps food fresh indefinitely so rations are a bit different here so I get to effortlessly carry a small pile of bread, mead and cheese. I get directed to the Riverwood Trader if I want more durable goods and give Orgnar my thanks and head to the trading post.
The walk takes several minutes now, a jarring experience now that I can appreciate it, in the game the trip would take five seconds. There's no through traffic in or out of Riverwood but the town is lively nonetheless. The villagers are in varying states of productivity, with some working diligently on their tasks, others talking and trading and others still resting or hitting the mead a little early. Many know me by sight now, having been made a local celebrity with my dragon story. Most had seen Alduin fly over the village and had been trading wild rumors until I came along. I left out Ralof and Hadvar but after the third ale my story was becoming rather dramatic, to the delight of the villagers. While I walk one of them scares me shitless by talking to me.
"Hail friend!" shouts a cheery voice.
I recognize the speaker almost immediately. Alvor, town blacksmith and Hadvar's uncle, is easily recognizable with his smithing apron and portly demeanor.
"Would you mind a quick word? I can promise to make it worth your time." he says, mopping the sweat from his brow.
"What do you need?" I reply, unsure of how much he knows about me.
"Hadvar told me what happened back at Helgen. I can't thank you enough for keeping my nephew safe." Alvor says with a smile.
"We helped each other. Don't mention it." I say, blushing a little.
"I'm glad to hear you say that but deeds like yours deserve to be rewarded. If you can do me a little favor I can look over that armor you got there and fit it to you properly, no charge." he says, leaning on the railing to look down at me.
"What's the favor?" I ask curious. I don't know what he means by proper fit, but Alvor is pretty trustworthy and it would be great to have someone knowledgeable in smithing on my side so I just run with it.
"I've got a letter here. I need it delivered to your other friend, quietly. Do that and I'll fit any armor or weapon you find, no charge." he says, holding out a dirty folded paper.
"Sure, I don't see why not. Give me the letter and I'll deliver it." I reply. I assume he means Ralof, which means this is probably Hadvar's letter, since they can't be seen talking to each other.
"You're a good lass. When it's done don't hesitate to stop by. Any friend of Hadvar's is a friend of mine."
I set off, but not to deliver the letter. Villagers are watching me, so I keep walking to my original destination. I look at my Imperial armor and wound what he meant by fitting and realize that although it did fit me it was far from perfect. The boots were the wrong shape for my foot, shoulders too broad, and the helmet was a little too circular to fit my head right. One size fits all is more like one size covers most I guess. Speaking of which, I should find some simple clothes so I don't spook Ralof's family too much when I come knocking. When I reach the door to the trading post I hear a familiar argument I've heard a thousand times before. Entering the store I see two dark haired Imperials arguing, a man and woman.
"Well one of us has to do something!" asserts the woman.
"I said no! No adventures, no theatrics, no thief-chasing!" retorts the man.
"Well what are you going to do then, huh? Let's hear it!" she stomps angrily.
"We are done talking about this!" he says, breaking gaze and accidently noticing me. "Oh, a customer. Sorry you had to hear that. I don't know what you overheard, but the Riverwood Trader is still open, feel free to shop!"
"Don't worry about it." I say getting to business.
I'm not worried about the break in, it's a quest that can wait. If the thieves who broke into this shop see their quest to fruition it's doubtful I could have beaten them anyway. What's more likely to happen is that they'll give up after a few of them die and sell what they stole to recoup losses. That would be bad in a world without a quest tracker as I do need that item, or will in the future. Probably. Regardless I am way too weak to take on a bandit tribe right now. Even going back to Helgen could be risky. I'm hoping the dragon attack will keep everything nasty away from that general area for another day or two. Biggest predator and all that. I won't have two strapping Nord lads to save me this time.
Purchasing is uneventful but I could tell I was getting raked over the coals with my inexperience, the man's eye's gleamed when I agreed on a price for the wine I found. I could only afford a lantern, a few oil refills and two waterskins but it will probably be all I need to travel for now. It'll be wonderful to be hydrated during my next crisis.
I leave the Riverwood Trader with a polite smile and wave behind me. Instead of heading out I make my way to the outhouse behind the in. It's a little smellier than when I used it earlier but I expected it to be worse after a few more visitors. I will my armor, save for my boots, into my inventory and cloth myself with the old rags I had when I entered Helgen. Then I take a bit of cordage and tie my hair in a stiff ponytail. This woman, or me, has thick bushy hair. Whoever was in charge of my hair before has done me a favor by cutting it to ear length. I'm tying it to look different to the person that entered the village earlier to avoid gossip... directly related to me anyway.
I exit the outhouse in the general direction I remember Ralof's house, or rather his sister's house, is. His sister, Gerdur, runs the mill here in Riverwood. I already saw her at the mill so that likely means he's home alone. In the game Ralof has little purpose beyond being a Stormcloak battle buddy and doesn't have a home of his own. I wonder, if this is real somehow, what would Ralof... what would Hadvar do after the war. Their entire personalities seem derived from their stance on the civil war. I find a house that looks familiar to me at the other end of Riverwood and knock three times.
"Ralof? It's me Alex. I just need a second." I say after a few moments silence. There's some shuffling and a moment later Ralof answers the door.
"I don't think you ever told me your name but I'm glad to see you all the same. Come on in before someone sees." he says, whisking me inside.
Ralof looks better after a night's rest, though now that I'm rested I can tell how haggard he is. Still he wears a smile at my intrusion, and I kind of understand it. Seeing people you survived the worst with fills you with a kind of white energy, a bit like you've reached heaven without the dying part.
"So what's going on? Is everything alright?" he says.
"I think so. I was asked to deliver you a letter. From Hadvar I think" I say casually.
"Did he say what it's about?" he says suspiciously.
"No, it was just handed to me and I didn't read it."
"All right then. Have you had breakfast yet? Lunch won't be ready for a few hours but we've still got some bread and cheese out from this morning. I'll give this a read and you can help yourself in the meantime." he says motioning to a table where there are indeed some wedges of cheese and bread.
I, in fact, have not had breakfast, having been ever so slightly nauseous this morning. The cheese is slightly tangy but not overpowered. The bread is obviously going stale but mushed together they make a decent meal. Ralof carefully reads the letter while I stuff my cheeks. Then rereads it. Then he rerereads it.
"Everything ok?" I ask, still struggling to talk with my cheeks full.
"Mh? Ah no, everything is fine. And you said you didn't read this?" Ralof asks serious.
"Correct. Not really my business, I only just met you two yesterday." I say wiping my mouth.
"You have my thanks. I was nothing important, so don't worry. Everything is fine. More importantly, did you have any plans after this? After you've rested, that is." Ralof says, hiding the letter out of sight.
"I figure now's the perfect time to start my life as an adventurer. I plan on heading back to Helgen today to see what's happened and maybe pick up anything valuable the Imperials left behind." I say after washing down the bread and cheese.
"That sounds like a pretty good plan. Just be careful, that place might be swarming with Imperials so keep your guard up." he says with a nod.
"Thanks. It was pretty bad so I'm betting the place will be deserted. Except for the bodies, not looking forward to seeing those." I say making to leave.
"Ah before you go, could you pass Hadvar a message? Just tell him to meet me in the old spot after dark. Alright?" Ralof says.
"Easy enough. Anything else?" I ask.
"You've done more than enough, friend. And thanks again, I wouldn't be standing here without you." he says, shaking my hand.
I can't stand all these compliments, so I leave as quickly as possible. I need to move anyway, this is an unexpected side quest I don't have time for if I want to pick Helgen's bones and be back before dark. After changing again I head to report back to Hadvar. Returning to the forge I see Hadvar helping with chores alongside Alvor and a little girl who can only be his daughter. I keep my distance but wave Hadvar over, determined to have about as short a conversation as possible.
"I didn't expect to see you so soon. Is something wrong, or did you change your mind on visiting after all?" he asks.
"No, I've got a message from Ralof. He wants to meet in the old spot after dark." I say shortly.
"Did he say why?" Hadvar asks immediately.
"No, he said it after reading your letter." I reply.
"Letter? What letter? " Hadvar says with furrowed brow.
"The letter your uncle gave to me. You didn't know?" I say starting to get confused too.
"No I... but why would he… nevermind. I've got to get back to my uncle. Take care." Hadvar says, wheeling around.
Whatever is going on here will just have to be resolved by the three adult men involved, I've wasted too much time already. I pass the town walls and start up the mountain pass. The path has plenty of alchemical ingredients just spilling onto the road and I realize that harvesting most of them is easier than I thought. Touching a blue mountain flower I discovered that I don't need to waste time physically picking it, as soon as I touched the bud I could whisk it away to my inventory. I'm now absorbing every ingredient I can recognize, even the passing butterflies aren't safe now that I know harvesting is a breeze.
Aside from ecological pillaging, the trip back to Helgen is blessedly uneventful. Between the beautiful weather, gorgeous scenery, and a body with insane stamina it's quite pleasant. I can tell that the standards for fatigue are different here, I would have never been capable of such a pace before, especially uphill. I do seem to get hungry faster here though, having burned through my rations alarmingly fast.
After a few hours I reach Helgen's front gate, or what's left of it. The town is abandoned, just as I expected, although there are still some thin plumes of smoke rising throughout the ruins. Very little is untouched and if it were not for the scorch marks it would be reasonable to assume the town was struck by an earthquake. I find potions, wine, gold, and some mead with juniper berry as I pillage the site top to bottom. I briefly consider looting equipment from bodies but it just doesn't feel right to strip the bodies nude for anything other than necessity. I do take a set of Stormcloak armor for myself off one of the dead ones in the keep. I might need it later. I also find an iron helmet in the wreckage. Hopefully I can find a full set before too long. I already have Imperial heavy armor but I'd rather not get mistaken for a soldier or accused of some kind of fraud or battlefield vulture. It is a recognizable uniform after all. There's no sign of the two we left behind or of anything still living in Helgen, save for the Frostbite spiders hiding in the walls. They are terrible hosts so I leave out of the same cove we did yesterday.
I return to the village with twilight to spare. I was hoping I'd see Hadvar or Ralof sneaking off to their secret spot so I could spy on them but no luck. It's late anyway and I head for the inn. I'm still tired from yesterday and today's excursion, while peaceful, wasn't exactly restful. Buying another night and another hot meal I settle into the main hall of the inn where I eat a version of venison pie in peace. While I eat I watch several men flirt with the trader girl from on the other side of the inn. Older menfolk who are already married by the look of them are gathered around their own table discussing the day's business while stragglers like me dot the unoccupied spots of the inn, but I'm probably the only non-locale loner and the only one not drinking ale. The height of the night comes when one of the men flirting with the girl trips the other man with a thrown ball of cheese. The poor Nord gets up off the floor, dignity and lute shattered. The wood elf who threw the cheese looks smug from his seat next to the girl while she giggles
As entertaining as that is, I decide to enter my room. I strip down naked and produce some undergarments I found preserved in a dresser at Helgen. The bra this particular person used was a wrap of sorts, which works because I have no boobs and don't want cold nipples, and granny panties for my bottom. As comfortable as I think I've ever been I start pulling out books to read for the night. I start with The Book of the Dragonborn. Nothing in there I didn't already know but it's a good refresher and might make good research material if I ever get stuck about what to do next. Next is the series Brief History of the Empire. It's a dry read of what might as well be ancient history, but the books themselves are brief so it's not terrible. I have a few more books I could read but I want to get to the spell tome of Sparks before the candle gutters.
It reads like a fairly normal book, except there are a few unexplained symbols here and there. It goes on to explain that Sparks is primarily an anti mage spell, as lighting also damages magicka as well as flesh. When I get through the basic description of the spell the book begins to disappear, disintegrating as if a fire was sucking it upwards. Spell tomes in game disappeared after being read but there was no animation to freak me out, nor did they go before I was certain I could cast the spell. When the last of the tome fades I summon Flames to my hand and watch fire dance merrily in my hand. I will my left hand to do the same with Sparks and am pleasantly surprised when electric blue arcs writhe in my hand. My working theory is that spell tomes directly impart the spell to the reader, but I don't know how exactly. Still it's better than memorization so I'll take it.
-
Waking up the next morning is much better than the previous. No hangover for starters and a clear idea of what I want to do. After taking care of myself I head to the counter for breakfast, oats and honey today. When I've finished I return the bowl and talk to Orgnar.
"Where's the innkeeper?"
"Out. She owns the place, she does what she wants." Orgnar replies, placing my bowl on a stack.
"Oh. Do you know if I can use the alchemy lab?" I ask, hopefully.
"Long as you clean up. You know how to use it right? Mix a couple of ingredients together, see what happens. A little Wheat and Blisterwort makes a healing potion, if you didn't know. We have some ingredients for sale, too." he says, oddly energized.
I head to the table. It's made of a carved stone top with equipment for heating and distilling liquid on top. The table has an upside down triangle inside a hexagon carved into its face. At every point of the hexagon is a small circular hole, big enough to serve as an eggcup, and every line of the triangle had a larger hole placed halfway up the line, big enough to display an orange. The largest divot is in the center, large enough to stand a melon. It's pretty interesting but I realize after a minute that I have no real clue how to work it. The animation that played when you used the alchemy table in game was just your character grinding mortar and pestle, which is also here. I resign myself to asking Orgnar for help when an idea strikes me.
I take some Monarch wings and some Blue Mountain flower, grind them up and pour them into one of the flasks in the distiller that I think is right. Then I take some water from one of my skins and pour it in the top most container above the unlit burner, filling it to the top. I lean on the table to see if I can light it but to my surprise the burner lights itself. The water begins to boil at the top, slowly dripping into the lower chambers. It glows when it reaches my ground reagents before that glowing red liquid is itself distilled into another beaker before slowly dripping onto the table. The center hole fills up almost to the top before the distiller (alembic I think it's called) runs dry. I have a brief moment of panic when I realize I don't have anything to bottle it with when the potion drains into the table. Panicked slightly I drop to look under the table, thinking I've created a high strength acid. Instead there's a finished potion bottle in a slot waiting for me.
"Nice work." says Orgnar, who had been watching me apparently.
I start the rather fun process of creating several more potions, whose recipes I remember from the game. I realize that even if I don't remember how the table works my body remembers from its past life. Alchemy was one of those magical skills I saw from the heavens had some development in. It would definitely be better to have a book or a teacher explain some of the processes but as long as I know enough to get started I should be able to develop any skill. When I've finally grown tired of being an alchemist there's a bucket full of used reagents that I have to carefully throw out into the river, smelling fairly chemical.
With that it's time to leave Riverwood. I've got to make sure the Jarl was informed about the dragon. I told half the village so I think they may have sent someone but in the game that was the player's job. After a quick trip to the store I walk past the north wall and make my way to the bridge. I get one last look at Bleak Falls Barrow and silently make a gamble. There may be something else hidden there, something game breaking. One of my favorite mods and the most powerful. If this world really is my modded Skyrim then leaving it there even for a moment is a big risk. A risk I'll have to take.
-
I've donned my heavy armor but as I'm not jogging this should be fine. The road to Whiterun always has a wolf or two and maybe even an Imperial patrol to boot. Sure enough halfway I hear growling, a trio of wolves fighting over a mangled rabbit spotted me.
I summon wolfy immediately and together we fight the wolves. They seem much less sure about attacking me after I doubled my numbers but are too close to back away now. I try and keep two of them on me, guarding my front with the shield I found at Helgen while smacking at the back of any hound that tries to double team wolfy. Short and messy, I kill two of the wolves with Wolfy's help but let the third escape. I'm far from unscathed but the bites are superficial at best. Without their third member they only ever got a hold of one of my limbs, and a swift knock with either the sword or the thin edge of the shield got them to yield. I take two wolf pelts with me and keep walking.
Not long after that I realize I can finally see the great city of Whiterun. If Rohan from Lord of the Rings and a Viking settlement had a baby it would be Whiterun. It's a three tiered layered cake of a city city surrounded by rocky amber plains with a giant white tree at the city center. Delicious.
The final leg down is uneventful, save for the increasing resolution of the city and the idea that soon big burly guards will protect me. The road intersects four ways where it bottoms out, with two separate bridges going north or west. I turn east towards the city and leave the main river behind, now following a smaller stream than comes from Whiterun itself. This road also passes a large meadery. A sign on the road reminds me that this is the Honningbrew Meadery. Nice place but it has an unfortunate rat problem. Two of those burly guards I mentioned earlier walk towards me, patrolling the road. They were roughly the same equipment as Stormcloaks, except their scarf-robe is orangish yellow.
"Stay out of trouble." one says as I pass.
I nod and continue on. I have a feeling in this world trouble will follow me. Past the meadery is farmland to the left, stream and city wall on the right. Wheat, potatoes, cabbages, all the rustic staples of a winter country seem to be growing in these fields. In one of those fields is a large person. A giant actually, who's fighting for his soon-to-be-short life. In the game it dies almost as soon as the player spots it, having been nerfed to the ground and beset by some of the strongest warriors in the game. The Companions, a kind of fighters guild exclusive to Skyrim. They really shouldn't need my help at all and I'm not interested in meeting them just yet but I keep my eye on the battle out of interest.
The four fighting the giant barley come up to its waist. The giant sinks his club into the ground with a boom and some of the debris actually makes it to the road where I walk, forcing me to close my eyes. When I open them a body comes rolling on the road next. A thick Imperial woman in not enough armor flops over with a groan. I start to rush over but my moment of worry was unfounded. She's already on her feet before I can get there.
"Are you okay?" I say, figuring it would be impolite to withdraw my concern before confirming she was alright.
"Yeah just gimme a minute." she says hands on her knees. "Big bastard got a cheap shot on me… and they're done. Damn it."
I look back and the big bastard is folded over in a position certainly no living giant could manage, the warriors cleaning up. The woman runs to rejoin them and I decide to skedaddle before I get caught up in post battle talk. I leave the 'battle' field behind and make my way to the stables, the first structure outside the city. Skyrim's horses are stout hearty things bred for the rugged terrain of the land more than speed. No one seems to be out here in the twilight with me but interestingly there seems to be a camp just outside the first gate. Then my eyes remind me that the Khajiit exist.
Cat people from a far off desert region who typically operate several trading caravans in Skyrim. They're camped outside because the Nords won't allow them inside any city in Skyrim, at least not as a trading group. There are a handful of other Khajiit if I remember right but they are very few and far between and consequently some of the most popular Npc's tended to be Khajiit. I don't want to stare but I do give a glance as I pass. They are more or less as I remember, humanoids with big cat heads, like lion or tiger heads on a furry human body. They usually carry very interesting (and illegal) wares but I don't have much coin so I move towards the first gate.
I imagine that in its heyday the outer walls of Whiterun would be an impressive site to behold but we are far from those days. Now in this time of decline I feel more like I'm visiting an old heritage site. The guards aren't even posted on the walls anymore, instead they stand on wooden platforms above crumbling battlements as a stop gap to hold onto security. The first gatehouse doesn't even have a gate anymore, rusty hinges are all that remains to hint at it's purpose. Even if there were a door it wouldn't matter much. The surrounding wall on either side crumbles away into slightly inconvenient gravel piles. The drawbridge on the second gatehouse looks maintained at least, although that's probably mandatory given the stream that runs under it. I make it to the final gate separating the city from the outside, thoroughly less impressed at the sight than I was the first time I ever saw it in game. It's an impressive door at least and looks big enough for the giant I saw earlier to comfortably pass through. The walls attached to this gate are the main walls for the city and although crumbling in spots are not in the same state of uselessness as the ones that guarded the first gatehouse, if only because they are much thicker. In front of the gate are six guards with orange sashes like the ones from before. One of them steps forward at the sight of me, wearing the signature closed Viking helm they were famous for in the game, with the tiny spike at the top.
"Halt! City's closed with the dragons about. Official business only."