Tales of Skyrim: Grohiik the Wanderer

Chapter 7: Shopping Day

Grohiik sauntered into the main hall, trying to act as if the morning had never happened. In fact Grohiik half wished that everything that had started once he entered Skyrim hadn't happened. His luck had gone rather sour after simply crossing over the border, making him wonder if some divine, or deadric, being had caused the entire occurrence.

The hall had changed little since the previous night, many patrons were still passed out in various places, a few were eating breakfast, and only the two main tables had been set up with fresh food, drink and silverware. The fire pit in the center gave the musky room a refreshing smell, the smell of pine roasting on a friendly, cozy fire. The aroma from the kitchen was almost as intoxicating as the wine that came out, the smells of fresh bread, cooking meats and various pastries infected the room. The smells made the room more homely, as the only light came from the fires, giving the room a slight eerie feeling, and the banter of various people sobered up enough to eat could give a deaf man a headache.

Grohiik sat down, away from Lydia to avoid any awkward outcome, and began filling his stomach to meet its demands. The pastries were sweet, the bread was warm and bread-like, and the wine was more berry juices than alcoholic beverage. It was over far too fast for Grohiik's liking, but he didn't want to stuff himself so much that his stomach would complain about the necessary activities that would occur that day.

Grohiik sighed as he went over a mental checklist of everything he would need to do today; get food, new armor, find a way to make money, and gather supplies. His journey in Skyrim would probably last much longer than he originally intended, and he needed to be prepared for anything. Of course, Skyrim was notorious for the crazy things that happened, or lived, there; from angry trolls to giant spiders, mammoth mammoths to tree spirits, and now dragons for Nirn's sake, Skyrim was truly armed to the teeth.

Grohiik looked back up at the store before him. 'Belethor's General Goods,' it wasn't the nicest looking shop Grohiik had seen but almost every resident of Whiterun that he'd met had recommended it for cheap goods. Cheap goods were also, unfortunately, notorious for being low-quality goods, but without a decent sum of Septims, Grohiik had to take what he could get. He put the list in his coat pocket and opened the worn door, which squeaked loudly and obnoxiously upon being moved. A sleazy looking man looked up from a small pile of Septims, and greeted Grohiik.

"Welcm, welcm. 'Ave a look 'round ats me wondrus merch'n'dise. And 'f ya see somth'n ya like, feel free t' takes it." He chuckled, "Oui, as long as ya got da gold fer it!"

The man continued counting his gold and Grohiik eyed the "wondrus merch'n'dise," much of it ancient-looking or hopelessly unsalvageable. A few pots and pans were in decent condition, though horribly filthy. Grohiik took two pots and a pan off their perches, along with a kettle. Grohiik strolled around and found some acceptable wooden bowls, spoons and two tankards, and with a little work, they would be suitable to eat out of. Most of everything was broken, rusted or rotted; but Grohiik was able to find some supplies that would work.

Grohiik handed Belethor a bag of Septims, and the man grinned in glee, showing off his rotting teeth. Hastily making his way out, Grohiik once again entered the market pavilion; glad to be once again breathing fresh air. The marketplace was filled with people buying and selling, children playing, and guards standing ever-vigilant at their posts. The hustle and bustle of the marketplace was a tremendous change of scenery and mood from Belethor's run down shop, Grohiik thought.

The sun was at its peak when Grohiik finally found the Skyforge; it was well hidden behind the colossal mead hall, Jorrvaskr. Grohiik could feel the immense heat from the base of the staircase leading to the ancient forge, and the feeling only got worse as he gradually got closer to the actual forge.

The Skyforge was truly a sight to be seen, the stone was carved with master craftsmanship from the rocky hillside, and the forge's fire pit was massive, nearly three or four times the size of the average forge. The smith pounded away at a molten piece of metal, making the final shape of the steel sword. Grohiik looked around at the various wares of the forge; there were armor needing repairs, swords of master craftsmanship, and many odds and ends. The sound of the red-hot metal and the water hissing snapped Grohiik out of observing, and brought his attention back to the forge master.

The man was wearing leather armor, though it looked as though his skin might protect him more. His hair was white and pulled back out of the way. He looked tanner than most Nords, due to his long hours standing out at the forge. He inspect the sword once it cooled, then tossed it onto a pile of fresh equipment. His gaze caught Grohiik, and he sighed and set down his hammer, then struggled to turn and face him while trying to stand upright.

With a loud crack coming from his back, he stretched and addressed Grohiik, "Ya need somethin'?"

"Yes, I would like you to outfit my current armor with some more… protection."

The ancient man eyed Grohiik, then in an almost accusing tone, asked, "So where's yer armer?"

Grohiik paused, confused, "I need you to outfit," he gestured to his leather coat, "this with some protective plating."

The man looked back at Grohiik with an equally confused look, "I thought ya said ya needed yer armor fixed up, not yer clothes."

Grohiik was about to argue that it was indeed armor when the man just waved his hand, "Bah! Never mind, I'll fix it up just the same. Now, hand it over so I can get to work."

Grohiik handed him the coat, and immediately felt colder, being assaulted by the fierce Skyrim winds. The old man glanced back at him, "You want light or heavy armor?"

Grohiik didn't even need to think about his choice, "Light."

The old man turned back to his forge, "Come back at sundown, I'll have it done by then." He thought for a moment, "Bah! Ya haven't paid me yet, almost forgot."

Grohiik pulled out his dwindling coin bag, which was considerably lighter than when he had set out that morning. Forlornly, he handed over the entire bag. The old smith tested its weight, then, once satisfied, placed the bag within his own. Grohiik sighed and left, making his way to Dragonsreach, needing a way to pass the time.

Grohiik thought the scenery of the town way quaint, homely and inviting. The city was meant to be welcoming, being a major trading center. The only thing that didn't seem to fit was the towering dead tree in the center of the wind district main pavilion. The tree stuck out like a sore thumb, and being the centerpiece of the wind district certainly didn't help.

The stone stairs climbed up from the wind district and stretched all the way to Dragonsreach. The waterways of Whiterun began in the small moat in front of Dragonsreach, and then the waterfalls gave the stairs a feeling of great ascent, as if one was entering a place that would last for eternity. And Dragonsreach might just last that long; that is if the Dragons don't burn it down first.

Grohiik passed by the multiple guards standing watch at the front of Dragonsreach, their constant presence and odd uniform were slightly unnerving. The guards also said the strangest things to others, trying to mess with them. The guards would always laugh over a passerby's reaction, though if you knew how absolutely mind-numbingly boring it was to be a guard, you would understand. Unfortunately for Grohiik, he knew the painful boredom of being a guard, and usually played along to mess with the guard's head.

"Maybe I'm a Dragonborn and I just don't know it yet." The sentence was directed at Grohiik, and he inwardly smiled.

"Would you like to find out good sir?" Grohiik tried his best not to laugh while talking.

The guard froze, befuddled. Grohiik strode into Dragonsreach and the guard tried to comprehend when citizen had gotten smart.

A/N: Short chapter I know, but the next one will be out before the end of the week.