Wuuthrad part 2
The creeping frost that preceded the sunrise gave me goosebumps all over as I pissed against the inner wall of Whiterun. A biting cold morning mist had started to rise from the wells and sewers in the Plains district, slowly working its way up towards the Wind district where Jorrvaskr was located.
Sunlight glimmered against the snowcovered High Hrothgar and almost licked the roof of Dragonsreach, the tallest building in Whiterun placed on a hill. One of the first buildings in Whiterun, after the Skyforge and Jorrvaskr, and the city had simply grown around it. And thus it was the palace of Jarl Baalgruuf, the Jarl of Whiterun.
Like all buildings in Whiterun, it was wooden with a foundation of cobblestone, but unlike the other houses in Whiterun it was massive. Large enough to hold the entire city-population within its walls. There was even an old legend saying Dragonsreach was named after the imprisonment of a dragon during the reign of Jarl Olaf ¨One eye¨ during the first era. Though I find it unbelievable that anything of wood would hold a dragon… breathing fire and all. But in my mind, it was all just legends, tales, and fables.
The inside of Jorrvaskr had a mellow cold to it, like that of a potato cellar. The hearth fire held nothing but charred coal and dead embers. still, the air held a residue of yesterday's warmth. I could hear snoring from the basement as I headed down to prepare my armor for the trip. Not to wake the others I decided to move my gear from the basement to the great hall.
I donned my armor and adjusted the leather straps for a better fit, slid some smaller pelt pieces here and there so the metal wouldn't dig into my skin, a trick I picked up while helping, or more like studying, Eorlund between contracts. I had just finished rubbing animal fat into the string of my bow and my leather boots when Tilma walked up the stairs.
¨Well someone's up early¨ she stated with her usual wrinkly smile. ¨Yet no fire going?¨
I hadn't thought about that. It was a common household rule that the first one to wake would chop wood and set the fire.
¨Forgive me Tilma,¨ I said. ¨Focusing on my prep-work, I honestly forgot.¨ I felt a slight embarrassment when I realizing I hadn't been the one to wake up first in months.
¨Well you younglings always treat time as if it was short, not realizing how much you have left. I guess patience is a virtue of age, and age you don't have. Now go get some firewood,¨ she said strictly.
¨Aye Ma'am.¨
SHIT! If I was stuck with wood chopping when Farkas meant for us to leave I would have two blunders under my belt in a single morning! And yesterday he told me Tilma would wake us, meaning he was getting ready right now!
¨You're late,¨ said the harsh voice of Farkas as I reentered Jorrvaskr. ¨And still not ready to leave? Tilma said you were awake before her.¨
There I stood in the doorway, armored up yet barefoot, arms filled with wood and all my traveling gear on the floor. I threw the firewood I had managed to chop for the last ten minutes into the fireplace and hurried to assemble my gear.
¨Sorry Farkas, I didn't mean…¨
¨That's alright,¨ he interrupted. ¨We still haven't had breakfast. Get your gear ready and I'll handle the fire.¨
As I went to gather my gear Farkas grabbed some flintstones and knelt down at the fireplace to light it. Tilma had already placed plates and mugs along the table and started serving bread, cheese, vegetables, and mead. As she did every morning. I had my gear ready just as the fire had fully awakened.
We ate a quick breakfast of what was to have while Tilma cooked the morning porridge, made of wheat with added snowberries. And as soon as we were done, we left.
The freezing morning mist had settled as we left Whiterun, and the brownish fields of Whiterun had its grass filled with sparkling frost and dew, glistering along the fields. It was a beautiful morning, the sun just half an hour over the horizon spreading god rays across the clear blue sky. There was a slight morning wind flowing across the fields, like the breath of Skyrim itself, creating waves moving along the grass creating the illusion of a hilled sea. I realized I hadn't had time to appreciate the beauty of Skyrim's nature since I last left Rorikstead, which now seemed so very long ago. I couldn't help but let my thoughts wander to my parents, I hadn't seen them in a long time. I wondered if they were safe and if the last harvest had been good. I should visit them when I can. And Eric as well, hopefully, we could drink some ale together and remiss about our childhood like we used to.