Chapter 5: Before the Storm, Part 2, Preparations
The interior of Dragonsreach was wooden yet spacious and two stories tall, and to the eyes of both Summer and Adrien, a work of great nordic craftsmanship, but the Huntress and the knight did not give themselves much time to study their surroundings as they both went straight towards the steps with a purpose, even as they felt the guards watching them in scrutiny. As they walked, they noticed that the place was poorly lit. Perhaps, in their minds, the reason this palace was illuminated enough was from the sun shining in through the tall windows. Their nostrils suddenly sniffed in burnt wood as they went up the steps, and once they got to the top, however, the next level answered their question to what they would guess to be a feasting hall, illuminated more by the stretched hearth fire that was flanked by two long decorated tables.
And at the end of the feasting hall sat the Jarl himself, sitting on his throne being flanked by two individuals: to his right stood a balding man in nobleman's clothes who bore all the marks of an advisor, and to his left a grey-skinned woman with a combed back head of red hair and clad in leather armor stood guard, her left hand resting casually on the pommel of her sword as her merciless eyes observed the unfolding meeting. The Jarl looked to have blond hair and a short beard, wearing a regalia fit for a man of high nobility, and he sounded to be in an argument.
"My lord. Please. You have to listen. I only counsel caution. We cannot afford to act rashly in times like these. If the news from Helgen is true... well, there's no telling what it means," the advisor cautioned, though he sounded unsure of himself.
"Then what would you have me do, then? Nothing?!" He asked angrily.
"That's the Jarl," Hadvar stated. "Do as I say and follow my lead."
"Maybe we should wait until they're done?" Summer suggested unsure.
"No," Hadvar denied, "it'll take too long. We should go and speak to him."
"Who are they, then?" Jarl Balgruuf asked when he noticed the three standing at the other end. Apparently they would not need to wait for him after all.
On cue, the grey-skinned bodyguard noticed them as well and came to them with her sword drawn with intimidating caution. Her sword looked to be glowing and shimmering, much to Summer's quiet surprise and growing curiosity. They soon met halfway, right next to the long fire hearth. Now that they were close enough, they could make out more of her features more clearly from the flame's illumination. She had crimson red eyes which were now narrowed at them, and her ears were pointed, giving Summer the indication that she was an elf. A dark elf perhaps?
"What's the meaning of this interruption?" The dark elf bodyguard asked with threatening suspicion. "Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving visitors."
"Alvor sent us. Riverwood is in danger," Adrien answered.
"As Housecarl, my job is to deal with all the dangers that threaten the Jarl or his people. So you have my attention. Now, explain yourself."
"A dragon has destroyed Helgen," he said simply.
"You know about Helgen?" She asked with surprise. Even the name had caught the Jarl's attention. "The Jarl will want to speak to you three personally. Approach," she commanded after sheathing her sword and headed back to the Jarl's side. They followed up the short steps, and now stood face to face with the Jarl.
"We kneel." Hadvar told them, and they followed his example as they went down on one knee and bowed their heads. "An honor to see you, lord Balgruuf." He announced respectfully to the Jarl.
"Please, rise." He said, and they all stood back up. "So. You three were at Helgen. Did you see this dragon with your own eyes?"
"Yes, my Jarl." Hadvar started. "We were about to execute Ulfric Stormcloak and his top lieutenants, but that's when the dragon appeared."
"This dragon came out of nowhere and attacked Helgen unprovoked." Adrien said. "It was black as night and almost as big as a mountain, bringing fire and death."
"The legion tried to fight it," Summer was next, "but its scales were impenetrable. No fireball or arrows could harm it. Heck, I even tried to hurt it with my arrows, but all I did was piss it off!"
"Where did you last see it?" The Jarl asked.
"Last we saw, it was headed this way."
"By Ysmir, Irileth was right… This is troubling indeed." Balgruuf said to himself. "I should've guessed Ulfric would be mixed up in this too.
"What do you say now, Proventus?" He asked his advisor. "Shall we continue to trust in the strength of our walls? Against a dragon?"
"My lord," Irileth spoke, "we should send troops to Riverwood at once. It's in the most immediate danger, if that dragon is lurking in the mountains–"
"The Jarl of Falkreath will view that as a provocation!" Proventus interrupted. "He'll assume we're preparing to join Ulfric's side and attack him! We should not…"
"Enough!" The Jarl silenced him. "I'll not stand idly by while a dragon burns my Hold and slaughters my people!" He declared, then he turned his attention to his housecarl. "Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once."
"Yes, my Jarl." She saluted with a fist to her chest and left.
"If you'll excuse me, I'll return to my duties." Proventus excused himself in defeat.
"That would be best." With that taken care of, and with his demeanor returned to normal, he turned his focus back to the three ragtag strangers still standing before him. "Well done. You three sought me out, on your own initiative. You've done Whiterun a service, and I won't forget it. For this, I believe you should all be rewarded. Brother…," he called out to the Nord leaning against the wall on the far left of the hall, someone the three had never noticed this whole time up until now.
He was tall like any Nord. He looked built with red warpaint on his face, had a tied beard and a shaved head. He wore scaled armor made mostly from leather, with pieces of iron decorating it and having one large decorated, circular piece at the center of his chest held in place by large leather straps. The armor also had the horned skull of a creature, neither Summer nor Adrien could identify, placed on his left shoulder guard. They also noticed he had a greatsword strapped to his back. "Yes, my lord?"
"Please see to it these three have a token from the armory that you believe they deserve most," he ordered.
"As you wish, Jarl." He placed his fist on his chest before heading off into the kitchen. Several minutes later, he came back out with three items of value in his arms as he approached the three and handed them each an item of his choosing.
"Here, take these as a small token of my esteem." The Jarl said.
Summer was given steel Nordic gauntlets, and though they looked a little bigger than her wrists, she saw that the straps were adjustable. So she slipped her right hand through the opening. When her hand went all the way through one end, and her fingers just in full view out the other, she noticed that the gloves were larger in width in both the wrist and hand by about half an inch, but the thumb was fine, same as her fingers but with too much room. She tried clenching her fingers into a fist, and they were only a tiny bit restricted given the glove's size, but it seemed fine enough for her to pull a string and okay to hold a weapon. Then she got to work on the straps, and she tightened them enough to keep the gauntlets firmly in place, but not too tight to block blood circulation. After that, she got to work slipping on the other one.
Adrien was given a steel sword, and although he would prefer to use his iron greatsword hanging behind his back, it was good to use it as a backup weapon as he tied it to the belt at his right hip, just so as to not have two weapons clanging with each other.
Hadvar was given a hunting bow, luckily guessed to replace the wooden bow he acquired.
"There is another thing you could do for me. Suitable for those of your particular talents, perhaps. Come, let's go find Farengar, my court wizard. He's been looking into a matter related to these dragons and... rumors of dragons."
"As much as I would like to help further, I must respectfully back down from this." Hadvar kindly refused. "My duty to the legion comes first, and I must return to them soon."
"I understand," The Jarl accepted. "Still, it is good that you came to me with this news. I won't forget it. Safe travels to Solitude, my friend." Hadvar nodded in thanks as he brought his fist to his chest and then walked away. Then the Jarl turned his attention to the remaining two strangers.
"All right, you two, let's go see my court wizard, then." He got up off his throne and went right (to their perspective), with the two following behind him. They went to the doorless entrance on the right side of the feast hall, but before they entered, Summer suddenly overheard a little girl arguing with a boy. So she turned her head curiously to where it was happening. They looked like royalty to some capacity, so they must be brother and sister.
"I'm so angry, I can hardly stand it! Father promised me a new dress days ago, now where is it?" The brown haired girl was demanding in frustration.
"It takes a while to make a dress, Dagny. You have to be patient," her brother explained.
"But I don't want to be patient! I want my dress right now! Father promised!"
"All you ever do is complain about what you want. You're a spoiled baby," he spat back.
"I'm going to tell father you said that. He'll tan your hide for sure!"
'What's wrong with this girl,' Summer thought with incredulity as her features wrinkled with disgust at the girl. Her stepdaughter Yang would never demand much, but this girl, on the other hand, was spoiled on another level, having her think where her mother was.
She tore her eyes away from the children and focused on the room she went into, and what they saw there could be best described as an organized mess, candles placed in certain areas dimly lighting the room and giving it an eerie atmosphere, the weak light coming in through the windows only enhancing that sensation. There were two tables connecting to each other and a small wardrobe placed against the end of the table, with their tops covered in ancient maps, several books stacked atop one another with one left open, and a display stand arrayed with potions. There was a plate and goblet, evidenced having a recent meal with chicken bones left behind. Then at the back had an alchemy lab, which was something Summer had seen before back at the Sleeping Giant inn, and another table which they could not see since the man they had been lead to see stood over it.
"Farengar, I think I've found some who can help you with your dragon project. Go ahead and fill them in with all the details." The Jarl told him, and the man, Farengar Secret-fire, stepped away from the strange table and turned to meet two strangers standing beside the Jarl. Not wasting an opportunity, he walked up to them.
"So the Jarl thinks you two can be of use to me? Oh yes, he must be referring to my research into the dragons. Yes, I could use someone to fetch something for me. Well, when I say fetch, I really mean delve into a dangerous ruin in search of an ancient stone tablet that may or may not actually be there."
"What does this stone tablet have to do with dragons?" She asked, and even the knight nodded, thinking the same thing.
"Ah, no mere brute mercenary, but a thinker - perhaps even a scholar? You see, when the stories of dragons began to circulate, many dismissed them as mere fantasies, rumors. Impossibilities. One sure mark of a fool is to dismiss anything that falls outside his experience as being impossible. But I began to search for information about dragons - where had they gone all those years ago? And where were they coming from?"
"So what do we need to do?" Adrien asked.
"I ah, learned of a certain stone tablet said to be housed in Bleak Falls Barrow - a "Dragonstone," said to contain a map of dragon burial sites. Go to Bleak Falls Barrow, find this tablet - no doubt interred in the main chamber - and bring it to me. Simplicity itself."
"... And how did you come to know where it is?" He asked with a raised brow.
"Well. Must preserve some professional secrets, mustn't we?" He dodged it as he crossed his arms. "I have my sources… Reliable sources."
He hummed with suspicion, but knew he would not get anywhere with it, so he changed the subject to learn other details. "Alright, so what do you know about this Bleak Falls Barrow?"
"An old tomb, built by the ancient Nords, perhaps dating back to the dragon war itself. Ah. Maybe you just want to know how to get there. It's near Riverwood, a miserable little village a few miles south of here. I'm sure some of the locals can point you in the right direction once you get there."
"This is a priority now. Anything we can use to fight this dragon, or dragons. We need it, quickly. Before it's too late." Jarl Balgruuf cut in.
"Of course, Jarl Balgruuf. You seem to have found me two able assistants. I'm sure they will prove most useful."
Then the Jarl turned to the two quest takers. "Succeed at this, and you'll be rewarded. Whiterun will be in your debt."
The two looked at each other. Summer nodded her head in eagerness, but Adrien was conflicted inside. He was hoping that after they delivered their message and fulfilled Riverwood's plea for aid, he would then be able to help Summer return home and then return to fulfilling his quest, but taking on more jobs was not what he had in mind. Still, he was a knight, and although he was ordered not to get involved with the war, at least he did not say to avoid helping a Jarl standing on neutral ground. What harm could there be in doing one more? The knight looked back at the Jarl. "We won't let you down, lord Balgruuf."
He nodded. "May the Divines watch over your battles." Then he turned around and went back to his throne.
Meanwhile, Adrien and Summer were still in the court wizard's room when the former turned to him. "Before we head off, there is something I could use your enchantment expertise in." Looking mildly curious, he continued. "I have three enchanted items I picked up from an abandoned mine. I could use your help in identifying them, if you would, please."
"Okay, what did you get?"
The knight unslung his backpack, set it on the table, opened it up and rummaged through it as he pulled out the three enchanted items in question. He set them down one-at-a-time: a ring, a dagger, and the gauntlets. All three of them were glowing in different colors, and as Farengar picked up the ring, Summer looked at them from where she stood with wondrous curiosity at the glowing items.
The mage hummed as he examined it, but after a few seconds, he recognized what the ring was enchanted as. "Ah, this is a ring of minor spell resistance. It's merely of minor use against attacks from novice level spells, but it's useless against stronger levels of magic."
"Well, it's better than nothing. So it's a keeper, then," he shrugged.
He put the ring back down and carefully picked up the dagger next, but was simply unimpressed with its creation. "Hmm… this is a dagger of draining. It can be useful to drain a novice mage of his magicka, but other than that it's just useless."
Adrien hummed in slight disappointment and conflict. Daggers were meant to be used for a number of things, including to have yourself be very up close to your enemy. He was no assassin, and his skill to throw a knife was something he picked up during his time as a fighters guild member. There was just the problem that the chances of missing could prove troublesome. What if he threw the enchanted dagger at the mage to drain their power, and they had the instinct to dodge its trajectory? So he decided it was not worth its use and planned to sell it when he had the chance.
The last item the court wizard picked up were the enchanted gauntlets. To their surprise, this one did not take long for him to realize what the enchantment was.
"Ah, this must be the gauntlets of alchemy," he declared with a positive vibe. "True it has a weak enchantment, but it's very useful for when you want to create better potions." Then he turned his head to the knight with a glint in his eyes which showed he wanted this item. "You know, gauntlets like these could help me in my experiments. What's your price?"
"Hmm," he thought for a moment. "How about one gold Septim and they're all yours."
"Heheh, it's a deal," he chuckled, then he pulled out one gold coin from his pocket, flicked the coin to him, and the knight caught it as he put the coin in his pocket; a transaction complete. Satisfied with the buy, the mage went back to his usual self. "So, will there be anything else?"
"That's all I need," he replied as he put on the enchanted ring and put the dagger back in his backpack. He closed and re-tied the cover, then slung the backpack back on.
"Good, now off you go then. That stone tablet isn't going to find itself. And if you'll excuse me, I'll be working on my studies."
They were somewhat off-put by his attitude, but nonetheless, they left his room and strode to the front door. A new quest was laid before them, and for the both of them, it was a task that could be seen as just another stepping stone on their respective journey. But… neither the knight nor the Huntress knew what fate had in store for them.
The large doors to Dragonsreach were opened up by the knight as the two walked out into the cool air once again. Summer, meanwhile, was feeling a little giddy at the prospect of her first given quest in a real fantasy world, and began to think of the possibilities she would be running into. Adrien, on the other hand, was making a list of preparations for heading up to Bleakfalls Barrow. Last he remembered, the barrow was settled in a mountain covered in snow, so buying wool capes and heavier clothing for himself and his companion would have to be on the list. The journey to and from the barrow would only require the necessary supplies needed for getting to and back from the ancient ruin for now. As they went across the bridge, he looked down at Summer, and he could just see past the hood to see her smiling about something. At least she was not being homesick, at least he thought. "A Septim for your thoughts?"
"Hm?" His question pulled her out of her daydream as she looked up at him. "Oh, I'm just a little excited about having my first quest."
"First quest?" He raised a brow. "I thought you've been on plenty of monster hunting quests before."
"Those are called missions, and like I said, hunting Grimm and protecting villages is simply part of the job description of a Huntress. We do get some odd jobs here and there, I'll admit, but it's really nothing like a quest."
"But I'll bet those missions do leave stories to tell."
She smiled in admittance. "That they do."
As they walked down the steps, he changed the subject when he noticed her gauntlets. "Do those gauntlets fit you?"
"Yeah, I've tightened the straps to make them fit," she explained, "though I still have a bit of an issue with the fingerless gloves being too big in width." She showed him what she meant by presenting her gauntleted hand and spread her fingers to prove her point. "I don't necessarily have a problem with the weight of the plates. I can feel the weight, but I know it won't be enough to hinder me for a while."
"Excuse me." They both stopped and turned to see a guard standing a few steps below them.
"Sorry," Summer apologized. The two stepped off to the side to let him pass.
"Thank you," the guard said as he went past them.
"You said for a while," Adrien said, returning to the topic. "At least you'll be getting the exercise."
"Yeah, I'm just trying to remind myself of my mortality," she said with honesty and a somber tone. "I made sure to stay physically fit, but I realize I've taken my Aura for granted for a long time. It's going to take some getting used to."
"I understand what you mean," Adrien nodded in understanding. "But think of it this way; at least you're giving yourself more strength over time, but don't try to strain yourself too much."
"Of course." She nodded as she understood.
"Come on. Let's head down to the marketplace and get what we need." Again she nodded, and the two went down the steps, through the Sky district and into the market square of the plains district.
Their first priority was to buy up the necessary supplies they need, and since food and ingredients was on the list and since the stalls were set up around the square, they were not going to be their first stop since they would need a bigger bag for them. So their first stop was the general goods store stationed across the square next to the alchemist's shop, also known as Belethor's General Goods. He opened the door and they went inside…
"Take a good look around. I'm…" The Breton shopkeeper Belethor himself welcomed them when he realized they were new faces. "Ah, some new faces! Welcome to my general goods." He spread his arms out halfway in renewed greeting with a business smile. "I've got everything you need in one place, so I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for. If not, let me know, I might have it stored away."
And indeed he had a lot for them to browse around. Beside them to their right, the walls were lined with shelves and console tables having an assortment of clothes, books, household clutter and decorations, and even a barrel full of weapons. To their left, there were even more items to look at. The console table also had clothes and footwear, but next to that, there was a shelf containing various cloaks and gear. The table next to the shelf had armor pieces and a rack having weapons and shields, and another barrel full of weapons. Beyond that, the rest of the interior had shelves and tables having tools and other useful items. There were two shelves separate from them, each lined with kitchenware and utensils. As for the counter where Belethor was, it had shelves to his right containing some potions and recipes, and to his left had a display with jewelry. In front under the counter had baskets of fruits and vegetables. Summer would be awed by all the options, but her silver eyes were staying focused on the weapons as she walked to them to examine each of them.
"Would you happen to have any backpacks in stock?" Adrien asked, the reason being because his adventurers experience tells him he would need a bigger bag for the supplies he would need, and not to mention more room for gathering treasure.
"Sure do. They're right where the cloak rack is, between the clothes and the armor pieces," he replied as he pointed out with his finger.
"Thank you." He nodded in thanks and went to where the cloaks were hung.
Meanwhile, Summer zeroed in on a particular sword, with its greenish pommel shining under the light, sticking out among the steel weapons in the barrel. Being careful, she grabbed the handle and pulled it out, and was instantly in both awe and intrigue of this exotic sword as she inspected it with both hands. The handle was a work of art in the way it was chiseled and how it curved out as a guard, with hardly any trace of hammer marks. The color of the metal points to being brass to her guess, which could help explain how the handle and guard were done. But what stood out the most was the pommel and blade itself. The only way she could describe the design was by comparing it to a feather, and to her amazement, she could almost see her hand under the blade, leading her to guess that this double-edged blade could be made of thick glass. It could probably explain how razor sharp it was when she looked down the edge, and the sword was surprisingly lightweight. Yet this discovery added more questions for her.
"It's beautiful…," she muttered in exasperation.
"And it's a one-of-a-kind item," Belethor stated after seeing her inspecting the glass sword. "It's a much better upgrade than the steel weaponry like the rest of the Nords use."
"I'll bet it must be worth a fortune, so I'll pass," she turned down the offer. "But do tell me; is this sword really made of glass?"
"It is," he nodded, "but it's not just any glass. What you're looking at is a blade made from refined malachite. It's much tougher than the brittle, regular glass you see on windows, but to what I've heard, it's tougher to make, too. It takes a special kind of smith to craft them, not sure how it's done."
"So malachite being tougher than regular glass, huh…?" She was thinking out loud as she looked back down at the glass sword. 'Malachite in my world was a mineral used to produce copper. It's not really important today, and in fact, I only see malachite being used for jewelry and art. I guess maybe this mineral is different from what I know.' Then she suddenly had another question concerning another part of the sword. "Then what about the handle and guard? They're made of brass, right?"
"The handle and guard?" He raised a brow, then he shook his head. "Nah, you must be mistaking them for moonstone. That's what it's made out of."
"Moonstone?" She looked puzzled at the name. "As in from one of the moons?"
"Heh, one would wish, but no, it's not. They get the name because the ore looks like that of Secunda. It has a yellow-cream appearance to 'em, and what's strange is that it's not really a metal, but it can be refined by smelting it."
"That is rather strange," she agreed but with skepticism.
"I'll buy this," Adrien said before Belethor could start convincing her to buy it. While the two were having their conversation on the glass sword, Adrien was comparing the unpaid backpack to the one he picked up yesterday. They were the same in make and design, but fortunately it was larger with more compartments, and it also looked brand new. This knapsack suited him fine with being able to carry more items.
"All right, but may I ask why? You seem to already have one yourself, and it looks to be in fine condition too."
"I figured I'd go for more room," he shrugged.
"Aaah," he mused, "and that also means you'll be buying more than just that bag, am I right?" He got a nod in response, and continued with a smile: "Well whatever you want, I got what you need. And lucky for you, everything is on sale."
"Everything is on sale?" She asked in befuddlement.
"That's right. Everything's for sale, my friends! Everything! If I had a sister, I'd sell her in a second!" He jokingly declared, but Summer did not get the sarcastic joke as she looked appalled by what he would do. Belethor noticed her reaction and corrected her. "That was a joke, Miss."
"Oh!" She laughed somewhat with an embarrassed smile as she rubbed the back of her covered neck and looked the other way.
"Some people just don't understand my humor sometimes," he muttered to himself, then he turned his attention back to the knight. "How about I hold onto that backpack while you shop around?"
"Sure." He handed over the bag to him, and then he returned to browsing around with the mental list in his head. But then he halted when he figured he could use some help, so he turned his attention to Summer looking back at him. "I could use an extra hand if you don't mind."
"Sure, what do you need?"
"We'll need dinner utensils, almost two of each," he said.
"Got it." She already knew where to look as she strode to the two shelves of dishes, pots and utensils. She first grabbed a wooden plate, then she started gathering two of each one. Two wooden bowls, two basic plates, two of each iron utensils, a cutting knife, a wooden ladle, and a medium sized cast-iron pot with a handle. Seeing all the utensils she gathered reminded her of the times she cooked delicious meals and baked cookies… but thinking about them made her frown and feel somewhat down and depressed.
"Summer." Adrien broke her out of those thoughts as she turned to see him being next to the table of tools at the other side of the store. He had gathered three torches, a flint and steel (fire striker), and an unused whetstone when he saw her looking down at the kitchen items. Then a thought occurred to him about her choice of clothing since there were clothing options available. "Does your outfit keep you warm?"
She looked down at her clothes and assessed a bit. Then she felt like having a metaphorical sweatdrop when she was reminded that she could longer use her Aura to protect her from both attacks and the elements. "W-well, this outfit was made for aesthetics, you see. I'll be honest, it does keep me somewhat comfortable in cool weather conditions… but not so well when it gets colder." It was uncomfortable for her to admit it.
"I see…," he looked at her for a minute, eyeing her up and down which made her feel a little uncomfortable until he gave his answer. "I'd suggest you wear something warmer like a wool shirt and trousers. Also, let's have you start off with leather armor. It's not as cheap as, let's say, hide armor, but it's thick enough to stop slashes, and can be resistant enough against arrows."
"Oh." She looked at the rows of clothing on the console tables, but she did not know which was which from where she stood. Plus she quietly groaned as she saw that none of the clothes would match her outfit. Belethor noticed her assumed indecision and helped her.
"Each of the outer clothing is made from wool, but I'd recommend the table to the left," he pointed out.
"Oh-uh, Thanks." She walked over to the counter and placed the tray of kitchen items before heading over to the console table. The few color options these wool tunics had did not sit well with her taste, and, it was hard to tell but she noticed them looking to have been worn before. There was one tunic, however, which somehow caught her eyes as she moved over to it. The wool was mottled grey in color, having stylized in Nordic embroidery running along the edges of the cuffs, neckline and bottom hem. She unfolded and held the tunic up to her level, then placed it against herself to examine its size and length, but it was obvious from the start that it was too big for her. So she folded the tunic back before replacing it. She checked to see if it had a name tag, though she should have thought of doing that first beforehand to her hidden mistake. Upon inspection, there was no tag but a letter sown into the fabric with the letter 'L' meaning large. She inspected the other tunics under it, and luckily for her, there was one small size tunic that was just for her as she repeated the process and placed it against herself to examine it. She looked down at her raised right arm and saw that the sleeve only reached past her elbow, but at least the cuffs were wide enough to give her no trouble. She then slid her hand down to the hem of the tunic, and learned that the hem stopped past her hips.
This tunic may not be in black or white, but this was the closest thing to being warm.
"I think I'll take this one," she concluded to herself as she folded the tunic back up, placed it under her right arm, and kneeled down to browse the lower shelf containing wool trousers. One of them was darker than the mottled grey tunic, and after finding the right size for her as she unfolded the piece of clothing and pressed it against her waist, she lifted her right leg up to show that it was, quite luckily, her size. After folding that one back up and making a small stack of her own under her arm, she soon grabbed a belt to help keep her trousers up.
Meanwhile, Adrien had placed the items he gathered onto the counter and went back to grab more. He picked up two bedrolls, two water skins, and a wool cape for himself. Since his hands were half full, he inspected the chest piece of the leather armor placed on the table, but soon realized the armor was large, practically made for a big Nord if the signs of wear were any indication. So it was too big for her to wear.
"Belethor," he asked as he turned to face him, "would you happen to have leather armor made for her size?"
"That one's too large for her?" He asked with a raised brow, but as he looked in her direction, he began to see why, but he still asked, hoping that he would get him to buy it. "Sure she hasn't tried it on yet?"
"Trust me when I say I know it won't fit her," he protested.
"Is it really that big?" Summer asked.
He would make his point after placing the items on the counter and went back to the armor pieces. He used both hands to grab hold of the leather armor and lifted it up to show the comparison between himself and the armor. Her eyes widened a bit and her brows were raised, not even bothering to require mental measurements that it would be too bulky for her.
"Okay, good point," she concluded.
Adrien set the leather armor back down and looked at the shopkeeper. "So, is there any?"
Belethor tried to think back as he rubbed his chin, though he was groaning inside for his failure to trick him into buying it. Only problem was that he had so many items in inventory that he could not keep track of all of them, though he would not admit it out loud. "I'll have my assistant Sigurd check the stores to see if we have one… once he gets back from gathering wood, of course." Suddenly the front door opened to reveal a young nord man, and Belethor smirked. "Well, speak of the Daedra."
"What is it, sir?" Sigurd asked with four chopped logs in his arms.
"I need you to check the inventory and see if we have leather armor fit for the lady here." He thumbed at Summer - holding a stack of clothes on her hand - in her direction. The young nord only took a few seconds to look at her before giving his reply.
"Sure thing, sir. I'll get right on it." He strode across the room, went behind the counter and placed the chopped logs down, and went into the back entrance to inventory.
"I sort of wondered whether you worked alone or not," Summer commented as she placed the clothes onto the counter.
"It'd be stupid not to on account of running a pawnshop like this," he explained and revealed what her hunch was; that the store was not exactly a general goods store, but a store run by a pawnbroker.
"I figured 'General Goods' was too good to be true. I noticed some clothes looked like they were worn before."
"People have been buying and selling wares to me all the time. They think to call this all junk. But to me, I call them treasures. So if there's anything the other person wants, I'm sure to have it. And if they want to sell what they don't want anymore, I'll take it."
"But you have been getting shipments of newly made merchandise, correct?" Adrien asked. "I've noticed some looking freshly new."
"It's true, I have been ordering new shipments whenever I get the money to chance it. Except," he drew out the word, "with the civil war going on, and with the bandits going wild, few caravans come here anymore, leading to some… elevated prices." Summer was about to make a rebuttal, but he stopped her in her tracks. "But I did not lie when I said everything is on sale, which they are. So no need to worry about it."
It was just as Adrien had predicted, that with war comes crime, and this chaos this civil war would leave behind had made a lucrative opportunity for scum everywhere. Except there was one thing which struck as odd to him. The civil war had been going on for a few months, and the laws of the Nords were harsh enough not to let any bandit dare to make any funny business. Could it be that the war had gotten worse to the point where the roads were no longer kept safe?
"Sorry, sir," Sigurd called out from inside the storage room. "We don't have any smaller leather armor."
"Oh, damn," Belethor cursed. "Well, it looks like we don't have what you need. I would suggest meeting up with Adrienne and her husband down at the forge. Maybe you'll have better luck there."
"I will, thank you for your help." She nodded.
He shrugged in return, and then went on to business as usual as he clapped his hands. "Okay, that's enough chit-chat for today! Is this everything?"
"Yes, this'll be all," Adrien answered.
"All right, now…" He had already put in everything into the new bag (except for the clothes, bedrolls, skillet and the wool cape) as he hefted it onto the counter. He then muttered to himself, counting with his fingers while calculating the cost of each item in his head. "You got the backpack, a whetstone, a flint and steel, two bedrolls, two water skins, three torches, a wool cape, tunic and trousers with belt, two spoons, two forks, two knives, a cutting knife, two basic plates, a wooden plate, a wooden ladle, and a medium sized cast-iron pot…"
After almost a minute, he finally concluded calculating the cost. "All of this together will cost you 700 Septims. Unless you two want to pay separately."
"No, I'll pay for all of them," he answered as he unslung his backpack and started pulling out his coin bags and setting them on the counter. He set his backpack down and got to counting, and from each of the bags he pulled out six gold coins, and four silver coins to make up the total and placed each of them in front of the pawnbroker. The Breton muttered under his breath when he counted each of them, just as he plucked them up into his hand. He then put on a satisfied smile after picking them all up that the count was accurate.
"All right, another satisfied customer," he said as he put away the coins into his own separate bags behind the counter. "Anything else you'd like?"
"Actually, I have a dagger I would like to sell," he replied, then he got back down and rummaged through his backpack until he took out the enchanted dagger and placed it on the counter. "How much for this dagger of draining?"
Belethor hummed as he picked up the enchanted dagger and examined it, rubbing his chin while coming to a decision on the value of this weapon. "Alright, for an enchanted weapon like this, I'd say about 106 Septims."
"That's fine with me," he said without any attempt to haggle.
Satisfied with another transaction, he reached down behind the counter and brought out two coin purses onto the counter. He dug through both of them, and placed one gold coin and six coppers onto the knight's waiting hand. After sorting the coins into their designated purses, the transaction was complete, but to the knight, it was not yet over.
"Anything else?" Belethor asked.
"Yes, there is one more thing," he answered as he then grabbed the newly bought backpack and set it down next to his old one. He opened both of the bags, and transferred the items from the old bag over to the new one. Four minor healing potions, two minor mana potions, and a Sparks and Clairvoyance tome were all put into the new backpack, and by the look of it inside, there was still some room left. He placed the light armour smithing book onto the floor since he remembered that she had a knack for smithing. He also once thought of selling the two spell tomes, but since they reminded him that Summer activated the mage stone, he figured she could use them, just not yet.
"Here…," he said to Summer when he picked up the book and offered it to her. "This is for you."
"For me? What's this," she asked inquisitively as she accepted the offered book. She then read the title which piqued her interest more. "Light Armour Smithing…?"
"I found that book back in the mine. I remembered that you loved to forge, and since you've started learning how to forge armour, I figured this book can give you more insight."
"Wow, thank you, Adrien," she answered gratefully. "Although, I don't have much room in my small pack."
He looked inquisitively. "Why would you go about carrying a small bag?" Come to think of it, he never noticed her having a lump under her cloak to show she had a backpack.
"At the time, I chose to travel light since I've been assigned to hunting that… monster." She caught herself before she mentioned Grimm, but he understood what she meant. "All I'm carrying with me are potions, toiletries, snacks and my journal." She had left out her jar of Fire Dust for good reason.
He looked back down at the now empty backpack and contemplated.
"It's fine," he dismissed. "I'll carry the book for you whenever you're done reading."
"Thank you," she nodded with a smile on her lips, then handed the book back to him. "I won't be reading it now, but I'll let you know when I do."
"Of course." He got the book back from her and stuffed it in, and closed his new backpack up. Then he lifted himself and the empty backpack and set it on the counter. "I would like to sell this as well."
"All right, let's see…," he muttered to himself as he examined the backpack. It was obvious from the start that it would be a bit worn from both the coloration and the leather, but then he spotted what would the sell price for sure. "Looks like I'll take this at half the price."
Adrien raised a single brow. "What for? Is there something wrong?"
"Yeah, see this?" He pointed his finger at the top right leather strap, showing him that there was a sawn cut which nearly severed it off. "Judging by the way you were carrying that greatsword around, you were lucky it wasn't fully cut off. I think I can patch it up, but I'm lowering the value."
The knight turned his head right to glance at his iron greatsword. He soon realized, to his embarrassment, that his hunch was right as he sighed. He made what adventurers would call a rookie mistake when he should have remembered his greatsword hardly had a scabbard, just a leather holster to hold it in place. The strap obviously had been rubbing against the sharp edge the entire time he first acquired it.
"Okay, so what's the sell price, then," he asked.
"I would say about two silvers worth," he answered.
"...I suppose." Again, he did not try to haggle with the Breton as he took the two silver coins from him and put them in the bag. "That's everything, then."
"Okay, I wish you both luck on wherever it is you're going."
He nodded in thanks, and went to work with strapping both of the bedrolls under the backpack before hooking up the cast-iron pot. He was about to don his wool cape before remembering he still carried the stark naked iron greatsword on his back. So he undid the straps to the sword and took it off before donning the cape on. Then he put on the new backpack which hardly weighed him down. He picked the greatsword off the floor and laid it against the counter before grabbing the clothes and handed them to her. "Here."
She accepted them without hesitation.
"Belethor," he said as he turned to him, with a thought in mind about her changing into her new clothes. "Is there somewhere for her to change in private?"
"Sure, the innkeeper at the Bannered Mare can help you out. For a price of course."
"Thank you for all your help." With nothing else, he grabbed his greatsword, and only carried it in his hand, having a plan to hopefully buy a scabbard for it.
"Okay, let's go," he said to Summer, and the two headed out the door.
"Come back and see me again sometime. I'm sure I'll have something new when you get back," he called out.
"Thanks, we will," she replied before the door to the shop closed.
They were out of the store and back onto the square. They had the necessary gear for the trip, but there was a need for food for the trip back from the barrow. So they stopped at the two food stalls to browse for only a small amount needed. That was when Summer halted him.
"I'll go to the Bannered Mare to change," she suggested, though she was unsure. "Hopefully the innkeeper doesn't need me to pay for a small visit, would she?"
He looked down at her for a moment. He would have preferred to keep an eye on her just in case, but he should know she could handle herself on something mundane. But first…
"You should take one silver coin, just in case she says otherwise," he advised.
"You're probably right," she agreed.
He nodded, then he turned his back to her and got down on one knee. Summer took that as her que as she walked up to him and opened the backpack. She looked inside to see the three bags, but she did not know which one contained the silver coins. "Which one's the silver bag?"
"The middle one," he answered.
She opened the middle one, reached in and pulled out one, single silver coin. Then she closed the bag up, and the backpack after.
"Thanks, wish me luck," she said as she backed away and then turned to head towards the door to the inn.
Hoping she won't need it, he returned his attention back to the food stalls; the first one being the meat stall.
"Good afternoon there, stranger," the wood elf merchant greeted as he leaned in over the merchandise. "How can I help ya?"
He browsed over the options. He knew what he was looking for, but it could not hurt to know the other options beforehand. "What kind of dried meat do you have in stock?"
After opening the door to the inn did the creaking sound garner the innkeeper's attention. She was immediately met with the smell of food, booze and soot, a theme that was just as familiar to her back at the Sleeping Giant inn.
"Come on in," the innkeeper welcomed them from the bar counter ahead to her right. "Let me know if you need anything, or take a seat by the fire and I'll send someone over."
The interior of the inn/tavern was spacious and roomy, and like the palace (and all the other buildings), the artistry carved into the wood was well done. Two long wooden benches and patterned carpets flank the hearthfire burning in the middle of the inn, with the exception of the chair and stool placed at the other end. There were other furniture placed to both sides and at the back of the inn, with the difference as the normal sized chairs and tables flanking both of them, and the low table and chairs placed at the back. The entrance to the room to their left had her hazarding a guess that it must lead to the kitchen, and the door ahead of them would perhaps lead to the bedrooms. Summer also noticed a balcony above the base floor, which could be another bedroom. Hence the reason there were two columns and a staircase to the left. There was music being played by a bard who stood at the near end of the inn, strumming his lute to a tune fitting for the atmosphere in the room.
She did not take a seat, but instead the Huntress strode up to the bar counter to talk to her, all while some eyes were on her the moment she walked in, but they were not just looking at her. They were fixated on her strange attire that they had never come across before. But after taking half a minute of examining her, they lost interest and went back to their meals or drinks.
Meanwhile, Summer got close to the counter, but her nostrils were hit with a horrible stench that made her want to gag but held it down. It did not take much to investigate when she glanced right to spot a man sitting at the bar counter with a bottle of alcohol. His skin looked dark and dirty, and his clothes looked worn, ragged and almost just as dirty as his skin. The smell of food, booze, sweat and smoke she could ignore pretty easily, but having to endure smelling someone who had not bathed in over a week or more was another obstacle.
"Excuse me, miss?" She asked the innkeeper, who already had her attention while looking as if the smell did not exist. "Can I borrow one of your rooms for a minute? I gotta change." She emphasized by showing the folded clothes she had on one hand.
"Normally I would not let anyone use a room for free," the innkeeper turned her plea down with a straight face. "I hope you understand."
"Oh, uh, I understand." She figured, feeling a little embarrassed before muttering to herself. "I guess it was too much to ask." Then she returned her attention to innkeeper. "How much for a room, then?"
"Aww, come on, Hulda," the smelly drunk man whined sarcastically. "It's just a few minutes. What harm could it do?"
"Nothing," she replied annoyed. "But I'd rather not make it a habit of letting people get the wrong idea. Just get back to your drink."
"Ehh~, whatever." He ended his fuss just like that and went back to his drink as he downed a gulp.
"Right, the price." She went back to business. "I can let you use the room for half-an-hour with, let's say, five coppers. Sound good?"
"Well, I have one silver coin, so it's a done deal." She pulled out the silver coin from her left pocket and gave it to her. She nodded in agreement, and she knelt down behind the counter. she could hear the innkeeper fiddling around with the sounds of coins before she reappeared again with a handful of copper coins.
"Here you are," she said as she showed her the change. "Twenty coppers."
"Thanks." She took the change in hand and put them all into her pocket. Luckily, her pockets were big enough to fit all of them, but she made a mental note to buy a coin purse of her own next time.
"I'll show you to your room. Follow me." Hulda stepped away from the bar counter and left her position while Summer followed her. They went up the stairs, and the innkeeper pulled out her ring of keys, but picked the one of all of them. She inserted the key, twisted it, and the click could be heard. She untwisted it, and she opened the door as they both walked in.
Summer had entered into a spacious room which, to her, looked like an upgrade to the cramped bedroom she had used back at the other inn. The furniture looked more expensive and decorated, the bed looked like a comfort level better than the straw bed she once slept in, and it had another doorway connecting to the balcony she saw earlier. If anything, this felt more like a room meant for a VIP.
"Are you sure I can use this room?" she asked, looking uncertain as she looked around.
"It's fine," she assured with dismissal. "The other bedrooms have the same furnishings. Although this room gives you access to the balcony view. Let me know when you're done."
"I will," she nodded. "Thank you, Hulda."
She nodded back. Then she closed the door and went back down stairs. Now having all the privacy to herself, she might as well get started changing right away by undoing and removing her hooded white cloak.
Meanwhile, Adrien acquired two wrappings of dried beef for only two silvers. It was not a bad deal in the slightest, and he would have gladly bought more given the taste, but remained strict with his plan and his remaining money. He had been introduced to several options of dried meat, but was soon convinced by the wood elf to try out the dried beef instead. Which was how he ended up buying two wrappings after trying a taste. So he went to the next stall where the fruits and vegetables were put on display. This stall was being run by an Imperial woman, a fellow native from his homeland. She had on a beautiful look to her, he would admit, but the expression she was giving off bordered between bored and annoyed. When he got in front of her view, and before he could utter a word...
"I hope you're looking at me like that because you want to buy something." She commented.
The remark made him feel perplexed. "I'm just here to buy produce, ma'am, that's all," he answered.
"Well that's good." She sighed in exasperation. "Life's hard enough with all these men propositioning me." Then she frustratingly sighed in disgust. "Ugh, but why can't that bard just leave me alone?!"
"Some bard giving you trouble?" He asked, his curiosity now piqued.
"The bard's name is Mikael. I swear he's begging for a dagger up against his throat, the way he goes on about me. I've heard him boasting at the Bannered Mare, saying he'll 'conquer me as a true Nord conquers any harsh beast.' Hmph."
"What if I can convince Mikael to stop bothering you?" Though this should not be any of his business, but the chivalric code within him begged him to help a woman in distress.
"If you want to try, go right ahead. I don't think anything will get through that thick skull of his, though."
"You'd be surprised," he declared. "I'll be right back."
He left the stall and made a beeline for the Bannered Mare. He had a way with words when it came to solving problems, either with troublemakers or other situations. But, if it ever came down to it when words were to fail, at least he could let his fists do the talking.
Summer was all done changing into her new clothes, or just added layer. There was, unfortunately, no mirror for her to check herself out, but she could guess just by looking down at herself. She kept her white undershirt and bolero long-sleeve, but decided to remove her corset and skirt on account of the tunic reaching all the way down to her knees, and knowing she was going to be getting some leather armor, so she did not want any more restrictions to her fighting style. She kept her leggings on, and wore her trousers over them and tucked them under her combat boots, but loosened them up a bit for ease of movement. It was lucky for her that she chose to buy a leather belt to keep her new trousers up. She had her gear and weapon belt wrapped over the tunic and around her waist, although there were no slots to keep the belt in place, so she would have to get creative with her tunic sooner or later.
With her pieces of clothing folded and stored in her bag, and with all her gear back in place, she walked out the door. She was currently hearing the beginnings of a song while walking down the stairs, played by the bard downstairs called Ragnar The Red. It was almost catchy but odd to her ears about a man riding to Whiterun from Rorikstead. She got to the base floor when she saw Adrien already inside the inn, during the part where Ragnar boasted about his battles and gold he had made. The knight seemed to be going about with a purpose.
"Adrien," she called him.
She got his attention, and although he did not say anything, he smiled and waved at her before returning his focus on the bard. Mikael was now at the part where a shield maiden named Matilda called out on his boasting and challenged him to a duel. The battle was depicted as fierce, but the song soon ended with Ragnar's head rolling around on the floor. The patrons of the inn applauded his performance as usual. That became his cue as he walked passed the hearth fire and over to him. He knew it would have been rude to interrupt his performance.
"Hey there," Mikael greeted the armored stranger. "If it's a lady you're looking for, you best look elsewhere. Once Mikael gets them, they're got." He remarked as he casually assumed that was what he was after.
"That is what I'm here to talk about," he answered. "I want you to leave her alone."
"Carlotta set you up to this, didn't she." He accused after knowing right away who he was referring to, not backing down as he placed his fists against his hips. "I'm sorry, but that fiery widow is mine. She just doesn't know it yet."
"If that were true, then she should have been at your side by now. Come on, she's not yours. So stop this nonsense."
Mikael was taken aback by this. He hesitated, struggled to make a comeback, but nothing came out. Realizing he was right, he then sighed in resignation. "Maybe you're right, and… maybe she'd be by my side if she was mine. She wouldn't have sent a sellsword to talk me off either." With difficulty he added: "You… can send word to her. I won't be bothering her again. My, er… My word on it."
"Good, I'll hold you to it." Then the knight walked away from him and approached his companion, who watched the whole shortly lived argument happen.
"What was that all about?" She asked as the bard started playing his lute since the entertainment must go on, albeit with a bit of difficulty.
"The bard was flirting with a woman selling fruits and vegetables. So I took it upon myself to resolve the problem."
"Hm, so you're a knight in shining armor after all," she remarked with a smirk as she placed her fists against her hips and moved her hips to one side.
"It's part of what I am, after all."
She then switched to a different topic. "So, what do you think? Does it suit me?"
"Yeah, I think it does," he nodded. "It'll definitely keep you warm in the cold climate."
"I hope so. Maybe the leather armor would make for added warmth?"
"I think so." Speaking of armor, he then waved for her. "Come on, let's go see that blacksmith."
She nodded in agreement, and before they left, she turned to Hulda who had returned to her station and spoke over the music. "Hey Hulda, I'm done. Thank you for the room."
"It's no problem."
The two were soon out of the door after that.
Carlotta, as usual, made vocal of her merchandise, hoping to convince some of the native customers to come and buy her wares. Her daughter was sitting about, enjoying the time playing with her doll. Her mother thought that things were going to be just as dull as usual when the merchant soon noticed she was being visited again by the knight, but this time with a female companion. "So, did you put some sense into him yet?"
"Indeed I have," he answered. "He won't be bothering you any longer."
This news surprised her. "Really? You convinced that lute player to stop chasing me? I'd thank the gods, but I'll settle for thanking you." She reached behind the counter and pulled up a coin purse as she set on the counter. She only took out one gold coin before closing the purse back up. "Here's a gold coin for your help." She handed the coin out to him, but he shook his hand in refusal.
"I have no need for it, and I'd rather you keep it for both you and your daughter. I'm just glad to have helped."
She was taken aback again as she smiled and put the coin back. "Huh, wow! You really are a chivalrous one, aren't you. Are you sure you're not a knight?"
"Actually I am a knight."
Now she was confused as she raised an eyebrow, eyeing him up and down. "Really? You don't exactly look the type."
"It's a long story. But long story short, I had been robbed of everything during the night and now I'm starting from scratch again." He explained cryptically.
She looked him in the eye with sympathy. "Well, I wish you luck on that. Not many knights would come to Skyrim, especially during the civil war." Then she went back to business. "Anyways, I'm sure you're still interested in buying my produce, right? I can assure you that I get fresh produce everyday, right to this stall."
"And I still am." He took a step closer to the stall to browse when Summer spoke up.
"Hey, how about I take it from here?" She proposed.
He looked down at her for a few seconds before coming to agree with her and nodded. He would rather want to do all the menial tasks for her sake until she came to terms with her situation, but there were times when he must give the respect she deserves. After all, she proved herself back in that cave as a fighter, not a damsel in distress. On the positive side, it would make for a good distraction for her.
"Thanks." Since she still had twenty Septims left to spend, she might as well use it. "What kind of meat did you buy?"
"I bought two wrappings of dried beef," he answered.
"Hmm, that would make for some beef soup with vegetables," she pondered.
"Only take what's needed. We can't carry leftovers." He advised.
"You're right." She turned to browse the selections on display for a minute or two. "I'll have two carrots, one potato, and two garlic."
"Alright, with that mix, that'll be sixteen coppers." Carlotta calculated.
"Good thing I have more than enough." She grabbed a handful of copper coins, picked sixteen of them, and gave them to the merchant.
"Good doing business with you," she thanked her.
She nodded with a smile, and picked out the ingredients she had bought. She turned to face him with the handful of ingredients she bought. "Your backpack, please?" He turned his back to her again and got down on one knee, letting her open up the backpack and putting all the ingredients in, and returning the coins she had left into the bag on the right before closing the bag, and the backpack back up.
He stood back up and turned around. "This should be enough for the trip. All you need now is the leather armour before we head out."
She nodded, but before they went to the blacksmith, there was a question that had been itching her mind, so she turned back to face Carlotta. "Before I go, there's something I would like to ask. Was that bard the only man bothering you?"
She sighed. "Girl, you've got no idea. Half the men in Whiterun have proposed to me. Some were even single."
This information made her feel uncomfortably confused. "U-Uhm, i-is that customary for men to have more than one wife?"
The merchant shook her head with a grimace. "No, it's not customary here, thank the gods."
"Oh, that's good to hear, I guess." She felt a little glad to hear, but she still felt disgusted by these husbands.
"...Degenerates," Adrien commented with disgust.
"Yeah, but all in all, they'll never understand. No amount of flowers or honeyed words are going to change my mind. Right now, all that matters is my daughter Mila. No man's going to get between me and my little girl." She looked to her little Mila sitting off to the side with a kind, motherly smile, while the girl looked back with her own. Summer looked at the little dark haired girl with warm thoughts of home.
"I know exactly how you feel." She told Carlotta. "I'm a mother of two little girls. One of them is still a baby."
"Aww, how sweet," Carlotta cooed. "Where are they now?"
'Summer, what are you doing,' Adrien internally panicked as he looked down at her.
She halted herself, realizing just now she had gotten carried away. So, she quickly came up with an explanation.
"I… I'm not really from Tamriel." She made her answer with guilt and sorrow, with some honesty even though it was a lie. "My family lives on an island country beyond the shore. I was tasked with hunting down a crazy wizard but… as you can see, that man magically sent me here, away from him and my family." She lowered her head. "Now I'm lost."
"Oh, you poor dear," the merchant said, understanding her situation and unwittingly falling for it at the same time. "I hope you do find your way back."
"Thanks." She sadly smiled as she lifted her head back up. "I was told about a mages college being here in Skyrim. I'll be starting there, hopefully."
"Well, to be honest, you don't exactly look prepared for the journey," she said frankly. "That glacial part of Skyrim up north is so cold, you'll freeze to death in almost half an hour. I suggest you buy more layers of clothing or fur if you want to take the trek up north."
"Thanks for the advice. Of course, I'm going to need the coin which I don't have myself at the moment. So I'll be sticking around the southern parts for a while."
"Smart choice," she nodded. "I should let you go. Good luck on your journey, you two."
"Farewell, then." The two started walking down the main road when they heard a little girl calling out to them in a cheery voice.
"Come back next time!" Mila called out as she waved her arm.
"We will," Summer called back, looking behind her with a heartwarming smile and waving back to her as she walked away, before returning her gaze to the smithy.
Meanwhile, happening opposite from the forge/shop was the housecarl Irileth, addressing the three guardsmen she gathered outside what they assume would be the guard barracks. They had somewhat of a hard time what she was saying due to the sound of the hammer hitting the metal from around the corner, but they were able to make out what she was talking about.
"The Jarl has agreed to send you back to Riverwood," Irileth declared.
"Yes, housecarl. We'll leave immediately," the guard replied, sounding a bit eager to head to the village.
"It's just us against a dragon, is that it?" The second guard next to him asked, with some apprehension in his voice.
"I can't afford to send anyone else. And we don't know where the dragon is. Your main job will be to keep an eye out and get the people to safety if the town is attacked. I don't expect the three of you to fight off a dragon by yourselves. But I do expect you to do your duty."
"Of course. We'll keep Riverwood safe. You can count on it." Then he spoke to his comrades. "Let's move out. Time's a wastin'."
Meanwhile, the two companions got closer to the forge where they could see the lady from when they first came in, working with a purpose next to heat of the burning charcoal, standing over an anvil as she pounded away at a long slab of what should be the beginnings of a sword blade. Her smithy had the same creation as Alvor's, with the only difference being the placement of the workbench and the grindstone. There was also an addition that was built further back, and she hazard a guess that it would be the smelter given its design.
"Excuse me," Summer said politely.
The blacksmith Adrienne was broken out of her focus, and stopped pounding the metal as she looked up at her approaching customers with a brief, surprised look in her eyes before reverting to her normal expression.
"Hello there," she greeted casually as she put the length of metal into the trough to cool off. "Something I can help you with? Perhaps you're looking to buy?"
"I'm looking to buy." Summer answered. "I'm here to buy leather armor that would fit me, and my friend is hoping you have a scabbard for his greatsword. Do you think you have them in stock?"
"Leather armor that fits you, huh…?" She thought about it after examining her figure, then looked down at the iron greatsword held in his hand. "I think I have a set that might be your size, and I'm certain I have a scabbard for that. Come with me."
They followed her into the store. Like the general goods store, this place was stocked, but only with forged tools, weapons and armor on display. Several mannequins wore different armor sets standing between low shelves. Filled weapons racks were filed along the walls, and a few other armor and weapon displays were arrayed on tables and low shelves in the middle of the store. At the back, a burly, bearded Nord with combed back, long dark hair, stood leaning forward behind the counter. He wore iron armor as a way of being part of the store.
"Welcome to Warmaidens," he greeted in a gruff but friendly tone as he saw Adrienne leading her customers into the shop.
"Good morning," he greeted back, then looked around at all the weapons and pieces she made.
"Wooah…," Summer was in awe of the classic armaments all around her. If anyone else were around her, they could have sworn to have seen stars in her eyes. "It's like an armory in here!"
"I've spent much of my hard work forging them," Adrienne said humbly but with a proud glint to her eyes, then she faced Adrien as she pointed to his left. "The sheaths and scabbards are at the left wall."
"Thank you." He nodded, then went off to check out the scabbards.
"Now…," she turned her attention to Summer, who was still looking around all starry eyed. "Let's see if we can fit you into that leather armor I made a while back." The Huntress had returned to her normal self after hearing her, agreed with an earnest nod and followed the blacksmith to the back of the shop, but when it turned out to be a chest placed near the counter to the left, Summer waited in front across the shopkeeper.
"You look new around here," the Nord shopkeeper observed out loud. "Hailing from High Rock, right?"
"Actually, I'm from one of the small islands overseas," she answered as she met his gaze. "I'm pretty much a foreigner here, but yes, I am a Breton."
"Really? Must be idyllic."
"It really is."
"Here it is." The blacksmith announced as she came back with the armor and large belt buckle held up in each of her hands in presentation. The armor, with the gorget, torso, and tassets (save for the attached twin smooth spaulders) were all held together by belts and straps, and some areas were studded. The torso (gorget included) make a solid cover of most of her upper body, and the same assessment went with the tassets covering half the legs with its built in layers to their sides, and the spaulders had two layers for extra protection to the shoulders. The only problem she could spot were the exposure of the armpits, but she knew there would be no problem as long as she kept her distance. The armor, strangely enough, almost looked just to be her size.
"All right, let me help you get into this armor," Adrienne offered. "Take off your cloak first."
"Sure," she nodded, and took off her white cloak and set it on the counter, but then she noticed she would have to take her gear, quiver and travel pack off as well. So she got to work with taking out her axes and set them on the counter along with the cloak, meanwhile as Adrienne and the shopkeeper eyed those two strange axes and the strange arrow quiver with curiosity. Next, she undid the gear belt buckle and removed it from around her waist, then took off her travel pack and placed them on the counter. Now she was ready.
"Alright, then." The blacksmith set the belt buckle aside on the counter next to the cloak and gear, then got to work in disconnecting the belt straps to the armor until they were in three pieces. She loosened the belted straps to the sides of the chest piece for ease of fit. She lifted it over Summer's head, and the Huntress raised her hands up at the descending chest piece as she eased through the opening. It was luckily easy for her head to go through the leather gorget, and with obviously no complications for her arms either. With the chest piece now worn, Adrienne went to work firmly tightening the belted straps to her sides to keep them in place, all while Summer kept her arms horizontal and spread apart like an eagle, since not only would she be keeping them out of the way, the belted arm straps attached to the spaulders were going to be worked on next. After being done with the side straps, her next focus was the armstraps as she looped the belt through the buckle and locked each of them, but did not tighten them in order to give movement to her arms. Next were the tassets as she belted them to both sides of her waist, and finished the armor by connecting the fur lined belt buckle around her waist above the tassets.
"There, all done," she announced as she backed away from her handiwork and placed her fists to her hips. "What do you think?"
Summer looked down all over herself. The leather armor seemed to fit her just right despite the size. although she saw that her tassets reached down a little past her knees, her legs were fine with the legroom as she moved her leg up and down, left and right, forward and back. She rolled her shoulders, moved her arms about in different directions, and she even moved and twisted her body. It was a little restrictive in some areas, she will admit, but other than that, the functionality of the armor was okay. Yet there was something odd about it, like this armor was almost made for someone nearly her size, and the only one to answer that was the blacksmith herself.
"This armor nearly fits me like a glove, but I can't help but feel that this armor was made for someone else in mind."
"Yes, this armor was made for a Breton woman I tailored to a while back. She promised to come back after two weeks… but it's been three months since she last visited me." She explained her story almost morbidly like it was nothing new.
"Do you think she forgot about it?" She asked, trying to think on the bright side.
"I've never met a customer who would forget their order. She either did find better protection, or the land took her life. This is how life is in Skyrim." She shrugged as if it were a normal occurrence.
"I see…," she replied, a bit unnerved by how she easily rolled with what possibly could have happened to her previous customer. "Well, I'm hoping it's more the former."
"If that were so, then she had already forfeited her order, either or. So, do you want to purchase this?"
"... Yes, I'll have it paid for," she decided, not seeing any other option.
"I got what I've searched for." Adrien said as he approached them with the long leather scabbard in hand. He looked at Summer in her new armor that would soon be purchased. "It really fits you quite well."
"Thank you." She nodded.
He turned his gaze back to Adrienne. "I'm a bit surprised this scabbard was the only one of its kind in here."
"Iron weapons were never given that much attention other than being cheap to make," the shopkeeper explained. "But my wife here wanted to give it a try anyways in case anyone was interested."
"And it would seem it paid off in the end." Adrienne stated. "Does it fit well?"
"It definitely does. You do great work." Adrien thanked.
"I'm glad you'd say so." She then returned her attention to the Huntress. "How about we get you a helmet to that armor, eh?"
"Umm… I think I'll pass on that offer," she answered with some uncertainty of wearing a helmet.
"Are you sure about that? Can't keep your head protected without it."
She shook her head. "It's not that. I do appreciate your concern, I'm just thinking it might not keep my head warm. We're heading to Bleak Falls Barrow, you see."
"Uhh-huuh." She crossed her arms and pondered. "I can't say I agree with your choice of warmth over protection… But you and I are not Nords, so I understand." Then she put her finger to her chin as she thought of what she had in stock that would give her customer's head the warmth she needed, and it only took a few seconds to remember. "I do have a fur helmet you can wear that will keep you warm during your trek up the mountain. Wait here."
She walked past the Huntress and to the low shelf at the far end of the shop where she picked up the fur helmet and brought it back to her. "Here's the fur helmet. A customer sold this to me a few weeks ago. It's not much in terms of style, but at least it will keep your head warm as you make the climb."
Summer accepted the offering and inspected it. It was stitched and sewn together from the hide of an unknown animal… or perhaps more than one. It was a little more than enough to fit her head, and although there was no string to keep the helmet or cap in place, her hood would be enough of a substitute.
"I think this'll work well," Summer said.
"Good. Now, are both of you ready to purchase?" Adrienne asked.
"I'll pay for all of them," Adrien replied.
"Are you sure she can't pay her own?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Actually," she interjected, "we agreed that he would be the one to carry our currency."
"Oh. Well all right, then." She turned her attention back to the knight. "With the three items you all have, the total cost will be three hundred and thirty three septims."
"Reasonable enough," Adrien accepted, then he looked at Summer. "Will you kindly help take out the coin bags from my pack before putting your gear back on?"
"Certainly," she replied.
The knight turned his back to her and kneeled down again, and Summer opened the backpack and grabbed the three coin bags as she set each of them on the counter before, instead of locking it, she simply covered it loosely. The knight stood up again, turned to face his partner and nodded to her in thanks.
"Okay, I'll be getting my gear back on while you make the purchase," she said as she then got to work. Meanwhile, Adrien calculated the number of coins he took from the silver, copper and gold bag, totaling 18. He then gave the last gold coin, 9 silver coins, and eight copper coins to her husband. With the deal done, he waited for Summer to be done as she slid her axes back into their holsters of her gear belt. She was finished after putting her white cloak back on and adjusting it. "Okay, I'm ready."
He nodded to the coin bags awaiting to be placed back inside the backpack. She got the message clearly and grabbed the coin bags as he turned around and did the same procedure. After the coins were placed inside and pack was now firmly clamped and sealed, the two gave their thanks for their help, and bid them farewell until they were out the door.
"You saw that strange quiver and axes, right?" Her husband asked. "What do you think of them? Dwemer maybe?"
"Maybe, but they don't have the same metal composition. and they're too mechanical."
"Could've had the chance to ask."
"I could have, but I decided not to pry, not yet."
"Maybe once they come back you'll get your chance."
"If I'll get the chance," she doubted. "We'll have to see."
After they were outside, Adrien took the time to equip his sheathed greatsword after taking off his backpack and wool cape. He finished buckling the straps, with the greatsword scabbard angling right to left as usual. Then, he put on his cape and re-slung his backpack. After doing a double check, he was now ready to go.
"All right, we have everything we need," Adrien declared. "Time to head back to Riverwood."
Summer nodded, but had a look of concern. "I hope the village is still okay while we were gone."
"It's been a few more hours," Adrien tried to reassure her. "I know it means much, but if it was under attack, they'll be hiding in the mine in safety until then."
"That does help me feel a little better." She felt somewhat assured, but the only way for her to feel fully assured would be to reach the village. Still, the mentioning of the mine reminded her of the deed he did, unfortunately, bringing her back to being uncomfortable.
"I'm sure Alvor and the others would be glad to see us again." He stated.
"I'm sure they will." She nodded in agreement with a soft smile. The two of them headed out to the gate, and as one, they pushed open the doors back into the outside world once more.
Adrien's Wealth: 0 Gold + 19 Silver + 84 Copper = 559 Septims
Summer's Wealth: 0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Copper
A/N: Okay… about time, right? Besides my life, this chapter took quite a while to get it right. I had to do multiple major rewrites because of how inconsistent I accidentally made them, and I don't really want to go over them in detail. Let's just say they involve the two main characters, the world building, and keeping track of currency and items. I understand that nothing happened… sort of, if you count the side quest with Carlotta, but this nearly whole chapter was dedicated to their preparations. I did plan on writing about the two having a chat down the road before Riverwood, but I ended up with this instead and I had put in enough words to consider this as a chapter. I do promise you that I'll be writing in the adventures up in Bleakfalls Barrow. So yeah, other than how much of a pain it would be to keep track of all their items and their money, I think it turned out pretty good.
I still haven't gotten an answer from you guys about putting the special chapter in Bloodborne Twin yet, and since I've nearly been done with it, it's been sitting around waiting for your reply. If you don't want it, let me know in the review, and I'll skip straight to chapter 20.
Again, I give my shoutout to CruxMDQ for his proofreading and Suggestions.
This is Kyro2009, signing off.