Chapter 22: Ladies of Whiterun

[27th – 28th of Last Seed 4E 201]

After I had done some shopping, I had come back from a hunting trip with Aela, and at least that had been a partial success. Operating a bow did not work for me at all; my paws were not suited for that, or maybe it was just my clumsiness; after all, at least in the game, there had been Khajiit mastering a bow, like Inigo. On the other hand, with some luck on my side, I had proven that I could bring down game, though in a very unconventional way. The saber cat attack on the way back to the city had shown that I needed to pay more attention to my environment, and my Khajiit senses should in theory be able to help with that, but I'd have to learn to actually use them properly.

Noon had long passed while we had been out hunting; I had skipped lunch and was hungry now. Thus, I helped myself to a snack in Jorrvaskr, sitting at a table in the backyard and relaxing for some time. Borogar, the male Nord I had recently met, came in and sat down next to me, and we chatted for some time; I learned that he was from Riverwood and related to the wife of Phintis, the farmer, there. Afterwards, in the late afternoon, I decided to find out what the Dragonborn was doing. I had not seen her or Freya in the last couple of days, and I hoped that she might be willing to talk to me at least. And, of course, even if she was still not willing to have a conversation with me, her shield-maiden certainly would, and just because of Freya, I should probably have looked for them earlier. However, I could not find either lady anywhere in the city, so that I would need to ask around, and the vendors in the market area seemed like a good option to start. I walked down to the Plains District and looked around, and as I had noticed earlier already, there were more market stalls than the three or so in the vanilla game. Not only Anoriath, a male Bosmer, sold meat, but also Ena, a female Nord, in a stall next to him, and they appeared to compete with each other, based on occasional phrases I heard from them. Next there was a male Dunmer who called himself Daynil, and he offered various specialties from Morrowind and Solstheim, both food and other stuff, and there was Jeer-Tai, a male Argonian who had all kinds of cheese. I stopped there first and bought some cheese, and when I asked about the Dragonborn, he told me that he had seen Fiona and Freya spending some time at Carlotta Valencia's stand earlier in the day. Thus I went over there to find Carlotta, who sold fresh fruit and vegetables. I may have looked at her a little too long, as she told me sternly:

"I hope you're looking at me like that because you want to buy something?"

"What? Oh, sorry. Actually, I just wonder if you have seen the Dragonborn recently."

"She stopped by in the morning today, when I had just opened my stall, and she bought some apples and pears. From what I heard, she and the two ladies with her planned to go to Ivarstead and from there up to High Hrothgar. That's what she is supposed to do, I guess, to meet the Greybeards. They are probably already in Riverwood by now."

Of course, a Dragonborn being identified and the Greybeards calling for her had to be known by practically everybody in the city. As far as I knew, that had not happened for centuries before. And of course, with my luck, I had just missed her by a few hours. What really bothered me most, though, was that Freya was gone as well, and I had not been able to master the courage to ask her out or at least talk to her more.

"Thank you, Carlotta. While I am here, I think that I will buy a few apples, please."

When I had got my apples and stood there, lost in my thoughts, a young girl showed up next to the lady and stared at me, until she was told sternly:

"Mila, it is not polite to stare at people like that."

"But Mama, is this a 'people'?"

From my point of view, her question seemed to be justified. Very few Khajiit were allowed in the city, and the caravans always had to sell their wares outside, so that children would not have seen many Khajiit. I smiled, not feeling offended at all, but Carlotta looked at her daughter with some embarrassment and started to apologize to me. I cut her short and knelt down next to Mila, so that our faces were level with each other:

"Mila, you have probably not seen many like me before. I can talk and walk and think, and yes, I would consider myself 'people', too. But it is all right to ask, and I am not offended at all."

"But you are all furry, like a bear or a dog, and you have a snout!"

"Yes, I am furry, indeed, and this is normal for us Khajiit. From my point of view I could as well ask what's wrong with you for having so little hair and fur on your body."

Mila giggled a little, and I added:

"But that should not keep us from being friends, what do you think?"

"Really? We can be friends? Okay, let's play tag – you're it!"

Before her mother could stop her, she was running away, and I quickly told Carlotta:

"Don't worry, I don't mind playing with her for some time, and I won't hurt her. I am with the Companions, you know."

I started running, too, but not at my top speed, and eventually I caught up to the girl, touching her:

"Got you!"

She giggled, and now I had to run away from her. Naturally, I allowed her to catch me after some time, and when was out of breath, I asked her:

"Mila, would like to to get a view from a higher position?"

"Like what?"

I grabbed her and placed her on my shoulders, and she yelped at first, but then told me:

"Wow, that's great – I can see so much more from up here!"

I walked around half the city with her on top of me, and eventually we got back to the market. Carlotta saw us and smiled, and I delivered Mila back to her. She ask with some concern if Mila really had not be any trouble for me, and I confirmed that we'd had a good time together, with no trouble at all. When I was just about to leave, the girl asked:

"Khajiit, can you do something for me, please?"

"Mila, Khajiit is my race, like yours is Nord, and my name is Balu for my friends."

"Okay, Balu, can you do something for me?"

"And what might that be?"

"There is this strange man coming up to Mama several times a week, and I do not like him. I think Mama does not like him either, but he still comes, and he looks at my Mama in a strange way I do not like. Can you do something about it?"

I had a clue what she was talking about, but I needed to check with her mother to be sure:

"Is someone giving you trouble, Carlotta?"

"Mila told you? That bard Mikael is begging for a dagger up against his throat, the way he goes on about me. I've heard him boasting at the inn, saying he'll 'conquer me as a true Nord conquers any harsh beast.' In his dreams, maybe."

"What if I talk to Mikael? He is over in the Bannered Mare most of the time, right?"

"He sure is. If you want to try, go right ahead. I don't think anything will get through that thick skull of his, though."

Thoughtfully I walked over and entered the inn. The bard was just done with a song and started a break, and I approached him:

"You are Mikael, right?"

He looked up at me and asked:

"Yes, I am; what do you want, Khajiit?"

"I have heard that you molest some women, specifically Carlotta Valentia. I do kindly ask you to stop."

"What? Who do you think you are, and why might that be your business? That fiery widow is mine! She just doesn't know it yet."

"She is not yours at all, and she clearly told you so repeatedly. Stop this nonsense!"

When he heard me saying that, with a now deep and almost growling voice, Mikael, who had just been sitting, got up to confront me, sporting a look on his face which was somewhere between annoyed and angry, but even when he was standing he found himself more than one head smaller than I was, and my shoulders were also much broader than his. Coincidentally I bent my right arm so that, despite the fur there, muscles were seen to bulge visibly, and I heard him swallowing, while his facial expression changed from being angry towards being intimidated, right as I had hoped:

"Okay, okay, I get your point. On my honor, Carlotta won't have to worry about me ever again."

I was glad that I did not have to really threaten him, and that had worked quicker than I could have hoped for. Of course I did not know if I could believe him, so that I added:

"That's good to hear, Bard. If I hear that you changed your mind and pursue her or other ladies who clearly told you off, I will be back for you, trust me!"

I had to admit that I did not really enjoy talking like that and threatening people, but I believed that this was justified in this situation, and when I turned around and walked towards the door to leave the inn I saw Hulda, the innkeeper, nod with approval; she must have seen her bard being too forward with ladies more than just a few times. Once outside I walked back to Carlotta and Mila and told the Nord woman::

"Mikael won't be bothering you anymore, lady."

"Really? You convinced that lute player to stop chasing me? I'd thank the Divines, but I'll settle for thanking you. Here's some coin for your help."

"Keep your coin, Carlotta, I was not doing that for money. I am just trying to help and to make friends, and spending a little time with you and your daughter today was reward enough."

"Really? It is rare nowadays to meet such friendly people; thank you again. And please come again when you need some fruit."

"You are welcome, and I will certainly stop by again – good bye for now."

I turned to leave, but Mila was not willing to let me go like this. She tugged at my leg until I knelt down again, so that she could hug me, saying: "I like you, Balu; please come back soon!"

Well, it looked like I had gained a friend today, or maybe even two. When I had been back on Earth, things had usually not worked like this, and I had not really had any close friends, specifically not female ones. I was looking forward to finding more friends in Skyrim, and I noticed that helping people just felt good. I also recalled what one of the Divines, Stendarr I thought, had requested in my vision: 'Be kind and generous to the people of Tamriel'. Yep, hopefully this had been a good start in that direction.

Furthermore, I had actually been able to have a polite and normal conversation with an adult woman. That was something I always had had trouble with on Earth, so either as a Khajiit I just got along better with women or women in Skyrim were less complicated, or both. However, maybe the main point had just been that Carlotta՚s daughter liked me. I'd have to see how that worked in future, and I hoped that Carlotta would not see my friendliness with her daughter just as a scheme to get close to her. In my old life, I had once met a young girl and her single mother, and after a brief period of friendship the lady had retreated and pulled away, claiming that she saw my attitude as my way of starting a romantic relation, which she did not want to have with me. She had been mistaken in my motives, but had not given me a chance to explain.

Back in Jorrvaskr I thought about the day. I had learned that the Dragonborn and her two companions had left the city, and of course I could try to catch up with them. However, it was quite likely that they'd just send me back, and I did not think that I was supposed to force my assistance on Fiona. Anyway, while I was not so sure about Freya, she also had Lydia with her, and unless reality was very much different from the game, Lydia was a superb fighter and well suited to protect her Thane. Thus, I'd better wait until she was back and then talk again; not only to her, but specifically to Freya, and I was determined to ask her out on a date when she was back, if I could actually find the courage to do so, of course. Meanwhile, I had a home here in Jorrvaskr, and I could work on my training.

On the next morning Farkas approached me after my training with Vilkas, and he told me:

"Hey, I have heard about how you helped Carlotta by intimidating the bard; that was good and honorable work, whelp! It just so happens that we have a need for a similar job, and you might just be the man for it."

"Okay, and what would that be?"

"Have you met Uthgerd the Unbroken, that warrior woman who lingers around in the Bannered Mare most of her time?"

That name rang a bell, and I nodded; once again I was sure that I had heard the name before, but I failed to remember in what context. Her, in the real Skyrim, I had probably seen her in a corner once or twice, but I had not yet talked to her. Farkas continued:

"That woman has caused a lot of trouble lately by starting too many fights and destroying lots of furniture in the inn. Hulda promises a nice reward if we find a way to calm her down. You might want to see what you can do."

"Okay, I will do my best."

"That's the right attitude, whelp – off you go!"

Consequently I went down to the market square and entered the inn, and indeed the woman I assumed to be my target person was already sitting in a corner and drinking. I stepped close to her, and even without me saying anything she challenged me:

"Want to hear a little Nord wisdom, Khajiit? You don't really know a woman 'til you've had a strong drink and a fistfight with her."

"You and a fistfight, really? You are Uthgerd, right?" I teased her.

"Yes, that's my name. Boy, I got no quarrel with you, but I won't turn one down, neither."

"You love to fight and also to demolish places, don't you?"

"The heat of battle is the fire that forges the strongest blades. It's an old Nord proverb. That, and a true Nord never misses a chance to test her worth. I could beat anyone in this city, bare-handed. A hundred gold says I knock your hide to the ground, if you are up for a good fight, that is!"

I nodded, and the woman grinned:

"You know the rules, right? Just fists. No weapons, no magic... no crying. Let's go!"

She stood up, and the fight was on. Same as fighting with weapons, I did not really have experience in unarmed combat, but I towered over her. She tried a few swings against my chest, but my leather armor and my strong muscles prevented them from really hurting. With the steel armor she wore, I knew that it would not make a lot of sense to hit her chest, so that I aimed for her head. Carefully making a fist with the thumb outside, I tried to hit her temple, and after a few attempts and a few hits she landed on my shoulder I got her there. My first hit had been tentative and not real strong, but my second one had more power in it, and she stumbled. I hit for the third time, using even more force, and she went down to the floor.

I had not been sure if this move, which I had read about in some books, would actually work, and I was very happy to see that it did, although there was no way that I could have managed to pull if off in my old body; only my current strength made that possible. I waited a few minutes until she was able to sit up again, and she looked at me with a confused expression on her face:

"Now that's what I call a punch. You really got me good. Actually, that was the best fight I've had in years!"

She handed over a purse with the septims she owed me, and that apparently was the time to get my message over:

"Uthgerd, it was a pleasure for me, too. However, I did not just brawl with you for fun. I am B'lushona and I am delivering a message from the Companions, too."

"You have been talking to those Companions?" she asked and looked angry now.

"I am with them, and I am supposed to tell you to stop bad fights and stop destroying furniture in here. If you are not willing to behave, we can fight again, but then I will not hold back."

She did not have to know that I was not able to do much more in a fist fight, and that I had only won against her because I was so much bigger and stronger, and because I had landed a lucky hit.

She looked at me and shouted:

"It wasn't my fault! I told them over and over that it was an accident! They wanted me to prove my worth, so they threw me up against a young whelp of a lad, hardly old enough to grow his first chin-hairs. I guess they thought a woman wasn't strong enough to hurt him. I did not actually mean for him to die! I just... lost control."

I was not really sure what shew as talking about, but dimly I recalled some kine of trouble Uthgerd had had earlier with the Companions. Whatever that had been, it was not currently something we needed to discuss:

"It's not about that old story now, Uthgerd, only about your current and future behavior."

"Okay, okay, you won, and I will comply."

"Thank you. If you need to get someone into a fight, at least fight outside rather than in here."

After that discussion – she had enlightened me about her background without my direct prompting even – I went over to the bar and got a glass of apple juice. Hulda looked at me in a very friendly way and said:

"Thank you for doing that, and I hope that she will be able to restrain herself in future."

"If she doesn't, let us know."

"I will do that, for sure. I guess with Mikael being tamed and Uthgerd being more careful with her fights, this place will be more peaceful in future. It was getting annoying to get tables and chairs repaired every other week or so."

It was about time for lunch, and as I was already here, I ordered some food from Hulda. Venison had already been one of my favorite meals in my old life, and I liked it as Khajiit as well. Basically, when I ordered lunch, I usually selected roast venison or venison stew whenever it was available; due to my size I needed a double serving most of the time, though. At least, being with the Companions now, I had free food at the hall plus always some money, but sometimes I did eat at Hulda՚s inn, too. Tilma՚s food was fine, but Hulda՚s venison was even better, in my opinion. Now, if she could be taught to make dumplings to go with it...

When I had eaten, I kept sitting for some more time, and as there weren't many customers in at this time of the day, I joined Hulda at the bar. She looked at me in a very friendly way and said:

"Now you have taken care of another troublemaker. Look like you fit right in with the Companions; we can be glad to have them in Whiterun indeed. I would not want to run an inn in a city like Windhelm, for instance."

"Why not there?"

"I know Elda Early-Dawn, the proprietor of the Candlehearth Hall in Windhelm. She is a Nord as I am, and she used to be a firm believer and supporter of Jarl Ulfric՚s 'Skyrim for the Nords!' call. Now, as the mood and the rules have changed in the last few years, she seems to have trouble adapting. She was one of those looking down on other races, in particular on the Dark Elves, and I am not sure how well she copes with all of the changes."

"So, Windhelm is more open to other races nowadays?"

"It sure is, if even half of what I recently heard is true. I don't know if Ulfric has realized that Dunmer are sentient beings as well or if he thinks that treating them fairly will make some of them become Stormcloaks, but the changes are there. I would not be surprised if he even started to allow Khajiit into his city at some time. Sorry, no offense meant, B'lushona."

"None taken, Hulda."

We talked a little more about this and that, and then I went back to Jorrvaskr to tell Farkas that the job was done.

[Author's Notes: The additional vendors in the market area are introduced by the 'Dawn of Skyrim' mod, although the mod places them at other locations in the city.

I got the idea to bring an enemy down by hitting their temple with the fist from the books written by the German author 'Karl May', when he has his hero 'Old Shatterhand', blood brother to 'Winnetou', do the same. A strong Khajiit should be able to do that as well.]