Chapter 35: Mia the Alchemist
[14th – 15th of Frostfall 4E 201]
After staying at High Hrothgar for about two weeks together with Fiona, the Dragonborn, her two housecarls had been back again with more supplies, and, with Fiona's initial education completed, we had descended from the mountain all together. Halfway down we had had to defend ourselves against the ferocious attacks of a fully grown snowy saber cat, and soon after I had found two saber cat cubs caught in a thorn bush. They had likely become orphans, and I had decided to cut them free and adopt them. Fiona and her two housecarls had used the opportunity to move on, and I had found a bed in the barn behind Wilhelm's inn again, where I had been able to get to sleep with my two new buddies right at my side.
The saber cat cubs, who I had named Hanni and Nanni, seemed to require a lot of sleep, and I found them still next to me when I woke up. They both had their small heads on my chest, and when they woke up, they even purred for a couple of minutes. There was some milk left, and they licked it up after they had risen and found the bowl. I did not know if they needed anything else to eat, and it was probably time to find out today. While Fiona and her housecarls would pursue their own tasks, I planned to get back to Whiterun and the Companions, my current home. I took my morning 'shower', taking advantage of a small waterfall in the river behind the inn, and I purchased a large jug with milk and breakfast for me from Wilhelm.
Fiona and her two warrior ladies were not yet up and probably still asleep when my saber cats and I left the inn just after sunrise. We took the road in southern direction, and right at the bridge two men were already there, obviously fishing. One of them was Klimmek, the Nord who sometimes delivered food up to High Hrothgar, and he was talking to another Nord:
"We're behind again. I need you to catch another two bushels by week's end if I'm to make another delivery."
"Blood from a stone, Klimmek. I've been out there every morning. They just aren't biting."
"Come on, everyone in town knows that you spend more time with Fastred than fishing in the river."
"That's none of your business, and I appreciate if you wouldn't mention it again. Oh, look, someone is coming!"
I nodded at the two and greeted them:
"Good morning, gentlemen! I hear that fishing isn't great those days?"
"Good morning to you, too, and no, it isn't. I guess that we need to find a better place. Some say that there are some great spots for fishing further east, on the northern shore of Lake Geir, but I don't want to get too close to Nilheim; I have heard that a bunch of bandits have claimed this place as home."
"Is it true that the way up there is safe again? I was about to prepare another delivery, as the two warrior ladies told me that the frost troll has been taken care of."
"Yes, indeed, for now the way is safe. We not only killed the frost troll, but also defeated a snowy saber cat. She had two cubs, and I have claimed them."
"You sure that you want to keep them around?"
"Yes, I am."
"But anyway, thanks for confirming. As soon as we got enough fish, I will make the trip again, I guess. Although, I have been wondering; one of the ladies who was up there with you told me that the Greybeards aren't that keen on fish any longer. Oh well, maybe I'll try to go hunting for a change."
"Maybe you do that, and you have heard right; they do appreciate some meat and vegetables, too, for a change. I will be on my way; have a good day!"
We crossed the bridge, and ten minutes later I heard my two new friends growling and looking west. I looked as well, and I saw a cave entrance in the rock walls and a couple of bears watching us from there. I could not be sure from the distance, but it looked like there were a few beehives in the trees close to the cave, and that might also attract the bears. For now, they did not seem to be in a mood to attack us, and I quickly moved on and also prodded my saber cat cubs to follow me.
When we met the main road, I turned west, towards the mountain pass. When we had been on that road before, prior to arriving in Ivarstead, I had not had too much time to look around, but now, being alone just with my two cubs and not in a hurry, I did so. The forest on both sides of the road had more broad-leave trees than conifers, and the leaves showed a variety of colors, with many shades of green, yellow, red, and brown. I liked it, and while I was heading back to Whiterun now, I decided that I would want to spend more time in the Rift in future. Did the trees here look like this all year round? Was there really something like 'eternal Rift autumn'? Well, if I ever wanted to join the Dawnguard, I might find out, as their headquarters was right in the Rift. At this time, I did not even know if the Dawnguard even existed here, or at least if it existed in this time. Surely the critical events did not have to happen all at the same time, right? Alduin՚s return, the vampire threat, Miraak՚s cultists, and more. But there certainly wasn't a rule that the Dragonborn would have to handle all of that; unless somebody else successfully uncovered the secret of Dimhollow Crypt, the Dawnguard questline would not proceed, and Miraak was only going to be an issue if and when the Dragonborn traveled to Solstheim, or so I hoped and assumed. I could not really know, of course, but on the other hand my task was not to be an overseer of all that; I was to aid the Dragonborn when she wanted my help, and I was probably supposed to also provide some advice, carefully edited, when appropriate. Specifically Solstheim was going to be something which could hopefully wait, if it was on the agenda at all. On the other hand, as it was likely going to be the Dragonborn and not me having to read the Black Books, maybe I would not even mind going there.
Meanwhile, Hanni and Nanni looked and sniffed around all of the time, and a few times they chased a rabbit without success. I smiled when I saw it, as their efforts were quite funny to watch. Half an hour later I saw a small cabin through the trees on the right, and I recalled the 'Alchemist's Shack' from the game. Of course I was curious and wanted to have a look, and when I got close I heard a voice, like a young female person humming to herself. I did not want to scare somebody so that I called "Hello!" in a what I hoped friendly voice.
The humming stopped, and a young female Bosmer stepped out from the shack. She might be about Fiona's age and size, and she looked a little bit scared when seeing me:
"Hello, please do not hurt me. I do not have any valuables here, either."
"I am not a bandit, and I am not here to hurt you, young lady; I am just passing by, and I only wanted to see who lives here. By the way, I am B'lushona, and the cubs are Hanni and Nanni."
"All right, I am Mia, and I live here for now."
"May I assume that you are an alchemist?"
"Yes, indeed, I am. It shows, doesn't it?"
The conclusion was an obvious one, with all of the ingredients in and around the cabin and the alchemy table right outside. Meanwhile, Hanni and Nanni had continued to chase rabbits, and eventually they succeeded to catch one. They sat down with their prey and tried to find out what to do with it now. I was glad to see that they were able to do that on their own, probably by instinct, as I did not think I would be able to teach them hunting; although, thinking back to the recent hunting trip with Aela, maybe the saber cubs and I could even do that together. The alchemist, at least, seemed not to be worried by the cubs' presence at all.
We talked a little more, and Mia told me that she had fled from the Riften orphanage a few years ago and found this place here by accident. The previous owner had obviously died, and the cabin had just waited for somebody to occupy it.
"When I arrived here, I had a friend with me, and for a few months the two of us lived here together. She had an accident, though, and was killed by a bandit before I had a chance to do something; since that time I have been all alone."
"How do you manage to survive?"
"I can use a bow pretty well, and I visit Ivarstead and some times even Riften from time to time, to sell some furs and specifically my potions. Nevertheless, I wish that I could find a proper place to live, but I suspect that everybody in a town or city will treat me like Riften treated me, and that's nothing I'd like to experience again."
That reminded me of something, and I asked:
"So, with being an alchemist, I assume that you are well versed in finding and identifying most ingredients and also know how to create various potions and poisons?"
"Of course I am; I have had a few years of practice here. However, I am much more familiar with potions than with poisons."
"I do happen to know that the proprietor of the alchemist shop in Whiterun is looking for an apprentice, and I wonder if you might be interested."
Hanni and Nanni had now managed to tear a few small pieces of meat from the rabbit they had caught, and they tentatively took those pieces in their snouts, apparently finding out that they were very edible.
Mia looked up at me and asked:
"Seriously? Do you believe that she might take me in?"
"There are not so many good alchemists walking around waiting to be hired, and I am sure that she will be happy to take you. The question is if you actually want to leave this place here and move to a city."
"If the citizens of Whiterun treat me properly, it's worth a shot. I am getting tired of living all alone here, but if this does not work out, I can still come back. Do you believe that the Whiterun people would accept me?"
"I don't see why not. Riften is, as far as I recall, under Stormcloak control, but Whiterun is neutral, and Jarl Balgruuf the Greater is a good man and does not tolerate any of those 'Skyrim for the Nords!' demands. Yes, I believe that you should be fine there."
"I sure hope so. How do I get to Whiterun? I've never been that far."
"I am traveling there right now, and if you want, you can join me."
"Great! Let me just pack my bag, and I will be ready in a few minutes!"
The tiny Bosmer seemed to like the idea, and that was just fine for me. I was actually glad that she did not appear to be afraid of traveling with me, and she was not shying away from me like Fiona had done a lot. I was very happy to see that at least some people accepted me like a normal human being – oh well, maybe not human any longer, but at least sentient and not a beast. Out of curiosity I asked her about it, and she told me with a smile:
"See, I am very close to many animals out here, and I have learned that people who have an animal following them out of their free will are very rarely bad people. So far, this rule had not been proven wrong even a single time. You have your two saber cat cubs around and they seem to be happy around you, so you cannot be a bad person and it's okay for me to come with you."
Hanni and Nanni had now almost completely devoured the rabbit, and they looked happy and ready to move on, too. They had obviously accepted me as something like their psychological father, and they had already learned that I had a large jug of milk with me to supplement their diet. It would not do at all, I thought, to walk them on a leash like a dog.
Five minutes later Mia was ready as well; she did not have many belongings, and what she decided to take fit into a large backpack and an apothecary satchel. The two of us – well, actually the four of us, with the two saber cat cubs – walked back to the road and followed it up to the mountain pass. We left the last few trees of Rift autumn and entered the gorge leading upwards; the temperature dropped rapidly and the path was soon snow covered. The cold was nothing compared to High Hrothgar, of course, but Mia started to shiver. Of course, she was a wood elf, and her clothes were just fine for the warm forest down there, but she did not have a fur cloak or coat.
I asked her about that, and she told me:
"You know, my shack was just at the border of the Rift forest, and the Rift forest never sees a real winter; it's almost like magic. I only traveled across the mountains in summer and early autumn, and I never needed a warm coat."
Although my own was way too large for her, I lent her my warm cloak, and she happily wrapped herself in it, although she had to be careful not to step on the lower parts by accident. We passed two groups of soldiers and made sure to keep our distance from the Imperials battling the Stormcloaks; based on the number of corpses around this maybe wasn't the first skirmish ever to take place in the mountain pass. Mia explained:
"Yes, this is another reason while I rarely take this road. The Stormcloaks from their Falkreath camp and the Imperials from their Rift camp seem to find each other again and again somewhere around here, and I just don't like watching people getting killed. Although, I had to admit I sometimes tried to find a few septims on the dead when I was running out of money, and a few times I helped to heal the wounded."
Did the two factions really meet in the pass from time to time for a skirmish, leaving some of them dead? What sense died that make? But wait, there weren't that many mountain passed connecting the Rift to the hold west of it, Falkreath. There was the road past Valtheim Towers further north, there was this pass here, and sure nothing in between, as this was where the Throat of the World loomed. Further south, into the Jeralls, there was also nothing, as far as I knew. I quickly consulted my map to check, but there was nothing else shown. That did of course not imply that there was no other path, but at least no major one.
A couple of hours later we descended towards Helgen. Darkness was already close again, and I suggested to camp for the night next to the road, close to the branch where the path to Orphan's Rock started, but actually close to the Stormcloak camp. Mia was at first a little bit worried about potential dangers, but I told her:
"Look, don't you think that Hanni and Nanni will alert us is something get close?"
"Indeed, they would, I guess. Let's find a secluded spot nonetheless."
We found such a spot below trees with low hanging branches, and once we had eaten a small supper we laid down our bedrolls and said good night.
Nothing happened during the night, and I slept a little longer than usual, as my rest in the night before had been short; I had arrived in Ivarstead in the middle of the night, after all. On the next day we continued our hike towards Whiterun, and I got thinking for a few minutes about my decision to have Fiona and her housecarls travel to Ustengrav, try to get the horn, and find the note instead. Should I have warned them? But what if things were somewhat different from the game? What if the person leaving the note was late or so? No, I should probably interfere as little as possible, hoping that events would turn out right. This was almost like having a time machine, and I had read enough books on that topic to know that attempts to change some events might end up changing some other events, with potential catastrophic results.
When we saw the remnants of the town of Helgen ahead of us, as much as this was visible behind the palisades, of course, I told Mia the short version of Alduin՚s attack here. We could not know if bandits had maybe reclaimed the town; after all, our last passing had been a few weeks ago. Thus, I decided to play it safe, and we sneaked along the palisades outside, avoiding entering the town.
When Helgen was behind us and we followed the road leading north, going gently downhill, Mia picked some flowers from time to time, and I did as well, focusing on a few I knew, like the Blue and Red Mountain Flower, and I also tried to catch butterflies when I saw them, although they were quite rare here in the colder regions.
The Bosmer asked:
"So, you are an alchemist, too?"
"No, not really. I just believe that it is useful to be able to brew a few basic potions, like to restore health and magicka, but my results are mediocre."
"I guess that one cannot be good at everything. But you know that you can learn and improve by practicing?"
"True. However, bending low over an alchemy table and mixing potions is not exactly my favorite way to spend time. My paws are too large and the tables are too low for my tall frame; I don't like bending over for a longer time."
The petite alchemist chuckled and nodded. My mind started to wander, and I thought that one could indeed be good at everything, in the 'Skyrim' game, at least from a skill perspective. I did not even recall how frequently I had set some skills to 'legendary', and although some took longer to max out, one could eventually become a jack of all trades, even if this took a lot of time and effort. My own magical capabilities had certainly improved already, and I practiced whenever I could. For the long run, I was having some visions about being able to conjure a storm atronach or at least a flame atronach for defense and also being good enough for healing very severe wounds, but I realized that I might never get there. For now, I'd probably best focus on what I could actually do, like honing my reflexes and fighting skills.
When we passed the small road branch with the path from the Helgen Keep back exit coming down, I recalled my first time here, when I had managed to get out of Helgen with Ralof, Fiona, and Freya. At that time I had been able to see and smell nature for the first time, and now I was able to distinguish a few more details. From close up, I noticed that the different kinds of mountain flower – blue, purple, red and yellow – all had their own special smell, and more than once I used the opportunity to stick my snout very close to the flowers. I also tried to take in the smells from different trees, but found I could not so easily set different conifers apart from each other, for instance. I wished that one could document smells like visual impressions in a book or so. Without that option, I'd have to repeat sniffing out the various plants multiple times to allow the smell patterns imprinted into my memory, if that ever happened.
While we headed north, hoping to get to Riverwood later in the afternoon, a pack of wolves suddenly showed up and attacked us. Hanni and Nanni reacted very quickly and distracted one of them, Mia also had a spell ready in an instant, but my own reaction was too slow, once again, and I got a painful bite in my right arm. I yelped and finally reacted by blasting fire at the wolf's body, and that was good enough to force it to retreat. Having my right arm not in working order, I continued to blast fire until my magicka ran out, and mostly with Mia's help, we got three wolves dead on the ground, while the other two fled.
I needed to sit down and swallowed a healing potion, but I did not yet feel ready to move on right away; I'd better wait until I had some of magicka back to complete the healing process. While we rested, I grumbled:
"Why do those wolves always have to go for my arm?"
Mia actually laughed, and she asked back:
"You don't get it?"
"Get what?"
"Why they go for your arm?"
"No, why?"
"Well, of course, the question is, would you prefer that they bite you into another part of your body?"
"Maybe not, but still…"
"See, wolves are smart, and they try to go for a kill. For their normal prey, this implies biting the throat. With your size, they got trouble getting up there, and when you raise your arm as protection, probably mostly by instinct, that's all they get."
"Seriously? So, if I managed to get a better armor, protecting my arms more than with the thin leather I have, I might be fine?"
Mia nodded: "Yes, I should think so. Although, you better get your legs protected as well; they might get smart enough to bite there to bring you down to the ground."
"But you managed without better armor!"
"My reactions are honed by being out in the wilderness for years, and I can usually sense the wolves even before they attack, so that I am prepared."
Well, I needed that information to settle down. My arm was now fully healed and we were ready to move on. While we walked on, Mia offered some information on her background:
"My parents and I came to Skyrim years ago, but they died when we were attacked by bandits. Guards came in time to save me, and they sent me to the Riften orphanage. Initially, that was fine, but soon I found that the person running the orphanage was making my life and that of the other children there difficult."
"Grelod the Kind?"
"You have met her?"
"No, I have not met her, but I have heard about her. People claim that she is not kind at all, and that she even refuses to have any child being adopted."
"Quite true, yes. Fortunately, Constance Michel is there, and she always tried to mitigate the situation, like feeding us when Grelod had locked herself in her room. Eventually, some of us started to run away, and my best friend and I succeeded to find the shack. Even alone out there, my life was much better than before."
"I do hope that you will not long to be back in the shack, but that you may find a home in Whiterun."
"Yes, me too, but let's see about that."
[Author's Notes: B'lushona still has a lot to learn.]