Chapter 2

Helgrim awoke the next morning feeling a tad groggy and cold. He shivered and stuck his head out of the entrance to his snow hole and saw why. Not only had the fire gone out, but a storm had also blown in. Snow whirled around, flying at his face and making him even colder. He pulled the wolf fur around him even more, turning it so the fur side was against him and the tougher hide side would fend off the snow. He slowly came out of the hole and looked around. He couldn't see more than ten feet in front of him because of the snow, but even so he managed to find some twigs and branches and even dead leaves to start a new fire. Then he looked in on Fjolnar. He was surprised to find his friend was gone. The wolf fur was there, but the man was no where to be seen. He was confused, but figured maybe Fjolnar decided it was better for him to leave on his own. He shrugged and went about making a fire. He wanted some warmed up rabbit and a bit of warmth for himself also before he packed up and left.
It took him almost twenty minutes just to get the fire started, and another ten minutes to get the branches to catch and stay caught. Next time he would have to think of a windbreak to make to keep the fire from being blown out. As he sat there, waiting for the rabbit and his body to warm up, he thought about Fjolnar. Even if it had felt a bit odd to have someone else with him, he had been looking forward to not being alone anymore. When your only companion was the constant cold and the whiteness of the snow with the possible arrival of an animal intent on killing you, the prospect of having someone to travel with seemed a great idea. Shaking his head, he took the rabbit that was left and ate it slowly. Fjolnar had told him he was only a day away from Dawnstar. If he could make it there today, he could perhaps hire a carriage or caravan to take him to Windhelm. From there he surmised he could find his way to Kynesgrove.

After finishing his meal, he packed up the extra wolf fur, keeping the one he was using on for extra warmth and protection from the still falling snow. The rabbit fur would take another day, at least, to dry before he could make the gloves out of it, so he just packed that up in his sack as well. The extra food they had looted off the dead Imperial soldiers he put in there along with his tinderbox, the twigs and branches and the horker tusk. He reattached the spear on the side of the backpack and put the sword belt around his waist and slid the sword into the scabbard. Then he lifted the backpack onto his back and slid the quiver of arrows over his shoulder, carrying the bow. He was packed up and ready to go. Kicking the fire out, he waited until it was cold and no longer smoking before turning and heading off in the direction Fjolnar had told him Dawnstar was last night.

Helgrim walked for most of the day, hoping he was going in the right direction, before he saw signs of civilization ahead of him. He stopped for a moment to make sure it was not just his eyes playing tricks on him, but after determining that it was really what he was seeing, he smiled and walked a little faster. It had been almost two weeks since the shipwreck and the prospect of eating a real meal in a warm inn caused a bounce in his step. He was careful still, however, remembering Fjolnar's words of wisdom about the Imperials picking him up outside of town. He didn't want or need to have an interaction with them right now. He sneaked up to the town slowly, bow at the ready in case anyone tried to stop him. Fortunately, he made it to the town without any trouble and put the arrow back in his quiver and lowered the bow as he walked into Dawnstar.

There was a small stable of horses here and he stopped for a minute to admire the hardiness of the Skyrim horses. They were gorgeous animals, all of them, but heavier in build than the Hammerfell horses he was used to. Those horses were used to go over desert terrain. These, you could tell, were used to going over snow. Their large hooves spread over the ground like snowshoes, he guessed. Shaking his head at his wishful thinking, he turned away. He wouldn't have the money for a horse for some time he gathered. Next to the stable was the inn and while that was the first place he wanted to go, he went further down the street to see what all was here.

Keeping his arms inside the warm fur, he walked along the dirt street that was now mostly covered in snow and passed the inn. He noticed the sign that read Windpeak Inn and stored that away for later. The next building on the street was a two-story one without a sign on the door. Figuring that it was someone's home, he walked onward. The next building was larger than the rest and he noticed there were no signs, but there was a banner on a pole outside, as well as a guard standing beside the stairs that led to a door. There appeared to be some sort of argument going on as he approached. He saw a woman dressed in gear that was very similar, though a tad outdated, to that which the Imperial soldiers that he and Fjolnar had killed wore. Beside her was a man in much the same gear. They were speaking at a man on the stairs who gave the feeling that he was important around here. He stood there, watching and listening, but they finally backed off and the man on the stairs went inside the building. The man and woman turned and walked away down the street. He walked up to the guard.

"Excuse me, sir. What is this building here?"

"This is the White Hall, traveler."

"Who's in charge around here?"

"That would be Jarl Skald the Elder. He's been Jarl since I can remember. Don't be lollygaggin. We have laws to prevent that."

"Thank you. I'll be going now."

Helgrim turned and continued to walk down the street thinking that perhaps he should have just gone to the inn after all. He shook his head and continued on his walk around town. Not too far from the Jarl's hall was the entrance to a mine and outside of it was something he knew all about. A smelter. One person was giving two others orders as he walked by. He heard one of the people getting orders murmuring something, but he didn't have the heart to ask him to repeat it. He guessed that the woman giving orders was something like a slave driver. Helgrim marked this mine on his internal map if he ever decided to take up smithing again. That was an idea that had crossed his mind now that he was actually in town again. He turned a corner and past another house and moved on, down a small hill. Another house on the left and a street leading off the one he was on. He stopped here and looked down that path. He saw a few buildings, but only one of them had a sign and it looked like it might be an alchemist shop. Perhaps he could stop in there later and see if they need any help. That is, if he didn't decide to smith again.

Speaking of which, he heard the familiar clang of metal on metal that he had been living on for the past several years. As he passed by another house, he came to a slightly larger building where off to one side he saw it. The forge. It looked small, but it was beautiful. He hadn't even seen it yet, but he could tell how it looked just by the sounds that came from it. He closed his eyes for a moment and felt the wind come off the inlet, spraying him with sea water. Chilled, he opened his eyes and stared out at the water. The inlet was small, only big enough for one ship to dock, but he noticed there was one sitting there, though it didn't look ready to go anywhere anytime soon. Shaking unconsciously, he spotted what looked like another mine entrance. Two mines in the same town? Perhaps there was more to this than met the eye. Helgrim grabbed for his belt and pulled up his money pouch. He opened it carefully and quickly counted the coins. He might have had enough to stay at the inn for a night or two, but he guessed it wouldn't get him to Kynesgrove. He walked to the blacksmith shop and up onto the porch.
Helgrim watched for a moment as a man and woman spoke to one another. They appeared to be in love with each other, though he was a Nord and she was a Redguard. This gave him hope as he could have been looking at him and Eir in the future. He wasn't blind and noticed the way the woman touched her belly. Surely she was pregnant. Ah, that gave him pause to think about Eir carrying their child. A moment later he realized the man was speaking to him and he hadn't heard a word he'd said.

"I'm sorry, you caught me daydreaming."

"I said is there anything I can help you with?"

"Oh, well, I just arrived into town."

"I gathered that. Ain't seen you around before. Do you need a blade?"

"Actually, I was kind of hoping you might need some help around the forge?"

"I don't know. My wife Seren and I both work the forge, so I ain't sure we need another hand."

"I was apprenticed at a blacksmith in Hammerfell for ten years. If I hadn't decided to take this trip to Skyrim I wouldn't have been an apprentice much longer."

"Well, I have to admit, having someone experienced is a plus. At least I wouldn't have to train you. Hammerfell huh?"

"Hammerfell? What part?" the man's wife, Seren, asked.

"I grew up in Gilane, ma'am. My family still resides there. I'm Helgrim Frost-Blood." He held out his hand to first the man, then the woman.

"Rustleif and this is my wife, Seren." They both shook his hand. "We can discuss pay, but you're hired. Can you start now?"

"All I have is what is on me, sir."

"Rustleif, please. I ain't no sir."

"Rustleif then. I can start right away. Thank you for the opportunity."

"You're welcome. Now, here. See what you can do with that. Jod said he needed it repaired yesterday, so I guess that means he wants it done quickly."

Helgrim smiled, took the breastplate and turned to the forge. Taking a deep breath, he picked up the hammer and just felt the weight of it in his hand. It had been a little over a month since he last held a smith hammer. It felt good to hold one again. He stepped closer to the forge and began to heat the metal up before taking it to the anvil to pound with the hammer. His mind already on the work at hand, he didn't even care that they hadn't agreed on a fee. As he worked on the breastplate, his mind wandered to Eir, as it often did. He thought of how he would return home to her, bearing glory and riches from his travels and his time with the Stormcloak army. He would go to her and take a knee, then ask her to marry him. She would say yes, of course, and they would be wed in the local temple. Perhaps they would honeymoon on the Summerset Isles. She would carry his children and they would live long, healthy lives together.

He was brought back to the present when the hammer missed the metal he was pounding and struck his hand instead. Helgrim held in his yelp, but gasped with the pain. He called himself a dolt for such a rookie mistake that he stopped daydreaming of Eir and their future and focused on the work at hand. He wanted to show Rustleif and Seren that he was worthy of their time and money. His craftsmanship would be wanted and he could give the couple some time off to get ready for their child. At least, that is part of what Helgrim hoped he could do for them. They seemed like decent people and deserved it.

By the time the sun started to dip behind the buildings, he felt the soreness in his muscles after not using them in several weeks and the stress of the shipwreck and subsequent traveling in the cold to Dawnstar. However, the breastplate was finished and looking very nice indeed. As Rustleif looked it over, Helgrim stood back, waiting for the man's thoughts on his work.

"Ah, this is very fine work. I like what you did here."

"Thanks Rustleif. It means a lot to me to hear that." Rustleif reached into his pocket and pulled out a pouch of coins. He tossed them to Helgrim, who caught it easily.

"It's the truth. You have work here any time you need it."

"Thanks." Helgrim shook the man's hand and then left the blacksmith and his wife.

He headed back up the hill toward the inn and climbed the steps. He looked out once more at the darkening skies and sighed. One day he would get back home, but for now, he would have to do what he could to survive. Even if that meant mining. For now, however, he could get somewhere at least to hire a carriage or find a caravan that was headed in the direction he needed to go in. After a good night's rest, that is. He entered the inn and paused for a moment, looking around and letting his eyes get used to the dimmer lighting. Then he made his way further into the establishment and stood near the open fire pit to warm up. It was a welcome thing after his nine days in the cold wilderness. Taking the pack off his back, he then removed the fur he wore and stowed that in the backpack as well. There was little need for it in here.

Helgrim surveyed the scene as he warmed himself by the fire. A man stood behind the counter looking weary, but alert. There was a young lady with a lute strumming lovely music. She appeared to be near seventeen years of age, possibly eighteen. Also in the inn was a man who seemed to be a priest of some sort, though he could tell he wasn't a Talos priest. He knew what they looked like and this man didn't look quite like that. His parents hadn't lied about the banishment of Talos from worship, it seemed. Clearing tables was another woman that was older than the bard, but not as old as his mother. She might have been in her early twenties. They seemed like nice people, no one had chased him away from the fire, so that was a good thing. He would be able to find a warm meal, a dry bed and shelter that wasn't in the snow tonight. That was more than he could ask for right now. He made his way to the bar after he was warmed up sufficiently.

"Good evening. What can I do for you?" the man standing behind the counter asked him.

"Aye, good evening. I'm looking for a room for the night."

"Good, good. I've got a room available. That'll be ten gold pieces." Helgrim counted out the coins and gave them to the man. "Here, I'll show you to your room."

He watched as the man came around the bar and walked past him. He turned and followed him toward a room where the man stopped.

"Here you go. My name's Thoring. If there's anything you need, just ask. My daughter, Karita, and my servant-girl, Abelone, are also available if I'm busy. Have a good night."

"Thank you, Thoring. It's been a while since I've had a bed to sleep in. I'm rather looking forward to it."

The man nodded and turned, heading back to the bar. Helgrim smiled and then went into the room and shut the door. He set the backpack in the chair and sat down on the bed. Luckily there was a pitcher of water and a bowl in here so he could wash up a little. He stank from first being on a trip for almost a month, then being in the shipwreck, then the walking and camping in the snow, not to mention the killing and skinning of animals and the rescue of a Stormcloak soldier. He would have to get new clothes at some point as well. The ones he wore would be best thrown out or burned and the ones in his sack really weren't that much better. He figured he might have to stay in Dawnstar longer than he thought. To be able to purchase new clothes and passage to Windhelm it would take more than the meager forty three gold pieces he was left with now. He shook his head and took off all of his clothes, set them aside and slid into the bed. He let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes, then sent a prayer to Talos to thank him for the things that had happened to him that day. The blacksmith, the inn, the entire town. He was grateful.

Helgrim awoke in the morning without the groggy feeling he'd started to grow accustomed to while in the wilderness. He stretched, washed up a little and put his other clothes on. He didn't see a clothier in town during his little walk-through the previous day. If he was going to get new clothes he would have to make them himself or travel to a different town and get them. He was unsure of the layout of the land, so he opted to keep these clothes and just get them washed. He needed to stay in town working for Rustleif for a little longer before traveling onward. Once he was dressed, he repacked everything that he could into his backpack and put it on along with the quiver and the sword belt. Then he grabbed up the bow and his dirty clothes and headed out of the room. As he stepped out of the room, he nearly collided with a young woman. He stopped short and gasped, then stepped back.

"Oh, I'm sorry, miss."

"Oh, it's alright. Morning, I'm Abelone." She held out her hand for him, but upon seeing that his own hands were full, drew hers back and let it fall to her side. "Looks like you've got some clothes that need washing. I can get that done for you. Only cost you two gold pieces."

"Abelone." Helgrim hesitated for a moment, but decided that at least he wouldn't have to do it. He nodded and handed her the gold and his clothes. "Thank you very much."

"Not a problem. They'll be ready by dinner time tonight." She gave him a wink and then moved off.
Helgrim watched for a moment and then shook his head. He told himself that he shouldn't be looking at other women that way. He had Eir. A deep breath and he wrapped the wolf fur around him again. He was on his way to see Rustleif about work that day. If he didn't have anything for him to do, Helgrim supposed that he could spend a day or two in the mines and collect enough ore to sell and make money off. He disliked mining, but he would do it to get the money he needed. He headed to a table and was pleased to see a breakfast was laid out already. Bread and cheese with a mug of mead. Such a simple meal, but one that Helgrim appreciated very much. It had been so long since he'd had real food that he wasn't sure that it was in fact real. He ate quietly, thanking Karita and giving her the six gold for the meal with another two gold extra for her music during it. Once he had eaten and finished the mead, he left the inn to head back down the hill to the blacksmith shop.

The rest of his day was spent hammering iron and steel into swords and shields. It wasn't the most glamorous job in the world, but it was a job that needed to be done. Plus, he got paid for doing it. Tomorrow, however, he would have to start mining for a while. He had discovered while working at the forge today that if he mined the ore, he could then sell it back to the mine owners and make a profit. That was something he very much wanted and so he had decided that he would see how it went the next day. If it was indeed profitable he might continue doing that until he could earn enough to get to Windhelm. He had also inquired at the stable to see how much the mounts were and found that they were one thousand gold pieces each. At times during his hammering and pounding he wondered if he could earn enough to purchase a horse. Then he could ride to Windhelm himself and wouldn't need to hire a carriage to take him.

When the day was finished, he thanked Rustleif and Seren once more and said farewell before heading up the hill to Windpeak Inn again. He barely stepped inside the door when Abelone came up to him, his freshly folded clothes in her hands. Helgrim stopped short to avoid running into her and raised a brow at her. She seemed very pleased to be giving his clothes back to him. In fact, she seemed very pleased to be seeing him again. He cleared his throat and stepped aside and took the clothes from her.

"Thank you, Abelone. I will save these to wear after tomorrow. I plan on going into the mines."

"Oh! Yes, you probably wouldn't want to wear your nice clean clothes to go in the mines." Helgrim could see her blushing, though he couldn't truly understand why. He hadn't said anything to elicit such a response. At least he hadn't thought so.

"I think I'll just go sit in my room for a little while. Thanks again, Abelone."

"Of course Helgrim. Anytime. I can even wash the clothes you're wearing. Uh, I mean uh, after you work in the mines, that is." She blushed again and quickly excused herself, running off to clear off a table for a patron that had just entered.

Helgrim shook his head and took his clothes into his room and packed them into his backpack. He checked on the rabbit fur to make sure it was drying and found it ready to be used to make his gloves. It gave him an excuse to stay in his room and away from Abelone. That woman came off very strong. Perhaps there weren't that many eligible men in this town, but that was still no reason to throw oneself at every available man that walked in the door. For the rest of the night he worked on the gloves and slept when he was too tired to stitch them anymore. He climbed into bed with his clothes on, afraid Abelone would enter his room and steal them away whilst he slept. He awoke in the morning feeling very hungry and it was only then that he realized that he had not eaten the previous night. The woman had thrown him off enough that he hadn't even wanted to leave his room for food and drink. He laughed about it now, but knew he needed to eat before his stomach jumped out of his body.

He washed up a little and then checked on his rabbit gloves. They were nearly done. Perhaps after one more night of working on them they would be ready. Then he would be able to walk in the snow without freezing his hands to the bone. That would be a plus. He left the room and went to a table to eat. Karita brought him his breakfast and he thanked her, then began to eat quietly. He noticed a couple other miners in the inn getting breakfast as well and nodded to them. He would go to the Iron-Breaker Mine first, as that one seemed much more profitable in his talk with the townsfolk. After that he would switch over to the rival mine, Quicksilver Mine. If he worked it right, he just might earn a nice little purse of coin today. Probably not enough to get a horse, but a fair way there.

He went back to his room after his breakfast, grabbed his wolf fur and put it around his shoulders as he headed outside. He saw off to his left that Abelone was chopping wood and he hurried to head off down toward the mine before she saw him. He passed what he had discovered was the barracks and the Jarl's home before reaching the Iron-Breaker Mine. He noticed there were no workers outside the entrance and figured they were all inside. He grabbed a pickaxe and headed into the mine. Once inside, he set his fur on a chair and found a spot to mine the ore. This mine was full of pockets of iron and so he spent the day hacking away at the rocks for the bits of iron ore. At lunch, he sat with the two of the other miners, Gjak and Bodil, and ate half a loaf of bread and drank a mug of ale. Gjak and Bodil were great conversationalists and he could tell that they had been working down here together for some time. It was as if they were family, though he knew they weren't. After lunch, they all went back to work in a different area. A few times Helgrim stopped mining just to listen to the sounds of the pickaxes clinking away on the rocks from the others. It gave him a sense that he was doing something for the greater good. Though in reality he probably wasn't. This mine was owned by Beitild and from what he heard from the others she was a ball-breaking hard ass bitch. She had been married to the owner of the other mine in town, Leigelf, at one point, but it was not a good marriage. Some people, he surmised, were just not made for marriage. Fortunately, he didn't believe that he was one of them. He looked forward to it, just as soon as he was finished here in Skyrim.

He finished the day with a cart full of iron ore that he brought out of the mine and waited in line to reach Beitild. Once he did, she looked him up and down, deemed him capable, and accepted his cart full of ore. She handed him a pouch full of coin and he took it, leaving the cart behind. He would wait until he was in his room to count it. No sense in doing so out in the open, after all. He was sore, but it was a good thing. He would eventually have the money that he needed to leave the town. For now, however, he would have to pick up work wherever he found it. When he got to the inn again he was careful to avoid Abelone. Unfortunately, he didn't see her outside so that meant she was inside. He sighed and steeled himself, then entered the building. A quick look around showed that she was tending to another customer. He moved past her and into his room, shutting the door behind him. He leaned back on the door and sighed. Never before had he had to actually avoid another person before. He didn't like it, but it was necessary.

Helgrim went to his bed and sat on it. Only now did he open the pouch of gold he'd gotten from Beitild to see how much she had paid him. He counted the coins and was pleasantly surprised. She had paid him a total of forty gold for a days work. Though his muscles were sore as ever, it was a good price. He wasn't even hungry tonight. Probably because he had shared lunch with Gjak and Bodil. He leaned back in the bed so that his back was against the wall and worked on his gloves until they were finished, then he undressed and went to sleep. His dreams were full of Eir and his family. He missed them all very much and when he woke in the morning, thoughts of them all still fresh in his mind, he decided he would write them all and send a courier with the news of where he was. He would leave out the fact that he had shipwrecked, though. His mother would worry unnecessarily and his father would be stuck dealing with her. It took him all of ten minutes to write letters to Eir, her father, his mother, his father and his siblings.

With the new day, he decided to try his luck with mining again. If nothing else, he could at least pay for his stay at the inn with the mining money. He sent the letters out via a courier and went into Iron-Breaker Mine once more. He spent the day cutting out iron ore and filling his cart. Just like the day before, he ate lunch with Gjak and Bodil, finding them to be more companionable than Karl and Irgnir. This time, before he went back to the inn for the night, he stopped by to see Rustleif and Seren to catch up. He had come to like the couple and enjoyed a home-cooked meal at Seren's insistence. He thanked them both very much afterward and went back up the hill to the inn. When he walked in, Abelone must have gotten the hint because she simply gave him a glare and left him alone. He shrugged and then went into his room. He counted the money and again found forty gold coins. That made eighty gold in two days, and that didn't include the thirty he had previously and the twenty he earned at the blacksmith shop. He now had a grand total of one hundred and thirty gold.

Helgrim had an easy night of sleep and when he awoke in the morning, he felt much improved. Already he could feel the new muscles forming and his current muscles firming. He was not a scrawny man to begin with and all this labor was sure to give him an even larger intimidating figure. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage at a later date. Now, however, he was interested in locating his breakfast before he headed back to the mines again. As he laid in bed the previous night he decided that he would want to earn enough money to purchase a horse before leaving town and then some for traveling expenses. As he dressed and left his room, he walked to Thoring and handed him another ten gold pieces. They chatted for a few moments about the rumors about town and then he sat down at a table and smiled at Karita when she brought his breakfast to him. A few pleasantries later, he turned back to his meal and began to eat quickly but quietly. He wasn't a man who liked to draw unnecessary attention. Luckily for him Abelone hadn't arrived for work yet.

After breakfast, he grabbed his wolf fur and put it around his shoulders then left the inn. He spent the day at the Iron-Breaker Mine, picking away at the rocks to earn his forty gold pieces. At lunch, he talked with Gjak and Bodil about money making opportunities. They told him if he was feeling adventurous that he might stop in at The Mortar and Pestle and speak to the widow, Frida. Word around town is that she was always talking about the ring her husband was looking for and wishing she was younger so she could retrieve it. Helgrim thanked his friends for the information and decided that after work he would swing by the shop and talk to the woman. It would take him out of town, but he would have a chance to earn more than thirty or forty gold pieces a day. A man could get rich in some of the old ruins around Skyrim, or so Gjak and Bodil assured him, though they said they had never felt the urge to go adventuring themselves.

As he walked to the shop when the sun began to dip in the sky, he wondered to himself just how adventurous he was exactly. Did he have what it takes to do something like that? He surmised that only time would tell. What did he have to lose by talking to the woman at least? He walked to the door and checked it. It was unlocked and so he went inside. It was dim, so he paused for a moment to let his eyes adjust before stepping further into the room. It definitely smelled like an apothecary, there was no mistaking that. He saw the elderly woman behind the counter and she had a friendly smile on her face.

"Good evening. Come on in. I'm Frida. Can I help you with anything? A potion of virility perhaps?" she asked with a teasing grin.

"Good evening. Uh, no, thanks. I'm Helgrim." Helgrim chuckled a but uneasily, then smiled softly at the older woman, deciding to make conversation before getting the the thick of things. "Have you been in Dawnstar long?"

"Pfft. I'm the oldest woman in this town. I was here when Skald the Elder was Skald the Younger. He's a fool, that one. If you haven't met him already, you'd best be prepared. He thinks Ulfric Stormcloak is invincible and spits dragon fire." She shifted position behind the counter slightly and looked him dead in the eyes. "The people here look to Brina Merilis when they need some issue or other settled. A real firebrand going up. I don't think anyone was surprised when she joined the Legion," Frida said with a look in her eye that told Helgrim not to speak ill of Brina Merilis if he knew what was good for him. She worked with potions and poisons. He certainly wanted to stay on her good side.
"Interesting. No, I've yet to make the Jarl's acquaintance, though I'm not exactly sure I'm the type of person he's used to entertaining." He laughed a little at that thought, then looked over a few items on the counter before turning back to her. "Frida, I'm curious as to how you picked up the herb trade. Was it difficult?"

"Not that difficult, Helgrim. It was my husband. We used to go into the wilds and collect ingredients together. He used to call me his pretty Juniper." She became a little misty eyed after saying this and Helgrim hesitated, almost wanting to tell her it was alright, she didn't need to continue, but then she went on. "It's really quite romantic, if you're an alchemist. Frost took the old fool a few seasons back. He was looking for the Ring of Pure Mixtures." Frida paused here and looked at him, narrowing her eyes as if gauging whether to continue with her tale or not. She must have seen something she liked, because she went on. "I found the ring's resting place after he died, but I'm far too old to go exploring some cave, now." Helgrim smiled a little at this, knowing she was throwing out the line for him to take or not. He tilted his head and scratched his stubbly chin a bit.

"If you'd like, I could find that ring for you, Frida." He saw her face lighten up as he said those words and could see the joy it would bring her if he returned with the ring.

"Well, aren't you sweet? You know, I'd be happy to give you a few alchemy pointers in exchange for the ring if you bring it to me."

"That seems a fair trade. You got yourself a deal, Frida." He held out his hand and they shook on the deal. "So, where's the cave at?"

"I have a rough map somewhere around here." She began to search around for it. "Aha! Here it is. I believe everyone calls it Forsaken Cave, but don't let that get you down, Helgrim. I'm sure it's just a name."

Helgrim took the paper she handed him and looked it over. It was a very rough map, but he was good at navigating so he shouldn't have too hard a time finding it. If Talos guided him well enough he would find it without too much trouble. He gave Frida a smile and thanked her once more before he pocketed the paper and left the shop. With a purpose, he now realized that he would once more be camping in the snow. At least this time he was more prepared. He had a little money that he could purchase supplies like food and water. He also had a sword that he had gotten off the dead Imperial soldier. No more animals would get the drop on him and neither would any Imperials. Already his hatred for them was growing as was his admiration for the Stormcloaks. There was no doubt what he was doing after he made it to Kynesgrove. He headed back to the inn and went inside. Going to his room, he packed what he had. Tomorrow he would wear his clean clothes and leave at first light. The map she had given him said the cave wasn't that far off, but one couldn't be sure when it was on paper. It might take a few days to reach, it might take just one. Better to leave early. He went to bed after eating a quiet supper with Thoring and Karita of bread and stew.

Dawn arrived and he stepped outside with his backpack on, quiver over his shoulder, sword belt on as well as the bow in his hand. Best to be prepared. Fjolnar had warned him that Imperials liked to grab people outside of town. He would take the long way around so that he could keep out of sight. At least as long as possible. He shivered and hugged himself briefly. It was a cold morning and he wasn't exactly looking forward to trekking to this cave, but if the talk was correct, then he had a better chance of earning his thousand gold pieces than working in the mines every day. Well, perhaps not better chance, but certainly a quicker chance.

Helgrim was not a stealthy man by any means, but he did move as quietly as possible when he was walking through the forest. No need to alert everything around to his presence, after all. He began to hum a tune in his head, careful not to let any sound rumble in his throat. It kept him moving when he wanted to turn back to civilization and the warmth it provided. He also kept reminding himself why he was doing this. To help Frida, for one, and to get a horse so he could get to Kynesgrove quicker than walking or taking a carriage could get him there. He rounded a corner and stopped, leaning against a tree. In front of him were a pair of wolves and it appeared that they hadn't noticed him yet. Good, he thought. Slowly lifting the bow, he pulled an arrow out of the quiver and knocked it into the bow. He set another in the snow beside him. Pulling the string back as far as he could, he aimed carefully at one of the wolves and let the arrow fly. Before it even hit, he was readying the other arrow to fire at the other wolf. The first one struck the wolf with a loud thud and Helgrim was pleased to see the animal drop instantly to the ground. Of course, this alerted the other wolf to his whereabouts and it charged at him, mouth agape and ready to slice into his flesh. He loosed the second arrow and watched as it hit the wolf in the shoulder. Quickly, he grabbed another arrow because the one arrow hadn't killed this wolf yet, and readied it in the bow. Just as the wolf reached him and started to bite at his arms, Helgrim growled back and let the arrow fly, right into the wolf's eye. It dropped immediately, twitching as it died.
"Damn wolves!" Helgrim paused to catch his breath, his heart racing wildly, before looking over the wounds on his arms from the wolf. At least they weren't deep, he thought to himself. He shook his head and took out his dagger and started to gut the wolves. He wasn't about to let it go to waste. He could sell the furs if nothing else and he might need the meat if it took a while to get to the Forsaken Cave. It might also work as bait if he went hunting. It took him a half hour to field dress the animals and tie a rope to their legs to drag behind him. When he made camp for the night he would skin them and prepare the hides for tanning. Then he continued his trek through the woods and stayed as stealthy as he could while dragging two dead wolves behind him.

At one point during his journey he watched what appeared to be two mages, one an ice mage and the other a fire mage, battle to the death. He was careful to remain hidden from the victor, not wanting to be his next victim. After the fire mage disappeared from view, he walked toward the dead ice mage. He checked him over and discovered a small pouch of coins and pocketed it. The man was dead and had no need of it. Helgrim reasoned that it wasn't stealing if the person was dead. He made sure he was even more careful after that. If there were folks like that out here just wandering, he didn't want to give them a target to practice their magic on. He shook his head and focused on the task at hand. When the sun was nearly set he began to search for a place to make camp. One that was hidden, but not dangerously close to any trees so he could still have a fire. He missed the warmth of Windpeak Inn already and he'd only been there for a few days. Once he picked a site, he put the wolves off to the side and set his pack down, then started on making the fire. After the fire was made, he dug his snow hole and laid one of his wolf furs on the bottom and placed the other, fur side touching fur side, on top of it. His bed prepared, he then prepared his dinner. The only thing he had eaten that day other than a few snowberries along the way.

With the fire going, his bed made, his food cooking, Helgrim sat down and started to skin the wolves and cut up the meat. It would take a while to do, but it was worth it. Even though it took some getting used to, the wolf meat wasn't all that bad. He'd eaten worse, of course. His father was a game hunter and a guide for others. He often brought home odd animals to feed his family. Not all of it was that good, but he always ate it. He had grown up being taught not to waste food because there's always someone out there that was worse off than you. That person could be dying while you are tossing your food away because you "don't like it". When you come right down to it, it was a good way of teaching your children. That way, they learn that they could be that person if Talos wanted them to be. Talos was rarely like that, but he had seen several families that had been living decently suddenly end up living on the street, or at the very least staying in a rundown shack that was filled with ten people living in it. He wasn't about to taunt Talos like that.

When he had finished with the wolves and eaten his supper, he stacked the fire so he would have warmth and crawled into his snow hole to sleep. Sleep came easily for him and he almost hated to wake up in the morning, but he told himself that he just needed to get up and moving and that feeling would go away. He crawled out of his hole, stretched and prodded the fire to get it going once more, then put more branches on it. He started to boil some snow in a pot and took care of his morning ablutions. Then he used the snow to wash his face and hands before taking the boiled snow off the fire and set it into the snow to cool slightly. Carefully he sipped it, feeling the warmth spread throughout his body. It was one thing he had picked up from Gjak and it certainly worked. He was now awake and ready to start the day. He packed up the new furs, wrapped around the wolf meat and made sure everything else was put away before he finished the hot water and packed the cup away. He kicked out the fire and put the backpack back on, along with the quiver and started on his journey once more.