Chapter 6
The next morning Helgrim awoke in a bed with warmth surrounding him and he felt as if he had reached a peaceful Oblivion if there was such a thing. He didn't have to rush to get up and go anywhere or do anything today, he just needed to live and breathe. He could do that without much trouble and so that was what he did. He stretched and got up to do a few exercises that were meant to keep him limber and awake. He felt much better after his bath the previous night. He had also been able to shave properly so that he didn't look so much like a werewolf anymore.
He'd heard Iddra's laughter as he went to sleep and it pleased him. To know that he had kin and they were glad to have him helped greatly. Now that he had gotten cleaned up and rested, he had to figure out his next step, working. He would not stay here without pitching in. That was something that had gotten drilled into his head time and time again as he grew up. To do well in this life, one must have a good work ethic and Helgrim certainly had that. His father had seen to that. He dressed in new clothes that Iddra had given him even though he'd told her not to and smiled as he smoothed the shirt a bit. He remembers the last time he had a new shirt, it had been given to him by his mother. The thoughts of his mother made him sigh and he shrugged it away. There was little he could do for her right now. First he had to get settled into a place of his own, then he could send for his family. The thought then occurred to him, what if they get in a shipwreck as well?
Again, he shook those thoughts away and left the room that Iddra had told him to use. It was one of her inn rooms, but she had insisted. Now that he had a chance to look at it during the daylight hours, he realized that Braidwood Inn was actually pretty well put together. He had only seen the stairs and other rooms last night but now he could see so much more. The walls were a nice polished wood that shown in the candlelight and the windows were so clear he could see outside from across the room. He'd been in several inns just in this journey alone and this was by far the best one he'd seen kept up.
As he got to the bottom of the stairs, he saw Iddra at the counter and smiled a good morning to her. She handed him a plate of eggs and steak as well as a chunk of bread and a slice of cheese. He took it gratefully and sat down at a table to eat it. Iddra brought over a mug of ale and sat down next to him.
"So Grim, tell me about your adventure."
"There's not really much to tell, Iddra. I left Hammerfell and came here. I shipwrecked off the coast of Dawnstar and had to buy a horse and ride from Dawnstar to here. It's taken me about two months to get here. That time has given me what I needed to become acclimated to the weather, I think. I've discovered that it doesn't seem as cold anymore. Not like it did when I first arrived. Is there ever a time when it isn't snowing or have snow on the ground?" he asked his cousin as he took a bite of the eggs and steak together, savoring it.
"Not really. I mean, there's times when it warms up, sure, but it's not normal or anything and the snow never really goes away. It's always there in the mountains and upper foothills." Iddra then patted his shoulder and stood up. "I've got to get back to work, Grim, but please don't hesitate to come get me if you need anything."
"Actually, there is something I need from you, Iddra."
"Yes?"
"I want to start to pull my weight around here. I won't be just a cling-on for you to deal with. Where should I look at doing that?"
"Oh, you know you don't have to do that, right Grim? I really don't mind having you here and you can stay as long as you like without paying. We won't charge you."
"I know that, Iddra, but I have a sense of pride and feel that I should pay my way. I'll start working so I can build my house here. The plan is to return to Hammerfell to retrieve Mama, Papa, my family and Eir and bring them back here to live. Once we can worship Talos the way we please I'm sure my parents won't mind returning." He took another bite of his breakfast and smiled.
"Oh. About that. I'm not really sure about the whole Talos thing, Grim. You know it's outlawed, right? If we get caught even talking about Talos we could be thrown into prison or worse, executed and I like my head right where it is."
"It's not like I'm planning on hanging a banner outside that reads "I worship Talos", cousin. I am going to join the army and fight for the freedom to worship whomever we want however we want to do it. But first, I am going to get a place set up here for me and Matilda. To do that, I need money."
"Oh, very well then. If you go to Steamscorch Mine I'm sure Ganna will hire you to mine for her. Be careful, though. She's an Imperial and while she's not bound by an oath to report you for worshiping Talos, she could do so if you pissed her off. So don't piss her off. And make sure you go to Ganna and not Gemma. Gemma hates being here and would like nothing more than to return to Cyrodil. She would think nothing of turning you into the authorities."
"Thank you, Iddra. Your wisdom is well taken. Please, allow me to start right now by paying for this wonderful breakfast."
"No, Grim. That was on the house. You just go talk to Ganna and see if she will hire you. Then work and save that money for a house and to bring your family here. I'll not accept your money." Then before he could insist again, she turned and left the table and went to the counter. She started to clean it and Helgrim decided to leave her alone. She had given him advice and that was something he was glad for. When he finished the breakfast, he left two gold pieces on the table. He wasn't paying for the meal, he was leaving a tip.
He put his cloak on and headed outside to find it sunny and not snowing, though it was cold. He huddled into the warm cloak and walked over to a small shed where chickens pecked and a cow munched on hay. There he found Matilda who was also munching on hay. He smiled and leaned on her shoulder as he watched her eat.
"You enjoy your day off, Tilly. I'm heading up to the mine to see about work. Mining seems to work for me, so I might as well do that as much as anything else. I'll be back near dinner time to visit you. Tomorrow we'll take a ride and just look at the surroundings. Get a feel, maybe, for where I can build that house." He then patted the mare again and left her to walk up the hill and around the inn to find Steamscorch Mine. He found the smelter first, but the entrance to the mine wasn't that far away. No one was outside, so he went in to find Ganna. He found her near the back of the mine sitting at a table.
"Excuse me, are you Ganna Uriel?"
"I am and who are you?" she asked, looking him up and down carefully. She was unsure of him.
"Pardon me, I'm Helgrim Frost-Blood. I've just arrived in Kynesgrove last night and I'm staying with my cousin, Iddra, at the inn. She said I should talk to you about getting some work in the mine."
"Hmm. Well, you certainly look like you could work a mine efficiently. How long are you looking to be staying in Kynesgrove?"
"I plan on staying until I uh..." He couldn't tell this Imperial woman that he was going to join the Stormcloak army, could he? He shook his head mentally and cleared his throat. "Until I die."
"Interesting. Well, I can't guarantee that you will have a job for that long, but I can at least give you one for a while. Here's a pickaxe, find a vein and start mining. We are collecting malachite ore here. Iddra's husband, Kjeld, will buy any and all ore from you and I will pay you five gold pieces a day on top of whatever you pull out of the mine. Fair?"
"That is more than fair, Ganna. Thank you." He took the pickaxe and kept his mouth shut about already having one. He didn't want to get fired before he even got to do any work. He felt that she had dismissed him with a nod of her head, so he turned and made his way down to where he found some ore and began to mine at it.
Mining was a good way to do some thinking, some good hard thinking about everything. About how his journey here had been tough, yet also rewarding. He got a great companion in Matilda and he saw some spectacular places that his parents surely have never seen. Indeed, he had been having a great adventure, but now was the time to settle down and focus on what he was doing here. To settle and make a life in Kynesgrove like his parents had made years before. Only this time he was the head of the family and he had to uphold their good name.
He stopped for lunch with the other miners and found himself eating with Kjeld, his cousin's husband, and Kjeld the Younger, his cousin's son. They spoke back and forth between one another about hunting and being able to draw a bow back. He held back his laughter at that, but his snort must have been heard by the younger Kjeld.
"What is that for? I bet you ain't lifted anything higher than your head."
"Why the hostility, cousin? If you need some extra tutelage I could give you a few pointers. I've been hunting with my father since I was a lad of just six years old. I was there when he took down a bear with a bow." He couldn't help but brag a bit, perhaps knock the kid down a peg or two.
"Did you see that, Papa? He's bragging so much I bet he ain't ever been hunting. Who takes a six year old out to go hunting?"
"Suit yourself, Kjeld the Younger. I spoke the truth, though. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to our job." Helgrim finished up his lunch and grabbed the pickaxe and went back to work. He'd gotten quite a haul already and just added to it as he hacked away at the rocks. It was a very interesting place to let your mind wander. He thought of Eir and her father, of the relationship they'd had as well as him and his own father and their relationship. It was different than that
of Kjeld and his son. There was something missing in their relationship, something that was there in his and Eir's with their parents. Perhaps it was pride and love. Kjeld did not seem to think his son could hunt, so he wouldn't take him out to learn. A pity that was, but not something he wanted to get into the middle of.
The day ended and Helgrim had collected two carts full of malachite ore that he brought up out of the mine. He went to Kjeld and offered it, but the man didn't seem too happy to have to pay him for it as he handed him the two hundred gold pieces for what he had mined. Not a bad day's work, he thought to himself as he walked away. At least that would go toward lumber to build his house. As promised, he went to visit with Matilda and spent nearly an hour with her, grooming her, hugging her, just general care and love. Then he said good night to her and went back to the inn. He was ready for a good supper and a warm bed.
He saw Kjeld and Kjeld the Younger both inside the inn when he went inside, but he didn't say anything to them. He had seen the younger Kjeld outside while he'd been caring for Matilda and the young man snickered when he'd walked past, showing that he thought it was funny that Helgrim had such a relationship with a horse. He had gathered that a lot of the people that lived in Skyrim and High Rock, even some places in Hammerfell, viewed the horse as just a simple mode of transportation, but to him they were all individuals and he had gotten extremely lucky with Matilda to have discovered how intelligent she really was. Except for the fact that she couldn't actually talk, it was like having a buddy go along on his adventures with him. Something to think about for sure.
It didn't bother him that his young cousin thought it funny and odd, he had always had a fondness for animals and had discovered early on that the animals, at least domesticated ones, didn't mind him. He sat down at a different table and smiled when Iddra came over with his food.
"For Divines sake you smell nearly as bad as those two over there. I'll make sure you have another bath tonight. Don't you worry. Here's your food and enjoy it. Don't worry about leaving any money. I told you that you didn't have to do that."
"I know, Iddra, but I want to help. I dislike getting things for free."
"Well, get used to getting your food for free, cousin. I like giving it to you." She smiled, kissed his cheek and walked away to see her husband and son.
She had been older when he'd left Skyrim with his parents. He'd been just two, but he remembered her as the girl who would give him rides on the workhorse and help him with his farm chores. She had always been there, sort of like an older sister. Being such close family made things hard when they left, but they chose to stay behind and keep the place going. He had been glad for that because it gave him a place to return to when he was ready to come back to Skyrim.
He ate his dinner and then left the two gold pieces on the table once more before heading up to the room she had given him. He found the tub already there with steaming water inside of it. He was grateful for that because even though he hadn't been expecting to take a bath tonight, after she mentioned it that was one thing he continued to think about. How nice it would be to sink into a warm tub and wash off the rock dust. He did just that and slipped into the hot water, sighing as he sank deeper. It was like nothing he could put into words. After the bath, he got into the bed and laid down. He put his hands behind his head and just thought of home. He looked out the window and gazed at the stars, sending a message through the stars to his little sister, Kenna. He'd told her they would be looking at the same stars and he believed that. As he fell asleep, the thought of home made his heart tug a little, but he also knew that he would soon be with them again. He just needed to build a home and go to Hammerfell to get them. Everything would work out just fine.
Helgrim started a routine the next morning. He would wake up, go through his ablutions before heading down the stairs to the common room of the inn and eating his breakfast. He always left his cousin two gold pieces on the table at every meal and they were always picked up. Whether by her, her husband or her son, he didn't know, but he left them for her. After breakfast, he made his way up to the mine and would spend the next several hours hacking at the rock until lunch time, then he would sit and eat with Kjeld and Kjeld the Younger. Ganna and Gemma would stay away from the others and that was just fine by him. He wasn't about to attack them just because they were Imperials, but he didn't want to give them a reason to suspect him of treason, which worshiping Talos had become. After lunch was over, he went back to mining the rock for malachite ore until "quitting time" which was around sundown. When he left the mine and sold off what he had collected that day, he would go and visit Matilda for a little while before he went back to Braidwood Inn. Iddra would bring him a plate of food for supper along with a mug of ale. He would eat and drink everything that she gave him and always put down two gold pieces on the table for her trouble. After supper was finished, he would sit near the fire for a half hour or an hour reading before heading to bed and going to sleep. On his days off, usually on Sundas, he would take Matilda out for a long ride in the countryside.
It was on one of these long rides that he came across someone he hadn't seen in months. Fjolnar. He saw him walking toward him on the road and slowed Matilda down before dismounting and smiling at his friend. The man looked as if he hadn't slept in days and he thought he saw some blood on his shirt.
"Divines bless you, Fjolnar! It's great to see you!" he said as he took the man's hand in a handshake and brought him in for a hug. Then he stepped back and let the man talk.
"Ah, Helgrim! You made it home to Kynesgrove then?"
"Aye. I've been here working in the mine for a couple of months now. I've saved up enough money to start work on a house. What have you been doing?"
"That's good to hear, my friend." His face dropped a little when Helgrim asked him what he had been doing. "I went home when we parted and spent time with my sweetheart. We wed and moved into a cottage in the hills of Rorikstead. Then I had to come back to Windhelm to get my new orders." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Helgrim had turned Matilda around and began to walk back the way they had come while leading her and listened to his friend speak. "Three weeks later I received a letter from my father-in-law." Fjolnar paused here to collect himself. "It read that Lynsa had gone missing for a day while out picking flowers. When she returned, she was battered and bruised. She was broken, Helgrim." With the last of his words Helgrim knew exactly what Fjolnar had meant and he tensed.
"You're saying..."
"Aye. She never said who it was and we'll never know because three days after she returned she passed away." Fjolnar was tense as well, looking at the ground as they walked.
"That's awful! If anything ever happened to Eir I'd be beside myself. Especially if I wasn't able to be there with her." Helgrim then wanted to take the words back, but couldn't. He sighed and shrugged, then went on. "Is that what you have been doing? Hunting the bastards down? You look like you've been to Oblivion and back."
"I wish I could hunt them down. If I only knew who to look for." He shook his head. "No, I've been scouting for Ulfric and the army. You know, you really should join up. Ulfric can use every man he can get right now. Or woman. They don't turn anyone away. Some of the best fighters I've had at my side were female." He chuckled a little.
"Eh, I don't know. I've thought about it, but I think I'll wait until at least my house is finished. I've even thought of starting up a forge in Kynesgrove. With all the malachite ore that's there I could sure make a lot of weapons and armor."
"Very well, Helgrim. The offer's there. I'm a lifer now, so if you ever do let me know and I'll put a good word in for you." Fjolnar nudged Helgrim a little and teased, but it was all in good-natured fun. "Ah, that looks like your Kynesgrove up ahead. I think I'll take a rest for a while before heading back to Windhelm. If you don't mind, that is."
"Of course not, Fjolnar! You're like a brother to me even though we have not seen each other in months. My cousin would love the business, but don't tell her that. She hates to take my money but I know the inn isn't doing as well as she makes it out to be." The pair were quiet for the rest of the way to Kynesgrove and once there, Helgrim unsaddled Matilda and brushed her down before letting her loose in the pen he'd built her. Then he walked with Fjolnar up to the inn. Iddra came over to them and smiled, giving Helgrim a kiss on the cheek and looking at his friend curiously.
"Who's this, Grim?"
"This is my friend, Fjolnar. Fjolnar, this is my cousin, Iddra. She owns this lovely inn that is my home for the time being."
"A pleasure to meet you, Iddra," Fjolnar said as he bowed and kissed the back of her hand softly. He then stood upright and let her hand go a tad longer than normal.
"Oh! Well, I uh, what can I uh, help you with?" she asked, obviously flustered from the attention. Kjeld hadn't done such a thing since she was a girl.
"I am in need of a room for the night. Could you spare one, perhaps?"
"Yes I can! I normally charge ten gold a night, but since you're Grim's friend, it's free." She blushed and turned to the counter to prepare them each a meal.
"I see what you mean, Helgrim. She's a pretty thing though isn't she?"
"Easy Fjolnar. She's got a husband and a son my age. Don't get ahead of yourself now." He laughed and clapped his friend on the back before sitting down at the table.
The man was such a charmer, so easy with women that it made Helgrim wonder about himself. Fjolnar had lost his wife just three weeks after they wed, but it was several months ago that it happened. Would he be able to go on like that if anything ever happened to Eir? He wasn't so sure about that and didn't ever want to find out. This was a good day, he didn't want to ruin it by thinking of the worst things that could happen to the woman he loved. He wanted to spend it with a good friend, catching up on everything else that had happened since they last saw one another. If he was honest with himself he thought it was pretty amazing how quickly he'd formed a friendship with Fjolnar, but in times like these you made friends quickly and didn't worry about things like "love" when marrying. For most men, the goal was to marry a woman and beget a few heirs before either he or the woman passes away. The fact that some men and women lived to old age was a great thing. Perhaps he could be like those people and live until he died of old age, naturally.
After dinner was over, the two of them played cards and dice until late into the evening. Helgrim noticed Kjeld and his son come in late as well, the elder Kjeld carried a handful of rabbits, but the younger Kjeld had nothing to show for the hunting trip. So he really did brag about his prowess with the bow? Helgrim wasn't positive, but that was what he would place his money on at least. Finally, when the hour was late, he left Fjolnar in the very capable hands of his cousin Iddra and went to bed, fully expecting to be able to ride to Windhelm with Fjolnar in the morning. When he got up, though, his friend had already left without a farewell. Helgrim wasn't sad or upset, just a little annoyed as this seemed to be a pattern with Fjolnar. He got over it quickly, though, when he finished breakfast and went to work in the mine. His day was back to being "normal" and he just had to get used to it.
A few days later he was in the pen playing with Matilda when he heard Iddra call out to him from the doorway of the inn and he smiled, walking over to her. She wore a pale blue dress today and her hair was pulled up into a bun. He could be seeing things, but he could swear that a few of her stress lines had faded.
"What's going on, cousin?" he asked her.
"Do you think you could take a ride into Windhelm for me? There are a few things I need for the inn and I just don't trust leaving it to Kjeld. He always stops for a drink or four at Candlehearth."
"Of course, Iddra. What is it that you need?" Helgrim asked and was handed a list of items.
"You can pay for them out of this." She handed Helgrim a pouch of gold coins.
"Nonsense, Iddra. I have earned enough at the mine I think I can handle a few provisions. Keep the gold. Get on inside before you catch cold. You're not even wearing a cloak!"
"Pish posh, Grim. I've lived here all my life and ran around in less than this when I was a child. It ain't killed me yet, it ain't gonna kill me ever." She smiled, but turned around and went back inside, shutting the door. Helgrim pocketed the list and turned to find Matilda right behind him. He laughed and shook his head.
"Are you ready to go then?" he asked the horse who tossed her head and whickered to him. That was a yes if he'd ever heard one and patted her neck. He saddled her without delay and mounted up, turning her onto the road and toward Windhelm. He hadn't been back to the city in almost two weeks. It would be good to see Oengul again and get a bit more training before headed back home. Maybe he could arrange for the man's apprentice, Hermir Stong-Heart, to help him with working on his house. Oengul was surely too busy to do it himself, but the man's apprentice could be just as good. He trotted the mare rather than canter so that he could enjoy the time away from the mines. It was good work and he felt the muscles that he'd gained from working there, but it was tedious work as well. Every day, he would get up and work in the mines. Then he would go home, eat, then sleep only to get up the next morning and do it all over again. If he'd wanted to do that, he would have stayed in Hammerfell where he was at least working with the ores and metals and creating things. Here he was just digging it up. That was part of the reason he wanted to start his own forge. So he could create armors and weapons. He didn't even care if he sold them or not. Just making them would give his creative side something to do.
"Do you miss it, Tilly? The fighting bandits I mean? You seemed to really enjoy doing that and I know there aren't any bandits where we are now." The horse snorted and swished her tail as if she were irritated and Helgrim laughed. "Aye, well perhaps we'll see a bandit or two on our way home from Windhelm eh?" He patted her neck and then rubbed between her ears as he urged her into a canter to get to Windhelm quicker. He wanted to get his cousins provisions, spend an hour or two with Oengul, ask Hermir if she would like to help him with his house, then possibly look for a fight on the way back. It was a nice plan, it really was, but not all plans go off the way they're intended to.
The mare's nostrils flared and her ears flattened, both signs that he knew well by now. Her gait dropped from the ground-eating canter to a choppy trot, then to a walk as she became more nervous. Helgrim looked around, searching for the creature's eyes in the shadows beside the road. The more time he rode away from Kynesgrove, the more he would see the creature. Technically he'd never seen the creature, just the eyes. The glowing orange eyes. If he hadn't seen how high the eyes were located, he would have sworn it was a death hound, but he had seen how high the eyes were and no death hound had ever been that large. He wasn't even sure how this creature remained hidden, it was as if magic kept it concealed. He wasn't sure about magic. He had used healing magic, sure, but never had he looked into what mages used. It seemed as if they liked to use it just for the sake of using it. At least in his few experiences with mages during his journey here that's what it was like.
"Why don't you come out, you coward?! I know you're there and so does Tilly!" As if to prove his point the mare half reared up and he held onto her mane to keep from moving. The only reaction, however, was for the creature to fade away out of view. Helgrim soothed the mare and urged her on again. "Guess he is a coward, Tilly. You went and scared him off." He laughed and then looked ahead. The mare wasn't nervous anymore, so the creature was gone. He spared little thought about it for now and made it to Windhelm. He once again left Matilda at the stables with a bucket full of grain and some hay, then walked into the city. There was a commotion down an alleyway as he was walking toward the marketplace and so he followed to see what was going on. When he reached the crowd, he realized it was the death of a young woman that had gotten everyone on edge. When he moved closer to see who had died, he realized it was Susanna. She was commonly called Susanna the Wicked by the folk around town, but he'd never seen anything wicked about her. A pity, he thought, that a woman so young would die in such a manner. He'd heard about three other murders and was perplexed as to why they hadn't caught the person responsible yet. Surely there were clues. As a guard and a person he hadn't seen before arrived, he noticed them start asking the crowd to leave and spoke to a few witnesses. He turned away and made his way back to the market to do his shopping and work at the forge. It was certainly a strange day indeed.
Helgrim checked and rechecked Iddra's list before he decided that he was finished and had gotten everything she needed. He walked to the forge and greeted Oengul and Hermir with a smile, then asked Oengul if he had anything that needed working on that day. He was pleased to find out that there was a piece of armor that needed to be worked on. He didn't even care about being paid by Oengul, he just wanted to work with his hands at a forge. He missed it. It made sense, though, because he spent ten years working at the forge before he came to Skyrim. It was a skill he had nearly mastered, if Eir's father was to be believed, and he hoped that soon he would master it here in Skyrim. To do that, he needed to work a forge and since Kynesgrove didn't have one yet, he had to come here to do it. He heard the conversations around the forge as he worked, not just from Oengul and Hermir, but from the people that visited the marketplace.
"Oh dear, did you see how cut up she was?"
"Aye, no sane person did that."
"I bet this is the work of that crazy wizard the Jarl keeps locked in his palace."
"Wuunferth?"
"They do call him Wuunferth the Unliving. There's got to be a reason for that, right?"
"I suppose you're right. I'm not about to tell the Jarl though. Are you?"
"No, are you kidding? I have no wish to get my head chopped off."
Helgrim said nothing, just went on with the armor that he was working on and listened to the talks silently. It was one of the best ways that he had learned how to get information. He'd learned that at an early age. When he was just a lad of about ten he had realized that if he just stayed quiet and didn't move into the picture, most people would continue talking as if he wasn't there. He could then go to whomever the information would benefit the most and tell them. Did that make him a snitch? A brown-noser? He didn't really care. It had gotten him sweet rolls and that was what he cared about back then. The fact that Ulfric Stormcloak had a wizard named Wuunferth the Unliving in his palace might not matter right now, but one never knew what the future held. It may come in handy at a later date. He stored it away for future reference.
Two hours later, he had finished the piece of armor he was working on and even fixed a sword made of silver. Silver was a hard metal to work with because it tended to take a lot more effort to get the shape right. He'd done it though and Oengul had been proud of him for it. So he'd given Helgrim the sword as payment. He thanked the man, then asked to speak to Hermir alone for a moment. Oengul looked surprised, but smiled and nodded, then went to work inside his shop. Hermir came over to him with her hand on her hip, wondering what it was that he wanted to talk to her about.
"You know you're a really good blacksmith, Hermir," Helgrim started.
"Aye, what about it?"
"I'm going to begin working on building my house soon and well, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to help me with it." He looked at her.
"You're going to build your own house? Why ask me, why not Oengul?"
"I thought about that, but then I realized that with the work he does for the Jarl, he'd be too busy. He taught you everything he knows and figured you would be just as good if not better."
"Nice compliment," she teased with a grin. "However, I like the way you think. Besides, if I do a good enough job Oengul will see that I have what it takes to take me to the next level in my training. Alright, you've got yourself a deal."
Helgrim shook hands with Hermir and smiled. Things were coming together nicely. Now, if he could just manage to get the lumber delivered to Kynesgrove, he'd be all set to start working on the house. After the house was built, he would be free to go back to Hammerfell and retrieve his family and Eir. He looked forward to that day very much, but for now he would have to contend himself with living at the Braidwood Inn with his cousin without his family by his side. He said farewell to Hermir and Oengul, then pulled his pack on and left the marketplace. He thought about what had happened that day, Susanna's death, the talk in the marketplace about Wuunferth the Unliving and then the deal with Hermir. It had started out a great day with the ride to Windhelm, turned ill when he saw Susanna and heard the talk that was going around, but it had picked up again to become a good day at the end from working at the forge and making a deal with Hermir to work on his house. This was going to happen. It was not just going to be an idea in his head. It will become a reality.
He left Windhelm and went back to the stables to collect Matilda and head back to Kynesgrove. He started talking to Ulundil as he groomed and saddled Matilda. The high elf was actually a likable character when you actually talked to him, Helgrim realized. That didn't mean that he liked all Altmer, but this one particular high elf was at least tolerable. He was done saddling his mare and shook the man's hand. If he ever needed to keep Tilly somewhere, this would be a good place to do so. He led Matilda out of the stables and then mounted up, turning her to the road that would take them back to Kynesgrove. He had taken the day off from working in the mine because he'd needed it. It had become so monotonous that he had started to get less ore in his carts which meant less money paid out and the sisters, Ganna and Gemma, weren't too happy with him. If he kept it up he would be told to stop coming. Since he didn't want that to happen, he'd taken a much needed personal day and spent it with Matilda. At least until his cousin asked him to go to Windhelm for her. He didn't mind doing things for her, she was letting him live in the inn free until he got his house built. Anyone who had to put up with Kjeld and Kjeld the Younger deserved to have a few things done for them.
He thought about the house he was going to build as they trotted along the road. It was going to be two stories with a balcony around the entire second floor. The first floor was going to be all stone with a wood framework and a big fireplace in the main room. The bottom floor will also have four bedrooms. One of them will be his own, but the others will be for his family when they arrived. The second floor would be all wood with a second fireplace here as well to keep the entire area warm. There would be a door out to the balcony and there would also be four bedrooms on this floor. In the common area on the second floor would be shelves for books and a table for his siblings to study at. In the common area on the first floor would be the kitchen, complete with an oven, and a table that the whole family could eat at. It would be wonderful.
When the house was built, he would return to Hammerfell for his family and take a walk with Eir. He would take her to the garden and have her sit on the stone bench there, then he would take a knee and propose to her. She would say yes and they would be wed before they left Hammerfell, so her father and mother could be a part of the ceremony. Then they would travel back to Skyrim, hopefully without the trouble of shipwrecking before reaching Windhelm. It would be a quick trip from there to Kynesgrove where he would show his family and his new wife their beautiful new home. After they all settled in, he would set up his own blacksmithing forge and begin making armor and weapons of his own craftsmanship. Perhaps he would even get a stall in the Windhelm marketplace to sell them. His father could go hunting with his brother in the wilderness and he could set them up with his little stall in the marketplace as well. There was already an established crop field in Kynesgrove, so his mother would be able to keep that going and perhaps even make it bigger. His three sisters would help her with it. Everyone would be happy and content. Matilda snorted and shifted sideways and jogged Helgrim back to the present and he smiled at her, patting her neck. The mare seemed to know when he was going a tad too far in his dreaming and just how to get him back.
"What's the matter, Tilly? Jealous?" he teased, though knew she couldn't talk back to him. "I would also have a lovely stable built just for you. A large stall that was deep with straw for you to lie down in and a manger that was never empty. How does that sound?"
The mare whickered and tossed her head as if to say 'yes' to him. He laughed and then urged her into a canter so they could get back home quicker. The whole ride only took about a half hour to get from Windhelm to Kynesgrove and he rode up the small hill that led into the village. He saw his cousin at the inn talking to someone and her husband and son making their way to the inn from the mines. It was getting late and they would be ending their day and going home for dinner. He rode Matilda over to the pen he'd built for her and dismounted, then unsaddled her before letting her loose into the pen. He turned back to his cousin and the stranger, watching both Kjelds just walk on by without stopping to say 'hello' or anything to the stranger or Iddra. He frowned at that. Helgrim had seen how little attention Kjeld paid to his wife and didn't like it one bit. He didn't even sleep in the same room as her, he slept in his son's room. That should have been a clue to Iddra, but he sensed that it was in a way. He hadn't missed the way she had looked at Fjolnar when he'd been there. If it came right down to it, he would get Kjeld to end the marriage and let Iddra marry someone else. She deserved to be happy, not stuck in a loveless marriage.
"Good evening, sir. Welcome to Kynesgrove." He smiled at the man and offered his hand in greeting. They shook and he stepped up next to Iddra.
"Ah, good evening yourself. I was just telling this lovely woman that I was traveling from Riften and heading up to Windhelm, but the night was setting in, so I was looking for a room. Name's Gilfoe."
"I'm Helgrim. I help run the inn. Why don't you come inside and we'll see what we've got for you."
"Thank you, Helgrim. Good evening, ma'am." He then went into the inn, leaving Helgrim and Iddra alone.
"What are you doing, Grim? That man is, well, I dunno, but I just get a bad vibe from him."
"It's alright, Iddra. I've got this under control. Let me deal with him. You'd best get your husband and son their supper. They'll be drunk before you know it." He patted her arm lightly in comfort and then went into the inn. He walked over to the man, Gilfoe, and had him come to the bar.
"Now, Gilfoe, you say you're coming from Riften? Interesting. You have business in Windhelm?" he asked as he poured the man an ale to wet his throat.
"Something like that. I'm an investigator. I've been asked to come to Windhelm to deal with a matter they're having in the city."
"Really? I was just there today, you know. Saw a woman that had been murdered. All cut up and what not. I heard talk that there were three other murders in much the same way, all young women, all cut up."
"Aye, 'tis what I'm being sent to investigate. Were there any witnesses, do you know?"
"No, sorry. I don't believe anyone saw what happened, just the aftermath. I think someone did mention a man running away, but no one described him. At least not in my hearing."
"Ah well, I'm sure I'll find out everything else tomorrow. Speaking of which, I'd like to rent a room, please."
"Yes, that will be fifteen gold pieces. A bit steep, but as we are a tiny village it's warranted."
"Well worth it if the sleep is warm and dry." Gilfoe took the fifteen gold pieces out of his pouch and handed them over to Helgrim, then finished his ale.
"Thank you. Right this way, I'll show you to your room." Helgrim pocketed the gold and then held his hand out to motion to Gilfoe to go ahead of him. He walked out from behind the counter and led the way to a spare room. He nodded to the door. "Here is your room, Gilfoe. Breakfast is at six in the morning, supper is at six in the evening. If you intend to stay for more than one night, please let me know tomorrow."
"Thank you, Helgrim. Good night."
"Good night, Gilfoe." He turned and left the man to himself. He went back to the common area and sat down at a table, finding his meal already sitting there.
Iddra was a wonderful woman and were they not related he would have snatched her up. Perhaps he needed to have a talk with his cousin-in-law, Kjeld, about how to treat a wife like Iddra. He figured it must be the father's influence on Kjeld the Younger's attitude because Iddra sure wasn't that cocky and arrogant. Kjeld the elder was likable, but Helgrim disliked the way he treated Iddra. She was family and he couldn't allow that to continue. Tomorrow he would have a talk with Kjeld about her and then he might just take Kjeld the Younger out hunting to give him some pointers. They were almost the same age, Helgrim being older by a couple years, but he could tell that Kjeld the Younger had less experience actually hunting. He would do what he could to help out, even if that meant getting involved in family matters that they would probably say he had no business being involved in. He didn't care about that, he just wanted to make sure that Iddra was taken care of and happy. Perhaps Fjolnar would return someday soon and prove his theory. Until then, he would work with Kjeld and Iddra and see if there is anything worth saving or if he should just let it go.
After finishing his meal and leaving the two gold pieces on the table for her, he saw her speaking with Kjeld and frowned. It did not look like it was going well. Then he remembered he had the items Iddra wanted and he should give them to her. It would at least stop the argument from going any further.
"Iddra, I've got your things. Would you like to come help me put them away?"
"What? Oh, yes, thank you Grim. Kjeld, we'll talk about this later." She walked away from her husband and toward Helgrim. She gave him a small smile. "Thanks," she whispered, knowing what he had done.
"Not a problem, cousin. I'm having a talk with him tomorrow. Don't worry." He winked at her and then started to unpack the items she had sent him for that day. An hour later, he headed to his own room to get ready for bed. He washed up and shaved, then laid in bed and thought about the day. It had been uphill and down the entire day. He didn't trust Gilfoe a hundred percent, but he gathered that the man wasn't going to slit their throats in their sleep, so he could relax a little. The matter with Kjeld would have some thought before he fell asleep. He honestly liked the guy, but if he couldn't treat Iddra nicely then he would suggest they dissolve the marriage and go their separate ways. Then Iddra would be able to get to know Fjolnar better and perhaps start a new life with him. Tonight, at least, his mind was full of thoughts of Iddra, Kjeld, Kjeld the Younger, Fjolnar, Gilfoe, Ganna and Gemma, Oengul and Hermir. It wasn't on his family back in Hammerfell or Eir. It was on his house he planned on building and the life he planned on starting here in Skyrim.