Disclaimer: The following story is centered around my own character, Mhari Freysri, who is the only character in this piece that I own. All other characters and elements of the world within the Elder Scrolls series is the intellectual property of Bethesda. This story contains, not just massive spoilers, but is in and of itself one very long spoiler, as it is based off of my playthrough of Skyrim: Special Edition. You have been advised. Please enjoy this newest installment of my cringy fanfiction.


*Music:'A Wondrous Place' - Mark Mancina (from the film 'Tarzan')


"Damn it; what am I doing wrong?" Mhari sighed in frustration, gripping the edges of the alchemist's table, her eyes focused on the failed concoction she'd made as it seemed to ooze about in it's jar like sludge. Angeline smiled kindly and patted her on the shoulder.

"What are you trying to create?" Angeline asked as she peered over her shoulder.

"A potion to cure common diseases," Mhari replied, her shoulders dropping with a discouraged pout. "I'm certain I used the right measurements..."

Angeline eyed Mhari's ingredients carefully; Mudcrab Chitins and a pile of black dust. "Let's see..." She thought for a moment and walked to the bookshelf by her counter, carefully unfolding a piece of parchment paper scribbled with nearly-faded notes. "What manner of powder do you have there, dearie?"

"Void Salts."

"Ah, well there's your problem," Angeline nodded, handing Mhari the piece of paper. "You need Vampire Dust, not Void Salts. They seem to have similar physical properties, but their effects are quite different according to the recipe."

Mhari scanned the recipe on the parchment for a moment and tilted her head up in mock exasperation with a scoff. "Vampire Dust! I was so sure I had it right."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Mhari," Angeline smiled as she carefully scanned her shelf for the proper ingredient. "Alchemy is a difficult art to master. I've only specialized in potpourri and herbal teas up until the war started. I still have much to learn myself."

"Thank you for letting me borrow your table, Angeline," Mhari smiled, carefully taking the small bowl of Vampire Dust as Angeline handed it to her. Mhari placed a handful of coin into her hand in exchange before returning to the table. Angeline watched carefully as Mhari cracked open another Mudcrab Claw and carefully smeared the contents into a paste on the surface of the table. Once it was smooth and malleable enough, she folded it into a mortar with the Vampire Dust and used the pestle to grind it together until it was well-incorporated. "And a little boiling water..." Mhari mumbled absent-mindedly as she mixed the pungent, dusty gelatin into a bottle with water. As steam rose into the air, she watched as the dusty grey mixture settled and turned gradually into a light pink. Mhari held up the bottle, inspecting it before turning her gaze to Angeline.

"You did it!" Angeline smiled and nodded with approval. Mhari's eyes lit up and a relieved smile stretched across her face.

"I did it!" Mhari etched the process into a notebook with a delighted squeal, ensuring she would be able to repeat the recipe properly at a later time. "I'll make a mediocre healer, yet."

"Feel free to practice here any time, dearie," Angeline suggested as she tucked away any excess ingredients for later use. "I may be able to learn a thing or two from you as well. But for now, I'll need to close the shop for a few hours. Vivienne and I have some errands to run."

"Of course! Thank you, Angeline," Mhari nodded and tucked her new potion carefully into her pack, waving politely to Angeline and walking out into the streets of Solitude.


*Music:'The Streets of Whiterun' - Jeremy Soule


"Spare some gold for a veteran?" a raspy voice asked timidly.

"Hm?" Mhari turned her attention to the voice to see an older, balding Imperial man in rags holding out his hand with a hopeful expression. Mhari dug into her coin purse and pulled out a small handful of coins. "Oh, of course. Here you go."

"Oh, thank you!" the man gratefully took the coins. Mhari suspected he had been turned down many times today; he had clearly not been expecting a donation. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that he was clearly missing his left eye, a crudely-fashioned glass sphere where an eye had once been. The majority of the skin near his missing eye was mottled with old scar tissue that had clearly healed badly after an infection.

"What is your name?" she asked.

"Oh, uh I- Noster," he stuttered. He had not been expecting her to ask. "Noster Eagle-Eye."

"Mhari Freysri. So, what's your story?" Mhari asked, taking a seat on a nearby hay bail. She patted the space beside her, inviting him to take a seat with her.

"I was the finest Scout in the Legion once. Tracked down all the places in the wilds that were causing people trouble," he began, taking a seat beside Mhari. She dug out a couple carrots and handed him one, which he took happily and immediately took a large bite before continuing. "Lost my helmet in Steepfall Barrow. My pretty, pretty helmet..."

"What was so special about this helmet?" Mhari asked, noticing his expression grow wistful and grim as he thought back. She munched on her carrot as she waited for him to continue.

"I swear it brought me good fortune," he sighed. "Life just got worse after I lost it. Kept losing things; so many things..." he trailed off as he touched the scarred skin surrounding his missing eye.

"Well, I can't guarantee that it will fix everything, but maybe I can keep an eye out if I'm ever in the area," Mhari suggested as she finished that last of her carrot.

"Oh, you would?" Noster was hopeful for a moment before his expression darkened again. "But I don't have any coin to repay you with. I could show you some of my old scouting tricks."

"Deal," Mhari smiled, holding out her hand for Noster to shake. He smiled crookedly and nodded in agreement.

"So what happened after you lost your eye; if you don't mind me asking?" Mhari asked carefully, resting her elbows on her knees as she waited for a response.

"I was there. I fought in the Great War," Noster began; Mhari could almost see his good eye clouding with the memories he was recounting. "I was on the field at Anvil. And when I was struck down, they left me-...they left me for dead."

Mhari frowned as a silence fell over them. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm glad you managed to stay alive, Noster. I'll let you know if I manage to find your helmet." She hopped to the ground and patted the straw and dust from her backside. "You headed to the marketplace to buy some food?"

Noster nodded and counted what gold he had. Mhari motioned for him to come along with her; once they arrived at the market square, Noster made his way immediately to the fruit and vegetable stand. Mhari had a look at her surroundings. In the center of the market was an old well that had clearly been well-kept and well-maintained. Three well-constructed wooden food stands could be seen; a fish stand, a produce stand and a wine stand, every product was displayed neatly with care, and the scent of freshly-caught fish, pungent onions and sweet wine filled Mhari's nostrils.

"Got plenty of fresh fish for ya," a vaguely familiar voice called. Mhari turned her head to the fish stand, manned by the Imperial she had first seen speaking with Svari during the execution; she approached the stand and inspected the catch of the day.

"You were at the execution," Mhari began. "I take it Svari is your daughter?"

"Yes; it's been hard on her," the merchant nodded grimly. "She misses her uncle. I've tried to explain that Roggvir did something bad and that we all have to be accountable for our actions, but..."

"A child feels what she will," Mhari said solemnly. She and the merchant turned their heads as Svari bolted by, followed by two other laughing children.

"Tag! You're it!" a little boy sang as he tapped Svari on the shoulder before bolting back the way he came.

"Hey!" Svari laughed with a fake scowl. Her eyes met with Mhari's and her father's as she let out a quick wave before skittering after her friends.

"She does seem to be in better spirits, now," the merchant smiled in slight relief. "Even Greta has been finally talking again."

Mhari smiled softly to herself, choosing not to weigh in. "Where do you catch your fish, sir?"

"Oh, my name is Addvar," he interjected before continuing. "Down at the docks there are a few good spots; if you can avoid the East Empire Company workers and those Red Wave Thugs."

As he spoke a couple rough-looking sailors in black and red sailor's tunics passed. One of them spat on the ground by his feet with a glare; Addvar's eyes followed them as his brow furrowed. Mhari shook her head in response to the crewman's rudeness, but she knew better than to get involved.

"Are they always that charming?" Mhari sighed as she returned her attention to the fish. Addvar chuckled with an eye roll, but chose not to go into detail. Mhari reached for a sizeable salmon and handed him a small handful of coin. She thanked Addvar for the fish and moved onto the next booth where Noster was walking away with a small armful of produce and a bottle of mead. The woman behind the stand was a Redguard woman whose face appeared to be etched with a permanent scowl, and she grumbled under her breath as she tucked her newly-earned coin into her coin purse.

Mhari eyed the fruits and vegetables that had been neatly displayed around the stand; everything looked quite fresh for such a cold climate. "Do you ever have trouble getting ripe goods out here?" Mhari asked as she made eye contact with the woman.

"I have my ways, but it's not easy these days," the woman sighed, resting her chin on her hand. "Those Blackblood Marauders have been plundering ships off the coast. Lots of folks been hurt by their foolishness."

"You're telling me, Jala," a nearby voice chimed in. Evette San was leaning on the side of her Spiced Wine stand with her arms folded as she spoke. "If it's not Vittoria Vici and her ridiculous tariffs, it's the Blackbloods. It's a wonder I ever get my ingredients between the two."

Jala nodded with a scoff; Evette looked over to Mhari and smiled. "Oh, thanks again for helping my father earlier."

"My pleasure," Mhari replied with a smile as she picked out a bundle of leeks and some ripe tomatoes from Jala's stand, handing her some coins in exchange.

"You wouldn't happen to have a little extra time on your hands, would you?" Evette began. "I need someone to run down to the docks to pick up a shipment of spices that the East Empire Company is holding up. If you can convince them to, anyways. I swear, it's a fight with them every time. Maybe you'll have better luck."

"I take it you're referring to this 'Vittoria' woman. I'll see what I can do," Mhari smiled with a wince. "Though if she won't listen to you, I'm not sure she'll bother listening to a stranger. Still, I'll try."

"Thanks!" Evette sighed in slight relief. "If you can make it happen, I'll give you something for your time; and a bottle of Spiced Wine free of charge."

"Say no more," Mhari chuckled. She waved politely at Jala and Evette before she wrapped her cloak around her shoulders and sauntered away from the market square to the gates of town.


*Music:'Healing Katniss' - James Newton Howard (from the film 'The Hunger Games')


As Mhari strolled down the dirt path and rounded the corner beyond Katla's Farm, she looked out to the docks where she had first arrived in Solitude only a fortnight prior. She breathed in the crisp salty air and took in the view as the sun had begun to set, painting the skies in a gradient of soft pinks and oranges. Seagulls soared around the sails of the ships that had docked for the night, and the Blue Palace seemed even more radiant as it basked in the golden hues of the early twilight. Mhari shivered as a cold breeze whispered across her skin; she slipped her gloves on before she continued down further into the docks. I don't think I'll ever get used to this cold.

Mhari made her way down the wooden steps to the East Empire Company's warehouse where a dark-haired Imperial woman in a fine green and gold linen dress sat daydreaming behind the counter. Mhari cleared her throat after a moment, snapping Vittoria out of her fantasies.

"Sorry, I was lost in thought," she sighed wistfully. "I'm planning my wedding, you see. So many details to work out."

"Congratulations," Mhari replied with a genuine smile. "It's wonderful to hear of a wedding in times such as these. I think folks need something positive to look forward to these days."

"I know I do," Vittoria giggled. "What can I do for you?"

"Evette San asked me to check on her shipment of spices," Mhari explained. Vittoria's expression immediately changed from excitement to disdain.

"Like I told her, once she pays the two-thousand gold tariff, then we'll be all set," Vittoria sighed, clearly now disinterested in the conversation. Mhari's jaw dropped.

"Two-thousand gold?!" she exclaimed. "Her entire stand is probably only worth that much! Surely you can see why that is far too high a price?"

"How do you figure?" Vittoria scoffed.

"I can buy a horse for half of that," Mhari explained. "She won't be able to keep her stand open if she needs to spend all of her profits on a tariff for her spices alone."

"Ugh, fine," Vittoria rolled her eyes and hauled a small box from the shelves behind her to place them on the counter. "I'll make an exception for her. But only because I like her Spiced Wine. And because I'm feeling generous."

Mhari bit her tongue, irritated by the woman's flippant expression as she waved her off in irritation. "Thank you, ma'am." Picking up the box of spices carefully in her hands, Mhari sighed and turned to walk away when she bumped into an Argonian woman with bright-green scaly skin and an expression that could kill. Mhari nearly dropped the box pf spices, but managed to get a grip on the sides before it spilled over. She could hear Vittoria snickering from where she watched behind the counter.

"You want knives? You want them in your belly?" the Argonian hissed, hovering her scaly slate-grey claws over her glass dagger. Mhari shrinked back, uncertain of how to respond as the Argonian bared a wide mouth of sharp, yellow teeth that were ready to snap without a moment's hesitation should Mhari say the wrong words in return. "Then you'll stay clear of Deeja, warm-blood."

The Argonian shoved past her with a gutteral growl and continued on her way to a nearby docked ship. Mhari shuddered, feeling that she had somehow dodged a very gruesome end. Stay clear of Deeja. Got it. She wasted no time making her way back to the city, finding Evette as she was closing her stand for the night.

"Here you are," Mhari placed the box carefully on the stand. "Hopefully she'll be a bit more lenient going forward. I can see why you don't like dealing with her."

"Tell me about it," Evette sighed as she inspected the contents of the box, nodding in approval as her shoulders relaxed. "Thank you so much. You've earned this.'

Evette handed Mhari a bottle of Spiced Wine and small pouch of gold. Mhari smiled and thanked Evette before returning to The Winking Skeever to relieve Lisette for a song or two. There were very few patrons, but Mhari was somewhat relieved, her nerves still a bit shot from her encounter with Deeja. If I never come across her again, it'll be too soon.

Mhari chatted with Lisette and Corpulus for a little while before retiring for the night. She had earned a little more gold from Evette, but she was still short on coin. Her small tasks around Solitude were adding up, but the process was slow and arduous.

"I'll need to get a bit more creative if I'm going to make enough gold for one of those horses," Mhari sighed under her breath. She wriggled further under the covers of the bed and let out a yawn. "I'll stop by the Blue Palace tomorrow. Between Sorex's rum and Taarie's dress, maybe I can close the gap a little further..."


~To Be Continued...~


Note From the Author: Thank you again for reading the latest chapter of Songstress of Skyrim! If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider following this story and dropping a review below. I'd love to hear what my readers think; what their favourite parts were, what they'd like to see more of, etc. If I receive any questions, I am happy to either answer them via private message, or even as a short Q section in the next chapter. I hope to see you in the next chapter, dear reader.

~Voth Werid