27th of Sun's Height
We're back at Frostfall. The girls are happy to see us and they've started calling Kaidan "Papa". I know that he's been nervous about fatherhood, but he seems to be doing a fine job. They adore him and a quick chat is generally all it takes to get them out of any bad behavior. I reget never getting to meet Brynjar. I think I can hear his echo in how Kaidan talks to the girls. Hopefully, their willingness to listen to him will continue to work as they get older. We don't really have a tree for them to put a tree house in so I've had the builders put in a carefully concealed hideout into one of the watchtowers along the new, expanded wall. They're delighted with this, even though it annoys the guards a bit. I haven't explained this to the girls yet, but the guards all seem to understand the second purpose. It gives them a place to hide should they not be able to reach one of the escape tunnels.
Ralof's chosen well for the new guards and many of those who fought beside me in Talos War, as it's now being called, have good things to say about the men that came with the estate when I bought it. For once, there is nothing truly urgent happening. I'm forging some new armor and weapons for Ra'Naar and Rishima and taking a bit of time to upgrade everyone else's kit. I haven't done that in a while and it's time. My smithing skills and enchanting skills haven improved enough that this will make our fights easier on the Merry Band. We'll be here for a few days before heading into Whiterun to spend a few days at Jorrvaskr. I'd like to see how Ralof's coming along with his training, now that he's a Companion. Something Farkas said makes me think I need to spend some time talking with them. There's been some distance there, due largely to our disagreement on the topic of enchanting weapons and armor. Added to some of the disagreements over how the Companions handle and dole out money, looting the dead, etc., we haven't been particularly close since... well, since Kodlak's been gone.
I think Kodlak would be disappointed, and that just won't do. Gods above! I miss that man and wish that I could talk to him about how to handle some of these things. I'm the Harbinger, after all, and it's my duty and responsibility to guide us. I have to find a way to do that, for all of us. I know that my comments about the wolf-blood being magical seems to have triggered some sort of a change in the thinking of the twins. They've both taken to calling me "wolfling" lately even though I cured myself before I cured either of them. I will say that not having the urge to run after every rabbit or deer that crosses my path has probably been one of the subtler but nicer benefits of that particular cure.
30th of Sun's Height
We're in Whiterun and Jorrvaskr. The twins are rather enjoying being uncles. Sophie and Lucia are delighted with this and the Merry Band is highly amused their antics which have include a jousting match where Sophie used Vilkas as her mount and Lucia used Farkas. There is much mead and merriment going on tonight. Vignar thinks we've all become idiots but he's laughing as much as the rest of us. It seems the Grey-Mane/Battle-Born feud has finally been settled with the lone exception of Idolaf, who is now just being a stubborn oaf. I don't understand that at all since Idolaf was originally the one who wrote to Tullius to try to get Thorald back. I might try to drop a word or two in his ear over that, after I talk to Jon about it. Eorlund and Fralia are here, too. I actually got a hug from Eorlund. It seems that they've had word from Avulstein and Thorald. I knew that they'd fallen in with the Stormcloaks but never made much of an effort to find them lest I lead their pursuers to them. I'm glad that both seem to have survived the war.
Tilma's made horker stew and horker loaf, just for Kaidan. Njada has made her dislike of Kaidan quite clear by pointedly telling him that he's not a Companion and shouldn't be allowed inside Jorrvaskr. Eorlund, Brill, and Tilma aren't Companions, either but Njada doesn't seem to have a problem with them. She's only slightly less put off by the Merry Band and hates the idea of "outsiders" being allowed into Jorrvaskr. Particularly when they're not Nord, apparently. Rayya, Jenassa, Talesin, Ra'Naar and Rishima all fall into that category. I can't tell if Njada would be more or less offended if Borgakh were with us as well. Spring planting is over, so I should probably swing by her stronghold and see if they'd like to swap some of her time for some gold. Her stronghold is happy with the skills I've been teaching her and the gold lets them buy things that they can't always get without it. It also wouldn't hurt to have another pair of eyes that I trust to keep watch on Ra'Naar and Rishima just in case they're up to anything shady. She's also a good tracker so she might be helpful when we go to hunt for this hidden pass.
Athis says to ignore Njada, that's she an absolute nightmare who isn't very nice to anyone, even Ria who seems to be her only friend. He says that this is why he trains against her in unarmed combat on a regular basis. It's the only thing that's kept them from killing each other. She's pretty rude at times. On the one hand, she was happy enough to accept my gold when I wanted her to train me. On the other hand, she'd all but spit on me if I asked her about anything else. Athis hates the Thalmor and the Empire as much as anyone. I spent some time talking with him various strategies to get the Dunmer Houses to join us when we're ready to move. He's got some interesting ideas that might just work. During our discussion, I mentioned that Master Neloth made me a member of House Telvanni when I was on Solstheim. Athis nearly spit his mead when I said that. It's apparently almost unheard of for any non-Dunmer to be made a member of any Great House, much less Telvanni. Athis and Jenassa both agree that if Redoran and Telvanni both support it, the rest of the Houses will likely follow that lead. It also might have some interesting implications for the College in Winterhold, since the Psyjiics tried to name me as Arch-Mage of the College. Given Neloth's propensity to experiment on his apprentices, I'd rather keep him far away from Winterhold.
Ra'Naar seems comfortable enough in the armor that I made him and even asked me to adjust a few things for him, which I've done. Rishima, on the other hand, seems like a fish out of water. She's barely able to move and we've had to help her back to her feet a few times when she's overbalanced herself. Ra'Naar says she was a trader - mainly a negotiator and not one of the fighters. He told me that she's been having nightmares and wants to learn to fight so that the next time bandits, wild beasts, or a dragon shows up, she's not left cowering in fear and trying to hide. I spent a bit of time out in the training yard with her, trying various weapons to see what seems to suit her. We settled on a one-handed sword and shield, one of my favorites. I borrowed the Sky Forge to make her another set of armor. It's on the heavier end of light armor which will do until she's physically stronger and can manage heavier armor. This distressed her because I'd just made her a set of armor based of my guesses and Ra'Naar's stated preferences. She says it's too much trouble. The first set I made her is just too heavy for her just yet and we'll simply sell it. Once she's used to it, I'll make her another. I told her not to worry about it since I always get a good price for anything I make that I sell. As she gets stronger, I'll just keep making her heavier armor until she can handle the dragon bones that the rest of us wear as battle gear.
I sat and talked with Rishima for a time. She hid inside a crate and nearly suffocated before her brother found her. She was terrified the whole time and never wants to live through something like that again. Ra'Naar talked her into learning to fight because that's the opposite of cowering in fear. I told her that when we get the next problem dragon, she'll come with us. She doesn't have to help attack, but she can watch us kill it. Courage is facing something you're afraid of and doing it in spite of the fear, not being without fear.
31st of Sun's Height
We're still in Jorrvaskr. I spent most of the day talking with the Circle. Now that the wolf-blood is no longer a requirement for being on the Circle, I'd like to see us add Athis to the Circle. Athis has a good, calm head and he's worthy of more responsibility. Vilkas and Farkas agree but Aela is wary for reasons she won't say in front of the rest of the Circle. I'll catch her privately later and find out what's going on there. I know that Torvar wants to be on the Circle but that drunkard is the last person, aside from maybe Njada, who should ever be on the Circle. If he can climb up out of the mead vat, he might be worth something. As he is now, he's another drunken lout who just happens to be a Companion.
We have a couple of openings in the Circle waiting for a suitable candidate to make themselves known to us. If we're ever to fill them, we also need to recruit some new Companions. I'd like to see Jorrvaskr filled, but filled carefully and thoughtfully. They've asked if I know more like Ralof. They're all quite pleased with him and his progress. He's been training hard and gaining in skill. I'll catch Ralof when I'm in Solitude next and see who he might recommend. I know that he was surprised when the Companions accepted him because he didn't think he was "famous enough" to be allowed to join. That's a perception that we need to work on so that more like Ralof will come to us. How many have passed the Companions by with that same idea in their heads?
We talked about how to go about recruiting and I'm thinking of posting some letters to inns in other holds to call anyone who might be interested to come here. I think we should look at creating some sort of a provisional status for potential recruits. Let them come here and let us get to know them. Let us test them to see who we want and who we don't. I'm wary of adding another Njada to the ranks. Those that we don't want we can send to various cities as guards or the Stormcloaks. I'm also thinking of starting something like the Fighter's Guild in each of the holds where I'm a Thane. That will give some the restless young something to do besides become bandits and the Companions can skim the cream of those groups to become Companions while letting them handle the lower paying work that still needs to be done.
Skyrim seems to be swimming in both bandits and mercenaries these days. For those that don't want to join the Stormcloak Army or Companions, I'd like to give them something to do besides resort to banditry. Having a guild with Guild Chapter House to live in and some oversight from the Guild as well as a local Chapter Steward should put an end to great deal of foolishness before it can ever get started. I think ranks of membership with increasing levels of perks are something to think through. I'd like to see it become more or less a clearing house for all of this type of work in Skyrim. I also think that having a guild means that a bit from each payout can go into a retirement fund. While being down a few septims now might not seem like a big thing, having a roof over your head and food on the table when you're older will be invaluable. I don't want to see any more like Noster or Angrenor. They can't fight any more and don't have family to care for them so they live in the streets as beggars.
1st of Last Seed
It's been a long day with both the Circle and the Merry Band, laying out the plans for this next phase. We're headed back to Pale Pass to see if we can find where this hidden cavern that runs under the mountains comes out the Skyrim side of the border. If we can locate it, I'll dump some gold and we'll build a keep there. That serves a few purposes. It lets us keep an eye on what's coming and going from the official border crossing and lets us keep an eye on the unofficial crossing as well. Building will be good for the local economy.
In other news, I caught Aela out in the training yard, away from everyone. I've uncovered the source of her reservations about Athis. Apparently, Athis hates werewolves. That certainly explains a lot of why she's wary of allowing him to be on the Circle. I'll have to talk to Athis to see if this is going to be a problem for him. I rather suspect that Athis already knows, given how much time he's spent around Aela, Vilkas, Farkas, and even me. I know that when I was still a wolf, the city guards would sometimes remark that I smelled like a wet dog because I hated shifting. If you don't shift willingly, the "gift" will try to force its way out. I'd have to go outside the city somewhere and get someone to stand guard over me while I was unconscious when I shifted. I'd become unconscious and wake up as werewolf. When I'd shift back, I'd be unconscious and wake up as human. It was terrifying to black out like that. Farkas told me once that he was always cautious of me in my wolf-form because there was a short period where the wolf was fully in control and my wolf had an even worse temper than his. He told me that he had to shift himself a couple of times to keep me from attacking him.