Outgrowing Skyrim

It’s blinding at first. The cave exit is a blanket of pure white snow. Just beyond is the lush expanse of the Riverwood valley.  I'm sure it has an actual name but as the most significant thing there to me is Riverwood it's the Riverwood valley to me. The snow is melting in a line about a football field away. I can see pretty butterflies, massive pines, and idyllic snow capped mountains. The air really is delicious and being free only adds to the taste. It tastes exactly how you’d expect that overpriced mountain spring water to taste. The sky's a baby blue with piffy poofy clouds as white as the snow lazily drifting by. Except for one dark cloud that flies past our heads. 

 

“Wait!” Hadvar says, pushing us to the ground.

 

Alduin wizzes past with a roar. We lay in the dirt on top of each other as he gets smaller in the sky. Nobody moves a muscle until finally he becomes a dot and disappears into the horizon. 

 

“There he goes. Looks like he's gone for good this time.” Ralof exhales.“But I don't think we should stick around to see if he comes back.”

 

“It's probably best if we split up.” Hadvar says.

 

“Why?” I pipe up. “We’re headed to the same place. We’re more vulnerable if we split up and we might accidentally end up killing each other before we get there. Hell your families might kill each other if you two don’t coordinate your stories.”

 

“You’re not entirely wrong.”  Hadvar says. “Still, Ralof and I can’t be seen in town together. What do you think we should do?” 

 

“That should be simple enough.” Ralof says. “One of us just has to arrive half an hour before the other. If I enter Riverwood first that should give me plenty of time to lay low. That way my sister will think I’m safe and you can see your uncle without suspicion.” he explains.

 

“That should work. My uncle is pretty reasonable about these things. What about you?” Hadvar says motioning to me, “What are you going to do?”

 

“I’ll enter town after the both of you. I’ve got more than enough gold to spend a few nights at the inn comfortably and then I’ll probably head to Whiterun.” I say. “You can tell your folks about me if you want but I think it's best if for now we all keep a low profile until this whole thing blows over.”

 

“That's as good a plan as any. We’ll work out the rest on the way there. Come on, if we move now we should be able to reach Riverwood before nightfall.” Hadvar says.

 

Before we get going I make a point to change into the lighter Imperial armor. Long distance travel just isn't feasible in the heavy stuff. I think for now changing the sets as needed is the way to go. At least until I invest some magic sky intention into either skill.

 

We move down the mountain we're on into the valley, leaving the snow behind. The temperature starts to rise but it’s still Skyrim so it's never uncomfortable. I can see so much beautiful flora and fauna exploding all around us. Many of them are potion ingredients but I can't stop to collect them. My mind is solely on our march toward beds and food. We make our way down and the boys stop to point at a set of dark ruins on the otherwise snowy mountain opposite us. 

 

“See that ruin up there?” Hadvar asks me. “Bleak Falls Barrow. When I was a boy, that place always used to give me nightmares. Draugr creeping down the mountain to climb through my window at night, that kind of thing. I admit, I still don't much like the look of it." he explains.

 

“I never understood how my sister could stand living in the shadow of that place.” Ralof says. “I guess you get used to it.” 

 

We've covered a fair bit of distance and I'm honestly surprised at our resilience. We should be dead tired by now but all of us, even me, continue to Riverwood at a brisk pace. We're not running per say but we're not walking either, more of a light jog. If I remember right you can make it to Riverwood by the afternoon at the earliest. That means another hour or so of travel judging by the sun. Honestly, except for hunger, my body feels like it could go on for hours easily. The constitution of these people just isn't comparable to earth's humans.

 

The path now zig zags down the mountain face. We're getting closer to the valley floor now and now I can see stone pillars as we hit the final zag. They have the same general shape as the top of a toy rocket. Each is carved and has a hole at the top, a bit like the window for a spaceship. The hole is reinforced with metal, perhaps to keep the monument intact.

 

"These are the Guardian Stones. Three of the thirteen standing stones that dot Skyrim's landscape." Ralof explains.

 

"Go ahead, see for yourself." says Hadvar.

 

The three stones carved with the familiar constellations of the warrior, mage and thief. I really want to stay on Hadvar and Ralofs good side so I chose warrior. Coming close to the stone I get an innate sense of what it has to offer. Skills related to the constellation will be easier to learn, which is perfect as I want to beef up anyway. Confirming my intention the carving alights with what I can only describe as starlight, filling the center hole with it until the light is beamed into the heavens. 

 

“Warrior, good. Those stars will guide you to honor and glory.” says Ralof.

 

“I was certain you’d pick mage.” Hadvar says.“ I don’t blame you for wanting a strong arm after today.” 

 

“Does everyone in Skyrim visit these stones?” I ask curious as the starlight beam starts to fade out.

“Only those who remember the old ways. Most don’t bother with them nowadays.” say Ralof.

 

“Only a few of these stones have tangible benefits and even fewer are in a place safe to travel for normal folk.” explains Hadvar. “ It doesn't make much sense for ordinary folk to risk their lives to visit them as much.” 

 

“Ay, but every warrior worth their mead has touched the same stone you have there.” says Ralof proudly.

 

We make our way down the mountain and it's clear now that we’re on the final zig of this zig-zag path down the mountain. The air is noticeably wetter as we descend to join with the river that cuts into this valley. The sound of running water is pleasant. Craning my neck to look up I can see Bleak Falls Barrow looming over us. I’ll have to visit that place sooner rather than later. 

 

We’re ambushed by a pack of wolves a moment later but the battle is pitifully short. There were two dogs for each of us but the boys killed two of them in under ten seconds. When I summoned my own wolf the survivors turned tail and ran. Easy wolf pelts for me. I still can’t get used to the instant skinning though. The bodies make an ungodly wet sound as the underflesh is exposed to air.

 

Luckily we continue on. It wasn’t much further, the town is in sight. As expected it's a much bigger town than the one in the game. Not Helgen sized but the small logging town seems to have widened in all directions. There are even a few homes on the other side of the river where previously… Well in the vanilla game there were none. The town still seems to be built around the main road running through it, like a old western mining town but more developed.

 

“Alright this seems as good a spot as any. We’ll wait here for a while.” I say to Ralof, finding a spot by the river.

 

“Alright. But don’t hesitate to run to the village if you need to. It wouldn’t be right if that dragon or something else picked you two off at the end of all this.” Ralof says. 

 

He regards Hadvar and I and then heads into town. He enters it and then disappears behind the lumber mill. Once Ralof disappears, Hadvar sits down on a small ledge over the river bank. I join him a moment later, my feet dangling off the ledge. I’m not one for conversation so we just sit in silence watching the water rush past. We stare for a good while. After a while I wonder if I should tell Hadvar he’s good to head into the village when he speaks up.

 

“How do you think those two are doing back there?” he asks.

 

It takes me a minute to realize he’s talking about the two we left behind in Helgen. I had almost forgotten about them.

 

“They had that healing potion so they should be alright.” I say.

 

Especially with how durable these bodies are I don’t see an issue. There's no real telling but they should be the last people out of Helgen so if they wanted to run away together they could.

 

“That's… not exactly what I meant. What I’m asking is if it's alright for them to be together like that.” Hadvar throws a stick into the river. “Working together to survive a dragon attack is one thing but outright fraternizing with the enemy is asking for trouble.”

 

“You’re not wrong. It could go very poorly for them but I can’t help liking the idea of Stormcloak and Imperial setting aside this stupid war and building something beautiful.” I reply, staring at the water. “That's probably just wishful thinking though. They’ll probably just have a quick fling and go back to killing each other in a month.”

 

It’s easier for me, even after today, to ignore the war and its implications. But to people like Hadvar and Ralof, this war is the conflict of their generation. The Great War that started these tensions with its unfair peace treaty ended over thirty years ago. These guys grew up with the Thalmor, elf Nazis, taking people from their homes and have known nothing but rebellion for much of their adult lives. 

 

“That's… a really nice way of putting it, even if it is wishful thinking.” Hadvar says standing up. “I've got to go in now. I don’t think you’ll need to wait quite as long this time so head into the village sooner rather than later. He may be a rebel but he was right, you do deserve some safety after what you’ve been through today. Good luck, I wouldn’t have made it without your help today.”

 

Hadvar walks off in the twilight towards Riverwood. I can’t see him after he passes the wall, his uncles smithy lies behind it in the center of town. I do smell smoke on the wind now and it’s driving me crazy with hunger. I just want to eat a cheese wheel and go to bed now.

 

Twilight’s fading fast and I stand up to make my own entrance just as the last of the color fades from the world. Walking in no one greets me or talks about the dragon they saw, I’m mostly left alone at this late hour. The town is definitely larger than I remember but all the landmarks are there. There's the smithy, the trading post and finally I reach the inn.

 

The inside is bright and warm with a great fire trough in the dead center. The inn is bigger than I remember too and is filled with inhabitants of the town looking to unwind after a day's labor. Some look like the npcs, non player characters, from the game I remember but there are a lot here I don’t recognize. I’m fading fast so I find the innkeeper, a sharp blond Breton, and rent a room for ten gold. I’m not gonna shake her down for her secret or anything like that, she’s much more useful to me right now as a bed and food dispenser. I might not be the Dragonborn anyway.

 

I move to the bar where Orgnar, a gruff Nord with brown hair, is busy with some orders and ask for whatever’s good. He comes back a short time later with a bowl of fish stew. The flavor is richer than I expected and not at all fishy. I devour the bowl and ask for some mead to wash it down. Better to get used to the stuff now anyway. It's actually nice, a bit like honey water but much more complex and fizzy.

 

I drag my carcass to the bed provided and flop in it. I use inventory magic to get all my rough equipment off and just pass out naked on top of the bed. I hope I closed the door.

 

The next morning I wake like the living dead. The door is closed and I’m not sure if I did it or if it was the innkeeper after getting an eyeful. I have more pressing needs so I quickly get up and ask the nearest sentient lifeform where the bathroom is.

 

“The outhouse is just outside behind the inn.” Delphine explains looking at me smugly. “If you need a wash we can bring you a bucket with some soap for an extra gold piece but no one has a ‘bathroom’ round these parts.” 

 

I thank her and run towards salvation. It's an interesting experience to say the least and not one I want to reflect on. Suffice it to say I look forward to learning whatever the equivalent of the bidet spell is as soon as possible. Gods I can’t imagine periods here. I wonder if periods are even a thing here as I never installed a mod for a menstrual cycle. Sitting in the stall did give me plenty of time to think about what I wanted to do today though.

 

After I gather a few supplies I’m headed back to Helgen to scavenge what I can. Thinking about it now I left quite a bit of loot behind and who knows what's there now that this world is more realistic. The road should still be clear and no one should be at Helgen right now. Hopefully.

 

I get rations from the inn. It’s actually just normal food but i guess the inventory system keeps food fresh indefinitely so rations are a bit different here. I pick up a few bottles of mead, bread and cheese. I get directed to the Riverwood Trader if I want more durable goods. I give Orgnar my thanks and head to the trading post. 

 

The walk takes several minutes now, in the game it would take thirty seconds or less. There’s no through traffic in or out of Riverwood but the town is lively nonetheless. The villagers are in varying states of productivity, with some working diligently on their tasks, others talking and trading and others still resting or hitting the mead a little early. One of them scares me shitless when they try to talk to me.

 

“Hail friend!” says a thick male Nord with a blacksmith apron and cheery disposition.” Do you mind having a quick word? I promise not to take up too much of your time.” This is Alvor, Hadvar's uncle. 

 

“How can I help you sir?” I reply, unsure of how much he knows about me.

 

“You don’t need to be like that, Hadvar already told me everything and it's pretty obvious that you're the friend he mentioned.” Alvor says with a smile. “Actually I got a favor to ask. The poor boy is exhausted and I need to deliver this letter to Ralof. I figure since you escaped Helgen with him you'd have an easier time of it than I would.”

 

“Sure, I don’t see why not. Give me the letter and I’ll get it to him.” I say. Must be important, whatever it is.

 

“That's a good lass. And don’t hesitate to drop by if you need anything. Any friend of Hadvars is a friend of mine.”

 

He hands me a folded paper smudged with coal dust and heads back to his forge. Honestly I wanted to beg him for some armor but I don’t want to blow my goodwill out of the water. My Imperial stuff will do just fine for now. Except for when I visit Stormcloak territory. Speaking of which, I should also pick out some simple clothes while I’m out so I don’t spook Ralofs family too much. Opening the door to the trading post I hear a familiar argument I’ve heard a thousand times before.

 

"Well one of us has to do something!" asserts a young Imperial woman.

 

"I said no! No adventures, no theatrics, no thief-chasing!" retorts a slightly older Imperial man.

 

"Well what are you going to do then, huh? Let's hear it!" the woman stomps angrily.

 

"We are done talking about this!” the man asserts. Finally they notice me. “Oh, a customer. Sorry you had to hear that. I don't know what you overheard, but the Riverwood Trader is still open, feel free to shop."

 

“Don’t worry about it.” I say and get to business.

 

I’m not worried about the break in, it’s a quest that can wait. If the thieves unlock the treasure room at the end of that quest and survive it’s unlikely I could beat them anyway. The real problem would be if they moved any of the key items relevant to the quest away from the barrow. I don't have a quest marker to track them and I'll probably die to an ambush quite easily as I am now. Even going back to Helgen could be risky. I’m hoping the dragon attack will keep everything away from that general area for another day or two. I won’t have two strapping Nord lads to help me this time.

 

The trading itself is uneventful but I could tell I got raked over the coals with my inexperience. I couldn’t afford everything I wanted so I gave up trying to buy normal clothes for now, a water skin and lantern are too important. I can deliver the letter in the ragged robes I still have anyhow. Better than nothing but I should get something more inconspicuous when I eventually visit Whiterun.

 

Heading outside I go behind the trader to change. I'm not naked when I change equipment using the inventory system but it still feels wrong just changing outfits out in the open. The rags fit just as well as before and I make my way to Ralofs house, or rather his sisters. It takes a minute, I still can't get used to how big the world is, but eventually I find a house towards the eastern end of town with a few cows and thistle plants  growing in the fence. Opening the wicker gate I walk up to the door and knock three times.

 

"Ralof? It's me Alex. I just need a second." I say. There's some shuffling and a moment later Ralof answers the door.

 

"I don't think you ever told me your name but I'm glad to see you all the same. Come on in before someone sees." he says cheerfully. 

 

Clearly he's had that food and rest he talked about yesterday. The house is shaped like an L block with the beds at the end of the L. A fire greets me even at this morning hour and some liquid meal is bubbling above it. Ralof closes the door and turns to speak.

 

"So what's going on? I thought we wanted to keep our heads low." he says.

 

"Nothing much. I was just given a letter from Hadvar for you." I say casually.

 

"Did he say what it's about?" he says worriedly.

 

"No, it was just handed to me. I don't think it's anything bad. It's probably just a thank you note"

 

"All right. Have you had breakfast yet? Lunch won't be ready for a few hours but we've still got some bread and cheese out. I'll give this a read in the meantime and see what the Imperial has to say that's so important." he says motioning to a table where there are indeed some slices of cheese and bread.

 

The cheese is slightly tangy but not overpowered. The bread is meh but together they make a meal. Ralof carefully reads the dirty letter with his finger. Then rereads it. Then he rerereads it. I finished my breakfast and he's still staring at the paper. I briefly consider asking if he can read but immediately realize that that might be rude.

 

"Everything ok?" I ask, still struggling with a mushed ball of cheese bread in my mouth.

 

"Mh? Ah no, everything is fine. It was just like you said. A thank you note." Ralof obviously lies. “So what's your business today after this?

 

"I'll be out gathering a few alchemy ingredients and then tomorrow I'll move on." I say nonchalantly.

 

"Just be careful. No telling what's out there now that that dragons stirred things up."

 

"I was hoping for the opposite. At least for today anyway, after we cleared a path yesterday I’m betting everything is going to be quiet."

 

"I think you're right. If you need anything my sister Gerdur runs the lumber mill. I’m sure she'll help you out.”

 

“Thanks. Hopefully I won't need it and I can just pay a friendly visit next time” I say making to leave.

 

“Ah before you go can you pass Hadvar a message? Just tell him to meet me at our old spot after dark. That should be enough.” Ralof says.

 

“Easy enough. Anything else?” I ask. 

 

“You’ve done more than enough. And thanks again, I wouldn’t be standing here without you.” he says gratefully.

 

I’m not used to compliments so I hurry out just in case I’m blushing. I need to move anyway, this is an unexpected side quest I don’t have time for. Finding the forge I find Hadvar helping with the forge along with Alvor and his daughter. Not wanting to initiate an overly long conversation I wait to flag Hadvar over. After a moment he delivers a bag of coal and heads over to me.

 

“I didn’t expect to see you so soon. Is something wrong, or did you change your mind on visiting?” Hadvar asks.

 

“No, I've got a message from Ralof. He wants to meet in your old spot after dark.” I say getting to the point.

 

“Did he say why?”

 

“No but it probably had something to do with the letter you sent him.”

 

“Letter? What letter? I didn’t give him any letter.” Hadvar says confused.

 

“Your uncle gave me a letter and said it was from you to Ralof. I didn’t read it so I don’t know anything else.” I say starting to get confused.

 

“He did? But why would he… nevermind. Listen I’ve got some things to do so I’ll talk to you later. I hope that's alright.” Hadvar says.

 

“That's fine, I’ll see you later.”

 

He heads back and I nearly sprint out of town in the next moment. I wanted to be back before dark and it's almost noon already. I pass the town walls and immediately start up the mountain pass. The path has plenty of alchemical ingredients just spilling onto the road and I go to pick the most immediately useful ones to me. Touching a blue mountain flower I discovered that I don’t need to waste time picking it, as soon as I touched it I could whisk it away to my inventory. I’m now absorbing every ingredient I can recognize, even butterflies aren't safe now that I know harvesting is a breeze.

 

Aside from my ecological pillaging, the trip back to Helgen is relatively uneventful. Between the beautiful weather, gorgeous scenery, and a body that can light jog nearly indefinitely I’m having a great time. Seriously, these bodies are nuts. I tested out different paces and anything past the light jog really drains my stamina but the endurance cardio on my body is off the charts. I get hungry and thirsty at levels similar to my previous life but even when I got lost looking for the cave entrance I didn’t get fatigued.

 

I managed to find it after a minute. Going through the ruins of Helgen and its dungeon I find that as I expected no one is here. No one alive anyway. The bodies that weren’t burnt by the dragon are luckily just now starting to turn foul so the smell isn’t bad. Yet. Baby frostbite spiders are seemingly the only other living beings here, giving me the shivers as I pass their lair but fleeing at the sight of me. I summon my wolf familiar anyway, the baby spiders are still tarantula sized at the smallest.

 

I find potions, wine, gold, and some mead with juniper berry as I pillage the site up and down. I briefly consider looting equipment from bodies but it just doesn’t feel right to overly profit from a disaster. I do take a set of Stormcloak armor from Gunjar. It doesn’t feel right trying to make a profit from dead soldiers but I might need this armor to blend in later. There's an iron helmet right by a cart of smuggled wine that I snagged too. Hopefully I can find a full set before too long. The Imperial armor is nice but I’d rather not get mistaken for a soldier or accused of some kind of fraud or battlefield vulture. It is a uniform after all. I can always keep the light armor on me if I need to blend in anyway.

 

I leave Helgen behind, rich enough to afford clothes and a few more nights at an inn. The trip back is just as uneventful as the first except for when I’m hit by the call of nature. I’m learning a lot living in a land like this and today's lesson is that pine needles might smell fresh but are useless for bathroom activities.

 

I make it to the village with twilight to spare. I was hoping I’d see Hadvar or Ralof sneaking to their secret spot to spy on them but no luck. It’s late anyway and I head for the inn. Buying another night and another hot meal I settle into the main hall of the inn where I eat a version of chicken pot pie in peace.

 

Several men flirt with the trader girl from earlier in the center of the inn. The older menfolk are gathered around another table discussing the day's business and the womenfolk do the same around the inn. Stragglers like me also dot the inn, but I’m probably the only non-locale loner. The height of the night comes when one of the men flirting with the girl trips the other man with a ball of cheese. The Nord gets up off the floor, dignity and lute shattered. The wood elf who threw the cheese looks smug from his seat next to the girl.

 

I move now to my room and pull out a few books. I start with The Book of the Dragonborn. Nothing in here I didn’t already know but it’s a good refresher. If I am the Dragonborn then I might look at it again after I’ve killed a dragon. Next is the series Brief History of the Empire. It’s a dry read of what might as well be ancient history, but the books themselves are brief so it's not terrible. I have a few more books I could read but I want to get to the spell tome of Sparks before the mead puts me to sleep. 

 

Opening it up I find instructions that almost look like bullshit than a tome of magick. Apparently I was correct in my assumption that spells here are just as much instinct as they are practiced rituals. I get to the part in the book that describes specific hand motions you can use to evoke the spell when the book begins to evaporate in my hands. I was kinda expecting something like this to happen but not before I finished reading.

 

Putting will and magicka into my right palm I try and summon Sparks into my hand. Electricity crackles softly in my hand almost as easy as breathing. I put it away a second later not wanting to burn down the inn with its straw roof. I can try this tomorrow in a decidedly less flammable location. The mead is doing its job and soon I crawl under the furs of the bed this time. I discover that some of the furs are meant to act as sheets and separate you from oh-so-soft straw underneath. After cleaning a small straw mess I fall asleep anyway.

 

The next morning is even better than the last. I wake up refreshed and now am master of the out-house. I’m headed to Whiterun today. Surprisingly no one asked me to go warn the Jarl. Maybe I’m not the Dragonborn after all. Regardless I can’t stay in Riverwood forever and I should check to make sure the Jarl sends some guards to keep the town safe. I owe them that at least. 

 

Before I go I need to buy some normal clothes and test out alchemy. I decide to buy clothes on my way out of town and so while I’m still a guest of the inn I decide to use their alchemy lab. Orgnar says that since I’ve rented a room I can use the lab free of charge. 

 

I stare at the table with the realization that I have no idea what I'm doing. I know the ingredients to combine from my past life, but physically making a potion is different. I huddle over the little lab to make it seem like I'm thinking.  Which is true.

 

To my surprise I actually get a few ideas for how to proceed. I crush my ingredients in mortar and pestle and dump it out onto the center of the carved table surface. Taking the alembic I fill it with water and activate the heating element with a relatively small amount of magicka. The water distills and eventually begins to drip onto my mixture. Slowly an alchemical concoction begins to form and react with itself. I mixed monarch butterfly wings with some blue mountain flower so I should get a healing potion. The mixture changes to a red color and begins to seep into the table itself. I instinctively look under the table and there's a compartment with a small potion bottle filling up with my potion. 

 

I don't know how it got there, I only knew it would be there. The potion finishes pouring and I take a cork from an indent next to the bottle and seal the potion. I try several other options I know of and they all work in the same way. When I combine ingredients that don't react the table doesn't react and I have to clean the lab by hand.

 

I think I know why I know how to make potions. Bretons start with a small boast to their alchemy skill. Even with my mod to set all my skills to zero I still have a small amount of ability to make potions. That's probably why I couldn't lockpick back in Helgen and why when I tried to melee the Stormcloak in Helgen I got bodied. This might mean I need a foundation in a skill before I can use it. I hope adding what I think was a skill point to one handed exempts me from needing to find a trainer. Then again I did 'level up' when I shot the bear with an arrow so maybe it's only true for certain technical skills.

 

Regardless, it's time to leave Riverwood. I head past the north wall when I stop myself to look at the wall closer. There's a bee hive just like I remember hanging on the end. With just one touch of the inventory system I raid their whole kingdom. I don’t want to absorb the whole colony so I take just a few bees, spare hive husk, and some honeycomb. Feeling good about myself and my pillaging I cross the bridge out of town and start toward Whiterun. I get a few paces down the path before cartoonishly skidding to a stop.

 

I look back at the mountain.

 

I wasn’t lying when I said Bleak Falls Barrow could wait. In a normal game of Skyrim it absolutely can. But now I’m living and breathing in a real as can be Skyrim. A Skyrim seemingly based on my mods. If that's true then there's something big in the barrow. Huge. I can’t risk it getting into anyone else's hands or Nirn itself might be doomed.

 

I turn around and donn my heavy armor. Heading back to the bridge I take a right up the mountain path that will take me to the barrow. I noticed walking back from Helgen that the pass goes across twin mountain peaks that come from the same base. That might make them different mountains but that's a question for rock nerds.

 

While gaining altitude my memory says there should be a lone wolf between a large hollow tree and where the path turns towards the mountain. Turns out there's three. 

 

They don't attack like npcs, just charging the shortest line to me. Instead they're circling me, waiting to see which of my sides is most unguarded. I don't give them the chance. I summon a wolf of my own behind the wolf in front, scaring it badly enough that it almost climbs a tree sideways. The other two are not as stunned. The one to my right goes for my sword arm but I was expecting them to attack. That wolf gets a face full of sword and quickly retreats. The wolf to my left however gets my leg and tugs me to the ground. 

 

I should be more panicked but I expected this too. I couldn’t defend my left so I decided to go all out on my right. I didn’t kill that wolf but now that it’s bloodied and whimpering it can’t take advantage of me being on the ground. The other wolf still has me pinned from an awkward angle, tearing at my leg like a chew toy. I down several magicka potions and blow fire into the murder pups face.

 

So apparently I don’t need to take out potions to use them, on myself at least. I guess because they are spells I can use them at will in my inventory space. I can’t do this with other objects that I can tell, just summon them somewhere on my person. 

 

I spray fire at the offending wolf and it releases my leg. I don’t know if I can stand on it so I pop a healing potion to make sure I can. Standing up I can see that my familiar has killed the first wolf already and is chasing off the second one I bloodied earlier. The singed wolf stands its ground for a moment but runs away after I take a step forward. It’s victory for me.

 

The victory is more pyrrhic than I thought. My leg is usable but mangled. Moreover it was just three wolves and they nearly killed me. They are supposed to be the easiest enemies in the game, how am I going to fight bandits if I can’t fight a few puppies? After a few moments I heal my leg but I still feel like shit. I go to climb the mountain but now there's a soreness in my joints, even the ones not involved in the wolf attack. Climbing is uncomfortable, almost painful. I realize somethings wrong and since I can't heal it away, it’s probably a disease of some kind. I can’t tell for certain but I do know I can’t go on like this. I change into my lighter armor for now.

 

There are shrines to heal myself all the way in Whiterun but I think I might be lucky. In the game there's a hawks nest on some rocks really close to where the wolves ambushed me. If I could find some hawk feathers and then a mudcrab I could craft a cure disease potion. 

 

Luckily the rock formation is really easy to pick out. I don’t see the nest but I must be close because a hawk swoops in really close. Big mistake for the bird. With my new Sparks spell I fry the bird in one hit. Its corpse fell into the rocks so it's easy to get. Hawk feathers down.

 

The mudcrab might be tricky. I don’t remember any mudcrabs close to Riverwood but they are usually next to water and very aggressive. Forfeiting my meager climbing gains I reach the bottom and start my search on a mudbank that lies facing Riverwood from the foot of this path. A tiny mudcrab springs up from its well camouflaged spot to attack me.

 

 It can only reach my ankles but I summon my familiar to deal with it. My joints are starting to hurt and I don’t want to risk the crab pinch. 

 

That was my mistake apparently. The mudcrab in question was such a pushover that my wolf destroyed it. Mangled pieces flew into the river before I knew what was happening. What was left was indistinguishable from river gunk and floating down the river.

 

I hobble along the riverside desperately hoping to see at least a claw or another mudcrab. Every point of articulation throbs. Shouldn't a disease take more time to feel this bad? At least buy me dinner first before you fuck me.

 

I scour the riverside hoping to find anything resembling an angry decapod. The banks get rocky and unwalkable so I'm forced back to the road. Mudcrabs like mud so I'm probably not missing any but now I'm committed to this river. Going back to Riverwood just isn't an option. They have no shrines to pray at and the potions of cure disease are wildly expensive, even if they had any. I also don't think I should test my sneak skill in the only town that likes me.

 

Moreover this path is relatively safer than going up stream. Only some wolves at most. I'm still gathering alchemy ingredients as I search but with much less enthusiasm than before. The path is gently sloping down. When I get to the first bend I hear them again. Wolves.

 

I waste no time summoning my familiar and breaking out my shield. My sword is useless like I am now. Fire in hand I pop a few magicka potions and torch the shrubbery hiding my view. The surprise was enough to scatter them as I can see four beasties run from us. I order my familiar to chase them. My familiar only lasts for ten minutes so I'm gonna use her to the fullest.

 

After a few moments I hear yelping and branches breaking. Then my familiar returns with a dead wolf. This one looks like the same one whose face I slashed up earlier. Wolf packs may be larger than they appear and apparently hold grudges.

 

Winding down the path I finally get to a part where it looks like mudcrabs could live. Aching joints spurring me on I finally find one on a small mud isle and promptly zap it to death. This works much better than the familiar and now I have the chitin I need.

 

Straightening up I head back to the road and realize I can see the great city of Whiterun from here. Picture if you will a marriage of Lord of the Rings and Vikings. It's a layered cake of a city surrounded by rocky amber plains with a giant white tree at the city center. Oops.

 

Well if I'm already here I might as well say hello to the Jarl. Just a little further down and I'll have the protection of guards, shrines that hopefully heal me and a place to make this potion so I can go two steps from home without contracting the plague.

 

The final leg down is uneventful, save for the pain in my legs. The road intersects four ways at the bottom, with two separate bridges going north or west. I turn east on the only land path and leave the main river behind, now following a smaller stream than comes from Whiterun itself.

 

This road also passes a large meadery. A sign on the road reminds me that this is the Honning Brew Meadery. Outside are two guards patrolling the road. They were roughly the same garb as the Stormcloaks, except their scarf-robe is orangish yellow. 

 

"Stay out of trouble." one says.

 

I nod and continue on. I have a feeling in this life trouble will follow me. Past the meadery is farmland. Wheat, potatoes, cabbage, all the rustic staples of a winter country are growing in these fields. 

 

In one of those fields is a large person. A giant actually, who's fighting for his soon to be short life. In the game it dies almost as soon as it spawns. The Companions should be fighting it, a fighters guild exclusive to Skyrim. They really shouldn't need my help at all and I'm not interested in meeting them just yet.

 

I achily plow on ahead and ignore the battle in the field. The four fighting the giant barley come up to it's waste but they should be the fighters in Skyrim. There's a boom and some light debris actually makes it to the road. That's pretty impressive from this distance so I have to watch now. A body comes flying on the road next. An thick Imperial female rolls onto the road and stops with a groan. I hobble over to her as fast as my joints will let me but it looks like I was worried for nothing. She's already on her feet before I can get there. 

 

"Are you okay?" I ask anyway.

 

"Yeah just gimme a minute." she says out of breath. "Bastard got a cheap shot on me…Aw man they already got him."

 

I look back and the big boy is folded over. There  are two more fighters who are already cleaning up. The woman runs towards them and I decide to skedaddle before Alea, one of the other fighters, comes to chastise me for not helping like she would have in the game. I don't need that right now. It's more of a hobble than anything else but they don't bother me. 

 

I've left the battlefield behind and coming into view are the stables. Skyrim's horses are stout hearty things bred for the rugged terrain of the land. It's more populated here, the stables are within spitting distance of the gate. There’s no traffic going in and out of the main gate but guards and other ordinary folk are going about their day. Interestingly there seems to be a camp just outside the first gate.

 

My brain reminds me that the Khajitt exist. Cat people who in Skyrim operate several trading caravans. They’re outside because the Nords won't allow them in any city in Skyrim, at least not as a group. There are a handful of other Khajitt if I remember right but they aren't loved in Skyrim and easily receive the least attention in the game out of all the races. I don’t want to stare but I do give a glance as I pass. They are more or less as I remember, humanoids with different big cat faces. I don’t have much coin so I move through the first gate.

 

I imagine that in its heyday the outer walls would be an impressive site to behold. Now in this state of decline I feel more like I'm visiting a heritage site. The guards aren't even posted on the walls anymore, instead they stand on wooden platforms to avoid the crumbling stone work. The first gate doesn’t even have a gate anymore, rusty hinge marks are all that remains to hint at it's purpose. 

 

Even if there were a door it wouldn't matter much. The surrounding wall is barely waist high anymore. The drawbridge through the second gate looks maintained at least, although that's probably mandatory given the stream. Finally I make it to the final gate separating the city from the outside. It’s properly impressive at least and looks big enough for the giant I saw earlier to comfortably pass through. The walls attached to this gate are the primary walls for the city and although crumbling in spots are not in the same state of disrepair as the preliminary one's I walked past a moment ago. In front of the gate are six guards with orange sashes like the one's before. One of them with their signature closed helm splits from conversation to regard me. 

 

“Halt. City’s closed with the dragons about. Official business only.”