20th of Last Seed
(Finally ask someone for the date. Hopefully I can remember what day it is as I write here.)
I headed East from Whiterun sticking to the roads. Once across the bridge I was on my own with no town guards in sight. That was when I had my first encounter with an atronach. It was burning someone in black robes. The individual did not last long and soon fell to the constant fireballs. I readied my ice spike and sent it flying at the atronach. It went down in a single hit, gave off a dying blast and then rolled down a cliff. I hurried over, but could not see an easy way down to where it’s body lay. So then I searched for the fellow it had killed. Again, no luck. I gave up and set off for my original goal.
A wolf or two down the road I found the towers. They stretched into the sky, a long narrow bridge connecting them spanned across the river. I steeled myself against the coming battle. The bounty wanted heads, not prisoners. Then I moved forward to the front door.
I was surprised to find it completely unguarded. Then I noticed a flash of movement down the road. Seemed the lookout decided to take advantage of a deer straying too close and was busy putting down the creature. It didn't take long and I realized I had squandered my crucial advantage as the lookout noticed me and charged forward. It took me 3 spikes to drop the bandit. Not a good start. This also alerted every other bandit that I was here and meant business. I crashed through the door and charged up the stairs. An archer on the bridge loosed an arrow as I stuck my head out the exterior door. She went down with just two spikes. Then I was retreating down the way I had come. Two large and rather angry bandits were charging across the bridge with weapons designed to crush me like a melon.
About this time I wondered if I had bitten off more than I could chew. I retreated while spraying frost behind me. The first brute staggered and fell as he was coming down the stairs. The second, much tougher, followed me down and readied his weapon. But my ice was having its full effect and he could barely move. The crusted ice on his thick armor and numb muscles kept him from reaching me. At the very limit of my reserves he dropped to his knee and I finished him, encrusting him with frost. I headed back upstairs and finished off an archer at the top of the tower. Then I noticed another archer sending arrows my way across the river. He sent an arrow into my shoulder as I crossed the bridge to deal with him. I mentally forced the pain out of my mind, ensuring myself that I would heal it in a moment. Stepping from the tower I built an ice spike with both hands and sent it into the bandit’s chest. He was dead before he hit the ground.
I looted what I could and trudged back up the path to town. Time to collect my reward. I was quickly sidetracked by a path with ancient stone post and lintels. Intrigued I headed to the top. On the small stone hilltop I found nothing. . .except a necromancer. He showed me first hand what it is like to be on the receiving end of ice magic. I felt sluggish even as I countered his blasts of frost with my own. In the end, I proved to be the stronger mage and he succumbed to the icy fingers of death. But his summoned minions, ignored for the main battle, did not dissolve upon his death. 2 skeletons, with nothing but killing on their minds. . .or do they have minds? What gave them purpose? With the necromancer dead, why did they still move and exist?
I’d like to say I killed them out of concern for the people of Whiterun. To keep two sets of magical bones from rampaging across the countryside. But no, I killed them out of fear for my own life. They went down easy enough. Perhaps the death of the mage had weakened them considerably, or maybe they were just weak to begin with. The one person who probably knew is frozen solid on that hilltop.
I headed back toward the town, determined not to get distracted again. That was when I noticed something entirely peculiar. Down the road in pretty much the same spot as before were an atronach and a person in dark robes doing battle. Was I hallucinating? Perhaps this was part of my mental affliction I suffered a couple days ago? As I neared them the person once again fell to the atronach’s flames. And once again I killed the atronach with an ice spike. But this time they had not slid down the cliff.
Based on the clothing and possessions of the woman (for that was what she was) I determined that she must have been a practicing witch. Perhaps she had summoned the atronach and lost control of it? But why would the scene play out like a mirror image of what I had witnessed on passing the opposite way? I left their bodies there and made good time back to Whiterun.
More items sold, a bounty collected, chastised by the mage, and a new spell. This time a strictly utilitarian spell. It unlocks simple locks. I was eager to try it out, so I set out from Dragonsreach.
Now I haven’t mentioned this fellow before, mostly because I do my best to ignore him. But that is becoming harder each time I pass. Whiterun has a statue to talos which I am forced to pass by every time I enter Dragonsreach. As sick as that makes me, all this worship of a man as a god, there is a “priest” who stands there all day. Now he doesn't politely try to talk to people about his false god. He doesn't simple preach about talos to those who will listen. No! This “priest” shouts at the top of his lungs so practically the entire town can hear him. I had half a mind to ice his mouth shut when passing this last time. I’ve not really considered murder since waking up several days ago, but if I decide to take it up as a profession this guy it on the top of my list.
I still had time though it was mid-afternoon. So I made my way back to the towers I had just cleared. Now some might think I am losing my mind. . .indeed, I wonder myself if I am, but there on the road was an atronach and a witch battling same as before. She dropped and I killed the atronach. Perhaps someone is playing a trick on me? I checked the witch and verified that she was indeed dead - though perhaps there is a magic to make one appear dead? I had no idea how to determine if the atronach was truly dead. I pretty much assume that it is once it stops moving. I glanced around but there didn't appear to be anyone in sight. Perhaps it was just the strangest coincidence. Come to think of it, I never checked for the bodies of the previous victims. Perhaps they were the same two, playing this little charade out for every passerby?
I made my way to the tower without further incident and opened the locked chest that was there. Not bad, some 50 coins or so. The sun was still up so I headed back up the road. The smuggler’s camp on the other side of Whiterun had a locked chest. Thankfully, there was no atronach or witch as I passed the location once more. Must have been a trick.
I made it to the smuggler’s camp and cast the spell on the locked chest. No luck. The lock must have been too complex. Instead, three bandits charged up from behind me. I wheeled around to defend myself but it is already too late. The first was a mage and he was already coating me with frost. My muscles went numb and in a panic I turned to run. It was like a nightmare where your legs just won’t seem to work properly. I managed to stay just out of reach of a bandit carrying a large battlehammer, but that was about it. My strength drained, my life ebbing away, and death two steps behind me I began to prepare for the inevitable.
Then, across the hill I heard a shout. Ahead of me, like a golden beacon of hope rushed a young man, sword in hand. He flung himself at the two weapon-wielding bandits while I used the distraction to my advantage and spun to attack the mage. Two hits and the mage when down like a sack of grain. The other two had turned back toward me and I dropped the first before he could reach me. The other I doused with ice until my magicka was spent, then I dodged, weaved, and rolled until I had gathered some back and was able to finish him off.
I turned to thank my savior and saw his body lying in the grass. The young man had given his life for me. A stranger. Without hesitation. Without regret. Who am I that I deserve such consideration from another? I don’t deserve it. Nothing I have done warrants it. And nothing I can do will take it back. I don’t really have the words. . .
I left the young man lying there in the grass. I was in too much shock to think to bring his body back to town or even honor it in some way. As I think back now I wish I had done something. Even though it wouldn't have equaled what he did for me. Perhaps I will go there tomorrow, if wild animals haven’t dragged him off, and properly honor him.
The fight had put me close to the camp I had cleared out this morning with all the mammoth tusks. I remembered a chest I could not open inside the cavern so I headed there hoping that I could make it back to town before nightfall.
I was trudging back to town with another 50 coins or so as the sun was just touching the mountains. I managed to get to the shopkeepers before they closed up for the night and then endured yet another berating by the court mage and verbal abuse from the “priest” before stopping at the inn. Another frost spell. I couldn't stop myself. This one could prove useful as it allows me to cast it and then cast another frost spell at the target to stumble them.
Tomorrow I will head out to where I left the young man. Then I plan to head to another bandit camp where a fellow in town said his father’s sword is. We didn't really negotiate a price on my recovering it so I hope he doesn't try to back out of paying me.
