UJON Book One, Part Two, In Which The Walls Begin Speaking

• Posted by Gnewna May 4, 2015 - Filed in TSC: Skyrim - #Altmer  #long  #Skyrim  #Requiem  #UJON  - 1,482 views

  23^rd of Last Seed

   

  Well, the inn in Windhelm is certainly more grand than the Bannered Mare, but the floors are cold and the bed is itchy. Arissa’s gone to “stay with a friend”, which I think means pass out on the floor of that dingy little corner club, so it’s just me and this Rumarin fellow. Thankfully, he has a bedroll and has actually managed to fall asleep already. I can tell, because he’s stopped boasting and started snoring. On the way back to Riverwood yesterday morning, we came across a horse, standing by his dead master (another bandit). The two of us managed to ride him all the way to Whiterun (left Gorr in the Sleeping Giant), sold off everything we’d collected to the Khajiit, and set off for Winterhold. Evidently we haven’t quite made it there yet, but I’m starting to nod off, so I’ll write more in the morning. 

   

   

  24^th Last Seed, morning

   

  Can’t sleep, so I’ve just finished the Healing Hands book I bought from Wuunferth, the court mage. Much more my sort than that Farengar, even if he is a Nord. Reminds me a little of a tutor I once had, Calcelmo. Grumpy old coots, although I suppose Wuunferth might actually be younger than me. It’s so hard to tell with humans, they weather so poorly. He offers Destruction training, I don’t have the funds at the moment, but I may well take him up on it when I do. I’ve got a few ideas for making the money I need, but for now I want to get up to Winterhold to see what this College is like. We were trying to find our way there yesterday, but unfortunately it’s rather difficult to read a map in a snowstorm, and my horse was killed by a sabre cat, poor creature. We went entirely the wrong way, which was how we ended up meeting this Rumarin, and after an hour or so trying to figure out the way, he insisted we head to Windhelm to wait out the storm. 

   

  I was surprised to find there are actually a number of Altmer living here, a young merchant, just arrived from Alinor, a couple who run the stables, and an elderly alchemist. I ended up offering to go into another of these dratted Nord tombs for him, although I will admit I’m actually quite intrigued. I remember reading about Curalmil’s White Phial decades ago, I’m sure it’s a wild goose chase, but imagine if it’s not! I’m getting too helpful for my own good, though, I also promised to help out a Dunmer in the slums, fool bought a stolen ring, belonging to one of the local Nord women. Of course if she gets wind of it being in Dunmer hands, he’ll be in real trouble. I’m not greatly fond of Dunmer, but I’ll still take them over Nords, any day. Time to wake Rumarin, I think, and hope that the storm is over.

   

   

  27^th Last Seed

   

  Well, thankfully we asked around before heading off, because the most likely looking route to Winterhold is blocked by a fort full of outlaw mages, or some such thing. Neither Rumarin nor I have a single piece of magic resist gear, and so far my Spellshield potions are near-worthless. Arissa wouldn’t fare quite so badly, but as far as I know, Imperials don’t actually have any special immunities to magic, so all in all, best avoided. I shall have to keep a look out for potions and gear in the shops. More to add to the list. Still haven’t thought of a way to safely contact Saltar. In any case, we made it to Winterhold, half-frozen, thanks to the extended journey, but alive. I am now officially a Student of Magic. Except the College is not in session at the moment, I was asked to return on the fifteenth of Frostfall for the first lecture, but I have full access to the facilities until then, and space to store some belongings.

   

  Walked back to Windhelm this morning, dealt with Sadri’s little problem, then took the carriage to Riften. My mother would be… actually, probably rather amused, to learn that I am now a member of the Thieves’ Guild. It’s not exactly an impressive setup, but I’m in it for the money, not the bed in the sewers. I’ve been given a couple of assignments in Whiterun, I’m getting rather good at picking locks, although I may need to ask Delvin for some training in moving stealthily, especially with all the wooden floors in Whiterun. Cleared a fort of bandits this afternoon, and we’re on our way back to Windhelm. Got chased up a path by a pack of wolves, and found an abandoned mine at the top of it, complete with skeleton guards… Funny place for a mine, halfway up a mountain, but anyway, it turned out to be a sort of passage up to this rather beautiful overlook.

   

  We’ve set up camp for the night, the others are asleep, but I’m… a little shaken. There’s a sort of wall thing, I can’t tell if it’s carved out of the existing rock or if it was somehow brought up here. Anyway, it’s got these strange symbols carved into it, it’s not Daedric, or any script I recognise, but somehow it… Spoke to me? I don’t mean in an artistic sense. I mean I could hear a low murmur as we came out into the evening light. One particular group of symbols seemed to be glowing, but I don’t think the others could tell, or could hear anything. As I got closer, the glow became almost unbearably bright, my head started swimming, and the murmur grew into a chanting. I think I kept my composure, but it was all I could do not to swoon. And then it was gone. 

   

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