Journal of Avidius the Wood Elf 5: Hard work for big  rewards

• Posted by Morning Mist Hanrui November 7, 2012 - 800 views

  Woah, buying a house wasn’t as easy as I thought. It is just that typical Nord hassle they make out of everything to make them look more important. Well, it doesn’t work for me. I know what they are...
  
  I walked to Laila Law-Giver the Jarl of Riften to announce that I’m willing to buy that slightly decayed house they call Honeyside. The honoured Thane noted that she can’t sell the property to someone who doesn’t have earned his good reputation among her people; that I should help somebody.
  
  - Like who? I asked thunderstruck.
  
  - Anyone, she sniffed, you can start with Wujeeta, she has some serious problems with prohibited substances.
  
  I was deeply astonished and offended as I went to look for the woman. She suffered from skooma-addiction and wanted a healing potions for a change, so I involuntarily handed one over. Those are not cheap but I was kind of glad the task was a short one. How wrong I was!
  I dawdled back to Mistveil keep.
  
  - I’ve cured your beloved citizen from her ill habits, I announced in front of the Jarl.
  
  - So it was skooma, right, the Jarl asked. And how did Wujeeta obtained it?
  
  How would I know?! Well long story short, the Jarl sent me on a mission to hunt down some skooma traders. I would have got myself killed if there wasn’t my new friends in the Guild. They have trained me for situations like these. I must say they have most peculiar rituals for training: first they ask for a ridiculous amount of gold, I pretend to hand it over and they pretend not to notice when I take it back. But they seem to enjoy this game, so I’m not complaining.
  
  And their training in sneak and archery was a lifesaver for me in Cragslane Cave. I silently slipped into the cave, sneaked to first stony hall and fired my bow to nearest of targets. Then I noisily ran towards the door, but stayed in the shadows and watched as they run past me. After a while they came back furious and suspicious. This went on and on, until there were not many left. I must say they started to get quite paranoid.
  
  The last one was the barkeeper of the secret gamblers’ inn. He wasn’t fooled anymore and came straight toward me. And that was the moment I almost got myself killed. A few lucky hits and a bear trap he accidentally stepped into, and he was lying in my feets silently. Like all the others. I haven’t seen so many dead in my life.
  
  After this bloody adventure The Jarl of Riften didn’t have any reason to stop me to purchase the house. And she pointed a housecarl named Iona to look after it. Honeyside isn’t so bad, after all. Warmness of the fireplace will banish that wet smell. And it has handy doorway outside of the city, if need arises.
  
  After spending some weeks to tend my wounds, I’m now on my way to Solitude to ask Taarie to marry me. I’m dressed up in finest of clothes (the ones she gave me), and I have a decent place of my own. She just can’t say no.