Exploring Whiterun

  

I wake up feeling refreshed and eager to explore this new city and its surrounding area. 

Breakfast is small but nourishing and while I eat Hulda tells me about some available work if I am interested, chopping wood, seems like they get through a lot every night lighting the fires for warmth and cooking. Good, at least I can earn some coin this way if nothing else comes along. 

After some more conversation the topic of food preparation comes up and Hulda offers to give me some basic cooking lessons.

I accept. 

After trying my hand at making a few basic meals, have to watch the salt, I decide it’s time to explore outside and maybe earn some money.

Outside the inn is the market area I passed yesterday.

Passing through it I locate the chopping block nearby and spend a few hours at my task. 

I return the wood to Hulda and she pays me, around mid-morning I head out of the city to explore the farms I saw the previous day.

As I guessed all the farmers seem to have the same problem as Gilfre, no workers. They have all left to join the war. 

I agree to help the farmers out for some gold coin and additional supplies.

Harvesting wheat, gourds and leeks for Alfhild.

The next farm I come to, the same situation, this time I collect potatoes and cabbages for Severio Pelagia.

I also take the time to use a nearby tanning rack to make some leather from the pelts I have in my pack.

Around mid-day I rest up in some shade and enjoy a small meal and some ale. Admiring the view I imagine that I could get used to living here. 

Another thought still going around in my head though is that no one seems to recognize me.

I head back to the city and continue my exploration. I start with the first building I come to as I enter Whiterun, the blacksmith.

After a friendly greeting I ask about the war and the problems with supplies, Adrienne basically repeats what I overheard her say yesterday. 

I ask if she needs any help around the forge. 

‘Have I ever used a forge before’ she asks sceptically.

‘Never’! I reply. 

Adrienne sizes me up and deciding to be helpful offers to show me the basics. I accept gratefully, can’t ever have too many skills.

I learn how to forge a simple iron dagger and then temper it. Amazing!

I can see Adrienne is less enthusiastic about my skill but she is too kind to say so. 

I purchase some iron ingots from her and have a few more tries, each dagger an improvement on the previous one. 

Watching me carefully Adrienne offers encouragement and tells me with time and effort I could be a good smith, I flash her my best smile, not believing a word of it.

Probably feeling sorry for me Adrienne agrees to pay me for the daggers I just made. Maybe my smile worked after all.

As I take my leave, Adrienne asks if I am going up to the Castle on the Hill. 

‘Why?’ I reply. 

She needs a favour, will I take a sword she made for the Jarl and deliver it to her father, the Steward?

I agree happily, after all she has taught me so much already.

I make my way to the castle and locate the Steward Proventus Avenicci.

I introduce myself and give him the sword from Adrienne. He thanks me politely and gives me a small reward. 

‘Take a drink of wine before you leave’ he says briskly. 

I accept and remark upon how friendly the people in Whiterun are. 

Proventus gives me a polite smile but clearly he is a busy man, thanking him for the wine I take my leave.

Its mid-afternoon and I pass the Hall of the Legendary Companions; everybody seems to be talking about their deeds. 

I don’t think I need to be going in there, I am no hero.

Further along I enter the market area. 

I come across Anoriath, the drunken brother who put an arrow in the nether regions of Elrindir. He is selling the game from his hunting forays. I don’t stand too close as he cuts up the deer’s carcass on his stall table, I am afraid he might just slip and put that knife in my nether regions!

I hurriedly move on.

I check out the General Store owned by Belethor.

I sell him the two books I don’t want and pass the time of day.

Next I enter the Alchemist Shop.

Arcadia, the owner, seems to think I am deathly pale and wants to sell me some concoction or other as a cure.

I politely decline and inform her that we Nords are pale by nature. Arcadia does not seem convinced.

She goes on to tell me about her wares and how easy it is to mix up potions if you know the recipes. 

Intrigued I encourage her to tell me more, Arcadia, warming up to my charm, does even better and offers to show me some of the basics.

I make a restore health potion and I see the same look in her eye that I saw in Adrienne the smith’s eye. Undeterred I mix up a few more potions and to my surprise Arcadia offers me a few gold coins for them. 

I purchase some more ingredients from her and have another go. This time I keep the potions.

 Its closing time and I head back to the inn.

This has been a wonderful day!

I order some food and mead as usual from Hulda and taking a seat with the other patrons I listen to Mikael, the bard, sing. 

I can’t help but notice that the bard is leering at a woman sitting nearby; she is clearly uncomfortable with the situation. 

This is not right; I go over to the woman and ask her if everything is okay.

 

Carlotta, battling to keep her anger in check, tells me that as a single mother men tend to force their attentions on her and the worst one of all is Mikael the bard.

I am not a hero but I can’t stand by idly and allow this to go on, so I offer to speak to the bard on her behalf.

I walk over to Mikael, doing my best to look fearsome, I firmly advise him to lay off Carlotta and treat women with more respect.

Mikael just laughs at me, standing up he confronts me.

‘Are you going to stop me?’  He sneers? 

‘If I have to, I will’. I growl back.

Seeing an opportunity Mikael takes a clumsy swipe at me, I manage to avoid the punch and a brawl ensues. 

‘Fight’ the patrons shout! Gathering around us to watch.  

After we trade blows I land one square on his jaw and he goes down in a heap. 

‘Enough’ Mikael begs! 

 ‘Leave Carlotta alone and this will be the end of it’ I command.

Mikael gives his oath, it will have to do. 

Carlotta runs over and hugs me, ‘Thank you’, ’Thank you’ she says over and over. 

‘No problem’ I reply, ‘what is right is right’.

Carlotta hands over a tidy sum of gold and begs me to take it; I accept reluctantly brushing a trickle of blood away from the corner of my mouth. 

Wow! What a day.

Content I head for my room and bed, before falling asleep, I realize something about myself, I am one of the good guys. 

It’s Middas, 11:18 pm, 20^th of Last Seed.