Traveling through The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

Lund's letter explained that Granite Village had been repeatedly sacked by the Reach Tribe and nearby bandits, resulting in the deaths of over a dozen people and the loss of a significant amount of food and seed. As a last resort, he used my seal to request assistance from the Companions and the Bireguchi Orc Tribe, and requested the return of Masinissa and his men. Meanwhile, Floki the Sharp Sword and Avustern of the Greymane Clan arrived with their respective teams to provide support, ultimately stabilizing the situation and preventing further damage.

"Didn't your Excellency say that the Reach Tribe was your ally?"

This unlucky woman! If there weren't so many people on the boat, I would keep you from getting off the boat all day!

Irina and Stein were left behind to escort the supplies, while Lei Mei and I took four oarsmen and set off in a small boat.

The rebuilt location of Granite Village is further north than the original one, and has theoretically entered the sphere of influence of the Snowman Territory.

The Rift Mountains, extending from the Reach, the Bireguch Mountains to the northwest of Falkreath, and the Blacksing Mountains to the south of Whiterun, push out a single, precipitous peak directly east of Sungarden Fortress: Granite Mountain. Directly south of the mountain is the official road to Whiterun, the same route Helgi and I took to escape. South of the road, a flat plain marks the site of the village.

A short distance east of here, you'll find another official road to the town of Loristed. This road, crossing a broken hilly valley, continues north for most of the day until you reach the northeastern foot of Granite Mountain, the site chosen by Lund for his new village. Here, the terrain is open, with vast plains stretching east and north to the Sleeping Tree and the Gray Swamp Mountains. There's also a lake, formed by the confluence of several valley streams, that may cover more than a thousand acres.

Whether considering land reclamation and construction, or the idea of ​​establishing a checkpoint to collect tolls, the new site is clearly superior to the old one. This location would perfectly sever the connection between Loristed and Whiterun, practically slapping Balgruuf right in the face. I was initially apprehensive, fearing Dragonsreach would object and perhaps even challenge control. However, Danger strongly supported this, believing that for the time being, Balgruuf's primary focus would be on the Pale Plains.

On the other hand, the old village site was a valley surrounded by mountains. As long as the east and west entrances were blocked, it was safe. The new site, though backed by mountains and near water, offered no strategic location to defend. Unfortunately, I was a lone commander, lacking sufficient troops. And now, before my newlywed wife had even warmed up to the warmth, my home was robbed. What's unacceptable is that the first to attack were the Rich people, whom I considered allies!

After passing through a pine-lined, rocky canyon, the view suddenly opened up. Hrata waited by the roadside, driving an ox cart. He led us past cultivated fields and directly to the shack where Lund was temporarily working. My initial observation suggested the situation was relatively stable; the villagers were busy and engaged, not the chaotic scene I'd imagined. Besides Red Guards and Nords, a few orcs were patrolling the village.

The information Lund brought me was more comprehensive and detailed. Under his guidance, Ariana and Hrata led the refugees in rebuilding their village, distributing land and seeds according to population. As a veteran of the battlefield, Lund certainly wouldn't neglect defense.

"Considering water resources and the transportation of supplies, I decided to build the main part of the village on the official road. This way, the village is bordered by the lake to the west and surrounded by earthen slopes on three other sides. I originally planned to build a wooden wall, but manpower and supplies were limited, and we had to rush to organize spring plowing, so I simply set up a watchtower on the earthen slope. I neglected the security on the lake, which was my mistake. The Reachmen attacked our camp at night on simple rafts and stole a lot of food."

In my opinion, his choice wasn't a big deal. The granite mountains were steep and abrupt, making them unsuitable for camping. We had plenty of supplies, and camping on the official road near a water source was logistically convenient while also avoiding the risk of becoming a Ma Su.

"When did this happen? Does Moira know?"

"Eighteen days ago. Only about twenty people arrived. They didn't touch bricks or wood, only stole food. The Reach Tribe has a habit of plundering the weak, and the matriarch always condones this. The ones who attacked us were most likely the Flying Bear Tribe, who live in the valley west of Granite Mountain. I was worried about another incident, so I asked for help from the Orc Tribe and the Companions in your name. Five days ago, a group of bandits indeed arrived from the north, but thanks to the timely arrival of reinforcements, there were no major casualties."

"Do you know where this bear tribe's lair is?"

"I've been there once. They used to be a large tribe in the upper reaches of the Kas River. At their peak, they had three to four hundred people, and their strength was not much different from that of the Snake Cliff Ridge Tribe. Now, there are less than seventy people left, and they are severely weakened. Last winter, they also participated in the defense of the city. Among the warriors trained by Miss Lydia, three were from the Flying Bear."

Lai Mei's face was as gloomy as water.

"Don't ever say that I trained them again. It damages my reputation."

I raised my head and glanced at her. Lai Mei curled her lips in annoyance.

"Those Reachmen don't deserve to be called warriors! Even Whiterun's new recruits wouldn't be so useless on the battlefield, let alone rob like bandits..."

She seemed to realize that the person sitting in front of her was once "a bandit", and she swallowed the second half of the sentence.

"If you bring all the troops in the village, are you sure you can eliminate this den of bears?"

Lydia nodded heavily.

"Then go discuss the specific plan with Masinissa and the others, and set out tonight. Lund, you also prepare and lead them. Also, organize another hundred people to follow behind and move everything from the bear's den here."

"Locke, this is too risky! What if the bandits come to rob us again?"

After hearing what Lund said, Lai Mei also hesitated.

"Don't worry. Based on my experience as a bandit, they won't attack the same target repeatedly in a short period of time."

"Will we offend Moira by doing this? Should we wait until Ariana comes back?"

"No need. It's been more than half a month. She should have taken care of it long ago. If I get robbed and don't dare to fight back, how can I survive in this area in the future? Go and make arrangements. If there's still time, you can talk to me more about the bandits before we leave."

While the two were busy, I took a leisurely stroll through the village. Currently, the cultivated land is primarily distributed in the southeast, likely because the villagers are afraid of being robbed. This makes the lone house on the north shore of the lake seem even more out of place. And I've learned from Lund that this is the headquarters of the Companions.

The person assigned by Yuevaska to this location was named Nigada, a middle-aged Nord woman whose exact age I couldn't discern. She was short and muscular, yet had a baby-like face and well-maintained skin. If it weren't for the three scars running down her cheeks, she'd have a bit of a Barbie figure. Her neatly cropped hair was meticulously tucked behind her ears, revealing a hint of gray at the temples.

In the game, Nigada is a trainer of blocking skills and can also serve as a follower, making him a character with a slight presence. In the other world, Eric once mentioned that his drinking buddy Torva was competing with this person for the position of head of the Granite Village Hall.

He described Nigada as a mediocre, socially awkward, and fussy old woman. She had toiled tirelessly in the comrades' group for over a decade, achieving a mediocre position, far below the younger Wilkas brothers and even inferior to himself, a newcomer. This led many to look down on her and even deliberately instigate quarrels.

However, Eric also admitted that in the face of these challenges, Nigada won more than she lost, and her martial arts were quite solid. Even when Skoyue was alive, he had never defeated her within thirty moves.

We had met before, but we'd only exchanged a few words, let alone a close friendship, so there was no need to beat around the bush. I directly asked her if I could use the Companions' channels to learn about the latest developments in Loristed. Nigada flatly refused, citing the Prophet Krako's strict decree that Yuevaska must not participate in any form in the civil war.

I put on a smile and pleaded, explaining that my desire to gather information was driven solely by longing for and concern for my friends back home. I also repeatedly assured them that I wouldn't exploit Yuevaska's friendship and goodwill to put the comrades in a disadvantageous position. Nigada, with a stern face, promised to report to Krako and then respond based on the Circle's decision.

This woman, as Eric had said, was the type who couldn't chat at all. Like a robot, she recounted the agreement she had reached with Lund, such as the rent for the land, and the commission I, the landlord, would receive for any work completed there. These details were all precedented, something Lund had only mentioned briefly in his report, but Nigada solemnly laid them out point by point.

Of course, I have no interest in this. My purpose for this trip has been largely achieved: to create the illusion that the Companions are passing me a message. As for the specifics of the message, I'm indifferent. Combined with my reputation as a "Friend of Yuevaska," I hope to deter those who might be secretly plotting against me. Whether these little tricks will work remains to be seen, but I don't want to sit idly by and wait for death. I have to do something while I'm most vulnerable.

At dinnertime, everyone regrouped in the shack. Lemi, commanding a battle independently for the first time, continued to discuss tactics during the meal. Using the table as a sandbox, she used fish bones to simulate the various squads, and invited Masinissa, Avustern, and Floki to analyze possible scenarios, much to their dismay.

At Rund's insistence, the five orcs he had invited were allowed to remain in the village. Four of them were old acquaintances of mine, the same veterans captured by the Reach Tribe. For orcs, defeat is humiliating, but capture is even more humiliating. And once captured, they often spill the beans, revealing all the tribe's secrets... As you can imagine, these four men's reputations were inevitably tarnished, even after they helped Chief Kruger recover the blacksmith.

The four of them discussed privately and decided to become city orcs, leaving the tribe to explore the world. Coincidentally, Lund requested support from Chief Kruger at this time, so they volunteered and came to Granite Village. The oldest of them, Rohag, was thirty-two years old, in the prime of life for a Nord, but already middle-aged for an orc. Another, Gornisson, was twenty-eight. These two were the same ones who had gone with me to the Bloodthrone to lead the troops. The remaining two were young men in their early twenties.

The fifth person accompanying them was Gunnesson's half-sister. Of course, given the orcs' gregarious lifestyle, members of the same tribe were often related, though they didn't really care. Gunnesson's mother served two chiefs and had many children, but the siblings had little affection for each other.

This woman, named Granche, was said to be quite pretty even from an orc's perspective. Chief Kruger had originally intended to give her to Chief Boguk of the Dushnik Yar tribe as a concubine. However, a misunderstanding between the two families led to a bitter separation, and the gift was never delivered.

But the Bireguchi tribe already considered Granche Boguk's woman. In orcish tradition, wives and concubines were considered the chief's private property. To touch another's private possessions would inevitably invite retaliation, especially since the chief was the head of a large tribe, a ruthless figure capable of killing his own father with a single axe. Who would dare to provoke him? Even if Boguk died, Granche would be considered part of his estate, inherited by the new chief.

As her father, Chief Kruger clearly wasn't going to bother currying favor with Boguk anymore, nor was he bothered to address Granche's predicament. To the orc chief, a daughter was merely a gift, a loss of money, not worth the bother, especially since he already had more than one. So, Granche bribed Gonisson with a fine machete in exchange for his brother taking her out of the tribe.

Lund was always worried that the bandits would come back to wreak havoc on the village, because their last action was interrupted by the timely arrival of reinforcements, and they only took away three villagers and some easily transported supplies.

"Those bandits also arrested people? Why?"

"Isn't that surprising? Isn't that how you met Lady Rigel? They're either here to extort ransom or simply to capture a few slaves. Forty or fifty people came last time, but they didn't get much. What if these guys are unwilling to give up and are hiding nearby to scout? These orcs are very conspicuous. You can let them wander around and bluff them."

According to Lund's idea, he wanted to keep the equally conspicuous Red Guards as well, but in order to ensure the success of Lei Mei's bear hunt, I rejected his suggestion.

At nightfall, Lydia led the group along the lakeshore, disappearing into the twilight. I, rifle in hand, slipped into the Companions' quarters. Looking east from the window, I could see the watchtower Lund had erected north of the village. Ever since the bear tribe attacked, the wooden tower had been unmanned. But now, two torches illuminated the top floor, and from my vantage point, I could clearly make out a helmeted guard.

That is a scarecrow I made myself.

"Your Excellency really thinks this crude bait will catch any fish?"

Nigada sat across from me, examining a shield over and over again. She'd been fiddling with it for two hours; I'm afraid there wasn't even a hair left on it. Judging from her tone, she was quite displeased with my late-night visit. But her sect was on my territory, after all, so out of courtesy, she had to bite the bullet and accompany me.

"I hope nothing will bite, but accidents are inevitable, so I have to be prepared. Oh, by the way, you don't have to stay with me. I plan to stay here all night."

Nigada said coldly, "Go ahead," and turned away.