Traveling through The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

Irina didn't sleep well all night; she seemed genuinely terrified. But the next day, she mustered her strength and came to the government hall with me.

Both Leigh and Lund were against me going to deliver the message alone, believing that even if I insisted on going in person, I should bring enough guards.

“I don’t have anyone else I can use. Hayo and Lahlan aren’t here, and you all have things to do. It’s just delivering a letter, no problem, and besides, I have a guide.”

My plan is to take Esmoridae's apprentice hostage as soon as I enter the Blacklight Tower, and then team up with Iya. Even if we fail to send her mother to her grave, it shouldn't be too difficult for us to escape unscathed.

"It's precisely because there's a guide that it's dangerous. How can you trust that monster's disciple, sir? It would be safer if I went in your place."

"Who will train the troops if you go? Will we still be able to wipe out the bandits? My biggest business is still in someone else's hands. Let me tell you, Lydia, you're not going anywhere for the next twelve months."

"Eric. Go find Eric and have him go with you."

“Great idea. Lund, make a note of this for me. Once your Nari is pregnant, I’ll definitely send you to Esville Province so you can experience the exotic locales.”

After much persuasion, I finally managed to calm these two powerful figures down, and I was even a little hoarse. Why couldn't I muster even a fraction of the domineering, authoritative aura of a CEO? These underlings are all so opinionated, and every time they try to get to the bottom of things, it's like a heated debate with a group of scholars. And look at this woman sitting at the table, her face full of worry, as if she's inevitably going to be a widow.

"Everyone is thinking about the safety of the adults, so why do you refuse? The adults are our pillars of support, and we must not put ourselves in danger."

I wasn't worried about a hothead like Lai Mei starting a fight with my little Iya the moment she walked in. Besides, if I really brought a huge horde, like locusts swarming across the land, what would the Lord of Rift think, given our current status? We have to consider the feelings of our allies, right? But what could I say? I couldn't exactly tell Irina that I have a third eye, that I can predict the future, and that I know there's a powerful figure helping me in the Blacklight Tower.

"If you're still sleepy, go back and get some more sleep. There's nothing you absolutely have to do today. Don't worry, my dear sister, your man has some self-protection skills."

I've never called Irina "sister" before; I always address her by her first name. But today, the way I addressed her seemed to work quite well. The woman's face regained some color, her eyelids lowered, and she nodded slightly. So, it seems couples should occasionally add a little romance to their relationship. Judging by this, there's going to be a treat tonight.

And that was settled. Irina took a nap, and after lunch, she busied herself preparing my gear for the trip.

A spear and a sword leaned against the corner, a bow and a quiver of arrows hung on the wall, and a thick sheepskin blanket lay on the ground.

On a small cabinet against the wall were two water sacks filled with malt liquor, a deerskin bag bulging with bread, an open cast-iron can stuffed with various nuts and pickled fruits, and a bundle of a dozen or so strips of smoked meat. Next to these foods lay a foot-long steel dagger.

A light yet sturdy hunting outfit was neatly folded and placed on the poor wooden table that Esmeralda had been banging on for most of the day. Irina sat upright at the table, a short cloak, a raincoat, and a cashmere hood spread on her lap. At her feet stood an oil lamp and a small half-eaten box of grease, whether it was beef tallow or bear fat, she couldn't tell.

"Sister, I'm just going to deliver a message. It'll take me at most ten days or half a month. Is it really necessary to make such a big fuss?"

I wrapped my arms around her shoulders from behind, my hands full of white pastries. Irina shuddered, blushing as she slapped my hands away.

"It's still daylight, stop fooling around."

She paused for a moment, then took off another necklace from her neck and put it in my hand.

“This is my talisman, sir. Please wear it.”

It was a Dibella amulet, not particularly fine in material or workmanship, but judging from the patina and wear, it was clearly something she had carried with her for many years. Seeing her so serious, I had no choice but to suppress my own thoughts, pull up a chair, and help her pack her things.

"Sister, can I talk to you about something?"

"Sir, please speak."

"Can you use a different form of address? Always calling me 'sir' makes me feel distant. Come on, call me 'husband' and let me hear it."

Irina rolled her eyes at me, took two coins out of her pocket, got up and opened the bedroom door.

"Little Daisy, you've been very good these past few days, here's a reward for you. Now I'm giving you half a day off to have dinner with your parents. Remember to come back before dinner tomorrow."

I had completely forgotten that there was someone in the inner room...

This Daisy was a little bear, probably only seven or eight years old, who had been sentenced to five years of hard labor. Lund thought she was honest and kind, so he assigned her to be Irina's maid. My husband and I were both kind people and lived frugally, so the child only did chores like cleaning and washing. She was quick and quiet, and I often overlooked her.

Watching the little light bulb bounce away, Irina sat resignedly on the bed. She gave up struggling, and I, in turn, wasn't in a hurry anymore; cooking was the priority. How could we have the energy to do housework if we didn't fill our stomachs?

……

Irina's hair brushed against my chest, tickling me. It's a pity that my invincible second brother, after a series of victories and the defeat of seven armies, has been driven to the brink of defeat by the cunning enemy in white, his former glory now lost. Of course, Irina is no better off than Yu Wenze; ​​she has long since abandoned her armor and begged for mercy countless times.

Those who frequently engage in battle know that the moment when both sides are at peace is precisely the time to offer advice and strategies. People tend to indulge in idle thoughts during moments of deep contemplation; otherwise, why would ancient thinkers be called sages? Although I am not a thinker, I have suddenly had some speculations.

"elder sister?"

"Ok?"

Irina's voice trembled slightly.

"Shouldn't you rest for a while, sir?"

"Ah? It's not that. I was thinking about Helgi..."

I suddenly felt a chill. Irina sat up, wrapped in a blanket, her eyes filled with grievance and anger.

"What are you thinking? That's my sister."

"You two aren't even blood siblings!"

"Oh, no, let me explain. That Helgi, she's a magical genius. All the mages we've met are vying to take her as their disciple, do you understand what I mean?"

Judging from her action of wiping away tears with the blanket, Irina clearly didn't understand. I tried to hug her, but she pushed me away.

"Don't cry. Think about it first, why did Esmeralda change his attitude as soon as he saw you, and why did he insist that I deliver the letter in person?"

"My lord's will... Ah!"

"Call husband."

Irina sulked and bit her lip, remaining silent, but at least she returned half of the blanket to me.

That old witch wanted to lure me away from my prey; she must have been after Irina's talent. After all, my wife was once chosen by Dibella as a favored daughter of the gods, so she must have some extraordinary abilities. Otherwise, she should be like me, brushing past all sorts of gods and demons, like strangers. So she devised a wicked plan, luring me to the Blacklight Tower to kill me, and then trying to abduct my widow.

By the moonlight, I carefully examined Irina's delicate face. It was hard to imagine that her charming, delicate nose turning into a large, hooked nose, and I seriously doubted that her small face could accommodate such a large nose...

"My lord...husband...please let go of my hand first."

I pointed to my chest. Irina sighed softly and leaned closer. With just a slight tightening of my fingers, she became as docile as a rabbit. I had to admit, I seemed to understand old Nepomuk's happiness a little better now.

You know, a person can't have any worries. Back in the day, I could venture alone into the Jerol Mountains with just an iron dagger in my pocket. Now, it's all messengers, delivering messages, and I have to think it over and over, trying to be absolutely sure of everything. But is there anything foolproof in this world? I've never succeeded at it. Every time, I plan meticulously, but the first step I take goes astray.

In any case, the necessary preparations still need to be made.

This place is too close to Sunshine Garden Fortress, and our strongest fighter, Lydia, is too busy. If that old witch is determined to cause trouble, we might really be caught off guard. I think we absolutely cannot leave Irina here.

"Sister, you'll come with me tomorrow."

"But I don't have time to prepare what I need to bring. Besides... besides, there are other people on the road, isn't that inconvenient?"

What on earth is this woman thinking tonight? This soft lump I'm holding in my hand, could it be her brain?

“No need to prepare. I have a friend in Helgen—you’ve probably heard of him—Eric of the Companions. You can stay at his house until I return from the Blacklight Tower. Tomorrow we’ll take an oxcart and cross through Falkriss territory. Take some money with you; buy whatever you need.”

The rabbit in my arms snuggled up, finding a more comfortable position.

"Oh, by the way, it doesn't have to be too much money. I have a few friends over there, I can borrow some from them, no problem."

"No, it would be embarrassing for you to have to borrow money while traveling."

"It's not really a loan. I have some businesses in town, so they can deduct it from my dividends. Why are you carrying so much money? It's heavy and unsafe."

This is one of the drawbacks of metal currency, especially since Septim coins have relatively low purchasing power. If Irina really wants to put on a Baroness show in Helgen, spending several thousand taels of silver would require several dozen kilograms of money. I can't exactly assign her a strong laborer to carry her money bag, can I?

Irina closed her starry eyes slightly and gave a vague reply. It's unknown how many words she heard before falling asleep, or how much she will remember after waking up.

However, I underestimated this woman's enthusiasm for traveling.

Because I maintain the habit of meditating in the early morning and evening, I rarely sleep in. Even though I woke up a little late yesterday, I still got up at about the same time as usual. It's probably around five o'clock now. The sun hasn't risen yet, and the sky is a leaden blue, with only a hint of dawn appearing near the distant eastern horizon.

The entire granite village remained quiet, but my room was already bustling with activity. Irina must have been awake long ago, even her makeup was already done. Right now, she was rummaging through her drawers, spreading her few long dresses side by side on the bed.

"Honey, come and see which one looks best on me."

I thought the standard answer would be that any outfit would look good, but the examiner was very unhappy, saying I was being too perfunctory and making no attempt to hide it. Helpless, I could only rub my sleepy eyes and watch her enthusiastically try on each outfit one by one, racking my brains to try and describe the subtle differences with my limited vocabulary.

Heaven have mercy! This woman ruined yesterday's evening class and now she's taking up today's morning class. Isn't this ruining my desire to learn and improve?

Fortunately, she didn't have many clothes to choose from, as most of them were hastily bought in the months before and after the wedding. She also wisely chose not to wear her wedding dress on the trip.

Finally, on my advice based on my typical male aesthetic, Irina's voluptuous figure was encased in a burgundy long dress. A wide, long gold belt, adorned with emeralds, draped around her sides below her chest, crossed at her back, and extended downwards before returning to the front. The tassels at both ends of the belt were knotted and tightened, outlining her graceful waist.

She had no choice but to wear a coat; her only new outfit was a light gray cashmere cloak. Because it was an arranged marriage, my relationship with Irina was always tense, and the fact that her father had taken away our hard-earned family fortune was a deep-seated resentment. Therefore, for a long time after our marriage, I always cut back on Irina's allowance, making it impossible for her to buy many clothes.

Actually, even now, we're not exactly on good terms. Last night, the atmosphere was so good, and all I did was mention Hailji…

Daylight had broken, and the woman chattered like a sparrow, saying this was her third long journey. The first two were when she was ten, from Sunlight Garden Fortress to the Temple of Dibella, and last year from the temple to Falkriss City. For fifteen years in between, she hadn't left the gates of the Stone City. If she weren't afraid of being a burden in a fight, she would have even wanted to come with me to the Blacklight Tower.

Meditation is impossible in such a noisy environment; my only hope is that Esmeralda's unfortunate disciple won't arrive too late.

As I had hoped, the woman named Maggie arrived in Granite Village before lunch. She was around thirty years old, and her skin was clearly not as well-maintained as Irina's, with fine crow's feet around her eyes. Ironically, she smiled quite often, always showing her teeth, which made her appear older. Her indigo linen robe, slightly faded from washing, was neat and simple, a stark contrast to my flamboyant wife.

Maggie looked Irina up and down for a long time, offering a few polite compliments about her natural beauty. When she heard that we were traveling together, she was visibly surprised.

"What, is your wife also going to the Blacklight Tower?"

"No, that's not it. She was going to visit a friend in Helgen, and we just happened to be going the same way."

Surprise, not unexpected?

"Helgen, I've been there twice, it's a lovely town. Would you like to stay for a few days, madam?"

“She will be there waiting for me to bring her back from the Rift Valley.”

“Oh, that’s good, at least we got the news sooner. Let’s get going as quickly as possible. I heard that boats now run on Lake Irina, which will save us several days.”

“My wife doesn’t like traveling by boat, so we travel by oxcart overland.”

"Ah? Hmm, that's true. That lake really isn't very good."

I chuckled to myself. This Maggie, I wondered if she was naturally easygoing or deliberately trying to please me. I teased her repeatedly, but she remained calm and composed, always going along with what I said. And surprisingly, she used honorifics with us from the very first meeting.

Even while speaking to me, her gaze involuntarily drifted towards Irina, which only strengthened my suspicions. That old witch Esmeralda had absolutely no interest in my proposal; her target had always been my wife.

Just you wait and see, you bastards! When I get to the Blacklight Tower, I'll see who's the one with the surprise.