Yay for the new thread! Thank you, Andra!

Page 8 of Jensa’s Journal

It’s been a rough day. I drank too much last night and woke up far from where I started. I’m sore in places I won’t admit to, half the city is mad at me, and the other half just smiles and winks. I don’t remember much, but that Sam was the start of it. And where the hells is Erik? I don’t know whether to look for him or stay put and hope he finds me here in Markarth. Or maybe pray that he doesn’t find me, depending on what he might have witnessed.

The details are just starting to surface. So far they are not good. I’ve got a mess on my hands with the priestess here. Maybe Erik will show up while I’m dealing with it.

~~~

Erik found me while I was cleaning up the temple. He had a look on his face that said I should apologize and not offer any details. So that’s what I did.

“And I’m still in a heap of trouble,” I finished up.

“No problem,” he said with one of his quick grins. “How can I help?”

This fellow is all right.

We traced my steps all the way back to the grove where Sam has his parties. When we got there Sam showed me his true form. I didn’t have to think on it much to know he is not really from High Rock.

Erik didn’t say a word, just held his ground and waited to back my play. I’ll say it again, Kyne doesn’t make them any finer than this man.

I looked at the real ‘Sam’ and things began to make sense. “Thought you rode hard for a Breton,” I told him.

His laugh sounded like dropping a bin full of scrap metal. I still don’t remember much about that night, but I know some of it was a good time. He must have thought so, too, because he gave me his staff.

Really.

There’s a jest there, but I guess I’m just not ready to make it.

*sigh* Too late. (Still loving Jensa)

He's pretty much established his position in Dragonborn public relations, yeah.

Oh LORDY Grits! I'm laughing out loud, and husband's giving me "that" look (you know, the one that says "I'm married to someone who's just gone loudly insane") - hysterical, because of course I have been there and done that (both in game and a lot of years back IRL), and I LOVE the "jest" that's in there somewhere *giggling*.

I finished up a story about Sam and a night from a different hell to remember on another forum with something about "the horse she rode in on" - damn I wonder if I still have that around somewhere in file as that forum's long gone....hmmm. Anyway, what is it about that whole quest line that produces slightly off-color punch lines?

LOL at Jensa's.....party?! Oh Grits, that was great!! And if Eric still stays after that, keep him!! Love the jest....hehe

Oh, and you're welcome!

Verinne Ravenwing #something:

Well, I talked to Sven a little. What a jerk. Typical male full of in-your-face antagonism. He all but threatened "that elf", and wasn't too kind about Camilla "inviting that elf over". So yeah, I believe I'll just deliver this not-really-from-Sven note to Camilla. I wonder what she really thinks about both of them; maybe I can get a little information out of her? I hope she's not the kind to just enjoy playing both of them without ever intending to take either of them.... Since I don't know her all that well, it's a possibility, isn't it?

So I talked to her a bit while having a bowl of stew with them. Lucan just kept rolling his eyes when either Sven or Faendal came up - I couldn't see that he was in favor of one or the other, which truthfully would be any brother's reaction, wouldn't it? Eventually, I realized that Camilla thought Sven was okay as a bard, but while she was girlishly involved in his "sweet notes" she really wasn't interested in playing housemaid to him and his mother. About Faendal, she seemed less interested than the elf was.

I handed over the false note, at which point she had a temper tantrum about not being interested in keeping his filthy house clean. Now, I doubt she's going to fall over into love with Faendal, but I did as asked, and really - I wanted to punch Sven myself over the way he talked about Camilla. Lucan smiled a little grimly as Camilla stormed upstairs.

"She's in love with the idea of having those two coming to blows over her. Pretty sure she doesn't want either of them to actually ask if she wants to marry." Lucan seemed perfectly happy with that outcome - since of course, if Camilla married, she wouldn't be keeping house for her brother! I strolled back out by the mill to find Faendal.

He was happy enough with the current state of things, it seemed. I got a lesson then, and could see what I'd been doing not quite right. I told him I'd be back the next morning for another lesson, and then I had things to see to. He smiled a bit, gave me back the coin for the lesson, and wandered away toward Riverwood Trader.

Good luck to him. I think he's going to need it....

Hmm, I got that impression of Camilla too, and you hit the nail on the head about Lucan! LOL He is not very respecting of his own sister's intelligence. Nice update!

Grit's... Sam... ... Erik's a keeper!

Serethil... I very rarely do that quest Camilla reminds me of a "player", who really doesn't like either man for keep's, just prefers no one else to have them and wants the attention.

Oooo - nice, Andra, very very nice! Lot of innuendo, and a grouchy Ake banging her toes on Gerdie's plate is pretty funny even if it would hurt! Gerdie and Sinmir are becoming a real thing.... which I like as well!

Thanks!

There's no backstory on Uthgerd that I could find, so I made one, which will come out eventually.

Oh I like it!! Kerik? your own follower mod? The only story I have ever read about Uthgerd had to do with her having been/ tried to be in the Companions and killing someone.

Thank you! Yep, that Kerik. That's all I was able to find on Uthgerd too, which I already knew, but there's nothing else.

I just love these threads. Such creativity.

Hope you all are saving your stories. There's gonna be a new forum in the future and everything will be lost with the move.

well I'll hope the everyone else is... mine are written from a blog.

Yeah figured I mention it now since there is a lot of time.

Phew! This has been some week, so far.

When I went to see Urag I only asked if he wanted a book. I'd sort of imagined that he would send me into town or maybe as far as Windhelm to collect one of his dusty old tomes. Hell, no! I got the Windhelm bit right, but that was about it. I trekked across that desolate wilderness with the snow biting at my skin and the wolves snapping at my heels. Even Frea seemed to be suffering and she's used to life in the Skaal village.

Anyway, I'm getting off the point. I suppose I shouldn't grumble because I had a few skins to sell in the market when I shivered my way into the town. That helped to pay Gjalund for passage to Solsteim. He seemed quite cheerful and glad to see me, which makes a change from his oft-times testy remarks about money. The trip was blustery and the swells were huge. I felt sick most of the way. A wood elf shouldn't have to stray so far from land and green trees. As I vomited over the gunwales, I could see Urag's toothsome grin and imagined him telling the mages off for not washing their hands before handling his precious stock. The image helped me to raise a wan smile while I cleaned up my armour...I hate the sea.

It always seems surreal, rounding the headland and coming into the ruddy, arid port of Raven Rock after leaving the pristine blinding whiteness of Windhelm only hours before. The people are so different here. I had a chat with Glover, as I always do. I relented and let him sharpen my precious dragonbone sword. Normally I don't let anyone touch that but Glover's boasts aren't any exaggeration, unlike one or two I could name back in Skyrim. Later, I would be glad that I had.

Frea was quiet for the long and arduous hike to Fahlbtharz. I really wasn't looking forward to it myself, so I know how she felt. Several times I heard her asking the All-Maker for guidance and protection. As we got into the mountains, the cold once more began to seep into every part of my body. My armour seemed to burn me where it touched my skin. Why is that? I never really understood why cold burns like fire. We skirted around bandit camps and kept to the trees to avoid being spotted by the dragons that still plague Tamriel in spite of Paarthurnax's best efforts to bring them all into line. I tried to see the beauty of the Dwemmer ruin when we finally entered it late into the night but I'm always uneasy when I lose sight of the moons and stars. I can never get used to the noise in these places, either. I tried not to startle each time steam hissed savagely from the ancient mechanisms, not wanting to make Frea more nervous than she already was...I needn't have worried: the Skaal warrior-maid seemed quite relaxed now. I watched her surreptitiously while we progressed down into the depths. She walks with the natural grace of a mountain lion and seems to be totally unaware of the powerful aura that surrounds her lithe figure.

It was Frea that reacted first when the Dwarven sphere launched itself from one of those portals in the floor. To my shame, she had both of her new stalhrim axes swinging before I'd even drawn my own blade and raised Spellbreaker. Gee, but she's a joy to behold when she leaps into action. The metaphor of the mountain lion came to mind even as I managed to get in a telling blow to finish the creaking machine off. I shuddered. Give me a living opponent any day: those things give me the creeps.

We were more careful after that. I even remembered the sequence in the boilery without being mugged by more of the nasty b*****s.

It was with a huge sense of relief that we finally surfaced into good wholesome air after a while. In spite of all the air conditioning in the ruins, they always seem damp and clammy. The leather jerkin under my armour was wet with perspiration and I must have stunk worse than a mangy skeever! I looked at the book by the light of both moons and sighed. Was it worth it? I certainly hoped so. Frea smiled in her endearingly shy fashion. "The All-Maker has watched over us, I think," she said in her lilting accent that I never tire of hearing, pursing her lips thoughtfully. "Where shall we go next? It's good to see new places."

I had to laugh. She looked at me in puzzlement. Sometimes she's so serious. "Let's get this book back to Winterhold," I told her. Seeing a wistful look in her eyes, I added, "by way of your village, of course."

Next time, I'll tell Urag to shove his book up his...well, you know what I mean.

Yep, I write herein, but copy to file. I might move it to a blog I have kicking around before I get a new machine....

cumbrianlad (boy, I need to short-name you.... how about "laddy"?), that was a real trip, both in game and to read! Made me laugh, because after two or three of Urag's "get thee the book for me" quests, that's just about exactly what I mentally tell him! He should hook up with the Old Orc - getting one of Urag's tomes should offer that old guy the "good death" he's looking for....

Mine are definitely saved. I don't like hearing that all will be lost though.

cumbrianlad, I liked that, especially the sea voyage and descriptions. You have a nice way of writing.

Thanks Andra.

There's hope for me then. I self-publish sci-fi on Kindle!

Serethil,

that took me back a bit! That was one of the first minor quests that I did in Skyrim. I recall not being too happy about lying on Faendal's behalf...then being guilty when he got killed in a cavern not long afterwards. I was so new to the game that I didn't want to risk loading a save game to try to prevent his death. Now I wish I had.

It's good to see that other people wonder about life beyond the quest lines.

Hey, Grits, that was a ride wasn't it? I remember thinking the game had been hit by a virus after meeting 'Sam'. I never did get the goat back either. I just paid the man.

Thanks Andra, both for the tale and the thread. Who says that gaming dulls the mind?

Cool! We definitely like having you post stories here! The more the merrier, lol.

You should check out all the story starts in the first thread.

No dull minds here!

Wow, I'm actually caught up! I read 'em all, thanks to the snow. Thank you snow.

II like Ake's reaction to getting a house. I've had some characters express that same enthusiasm!

cumbrianlad: You're writing in 1st person perspective, but I don't see your character's name? Or is there a name? Yeah, the steam in those Dwemer ruins can give me shivers sometimes! Because I'm not sure if there's some enemy which rolled out or whatever.

Oh heck yeah, I always Notepad stuff I write. Bethesda's forums can be particularly harsh because they occasionally purge these forums. I know a guy who had an entire fanfic posted here, and he lost it all. Didn't save anything either; all his work was gone.

Thanks Renee!

I know I posted today already, but had actually meant to post this with the previous. Oops.