It’s been a busy day.

  First off, I found the Hall of Stories!

  It wasn’t half as mythical as the name made it sound. Just a wide hallway with carvings on the wall. Some were sort of creepy, but mostly they looked like kings or queens or gods, maybe. One man (?) had wings, though. I liked that one.

  At end of the hall was a gate with nested stone rings set in it. In the center was a round, flat stone with holes in it that matched the claws of the golden foot. The rings rotated, and they each had three symbols on them.

  As I suspected, they matched the ones on the bottom of the foot. I just had to rotate the rings, and set the foot in the center disc. The gate sunk into the floor. It was noisy, and I was immediately worried that whatever was on the other side would rush out and kill me, but there was nothing there.

  Oh – I was able to take the foot out of the lock.

  There were stairs, and they led up to a cave. It was a bit shocking to find a cave with waterfalls after all the hallways and crypts. I was expecting some grand chamber full of more carvings and pillars.

  I mean, in hindsight, it was pretty. Freezing and damp, but nice in its own way.

  Of course, there was more to it than rocks and waterfalls. There was a little footbridge over the water, and it led up some steps to a platform. There was a sarcophagus on the platform, with some ritualistic-looking things on a table next to it. There was also a chest, and a strange, free-standing wall covered in more carvings.

  Leading up from the platform were more stairs that ended at a doorway. I knew in my gut that was the way out.

  As I got closer to the platform, I could hear a sound like distant chanting. I have no idea what language it was in. I covered my ears, but I could still hear it. It was in my head.

  I remember thinking – Oh, great! Spooky chanting in my head! That’s always a good sign!

  I almost didn’t go on. I could have just run up the stairs and left, but -

  Dru was right. I’m worse than a Khajiit. But some of the carvings on the wall were glowing! I couldn’t not go up and look!

  The chanting got louder the closer I got, and I could see that the carvings were letters. No language I’ve ever seen, but they were obviously letters. Only a few of them were glowing, and I could see light coming out of them. It felt like the light was reaching for me, and everything else around me started to get dark.

  I know, I know. I’m surprised I’ve lived this long, too.

  When I was close enough to touch them, the noise felt like it was rattling my skull. Then everything went white, and I felt a rush in my brain. It’s a bit like learning a new spell, but not quite. It was colder, and… Brighter. I don’t know many spells, but I’ve never felt anything like this before. I don’t know what it does or how to use it. It’s probably some old Nord spell.

  Here’s the ones that were glowing:

  The chanting stopped. I could see again, the letters stopped glowing, and then the lid of the sarcophagus behind me burst open!

  I was so dazed I almost didn’t hear it! A zombie came out, armed to the teeth like the others. I fought him, and he did this thing that was like a spell but not. He sort of barked at me – in words that I couldn’t understand – definitely words – and I was pushed back like I’d been hit by a sudden gust of wind.

  I won, obviously, but it was tough and I had no idea what that old magic the zombie did was about. He had a strange stone tablet covered in carvings on him. Maybe I can get some septims for this in the city?

  Before I left, I made sure to empty the chest by the sarcophagus and refill my waterskin. Lucky me, I found another chest tucked in the corner when I went down to the water!

  I got out of the Barrow, and I think I was almost near the very top of the mountain. Climbing down was a bit scary, but I made it, despite the weather. By the time I reached the river, I was shivering and wet. I spotted a small camp across the river with a large fire, and decided to risk the crossing. Luckily, the man there wasn’t a bandit, but a huntsman. He let me dry off and we talked a bit. He said he’d been hunting and fishing in the area for years, and pointed the way to Riverwood once I was ready to go.

  Back in Riverwood, I went straight to Lucan to return the claw. He was very happy, and in addition to the gold, gifted me the Yellow Book of Riddles. I traded some of my loot, and bought a few spell books.

  Before I left, I gave the fake letter to Camilla and she was furious at Sven. Good! He’s so... Slimy.

  I ran into Faendal on my way to the smithy, and he was glad to hear that Camilla didn’t want to speak with Sven any more. I also learned that he’s a damn good archer, so I paid him for some training. Drained a decent amount of what I got, but I’ll need it. The leather tent I have is awful for cold, and Skyrim is freezing! I can make a fur one at Alvor’s forge, so I’ll have to hunt to get supplies for that.

  I’m not the best at leather working or tanning or anything like that, but Alvor’s a patient teacher, and I found a handbook with lots of directions and advice. I hear Whiterun isn't that long a trip – Ralof said I can easily make it in less than a day, but I think I’ll finish my day here and leave in the morning.

  Woke up feeling blaergh. Went to the tavern for breakfast.

  Anyway, I literally bumped into a courier as I was leaving. He handed me a letter from some girl called Cassia looking for help finding her brother at someplace called the Forgotten City. She said there were “Riches beyond imagining” if I should help her out.

  I don’t know how she knows who I am or how she found me, but I can imagine quite a lot! I marked the location on my map anyway. Unimaginable riches or no, gold is gold. I can always check it out later.

  Then I left for Whiterun, and gathered supplies and did a bit of hunting as I went.

  The city was easy to spot! I had no idea Riverwood was so high over the plain. I got to where the road twists down the side of the mountain (hill?) and it was right there. It’s very dramatic, rising over the plain. The other buildings are on tiers, gathered around the castle like chicks under a hen.

  As I walked around to find the city gate, I ran into a guard, who said they would be ready for a dragon!

  Fools. An entire Imperial legion couldn’t handle one. What makes you think a city guard could do any better?

  Speaking of guards, they wouldn't let me in at first, but when I said I was here on Riverwood’s behalf, they let me in to talk to the jarl.

  Whiterun is very much a city, but doesn't feel like a city to me. It’s a lot smaller than what I’m used to, and lots of greenery that looks wild, rather than the carefully cultivated areas back home. There’s a forge right when you go in, and not far past that is a little market square with some shops and a few stalls. Random lady said I didn’t look so good. I know I wasn’t feeling great, but I tried to brush it off as not being used to the cold.

  Luckily, the alchemist - Arcadia’s Cauldron - was still open, so I went there. She saw right away that I had Ataxia. I didn’t know I looked that bad! But she had a Cure Disease potion I could afford and let me practice a bit at her lab, too.

  I’m really enjoying alchemy.

  On my way to the castle (?) I saw two men arguing in the street with an old woman. Apparently her son is missing, and she’s accusing them of having something to do with it. The men laughed her off and left before I could say anything. One of them was an Imperial soldier of some rank, and the other looked like just a guy and he joked(!) about having her son tied up in his basement!? I went to see if she was all right. She was fine, and said that her name was Fralia Grey-Mane, and that I should meet her at her house if I wanted to help her. I said I had business with the jarl, but I’d keep her in mind.

  I’d found some respectable clothes with the bandit’s stuff in the barrow, so I changed out of my armor and magician’s hood into a simple yellow tunic. People in town don’t seem to pay you any mind if you’re walking around dressed for battle, but back in the Imperial City it’s bad manners to approach royalty or other people like that fully armed.

  I took maybe three steps before I ducked back into the alley and put my armor back on. I have an Imperial body piece, and while it doesn't match the rest of the leather stuff I have or the enchanted hood, I figured it looked more "official" than the magician's robes I've been wearing.

  It's strange. I normally like getting dressed up, but walking around without armor or magician’s robes (Apparently mine are from the College of Winterhold) feels weird. I’d never worn anything like that before I got here, but without it I feel naked. At least wearing daggers on your belt is universal, here. Even the children have little ones!

  Then again, given the wolves and skeevers all over the place, it makes sense. I’d give the kids daggers, too.

  I made my way up the stairs to Dragonsreach, at the top of Whiterun. Almost as soon as I got into the great hall, a red-headed Dunmer lady in full armor came up to me with her sword drawn. She said that she was the Jarl’s housecarl (guard captain, maybe?) and that the Jarl wasn’t accepting any visitors. I tried to tell her I had a message for him, but she wouldn’t hear of it. That annoyed me, so I said that I was told to tell him, and him alone.

  She was angry, but the jarl told her to stand down to hear it from me directly, and I told him that Gerder was looking for help for Riverwood, should the dragon return. I also told him about what I saw in Helgen. I left out the part about almost being executed, though. Just that I was there, and that I saw the dragon with my own eyes.

  Jarl Balgruuf was outraged, and ordered Irileth (the Dunmer lady) to dispatch some men to Riverwood immediately. His steward, Proventus, I think, was against it. He was afraid that any troop movement would be seen as an act of war, but the Jarl wouldn’t back down. Can’t say I blame him – He just wants to protect his people.

  Then the Jarl rewarded me with some armor for bringing such an important message to him, and said that I might be able to help him some more. Farengar, his wizard, has been researching dragons and was in need of some assistance.

  Farengar has a workroom just off the great hall. He’s very snobbish about his intellect, like most wizards I’ve run into. Skinny, too. If they’re all so smart, why do so many of them look like they forget to eat?

  Anyway, Farengar said that he was looking for an artifact, something called a Dragonstone. It might be able to help him figure out the rumors about dragons returning to Skyrim.

  Dragons. As in, more than one. I wanted to ask him more about it, but then he said that the Dragonstone might be in Bleak Falls Barrow. Yes, where I had just been. I hadn’t sold that strange stone tablet I’d found in the treasure chest by the magic wall, so I asked if that was it, and he was overjoyed!

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Farengar didn’t get a chance to examine it, though. Irileth burst in and said that we both had to come with her at once.

  A dragon had been spotted nearby.

  Just hearing that made my stomach knot. I literally spent my first day in this country running from one, and now there’s more. We followed her upstairs to what looked like the Jarl’s study. A guard was there, red-faced and panting, like he’d run a long way to get to us. He said that a dragon was spotted by the western watchtower. When he ran to alert the Jarl, it was circling. He’s lucky it didn’t go after him!

  The Jarl was barking orders, to me as well as his guards, but Farengar was nearly beside himself with excitement. He wanted to go out and see the dragon!

  That man is all brains, no smarts.

  Jarl Balgruuf ordered Farengar to stay. As an expert on dragons, he was too valuable to risk. But then the Jarl handed me some armor from his personal collection, and said that were I to help them and survive, I would be permitted to buy a house in the city. They wanted my help fighting the dragon because I was the only one with experience.

  If by “experience” you mean running as fast as I could away from said beastie, then sure, I had plenty. LOADS of it. But fighting? I’ve barely fought people before I came here! The worst animal I ever faced off against in the Capitol was an angry mule, and it was tied up!

  Still, I managed to fight back the panic and agreed to help. I mean, Irileth had already sent a bunch of people off to help Riverwood, so they were short on fighters for the time being. And they were looking at me like I was some sort of hero for just surviving a dragon attack. I had to help them.

  I got my weapons ready and went to follow Irileth out of the city. I ran into a man arguing with his wife about his father’s missing sword. Some sort of family heirloom that thieves got their hands on. I was trying to go past them and then she left in a huff. He asked me for help, and I was in so much of a rush with the dragon attacking that I said Yes.

  Good gods, what’s wrong with me?

  I’d lost track of Irileth by the time I got out of the city, but the Western Watchtower wasn’t hard to spot – It was on fire and the area surrounding it was covered in smoke. Irileth was rallying the handful of guards she was able to muster at a rock outcropping nearby, and ordered us to look for survivors. I found a guard, scared out of his mind, in the tower. Two of his companions had been lost when they tried to bolt from the safety of the ruin. Then I heard shouting – The dragon returned!

  I ran up the tower so I could shoot as many arrows into the beast as I could.

  But it was a different dragon. This wasn’t the gray, spiked giant that laid waste to Helgen. This was much smaller, and a very bright, pale green.

  I think we got lucky. The Eight had pity on us, and the dragon landed in the road. Irileth’s men were able to fight the dragon on foot while it breathed fire at them, and I was above, shooting it with my poisoned bow.

  It tried to fly away, but I shot it when it got close.

  Then it spoke.

  It looked right at me, said, “Doh-vah-keen!” and sounded enraged. It was enough of a distraction, and we all started filling it with arrows. It cried out “Nooo!” before it fell back on the road.

  As we gathered around the body, it started to glow, like it was burning from within. Irileth ordered us to get back, but I was too scared to move. Then, a swirling white light came out of it and wrapped around me. I heard roaring my ears, and I felt that strange feeling again, like I had learned a spell, but different. Except this time, I felt like I could do it.

  Four guards and Irileth had survived the fight. One of them called me a “Dragonborn”. He said I had dragon’s blood in me, like Tiber Septim, and that I could use that power to “shout” like the dragons did.

  Irileth was unimpressed, of course, even after I tried to “shout” and it worked! Well, she’s a Dunmer, she could be two hundred years old, so I imagine that it would take a lot to impress her. But the guards were excited!

  Anyway, she told me to report back to the Jarl and let him know what happened. I took what I could from the dragon’s body, and started on my way back.

  On the way, I noticed an elk. It was evening, and I decided to try adding to my growing collection of hides so I could make a good tent. I was about to shoot it when a voice rumbled from the sky so hard it shook the earth under my feet! It said, “DOVAKIIN!”

  The same word the dragon called out as it died. I didn’t know what it meant then, but I ran as fast as I could back to Whiterun. I would have run straight to Dragonsreach if I hadn’t almost run over two men being kicked out by the city guards. I listened in as I caught my breath.

  Apparently they had been harassing women and were being expelled from the city. They looked like Alik’r warriors, judging from their armor. One of them stopped to talk to me on his way out. He wanted to know if I’d seen a Redguard woman in the city. He claimed she was a fugitive, but he wouldn’t answer when I asked why she had run. I don’t believe for a second that their intentions are good.

  Still, they said they’d be in Rorikstead if I had any information, and that there was money in it for me.

  There’s no way I’d tell them anything, even if I did know who they were looking for, but I just nodded and made my way to Dragonsreach.

  When I got there, the Jarl’s brother (at least that’s what he called him) was talking with him about that voice from the sky. When I explained what had happened at the watchtower, they called me Dragonborn, and said that the voice we heard were the Greybeards calling me. “Dovakiin” is “Dragonborn” in the language of the dragons. Did the dragon recognize me as it fell? Is that why it turned on me so quickly?

  MEN had made that sound. PEOPLE! I thought it was the gods or some sort of magic! But it was men, trained to use shouts, who had called out to Tiber Septim the same way.

  Jarl Balgruuf said it was a great honor, and that I should go straight to the Greybeards home on High Hrothgar, wherever that is. He said that I should climb the seven thousands steps (that sounds sooo fun...) and see what they wanted with me.

  I was tired, hungry, still bleeding a little, and now suddenly I’m a Dragonborn and I have some big destiny in front of me that I never asked for. I was just trying to get everything straight in my head when the Jarl came forward and declared me a Thane of Whiterun! He awarded me the Axe of Whiterun as a symbol of my rank, and said that I would be appointed a housecarl.

  I could barely get out a “thank you” as I turned to leave with my new axe. I was considering running as far as I could as soon as the door closed behind me, but there was a dark-haired woman with a tattoo (or was it makeup? I’m still not sure) on her face and a HUGE sword on her back waiting there for me.

  It was Lydia, my housecarl. She explained that housecarls are sworn to protect their masters and everything they own. I was still too dazed to think straight, so I told her to follow me and we came back here to the Bannered Mare.

  I’m sitting in the loft and drinking wine while I write this. Lydia is below, drinking some ale and talking with some of the locals. One of the workers here is a Redguard lady. She waited on me, and said her name was Saadia. She’s sweeping right now, and flinches every time someone new enters the tavern.

  I know that look. I’ve seen it dozens of times.

  The Jarl told me to go up that mountain, but I’m already sick of climbing a bunch of stairs so that old men can tell me what to do. I’ll go up to the Greybeards when I’m good and ready. Besides, if they’ve really been waiting for another Dragonborn since Tiber Septim, they can wait a bit longer.

  Right now, Saadia needs my help. Sisters before Misters! That’s what Dru and I used to say.

  But first, I need to sleep. It has been A DAY.

  Right now, we’re having lunch at the Bannered Mare.

  I need to get us kitted out so we can help Saadia and earn a bit more gold.

  This morning Proventus said I could buy a house in the city for 5000 gold. Given the incredible amount of loot I’ve had to pass on simply because I couldn't carry it, having Lydia to help should make it a piece of cake.

  She did snark at me a bit when I handed her some food and drink. “I am sworn to carry your burdens,” she said, and she sounded incredibly tired of it all.

  Something makes me wonder if being assigned to me was a punishment rather than a reward. I know a lot of the other guards were looking at me like I was some sort of magical being, but Lydia seems unfazed.

  Probably Irileth’s favorite student.

  I went out to get more supplies. The smith at the city gates is Adrienne Advenicci, Proventus’s daughter. She implied that her father’s wisdom doesn’t all come from him. Makes sense. She’s a smith and among the people. He’d need to get his information from somewhere.

  She showed me how to work her forge, which was nice of her.

  You know who’s not nice? Belethor. Good gods, that man gives me the creeps. He’s so slimy he makes a mudcrab look dry. I did some trading with him, and while I left I was certain that he was staring at my ass.

  I went to talk to Saadia about those men looking for her, and she pulled a knife on me.

  I hate being right all the time.

  Luckily, I was able to calm her down, and she said that she was actually Iman, a noblewoman from Hammerfell who spoke out against the Altmeri Dominion. She wants me to get rid of the mercenaries hired to capture her. She’s convinced that if they do, their leader Kematu will either kill her or drag her back to be executed.

  Gods forbid a woman have an opinion of her own, let alone voice it!

  She said that she heard one of the Alik’r men got captured trying to sneak into the city last night. If he’s still in the dungeon at Dragonsreach, I might be able to learn more about where they're hiding. She promised a nice bounty if I got rid of Kematu for her.

  I don’t know if I can handle a whole den of mercenaries, even with Lydia. I have no idea how good she is in a fight, but given that she seems as comfortable in her armor as a fox in its skin, she’s probably a force to be reckoned with. But I can’t ignore the threat to Iman’s life.

  What I do know is that I don’t have nearly enough gold or gear to go running around the countryside looking for assassins.

  Once we’re done with lunch, we’re going to go and retrieve Amren’s father’s sword from those bandits. Bandits mean loot, and if we’re lucky, I can buy that house or at least enough to comfortably outfit a camp for us and get more armor.

  -----------

  Well, I thought that was what we were doing today. Turns out, I was wrong!

  We’re back at the Bannered Mare.

  On our way out of the city, we saw a group of three thieves on the road, attacking a group of adventurer types. They must have been desperate, because there were a bunch of guards right there, too! Of course, by the time we got there there was nothing left to do but loot the bodies, so we did.

  I decided that we’d better turn back and leave first thing tomorrow. So, I sold what we got and now we’re resting up to find that sword.

  Today was quite the profitable little adventure! I can see why so many people are drawn to this sort of work.

  Buying a house here in Whiterun is only 5000 gold. I’m almost at 3000 and it’s only been a few days?!

  I seriously can’t believe my eyes when I look in my pack. I don’t think I’ve seen this much gold in my entire life, much less all at once!

  But I’m getting ahead of myself.

  We set out this morning for the cave. According to where Amren marked on my map, it was very close, and he wasn’t exaggerating. It was just up the hillside off the main trail.

  Two bandits were hanging out near the entrance of the cave, at a small lookout with a fire. The furniture and such told me it was an outdoor kitchen. I was a bit worried about them, but Lydia bolted in and destroyed them! She needs to be more careful of my arrows and fire, though – I nearly got her a few times.

  The inside of the cave wasn’t anything impressive. Mostly it was a series of small connected cavern “rooms” with a bandit or two in each of them. There was some furniture and some bedrolls and such, but it looked pretty dilapidated. There were some exposed ore veins, too, and upon looking around at the parts that seemed carved and built out, I think it was a mine at some point. It would explain the random wardrobes and shelves laying around. I can’t imagine a group of thieves hauling those up the side of the hill.

  The cave went up instead of down, and as we went from room to room, level to level, I was getting worried. There was no sign of the sword. Just fairly standard iron and fur armor pieces, and a nice supply of weapons. And there was even a steel sword, but it looked just like every other steel sword I've seen here. Clearly Nordic in style, and Amren’s a Redguard from Hammerfell, so I knew that wasn’t it.

  When we got to the top of the cave, there was an opening to the outside, like in Bleak Falls Barrow. But rather than a route down the hill, there was a huge man with nice steel armor out there. He fell on us pretty quickly, but Lydia and I made short work of him. He had a journal on him, and some magic bracers that were of more use to Lydia than myself, so I gave those to her.

  His journal said that there was some unrest amongst his men, pickings were slim, blah blah blah. Mostly complaints about how hard it was to be a bandit and how stressful it was to lead a troop. I laughed to myself at first, but then I looked at Lydia, and realized that I might be on my way to that. If I ever have anyone else joining us, how will I handle it? Will they fight, or get along?

  I didn’t come up here to see the ghost of a potential future in the form of some bandit chief, but oh, well. I’ll hop that silt-strider when I come to it.

  The area out there had a platform built up, arranged as a rest area or maybe just a quiet place he could go to. There was also a chest, and in it was the sword!

  It looked old and beat up, but according to Amren, it had seen more than it’s fair share of bloodshed, so that figures.

  We took everything we could carry and more on the way out, and slowly made our way back to Whiterun. Lydia was Not Happy about that. She said it wasn’t a good tactical decision, and I agreed with her. Likewise, her refusal to hold anything that might slow her down was an excellent tactical decision. I told her how Dru and I had a rule. One was allowed to be stupid, if the other agreed to be smart. We were not allowed to be idiots at the same time.

  Lydia said she couldn't argue with that logic, and she walked leisurely by me while I dragged our haul to Whiterun.

  I am so glad that Adrienne is right by the entrance. I was able to get rid of most of what we’d gathered, and I finally had enough to make a fur tent with two bedrolls. Huzzah for not freezing to death! Then we made our way to Belethor’s to get rid of the rest. We found Amren’s house, and his wife was yelling at him for something. She seems awfully snippy. I’ve only seen her in passing, and I’ve never seen her smile.

  But I handed over the sword and was rewarded with…

  A sword-fighting lesson.

  Oh, well. I won’t say it didn’t help! He was able to transfer the lesson easily to my axe. He said that if I ever want more training, he'd be happy to teach me. For a price, of course, but that’s only fair.

  Hmm… A free sword-fighting lesson and a ton of loot that put us over 3000 Septims.

  Not bad for a day’s work!

  Now to drink an incredible amount of bandit camp wine and pass out, because it’s my turn to be stupid.