This sponsored chapter comes to you by Joshua Burns!
Also, A BIG THANKS to Jesper Jonasson and REPOsPuNKy for donating.
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*14th of Last Seed (August), 4E 197*
Each time I see Whiterun, my head goes fully back to the game. This place is the most iconic city in Skyrim and the one most of the players stayed in. It is beautiful, colorful and an exemplary city.
Right now we are in Summer and the White River is the best place in the whole Skyrim for anyone to dip themselves in. It is not like the frozen trinity Winterhold, Windhelm and Dawnstar, the stinky Riften, the annoying Solitude and the bugs infested Falkreath. Of course the Karth River in Markarth is good choice if you are oblivious about the Forsworn.
But Whiterun, it has its flavor.
After two years, I came back to Whiterun with some plans in mind as usual and I also wanted to meet a lot of people. Thankfully, everyone gets to go to the Bannered Mare Inn at some point of their day and there where we went.
"We heard that you vexed the Empire and Eastern Skyrim a few times. Bad rumors are going around about you."
"Really! And?"
"Word is… you are womanizer, bloodthirsty, hedonist, scammer and filthy rich."
I tried to refute but thinking of each one carefully.
"... Guilty as charged."
""Hahaha!""
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
"It has been a long time, my friend. You really made quite the name for yourself out there." Jon Battle-Born, who I haven't seen in a long time, spoke to me as he was sitting across the table.
"You haven't changed much! Neither Solitude nor the Bards College could change you at all."
"Way I see it, I changed a lot already. Solitude is all about money and one must earn his keep."
"So no more sitting around, eh?"
"You are right, my friend. I have been out there calling people Milkdrinkers for a long time but I wasn't doing much better myself. I now have some thoughts of changing my ways." He said.
"Good. Come to Winterhold and I will sink you with work head to toe."
"Winterhold? Nay, I'd rather keep it to myself and start here."
"Listen to me. I need people I can trust to do even the slightest jobs in Winterhold. You know what happened a few months ago, right?"
"What happened?"
"The Bards College sent some people to snoop around me in Winterhold. Word is…"
"Thane Erikur." Battle-Born continued my words for me.
"So you're aware?"
"Who's not? Most of the bad rumors about you are because of him. You really got under his skin from that time."
"You mean the tournament? He really pissed me off that day." I remembered when Erikur made action on us and got Battle-Born and Wulfur locked up for a night.
"Yeah, it was bad. So, he hired the Bards College at last?" Battle-Born seemed to have anticipated it.
"What can you tell me about them? I was waiting to ask you so bad about them." I said.
"Well, that's quite the tale if you ask me. Viarmo the High Elf headmaster of the Bards College is one slimy elf, he uses his connection and students to infiltrate the halls of the rich and Jarls. Most people drop their guard around the bards so we know a lot of what happens behind the closed doors. Viarmo has no master and would work with any side if he wished for it, he spies of the High King, on the Empire, on Jarl Ulfric and even on the Thalmor. Whoever wants to know a thing just have to pay Viarmo."
"Oh, an information agency. How amusing! So, you and Svidi. Any of you got recruited?"
"Are you kidding, work such a shameful job. A bard should die a thousand time before snooping on their patrons." Battle-Born seemed truly disgusted.
"Come on, man. That would make quite the career for yourself being a secret agent."
"Spare me of your fantasies, Dare." He said as he drank.
"Haha, whatever! I wouldn't have missed such an opportunity though."
"Well, even if we wanted, Svidi and I would never fit their standards."
"Yeah, you are too proud and she is too shy."
"Exactly. So, who did they send after you?"
"A chick called Lisette."
"That Breton lass! She is quite the asset."
"I know. She was taken into custody and under watch. I intend to have a talk with Viarmo about her."
"He will deny everything."
"I won't give him a headache, I will only make a trade."
"Do whatever you like but don't make an enemy out of him or he will sell all that he knows about you to your enemies with a cheap price."
"I know, I am already careful." I dismissed his worries and changed the topic. "How are the preparations on your part?"
"Oh! That… father went into an argument with me when I came back. There seems to be something between us and the Grey-Manes."
"This soon?"
"You know what is it?" He asked.
"... Ulfric Stormcloak is sending his word around. Seems like the Grey-Manes are favoring his side while the Battle-Borns are on the Empire's side."
"His Side? The Empire's Side? What are you talking about? Are they going to start a war?" Battle-Born's face turned serious and angry.
I was seriously not sure of how to answer him but I had to say it anyway.
"It seems that Ulfric is aiming big this time. He asked me to join his cause and stand against the Imperial Machine that follows the will of the enemies of men."
"... Gods! This is madness? You are telling me that Nords are pointing steel at each other?"
"It would seem so, the good thing about Whiterun is that the Grey-Manes and the Battle-Borns have had each other's back for generations and such a fight will only make them cut ties and scorn at each other. No actual harm will happen between the two except…"
"Olfina and I…"
"Exactly, if you remember the vision of the old soothsayer two years ago."
It was the vision that I paid the soothsayer to tell Jon Battle-Born. Without it, his relationship with Olfina will get harmed badly.
"By this, are we too late?" He asked.
"... No, I still have a few strings I will pull for you. You just have to do your part and request Olfina's hand from Eorlund Grey-Mane on time."
"Fine. Thanks."
"Come on, man. It's the least I can do."
Jon Battle-Born and I drank together after that. I was having my own agenda of making the thing between him and Olfina Grey-Mane work.
The two largest families in Whiterun will have a feud at this rate and the trade of the south will worsen. Whiterun is the largest hub and the two families are strong traders. It will harm the north greatly if they got into a feud.
Also, this will make the situation about the Civil War easier to handle. Not only Winterhold that is neutral but Whiterun too. The Jarl doesn't want the war and having the two big families on good terms will increase the probability of having peace in the hold.
Anyway, it wasn't long since I met Jon Battle-Born, he was in a good mood but I had to pull him back to reality and focus on the problem that might occur if he didn't marry Olfina Grey-Mane as soon as possible.
And of course, I introduced him to the rest of the gang, he didn't realize who Jull is as he was with us when we caught her after she tried to assassinate me in Solitude but her appearance has changed too much. I will tell him later but let's not cause a scene here.
The ones I was waiting for were Akara and Ysolda. After asking around, I learned that Akara is now a mercenary for the trading caravans and Ysolda is a broker and mediator of sorts. Even though I sent them letters and they replied, they didn't really accept my invitation to Winterhold so I saw this as a good opportunity to invite them once again. As I said before, I need the people I can trust.
I waited for Wulfur and Bjorna who went to visit the Jorrvaskr of the Companions. Wulfur has a good relationship with the people there and he seemed to have hit it off with Farkas, one of the rising stars among the Companions. I also want to talk to those people to patron them in Winterhold. The Companions have a thin existence in each hold as they are the alternative of the Fighters Guild in Skyrim. Having them in Winterhold is good for both sides as Winterhold is where the first Companions of Ysgramor landed on Tamriel and in Winterhold, we have both the tombs of Ysgramor and his son Yngol.
I don't even mind becoming a Companion myself if there is a need. The 'College of Winterhold' and the 'Companions' were all the only righteous factions the player can join in the game and I see a lot of benefit in having both factions on my side. Wulfur will be the best candidate I have to link the Companions and Winterhold.
An hour passed and Wulfur finally arrived, he greeted Battle-Born and joined us.
"So, where is my sister? She is not here yet?"
"Nope, she's still with Olfina in Dragonsreach." Battle-Born replied.
When we came here three hours ago and bumped into Jon Battle-Born, we asked him about Svidi and it seemed that she performed a few times in the Bannered Mare and became very popular, popular enough for the Jarl of Whiterun, Balgruuf the Greater, to be her patron for today.
"... Sigh! The little girl has grown." Wulfur said with complicated feelings.
"Yes, she really did." I had the same feeling too.
Svidi is Wulf's sister and practically mine too. I killed Sibbi Black-Briar mainly to avoid any trouble from arising around her in Solitude.
"Be careful now, she likes to go by the name Lynly Star-Sung. If you said her name in public, she may lash at you."
""Yeah yeah, we know."" Wulfur and I replied.
We are aware of her insecurity about her old fashioned name. She thinks that it will affect her future or something.
We saw Jon Battle-Born off as he had to wrap up the situation with his family and go request the hand of Olfina as soon as he can. I will support him too when the time is right.
But now, the five of us had another thing to do.
"Let's go visit Ysolda then." I said as I rallied everyone up.
"So, Ysolda… I heard about her a few times." Alina asked.
"Yes, she and Jon were like the partners in every crime. Whenever they go into hiding and talk quietly about something, you can just know that there is a disaster about to befall." Wulfur said everything. I was really trying to hide that
"Oh! Seem fun. We can ask her about all the things we need to have leverage on Jon." Jullanar said.
"Nothing will make her happier." Wulfur said.
I feel bad about this but whatever. Ysolda's house was not far from the inn so the five of us arrived there soon.
Wulf knocked on the door and we waited. As the house was really small, we could hear and feel the movement inside. Some footsteps were moving around while hiding some stuff here and there. I am not sure what is going on but I don't want to get involved with Ysolda's madness.
Finally, someone answered the door.
"Who's it?" That was Ysolda's voice.
"Hey, Ysolda! It's Wulfur and Jon" Wulf replied.
"..."
It seemed that we were unexpected.
"I'll open right away."
Another round of running around happened inside the house and well all felt it. It looks like we won't be staying for long as it seemed we are a bother in such a small place.
Finally, the door opened.
Two girls popped out their heads from the door. A Nord girl with short hair and a beautiful face alongside a Khajiit girl with snow white fur and sharp eyes.
After all that time, Ysolda and Akara.