Chapter 2

The said caravan arrived later the same day as I did and moved out one day later after conducting some trade with locals and other caravans that were staying at the Nightgate.

We reached the Windhelm in 2 days without incidents on the road and stayed there for a week to conduct a trade. It was a huge and imposing city fortress with stone walls fully covering it with exception of farms. Almost all houses inside the wall were made of stone which was particularly impressive if you take into account its population of about 30000.

Yeah, it was a lot bigger than in the game however the general layout was similar and you even can find the majority of the same stores and buildings if you wanted. Though certain High-elf enchantress Niranyie did not open her store in the city market yet.

Though I did not have any money to spend on enchanting anything. The first thing that I did after arriving in Windhelm was to visit Oengul War-Anvil and bought a good steel sword. My next stop was the White Phial where I bought a couple of potions from Nuralion, unfortunately, those two transactions have considerably dried my finances.

So Instead of staying in the inn, I spent that week with khajit and argonian traders outside of the city in tents as Ulfrick has already outlawed beastman from entering the city. Though it was quite a fun time, even though I had memories from Helgrid where he interacted with beastman it was still a very refreshing experience.

However, as the week passed we moved out of Windhelm south towards Riften. And on our first stop just half a day traveling distance from Shore's stone we decided to camp in quite an interesting place not far away from certain Dwemer ruins.

-Are you sure about that Vitki?

-Don't worry mister Hjalti I am not planning on venturing deep into the ruins and will be back by sunrise. As an adventurer, I know my way around Dwemer ruins.

And after saying those words I moved toward my destination. It took me an hour to reach Dwemer ruins formerly known as Mzulft. And half of that road was made of huge stone stairs.

To be honest I was so tired of stairs that I met the last rung as long-lost love. Well, I looked up a little higher. Five meters deep into the clearing that opened up to me, free from trees, stood two large metal gear straight out of a sci-fi novel.

-Large ones.

I breathed out nervously, looking at two yellowish automatons, their color was something between copper and gold, and the growth exceeded my own at least one and a half times. Are they just statues?

They were in the game and I hope reality is the same, otherwise my fate will be sealed. Licking dry lips, I still suppressed the nervous fear deep in my stomach and took the first step toward the frozen monuments of the lost civilization. Nothing has happened. The second step and again nothing happened, huge automatons did not hurry to rush at me in a swift dash with blades at the ready.

Well, it was a good sign, and therefore mentally whispering to myself a soothing mantra, slowly continued my movement toward these statues, and then past them. And only when they were left ten meters behind me did I let myself relax.

Then the road before me split into two, one with the big metal gates, that were missing only signs saying "the main entrance is here", and another that goes through a couple of bushes to approach an unremarkable building, with an ordinary door, only again from metal.

Nodding to my thoughts, I moved towards a small building, only going up to the door, I was in no hurry to open it, but stopped and leaned my ear.

I tried to listen to the door, to make sure that there is no one inside. Naturally, there was nothing. I still did not rush to open the door, drawing a sword and stretching it out in front of me as a protective measure, I pushed the door but didn't budge. And at that moment I felt complete idiot, the door opened with pulling not pushing.

-Damn, I almost crap myself.

But, even stupid jokes could not fully calm me down. By changing the position of the body and moving away so as not to stand in the opening passage, I pulled the door towards me. Slowly the door opened and nothing happened, no stream escaped from their monsters, no deadly magic flew, nothing. The door opened and there was no change.

Finally realizing that it was safe inside, I stepped inside, closed the door behind me, and going further, I finally threw the backpack from his shoulders into the corner of the room.

Inside was full of all kinds of metal junk: bowls, gears, metal pipe cuttings, just weird details, and all from the same Dwemer metal.

Though there was one exception in one of the corners lay empty bottles that looked like wine, and next to them are bubbles as I used to use.

-Clearly, then I'm not the first here.

My gaze moved to two remarkable details of the room: a large and very dense grate exactly opposite the entrance, through which, moreover, you can barely squeeze your finger into the door to the right of the bars. According to my knowledge, it should have been closed with a simple lock. Fortunately, in I bought myself 15 simple, cheapest iron lockpicks that I bought from some guys in the caravan. Now let's hope the time spent on youtube watching random lockpicking videos and a week of living with Khajit learning a couple of tricks was not in vain.

Studying all the nuances of the lock took half an hour at most, simply because of my inexperience in the matter. I knelt under the light of a gas lamp trying with the help of its light to pry off the crossbars with a hook while pressing the levers with the second lockpick.

That one job. I felt like I wasted at least one hour. No, I'm not complaining, I knew what I was getting into, praise be to my crooked hands that breaking the lock did not take half a day, but just a couple of hours and 5 broken lockpicks.

Finally, with special triumph and exultation, I pulled the door back, so that only

feel like an idiot, the door opened from me, and not at me. The second time, the second Dwemer door made me look like an idiot.

one, now more left, - now I only had to make sure that it will not get lost or stolen, and given that I am literally on my way to the city thieves. It will be necessary to keep it as close to the body as possible, literally, otherwise, this unusual crystal will attract the curious glances of onlookers. Finally admiring the Ethereum, my eyes moved back to the dust-free table. It was hard not to notice the large blade, whose shape slowly flowed into a long decorated pole. Dwemer axe. And not just an ax, and an ax whose blade, if you look closely, glowed dimly thin scarlet web over the entire surface of the cutting edge.

-Hm, there is nothing else that I can take with me so it should be a good time to examine the enchanted staff that I found.

As it turns out the first ring that I found improved the magicka regeneration, the must-have item for me, the pendant on other hand had simple warming enchantment on it that helps its owner to resist cold weather. Considering that I have Nord's cold resistance and it was still summer I decided on selling it. And the last thing the ax had a storm fire enchantment on it, which combined with the fact that it was made of Dwemer metal made it the object with the highest monetary value that I found here, so I hid it in my backpack.

Afterward, I did not rush back to the caravan instead deciding to stay here for the night moving out closer to the sunrise when nocturnal predators calm down.

The road back to the caravan took only 20 minutes with the majority of the journey being down the slope. After returning to the caravan I sold half of the items that I found excluding the ax and silver ring. I did not sell everything saying that it was all that I found, so that none of the caravaneers may decide to tip their friends in Riften about me. The road to our next stop the Shor's stone took about 8 hours.

The first thing when reaching the mining village was to visit the blacksmith until sunset to buy some armor. I did so to gain some extra protection and make anyone eyeing money that I got from selling Dwemer junk, after all, armor is not easy to steal armor, and it generally costs less than what it was bought for since the new owner will always need to refit it.

There I ordered a pair of steel gauntlets and a helmet while at the same time opting for iron armor and hide boots. All of it cost me about 150 gold septims, which was a lot more reasonable than the in-game price for that items.

As it turns out there is money other than gold septims, almost every province for example has its own silver coins. For example, here in Skyrim, the silver Kyne's tears are used since the times of Ysgramor himself, and one septim is equivalent to 15 tears. And the bottle of mead in the taverns costs about 12 tears.

-Here is a deposit for the armor my caravan leaves in 3 days until then I will stay in the tavern until then. So you may find me in Filnjar.

-No problem, I have a lot of free time with mine out of work, so it will be ready in time.

The mine? The trouble with mining? - I had an idea of the possible reasons and the size of the problems, but it's better to ask once the chance has fallen.

-Yes, - the blacksmith turned gloomy, - one of the guys mining ore, poisoned by frost spiders, I have no idea where they could come from deep in the mine, but now they have made a nest there, and the miners are now afraid mine ore in the vicinity of huge spiders. No ore - no work for me, and I have mouths to feed. The whole village, - he looked around with a glance at more than three dozen houses - lives at the expense of this one mine.

It will be closed for a long time and we will all need to tighten our belts. I something

I can handle it since people in my profession are always needed, but other men from

with their families...

-Well, Shit.

-Shit, he confirmed.

-And what about the guard?

-Guard?! those corrupt pieces of shit will not move without extra pay. And from where do we simple miners find enough money? All we were able to gather is 400 gold septims.

-Damn, I didn't think it was that bad, of course, the guards always and everywhere are the same lazy asses, and the farther from the central government, the fatter, lazier they are and dumber, but such ... In my area, at least they performed their duties.

-They do! the blacksmith threw sourly,

-They patrol the nearest roads, put patrols, and keep order, but they say about the mine that the mines are the business of the miners and our community as a whole. You see, the jarl gave them decrees, and they execute them, and everything from above is already at their discretion. Stupid and cowardly.

-Difficult situation, since the guards do not want to climb to the frost spiders, then maybe the locals themselves could?

-Yes, who here will find eggs for this? - the man dropped sourly, amazed waving his hand, - you understand, tramp, miners live here, they have been digging ore, not because they like it, but because there is no more able, with rare exceptions, - he clearly remembered someone specific and so I didn't generalize.

- If they had even a drop of courage, they would not have been here for decades. They may be strong in body but weak in spirit. I would go down but I am old.

-You said you collected four hundred septims? I thoughtfully drawled, looking into the dark mouth of the mine.