Company

Luckily, the guard soon returned with word from the Jarl, the Companions were to be allowed inside... That was all. Hmm, seems like trying to ride in on their coattails wasn't going to work.

"Ah, come on! You think I'm the murderer or something? That I'm going aid whoever it is when I get inside? Why else wouldn't I be allowed inside!?" Michael exclaims as the Companions lead their carts full of mammoth meat into the city.

The guard sneers are Michael under his helmet, taking a great deal of satisfaction from his plight. "Jarl's orders, only the Companions can enter."

...

"Yeah, well? I came here to join the Companions, so, how about that?" Michael says, getting a crooked brow from Aela and Vilkas who were walking past.

The guard snorts, "Oh, really? I'd suggest you look elsewhere for work, they wouldn't let someone like you join... They only accept warriors, not whatever you claim to be."

"Perhaps you should stop speaking for us, or do you believe we lack the wit to deal with our own problems?" she asks, causing the guard to shut up.

"You needed him to gain access to the city, didn't you?" the guard mentally retorts, not saying such things out loud for obvious reasons.

Vilkas crosses his arms, "Aela, maybe you should go on ahead and let me deal with this. You've on edge since we got back..."

She shakes her head, "Of course, that hunt could barely be called so. the mammoth rolled over and let us finish it. Hardly even worth the trip!"

Vilkas just lets out an exasperated sigh, gesturing her to go on without him, she does so and Vilkas turns to Michael, "So, you want to join?... Well, I have to say I've never heard of anyone called Michael," he remarks as he looks Michael over a couple times.

...

"I just wanted to enter the city today... Whatever this still works, right?" Michael thinks to himself before shaking his head, "Yeah, I'm good with a sword and I'm sure I beat most men."

Vilkas hums, "You sure? Because we'll test you on this as soon as we get back.." he leans closer, "If you're just trying to get a ride into the city, don't bother, because I'll throw you out myself." he grouses.

"Try me."

...

Vilkas slowly nods, "Fine, you've got fire so, we'll give you a shot."

"Ah, before that, let me grab my friends."

"Only Companions, no friends or family." the guards atop the wall decides to chip in.

Michael glares at him, "Fine, just give me a minute to let them know." he says, leaving Vilkas at the gate to explain the situation to the others.

To be frank, Tiffania, Charlotte, and Illococoo didn't care all that much, but Medresi was seething, making Michael wonder if she'd start suddenly spitting fire...

"Just sit back and relax, I'll try and help finding the murderer while I'm at it." he offers.

"Be quick about it, I'm not comfortable sitting out here with all this gold on me." Medresi says.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With that, Michael and Vilkas enter the city, giving Michael his first real look inside the place... The first thing he noticed was the familiar forge on his right as soon as he enters the city. If he were honest, it was his most visited location back when he played the game. It was so close to Whiterun's fast travel point that using it to sell all his loot just made practical sense.

There was also the fact that he could quickly train his smithing there too, buying materials from the shop and using them to level up... Most would remember that dire time in their lives where they monotonously crafted iron daggers in hopes of levelling enough to make Daedric or Dragon armour.

Regardless, this particular smithy wasn't why he was here in the city. He wanted to see Eorlund Gray-Mane to get his ebony stuff made into something useful, but that'd have to wait until the murderer was found... Or until he properly joined the companions, not something he was sure he wanted to do.

Sure, having access to what was essentially a mercenary company was useful in a whole manner of ways, and he'd probably never want for work there. But that didn't mean he wanted to align himself with folk so close to Hircine... Werewolves.

The city of Whiterun itself was split into three parts. The Plains District, which was the lowest and most ventured, and held most of the stores and merchants in the city. It's the first place a visitor sees, and a place where visitors usually stay.

The Wind District, where most residential buildings and estates were placed. The height of this area varied, the most expensive families living higher than the more modest ones... Of course, the Companion's home Jorrvasker was positioned above them all directly next to the Skyforge. A sign if you would, of where the city's priorities should be.

Lastly, there was the Cloud District, where the Jarl's place of residence Dragonsreach lay. Other than Dragonsreach, there was also the prison, guard barracks, and other buildings with military applications.

Michael took this all in as he and Vilkas marched through the city. It was mid-afternoon by now, and everyone else was inside or sleeping due to the curfew the Jarl had ordered to prevent further deaths.

They pass by the dying tree called the Gildergreen which Michael distinctly remembers healing in the game... They go up the steps and enter the doors of the large upturned longship...

Inside, well... He's greeted by a huge, warm room with a long table in the center covered with food and drinks. His attention was drawn elsewhere however, along with everyone else in the room.

"YOU WANT TO GO, JACKLE!? THINK YOU CAN BEST ME!?" a large bald Nord shouts, angrily patting himself on the chest as if he were a gorilla, he's gesturing towards an even taller, lithe-looking orc female. She was bald aside from the single black ponytail that hung just to the top of her neck.