Into Skyrim

Chapter 9: Divine Luck

T'was three in the morning by the time we got back to Ivarstead. We rented a room at the local inn to spend the night. Elizabeth and I took some time to wash up in a bastion and get some food in our bellies before discussing our next course of action.
"So how are we gonna get to Ustengrav?" Elizabeth asks. "Do we even know where it is?"

"Yeah, I know how to get there," I say, pulling a map of Skyrim out of my bag and spreading it out on our bed. "What I'm thinking is we'll head West going through this pass through the mountains here, which isn't too far away as you can see. When we get to Helgen, we'll take the road along the banks of lake Ilinalta and follow it until we reach Whiterun again," I explain. "Then we'll take the road North through Rorikstead, head East just before we reach the Dragon Bridge and cut through Morthal."

"Why don't we go over those mountains here?" Elizabeth asks, pointing to the mountain range that separates Whiterun from Hjaalmarch.

"No way, Jose!" I say. "There is no way in hell we are passing through Labyrinthian! One frost troll is enough for me."

"Hm. You make a good point," She says.

"Of course I do, this is me we're talkin' about." I smirk.

|

Two days later, we were in the forested area a the corners of Hjaalmarch, Haafingar, and the Reach, trotting along on Belle's back. I could tell Elizabeth was getting increasingly worried about Zeppelin from the way she stared straight ahead in silence.
"Hey," I say placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We'll find him. Its just a matter of time."

We ride in silence for a while longer until we hear barking coming from the treeline. "Woah there, girl," Elizabeth says to halt our horse. I hop off Belle and place a hand on my sword handle, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.
There's rustling in the bushes just beyond the trees.

"Hey! Who's there?!" I yell. The bushes rustle some more before a grey dog with matted and tangled fur came bounding out of the woods. I relax and kneel down to pet him. "Aww, hi there," I baby talk as I hold out my hand for him to sniff, "What's your name, sweetie?"

"His name is Meeko," A man's voice says from the treeline. I look up and see a Breton in miner's clothes coming towards us. I abruptly stand up.

"Who are you?" I question him, trying my best to seem intimidating.

"The names Zeppelin. Who are-"

"Jay?!" Elizabeth says hopefully from Belle's saddle. "Jay, is that you?"

The Breton looks up at Elizabeth questioningly. "Elizabeth?" He asks, shocked. I stare at him with a slack jaw. "Kayleighn?!" He says with a huge grin, the reality of the situation setting in on all of us.

Holy Mother of Almalexia. "DUDE!!" I yell happily.

Elizabeth hops of our horse and runs over to her brother and embraces him tightly. I join in and hug Zeppelin from the back. "I'm so glad you're safe," She mumbles into his shoulder before releasing him. "Where the heck have you been?"

"I've just been here with the dog," Zep answers. "Where the fuck have you two been?!"

"Oh, you know. Just surviving an execution, escaping Helgen, saving a city from a dragon, learning from the Greybeards, et cetera et cetera," I boast nonchalantly.