In Love and War

Chapter Three: The Presence of Kings

If there was one thing I didn't like about Skyrim, it was how cold the damned country was. Even in the warmer areas there always seemed to be a blast of frigid air every now and again. Reading about the country's harsh climate didn't do justice to actually being there. It was no wonder why the Nords thrived so well there. Their thick bodies and hearty spirits could conquer the fiercest of environments; they were built for that cold.

A living testament to this belief was my carriage driver. He donned only a short-sleeved tunic, the same one he wore when we first departed Solitude, and drank down another flagon of mead. While I shivered beneath a fur blanket in the back of his wagon, the man didn't even flinch at the snow-filled air. His resilience was astounding. The man, Thaer, noticed my shivering and chuckled to himself. "You get used to the cold. You have to here."

I responded through chattering teeth. "I hope you're right, sir."

"You know what makes the cold bearable?" He didn't wait for my response and he raised his cup once more. "Warm mead, and there's plenty of it in Windhelm. Candlehearth Hall is a fine place to get you a drink."

I smiled weakly. "I don't drink often, but I appreciate your concern."

The driver nodded but kept his gaze ahead. He clucked to the horse that pulled our carriage, urging the animal to quicken its pace. "You can always try the second-best thing then: the comfort of a lover." I laughed weakly, shaking my head. He glanced at me in amusement. "Do you think I'm lying?"

"No," I responded with a giggle. "It's just funny you would suggest an Imperial could find love in a city of Stormcloaks." He hummed in response as I continued, "Besides, it is a rare thing to find love in my line of work."

"It's rare to find genuine love in any line of work. No one here has time for courtship anymore. Love in a Nord's eyes is found through deeds."

"Interesting," I muttered, tugging the blanket over my shoulders more. While I wanted to believe Faida and Gaius' love was genuine, if anything the coachman said had truth behind it perhaps Faida just liked my cousin for what he did for her. Then again, who was I to believe love advice from a half-drunk carriage driver?

As the wagon bumped along the road, my eyes focused on the setting of Magnus ahead of us. With its disappearance, it would be much colder in the snow-covered mountains in which we trekked. We had taken the route north of Whiterun, as Thaer said we were less likely to encounter oppositions that way. At that moment however, I would much rather have been fighting a bear than freezing my ass off.

It appeared we were getting close as I could see the outline of a large city ahead of us once we started down one of the mountain paths. My suspicions were confirmed as my driver called out, "It won't be much longer now. Windhelm is in sight."

"Great," I chattered, hugging myself tightly a moment before digging through my bag. I felt a thin letter inside and pulled it out. The sealed letter was to be delivered to our Imperial contact stationed in Riften. They would ensure the contents were delivered to the right people in each of the Holds. At least, that is what Gaius and I told Uncle Oritius.

While we were delivering the missive to a contact, I would hand it over to the operative in Windhelm. The extra travel time would be spent in my investigation. I kept my exact location and plan a mystery for Gaius. The less he knew, the less likely he would be to get into trouble. If anything went wrong, I didn't want to drag him down with me. My cousin was risking enough for me as it was.

As I ran my finger over the seal, I glanced over at Thaer. "Don't wait for me at the stables. I might be a while. I'll take another carriage to Solitude."

The man nodded as we started to cross a bridge. "I'll be spending the night here. It looks like we might be having a storm blow through." He looked up at the sky and the swift moving clouds. I nodded in agreement. The setting sun was disappearing quickly behind the dark puffs. I would most likely be staying the night in Windhelm as well, considering all went well. If not, I would have to battle the elements until I made it back to Whiterun Hold.