---
### Several Weeks Later
Morning had arrived in Skyrim. People in Whiterun began to emerge from their homes and go about their various tasks. Some rushed to work, some had just opened their shops, and guards were replacing colleagues who had been watching over the city all night.
A tall young man had just gotten up and splashed water on his face from a barrel. Dressed in his shirt and light trousers, he then put on a full set of light armor. For some reason, John had developed a habit of always putting on his armor first thing in the morning.
"New day, new events."
After paying the innkeeper for his room, John stepped out of the Sleeping Giant Inn.
"Buy meat! Fresh venison!" a Bosmer shouted loudly from behind his butcher's stall. And the stall was about 5 times larger than its in-game counterpart.
"This old woman has all sorts of jewelry and other trinkets," an old Nord woman called out.
"Fresh fruits and vegetables!"
Oh. These lines. Shivers ran down John's spine. This nostalgia, from having played Skyrim long ago and now returning to this amazing world filled with magic, fights, lore, and story. That wonderful music and emotions... But now was not the time to give in. John closed his eyes, inhaled, and exhaled. He took a step forward and...
*Thump!* Someone bumped into him.
"Excuse me. I'm so clumsy."
"It's nothing," John replied.
He saw a Nord girl. She looked to be over 20, with chestnut hair. Smooth skin on her face suggested she took care of herself. She was wearing a cheap blue dress. John decided to initiate contact.
"And what's your name?"
"Mine?" The girl looked at him with surprise. She didn't often talk to the opposite sex, although she was quite eloquent. "Ysolda."
"A nice name. And my name is John."
"You're new in town, aren't you?" Ysolda raised her right eyebrow.
"What makes you say that?"
"Well, judging by your gear, you're an adventurer or a mercenary."
"That's correct."
"Of course," Ysolda said with a smile.
"I wanted to ask you something. Where's the nearest Khajiit caravan around here?"
"Oh, so you want to see the Khajiit? I can show you the way."
"Thank you for the favor." John was pleasantly surprised that Ysolda was helping him.
The crowd of people seemed endless. John and Ysolda walked through the flow for several minutes.
"John. Could you help me with something?"
"And what might that be?"
"I'm helping you now, so could you also help me in the future? For example, bring me a mammoth tusk?"
"Perhaps I can assist you with that. But. What do you need it for, and will there be any reward? Because helping to find a place is one thing, but obtaining a tusk is another," John said in a calm tone.
"You're quite good at persuasion."
"Indeed," John stated with a touch of boastfulness.
"Well. I need this tusk because a Khajiit will teach me about trading, and in return, he demanded a tusk. As for a reward... I can teach you about trading and some conversational tricks."
"I'm willing to do it. But give me a few days."
"Alright."
By the end of their conversation, they had reached the Khajiit caravan. These felines were not allowed into the city due to their peculiar behavior. Several yurts were set up near the walls of Whiterun. Smoke billowed from some of the structures.
"So. Thank you for your help. Next time, I'll help you."
The young man said this.
Only now did John realize...
"What brings you here, stranger?"
...that the Khajiit would be so fluffy. Such grey fur covered their bodies. Their soft tails. Their faces were the same as in Skyrim, but even better.
"I want to learn your art of combat. The Khajiit have an interesting technique, and I would like to learn it."
"Do you think it's that easy? I cannot sell you the full version. Only the basic one."
"And how much does it cost?"
"About 1000 gold."
"Hmm, alright." John simply pulled out a few gold ingots. Carrying 1000 gold pieces was a pain.
"Oh wow. I didn't think of gold ingots," the Khajiit replied.
"So, the technique?"
"It's written on a scroll. Here." The Khajiit handed an old-looking scroll to the Dragonborn.
---
John smiled and walked back into the city. Along the way, he overheard a very interesting conversation. Two people were chatting near the stables. One was an old man in green work clothes. The second was a woman in steel plate armor with a two-handed sword on her back. Her red hair flowed over her shoulders.
"Listen, Skulvar. I recently saw a strange jester. He was near Loreius's Farm."
"And what makes you think that man was strange, Uthgerd?" Skulvar asked with a hoarse voice.
"Well. His carriage wheel broke. And there was also a coffin in the carriage itself."
"Well, that's not so strange."
"That's not all, Skulvar. I felt a certain danger emanating from that jester. That's rare," Uthgerd stated with a serious face.
"Hmm. I don't think a jester is capable of much, but I believe you," the old man agreed.
John was a little surprised. He hadn't thought events would unfold so quickly. That jester near the farm was most likely Cicero. A very dangerous assassin. Such individuals were quite dangerous to him. Well, no need to dwell on it.
John approached Uthgerd the Unbroken and introduced himself:
"I am John, and I require your services."
"You require them, do you? Before asking, you should apologize for eavesdropping on other people's conversations." It seemed John wasn't so skilled at stealth.
"Why should I do that?" John challenged.
"Then I'll make you!" A switch flipped inside Uthgerd. She decided to solve the problem with her fists.
"Quite original," John replied with a smirk.
Uthgerd approached John and delivered two blows to his stomach and head. John, however, dodged and counterattacked. His fist accurately connected with the formidable woman's jaw. She staggered back slightly from the blow.
"Not bad," Uthgerd said with a smile.
John didn't reply. After all, he had trained in boxing for several years in his past life, and the knowledge remained.
Uthgerd struck again. But this time with a kick. John barely dodged, and then was met with a punch. Fortunately, the young man managed to block it in time.
---
*Several minutes later*
The armored woman knelt on one knee. She was a little out of breath from the fight with the Dragonborn. Bumps and bruises appeared on her head. John watched her calmly.
"You're really not bad. It seems you're not just all talk."
"A very accurate observation."
"So, what did you want?" Getting up, she wiped the remaining blood from her face.
"I want to hire you as a mercenary."
"For what? You're already strong."
"Um, what?" John was a little taken aback by such an assertion. In this world, there were powerful mages, warriors, ghosts, dragons. And she was saying he was strong. "I'm not that strong. Right now, I need people for a journey to Bleak Falls Barrow."
"Oh, so that's why. Ancient Nord ruins... I don't think one should disturb the dead." Uthgerd was not thrilled that her client wanted to explore ruins. They were quite dangerous, and one shouldn't cause chaos, thereby disturbing the dead.
"I need your help. And after all, I have money." Peter pulled out a pouch of gold.
"Hmm." Internally, Uthgerd was reluctant to go for such a task, but thoughts of new battles and gold ultimately won out. "I agree to go with you."
"Excellent," John replied happily. "And by the way, you'll be working with another mercenary."
"And who is he?" Curiosity was still evident on her face.
"It's a she. And her name is Jenassa."
---
Several hours later, John, Uthgerd, and Jenassa set off. John had managed to buy three horses just in time.
"So, where are we supposed to go?" the Dunmer in leather armor asked (this was Jenassa).
"To Bleak Falls Barrow."
"Oh, right. I always forget names." Jenassa always blamed herself for her forgetfulness.
"How many days will it take?" Uthgerd asked, wearing her helmet.
"About 2-3 days." {Bleak Falls Barrow is a bit closer than in the original game.}
"Tch." Uthgerd disliked long journeys. She craved battles, mead, enemies. Besides... she didn't particularly trust Jenassa, the dark elf. After all, it was in the Dunmer's blood to betray anyone. Though it sounded bad, it happened. The companions of the great Nerevar were betrayed by his own teammates, and his beloved Almalexia slept with his friend Vivec.