Angi’s Camp, Fort Black: A VERY impressive Nordling, A Dragon, Thalmor treachery, An orphan.

I am being fairly detailed in these entries as I still can’t figure out why The Divines think this is a threat. The more I detail the more chance I have to figure it out.

To get to where Rigmor was camped we had to head for Falkreath. This would normally mean going through Helgen. I don’t think Lydia or I would enjoy that so we rode around its outskirts. We could have occasionally seen into the ruins from a collapsed section of wall if we wished. We both kept our heads and eyes ahead and avoided such views.

The trail to Rigmor’s camp is easy to miss as you travel on the main road to Falkreath. I have no magic compass to guide me now so we were past it quite a way before I realised my mistake and backtracked. “Oh, if you wanted that trail you should have said so. I saw it. Pretty obvious I thought!”said Miss Smartarse in the antique armour.

The trail was very rough and changed direction very often and hard to see in places unless you were Miss Smartarse. It was a very scenic and enjoyable ride. I really liked the bit where we came close to a sheer drop. Not really close but near enough for Lydia to start her Argonian Green impression again.

Soon came to a sign near what look like archery targets. “KEEP OUT” it said. Must be close! I told Meeko to stay behind us. Who knows what a scared Nordling has prepared for unwanted visitors. I like the word Nordling.

Came to some steps and walked my horse up them. There was a hut, tent, crops, tanning rack etc. If you could hunt you could live up here quite comfortably and not be bothered by the petty squabbles going down below. I saw a young woman approaching. There was also a fairly skinny well armoured girl who must be Rigmor.

She introduced herself as Angi and warned us to behave ourselves. I said I had to see Rigmor. Angi said she was under her protection and not to get any ideas. I could see she was determined to uphold that duty no matter what.  I gave my reins to Lydia and she led the horses to where to others were tethered.

I approached Rigmor and got her attention then handed over her mother’s ring. She was so tiny compared to me and I wondered why she had a huge bastard sword on her back. She demanded to know where I got the ring from.  I told her Bar’Ren-Dar and gave her the letter which she eagerly took to her tent to read. I took the opportunity to speak to Angi.

I explained who Lydia and Meeko are and asked, if they promised to respect her personal space and her home, if they could stay on the property if I have to go places with Rigmor. Angi is not slow. Why do I not want a fine warrior like Lydia with me. I whispered that she had just lost her fiancée at Helgen and needed some more time but will not take it if I word it that way.

Angi walked up to Lydia and said, “Wulf tells me you and Meeko are to help me guard the camp while he is away with Rigmor. That is great! I need somebody to tell me the gossip from outside. Meeko, you need to do your business down the hill a bit and we won’t get the smell up here. Lydia, you can put your bedroll next to my bed. I have some hides that need tanning. Do you know how to do that? Don’t worry, I can teach anybody, even men.” That was easy!

I glanced at Rigmor and she seemed to have finished the letter so I approached, knocked on her canvas and asked if I could enter. She said yes so I walked over to have a talk and get idea of what this is all about. I felt guilty towering over her but there was nowhere to sit.

From our conversation I gleamed that she had single handed killed virtually the whole population, soldier, mage, diplomat, of the Thalmor Embassy in Bruma. That would include elite guards especially chosen from their huge armies for their martial skill. They would have been wearing the finest armour and equipped with the finest weapons. That would have included some very powerful mages. Personal bodyguards hand chosen by nobles. Probably, being a Thalmor embassy, expert assassins. This skinny girl in front of me did that? Escaped badly wounded but alive? Made it this far from the border severely injured! All this as revenge for what they did to her family. Revenge can be a strong motivator but to enable that level of martial skill, bravery and anger is incredible.

I asked about her sword. It looked very well made and of a type called “hand and half” or “bastard”. Sword. It could be wielded two handed or, if on horseback, a heavy and unwieldy but effective single handed sword. She found it amongst the piles of corpses she left behind at the embassy. It was her family sword and once wielded by her father. It had been handed to him by another family member and so on for many generations. I commented that the Thalmor must have found it special for some reason as they are not known as souvenir collectors. They tend to leave many fine weapons and armour of the conquered on the battlefield to rot with their dead owners. She vowed they would never get their hands on it again unless they pry it from her cold, dead fingers. I asked if I could have a quick look. She handed it to me without hesitation. I was moved by her trust in me. More likely her trust in the old khajiit.

I expected it to be some lighter metal or have some dweomer on it to allow a skinny teenage girl to use it. It was a beautiful sword of excellent steel with no dweomer I could detect. If there was a Daedric dweomer that would not be visible to me. I moved it back and forth, up and down to test weight and inertia. The tent was not suitable for test swings! It felt well balanced but no lighter or quicker to change direction than other steel greatsword. This young girl was using a sword meant for warriors much larger and stronger than her. I reverently handed it back to her and told her honestly that it was a beautiful piece and she should be proud to own it.

She chose to cross into Skyrim as it was her ancestral home and she had never been before. The practical reason was she was no longer safe in Cyrodiil. While she was here she hoped to see some of the country and its sights.

I asked about her mother. They had both been sold into slavery and she had not seen her for four years. This young girl survived almost three years as a Thalmor slave. That is not only three years of beatings and humiliation and more than likely rape but also any absence of martial training or even handling a weapon. She did not know if her mother was alive and was not ready to talk to me about her own experiences. That is understandable and I was boiling over with anger as it was. I would gladly chop to little pieces the animals that would do that to a family. I did not need to ask about her father’s fate.

She told me Angi is very fond of her and treats her like a daughter. That Angi herself has also suffered through events not of her own making. Rigmor suggested I talk to her about archery and the targets I saw riding in. I decided that was an excellent idea. I thanked Rigmor for being so open and went to talk to Angi, the lady who had saved this girl’s life.

Rigmor did not have that fine sword when she killed all those people. She only found the family sword after the slaughter was finished. She accomplished that feat with a normal steel greatsword worth a fraction of what her family sword is. It is also important to note that she did not have access to a weapon for years whilst a slave. No chance to hone her strength and skill for such a long period of time and yet she accomplished what I would struggle to do. Amazing!

I approached Angi and mentioned the targets I saw on the way in. That led to a discussion about archery and how proficient was I. I lied, I wanted to keep talking to Angi and get to know her story and the best way to do that was act as if I had little experience of bows and arrows. Angi offered to teach me and we headed for her shooting range.

It was obvious that good marksmanship was not only vital to Angi’s survival up here but an important part of her upbringing. There were good memories associated with learning from family members and using their skills on the hunt.

During the lessons I asked questions that Angi was now comfortable to answer. I believe she was up here because civilization basically sucks and parts of it destroyed her family. It was murdered by rogue Imperial soldiers, some of who Angi slaughtered in retaliation. I am glad she decided to live away from the temptation to kill other Imperials for the sins of a few. That sort of hobby leads to an early grave.

To Angi’s surprise I completed all the marksmanship tests she set. As a reward she gave me an extremely fine bow. Like the axe I got for being Thane, its value to me was more than the gold I could sell it for. I thanked Angi for the lessons, the bow, for looking after Rigmor and for allowing my two troublemakers to stay for a while. She said she had already had a small chat with Lydia and could tell she was a woman hurting but trying not to show it. She said she was an expert on that.

It had taken some time to do the archery lessons and darkness was approaching quickly. I went to talk to Rigmor and ascertain what our next steps were.

Rigmor handed me a letter she had found on the body of a Thalmor officer she had slain. Rigmor had taken the time to gather intelligence whilst deep in enemy territory. This is no ordinary teenager I am to protect.

Several things stuck out in the letter. They had Daedric artefacts they were trying to duplicate but only succeeding very slowly. One set in four years. They were to be moved to a Fort Black. The other thing that had me concerned was the mention of a “New Order of Alinor”. Alinor is the Aldmeri name for both the capital of the Summerset Isles and the islands in entirety. New Order was suggesting some sort of military or political force based there. That is a long way from Bruma. Rigmor piped up and said Fort Black is an easy ride from Angi’s Camp. “New Order of Alinor” was unknown to me but I do not profess to be an expert of Thalmor politics or military. What is concerning is they had members working in their embassy in Bruma and have members working in a fort in Skyrim.

Rigmor had wanted to investigate the fort and had drawn a map on how to get there. I am pretty sure she would have tackled it alone within the next few days. The girl seems to have no fear. It could also be recklessness and disregard for personal survival driven by something darker than revenge.

It was a place that needed checking out simply for the safety of Skyrim. But Skyrim was not what Baa’Ren-Dar wanted me to protect. Rigmor was. Agreeing to go with her to Fort Black would not exactly be keeping her from harm. It would be the two of us marching happily towards it. I could see she regarded it as part of whatever she was pursuing. Revenge, finding her mother, exercising her hatred for the Thalmor. All of the above?

So far I had seen nothing that would ring alarm bells with The Divines. I doubted keeping one Nord teen girl alive was my task. Chances were the answers both Rigmor and I wanted are in that fort. So that is where we decided to go.

It was getting dark so I wore my lantern. Not as bright as Blaze would be but it didn’t advertise “Dragonborn!” to all who could see it. I informed Angi and Lydia of where we were going. I reassured Angi I would take care of Rigmor and if all goes well we should be back tomorrow sometime. I hunched down and gave Meeko a huge scratch behind each ear and asked him to look after the ladies even though I knew they were both capable of that themselves.

Rigmor and I set of at a slow pace at first then a fairly reckless gallop in the dark along trails I didn’t know and doubted Rigmor did either. I suck at being a guardian!

On the way to the fort we encountered a pack of wolves. We both dismounted and I tackled a couple but was more interested in watching Rigmor and seeing how she fights. Whoever taught her was better at two handed swords than me. I could tell because his/her pupil certainly was. I would be well above the average two handed wielder but what I saw was more than a few steps above me. She flowed from one attack form to another with perfect footwork and balance. The speed of her blade and changes of direction defied the weight and inertia I had felt before. It was like it was made from wood and not steel. One thing did worry me. There was no sign of defence at all. Her answer to a wolf lunging at her face was not to hold the sword horizontally to protect it but to step forward and either skewer the beast using its own momentum or do a perfectly timed sweep that caught it mid-flight and ended its life in a spray of blood and gore. It was like I was watching a miniature berserker. Part of their reputation on a battlefield is total lack of defence. All their energy is concentrated on attack and maximum damage. A line of Nord berserkers approaching has been known to cause a rout of much larger forces before contact is made. Here is a guardian deliberately sitting back and watching his charge fight several wolfs intent on eating her and enjoying the spectacle. More proof I would fail at guardian school.

The fight was soon over and Rigmor sprinted to her horse, called Ren, and dashed off into the night leaving her guardian feeling terribly redundant.

My horse was skittish and would not let me mount. I was about to tell it the tale about the bad horse who ended up feeding the good white dog when the reason landed with a thump not far from me.

A dragon. Serve Rigmor right if she finally realised I was not with her and came back to find this lizard picking his teeth with my thigh bone. Who was I kidding. She would probably run up, do some clever sword work mid-air, cut its head off and do a neat somersault on landing.

It was only a young one. It has issued no challenge and attacked with no Thu’um. I had first fired my bow at it but decided melee would be quicker. Sword vs mouth and claw then. It really should have stayed away. Its scales were no match for “The Sword” and it realised too late. I felt sorry killing a magnificent being before its prime, especially when it started to panic which left it even more vulnerable. I could have safely and methodically hacked it to pieces but I took the risk and closed in to thrust “The Sword” through its chest. My compensation was the knowledge to use Feim (Fade), first Word in the “Become Ethereal” Shout.  I would have rather seen Zunranul, the Dovah’s name, flying on the winds currents and enjoying a view of Tamriel I can only imagine.

I jumped on my now compliant horse and rode as fast as I can to where I remember the map was going. It did not take long before I saw Rigmor standing impatiently next to her horse. I didn’t feel like talking about the slaughter of another dragon so told her I had a call of nature.

We headed for the steps leading to the Bloodlet Mine which we need to traverse to get to the fort.

Surprise!  Another idiot with a death wish blocked my way demanding payment or else. Is Skyrim full of these? Is this a form of population control? Glad to do my part. I chose the “or else” option and decapitated him. As I started up the steps I found myself being fired upon by the “or else” man’s friends. Rigmor sprinted up the stairs and started hacking and slashing and dismembering and disembowelling and other fun things you can do with a sharp sword. I raced past her to end one thug. She rushed past me to end the next. I ran past her to finish the last. She ran past me to finish two sabre cats. I ran past her to finish a smelly troll. Then we were at the door to the mine.

We entered the mine and were assaulted by the smell of death and decay. It was pretty dark and my lantern was not penetrating far so I cast a “Candle Light” spell. Rigmor looked with approval. Somehow that made me happier than it should.

As we move further in we were met with a horde of dozens of squealing rats intent on nibbling us to death. I told Rigmor to stay still and then used a “Chain Lightening” spell to destroy half of them in a split second. The other half suffered the same fate a second later. I could get to like this magic stuff. Quick, efficient and I don’t have to clean my sword.

We moved a bit further in and were met with horror. Somebody had killed at least a dozen miners, piled their bodies and burnt them. One unfortunate had been crucified and burnt. I had hoped they were dead before the fire! Unfortunately not as I found out later that day. Why would anybody want to kill miners? I found the disturbing answer to that as well.

We continued through the mine and encountered more hordes of rats and a couple of trolls. All zapped to death.

We exited the mine and faced a sheer drop. You would have time to write your will on the way down. I was so glad Lydia was not with us. There were some steps to the left of the sheer drop and we started up those. Rigmor said they must go to the summit and wanted to go see the views. It was early in the morning, at least midnight I estimated. Pitch black outside the influence of my candlelight and lantern. Howling wind trying to blow us to our doom. Sure why not.

We could see the lights of distant towns and villages. Single lights and small clusters of lamps and torches crawling along paths and road.  Rigmor appreciated it. Filing away Rigmor observations had been a task since I met her. “Likes natural views. Not scared of heights” Two more for my collection. I collected a journal from the lookout apparently written by the dead extortionists.

After a few minutes observing nothing much in the darkness we proceeded down the steps and along another walkway heading towards the fort.

We didn’t get far before we met another idiocy plague victim. A scrawny little Imperial soldier blocked our way saying we did not have the authority to continue and to turn back.

He then made the fatal mistake of recognising Rigmor and letting us know he did. He yelled out “Alarm!” followed by “Arrrrrghhhhhhhh!” as I used “Unrelenting Force” to send him over the side and down a ravine.

Miners came at us from multiple directions. We had to hack and slash our way down steep stairways and along narrow walkways until the last one dropped dead at Rigmor’s feet with a bad case of entrails on the walkway disease.

We were soon on a snowy plain which meant quick time towards the fort interrupted by a short fight with more wolves.

We saw some steps and scaffolding that led up into the dark. A few torches were moving slowly along ramparts indicating guards on patrol. We had found the fort.

After a brief discussion of the situation we started the climb up narrow stairways and along narrow walkways killing as we went. The only difference than before is these were Thalmor, not miners. Why do Thalmor think they need to boast and belittle their opponent moments before their own death?

At the very top, higher than the doorway we wanted to enter, were a cluster of archers. I had a brilliant time throwing fireballs at people for the very first time. The crackling sounds in my hand. The whoosh as they fly to their target. The boom and bright flash as they detonate. The screams of those who survived the explosion but are now on fire. The echoes of boom and scream resonating around the mountains. How can you not enjoy all that?

I asked Rigmor at the entrance to the fort if she was ready for this. Of course she was. It is her hobby.

We burst in and I immediately reduced the numbers opposing us with “Unrelenting Force”. It smashed them against wall and furniture and many never got up again. Rigmor was then in the room and she was their worst nightmare. It did not matter if mage, barman, serving girl, Thalmor soldier or Justiciar. If they were within striking distance they were dispatched efficiently and with an occasional “Talos wills it!” to send them on their way. Suddenly all was silent apart from some commotion upstairs and the occasional muted voice issuing commands.

We thought they might be trying to build a barricade so we rushed upstairs and I kicked open the door where the voices were coming from. Some elite troops and a senior Justiciar were gathered around a table with a peculiar map on it. Rigmor headed straight for the Justiciar who pissed her off by setting her on fire. Many spells require a sustained mental effort so when Rigmor caved in the Justiciar’s head the flames stopped. Meanwhile I had a little trouble finishing two elite troops who we doubling up on me. The Justiciar must have been of fairly high rank and these two his personal bodyguards. I doubt Rigmor came across many of these guys at the embassy grouped together. One on one Rigmor would slaughter them. Three or four together and she would be the dead one. These two acted as a cohesive unit. It was like fighting a creature with four arms. I was having trouble finding a hole in their defence without leaving myself open to a hole in the chest or stomach. Rigmor solved the problem by cleanly decapitating one leaving me to do a neat thrust though the chest of the other. What I was discovering quickly is Rigmor and I are a pretty formidable shock unit. The type of unit you send in first to weaken defences and remove guards so the following more conventional troops have a higher chance of success. With a bit of practice we could perfect the timing of my “Unrelenting Force” with her grand entrance.

We decided to look around for clues as to why they were here. We found the journal of the high level Justiciar. His name was Jovon Joror. A seer and mage to Tilar Aedriath. Tilar was the one who ordered the artefacts be moved to Fort Black. Jovon was sent improve their efforts at duplicating the items. At the time of the order the New Order had the originals and duplicates. Before they could be sent to Fort Black a Nordling girl (is that a common term everywhere but Skyrim?) had sacked the Bruma Thalmor Embassy and “stolen” the originals. They are going to experiment merging Daedric artefacts to create stronger armour for their elite troops.

Another entry in the journal indicates he killed the perfectly innocent miners as ordered by Tilar. They did it to reduce the risk of their work at Fort Black being discovered. They tortured the foreman to see if they knew anything about Fort Black. They didn’t. They were just miners and nothing more. Punishment for that was crucifixion for the foreman before he and the other miners were burnt alive. Tilar might have ordered the deaths but it was this prick Jovon who chose the method. Rigmor killed him too quickly. He was a seer? Well he didn’t seer coming.

The ones who tried to extort us on the way to the mine were paying a tithe to these arseholes. Three of them, including a child, had been captured and the older ones tortured to see if they knew anything about Fort Black. They didn’t but were killed anyway and then they planned to kill the child. They didn’t do that. We rescued her. Her name is Sorella.

Those who tried to extort us were friends of the ones captured and were told they had died in an accident.

Jovon had a sweetheart called Aedriana. I wonder if she was aware of what a monster he was. If I ever have the time I will send her a letter outlining his deeds. I would hate to think some innocent woman is mourning over a prick like this.

We also found another missive from Tilar to Jovon. I will not use their official titles. That indicates respect which there is not the slightest inkling from Rigmor or I. Just sheer contempt and hatred for evil incarnate.

They really are stupid this lot. A Teenage girl had already slaughtered everybody in their Bruma Embassy and stole things from under their noses. Yet they continue to write missives like this without any code to hide the information from prying eyes such as ours.

This missive is almost a blueprint of the second phase of their plan. Assassinate three targets to create confusion and discord. The missive makes it obvious one is Elisif the Fair, King Torygg’s young widow and now Jarl of Solitude. A very popular figure amongst Skyrim citizens on both sides of the Civil War. The other two would be Ulfric and General Tullius. After such deaths the Stormcloaks would go all out to remove the Empire who couldn’t protect such prominent citizens. Emperor Titus Mede II would have no option but to send his Northern army into Skyrim to crush the Stormcloaks and restore order. What their plan is after that is unknown. Simply referred to as the “third phase” it is being directed from the Summerset Isles. Jovor was supposed to keep the Northern army holed up in Skyrim whilst the third phase is completed.

So far there is nothing to attract attention from The Divines. Mortal wars seem to run their course without their interference. I am now thinking this “third phase” in the danger and what I am supposed to fix.

We also found a map outlining a plan of attack.

Rigmor and I agreed to search the fort for more clues and that other people, such as Baa’Ren-Dar, need to see this information as soon as possible.

It is apparent in all this correspondence that the Dominion is supposedly unaware of this breakaway group. I doubted that very much.

Rigmor and I travelled downward into the dungeon or jail section of the place. We were immediately set upon by many and varied Thalmor types. One of them even had the cheek to throw lightening at me! That is only fun when I am doing it!

After dispatching the assorted bad guys we found one of the duplicate items and a letter from the Dungeon Master. Impressive title, crappy uniform and we just ruined his promotion opportunities.

Malik tortured Sorella’s parents to death. They knew nothing about the place where they met their demise. I hope Sorella did not hear her parent’s suffering.

Seems like Fort Black was to be abandoned and they were moving to a new secret location. So all those people have been tortured and murdered to protect a place that is being abandoned anyway.

They have apparently found a new way to reinforce armour that does not require the artefacts. These people are turning out to be a moving target. Currently there is no indication of where the new location might be.

We found the other duplicate item, an exact copy of Rigmor’s sword, on one of the dead Justiciar.

I asked Rigmor the story behind the artefacts. She and her mother knew nothing about them and didn’t even know they existed. They were discovered in a chest by the Thalmor when they arrested Rigmor’s father. I do not know why they arrested him but I assume somebody will fill me in soon enough. Both have Daedric properties. What Daedra enchanted them I know not. The amulet of Talos acts like a full suit of armour. The sword is supposed to be really powerful. I could not detect a dweomer on Rigmor’s sword or this duplicate. The Thalmor were trying to use the Deadric powers of the artefacts to create new weapons and armour with limited success. Now they have found a new way to create powerful armour but we have no hint of how.

Rigmor believes the artefacts to be about 200 years old. Apparently The Mages College in Winterhold has information pertaining to them. Rigmor intends to visit there and see what they can tell her.

Rigmor urged us to get out of there and hand over what we have found to others. I agreed but I wanted to look in some of the other cells first.

One cell contained the bodies of Sorella’s parents.

As we were walking further into the prison Rigmor screamed out that there was a little girl in one of the cells. So far Rigmor had seemed to have nerves of steel. The tone of her voice and body language were such a contrast to what I had seen to this point. As I rushed to try and open the cell Rigmor was frantic and wanted me to hurry. I could see the girl was unharmed. She was watching us with a look of resignation on her face. Seeing a child locked in a cell must remind Rigmor of her own ordeals.

One of the bodies must have the key but I did not think Rigmor could stand the time it would take to backtrack and search. So I used my lock picking skills to open the door. I slowly walked up to the little girl and the first thing she said was “Don’t hurt me.” In the calmest voice I could muster I assured her we wouldn’t and were there to help. I was far from calm. I felt like ripping the whole fucking place down. Only pure evil would allow such things to happen to a child.

I knew her name was Sorella but asked anyway. Rigmor and I agreed to take her to Angi’s and figure out what to do from there. We explained this to Sorella. She knew the crazy lady but would go there because we said she really is nice. Angi had deliberately allowed such rumours to spread so there was less chance of nosy visitors.

Sorella asked about her parents and I gave her the bad news. She accepted that for now but I am certain in a quiet moment when she is safe somewhere it will hit her hard. I just hope somebody is there to hold her.

Sorella told us she knew a shortcut to get out of the fort as the bad guys had been using it. So we followed her and soon enough we were outside.

As we headed down the valley towards Angi’s we saw an encampment in the distance. They had not spotted us and I could not see any sentries looking anyway. It was obvious to me they were bandits. Why they were camped there I did not know or care. Sorella stayed hidden while Rigmor and I crept closer. These idiots were mostly huddled together around a warm fire. I told Rigmor to halt and let me take care of them. The poor bandits were obviously cold so I helped them get warm by firing half a dozen fireballs their way. It did not take long to kill every one of them and I had not put Rigmor in danger. Do I get my guardian licence back now?

We searched the bodies and I found a wanted notice for Rigmor. 15,000 gold dead or alive. Fair enough, that is how much I am getting paid to keep her alive. I showed Rigmor and she thought it was amusing.

Rigmor was continually demonstrating a careless attitude that was almost suicidal in nature. When she is forced to see that and how it might affect those who care she apologises. Her experiences have left behind a deeply troubled person. Part of the problem is being angry at whatever allowed or arranged the fate that befell her family.  The Thalmor are a part of it she can reach and punish. If some scheme by Daedra or Divine or other immortal is ultimately responsible I think them being out of reach could break the spirit of this troubled girl. I know nothing about who or what might be behind a scheme that sucked Rigmor’s family in as part of it. All I know is I had decided to not fight my fate or get angry about it. That could very well change in the future but at the moment that philosophy has made life a lot more bearable. It does not mean I have given up pursuing the answers I seek. I hope Rigmor finds some way to reconcile what has happened to her family and can start living for the now and future, not the past.

We made our way back to Angi’s camp without incident and arrived fairly early in the morning.

We introduced Sorella to Angi. Angi gave Sorella a wonderfully warm welcome and that interaction reminded me of a Dragonborn and a certain white dog looking for a home. I wonder which of those two will end up the leader of their pack. Little girls have a magic that allows them to virtually get away with murder by acting cute and innocent. Like a dog I know. I hope Sorella never reads this and thinks I regarded her as a stray dog!

There was some news from the old khajiit. He had some leads he wanted to discuss with us in Riften. That is quite a ride so I have asked Rigmor to rest and sleep if she can for a few hours before we set out. I am writing these journal entries before I do the same. If anybody knows what to do with the information we have it will be him.