Part 44
Belethor's General Goods – Whiterun
Exactly one month after I had last been here, I appeared once again inside the store run by the man called Belethor. As before, while I startled him, he recovered quickly and wanted to get down to business.
However, before we could start haggling, I set down the trunk I was carrying and knocked on the lid before opening it. Much like I had done when visiting the Room of Requirement on the night of Halloween.
A moment later, Merula Snyde popped out, grinning with a light in her eyes. She wasn't impressed by what she saw; rather, she was delighted because her plan to accompany me to Skyrim had succeeded.
"Sir, I don't buy and sell people," insisted Belethor. "That joke about my sister was just a little humour".
Given that, from his perspective, it looked as if Merula had been crammed into a trunk, I could understand why he might have gotten the wrong impression.
"No, don't worry, she's here to do some shopping," I assured the merchant. "The trunk, it's just a mage trick. Don't worry about it".
As to why Merula was here, it wasn't simply to look around this shop. I'd told her about this trip, and she figured that while I was limited to only visiting a tiny part of this city, she wouldn't be bound by that rule any more than the merchandise I brought with me.
That was why she'd travelled in the trunk, tucked away in one of the larger compartments. She intended to go out into the town for a proper look around.
"Remember, don't leave yet," I warned her.
She gave me a look of exasperation.
"Honestly, Ral, you sound like someone's overprotective Mum," she chided "I'll have a quick look around, maybe pick up something interesting, and then I'll meet you outside".
It might not be as simple as that.
"Please, do be careful, Merula," I requested of her. "If you get lost or arrested I can't—"
She didn't let me finish.
"Relax, Ral," Merula said as she smirked at me, "I won't stray far. I'll just look around the market and visit the tavern. I know we are only here for an hour. I'll meet you outside this shop when I am done".
I suppose she would be okay. I'd told her all about Skyrim and Whiterun, and unless the Stormcloaks attacked the city, she should be safe here. She was hardly helpless since she was a powerful witch.
"Was that your wife?" asked Belethor as Merula strode out of the store, loudly proclaiming she wasn't stuck here, unlike me "She's a lively lady".
Oh, thank Merlin, I wasn't married to Merula.
"No, she's more of a partner in crime," I replied.
If Merula wanted to risk getting stuck here in Skyrim just so she could buy Nord mead and wander the markets, I guess that was her business. I had my own matters to deal with.
Once this hour was up, I was going back to my studies—I still had years' worth of material to get through just to equal a Hogwarts student of my age.
Even with my Gale Force Glasses and that new perk that let me retain information much better than before, and without worrying about Astronomy or the History of Magic, it was still going to take me weeks of study to catch up.
"Any luck with the enchanting and alchemy tables?" I asked.
"I got a reply from the Mages Guild," Belethor told me. "It's going to be a couple of months before your order arrives. The roads just aren't safe these days, even for mages, and the trade caravans don't often go to the College".
Waiting for the tables was a little frustrating, but hardly worth complaining about. Instead, I got down to business because my time here was limited.
"I have the stuff you wanted," I stated as I opened the trunk again and took some stuff out of it, "I hope it is still in demand".
Before leaving last time, he'd mentioned a need for fur clothing, since local hunters had gone off to fight in the war. I'd used the Clothes Beam power to make some, and I was now selling them here, earning me some local coin. Money that I was more than happy to spend on exotic goods.
"Now, friend," said the merchant, "Your investment was not wasted. I sent someone down to speak with the Khajiit caravan, and she was able to acquire a few things unique to Skyrim or magical, as you requested".
This was excellent news.
"What do you have?" I asked.
Belethor produced a small selection of items.
"I have for you, a hagraven claw, a few bear claws, a sabre cat tooth. Ah, and these are leather bracers of alchemy," he told me, "And something very rare that I might not see again for years, a Werewolf Pelt".
Aside from the fact that werewolves are people, which made owning a pelt from one of them somewhat morally questionable. I knew werewolves revert to their human form when they die, when in their more monstrous form. The werewolves of Skyrim must be different.
"I'll take all of that," I decided.
The bracers would go well with my adventurer outfit. The rest could decorate either my home or Merula's manor.
"I also still have Centurion Dynamo you were eying last time you were here, if you are still interested".
Last time, I hadn't been given a purse that kept filling with gold coins, and had only had so much I could carry on my person. With the trunk, I had much more carry space, so there was no reason for me not to buy the oddity.
"Yes, I'll take the dynamo," I said "Did you manage to acquire any more spell tomes?"
He hesitated for a moment, then added,
"Spell tomes are hard to come by, but I did manage to barter for one. The spell is called Fury. It drives the target into a frenzy," he told me.
Not a spell I could see myself using, but perhaps Merula or Ismelda would like to try and see if they could learn a little Elder Scrolls magic.
I left Belethor's shop with my new purchases tucked away and headed for the shop next door while keeping an eye out for a certain witch who so far didn't seem to have started a riot. That was good news.
The alchemy store was right next door, so I soon stepped inside. The moment the door closed behind me, Arcadia looked up from behind the counter with a smile.
"Welcome to Arcadia's Cauldron. You've come for a healing potion," she said by way of greeting, "Or maybe a Cure Disease potion, you are looking a little pale, could be bone break fever".
I was sure I didn't have that illness, and the paleness had to do with spending too much time indoors.
"No, not this time," I said, "I'm more interested in the ingredients themselves. Seeds, cuttings—things I can grow myself in a greenhouse"
That caught her attention.
"Now that is unusual. Most customers want a potion to fix what ails them," the store owner replied.
"I can't visit the city very often," I explained to Arcadia, who must not remember me from my last visit "I'd rather not rely on markets or merchants for ingredients when I can cultivate them myself"
Arcadia arched a brow, intrigued but cautious.
"That's ambitious. Growing some of Skyrim's flora is no easy feat," she warned, "But I do have what you need".
She began stacking some supplies on the counter.
"I can offer frost mirriam seed, jazbay grape cuttings, tundra cotton seed, snowberries, and a few sprigs of canis root, Deathbell bulbs as well," she offered.
Ismelda would be very happy to have so many new plants to play with.
"I'll take as much as you're willing to sell," I said.
Arcadia smiled at me.
"Careful with statements like that, stranger. You'll drain your purse before you leave my counter," she playfully warned.
"I've got coin enough," I assured her.
I noticed something she was keeping out of sight.
"Is that Crimson Nirnroot?" I asked.
Spoiler
"Oh, yes, an adventurer managed to bring me some," she said, "But I couldn't let it go for less than two hundred".
That wasn't a problem for me, and I reached into my special pouch to take out two hundred gold coins. Ismelda would love some as exotic as Crimson Nirnroot.
"If you're serious about cultivation, remember this: plants have needs, just like people," she reminded.
I'd leave concerns of such things to experts in Herbology.
"You're not the usual wandering sellsword, that much is clear. I don't know what you're planning, but I suspect you'll be back," said the local woman.
That was almost certainly true.
"Most likely," I admitted, "Thank you, Arcadia."
As I stepped back out into the sunlight, I couldn't help but picture the greenhouse already—rows of tundra cotton, snowberries and Nirnroot, all of which would have magical properties for potions.
Now I just had to stay here until Merula rejoined me. I didn't have to wait long. A cheerful-looking Merula came over to me. She wasn't burdened by purchase as she carried expanded pouches, and she'd had plenty of gold coins before I sent her off to explore.
"You didn't get arrested," I commented.
That had been a real concern.
"And no riots either," I cheerfully remarked.
Merula smirked at me.
"Please. Give me a little credit, Ral," she said, "I've managed to survive this long and not end up in Azkaban".
She then batted my arm playfully.
"I just wandered the market and then popped into the tavern," she shared.
That didn't sound too bad.
"What did you buy?" I asked.
Normally, I worry about how much of my money she has spent, but that wasn't a concern these days.
"Ugh, most of the stalls were boring. Food, clothes, weapons—things we can get anywhere. I did see some jewellery, though, and obviously I couldn't resist," she answered.
She tilted her head to better show off a copper circlet gleaming in the sunlight.
"Try to restrain your admiration," she joked.
Somehow, I was able to contain myself.
"Think I can start a fashion trend?" she asked, her grin daring me to disagree.
I had no idea. What I knew about fashion you could fit on the back of a postcard.
"Anyway, most of my haul came from the tavern. I snagged a dozen bottles of something called Alto Wine, four Honningbrew Meads, and two bottles of Nord mead", she let me know "Not as much as I'd hoped for, but the barmaid swore the civil war's choking the trade routes. Said if I want the real good, I'll have to go to the capital—and that I must try their spiced wine".
Perhaps one day I would get to try it. I still believed that one day I might become powerful enough to teleport here by my own will.
"Anyway, it should be enough for my party," she was now saying, "Can't be a proper member of the upper class unless I host at least one fancy party".
Merula perked up suddenly.
"Oh, and I got us both a sweet roll." She produced them with a flourish, eyes glinting. "You're welcome, by the way. They sold out fast, but I can be very persuasive."
I'd been adamant that she ask about them and buy me one if she could. I took the sweet roll, already catching the faint smell of sugar and spice. It was light, soft, and sweet.
"You know," she said around a mouthful, "this place isn't half bad. A bit primative, but it's an okay place to visit. Next time, I'll risk venturing a bit further. Try those blacksmiths you mentioned, see if they have worth buying".
Sounded like a plan to me, and since there wasn't any reason for us to stay here now, I got Merula to climb back into the trunk so that I could take us both home. Perhaps she could have just held onto me as I teleported, but I didn't want to risk her slipping from my grasp and ending up lost somewhere in the multiverse.