Late in the morning, Alvor, Sigrid and I wake due to Dorthe, their daughter, barging in the front door while loudly scolding her parents.
"Mama! Papa! Do you have any idea how far up the sun is already?! I'm hungry!"
It seems like she was the only one without trouble to fall asleep last night.
Alvor groans. "Eight help me, Dorthe, it's barely past breakfast time…"
Sigrid, already sitting up and rubbing her eyes, gives a tired chuckle. "I'm sure she's got that side from you, husband."
Dorthe stomps lightly across the wooden floor. "Well, get up already papa! I want breakfast!"
Thanks to Dorthe all of us are awake, but I'm still in Skyrim, that removed the little doubt I had left about all of this just being a dream- a really vivid dream.
I stare into the ceiling, wishfully thinking that I want to go home, but I'm quickly interrupted.
The hologram from yesterday appears in front of my eyes once more, the text still reading the same.
"Quest: The necromancer"
- Defeat the necromancer.
I had forgotten about it, it had only there for a brief moment the first time, and I had wondered whether my brain had been playing a trick on me.
Wondering if I was the only one who could see it, I point at the hologram right in front of me face and ask discreetly. "Alvor, what's that?"
Alvor looks at me with a surprised look.
"You don't have elk where you come from?... It's a beast of the forest, though being majestic and beautiful, we Nords need both meat and fur to survive in these lands... but we don't hunt more than we need, at least not the common folk."
Behind the hologram I pointed at was an elk's head, mounted above the hearth.
"I see, it's very beautiful!" I reply, before going silent, wondering what getting a quest would make me, since I'm not playing Skyrim, I'm actually here! I blink twice, and the hologram disappears again.
Alvor thinks my silence is pity for the beast.
He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "Aye... it is a shame in a way. But we give thanks for what we take. That one fed us through a harsh winter, and its hide's still keeping Dorthe warm at night."
Dorthe perks up, grinning. "Papa killed it with one shot! He told me!"
Alvor gives me a modest shrug, as if caught between pride and bashfulness. "A lucky shot, that's all... It was over quickly."
I give him a warm smile, pretending that it really was the elk I was asking about. "No need to explain yourself Alvor, I understand. You provide for your family, your deed is honorable."
Sigrid gives Alvor a look, as if telling him to start asking the questions that needs to be asked.
Alvor catches Sigrid's look and clears his throat. "Aye… well, I suppose we have other things that we need to talk about... We don't even know your name stranger."
"Robert... My name is Robert..." I reply.
Alvor gestures to a stool by the table. "Come, sit down with me, let's eat and discuss what to do moving forward."
I get up from the furs and join Alvor and his family at breakfast.
Alvor passes me a plate with some bread and cheese, there are some apples in a wooden bowl at the middle of the table as well.
It feels quite rustic, but it's cozy.
"So, Robert... what will you do now? If this necromancer's still out there, we can't leave him to raise the dead by our doorstep. Are you thinking of heading out to Whiterun, to seek aid?"
I take a bite of an apple, to give myself a short moment to think before answering.
"Well, I can only think of one way to get back home. And that's trying to make the Necromancer to send me home again... He is the one who conjured me up here, maybe he'll be able to backtrack his spell and send me home again.."
Alvor grunts in agreement.
"Aye, but you'll no doubt have to take down all his minions, and then defeat him without killing him to do that."
"Exactly" I answer.
"And I fear that if I get guards from Whiterun to help me, they'll either kill him, or capture him, and I can't imagine they would let him perform another ritual, even if it is to try to send me back home."
Alvor nods.
"No, they probably wouldn't. Many Nords don't like magic, and especially not necromancers... But what are your options then?"
I sigh.
"There's no way I can defeat him myself, I'm going to need someones help... I want to see if I can convince someone to help me take him down, no one likes to have a necromancer playing with death near their town, right?"
Alvor stands up with a serious expression on his face.
"You're damn right about that, I'll come with you!"
Sigrid speaks up. "No, Alvor." Her voice is firm, but not angry- but it leaves no space for argument. "You can't. Dorthe and I need you here. What if you make it back?"
Alvor glances at her, torn. "But if no one-"
"I said no," she says, and her eyes dart to Dorthe, who's sitting quietly now, watching.
A long pause lingers in the air.
Alvor finally lets out a breath through his nose and sinks back into his seat. "Well at least I can spare you a weapon."
I reply.
"Thank you Alvor! And Sigrid, I will return it to you!"
Alvor gives me a soft smile, Sigrid however looks at me as if I'm not going to be able to come back alive.
Wanting to ease Sigrid's mind, I try to assure her.
"Look, you both have done more than enough for me, I'm very grateful! I'll look around town for someone able to help me deal with this Necromancer! I won't leave town looking for him until I'm confident I'm able to defeat him!"
Sigrid's expression doesn't change.
"Well, make sure you do!" she sighs, probably realizing that she can't change my mind. "Well, if you're going to go around Riverwood looking for allies, you can't go dressed like that!" pointing to my otherworldly jeans and shirt. "You'll draw too much attention, a new face in town? wanting to lead people out into the forest to fight a necromancer? they'll doubt you enough as is, just by being a stranger!"
Alvor grunts in agreement, he goes to a chest in the corner of the room and pull out some old clothes. He sets aside a pair of rough-spun wool pants, a thick linen shirt, and sturdy leather boots- scuffed, but well-kept."She's right. Here- these will do. Not fancy, but they'll keep you warm and let blend you in. They were mine, once. A bit worn, but still good."
I get change into Alvor's old clothes, the boots are a good fit, but the rest are a bit big, but it will have to do for now! "Thanks! This will help a lot! Do you think I'll pass as a Nord?"
Alvor stares at me, scratching at his beard. "Hmmm... you're about 6 feet tall, right?.. well, your height could pass for a Nord... Your beard is rather short, most Nord men pride themselves with full beards..."
Sigrid speaks up. "No, you can't pass as a full-blooded Nord, your skin is too dark. You'll have to say you're half Imperial if you want to make it believable."
Dorthe laughs. "A Nord called Robert? Maybe you could make it believable if you said you were born in Elsweyr."
Alvor chuckles at that. "Dorthe, be kind- but she's right... It's easier to be accepted by Nords if they think you're one of us, so a true and strong Nord name would benefit you." He scratches his beard again, thinking. "How about Ragnar, the name would fit you!"
I chuckle. "An alias, huh? hmm... Alright, I like it. I'll be Ragnar."
Sigrid finally starts to smile. "Aye, the name suits you. But also, if you want people not to doubt from the start, you should say that you're from Rorikstead. It's far enough away to not make people doubt it, and yet close enough to give them a sense of being from the same hold of Skyrim.
I consider it for a moment. "Hmm... Ragnar from Rorikstead... I guess I like the sound of that. Ok, now I'm ready to find help to deal with this Necromancer!"
Alvor gets up from his chair and fetch an Iron sword. "Alright, here. I recently sharpened it, so it should serve you well"
I take the Iron sword and strap it around my waist. "Thank you, Alvor! I'll be back after dealing with the necromancer!"
I leave Alvor's house, it's been several years since I played Skyrim, but thankfully I have played it a lot, anything I can remember might serve me well. And when it comes to Riverwood, I know exactly who I want to help me in my quest, the fierce warrior of the Blades! Delphine!
I make my way to the "Sleeping Giant inn", determined to get her help.
From the game I remember that the town is very small, but now that I'm actually here it seems like its somewhat bigger. I could see around twenty buildings from a short walk around. "The Sleeping Giant" however is still very recognizable, two stories tall, the building itself looking quite sturdy- cobblestone base, wooden boards for walls, and thatched roof.
I walk up the short stairs and enter. I immediately notice Delphine- sweeping the floors, probably after last night's festivities.
She has blonde hair tied back in a practical tail, she looks like she's in her early fifties, but her appearance in no way shows any lack of Vigor, her shoulders and arms are lean, but well toned. I go over to her and she greets me.
Delphine looks up from her sweeping as I approach her, her eyes narrowing just slightly.
"Well then," she says, her voice lacking any false warmth. "New in town, huh? what can I do for you?"
I answer. "Hello, my name is Ragnar, from Rorikstead. I'm here visiting a distant uncle, Alvor, you might know him?"
Delphine raises a brow, her expression unreadable for a moment. Then she gives a slight nod.
"Alvor? Aye, I know him. Solid man. Knows his way around steel."
She steps away from the broom and moves behind the bar, wiping her hands on a rag.
"So, Ragnar from Rorikstead- you just here to chat, or do you need a room?"
I want to get Delphine's help, but not reveal that I know that she's a member of the blades, so I decide catch her interest. "There's been a troubling development nearby- one that could pose a threat to Riverwood... And being an innkeeper, you probably know if there are any skilled with the sword in town. If you would, could you please point me in their direction? it's urgent."
Delphine narrows her eyes. "Urgent huh? And just what is this... troubling development?"
I lower my voice, as if wanting to keep it a secret. "I don't want to make a fuzz about it until it's resolved, it could be taken care of with a few capable warriors... just point me in their direction, and I'll disclose the situation when it's taken care of."
Delphine obviously doesn't like to be kept in the dark, the irritation is clearly visible on here face. "Come here, stranger!" she says while she drags me into a room by my shirt, and then proceed to close the door. "Alright, spill the beans new guy! what's going on!" She steps in front of the door and crosses her arms, giving me a stern look.
She took the bait, all I need now is for her to offer to help. "Your name was Delphine, right? Alvor told me to ask you, and that you would know the right people, please... I don't want any trouble!"
Delphine's tone of voice gets deep and sharp. "You'll tell me what's going on now, or you can forget any help from me at all."
I fake a sigh. "Alright, but please, don't go around scaring the townsfolk. Last night I got chased by a necromancer right outside Riverwood, he had a couple of skeletons chase me with their swords, I barely escaped."
Delphine raise her eyebrows. "A necromancer, close to Riverwood?! Where?!"
I can see the urgency in her eyes, she wants in. "He's a bit outside Riverwood, I want to lead a small task force out there to take him out, I'll be able to lead someone there but I can't describe it without going myself."
Delphine grabs my shirt again and pulls me close to her. "Then don't tell anyone else, you and me will take care of this now, got it?!"
I ask "Are you sure about this, Delphine?... You're just an innkeeper, is just the two of us really enough for this?..."
Delphine breathes hard out from her nostrils when I said "Just an innkeeper", she clearly doesn't like to be underestimated.
"You told me that it was just a necromancer with two skeletons, right?... If that's so, then we are enough. Now, go wait outside, I'll be with you in five minutes!" she commands.
I go outside the inn to wait for Delphine. I feel bad for manipulating her into helping me, but it was necessary. However, I don't like the fact that it came so natural to me either, but I'm desperate, this could my only way of getting home again. I spend the rest of my few minutes taking deep breaths, trying to make myself ready for this, even though she'll hopefully be enough to take him down I'm still nervous.
Delphine finally comes out, not having spent much more than five minutes. She's geared up, dressed in leather armor and a steel sword at her side.
"All right Ragnar, which way". She says, her expression deadly and ready for action.
"This way, up river" I say. Without another word she starts walking, her pace determined and gaze focused. I almost feel sorry for the necromancer, I would not want to be her enemy!
We leave town by the southern gate, and walk for a few minutes before Delphine speaks again. "So, how far away is this disgrace?"
"Umm..." I say as I start thinking.
"Really?! I thought you knew where this guy was!!" Delphine retorts.
"I think I'll know it when we get there! I had to jump into the river to escape his skeletons, I'll recognize the height I jumped from... I think" I had to admit, it had after all been dark.
Delphine crosses her arms.
"You think?! You better not waste my time! If this hadn't been important, I would have left you right here, right now!"
I scratch my head, a bit embarrassed. "Yeah, sorry about that... But I'll recognize the place, I have to! There was a massive pine tree there."
Delphine raise her eyebrows. "Look around you! There's massive pine trees all around!"
I sigh, knowing she's right. "Well, that's why I told you I couldn't explain where he was, but I will just have to show you "
This time Delphine sighs. "Ok... Now, any idea how long you were in the river? It's current could have carried you far quickly."
"Well... It did feel like a really long time... But again, I was fighting for my life in that cold deathtrap!"
Another sigh escapes Delphine's lips. "We'll just walk across the river then, let me know when you recognize anything"
We continue to follow the river upwards towards the mountains, but it doesn't take more than maybe five more minutes of walking until I recognize the small cliff I had leapt from the night before. "There! That's definitely where I jumped from!!"
Delphine nods. "Alright" she walks to the edge where I had jumped, first she looks down at the river, then towards the town, then at me.
"Hmmm... Ragnar, if this is the place, then I don't think you have been in the river for much more than a minute, you sure this is it?"
I think I blushed a little. "Well... Yeah, this must be the place.."
Delphine's gaze wander away from me and onto the road behind me. "You know, I think you're right... Any idea where that came from?" She points at the road.
My eyes follow the direction she's pointing, and there was another indication that we were on the right track. Blood, and lots of it. Whatever or whomever had been the owner of that blood, had definitely bled out. "Umm... That wasn't there last night!... At least I don't think it was..."
Delphine walks over to the blood to have a closer look. "No, it wasn't... Last night was the first night this week without rain, and besides..." She steps on the blood and shuffle her foot, making a small line in the blood. "It's still wet". She stares at the blood for a short moment. "Alright, let's kill this freak!"
Shit.. she wants to kill him!.. but if I let her do that, I'll lose what's probably my only way home. "Umm... Delphine?... How about we capture him, without killing him?"
Delphine immediately responds, without a sliver of doubt in her voice.
"No, having murdered to raise undead is unforgivable. If this blood belongs to a human, I won't relent given the chance to finish him off."
I sigh deeply, realizing that I can't change her mind, at least not if I don't tell her the truth. Maybe she'll think I'm crazy, but I don't think I have a choice. "Delphine... What I told you about coming from Rorikstead... That' wasn't true..."
Delphine narrows her eyes."Really?... You know, you keep giving me more and more reasons to head back to Riverwood and let you handle this yourself! Tell me everything, right now! Or you're on your own." She crosses her arms and gives me a stern look, she's dead serious.
I sigh again, now I really don't have a choice but to tell her. "Alright, I'll tell you the truth... Last night I was actually my first night in Skyrim... This necromancer, whatever he did, somehow managed to conjure me here, I-"
Delphine immediately interrupts me. "Nope, that's a lie. It's impossible to conjure another human, it only works with deadra or undead from the planes of oblivion." With that she turns to leave for Riverwood.
I grab Delphine by her shoulder and pull on her. "No, I swear, I-"
With a swift rotation she somehow manage to put me in an arm-lock, she kicks my heel and flip me down into the ground. She draws her blade and points it at me, the tip of her steel only and inch away from my chin. "Don't even try".
"Wow..." I mutter as I grasp what had just happened, I raise my hands impishly. I try to plead with her. "It really is a necromancer here, and there is no way I can take him down by myself... Why don't you ask him if he really was the one who brought me here?"
Delphine is silent, weighing the consequences against me not having been honest with her. She finally grunts, sheathing her sword. "Fine, but I'm doing this for the safety of Riverwood, not out of sympathy for you."
Relieved I breathe out deeply.
"Thank you, even so, I appreciate it."I get back up, dusting off the gravel from my clothes, before asking her. "Then you agree to take him alive then?..."
Delphine takes an deep breath and exhale through her nose. "IF there is something to your story, and IF we're even able to take him alive... But let's go, we're wasting precious daylight."
And with that, Delphine and I move into the pine-shrouded forest, in the direction I had escaped from the night before. She might not fully trust me, but for now, she's willing to help me bring this man in alive—at least, I hope she is.