Day Fourteen - A Daedra and His Dog
When I awoke this morning, I was unsure as to where I might head next. I considered re-visiting the Companions and asking them for more work, but decided instead to make the journey to the southern town of Falkreath, and see what I might find there. As I left Whiterun, I was approached by three brutish-looking men who all drew their weapons and began sprinting towards me. Instinctively I submitted them to my Unrelenting Force Shout, which proved enough to knock them back long enough for me to begin assaulting them with ice magic. When all three had fallen I looted their corpses. One of them had been carrying an incriminating note demanding my execution, signed by someone named 'Thorgar'. To my knowledge, I have never even met anyone named Thorgar, let alone wronged them. If I ever find this person, they will rue the day they picked a fight with Lenah'd Retsmek.
My journey to Falkreath was otherwise uneventful, and I arrived in town late that morning. No sooner had I stepped into town than I was approached by a guard, asking me if I'd encountered a dog on my travels. I said no, but promised to keep an eye out for one in future. The guard thanked me and suggested I talk to Lod, the local blacksmith, for more information. I spent most of my afternoon in Falkreath, talking with the locals and learning about their various problems and situations. Lod did indeed give me more information about the dog he was looking for, and presented me with some fresh meat to offer to it if I should find it.
A man named Thadgeir asked me if I would deliver the ashes of his friend Berit to the local priest, that he might bless them. I found the local priest, an Altmer named Runil, presiding over a burial in the town's graveyard. He thanked me when I presented him with Berit's ashes, and also asked if I might run an errand for him. He'd lost his journal in nearby Halldir's Cairn, and was willing to reward me for its safe return. The funeral, I learned, was being held for a young child who'd recently been slain in cold blood. The murderer, a man named Sinding, was being held at Falkreath Barracks.
Feeling slightly overwhelmed by the number of tasks suddenly resting on my shoulders, I decided to begin with what seemed like the simplest of them all - to find this dog for Lod. Taking the fresh meat, I stepped back out onto the road outside Falkreath. Almost instantly, the dog in question showed itself. After the last few weeks back here in Skyrim, I thought nothing could shock me any more, but this beast proved me wrong - I swear by the Gods, it began to talk to me! He introduced itself as Barbas, and explained that he had fallen out with his master. Somewhat moved by his plight, I offered to accompany him in his search. His master, he believed, could be found at a cavern known as Haemar's Shame, due east of Helgen. Why is nothing here as simple as it initially seems?
Our journey to Haemar's Shame took us east of Falkreath and back through Helgen, which had once again been repopulated by another gang of bandits. Barbas proved himself useful as a companion, putting down almost as many bandits with his jaws as I did with my blade. We reached Haemar's Shame in the early evening, discovering it to be a den filled with vampires. With Barbas supporting me, we moved deeper into the cavern. I had never fought vampires before, and the fear of being bitten and contracting vampirism turned every battle into an exceptionally tense affair. Thankfully Barbas and I made it to the end of the cave without a scratch.
As we approached the statue of Clavicus Vile, I finally put the pieces of this confusing puzzle together. Barbas was not really a dog, but Clavicus's minion having taken on dog form. Reluctant to deal with a Daedra of Clavicus's reputation, I spoke to the shrine and explained that I'd simply come to re-unite him with Barbas. The Daedric prince seemed less than eager to welcome his companion back to his side, but said that he would consider it, if I were to retrieve something for him - a Rueful Axe, hidden deep within Rimerock Burrow far to the northwest. Not seeing a way out of this until Clavicus's wish is fulfilled, I accepted the task and left Haemar's Shame with Barbas still in tow.
It was night-time when Barbas and I emerged from Haemar's Shame. From there, we retraced our steps to Helgen and then followed the path back to Riverwood. I felt awkward just turning up on Gerdur's doorstep, and doubly so for expecting her to house a dog for the night as well as myself, but she didn't seem to mind and invited both of us in. For his part, Barbas plays the dog well, keeping his ability to speak hidden behind a veil of barks. Tomorrow we will head for Rimerock Burrow, where hopefully I will be able to fulfil Clavicus Vile's wish and sever my ties with this Daedric prince. Until then,
Ever Honest,
Lenah'd Retsmek
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Previous Episodes
- Day Thirteen - Treason and Betrayal
- Day Twelve - Counsel from the Greybeards
- Day Eleven - Old Towns, New Faces
- Day Ten - New Thu'um, New House
- Day Nine - Retrieving the Star
- Day Eight - Azura's Champion
- Day Seven - Wuuthrad and Werewolves
- Day Six - Kynareth's Will Be Done?
- Day Five - The Companions and the Sleeping Tree
- Day Four - Duelling With a Dragon
- Day Three - The Bandit, the Wife and Her Lover
- Day Two - The Golden Claw
- Day One - Escape from Helgen
- Day Zero - Here Begins My Journal
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