63 Clash of Auras (1/2)
Now this young handsome man owns a ship!
It feels like fate was going in my favor this time, I now get to have my own supply line. I need some crew and money is no problem as Skald now gave me the ship without any charges!
I have to thank that mysterious man for making things easy. Well, I tried but he magically vanished after he went outside the Jarl's White Hall.
I had to go back for the ship and pay for its repairs. The crew of the 'Icicle' can help me for a while until I get to have a crew. Now first thing and above anything was to get a crew.
I don't have many friends in this town but I know one person and someone I got along with really well with.
Ongeim Scar-Mouth!
That Ongeim from the tournament. And from what he said, he spends most of his time at the town's biggest inn, Windpeak Inn.
From what I remember, the inn was owned by a man called Thoring. In the game, he was a grumpy sad man because the death of his wife but I guess she is still alive by now.
The Inn is the first thing you see when you enter the town as most inns.
Reaching the inn, I pushed the door open and closed it quickly.
It was bustling and warm unlike the cold weather outside. However, no sailors come to this inn as there is a tavern for them near the docks and they have to sleep in their ships. Most of those who visit inns are land travelers and Captains.
In the inn, some people appeared to be chatting here and there, a fight broke inside and some shady people were sitting together. A normal inn.
Most inns had what we call the 'Notice Board', there is a mod that actually adds that but in reality the boards are located inside inns. What was interesting about this inn's notice board was how it was filled with wisdom and hunting contracts.
From what I remember, Dawnstar had two major problems. The attacks and the nightmares.
The attacks are actually due to the location of the town on land. Dawnstar is so isolated! To reach it by land, you will need to have a risky travel into wastelands of snow. It was even that annoying to travel here from Morthal or Winterhold by land in the game, let alone real life. This isolation in location caused a lot of wild animals and giants to form packs around the town and attack it periodically. Not just that, in the game, this town was attacked by dragons most of the times the Hero passed from here so it somewhat turned into a meme.
The second problem is the nightmares! This town is suffering from nightmares but only to those who are living here. Travelers are lucky to not be affected by the dreams. If so, this town would have lost many of its business long time ago.
Actually I know the cause of the nightmares but I am not planning to solve it, I need to make countermeasures if I am going to do this dreadful quest. After all, the player gets to encounter a Daedric Prince during it. I don't want to encounter Daedric Princes just yet. What if they have the ability to see in my memories and find out about my past life. I don't want to experience such a disaster.
Back to the present, the notice board was filled to its brim with wisdom and advices to left the nightmares which the consider a curse.
Sigh! Poor folk.
I looked around for a table and sat on it, besides it were three hooded men who looked relaxed even with how suspicious they looked.
I signaled for a woman that looked like a bartender, she came with a smile, ”How can I serve you sir?”
”Mead, steak and Ongeim Scar-Mouth.”
”You can have food and drink alright but we don't serve Young Ongeim, not yet anyway!” The woman said jokingly.
”Where is he?”
”Being cooked I'm afraid.”
”Huh!”
”The fight! He is being beaten up by some girl.”
”A girl is beating Ongeim? I wouldn't miss that for the world.”
I jumped of the seat and headed inside the inn, some people were gathering in a circle and two figures were exchanging blows.
Ongeim was indeed fighting a girl, she was as tall as me, a tad shorter than Ongeim, and blonde. She also seemed to be few years older than me, maybe twenty three or four years old.
What I found really impressive are here muscles! This girl possess some serious amount of muscles that made her feel like Hilda. She was not that buffed but I, who is very proud about his muscle frame, started to have second thoughts about it.
Ongeim face was swollen from the beating, this was totally unsightly. I feel sorry for him.
A clash was happening once again as Ongeim rushed forward with no strategy whatsoever and the girl punched him like lightning, but he managed to use a cheap trick and hit her on the head with a tankard.
The girl was infuriated from that, ”You bastard!” She yelled and took a bottle from somewhere waving it at Ongeim's head.
This is bad, I need him alive!
The only thing I thought of was to cast 'Grip' and snatch the bottle away, and so I did.
”Sorry lady, I need that guy alive!”
She looked at me then at Ongeim who was covering himself pitifully the she punched him in his stomach.
This punch sent him to his knees, and he was holding his stomach in pain!
”Scar-Mouth!”
”Dare! What are you doing here?”
”Blessing the town with my presence, harassing the Jarl, and looking for a crew!”
I approached him and gave him a hand to stand. He took it and stood in agony.
”To be beaten up by a woman! I am starting to worry I took the tourney easily!”
”Easy your mother! Get a punch by that she-bear and you will not wake up from it.” He said, ”More importantly, how did you harass Old Skald?”
”Come set and I'll tell you...”
I took him back to the table I sat on when I came in and told him the tale.
”To sink a vessel and liberate another in one go, I guess you won the tourney easily! Still, nice one with Skald too.”
”Haha! More importantly, this old man was so tensed about money, how did you deal with him after the tourney?”
”You can just guess it! Thanks to a certain someone breaking all bets and expectations, Skald gave us nothing.”
That's harsh! I guess Skald is that grumpy.
”I have some septims for you, if you are interested!”
”As long as it includes nothing like wood cutting or mining, I am out! But I am guessing you want me for your crew thing!”
”Yes, I can captain well alright but not all the time. I need someone with experience and a crew. At least ten, they also have to be good warriors!”
”How much will you pay?”
”Five silvers a week.”
”Make it six and I'll be able to get these guys from the team!”
”Fine! The job can last as long as they are willing to work. It will include some dungeon delving and some treasures hunting!”
Ongeim thought about it while holding his swollen face, I cast 'Healing' on him and he nods a thank you.
”I can gather few friends by the end of the day. But my friend, you are no a renowned sailor, some may get reluctant.”
”I'll appoint you the captain as long as I don't need the ship, you will sail around the main ports to supply my business in Winterhold. And if there any adventure that requires the sea, we will go for it together!”
He thought for a while and smiled, ”Fine, I like the sound of it. My friends will be here in an hour so I'll talk them into it!”
This is a good news to me! As long as I get my crew, I'll be in a better position against Jarl Korir. Even though the ones supporting him are pirates, they must be thinking I am traveling on land and will wait to ambush me somewhere on the road. They might get a wind of me in the sea but I made a plan for that.
”So tell me, why did you fight with that girl?”
”He touched a girl buttock!” Speaking of the devil, that devil came out of nowhere and looked at Ongeim as if she wanted a second round.
I was impressed! This girl is acting like some sort of superhero for women!
”And what's it to you? Huh?” Ongeim was angry and stood up to face her.
”Okay both of you! Hakona Matata! Set down, no more fighting!” I had to interfere. Seriously, these two are just stubborn.
”Ongeim, I am your employer now, just sit down and listen. And lady, this guy is my crewmember, got a problem with him you come to me.”
”Oh! So your standing for a scum like him?”
”Just because he harassed a girl doesn't mean no one else did. If you will beat up everyone who touched a girl arse, then I am afraid its you against the whole inn.” I said, ”I mean.. we all did it at some point.”
Some people were saying 'yeaaah!' and laughing evilly, standing up for Ongeim. Even the three mysterious men in hoods beside us were laughing.
”Humph!” The girl snorted in dissatisfaction. I actually can understand her but I can't break the golden rule, 'bros before *oes.'
”Anyway, I am a new captain, a businessman, and trying to become an adventurer. You my lady gave me the vibe of adventurers. Don't get me wrong! I am inviting you for a business drink here, nothing more!” I said then turned to Ongeim, ”Hey you! Go apologize to that girl you touched and buy her a drink!”
”But..”
”No buts! Just go.”
Ongeim stood and went to the counter while the girl was reluctant either to sit or not.
I sat down and pointed at here unusual sword, ”Quite interesting, that sword I mean. It looks like it's a Glass sword, right?”
Glass gear is not actually glass, they are made of Malachite! A green beautiful mineral that can be forged by Elves.
”Ah yes!” The girl eased a bit and sat down, ”It's my blade, Grimsever.”
”Oh! Nice naming sense! Clearl... *CaughCaugh* You said Grimsever?!”
The girl nodded!
Holy Marbles! It's her! With Grimsever! She didn't lose it yet!
”By the by! Could you be the famous adventurer Mjoll? The one known as The Lioness?”
The girl was taken aback, ”I am Mjoll! But I don't know if I was that famous, Sir?”