But I'm a Black-Briar! (A Skyrim Fan Fiction)

Chapter 11: A Moonless Night

Chapter 11

I had fully expected Jiran to tease me about the hug for sure, if not also for my inability to fight the wolf, but he didn't speak of the incident at all. Not that I minded a break from his annoying remarks, but it seemed out of character for him.

Still, he was clearly preoccupied with thinking about something when we once more set off up the trail, so maybe he was just too busy with his thoughts to tease me.

We passed a small mining town that I assumed was Karthwasten, then abandoned the river and cut through the mountains. By the time night fell we had left the tall peaks behind and entered marshland, but a marshland considerably colder than the springs I knew to be not far north of Riften. We camped a distance off the road and then Jiran insisted that we hold out apparently now daily dagger fighting practice. The lesson left me exhausted and both of us frustrated with my progress, and I woke up the next morning sore and irritable. Ilinalta caught onto my mood and spent the entire ride acting out, which didn't help much at all.

That evening we arrived in Morthal. I disliked the place immediately upon sight, from the way the entire place seemed to be sunk into the swamp on posts to the way an ominous fog seemed to permanently gather over the city. Here was no impressive castle, no protective walls, only a longhouse and lots of marshland.

"Not very cheerful," I commented, glaring at an unpleasant looking mushroom.

"No, it's not," Jiran agreed, "and not the nicest place to live either. Morthal is forever having problems with chaurus and vampires taking up residence in caves near the city."

"Vampires?" I echoed, my voice a little high pitched.

"Yes, vampires. But don't worry, when you get bitten by a vampire you have three days to reverse the disease before it becomes permanent, and one would probably kill you instead of infect you anyway," Jiran reasoned.

I could never tell if he was trying to be helpful or just scare me more, so I settled for glaring at his back as he swayed with Sable's fluid walk.

Jiran led the way to a large building and tied Sable to one of the rings in the wall. I grimaced at the thought of Ilinalta staying out here without a proper stable, but did the same with her then followed Jiran up a flight of steps. Moorside Inn, I had just enough time to read before he pushed the door open and Dar'kida and I followed him inside.

The room was deliciously warm after the frosty air outside, and I glanced at the roaring fire in appreciation. Jiran led the way to a table, then went to talk to the innkeeper. Dar'kida and I sat silently until he returned to the table and slid into a chair.

"So where's your friend?" I asked, unobtrusively scanning the crowded inn. More crowded than it should be, I realized. There was little traffic in and out of Morthal for how many people frequented the inn. Or maybe they were mostly citizens of the city?

"She's about, I'm sure," Jiran answered vaguely. "I got us rooms. Unsurprisingly, they have plenty of empty ones." He moved his elbows off the table as the innkeeper set three bowls on the table. "And Mere, I know you have too much curiosity for your own good, but please stay in the inn overnight. I don't want to be the one who fishes your body out of the swamp tomorrow," he said, only half jesting.

"Don't worry, I'm not going out in that cold," I grumbled. "Is it always this cold so far north?"

Dar'kida stirred. "So far north?" he said, amused. "This one has been to Morthal and this one has been to Winterhold, and Winterhold is many times colder than this place."