What Happens In Solstheim

Chapter 15

The ship arrived at the docks of Windhelm after roughly three days. During their time on board, Farah prepared Teldryn for what he might find in Skyrim after leaving it years ago. What he didn't know was that she had a whole adventure planned for them once they arrived. There were so many places she wanted to show him, so many people she wanted him to meet.

She paid the captain of the ship generously at the docks and signaled him to follow her. Teldryn was tense, his crimson eyes taking in the grey walls of the city, noticing the Argonians still living outside on the dock. If they weren't allowed in the city by now, things didn't change at all. But he followed Farah silently, hoping that they wouldn't linger there too long.

The guards let them in but gave him a nasty look, one muttering 'filthy grey skin' under his breath.

"Excuse me, what was that?" Farah paused and glared at the guard.

"You are a humiliation to your race for traveling with his kind." The guard told her, "True Nords would never hire an elf for a companion."

For a moment Teldryn thought that she was going to shout him to pieces. She looked damn close to it and he prepared himself for a fight with the Stormcloak guards.

However, Farah only narrowed her eyes and spoke in a cold voice, "Who I travel with is none of your business. But do you know what is your business? To protect this hold from bandits and criminals and you seem to do an equally poor job at it." Then she walked on, but briefly had the last word at the guard over her shoulder, "Oh, and stop judging people you don't even know. It clashes with your uniform."

The Dunmer snorted at the guard's expression. There was no doubt that she could handle herself when it came to keeping the fight verbally. He picked up his pace to catch up to her, ignoring the cold as it seeped through his armor. Another reason why he hated this city; it was always either snowing, raining or both.

Teldryn tensed when her hand suddenly clasped his, intertwining their fingers, "What are you doing?"

Farah gave him a look that screamed 'are you seriously asking me that, it's obvious what I'm doing', "Uh, holding your hand?"

"Yes, but why?"

"Isn't that what two people in love do?"

Teldryn looked around the area, hoping that no one would see their hands bound together, "We're in Windhelm, Red. The city that despises the Dunmer the most. What if someone will see us? What if they cause trouble?"

Farah sighed, "Not all the Nords here despise you, you know. Some actually stands up for the Dark Elves, try to help them out where they can." She lifted their hands and pressed a kiss to his knuckles, "And as for this... if anyone so much as opened their mouths, I'll tell them to go stick their opinions up their self-righteous, racist asses."

"That's why I love you." He smiled down at her and noticed that they were walking in the opposite direction of the city gates, "Where are we going by the way?"

Farah took another turn into an alleyway, "I know you hate the Grey Quarter, but I thought you might want to see if there were anyone left who you knew from your time here. We can turn around if you're not up for it."

"That's..." He trailed off and a smile tugged at his mouth, "That's actually very thoughtful of you."

The Grey Quarter hasn't changed at all - just like the bastard on the throne's attitude towards the other races of Skyrim. Teldryn's face was grim as they walked through the narrow street. The snow there was actually grey instead of while from the sewage that flowed through there. Their boots left a dark, mushy and muddy trail behind them. Rats scattered from them and hid among the crates of trash on the sides. Even the air stilled smelled grim.