Skyrim: The Last Dragonborn (The Dragonborn Saga: Book 1)

Chapter 5: Egil

"Thing is, Sorceress," said Egil after he gnawed viciously on a long strip of dried beef. "Roggnavar has always been brave. Heck, he spent more time with my father than I did. They'd take a few days to the Falkreath Hold to hunt deer and what have you. My father liked hunting skeever and foxes. Their hides were excellent for clothes in the winter and were inexpensive compared to sheep wool."

Ocellina tugged on the reins of her bay mare and commanded the horse to stop. The sun was closing to the end of the mountains. Egil knew she had underestimated the winter in Skyrim. She definitely underestimated how deep the snow in the tundra was. Both of their horses' knees were deep in snow.

"Gods, it's so fucking cold," she muttered. Ocellina tightened her scarf. Then she firmly held her cloak closer to her body.

"Aye. First winter in Skyrim?"

"No," she said with a muffled voice. Her red face looked back at Egil who rode comfortably in his leather saddle. "I just don't want to use incantations while on the road. I was here for the end of last winter."

"There it is, the end of last winter. Nothing like the beginning and middle, that's for sure." He waved his hand. "You'll grow to it, Sorceress. Trust me." He turned his head up towards the craggy mountains that outlined the end of the Whiterun Tundra and the North Dawnstar Mountains. Heavy clouds moved over the mountains.

"How much further till Blackmoor?" She asked after following his gaze to the storm.

Egil pointed at a single snow-cap point in the middle of the tundra. "See that? That's Blackmoor mountain. Blackmoor, as you probably could guess, is built right up into it. Built by Brunl of the Jorrvaskr crew back in the early foundings. They needed a fort to watch the western plains and hold a good defensive position for Whiterun from the elves."

"Who rules it?"

"Thane Alvig the Tall was gifted it as a fiefdom by Jarl Balgruuf the Greater a few years back. Did something with clearing a Robber Baron out of the area and the Jarl was very thankful. I've heard all sorts of things if he was a good lord or not of his land. The people aren't too bad and they make some amazing rope sausage and host some of the finest steeds in their stud farm. Of course it being far from a large water source is unusual for Nords but they have a spring so I assume it isn't so bad there."

"Who do you think we should talk to when we get there?"

"I know a family, they're smokers and live on the outskirts of the fortress. We could duck in with them and they are sure to know something. The Thane and the Jarl are frequent customers of Roykfolk family. It just so happens to be that I am a great friend and patron of the family. I'm sure they'll take us in."

"If you say so."

***

The wind had picked up when Ocellina and Egil arrived on the outskirts of Blackmoor. The fortress didn't look much different from Whiterun with the same style architecture and walls. They passed the long rectangular enclosures, scattered farmhouses, the tannery, and then onto the main road that was cover in snow. Egil pointed out the smokehouse to Ocellina.

It was a wide cabin with a sod roof and a chimney. Outside in the backyard, piles of log and four rounded white sheds a thick black belching smoke. The snow in front of the home's door had been carved down but was still too deep to shovel all the way around. Egil and Ocellina tied their horses to the fence post surrounding the house. He chuckled as Ocellina dropped into the snow and almost vanished.

She stumbled her way back up. The snow was hard enough that she wouldn't sink completely through but she was till deep in the snow to her knees.

They waded their way through to the door. The wind picked up its speed. The Skald rapped his knuckles on the stylized door.