Following our scuffle in Rorikstead, Davos and I spent the next two weeks in relatively peaceful travel. I say relatively because no matter where one finds themselves in Skyrim, getting jumped by starving wolves is a constant of life.
At least they weren't cliff racers...
The settlements we passed on our way north were mostly just smaller fortified homesteads or mining villages in the hills. They were all far more welcoming than their eastern cousins, clearly showing us the disparity of ideology between the two sides of Skyrim.
Asking around in the taverns I heard the usual complaints about changing grain prices or bandit attacks, but what did worry me were the whispered rumors of a leader among the Forsworn leading raids upon the Nords further to the west. Something told me I would be hearing a lot more of that.
When we weren't walking, we spent our time hunting or talking with other travelers, merchant caravans were very common on the road we were following as it was the safest path from southern Skyrim to Solitude.
One such caravan happily welcomed us when we arrived at a scene of them being attacked by a pack of wolves and dispatched the animals within seconds. We shared stories of our adventures and they of their trades and profits.
Their reaction to me being a mage was at first rather confusing, if not unwelcome. Instead of the usual disdain a group of Nords might have, they were surprisingly respectful to me and I incidentally learned why.
Apparently, mages were rather rare outside of a few select places, and if the rumors are to be believed we never really care enough to show ourselves outside of serving the local lords.
I never even considered that fact as I was always surrounded by at least someone magical during my entire lifetime here, but it did make sense as using magic was a very complex and time-consuming practice, and that is without even mentioning the expenses.
We happily joined the caravan when offered, and I spent the rest of the trip to Dragon Bridge reading up on Eorlund's rune-carving method while trying to perfect a spell that would allow me to move quickly using telekinesis without breaking every bone in my body. This had the neat side effect of improving my control, but the spell was still far off.
The small town of Dragon Bridge was completely unremarkable, save for the eponymous bridge and a somewhat well-kept stone wall surrounding it. We said our goodbyes to the caravaneers as this was their stop and left for Solitude after a night of rest.
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I checked the map I got all the way back in the college and realized that we were minutes away from the city, even if it couldn't really be seen from here, but even though I couldn't see the place I could definitely smell it.
We crested a final hill and what awaited on the other side was a sight both beautiful and disgusting at the same time.
The beautiful fortified section on top of the hill looked pretty much the same as in the game, mostly because that wasn't the actual city but the noble section meant only for the most influential and rich.
Below it, attached to the docks was the main district, or the industrial district as it was known. Here lived most of the actual citizens and it was also the place where trade was done outside of the biggest transactions. This part of the city was renowned for it's ironsmiths and clothiers, making it one of the wealthiest places in Skyrim and the province's center of exports.
The docks themselves were a mix of orderly storehouses and colorful taverns, waiting to service the rowdy crews returning from another voyage on the sea of ghosts. Docked there were ships of all sizes, including a comparatively massive flagship of Skyrim renowned across the lands as the Jagged Crown.
And finally, the slums. The sprawling melange of houses and tents spreading all the way into the marshlands east of the city, housing all manners of people from Dunmer fleeing Morrowind in hopes of a new life, to destitute Bretons fleeing this year's attempt at a reunited Orsinium, and the most numerous among them the different Imperials and Nords whose families fled the places attacked by the Dominion and were since unable to return.
The slums of Solitude eclipsed even the blue palace in their fame, and not for a good reason. They were renowned throughout Tamriel as the place where hope goes to die and where one must fight for every grain to survive just another day. Prostitutes openly practiced their craft on the streets and the numerous orphans trained in the pickpocket's art. Among those in the know, it was rumored that the slums were the second headquarters of the thieves guild.
They were formed during and after the great war from the fishing district when High King Torygg's father foolishly, or generously, depending on your worldview opened the city to all refugees that were seeking a new life safe from the Aldmeri Dominion.
The administration was overwhelmed within months to the point that food could barely be distributed among the populace. This led to a rapid decline of order among the population and turned the hopeful settlement into a prison for the poor and destitute.
After repeated failure to restore order, even the guards stopped any real attempts at pacifying the slums, allowing them to form into a lawless cancer in the heart of Skyrim.
"I heard about the Solitude sprawl, but seeing it with my own eyes really does feel different" I hear Davos mutter.
I wrinkle my nose in disgust "I am surprised they managed to not get pillaged by those living down there. At this point the walls are more to stop the poor from killing everyone than they are for invaders."
"Thankfully we won't ever need to go own there..." Davos says, and then slowly palms his face in realization "We will probably have to go down there won't we?"
"We?" I ask with a shit eating grin and start walking toward the noble district.
Davos looks like he wants to curse my entire family, but he is far too professional for that and he merely spends the rest of the walk grumbling about asshole noble kids.
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I approach the gate of the city, wearing my basic clothes as I didn't want to create a scene on my first day of work.
A guard notices me and raises a hand "Halt! Who goes there?"
I say nothing and summon the papers given to me by Savos.
He slowly approaches while another guard takes his place and starts reading. A part of me is surprised that he can read actual documents as most Nords learn only the most basic of words, but then again being a guard of the noble district might come with extra requirements.
After a minute he says "Everything seems in order sir, welcome to Solitude."
I give him a grateful nod and unsummon the papers, much to their surprise. And head into the city.
Just as we are about to enter Davos is stopped and the guard turns to me again "He wasn't included in your invitation."
I raise an annoyed eyebrow "He is a retainer I hired on the road to Solitude, just note him down as a servant and be done with it, I have been walking all the way from Winterhold and I do not want to spend another moment standing around."
There must have been something in my voice he recognized as he immediately got to work and wrote something down, quickly handing the paper to Davos he said "There you go sir, everything is in order now."
I nod and summon a couple of bottles of mead for them "Thank you for expediting everything, have a drink on me."
Both the guards thank me, but surprisingly leave the bottles to the side for when they are done with their job.
Actual professionals... who would have thought?
We are quickly let through the gate, and almost as if by magic *sniff* no scratch that, definitely by magic, the smell of the slums disappears.
The streets of Solitude's upper district are pristine, not a speck of dust out of place.
The shops dotting the central street all seem to be more like noble homes than mere shops and the guards patrolling the place all wear armor that was given basic enchantments.
I make a beeline to the local clothes shop named the Radiant Raiment.
The door opens with a pleasant jingle and the Altmer woman waiting at the counter says in a dead tone "Oh, what a delight. Another charming customer."
"Well I sure feel welcomed" Davos snarks from my side.
I roll my eyes and say "We are on our way to the blue palace and I need something presentable to wear colored in black and purple" I point an open hand to Davos "Something for my retainer as well."
She goes to say something but I raise a hand, a pouch appearing in it and greatly surprising her "Money is no object." I get a satisfied nod and ask if there was a proper barber nearby. She, now far more respectful directs me to her sister's shop a stone's throw away.
Both Davos and I get a quick shave and I get my hair braided in a Nordic style, first impressions and all.
An hour alter our clothes are finished and I am pleasantly surprised by the finely embroidered noble suit that was prepared for me in such a short time, it consisted of pants, boots, a tunic and a coat. I was also offered gloves but refused as I always found that ridiculous.
Davos on the other hand now wore a buttler-ish suit, only more medieval looking, and let me tell you the mer rocked the look with his now sharp goatee.
We left the shop behind after promising to buy here again, much to the satisfaction of the owner, whose name I learned was Endarie.
We headed deeper toward the blue palace. On the way we passed Castle Dour, it's courtyard full of men undergoing harsh elite training. After the castle came the Temple of the Divines, the center of worship for the Imperial Cult in Skyrim, which also stood above the grand catacombs of Solitude housing the city's numerous rulers.
Finally we arrived at the heart of it all, the actual Noble district. This part of the city was separated from the rest by another inner wall, making it a literal gated community. The only kind of house here was a manor, many of them larger than my own home in Winterhold.
We made our way to the massive blue palace, and the seat of power in Skyrim was indeed as resplendent as it was rumored to be. Beautiful blue tiles covered the different roofs, giving the monument it's name. Most of the windows were made of stained glass and were works of art by their own.
The view was quite breathtaking. Literally in Davos' case as I had to actually slap him awake to stop him from gawking for too long.
Our approach was stopped by a guard wearing full plate Nordic armor, the enchantments of which were nothing to scoff at, he had us show our papers and we were let in without any issues.
The inside of the palace was even more opulent than the outside.
Beautiful vases from Hammerfel with paintings from the renowned artists of Wayrest, even the palace guards themselves were works of art as each armor was carved with a story of some heroic deed or another.
I was woken up from my admiration for the place by shouting coming from the throne room, a nearby guard sighed and I gave him a quizzical look.
He shook his head "It's the Thane's meeting today, they always end up like this. Whatever you are here for it would be best to come back tomorrow."
"Well, I am here for the position of court mage so that is unfortunately not going to happen." I answer.
I can practically feel the raised eyebrow from inside his helmet "You Flame-tongue?"
I nod.
"An honor to have you here then. You might want to enter immediately then, could do something about the commotion if they are distracted by something new."
I snort "You speak as if they are children."
He doesn't say anything but I can feel the smug aura coming from him.
Shaking my head, I take a calming breath and push on the ornate door of the throne room.
Let's just hope I won't get stuck in whatever political mess seems to be happening.
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Gimme stone.
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