Inside the temple, Volfir found the air to be filled with the soothing scent of herbs and incense. While the soft candlelight illuminated the faces of the few priests and priestesses, as they went about their sacred work, having been woken up so rudely by Vosnyak
The priestess, who introduced herself as Danica, was escorting the boy through the divine halls of the temple had a calming presence that was being fast at work, soothing Volfir's nerves and helping him relax. Danica took the boy to the section of the temple, where other treated rested
After entering an empty, curtained off room with a bed and a chair, she order Volfir to strip, as she began examining his wounds carefully, skilled hands working with precision and care, as well as glowing with a dim golden light
After the initial treatment and examination, Danica lied Volfir down on the bed and started applying a poultice made of healing herbs, Volfir immediately felt a cool sensation wash over his wounds, completely numbing the pain he got used to enduring over all this time. The whole process making him feel calm and thus, sleepy
Minutes turned to hours, as the old priestess continued treating the boy. Volfir all the while, could faintly hear the distant sounds of laughter and revelry coming from the Bannered Mare that was located on the other side of the district. His companions and other travelers were clearly enjoying themselves. Despite feeling a twinge of disappointment at missing the festive mood and the alcohol, Volfir knew it was obviously the right choice to get cured as fast as possible
After what felt like an eternity and desperately fighting the wish to fall asleep, the boy felt Danica's seasoned hands leave his body, as she finished her work. Volfir's wounds were now properly cleansed and bandaged, as he could already feel the effects of the healing magic and health potions coursing through his body
The priestess herself seemed extremely tired and considering the fact that she started attending him after she was woken up in the middle of the night, Volfir offered a light smile of gratitude to the old woman, as well as the standard amount of payment for the treatment, that he was told about by the guards
Danica reciprocated his smile and took the pouch of gold, tying it to the rope around her robed waist, offering to escort him out of the temple, to which Volfir shook his head, believing he was perfectly capable of doing so by himself even if a bit uncomfortable in moving around while covered by health poultice soaked fabric that were playing the role of bandages
The woman nodded in appreciation and gave some last instructions on the proper treatment process on the remaining wounds, as well as some advice on how to avoid getting sick and infected by understanding the need of hygiene
'An old dog can't be taught new tricks, but this young pup will definitely remember my advice and even be thankful in the future' thought the old priestess, as the boy left her view
-Scene Break-
As he stepped out into the cool night air, or maybe it was already early morning, Volfir couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of vigor. He may have missed out on a night of eating and drinking with the guards, but he was now free from the pain and discomfort that had plagued him all this while. With an innocent spring to his step, he made his way to the Bannered Mare, aware that most of his companions, if not all went there to spend the night
Some time later and thanks to the kindness of the patrolling guards, Volfir found his way to a huge and brightly illuminated tavern utilising the given directions. Loud sounds of constant activity and music, betraying the meaning of quiet and comfortable sleep
'How can you even fall asleep with all that noise in the first place...' Volfir shook his head with disappointment, no longer excited about spending the night here, nonetheless he opened the doors and entered inside
The middle of the tavern was flooded with drunken, dancing Mer and Men of different ages and genders. The bards were hard at work keeping the crowd entertained, receiving donations of septims for their good work. All the while, beautiful barmaids navigated the small spaces between the different groups of people.
Volfir stood in frozen in place, the wild and free atmosphere leaving a very intense impression on him. As he came back to his senses and started looking around, he found himself spotting at least multiple brawls happening at the same time, drink and food flying everywhere as the surrounding crowd opted to cheer and laugh, instead of trying to stop the fights
"BAHAHAHAHA! THE DRAUGR BECAME A BANDAGEBRAT!" Volfir head a very loud and boisterous voice, towering over all the other loud noise, which was already making the kid's head spin. He turned his head towards the voice, capturing the sight of three familiar faces holding three different women on their laps, while being fed large amounts of mead "WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE SHOW?!" they all shouted at the same time, continuing to laugh after the sentence
Volfir acknowledged the presence of the three guards with a respectful nod, 'Leif, Knut and Henrik are here, but where are the rest?' he decided to approach the table and ask about the locations of the others, all this lively mood completely beating the sleepiness out of him
"Ohoho! Vosnyak found himself this absolutely WILD Redguard woman... BAHAHAHA! I bet she will clap his brains out!" answered loudly a towering and buff Nord, by the name of Knut, his voice accompanied yet again by the laughs of the other two guards and their female company. The man's emphasis on the word 'WILD', taking the boy's imagination into a dangerous territory
"Ah... Ehm... I see..." Volfir showed a disturbed expression, as he dumbly spoke out of confusion and surprise
"Speak louder! We can't hear you!" shouted Leif, an imperial man of medium build, the other archer of the group. He is not as skilled a hunter as Vosnyak, but he was apparently a decorated scout after the Great War of the Fourth Era, at least that's what Volfir understood from the man's stories back when they camped in the woods, in the evening of the previous day
Volfir signaled with his hand that it doesn't matter and gestured to the men that he was leaving, the guards nodded and went back to flirting with their women, making Volfir a bit lost. He couldn't get to the barkeep and the barmaids seemed to be ignoring him, or perhaps he was too short to be seen by them in this chaotic scene. Either way, the boy decided that it would be most productive to leave, so he exited the tavern and immediately appreciated the welcoming chilly breeze and clean air, taking in a deep breath
He then remembered that one of the guards he approached for directions told him that it would be better to seek a bed in another tavern or inn, recommending one near the smithy, close to the second gates. Thinking that it would be best to spend the night there, Volfir started walking forward, towards the exit from the city
-Scene Break-
Volfir entered a much more humble looking building than the Bannered Mare, it's drastic change not only in size, but the atmosphere. When the boy entered, there were a few full tables of well equipped and dangerous looking men and women, some spared him a glance, but he was mostly ignored, earning only a few curious glances, that all had to do with his bandaged state if he were to guess
The hall was quiet enough to hear the festives of the Bannered Mare, but by now, Volfir was sure that there wasn't a single place in the city where he wouldn't be able to hear music, shouting or laughter from that tavern, perhaps only around the Mead Hall of the Companions, that bunch was just as rowdy when he was passing by Jorrvaskr to get to the Bannered Mare
"Welcome, anything I can do for you?" grabbed Volfir's attention a tired looking barkeep, making the boy walk towards his counter
"Un... a room" Volfir quietly answered
"That's it?" asked the Dunmer barman, to which the boy replied with a nod
"Up the stairs, first door on the right, 25 septims for a day" stated the Dunmer, taking out a key, ready to hand it to the kid after he gets paid
Volfir opened his pouch and took out one of the septims bags inside, counting out 25 of them, he placed them on the counter, put the bag away back inside the pouch and took the key, ready to go get some much needed rest. The barkeep checked the authenticity of the septims and signaled that the boy could go
-Many hours later-
Volfir woke up by himself, feeling completely tireless and invigorated thanks to the uninterrupted sleep he was finally able to get after all this time. Putting on his clothes and equipment, he walked up to the door, unlocked it with the key that was already inside the keyhole, went outside, locked the door from the other side, pulled out the key and started going down the stairs
'Should thank Gerd for his advice on safety while sleeping in inns and taverns, no way I'll become an easy pray to thieves after everything I have been through' the boy nodded to himself
As he descended, he was met with a much more lively atmosphere compared to the time before he went to sleep, the tables were full of slightly raised conversations and tableware clanking. The only thing that hasn't changed though, was the fact that most of the customers all looked quite scary
"Don't worry kid, they are just mercenaries, or sellswords... whatever word suits your taste" spoke up a female Dunmer
"My husband told me that you clocked in early in the morning, if you plan to go out then you have to leave the key and write down your name" she continued, as Volfir started getting closer to the counter
"I don't know how to read or write" the boy said, as he placed the key to his rented room on the counter
"Oh, that's no problem, most don't know how to, just tell me your name and I'll write it down for you dear" smiled the woman
"Volfir" answered the bandaged up and properly equipped teen in a passive tone, as he started walking away, making the woman feel a little awkward, but, as a true professional businesswoman, she went ahead and wrote down the name anyway
Now that Volfir had some proper rest and felt alive more than ever, he started paying attention to his surroundings as he exited the inn and started walking around the completely different, compared to its nightly counterpart, Whiterun. With every corner turned, he discovered new wonders and delights, for example: The bustling marketplaces, brimming with exotic goods and tantalizing aromas, beckoned for a closer look; And the narrow alleyways, lined with quaint shops and hidden treasures, whispered promises of discovery, intrigue and trouble
The ancient temples and grand halls, like the Kynareth Temple and the Jorrvaskr, that were steeped in grandeur, history and lore, invited the boy to delve deeper into the rich tapestry of Whiterun's past, but much to the boy's dismay he was never taught how to read or write. His information based off words of mouth and listening to stories, and ever-moving traffic of living beings never gave him a comfortable opportunity to walk up to somebody with a question
So instead Volfir ventured deeper into the heart of the city, in search of the group he came into the city with and to see more of the beauty of the city. He couldn't help but be swept away by the busy flow of the streets and their residents, choosing a place to stand, near the stairs up towards the Mead Hall of the Companions, he watched as families, friends and lovers spent time together in the huge marketplace that was set up around the majestic Gildergreen tree. He watched as the guards, occasionally, ran off after pickpocketing thieves and he watched as the Whiterun traders peddled their goods, enticing words grabbing passerby's attentions
Volfir felt like Whiterun had a way of captivating all who entered its gates, drawing them into its embrace and immersing them in its rich tapestry of sights, sounds, and stories, but his musings were cut short with an abrupt feeling of a hand on his shoulder
"You lost, little milk drinker?" a well-spoken and suave voice grabbed Volfir's attention, making the boy turn around and roll his shoulder in an attempt to get rid of the hold that the young man, he found in front of him, placed. But the teenager was unsuccessful in doing so, the young man's grip was tight and heavy, as his slightly groomed, but towering body cast a shadow over the boy's face
Volfir furrowed his brows in displeasure, as thoughts of a brawl started filling his mind, instantly planning an escape route to follow after getting one hit across the annoying guy's face. Volfir wasn't stupid, he could see that the man was wearing heavy armour, wolf ornaments adorning it, his belt slightly tilted by the equally heavy-looking short sword of evident craftsmanship. If he even got one hit across the face, he would consider it a major win, escaping after doing that being a divine boon. But as he was ready to act upon his 'strike first, ask questions later' instinct, another voice emerged, putting a halt to any aggression
"Don't be like Farkas, leave the kid alone" a young woman, dressed in equally fancy and heavy looking armour, started chiding the young man, her only difference being that fact that her belt was equipped with a beautiful dagger and a big quiver of arrows, the bow to which was comfortably strapped over her shoulder
"Ugh... Aela... he looks so funny though! Haha" the man started playfully complaining, letting out a light chuckle, taking his hand off Volfir's shoulder and gesturing to the oversized get-up of the teen behind him, but after getting the cold shoulder from the woman he was speaking to, he opted to start following her, grumbling something under his nose
None of them had a helmet or a hood, making it easy for the teen to see and remember their faces, while they started gaining distance, moving towards the stairs used to get to the peak of the city, the breathtaking Jarl's keep known as Dragonsreach
One particular war painted face burned itself into Volfir's mind, as he continued watching her swaying figure disappear into the crowd, slightly baffled by her presence right from the start, when he noticed her
'Well... that felt weird...' he said to himself, noticing his absence of mind after catching himself staring at the last place he saw the woman for several minutes, in the least. Confusedly tilting his head, he started scratching his near-bald scalp as if trying to find an answer to a divine riddle, 'Whatever...' then almost immediately giving up and walking off his resting place, his aim - the guard barracks
'Somebody there would definitely help me find those guys' he contemplated, while having a leisurely stroll towards his destination