(7) - Another Parchment Scribble

Fredas 21st of Last Seed 4E201

Today has been a productive day. I started off with a fruit breakfast, then made my way to the sawmill at dawn where I talked to Gerdur, Ralof's sister. It seems Ralof has been quite complimentary about me, because Gerdur was very friendly with me, and even offered me free lodgings at her house, giving me my own key. I should have taken Ralof's advice and talked to her earlier.
Gerdur asked me to contact Jarl Balgruuf in Whiterun and plead to him to send protection of the dragon for Whiterun. Unfortunately I do not feel confident to undertake the trip with the few provisions and scarce gold I have now, it will have to wait for some more days.

The sawmill

I asked Gerdur if there was a way for me to make some money at the sawmill, and she showed me a pile of wood, discarded for it was not fit for use as building material. I could chop it up for fire wood and sell it to the store. Not the most complex of jobs, but it had to do for now, so I started chopping away. Once I had gathered a large pile of fire wood, I hauled it off to the store.


Lucan Valerius, being the typical Imperial he is, offered me the  lowest price I've ever gotten for fire wood. I was hardly surprised, but I had no choice, and at least I was earning some gold without the chance of contracting rockjoint straight away again. After delivering another batch, I went to Gerdur's house for lunch.




Chopping wood


Ralof and Hod were at the house too, and we discussed the Stormcloaks and dragon as we enjoyed eating a grilled chicken breast. The remainder of the afternoon I spent chopping wood and selling it to Lucan Valerius, and in the end my pouch was filled with 359 gold.
Lucan brought up their recent burglary event, and as we got talking he explained that a single item had been stolen, a golden dragon's claw. To my surprise he offered me a handsome reward for retrieving it, as he seemed to know where the thieves' hideout was. At first I was reluctant, yet the idea the thieves might have additional riches stowed away at their hideout seemed possibly very lucrative, so I accepted.


Lucan's sister Camilla came outside with me and pointed out the general direction I needed to head to in order to find the thieves alleged hideout, called Bleak Falls Barrow. However, light was already fading, so I opted for heading out the next day, I would leave at first light.




Apple cabbage stew in the making


At Gerdur's I made some apple cabbage stew, by the lack of other ingredients, and ate it with her whole family. I'll have to sleep now, because tomorrow might be a long day, and hopefully a profitable one.