“I’m certain this isn’t the road to Whiterun.” Kaye pulled the arrows embedded in the bandit’s chest and put them back into his quiver for later use.
He looked behind him; Sio was sitting on a large rock, squinting as she carefully studied the magic map in her hands.
“I think this path is shorter…” Sio bit her lower lip slightly.
Time was always precious, and taking a shortcut was the wise thing to do!
…And then she led Kaye all the way onto the Throat of the World.
Perhaps Kaye could understand Sio’s choice of route—the shortest distance between two points is a straight line—but she had clearly overlooked, well, the elevation.
“We’re very close to Bleak Falls Barrow here.” Kaye didn’t continue to question the route, as that would only embarrass Sio further.
Changing the subject, he looked up into the distance; even though his vision was obscured by snowy peaks and mist, he could still see the silhouette of the grand ancient tomb.
“Then let’s just go straight there!
It seems there’s a mountain pass that goes through Bleak Falls Barrow and comes out near Whiterun!” Sio suddenly became interested and used a pen to circle the landmark on the map.
“Didn’t we also promise to help those siblings find the golden claw?
It’s right on the way!” “We’ll have to deal with quite a few bandits then.” Kaye kindly reminded Sio to be mindful of the dangers on the road.
Where they were currently located was an abandoned tower.
Residents of Riverwood used to be stationed here as lookouts, but it was eventually abandoned due to the cold climate and the dangers of the ancient tomb, becoming a stronghold for bandits.
The bandits in the tower were likely part of the same gang that stole the golden claw.
If they planned to go to Bleak Falls Barrow, a fight with them would be inevitable…
“It’s fine!
With the two of us together, we’ll do it in one go!
A few bandits are a piece of cake.” Sio giggled and hopped in place, giving the back of Kaye’s head a playful pat.
Seeing his companion so optimistic, Kaye also gave a helpless smile, secretly pondering a plan.
It seemed he would have to be more careful and thorough to protect this reckless girl.
After packing their gear, the two continued deeper into the Throat of the World.
As they drew closer to Bleak Falls Barrow, the weather grew increasingly harsh.
Wind and snow, mixed with ice pellets, whipped against their faces painfully.
But this also provided them with natural “cover.” Bandits weren’t exactly known for their healthy diets; it would be difficult for them to see distant details clearly through the blizzard.
Taking this opportunity, Sio proactively leveled up to ensure the mission went smoothly—even though she had accumulated a lot of experience, she could allocate points level by level without having to finish it all at once upon opening the interface.
This was much more convenient than in the game!
As long as she saved her level-up opportunities, she had an equivalent number of health bars.
As long as she didn’t die instantly, she could keep surviving indefinitely!
Great.
Luck also favored her.
The spell randomly unlocked during this level-up was [Frost Cloak].
In the real world, its function was more than just acting as a frost-based Sunfire aura; the frost condensing around her could mask the color of the cloak on Sio’s shoulders, helping her blend better into the snowy landscape.
Coupled with her magic resistance as a Breton, she could resist the frost just like a Nord as long as she endured the low temperatures.
As for Kaye…
he would make up for it with his robust physique!
And that was that.
…
Compared to the relaxed and confident duo, the bandits stationed outside Bleak Falls Barrow were feeling quite gloomy.
There were hierarchies even among bandits, and they were unfortunate enough to be on sentry duty in this weather; even warming themselves by a fire seemed like an extreme luxury, as any fire they lit would soon be extinguished by the wind and snow.
At times like this, even the cold-resistant Nords couldn’t help but envy the newly joined Khajiit.
The Khajiit had warm, thick fur; it was no wonder some places traded in Khajiit pelts.
But now was not the time for infighting.
The bandits could still endure; as long as they made it through this shift, they could…
One bandit’s thoughts simply stopped right there in her mind.
Using the blizzard as cover, Sio quietly sneaked up behind a stray bandit.
She covered the bandit’s mouth, and the dagger in her hand slashed across the side of the neck, severing the windpipe.
Blood flooded the throat, and the bandit choked to death on her own blood without being able to make a sound.
The female bandit’s height was still within Sio’s reach.
If it had been a tall Nord man, she might have had to jump.
Kaye, clad in heavy armor, wasn’t suited for stealth, so Sio had to handle this delicate work.
After all, she was petite and agile.
Fortunately, the bandit had no gorget, so she could finish off the unlucky soul cleanly and efficiently.
But the remaining bandits couldn’t be dealt with this way.
Sio motioned to Kaye, signaling that they could proceed with the next step of the plan…!
Then, the white-haired girl quietly retreated.
As she began preparing her spell, with pale blue magic already gathering in her palm, her eyes caught sight of a Snow Rabbit leaping past her…
A glint of mischief flashed in her pale green eyes; she had a more interesting idea…!
…
Under the blizzard, the bandits hadn’t even noticed they were missing a comrade and were still huddled in front of the gates of Bleak Falls Barrow, grumbling.
Just then, a snowy white ball flew in from the distance.
This sent the bandits scrambling in panic, thinking for a moment that they were being attacked.
“Just a Snow Rabbit?” The first bandit to react saw the white ball’s true form.
It was just a Snow Rabbit that had been thrown over.
It was still covered in snow and, surprisingly, unharmed.
“A Sabre Cat?
Or a troll?
There shouldn’t be any trolls in the Bleak Falls Mountains…” “This one thinks the Snow Rabbit is a gift.
This one hasn’t eaten meat in a long time.” It was just a rabbit.
The bandits temporarily let down their guard, their attention focusing on the large Snow Rabbit, intending to use it for a meal.
It was time.
An arrow whistled through the air and pierced the Khajiit bandit’s throat; the force was so great it nearly lifted him off his feet, pinning him to the gate behind him.
The bandit with the fastest reaction wanted to shout “Enemy attack!”, but his voice seemed frozen in his throat, and he couldn’t make a sound at all.
For a bone-chilling Ice Storm had already swept in, freezing his body stiff in the low temperature.
Kaye charged into the crowd from the flank, swinging his sword to cut down the bandits frozen by the Ice Storm.
Thanks to the harsh weather, even Nords with frost resistance would be weakened by an Ice Storm~ Once Kaye entered the fray, how could the ambushed bandits resist?
The battle instantly turned into a one-sided suppression.
“Heh heh, out.” Not until Kaye was the only one left standing did Sio emerge from her hiding place, casually kicking a frozen bandit.
The stiff bandit rolled down the mountain.
If some lucky wolf or snow leopard found him, they’d have quite a feast.
“Good job, little guy.
I am so, so sorry!” Sio squatted down and pressed her palms together in front of the Snow Rabbit, offering her apologies!
Wrapping the Snow Rabbit in snow and throwing it was an idea she’d come up with on the fly!
Using spells or arrows would have been too obvious, whereas a rabbit would just leave the bandits confused!
…It just wasn’t very friendly to the rabbit.
The rabbit seemed to understand Sio’s apology, perking up its ears and staring at her for a long time.
…Then it turned around and delivered a kick, sending Sio tumbling into a nearby snowbank.
“Even a rabbit will kick when cornered.” Kaye shrugged helplessly and reached out to pull Sio, whose legs were the only things sticking out of the snowbank, back out.
“That damn rabbit…!
Just you wait until I catch you; you’ll be buried with carrots!” Sio flailed her arms and legs indignantly, wanting to chase after the Snow Rabbit for a rematch—unfortunately, Kaye held her around the waist, so she could only watch as the rabbit bolted away like the wind, disappearing into the snowy horizon.