“Why didn’t those Thalmor Justiciars clean out the prison before they left…!” “Who knows.
Maybe they didn’t use the front door.” After escaping the abandoned prison, the first thing Sio did was…
squat by a stream to wash her hands.
Perhaps there was a secret passage in the prison, but our Little Dog was clearly directionally challenged.
Rather than taking some side path, it was much more refreshing to just leave through the front gate!
They gathered the supplies left behind by the Thalmor and happily prepared to exit through the main gate, only to find their path blocked by zombies wandering around the spiral staircase.
Where on earth did these things come from?
Sio had no memory of them at all!
Fortunately, these zombies were slow and weak; even Sio herself could cut them down with a sword…
Only to be blasted right in the face by that rotting gas.
A beautiful girl must maintain a fresh image!
Especially since her sense of smell was as keen as a puppy’s!
If she couldn’t wash herself clean by the stream, she felt like she’d faint right then and there…!
“Girl, are you clean yet?” “Almost!” Kaye’s sudden voice caused Sio to slowly stand up and turn toward her…
companion.
Yes, companion.
After all, they had escaped the prison together.
Sio’s left eye, which wasn’t covered by her bangs, blinked, feeling confused by the solemnity in Kaye’s gaze.
“Is something the matter?” “Listen, girl.” Kaye instinctively took Sio’s wrist.
Sio just pursed her lips—clearly not minding the physical contact.
“I owe you my life, and I’ve never liked owing people things.
I don’t have many other talents, but if you have need of me, I’m happy to fight by your side until…
this debt is repaid.” “Wow, that’s going to take a very, very long time.” The corners of Sio’s mouth curled up into a sly, fox-like smile.
“I’m surprisingly petty for a…
girl!
You owe me a lot.” “Then I shall be your sword and shield.” Just a few simple words, yet trust and emotion began to quietly take root between them.
Sio didn’t mind having a traveling companion, especially one so handsome…
oh wait, reliable!
Sio quickly slapped her cheeks a few times to shake off the fangirl thoughts budding in her mind.
…Living as a girl really did fill one’s heart with so many more things to worry about.
“Where to next, Sio?” “Quiet, quiet, quiet!
I’m looking at the map—” In response to Kaye’s question, Sio pulled a Magic Map from her waist—this thing was incredibly useful, recording almost all the geographical features of Skyrim, and even showing their current position…
It just wasn’t as convenient as a map in a game.
For towns or outposts, she needed to physically visit the location and record it with magic; reality and games were two different things.
Their current position was in the eastern part of Skyrim, Eastmarch.
No matter how she looked at it, Windhelm wasn’t a good place to go.
If Sio were a Nord, she’d be warmly welcomed by her fellow countrymen; as a Breton, she wasn’t about to go join that mess.
“Hmm, let’s head west!
We’re going to Whiterun!” Sio pointed to the west—going left was definitely the right move!
And as the one reading the map…
and the leader!
She should naturally lead the way!
“Sio, don’t walk so fast!” Seeing the enthusiastic Sio, Kaye quickly quickened his pace to keep up.
She really was an impatient girl…
wasn’t she.
The distance to Whiterun Hold wasn’t short; it would likely be a journey of several days.
And before they had gone far, they encountered their first trouble…
crossing a river.
No matter what, Sio refused to wade through the water—even if her new clothes would get dirty sooner or later, she didn’t want to get soaking wet so soon!
Thus, Kaye had to lead her on a detour along the bank, crossing to the other side by stepping over a fallen tree trunk.
“Wow, the lower half is completely flattened…” Where did this tree trunk come from?
Sio already had the answer in her heart!
She looked at the collapsed shack by the river, then up at the landslide above the waterfall; the mystery of why this fishing shack had become a ruin was written right on the surface.
As it happened, a lightly dressed Nord was pinned under a beam, clearly dead.
Sio hopped lightly off the trunk and placed her hand on the beam—it didn’t budge!
Kaye gauged the weight; this was a task that even he, strong as he was, would find difficult.
Sio definitely couldn’t move it.
Seeing that there was no way to pull the poor soul’s body out, Sio’s emerald eyes darted around, and she reached out next to the deceased…
and found a book!
“Kaye, look at this!” Sio grinned and held the book up to show him, glancing at the title on the cover as she did.
“The Lusty Argonian Bard, v1…
What a unique taste!” Seeing Sio making a move to flip open the pages, even clearing her throat for an impromptu recitation, Kaye quickly reached out and pressed down on her small hand.
“You’re interested in this kind of smut?” “I’m just interested in knowledge!
Learning about Argonian customs and culture!
Ahem, Act VI, Scene II, continued…” Sio stuck out her tongue and playfully wrestled with Kaye over the “ownership” of the book.
Unable to resist her playful nature, the book eventually ended up stuffed into the pack on Kaye’s back.
Yes, Kaye carried all the supplies they scavenged.
This was only because Sio wanted to experience the feeling of her cloak fluttering and didn’t want a backpack pressing down on it.
If she had the chance later, she would definitely pull that book out and study it carefully…!
Sio thought to herself.
As for the Nord crushed under the beam, who would care about him?
Kaye and Sio weren’t Nords.
Well…
maybe at most they could wish for him to enter Sovngarde?
Does being crushed by a beam count as dying a hero’s death?
Well, that wasn’t for them to worry about~ Traveling until the sun went down, they still hadn’t left the lush mountains.
Kaye turned to look at Sio beside him, and Sio just gave an awkward smile, putting on an innocent face.
“We really are lost, aren’t we…” Kaye sighed, rubbing his forehead.
Perhaps the mistake was destined from the moment he let Sio run wild.
“Wait, don’t come any closer!
Who are you!” Just as Kaye and Sio were discussing where to spend the night, a young Nord wearing iron armor and carrying a torch walked up slowly.
Sio’s eyes widened, her pupils contracting like a cat’s, seeing the confusion in the young man’s expression.
He didn’t seem to have any ill intent, just trying to squint and see how the two of them were dressed.
“You’re not Necromancers, that’s good.
Scared me, I thought someone was coming to rob the tomb again…” After seeing Sio and Kaye’s attire clearly, the young man breathed a sigh of relief and lowered his torch.
Only then did the two see where they had wandered to—the entrance to a Nord-style tomb.
Well, it turns out they had wandered right to the front door of someone’s ancestral grave…