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Took me a while, but the second installment is up in my Khajiit's journey through Skyrim. More to come later on. Selian is my guy, so leave him alone. The next day, I awoke with a happy heart, a content stomach, and an urge to get moving. The previous night's bath had rejuvenated my senses and I needed to get going with my newly granted life again. The sun was just starting to poke out from under the horizon, the warm light welcoming all those who could see it to a new day, and for me, a day I didn't think I would see. There was a small bustle above me as the wonderful family above me began to stir. Figuring the town was all probably just starting to awake, I took the chance to get a quick bath in. Water was always a welcome sight for me and I never missed out on the chance to take a wash. I took an inventory of the supplies in the lightening room, my feline eyes having no struggle taking it all in. The temptation to snatch the few potions that were on the shelves was great, but I had never been a dishonest Khajiit, preferring to make my way through fair trade, unlike so many of my brethren. It seemed as though we had a bad reputation outside of Elsweyr; I had been called out as a thief by many a wandering traveler, and though I never took it to heart, I always left wondering why the prejudice was so strong. Perhaps, I had a lot more to learn out here. Bahh, who was I kidding? Of course I did. Hell, I hadn't even known dragons still existed, nor that some huge revolution was going down until I was caught in the crossfire. Stepping out of the bath, I dried my fur, reaching for the brush I kept with me, preening to brush out my fur, wanting to see that beautiful shine in the ever glowing sunlight. That's when it occurred to me that not only had the guards tried to take my life, they had successfully taken all my belongings. I at least had the small bag of the hundred gold coins with me, so I could easily afford another brush, but the annoyance of the situation still remained. Pulling up the snug pair of trousers I had been given last night, I skipped up the stairs, ready to take a brisk walk outside, to enjoy everything I had taken for granted. That wonderful woman from last night was already at work putting together some breakfast and let out a slight gasp when she caught sight of me. I gave her a confused look...and then remembered all I was wearing was my trousers. Blood rushed to my cheeks, and I couldn't do much more than scramble my words in some lame attempt at an apology. A smile crept up on her face, and then she let out a loud chorus of laughter, holding onto the counter's edge to keep herself upright. It didn't take her long to regain her composure. "My apologies dear Khajiit. It's been so very long since we've seen anyone who's not a human or nord, that I forgot the differences in culture the two of our races share. I just was not expecting to turn around and see that." With a curt smile and a small chuckle, I replied "No, the apology is mine, kind lady. In my haste to stretch my limbs, I forgot who my company was, and that is my fault alone. I shall keep away from the eyes of the town, but I just have to feel the air in my fur. After yesterday, it feels like it has been far too long since I enjoyed the small things life has to offer me." With that, I exited the back door and stepped out into the dawn. It took me only a few minutes to find a decently concealed rock outcropping and then I lied down behind it. Closing my eyes, I felt the gusts of wind rush over me, the sounds of birds chirping, the wind singing, everything just felt right. Opening my eyes again, I stared out into the glorious world known to the Nords as Skyrim. What a beautiful province, a spectacular one indeed. This was the reason I had left Riverhold; I needed to see more than just dry, sandy land. I ran through the events of yesterday, letting my mind mend itself by living through it again. The terror was much more muffled, but I still felt a shiver run through me as I thought about those last, bleak moments, the closing of my eyes, giving myself up to the heavens as that axe swung down to chop my head off. It was not a pleasant thing to remember. Then there was the panic, the fear as I ran with the only person I felt I could trust enough not to screw me over. Darting from building to building as we raced to stay one step ahead of the dragon, jumping over obstacles, ducking under overhangs, disappearing into the darkness and safety of the tunnel, all of it had awoken my senses. A feral hunger and rage at what had been done had all focused itself upon one thing - survival. Survive we did, both of us escaping into the afternoon sun from the very jaws that tried to clamp down on us. That's where the humor came in to play. That same man, Ruben, had asked me to join the Imperial guards, to fight alongside the same people who had hours ago been content with ending my life for no reason other than expedience. Though I respected him, I could not envision myself supporting a group such as that. I wasn't even sure I wanted to involve my life in this political struggle. I was a citizen of Elsweyr, a Khajiit, one of the very few who wandered outside their secluded homeland and tribal culture. Beyond the governing influence of the Empire, that of which we mostly paid no attention to, what reason was there for me to get involved in Nordish issues? The rebels were an okay bunch, but all I had seen were two men, granted, I didn't believe the thief had any relation to them, but that just left me with one man. He had been an alright guy, clearly ready to apologize for my misfortune of being caught with them, but was a group the empire was after something I wanted to associate my life with? If I was caught again and brought to the same fate as before, there would be no hesitation in their actions. The Empire did not take kindly to traitors and my Elsweyrian heritage would mean nothing to them. I would have to find something to do on my own. For now, trading was out of the books. Beyond nearly getting killed, this was the worst part of the capture. I had my own horse, many valuable items, a good supply of food, some wonderfully kept leather armor, and a sword I loved. Along with that, I had a good stock of potions and a fair amount of gold, probably close to three thousand. Saving up for a house was difficult here, and knowing that I had gone from being so close to now so far away deflated my motivation. Perhaps, the best idea would be to make my way over to Whiterun. The man had told me I should go there soon to alert the Jarl of the fact we had seen a dragon in the skies again. By the sounds of it, he was already on his way back to his main headquarters to let his own commander know. Before I could even think of heading out again, though, I needed supplies. Whiterun was a two days walk from here, and I would not leave without some gear, food and potions, and most definitely, a weapon. Traveling on the road was a bad idea in itself if you didn't know how to defend yourself, as the ever opportunistic bandits were always glad to help lighten your load. They had never proven to be anything more than a nuisance to me, though sometimes, they had been carrying some useful items, at which point I felt it was necessary to kill them. I never felt bad about it. Considering how many people they had robbed and killed to get hold of it, the natural order of things only demanded that the same thing happen to them. Karma existed out there, it was nature's way of getting even, and it was ruthlessly efficient. That was the reason I always did what I could to keep it from adding my name to its hit list. Finally feeling as though I had a strong grasp on what I would do next, I headed back to town. The town was as alive as one could imagine a town the size of a city block and the population of a small pack of wolves would be. A few kids ran around, playing with a dog and the sound of metal grinding against stone informed me that the blacksmith shop was open. Taking a stop over there would do no harm, but first, I remembered that breakfast had been in the makings when I left for my walk. I couldn't resist taking part in one more free meal, especially when my stomach and tongue remembered what had been there last night. The smell of a warm soup first greeted me as I stepped in, followed by a rough hello from a voice that was familiar, but hadn't been there the night before. Turning around, I caught sight of Ruben, the same man who had helped me escape the day before. Glancing at him in both curiosity and wariness, I remained silent and walked back downstairs to grab my shirt. After strapping on some socks and last night's shirt, I strolled back upstairs, the aroma of soup fully running through the house. Feeling a bit more confident, I gave a greeting back to Ruben before sitting in one of the chairs near the fireplace. "Hello again friend. You happen to like this place as much as I am, or are we simply headed in the same direction?" Ruben game me a look before letting out a soft laugh. "You weren't the only one who needed a place to rest after such a hectic day. I've got a long trip ahead of me. Seems as though that dragon was on a definite mission. I went back there last night and it looks as though I was one of only three guards that survived. Diana was not one of them, so I can assure you of your safety. No one will be looking for you now." "So one could formally assume that the dragon was serving a purpose beyond just going on a killing spree. Did you find any sign of the rebels?" "None except for the two that had already been killed before it showed up. My guts tell me this was Ulfrick, and if he is stirring the dragons to awaken, then there is more to worry about beyond just the rebellion." I had heard what their main motive was last night, but I hoped for a bit of reassurance that it was just a rumor. "The dragons then, what would their higher motive be that they would be hiding behind the cloak of helping the rebellion?" "If the rebellion succeeds, then all of Skyrim is going to be in great turmoil as the citizens try to come together under the new rule. It will be the chaos that will be the dragons' advantage. The empire, if united, could easily drive off the dragons, but if it is toppled, the leadership will be gone and they will be free to finish off anyone who stands in their way." "So, if this rebellion succeeds, then Skyrim will be writing its own epitaph?" "From a purely logical standpoint, it would seem to be so. But the hope still remains that the prophecy of old could have been waiting for this very time to fulfill its own words." Our conversation was cut short as the soup was poured out and we were both invited over for breakfast. Ruben seemed intent on eating while it was hot, but promised to continue our discussion afterwards. My mind mulled over what he had said. What prophecy was he talking about? The Khajiit had their own myths and stories about the other cultures, but they rarely went further than just their beginnings and the bigger events in their history. Breakfast soon passed, and I followed Ruben out as we made the quick trip over to the blacksmith's house. Thankfully it sounded as though he had connections with the smith and that I could get a set of good armor and a sword without reaching into my small supply of gold. Fortunately, the blacksmith, named Joran, seemed well informed of this and we quickly began with the measurements to help get me the best fit possible. Within a few minutes, he had everything he needed for the armor and was ready to move onto getting me a good weapon. There wasn't the equipment here for him to make me something spectacular, as he noted that in a few weeks of travel I'd probably find something that suited me better, but for now, anything would be better than nothing. In the end, I chose a light curved sword, almost like a scimitar, but not quite as dramatically arched. A stout bow soon followed with a quiver of arrows made out of steel. The armor itself would take about a day to finish, Joran kindly putting other jobs to the side in order to get mine finished. It might have been out of kindness for me, or more from the fifty or so odd coins Ruben gave to him. I was more than a little jealous, but kept my mouth shut. Ruben seemed more keen to leaving his open, though. A couple hours later and I was left much more informed of the current situation I had been dumped into the day before. There was a full scale rebellion going on. Ulfrick had apparently used some sort of magic to kill the emperor and was now demanding that the forces in Skyrim leave. There were more than a few rumors claiming that the dragons had some connection with the rebellion, and it had been confirmed that Ulfrick had most definitely escaped and was on his way to Windhelm. I wasn't sure about how I felt about that news. Riverwood was populated by supporters of the Imperial troops, and they were very adamant about how the rebel Jarl was a traitor and was putting Skyrim in danger with his warring ways, but I also knew that in order for this rebellion to be going on, there had to be some support on the other end and of course, they would have their own reasons, most likely reasonable ones, for their war against the empire. Without more than just one side to work with, I decided to hold back any further judgments. The rest of the day scooted on without much of a hitch, the sun slowly falling back down the horizon as night crept closer. I had a small lunch, preparing my stomach for what would surely be another feast later on. The wonderful family that had allowed me to stay these couple nights seemed very happy about having a guest. I expected they didn't get very many welcome visitors, so when the opportunity arose to invite someone who wasn't looking to steal everything they owned, they took it in stride. I took the time I had to take a walk through the little village, meeting some of the residents as they went through their daily routine, whether it was fishing in the nearby stream, cooking, tanning, or whatever else there was to do. The main shopkeeper was by far the most interesting though. Considering it was a shop, I didn't find it necessary to knock before entering. What I walked into was rather unexpected. The owner and what was apparently his wife were vehemently arguing about something, I think it had to do with some object that used to be in the store, but had been stolen by a group of bandits a few days back. It took them a few moments to realize I was there, and once they did, they settled down, seeming more intent on the customer rather than on what they had been fighting about. They seemed to have already known about my arrival and seemed more than willing to offer me a discount on their wares. I gladly accepted, though I could see through the mask quite easily. Troubled lines crossed over the man's face, a telltale sign that I caught on to quickly. Either this item meant a lot to him, or else he considered it lucky. Either way, he talked as if this, ring, if not found, its lack of presence here would ruin the shop. It took him only a matter of time before he suggested I could go take care of it, claiming that he would be no match for the bandits. He wasn't a fighting man, but he believed I could take care of it for him. A hefty amount of gold and quite a few free potions were up for grabs. The bandits themselves could be found in a not so distant cave. This didn't seem too hard, as I had spent quite a few hours inside caves, killing bandits and taking what they had formerly stolen. I tended to avoid living up to the Khajiit stereotype of being a pickpocket, but when it came to items that had already been taken a long time ago, that no one was surely looking for any longer, I was happy to carry it for them instead. Bandits were my favorite targets as most of them were just dumb brutes and had never spent more than a few minutes learning how to carry and use a sword or dagger. The opportunity to freshen up my skills and to also add some valuables back to my name sounded like a fine prospect, so I told them I would be happy to help. I'd have to wait until tomorrow though, as I still didn't have anything to wear beyond some simple clothing. Thankfully, he gave a few of his potions in advance. Night fell and the sky darkened; the air growing chill as the Skyrim dusk invited the mountain wind back into the land. I didn't figure staying outside with my meager clothing was a great idea, so I walked back inside the house. The family was not there, as they had left to do some overnight trading in the nearby hold of Whiterun, a place of which I would be going to after I cleared out the bandits tomorrow. Thankfully, they had kindly remembered to cook some food, leaving large strips of bacon over a honey drizzled thick slab of ham. There was a bowl of fruit to go along with it and a few bottles of mead with an invitation to help myself and that I could take some stuff from the house, to a reasonable amount, that would help me down the road. Not one to deny an offer at extra things, I took a large look throughout the house walls, my eyes catching on a rather shiny amulet. The silver pendant with a blue sapphire inside of it was beautiful. It also seemed to glow with some sort of aura, as if powered by something I couldn't see. Carefully lifting the amulet from its shelf, I held it in my hands, the cool metal feeling wonderful over my paws. It seemed drawn to me, and I to it, almost beckoning me to wear it. "Oh, what the hell," I thought aloud. "What's the worst that could happen? If I don't like it, I can just take it off and put it back on the shelf." Fortunately, the moment I slipped it over my neck, I felt a certain power shoot through my body. Suddenly, my mind itself almost felt clearer, as if there had been information I had known that I just couldn't find. I could tell that this was a rather powerful item, one made for magic casters, such as mages and the ever dangerous necromancers. Upon immediate consideration, I decided to remove it and reflect a bit more while eating. There was noticeable drop in my mind when I removed the amulet, but it almost felt as though I had awoken from a dream in a way. Just minutes before, I had been able to pick up on feelings and ideas that now escaped my mind, leaving me bewildered at how that could happen. The ideas themselves had been indescribable, something you latch onto without knowing what it truly was. I could see things, and I knew more, but I didn't know what it was that I was seeing or knowing, it was just simply there. Perhaps it wasn't specific information, but rather just an expansion of what the brain was capable of recognizing. Throughout eating, I couldn't keep myself from casting glances at the sapphire pendant, my mind craving to feel that sense of wonder again. My eyes themselves kept stopping on it, dazzled by the brightness of the jewel and my paws ached to feel it again. I knew it had to do with the magic of the item, and that I wouldn't feel as attached to it the further I got away from it, but perhaps this could be a good arrangement. For now I would wear it around my neck, possibly sleep with it on too. Perhaps I would return it in the morning when I was about to leave, when I could escape from wanting it so much the moment I laid it down. Temporary or permanent, I was going to have it for the night. A small sigh escaped my lips as the metal once again touched my paws, almost colder than the first time. I purred as I slipped it on once again, delighting in the sudden opening of my mind again. Closing my eyes, I simply allowed the rush to overwhelm me. Time seemed too irrelevant, something I stopped noticing, loving every second that its power flickered through my body. I traveled through my thoughts as if on a cloud, gently rushing through the expanses of my head. I could feel as though I knew more, but everything felt familiar, as if I had known it for ages. Finally, I opened my eyes again, returning to the house. The sun was fully gone now, both moons shining their radiant colors against the waning glare of the star I could no longer see. There had always been amazement in my eyes when I stared into a clear sky. What was up there? How far away were those pretty jewels? Some said that you could almost touch them if you went to the peak of the Highmorn Halls. They also said some ancient power lived there, but the other Khajiit who told these stories had never expanded on them and so the mountain kept its mystery secret. My mind kept creating questions faster than I could find answers, as if it was trying to grasp at every bit of knowledge that crossed by. The need for more intelligence brimmed within me, a desperate thirst for more information. I suspiciously looked down at the pendant around my neck, figuring its presence there had something to do with this typhoon of thoughts. There lingered no anger, but simply curiosity that was driven to find out more. I spent the next few hours reading through as many books that were in the house, softly pulling the texts out and eagerly immersing myself in their stories and pages. Characters leapt out at me, clasping my paw in their hand and leading me on through their worlds, happy to teach me more about what they had lived through and knew, and I was all too pleased to oblige. The storm of information seemed endless, but even felines have their limits. Thankfully, the addictive need to know more ebbed off as I tired; a couple minutes later, I put the last book back and traveled back downstairs to snooze. Skyrim was a northern country, and it was winter here. Even with the sun having set six hours ago, another eight hours of pitch black sky remained before the life giving sun broke over the eastern horizon again. As I took off my remaining clothes, leaving just my loincloth, my own fur and the pendant, my eyes quickly darted to the edge of my vision. I turned towards whatever had caught my eye and noticed yet another book I had not seen before. One last spark of natural curiosity drug me over there and my paws gently pulled out a locked book. The title was "The Book of the Dragonborn". The what? I had no idea what a dragonborn was, much less why the book was locked, but something inside me demanded I must know. There had never been a lock this Khajiit had crossed by that he couldn't pick, and such a small mechanism would not prove to be too difficult; of that I was sure. Pulling out one of the towels I had with me, I wrapped the book in it and softly slid it into my pack. If the family had left it downstairs in the guest room, there probably wasn't a reason to miss it. With that last shot of energy burned, I slumped into bed, drawing the covers up and over my body. Drawing my eyes closed again, I drifted off into the world of the rampant imagination, a place where nonsense was accepted and time meant nothing. As I separated my consciousness from the rest of the world, I could almost swear I heard a quiet voice in my head tell me that my adventures were far from over. Dwelling on it was futile and seconds later my breathing had slowed and my mind was far from this world, the enticing grab of the pendant calmly taking me out for a ride through the expanses of my brain. That dream was the clearest one I ever remembered, leaving my senses tingling. My snow leopard was there, the same one whom I had never had the courage to ask out. His soft white paws had wrapped around me, hugged me, and his lips pressed against my own. My own claws wrapped around his lower back, my pads kneading into his skin, trying to relieve any tension in the muscles. Kissing that beauty had felt intoxicating. We were both completely naked, his white furred body pressed up against my own dusky one, both our shafts grinding against their counterpart, dripping little slick streams of precum down the glistening sausages. The world had seemed to spin, time standing still as we stared into each other's eyes; his two sapphire gems lovingly gazing at my own. I wanted him and he wanted me and there was nothing to separate us or keep us from what we knew we wanted - except for time. While my mind didn't notice it, the time in the world my body rested in continued on without interruption. The external clock worked independently from the confused concept running through my head. The sun rose and I awoke, as I always did. A rather familiar sight met my eyes as I gathered myself to reluctantly rise from the bed. My pack lay to my right, and a still hot plate of roasted pork sat on the table to my left. A sheathed sword lay on the table as well and my new armor on the floor next to it. I was eager for more adventure, my near death experience doing nothing to quell that desire. Never live as if you are about to die, but simply live because you are alive. Anything could kill me, whether it might be an avalanche as I potentially climbed one of the mountains, or some dangerous and deadly wild animal, or a disease, or maybe someone mistaking me for a rebel and cutting my head off for it. As I donned my new gear and ate the fresh meat, I remembered that I had agreed to clear out that cave and get the ring for the shop owner. What a wonderful way to test out my new shit. Plus, I had run into so many bandits before and every group was always the same; so engrossed in the wealth they had stolen from everyone else that they never took the time to set up an effective plan should their "hideout" (which was always in a cave) be suddenly found. The opportunity to happily take their wealth back into my own paws was quite enticing and I was never one to pass up such an easy chance at some much needed gold. With breakfast complete, I pulled out the map given to me and left the house with little intention on returning; I had recuperated and the time to get going again was now. There were many roads in Skyrim that my paws hadn't touched yet. That was not to last much longer.