The Art of Skulking, Day Three: Part One

What a beautiful day it is for a spot of exploring, thought Dar'Shavari, as she stood outside the gleaming walls of Whiterun.The day is Tirdas 19th of Last Fall, and we find our favourite feline character staring out into the wilds, ready to begin a day of exploration and excitement!

Yeah... Really don't like the thought of going out in this weather, but my fur is already wet so what the hey? I start out on the path that I chose earlier on my map and skulk around a while. I need to practise my skulking if I am to become a master thief one day, do I still want to do that?? I'm not sure but for the moment I am going with the flow and seeing where my fortunes take me. In fact, my fortunes take me in the direction of a wild Elk which I take down with style (must be the 20% more damage bonus). Then I do some more skulking and don't really spot any more game... But I do spot a humanoid figure in the distance! I crouch down into my favourite sneaking position, and slowly make my way towards the figure. I notice that the figure has a tail and I think: "Yes another Khajjit!!" and since there is no red circle to signify that he is an enemy, I stand up straight and approach him.

He introduced himself as a Liar, which I thought was a little strange, and he didn't really tell me much else about himself. I probably would't have believed him anyway, if he would have told me more. I leave the Khajjit as disapointed as when I met the first group, maybe my new friends will have to be humans then... Anyway, I head towards the mountains as this seems like a suitable place to find Ore Veins and do some mining. I reach more rocky terrain, as I hit the bottom of a cliff and start to climb up a snowy path into the heart of the rockface. As I am amking my way up, I spy a Giant standing around a campfire, and not wanting to alert him to my presence, yet again skulk around avoiding him. After I have slowly inched my way past the Giant, I run into a Wolf, who I claw to death and take his hide. As I am making my way up the snow-ridden path I come across two Iron Ore veins!! Jackpot, oh wait, I don't have a Pickaxe! Doh!! Oh well, at least I know that there are some here now, for later. I creep to the edge of the cliff and spy my Giant friend from earlier!

He can't see me from this distance, so I watch him for a while, then get bored. I start up the path again and notice that it has now started to snow. Rain and now snow?? I am freezing my butt off up here!! I decide to tuck into my warm Apple Pie that I purchased earlier, I say warm but it was really only a tad lukewarm by now. I munch that down hartily in the snow, and wonder to myself what I am doing up here?? That's when I turn around and spot a huge stone structure jutting out from the snow.

Wow! That looks interesting, but possibly dangerous. I think about exploring it, my cat-like curiosity itching for a good tomb exploration, but decide to continue on the path for a while. I come across a tower with two men standing guard outside and it's a good job I am in a sneaky mood, or they would have spotted my approach and attacked.

I must admit, I'm not a very brave Khajjit, so I slowly back away with my thoughts once again turning to the strange structure in the snow. At this point, my journey out hasn't really yeilded many results, so the thought of exploring the structure is seeming better and better. I stalk up the many stone steps which are part of the structure's architecture and three bandits immediately start to attack! I don't have time to pull out my bow and arrows so I lunge towards them, claws glinting in the frozen light. As suddenly as they attacked, they are dead. My trusty claws will always keep me out of trouble I surmise, as I root through their belongings in search of anything of value. I find a Hunting Bow on one of them and switch my Longbow out in favour of the more damaging weapon. I take stock of my surroundings and for the first time notice the beauty of this place, high atop a cliffside amongst the ruins of Bleak Falls Barrow; the name suddenly pops into my head.

As I stand there gazing at the wonderful whiteness of this place, I have a desicion to make about my next move. To satisfy my curiosity and enter the barrow (wasn't there a rhyme to do with that), or to continue on the path in search of other adventures...