Chapter 3 – Gift from the Gods

As Twilight entered the cozy little home, Alvor shut the door behind them. He called out to his wife. “Sigrid! We have company!”

Sigrid came upstairs from a lower basement level and was pleasantly surprised to see Hadvar. “Hadvar! It’s so good to see you. We weren’t expecting you…”

Alvor motioned to the chairs at the table. “Come. The two of you look pretty done in… like you lost a fight with a cave bear. Sit down and Sigrid will get you something to eat.”

Hadvar moved to do exactly that, but Twilight paused when she saw the tense look on Sigrid’s face. Twilight wasn’t keen to sit down and hear the re-telling of their harrowing escape from Dragons and Stormcloaks and she was even less interested in adding to the story, not wishing to relive it again so soon after the actual events. So… she instead went to Sigrid and joined her near the humble cooking fire and stove pot.

Twilight whispered to Sigrid… “Is there a problem?”

Sigrid was wringing her hands as she whispered back. “We weren’t expecting company. My husband is a blacksmith… not a hunter. He makes a decent living sharping the saw at the mill for Hod and Gerdur but it’s not like he sells a lot of weapons or armor in a town this small. If we’re lucky… he might sell some arrows to Faendal or a new weapon to a traveler passing through. It’s not a secret that Hadvar is in the Legion. I firmly believe that if Gerdur could find a new blacksmith to run Alvor’s forge, she’d run us out of town. That being said… I don’t have enough food to serve all five of us and it’s not like I can run to the Inn or to the general store to pick up something real quick. The cost of entertaining two guests…”

Twilight nodded and opened her bag. “As it happens… we ran across a deer that was recently killed by wolves near the road in-between Helgen and Riverwood. I was able to clean it and got a fair amount of venison from it. Plus… I was able to find a fair amount of salt, leeks, potatoes and other ingredients in the Keep while we were fleeing. Would a Venison Stew be okay?”

Sigrid smiled tightly. “That would do just fine. A two-pound cut of venison plus the other ingredients will give us exactly five servings. Which is exactly what we need. But I wouldn’t want to take away from your own stock when you’re supposed to be our guest.”

Twilight shook her head. “We are unexpected. I know from Hadvar that the average room at an Inn costs 10 gold. I’m not too proud to take help from a stranger that means well, but I don’t wish to impose on your family during these trying times. The least I can do is offset the cost of the meal so that our presence doesn’t put you out. Besides… I got this food for free and you’re saving me the cost of a room at an Inn. I would consider us even.”

Twilight set to work adding all the ingredients into the pot and Sigrid guided her in the proper process for cooking it… the process being a little different from what she was used to in Equestria… completely separate from it being meat… and completely separate from the fact that there were some gaps in her magically acquired knowledge from when she entered this realm.

Twilight served a portion of stew to each of them, and they all ate in near silence with Hadvar’s story about their escape from Helgen already having concluded.

Once everyone was done, Sigrid turned to Hadvar. “I have some extra furs that I can lay out onto the floor to make a bed-pallet for the two of you. I also have one spare blanket… but you’re going to have to share.”

Twilight turned beet red but didn’t argue. Dorthe, Alvor’s daughter, spoke up. “I’m still a little hungry. Is there anything else I can have?”

Sigrid sighed. “The girl is going to eat us out of house and home. I swear I don’t remember being that hungry at her age.”

Not one to let a child starve, Twilight turned to Dorthe. “What would you like?”

Dorthe seemed unsure but offered an opened-ended suggestion. “I’m just a little hungry, it doesn’t have to be as big as the soup was. Whatever you are willing to make is fine.”

Twilight looked through her bag and smiled. “How about a salmon steak?”

Dorthe’s mouth was watering at the idea and Twilight went back to the cooking pot to make it for the child. Twilight frowned at the salt pile compared to the size of the piece of fish.

Hadvar noticed her tension. “What’s wrong?”

Twilight shook her head. “Well. It’s the salt. It’s twice the weight as the fish. Surely that is too much?”

Hadvar frowned and nodded. “I think you’re right. One salt pile was enough for over 2 pounds worth of ingredients to make five servings of venison soup. I don’t suppose I ever noticed how much salt we use for other recipes, but then, that might be why I never cared much for pheasant roast or salmon steak. What do you want to do?”

Twilight searched her bag. “I have ten pieces of salmon meat from the Keep. Should I cook them all with the one salt pile?”

Hadvar thought about it. “I don’t see why that wouldn’t work. All of the Legion’s food is cooked like that in mass. It’s never hurt me.”

Twilight nodded, grateful for the sound reasoning and approval, and cooked all the fish she had. She gave Dorthe one of the salmon steaks and the child ate it.

“Yum. The fish tastes light and fresh. I think using less salt was a good thing.”

Twilight was relieved about that. “Are you still hungry?”

Dorthe smiled. “Nope! All full. I think I’m going to go outside and play for awhile before it gets too dark.”

She ran off without a second thought and Twilight sighed. Hadvar placed a hand on her shoulder. “Is there another problem?”

Twilight shrugged. “I’m glad that she liked the meal but I’m afraid that maybe the food will go bad faster now since I didn’t use the normal amount of salt. I am vaguely aware that salt is used to preserve meats in certain situations. Letting the food go bad now that its been cooked would be a horrible waste in both the ingredients and time used to prepare it.”

Hadvar was able to offer reassurance on this issue. “Food works much the same way as a potion here in Tamriel. Cooking food gives you Alchemy experience in much the same way as making a potion would, albeit, a smaller amount of experience. However, since the same skill set guides it, the cooked food will never spoil, much like how a potion will never spoil.”

Twilight was intrigued by the level of magic that must be present in this world for that to be possible. Food went bad even in Equestria. Twilight hedged around the fact that there had to be a downside to it.

“Are there any downsides to carrying a large quantity of cooked foods?”

Hadvar sighed. For every question I answer she has another.

“Some adventurers claim that carrying cooked foods attracts the wildlife more aggressively. I’ll concede that it’s possible that it could be true… however, Skyrim is a harsh land with little food, and I would wager that bears, wolves, sabercats and trolls will attack anything that comes too close to their lairs regardless if you are carrying cooked foods or not… because to them… you are the food. I believe you should carry more than enough food with you for whatever journey you plan, for it’s better to have food left over than to run out.”

Twilight conceded that it made sense, given that the food doesn’t go bad. “Is there any other adventuring advice you can offer?”

Hadvar shrugged. “I’ve served in the Legion since I came of age to enlist, but I’ve never been an adventurer myself. Most adventurers I’ve spoken to claim that it’s better to have a companion with you. Someone to watch your back. Someone that can carry some of the loot. Someone to heal your wounds if you get in too deep. I’ve heard a few others claim that it’s better to go alone, so not only can you hone your skills faster… but there is nobody else to attract attention to what you’re doing. A lot of adventuring is sneaking around and hoping not to awaken Draugr or other threats… unless you’re okay with fighting your way through the ruins. Of course… I don’t recall ever seeing too many of those adventurers twice. I hope they’re okay… but adventuring is a dangerous game. High risk, High reward.

Also, you should buy a horse. I know that you can carry more than the average adventurer, but you may need the freedom of climbing on the horse to haul back an extra large find without having to walk at a slow, overburdened pace. You should also buy a house as quickly as possible. Having a permanent place to call home is a good feeling. It’ll also help you protect your gear and make it easier to save up for even better equipment. Adventuring is one-third skill, one-third equipment, and one-third supplies.”

Twilight was horrified at the idea of owning a horse, but she acknowledged that the horses of Skyrim, while hardy, weren’t sentient. Hadvar had yet to give her bad advice.

“How much do horses and houses cost here?”

Hadvar rubbed the back of his neck. “The average horse is 1,000 gold. Plus it’s 500 more gold if you want armor for your horse. Some adventurers claim its just for show and they won’t waste the gold on it, but I’ve seen horses killed in battle with bandits. There is nothing worse than walking home knowing you have to spend another 1,000 gold for a horse when 500 gold worth of armor could have saved it. Houses range in price based on size and location. The smallest of houses run about 5,000 gold. The average home is 8,000 to 12,000. The most expensive I’ve seen was 25,000. With enough fame, you could build your own home on your own land, but there’s no telling much that would cost.”

Twilight was considering all of that while looking at her coin purse which held under 100 gold. Hadvar took the opportunity and helped Sigrid to make the bed pallet on the floor while Twilight was lost in thought.

Alvor approached her. “Now that we have a spare moment, I wanted to ask you if you’d do me a favor?”

Twilight’s interest was piqued. “What kind of favor?”

Alvor sighed. “The Jarl needs to know about the Dragon. Riverwood is defenseless. Please tell Jarl Balgruuf to send whatever soldiers that he can. If you can do that… I’d be in your debt.”

Twilight nodded. “That sounds reasonable. From what Hadvar said, we are in Whiterun Hold so I assume you mean the Jarl of Whiterun. Hadvar had also suggested that I join the College of Winterhold if I wanted to learn more magic and he asked me to travel to Solitude to join the Legion. I suppose that Whiterun would be on the way?”

Alvor nodded but also frowned. “Whiterun is on the way… but Winterhold and Solitude are in opposite directions. I suppose you’re going to have to choose whether you want to learn more magic first and then join the Legion… or join the Legion and learn spells as you go.”

Twilight didn’t like her choices being less than straightforward. “I suppose that since Whiterun is a larger town, it would be a good chance to gather more supplies and get more information. Maybe I should hold off on life changing decisions until I know more. In the meantime, I have no problem relaying your message.”

Alvor nodded. “To show my appreciation for saving my nephew, I will show you how to smelt your old weapons and armor back into ingots, including a special technique I use to combine an iron ingot with a corundum ingot to craft two steel ingots. The Ancient Nord weapons you took off the Stormcloaks should give a fair amount of corundum ingots and the iron weapons and shields should give enough iron ingots to really have some fun tomorrow. I’ll show you everything I know.”

Alvor went outside to clean up his work area and to bring Dorthe inside while Twilight was left with a horrifying realization after pondering the rest of the evening. Hadvar came back over to her now that the bed-pallet was made and Twilight was no longer speaking with his uncle.

“So… what do you think?”

Twilight forced a smile. “It looks… comfortable… but I’m not sure I am.”

Hadvar frowned. “Not sure you are what? Comfortable?”

Twilight leaned in to whisper to Hadvar and he leaned in to listen to her. “I’m naked under this armor. I discarded my old rags in the Keep. I didn’t find any replacement clothing while we were fleeing, and I haven’t had a chance to shop at a general store yet. What am I supposed to do?”

Hadvar gulped, the prospect of sharing the bed now a little more than he was used to. “A lot of Adventurers sleep in their armor. If you get attacked on the road, it’s best to be prepared. While staying in some place safe, like an Inn, or your own home, I could see you wanting to dress down into something more comfortable and you’ll certainly be safe enough here to do so, but you might want to take the opportunity to get used to wearing your armor while asleep.”

Twilight sighed. “It’s been a hard day and I really need a good night sleep to prepare for tomorrow. Can I trust you if I take the armor off?”

Hadvar gulped but nodded. “I promise I’ll be a gentleman.”

Twilight had drifted to sleep finally, and she found herself in a strange place. It reminded her of the realm she had travelled to when she became an Alicorn.

She called out. “Hello? Is anyone there?”

A great dragon appeared before her and she raised her hands to defend herself with her spells, only to find that she couldn’t seem to use any of her magic. Panic seemed counterproductive and yet also seemed to be her only option.

The dragon spoke. “Fear not, Princess of Equestria. My name is Akatosh, and I am the Chief Divine of this land. I rule over the other eight divines and all of Mundus.”

Twilight gasped. “How do you know who I am?”

Akatosh snorted in the way only a large dragon could. “We are nearly equals, you and I. You may not have yet come to terms with your Goddess status… but I see you as the Goddess that you are. You have travelled here to aide my people at a most perilous time, and I am grateful that Celestia granted me the aide I requested by sending you here to us.”

Bolstered by his words, she asked seriously. “How can I help?”

Akatosh smiled at her eagerness. “I need you to defeat my son, Alduin. He has returned to Mundus too soon and he is misbehaving. Don’t let his title of ‘World Eater’ worry you… He is only a minor dragon god. I trust that with enough training, he will be no match for you.”

Twilight gulped. “I find myself at odds with the oxymoron of ‘Minor God’ being used in a sentence, short of him still being an adolescent. Even the weakest God… is a God. With my friends and the Elements of Harmony, I’d say it would be easy. But without my friends… I’m still trying to gather my bearings.”

Akatosh could see that she needed a little confidence. “You, yourself, Child of Equestria, would probably rank a mid-level Goddess with the potential to become a Major Goddess. You may be weak within the realm now, but I believe that once you start to travel in earnest… you will see your own strength.”

Twilight crossed her arms and looked unsure but explained her feelings to the elder God. “I was trained as a mage in my homeland, as most Unicorns are. Becoming an Alicorn gave me nearly unlimited magical power, but I was still basically a mage. When given the chance after I arrived here, I picked the thief stone to increase the odds of me gaining experience quickly, given the number of skills that the stone improves. But… to face a dragon god? It feels like I would need to be a warrior. With the land in a state of war and enemies everywhere, gaining battle experience will probably be easy… unless I die tomorrow before I can really even get started.”

Akatosh could at least see her point. “That is why I have brought you here. I wish to give you a gift to aide you in this task. However… you have a say in what the gift is, so long as you follow the rules.”

Twilight dared not turn down a divine gift. As far as she understood it, the Gods of this realm aided its people in much the same way as Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and herself aided her people, even if these Gods weren’t physically seen by most mortals.

“And what gift would you offer?”

Akatosh smiled warmly. “I wish to gift you with three perk points to give you that early edge you need to survive. You will have to apply them evenly… one on the warrior path, one on the thief path, and one on the mage path… to preserve balance. But… you can choose any entry level skill you want… even if you don’t presently possess the skill level normally required to get the skill. This gift, combined with your natural talents, should be enough to allow you to survive.”

Twilight was shown her skill tree with the three available perk points. She looked over her options closely, reading what each skill did at the first level. It wasn’t an easy choice to pick 3 of 18, but she had to reflect on everything Hadvar had taught her today along with the knowledge imbued into her from the Elder Scroll itself.

Twilight looked at Akatosh. “I’ll take Steel Smithing in the Smithing skill tree, the first level of Enchanter in the Enchanting skill tree, and Novice Locks in the Lockpicking skill tree.”

Akatosh nodded and bestowed the skills. “Interesting choices. Would you care to explain it?”

Twilight took in a deep breath and exhaled. “Having good weapons and armor is a matter of life and death in Skyrim. Steel Smithing seems like it could give me an early edge, given that I could make or improve steel weapons, armor, accessories and tools. As an adventurer, opening locked treasure chests in caves or ruins is how I’ll make most my gold, so making Novice Locks easier to open seems like a smart early choice, although I’ll confess that I don’t know how many locks I’ll encounter that are novice grade. And magic seems to be as important here as it is in my homeland, although in a vastly different way. I don’t know any enchantments yet, but once I do… having a stronger enchantment in my weapons and armor feels important. Also… these skills feel like they are…extra. I’d like the first few perk points I earn from gaining actual experience levels to go to combat related skills, but since these are extra… I’ll get what looks interesting and feels important. I hope that you don’t feel like I wasted your gift.”

Akatosh waved a clawed forelimb, and the perks were applied. “The choices was yours to make, and you did at least follow the rules I laid out. I hope that you’re happy with your choices. I shall return you to your body to deal with pressing matters. Farewell… Princess of Equestria…”

With that… Twilight woke up to face her next problem…

Author's Note

Okay, Poll Question time

As Twilight starts her adventure in earnest, Riverwood has a few small problems to solve.

As a Pony, Twilight has more in common with the races of Mer than Man, so should she side with Faendal the Wood Elf or Sven the Nord when it comes to their attempted courting of Imperial Camilla Valerius? Or does she help neither of them or both of them in a completely Twilight-like way.

You decide.