In my last Skyrim post, Iselia had managed to drag herself through the icy wastes and at last stepped foot into the city of Solitude, alive. There she found warm clothes made of fur, a most excellent backpack with which to carry more loot, and two people wanting her to take care of the same 'problem.'
People vanishing near Wolfskull Cave? A bandit leader who had raced off near Wolfskull Cave? Sure sounded like the same issue.
Both were willing to pay and she was eager to take the money from the both of 'em!
Unfortunately, Iselia soon discovered that the two problems, although located relatively close together, were not the one and the same.
The bandits she could've taken easily... instead, she waltzed into Wolfskull Cave and right into the midst of Necromancers and their minions.
After an initial failed attempt at fulfilling her job, she instead faced the Necromancers one by one. Finally, all that remained was a draugr - one of indomitable armour and health. It took forever to kill. She was completely drained of mana, had to regenerate a small amount, and then shoot more fire from her fingertips.
Finally, when he had but a smidge of health remaining, she jumped over to him and whacked him a few times with an iron dagger.
Finally, it lay dead and unlikely to resurrect once more.
Off its bones, Iselia looted the most fantastic spell! One that would suit her very well in the cold lands of Skyrim. A spell that would increase her inner warmth for a short time.
That would've helped immensely back when she was swimming through treacherously icy waters a couple of days before... but better late than never.
Having faced the necromancers and their minions, Iselia thought she'd traverse the cave a little more - there might be good loot in here!
She didn't find loot, though. Instead, she found a secret fort, buried deep within the cavern walls, and a great ritual was happening... a ritual to summon the Wolf Queen.
Iselia had no idea who that was. But it sounded bad. And then a voice cried out to slaughter the innocent! And suddenly she realised that this was actually the job she had been given. It hadn't been bandits or wild animals stealing villagers... it had been cultists.
She wasn't sure she was ready for this... but she was here, and she had to do something.
Taking the enemies one by one, and in some cases over and over again as the necromancers would resurrect other necromancers, Iselia soon found herself out of potions, out of food, with only her magicka regen to see her through.
Finally, she stumbled upon the woman in charge of the summoning ritual... and defeated her. It was over.
With that over and done with, Iselia hunted for food within the cave. There was none. She left the cave and hoped there would be some deer or something nearby she could hunt. There was none.
The supposed bandit camp was just up ahead, it was cold, snow was falling, and her stomach was growling. Once she took care of the bandits, she could use their hideout for warmth and maybe they had some food!!
There were only three of them. The bandit leader she had been recquisitioned to kill, and his two lackeys. They died swiftly and Iselia hurriedly took advantage of their makeshift lodgings.
There was fire! There was warmth! But was there food? Of course not.
As much as she wanted to stay in the warmth, she was starving. Leaving the camp behind, she ventured back out into the snow and was soon beset upon by a pack of wolves.
Desperate to feast upon their flesh almost as much as they evidently wanted to feast upon hers, she took to them with her fire magic and mace and soon harvested all the meat and skin from their bodies.
It was too late though.
Frozen solid, so cold she could barely shiver, Iselia collapsed upon the snow amidst the corpses of the wolves and prepared to succumb to her fate.
Only to have a random passerby show up out of no-where and help her back to civilisation.
There was warmth on her face, a rumble in her tummy, and an unfamiliar bard singing tavern songs... where the heck was she now, and was there food?
Until next time! 😊⚔️❄️