Mama, what is wrong with adults in this land?! Here I am, minding my own business and just trying to get to Whiterun so I can murder a guy for the Dark Brotherhood. Now, to get to Whiterun from where I’m at, I have to pass through this little place called Rorikstead. Fine, I can work with that, small settlements are charming.

But I immediately run into this farmer Lemkil, who happens to be downright abusive towards his two daughters. Everyone here knows it, it seems, but no-one is willing to make him stop. And then one of the girls, Britte, turns around and heaps that abuse right back on her younger twin, Sissel.

Well you know what? Screw that. That man, this place, the culture that says no-one can interfere, I’m done. Those girls are coming with me, and I am protecting them, and Britte will have to shape up or get left in town with a caretaker.

Ugh. How can anyone treat children like that? Children, family... nothing is more important. The family has to come first, and he was spitting on the very concept! ... I did leave him alive, but if I hear so much as a word from one of my ducklings that he’s given them trouble I’m introducing his throat to my knife.

Love you,

Okay, so, I have a house now. It’s small, and we probably won’t stay here very often, but just knowing I have it takes a huge weight off my shoulders. Goldie’s pretty much good to go now, too.

In unrelated news, I may have a problem. See, there’s this beggar girl in Whiterun who asked me for a coin when I went to buy the house, and I just... who just lets a child rot on the streets?! I offered to take care of her, said I was an active adventurer and laid out all the risks, and she jumped at the chance! Poor girl seems pretty starved for affection.

So when I mentioned we’d be leaving soon, Sparky started saying that I needed to look for another mercenary. Now, he’s been... kind of skittish around me since the Shimmermist disaster, and I thought he meant he’d had enough and I needed to find a replacement because he was going home. I didn’t want him to go. He’s mine. But... I didn’t want to keep him by force, he would be miserable, so I was going to go along with it. Even travel back to Riften to make sure he got there safe. And... I may have cried. I may have cried a lot.

Turns out I should have asked more questions: he wants me to hire an additional mercenary, not a replacement, because he’s not confident he and Axes can protect all these ducklings I keep collecting without more help. He says I should try to keep at least as many adults as children in the party, and should look for at least one more mercenary to hire. With the rate I’m collecting orphans, I don’t think his ratio is going to work out.

But I’ll try, if it’ll make him more comfortable. I’ll hire as many additional hands as he wants. Just as long as he stays here. Anyway, he says Windhelm is a good place to pick up mercs, so we’re gonna head there.

Love you,