Turdas, 21st of Last Seed
Tonight, I consider myself lucky to be lying here in Dead Man's Drink, able to write this journal entry. I have escaped death more than once; perhaps someone up there is watching out for me.
My journey back to Falkreath was delayed by a bounty given to me by the barkeep of the Bannered Mare. Apparently some bandits holed themselves up in an abandoned tower and were harassing travelers. I wasn't sure about taking on a whole group of bandits; after all, I had had enough trouble with three rogues. Still, I needed the money, so I agreed and headed out, stopping first to purchase a new pair of leather boots.
The tower wasn't hard to find, and luckily for me, the bandit guarding the door was wearing thin armor, making it easy for me to take her down with a single arrow. I crept inside the tower, and disposed of the others just as easily. Soon enough, all that was left was the chief, and as I crept up behind her, I assumed the reward was as good as mine.
I should have known better.
The chief suddenly whipped around, catching me by surprise. I released the arrow I had drawn, but her armor was thick, and it merely bounced off. I quickly drew my axe and swung, but she blocked my attack with her own battleaxe, forcing me back. She swung and managed to catch me, knocking me and down the wooden staircase. I staggered to my feet and swung again, but she charged me, pinning me up against the wall, the handle of her axe pressing against my throat. I could feel her pressing the life out of me, and I swung desperately, driving my axe into the side of her neck. Blood spurted across the stone wall, and she dropped me, taking a step back. I swung again, and this time, she fell. I waited for her to get back up, but after a few moments, it became clear that she wasn't going to. I let out a sigh of relief, leaning against the wall and putting a hand to my own bleeding wound. With this injury, I wouldn't be able to carry much back with me to Whiterun. I chose only the items I believed to valuable (including an enchanted bow) before heading back, hoping to avoid trouble.
Luckily, I made it back in one piece, and sold off the items, keeping the newfound bow for myself. After collecting my reward from the steward (100 septims), I decided it was time to return to Falkreath. I hired a carriage to take me there, which only took a few hours, and soon located Runil. He paid me 500 septims for returning his journal, which took me by surprise. This priest had given me five times the amount the steward had given me, and I had only had to kill one person for the journal.
I had not planned to stay much longer in Falkreath, and I would have left for Whiterun again, had I not seen the new product the blacksmith had to offer: a pair of hide bracers enchanted to enhance the strength of a bow. I knew then that I desperately needed those bracers, despite the fact that they cost more septims than I had ever had in my life. The only problem was how I was going to come up with that amount of gold; hunting and scavenging would take far longer than I wanted to wait. As I was pondering this current dilemma, I recalled the note I had found on the dead treasure hunter. Perhaps this iron warhammer of embers would be worth collecting. It took some searching on my part, but I eventually located the North Shriekwind Bastion. I did not know what awaited inside, but I knew that I wanted those bracers, so through the door I went, bow drawn.
My first encounter was again with those walking skeletons, and I dispatched them easily with my bow. The bastion was not as chilled as Brittleshin Pass had been; sunlight filtered in through a gaping hole at the top, which I was grateful for. As I made my way up through the tower-like structure, I came across a woman who still retained her flesh, unlike the skeletons I'd seen. However, her eyes had a sort of... hunger to them, her skin was pale, and her face sunken. She saw me before I could fire off an arrow, and as she came at me, my gaze fell on the fangs she possessed. I realized then what she was, and quickly fired off two arrows, causing her to collapsed. I drew a bit closer, and the dust her body was giving off after death confirmed my suspicion.
How many other vampires lurked here? Was this treasure worth the risk of contracting the foul disease? Falkreath had a shrine of Arkay I could pray to, of course, but what if i couldn't make it in time? I had no idea how long it took someone to turn once infected. I considered turning back, but the thought of those bracers hung in my mind. Knowing that alchemists use vampire dust in their creations, I collected some up before continuing on.
Only skeletons stood in my way as I continued on, climbing up level after level. Upon reaching a sort of torture room, the horror of the blood-stained scene before me caused me to lower my guard for a moment or two, and I did not see the vampire sitting across the room. However, she saw me and attacked. I had no choice but to draw my axe, disposing of her before she could infect me. I had no intention of becoming their latest addition to this room, and I quickly continued on, but not before picking up the rubies I found scattered throughout the room.
Finally, I reached the top, and upon activating the switch to unlock the doors at the end of the hall, a fiery trap set off as well. I had to move carefully to avoid being burned, and soon enough, I was through. I was so pleased with my prowess that I neglected to find a safe hiding spot to examine the situation ahead.
A pain unlike any other suddenly coursed through my body, and I could almost feel my life being sapped away. I turned to find that my attacker was a master vampire, and he meant to finish me off quickly. I swung at him with my axe weakly, trying to fight his vampiric drain. He easily avoided the attack, pushing me back and causing me to stumble. As he stood over me, I knew I would die here. In a last desperate attempt, I used what strength I had to lunge at him, grabbing him and hauling him over my shoulder, releasing him behind me. I heard a yell and turned to see that he had landed in the flame trap. Apparently that didn't agree with him, because he expired soon after. After a few moments, I dragged myself over to the lever in the corner and pulled it, turning the flames off. I used a small healing potion I had before getting to my feet, examining the burnt body for anything valuable. He had a few jewels and I collected some of the dust again, but everything else had been burned by the fire.
Once I felt as though my strength had returned, I entered the room the vampire had been lurking in, ascending the spiral staircase and locating the chest. Inside, I found the treasure mentioned on the note, as well as other sellable items. After passing into the next room, a strange sound reached my ears. It sounded like chanting, but there was no one in the room except me. As I drew closer to the somewhat rounded wall across the room, the chanting grew louder, but before I could find out what, the coffin in front of me suddenly burst open, and a creature I recognized as a draugr climbed out. I quickly drew my axe, hacking away at the creature's rotten flesh before it could attack. It had just raised its sword to attack when I struck the final blow, watching its body fall to the floor. Once I was sure it wasn't going to come back from the dead a second time, I continued towards the wall, my gaze falling on a glowing symbol. As I placed my hand over it, there was a rush of wind, and my vision swam. The voices grew louder, and I wondered what I had done. My vision soon cleared, and the room grew still and quiet once again. The symbol was no longer glowing, and while I recognized it as the language of dragons, I had no idea what it said. I took notes of the symbols before I left; perhaps I could find someone to translate for me.
The trip back to Falkreath was uneventful, and I sold off everything I had collected, finding myself looking at more septims than I had seen in my life. Excitedly, I rushed off to the blacksmith, purchasing the bracers and slipping them on. I had about 100 septims left over, enough for another night at the inn, and a hot meal. The innkeeper also handed me another bounty note, but that is a matter for tomorrow. Tonight, I shall sleep soundly.