Without further delay I started taking the stuff out of my Oblivion space. The stunned look on the woman's face at the sacks of produce and meat was a bit funny.
"By the divines man I thought you meant only a little, not two weeks worth!" she exclaimed in shock.
"Are you complaining?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Are you kidding? If we weren't as bad off as we are you'd probably be celebrated for this. I definitely can't afford it at full price though." she said helplessly.
"That's fine, like I said I'm mostly hoping for some goodwill. The money isn't even needed, i'm well enough off without it." I said honestly.
"Nonsense! A man brings in goods it's only fair he gets paid for them. Here, take this. It's all I have at the moment. You can have this too, I got it in a raw deal a few months back, came with some story about returning it to Yngol's barrow." she said handing over a small bag of coin and setting a rusty red claw shaped object on the table.
"The coral dragon claw key. Not precious by itself but can be used to acquire something precious." I said surprised to see it much less be offered it.
"You know what it is?" she asked surprised.
I nodded "Of the ancient barrows dotting Skyrim there are special mechanisms made to only open when a certain key is used on them. Dragons were still revered during that time you see so they were in the shape of the claws of the things. The trick was the materials and enchantments used in the claw keys. This one is made of coral, typically fragile as a material but the enchantments make it all but indestructible." I explained as I picked up the thing and ran a finger along it's rough surface.
"Any idea what this one leads to then?" she asked curiously.
I nodded again "I know of one thing specifically that it leads to, Yngol's helm. The helm of Ysgramor's son. As for what else? Well there's no telling. Those barrows are excellent places to hide treasures if you have the key to them so over the eras any number of things could be in there, or none other at all. What I do know is in there however is Draugr, not weak ones either." I said seriously.
"Sounds like it's better in the hands of those adventurous sorts then. Glad to be rid of it myself, never brought me any luck." she said with a sigh.
I pocketed the gold and and key after that and stepped back out into the cold. I didn't head straight for the college though but turned to the building across from the Jarl's longhouse, The frozen Hearth inn. The one and only inn of Winterhold for travelers and those looking to get a drink. Ironically it was also the only really profitable business the place had as it didn't discriminate against mages.-
I walked up to the sturdy wooden buildings door and pushed it open. The inn had a long fire pit with a whole burning log in it and tables against the walls with booth seats. The far side of it had stairs going to the basement and in front of those the long sturdy counter with stools that the inn keeper tended. The place had four rooms, two single bed small rooms, a large room and a medium sized room. The inn was also busier than I expected given how low the population of the place was.-
There was of course the drunk man with features similar to Brina who I knew was her brother from the game. There was also two guards sitting at a table with their helmets off. The other five people I spotted were in robes and thus easy to identify as mages. I drew all eyes to me as I ducked into the doorway and stood to my full height. The inn keeper eyed me for a moment before shrugging and waving me over.-
"Got stew and mead, what do you need?" he asked when I sat down on a stool that groaned under my weight.
"You have any Snowberry Blackbriar?" I asked and he raised an eyebrow.
"Don't get many requests for that one, too tart. Means you're in luck." he said as he fetched a bottled from under the counter and brushed off the small amount of dust on it.
"It was my idea. Pitched it to Maven herself a couple years back, I thought the tartness would go well with the honey's natural sweetness and the bitterness of the alcohol. Should even have my name on it in small print under the Blackbriar name." I said calmly.
He looked at the label on the bottle closely and then at me "Alexan?" he asked and I nodded.
"That'd be me." I said with a grin.
"How about that. Tried the stuff myself once, more of a traditional brew fellow myself but I could see the appeal. Helps that the snowberry in it makes it good for chasing the chill out of your bones. Learned that from one of the college types that come in for drinks every now and again." he said as he popped the cork and poured the bottle into an pewter mug.
"My thoughts exactly. Know a thing or two about alchemy myself and shot some of that knowledge to Maven. Glad this one was well enough received to keep getting made." I said as I took a drink of the beverage. Sweet, bitter and tart in a lovely blend on the tongue, just as I liked it.
"You must be here for the college, most folk are these days." he said and I nodded.
"Any idea what the entrance protocols are?" I asked before taking another sip of my drink.
"Don't really pay the place much mind honestly. I do know they've got someone watching that bridge most the time though. Something about keeping people with bad intentions out." he said apologetically.
I hummed at that and wondered if it was perhaps Faralda like in the game. If it was I was looking forward to seeing her face when I walked up. There was a good chance she wouldn't even recognize me right away as I was small and cute when she taught me. Now those two words were definitely no longer accurate. My voice in particular was bound to make her stop for a moment as it was nothing like before.-
As I pondered that I sat there drinking quietly. Once I polished off the mug I grabbed a bowl of that stew, it needed more seasoning, and paid for a room for the night. When I turned in for the night I was left with the awkward situation of the bed being too small. I could only suck it up though and try to sleep with my feet hanging off the end.