Thursday, March 13, 2014

Day 141 - Failed!

I came up empty handed with my job search.  Well, not exactly empty handed.  There are two sort of "part time" jobs that are available, both collecting materials for local merchants.  One is for Elgrim, who runs the local apothecary house, collecting herbs and such.  The other is for the local blacksmith, who is looking for ore and other material to make his swords and armor.  There are also a few odd jobs here and there but those two seem the most reliable.

The Apothecary Guy

The Blacksmith

Ma isn't so thrilled with my "jobs".  She'd rather have me standing behind a counter all day, serving people, than out exploring the local fauna and wildlife.  I heard her taking to her sister this evening when she thought I was out of earshot, almost begging her to take me on as a clerk, but my aunt said no.  She couldn't afford to feed or cloth another person.

It's okay, really.  I'd rather be supporting myself doing odd jobs and such.  The thought of being under Aunt Guanine's thumb doesn't appeal to me.  I don't like how she treats Ma like an underling who knows nothing and she always seems to be tight and cross.  I couldn’t work around someone that…cold.

Riften Canals
I did discover one thing while walking around town - Riften stinks…literally.  The town is built around an old canal system and all of the sewage in town drains into it.  Worst of all, the old canals are not flushed out until high tide, so the smell is horrible, especially around mid-day.

And let's not forget all of the rumors flying around about the Thieves' Guild and how they're working hand-in-hand with a local woman by the name of Maven Black-Briar.  I ran into her at the inn today while looking for a job.  She's very gruff and to the point, ending our short conversation with "I believe we're done here."  Many people say that she runs the whole town and I can't help but agree.  She had a lot of people running scared, that's for sure.

It seems that the citizens of Riften do not think well of the Imperial Legion.  They don't like how a certain treaty banned the worship of Talos that many people love in this town.  Thankfully, my Nord blood shows through well so no one really takes notice that I am half- Imperial.  One even suggested that I head to Windhelm and join Stormcloak's rebellion!  I almost took his suggestion seriously…and then I remembered Captain Aldis and his soldiers who were so willing to train me.  I couldn't kill one of them.

Anyway, that Nord blood served me well today while dealing with the local blacksmith.  He repaired my armor without any strange looks and gave me a good discount on a new sword, a beautiful two-hander that will be a good addition to my war hammer.  It felt good to have a sword back in my hands again.  

I can only hope that I succeed here in Riften or I'm going to have to move on.  I won't be able to live here free for very long, not with Aunt Guanine breathing down my neck.

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