Vilja and Triss Merigold

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This picture is part of
Making a new friend https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/images/696253

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I notice a young lady at the market square.
She is a stranger to Whiterun as I am. That's obvious. Everybody is ignoring her.

She seems to be very upset and is searching for .... something?
I introduce myself. Her name is Vilja and I have guessed right that she is from an island far away.
We sit down on the benches in front of the Bannered Mare and she is happy, that someone offers her help.

Indeed, she is missing something and  urgently needs it back:
Thieves had stolen her luggage and part of that is something very precious to her.
She doesn't mind so much about her other stuff, but this thing, a bottle, is important to her. A family memento, I guess.

Of course I offer my help to look around for those thieves. It's no big thing for me, but Vilja seems to be overly happy that I had agreed to help her.
The locals are not very helpful to foreigners, it seems.

And together we find those pickpockets easily.
Two tramps - not the smartest - thought it was a stiff drink. But in fact it's more some kind of dangerous alchemic fluid.
I expected this talk to get nasty and bloody, but it took only a tough face of mine
and some commanding words to let them hand back the bottle willingly.
Apparently they already sold the other stuff for cheap mead.

Strangely, Vilja seems to be quite strong and for sure knows her way around with a sword. Tough girl of the north I guess.
But confronting those thieves was obviously far beyond her courage.

We return to the Bannered Mare and she spends literally her last septims on a few mead for us to celebrate her joy.
I'm flattered and discretely make sure, that Hulda knows that I will pay for our mugs and that Vilja's septims will be returned to her.

After the first round, we go into a quite corner and she starts to explain her story and why that simple bottle is not so simple at all.

I am intrigued by her story, but I have not the slightest idea where she could look for that special place "Elderglam".
Although I'm a complete stranger to Skyrim myself, I offer her my further help. and again she is delighted.

She has told so much of herself, I feel it is my turn now to tell her my tale...
and two meads later I end my story with the newly earned gratitude of Jarl Balgruuf.

Since she has no special place to go, I invite her to stay with me and Triss in the Ciderhouse outside of the city.
Foreigners need to help each other in this harsh land.

Meanwhile, Triss had arrived in the inn and was looking for me. Naturally she wanted to know what Jarl Balgruuf made out of that Dragon sightings.
But when she saw my talking to my new friend Vilja, she was more curious about her and her story.

We made quick introductions and Vilja told once again a short version of  her story.
I was not sure if I should be so indiscreet to explain of Triss' profund knowledge of the arcane arts and stayed silent about that.

But Triss was not so concerned and gave Vilja some obvious hints, but without telling it directly.
And Vilja took the clue.

Magic is not in very  good standing with the Nords, ... except when they are ill or painfully injured on the battlefield.


Mods used in this picture
JK's Skyrim by Jkrojmal  https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/61035
Triss Merigold The Witcher Voiced Standalone Follower CBBE by imAarwyn https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/69893
Triss Armor Retextured CBBE HDT by Psyke23 - oldholo - ChronoTrigger77 https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/4708
Vilja in Skyrim  - by Emma - https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/26393