Darkwater Crossing

Ella, vampire eyes a-glowing away. I don't much like being a vampire, though.

I decided to leave Whiterun and head to Riften to scout out the housing situation. The hope is that with Riften being in a swampier area, the flora and fauna around there will be more appealing than the endless sea of tundra cotton and mountain flowers on the plains. (Of course, if one wanted to take on giants and mammoths, the plains would be the place to live, but alas, I don't feel that Whiterun is the place for me.)

After a brief debate on whether to take the cart to Riften, I made my way on horseback with Lydia, Barbas still tagging along. This would later prove a problem.

Bandits are so stupid.

We discovered Frostbite Spiders along the rivers, and several packs of wolves, as well as one bandit group made up entirely of chiefs-- I assume they were at a meeting to decide who attacks which travelers? I nearly ran over them before they finally stopped talking about skooma and started attacking me.

I decided to stop for the night in Darkwater Crossing. Annekke Crag-Jumper had a quest for me, so I went to Knife Point Ridge to take care of a very large group of bandits. This was made difficult by Barbas' incessant barking and constant, endless pushing, nearly causing me to tumble into ravines more than once. I can only assume he's mad that I've left Clavicus Vile's quest, though since he's no longer speaking for some reason, who knows. I then detoured to Fort Amol for a... snack.... The Fort, which had been run by Stormcloak guards, was taken over by mages. I didn't clear the Fort, so I'll have to go back later to take a closer look. Tomorrow, I'll see if I can find Derkeethus, an Argonian who's gone missing from Darkwater, and maybe take another swing at Fort Amol before heading south to Riften. I've also agreed to eventually take a note to the White Phial in Winterhold for more medicine-- the mine is apparently nearing its end, and making the miners sick. No wonder Annekke wants to go journeying with me, much to her husbands dismay! As a note, why do I need to go all the way to Winterhold? Isn't Riften, or Whiterun, closer? Though the White Phial is a very pre-eminent alchemy shop. Do others lack the skill? Or the ingredients? Or is there some political reason?

Knifepoint Ridge: the prettiest bandit settlement ever, and so large, with a pit and a captive sabertooth cat, presumably so they can have some torture entertainment. Excuse me. Could have had, since I killed everyone.