And so it was, having nearly scaled the Throat of the World on bare foot, that Matthias The Bather did return to Whiterun. It was there that The Jarl informed him of a far easier path up the other side of the mountain - a pilgrim trail leading directly to the temple of the Greybeards from the village of Ivarstead. There was some arguing about whether or not the Jarl had mentioned this path before and The Dragonborn had not been listening.
Regardless, Matthias decided to wait a while before journeying to Ivarstead, his pockets fat with the bounty of the many giants and trolls slain upon the mountain slopes. And so it was that he decided to make the acquittance of some of the peasants he was now charged with protecting and sell them his junk.
And so it was that he came to the shop of one Belethor...
Belethor: Welcome! Welcome!
Me: Hi there. I have some loot I need to sell.
Belethor: Ah, well I can give you a fair price for anything you'd like to sell. I'd even buy your family members if you had one to spare!
Me: Really?
Belethor: Well, no. Not really. I'm playing the part of the sleazy but loveable merchant who would sell his own sister to make a better deal but truly has a heart of gold.
Me: Really? Because that's just the sort of line I'd expect to hear from the head of a vast conglomerate of slavers who was playing the part of a sleazy bit loveable merchant.
Belethor: Ha! Too true. *glances around* So do you have any family members?
Me: No. I DO have a rather surly housecarl.
Belethor: Pass.
Me: Oh. Well, how about some dragon bones and other assorted bits of stuff?
Belethor: Oh, well I'll buy that, sure. Everything except for that stolen iron mace.
Me: That's not stolen!
Belethor: Look, me lad. I've been a merchant forever. I know stolen goods when I see them.
Me: How could you possibly know that?!
Belethor: I've got a sixth sense about these things. All merchants do.
Me: So - hypothetically - even if I had stolen from a completely different village from halfway across Skyrim, you'd know it was stolen goods?
Belethor: Yep.
Me: So how would I get rid of stolen goods - if I had any?
Belethor: I think you'd have to go find the Thieves Guild in Riften. If you had anything like that.
Me: RIIIIIIIIIIIGHT.
And so it was that Matthias The Bather did wander about the common folk of Whiterun, listening to their troubles and agreeing to aid them as best he could. He promised to look for two missing swords, a mammoth's tusk and ran an delivery for the Jarl's personal wizard. And once his pockets were heavy with coin, he returned to the Steward of Whiterun and purchased a house for his housecarl to tend to. And so it was that Matthias The Bather and his stout companion Uthgerd the Unbroken did set forth for Ivarstead.
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