Year 201 of the Fourth Era, Tirdas, 19th of Last Seed

Met with the Redguard after getting my pay from the steward. Amren's his name, and he told me he's looking for muscle to get his father's sword back from some bandits up at the Halted Stream mine. I agreed to help out. This bounty hunter thing is really paying off, I have to say! So I go to the Bannered Mare and fetch Uthgerd to come with me. I've heard the bandits up at Halted Stream are a tough bunch, and even have a mage or two, so I thought the extra sword would help a lot. Barely at the gates of the camp when arrows start flying by me. Shit shots, those bandits, I gotta say. Uthgerd and I bust down the southmost gates and pick our targets. I went and chopped down the mage at the entrance and the archer on the balcony above while Uthgerd secured the eastern gate. We both got a fair hit on the little bastard cowering in the shack in the middle of the camp. We hear some clanking from inside the mine, like steel against stone, so we decide to stay low when going into the tunnels. Lo and behold, there be a pretty nord bandit mining away at the iron veins at the back of the tunnel. I bash her face in with my shield, opening her up to a fatal jab from Uthgerd's massive steel greatsword. A brutal one, that dame is! Couldn't ask for a better travel partner. So we head deeper into the mine, and we see two bandits and their chief. They catch onto us immediately, so I decide to play a little dirty. I had yanked a Guardian Circle scroll from somewhere, I can't remember where though, and decided to use it up. A golden translucent ring formed around Uthgerd and I, and we could feel ourselves being reinvigorated by the aura. The bandits foolishly charged us, and were astounded that we did not go down with their initial strikes. Their shock bought us time to kill them swiftly, with Uthgerd burying her blade into the spine of the chief with three mighty chops. 

In a large chest in a corner, we find Amren's sword, along with a bunch of other things such as potions. We search the shelves and tables and find more potions, more gold, and even an alteration spellbook. Something about transmuting metals. I couldn't make hide nor tail of the blasted thing, so I just sold it to Belethor after we got back to Whiterun. I also grabbed a few mammoth tusks, since apparently they're fairly valuable. Those giants don't like to share, apparently. So we head back to town, and I present the sword to Amren. He was absolutely ecstatic. Instead of the standard bag of gold, he taught me a useful sword and shield technique his father had perfected. I was more than happy to get the free training. Out of respect for Uthgerd, I paid a hundred septims out of my own pocket to her for her assistance in taking down those bandits. We went back to the Bannered Mare and parted ways, for how long I don't know, though I hope we can do this again soon. I think it's time to get some sleep now though. Hopefully no one else has taken the room upstairs.