Hour 20: Desperately Seeking Sentinel

I travel to the location of the diary only to find another thief there trying to steal it! Rather than sneaking about I simply run to the desk in which it's stashed, grab it, then run back out again and fast-travel back to Armande. Not very thief-like, admittedly, but it won me the task.
After being allowed into the Guild I speak to Armande and am glad to learn that progression through the storyline will be subject to actually committing independent thievery, which will eventually earn me the right to accept special commission jobs which presumably will also advance the story. That's how a Guild should be! It makes you feel part of an organisation - a henchman trying to work your way up. In Skyrim, the Thieves Guild basically send you on one job before you're thrust into the main Guild storyline and you become practically their most trusted and reliable member after about 2 hours. It felt rushed and tacked on. I can already see that Oblivion's guild will be much more rewarding.

I head off to do some 'independent thievery' (not that independent since the map tells me where to go, but still). One thing I don't like is that I'm told to go to Bruma. This excessive travelling about the map is also common in Skyrim and for me it slightly ruins the immersion and sense of scale in the game. I'd prefer it if long journeys like this, which pretty much require fast travel unless you want to double the length of your game-time (I won't be travelling everywhere in slow-mode from now on, unless I particularly feel like it or want to explore an area), were more limited and quest-lines concentrated on a certain area before flinging you around the map. I'm supposed to be in a huge country, would I really travel to the far north, a journey which should take days in the game, just to commit a petty thievery job?

Bruma is growing on me. Here you can see the sturdy-looking castle in the background, and the Scandinavian-esque buildings of the town itself.

When I get there, I realise I have to go and speak to a particular Fence called Ongar, so it's not as silly as I first thought... but my point still stands! I wait until nightfall and break into some houses. As I wait, I'm interrupted by a messenger who says that that Countess in Bruma would like to see me. Sounds interesting, but it will have to wait for now. I steal just over 50 gold's worth of items. Time to head back to Armande! Or, it would be, if I wasn't I intrigued as to what the Countess wants.

I level up then head to the castle. The Countess wants me to locate an ancient Akaviri artefact for her collection. Sounds easy enough. However, I soon become frustrated trying to find my way. I travel to a landmark called Dragon Claw Rock, and have to head due West to find a second landmark, a statue called The Sentinel. However, I get confused by the I description of following a 'winding narrow path' or something along those lines, and kee trying to follow various roads which lead vaguely West. I spend a good twenty minutes looking for this damn Sentinel, even mounting the Unicorn and galloping around like a maniac in frustration at one point.

I somehow end up on top of a mountain, which is nowhere near where I need to be, but gives a spectacular view over the landscape.

Eventually, I dismount, fast-travel back to Dragon Claw Rock, and walk slowly in an precisely due-West direction. Lo and behold, practically within spitting distance of the Rock is the Sentinel. I stifle a scream. The pathway leads me to a tunnel through the mountains, and I head inside with trepidation.