The ship pulls in as the sun sets. It's getting well into fall, and in Skyrim - especially in Haafingar Hold, where Solitude and therefore the regional headquarters of the East Empire Company is - that already means short days and long nights. Solitude's docks are quieter than their counterparts in Cyrodiil, with fewer ships and fewer people. The waves and the gulls are a major portion of the noise, here.
Solitude is behind them, now, their ship having already passed through the grand archway under the city. The sun's last rays catch the white stone of the city in muted oranges.