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<\/p>\nDagnell walked toward Balimund, smiling.\u00a0 She was just shy of amazed at the amount of coin she had amassed in only a couple of days.\u00a0 As much as she hated to admit it, Brynjolf had been right about there being plenty of it for the taking. While she had eaten breakfast, she had pondered slipping out of town to the south. She had then thought better of it. First, Maven probably had connections who could find her even in Cyrodiil, big nasty connections like Maul, or even the Guild for that matter, to say nothing of the Dark Brotherhood. But second, a little avaricious corner of her mind wanted to see whether or not she could line her pockets even more. Huh, she thought. Maybe he was more right about me than I realized.<\/p>\n
Balimund smiled at her as she approached.\u00a0 \u201cWhat have you got for sale, Balimund?\u201d she asked.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m headed out of town and need another blade.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell,\u201d he said, pulling a crate of blades out where she could look through it, \u201cit\u2019s all good steel. Nothing out of the ordinary, but it\u2019ll deal some damage.\u201d\u00a0 She bought another steel sword from him and sharpened it up.<\/p>\n
Grelka was happy to sell her some healing potions and a couple of lockpicks.\u00a0 She had some nice leather armor for sale, some plain, some studded, but Dag passed on it in favor of what she was already wearing.\u00a0 Even so, Grelka gave her a smile rather than a chewing out, and Dag would take that as a good sign.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She headed out the north gate and peered at the rough map Roggi had given her.\u00a0 The cave, she had learned, was called Cronvangr; it was over the border into Eastmarch Hold, southwest of Kynesgrove, near the river. It was going to be a long walk; but at least it wasn\u2019t raining.\u00a0 Or snowing, at least not here.\u00a0 All she had to deal with was the constant interruptions by hungry wolves; but she had a lifetime of practice using two swords simultaneously, with a whirling move that could take down most normal enemies. None of the wolves was much of a problem.<\/p>\n
That night she hunkered down in a sheltered spot to rest.\u00a0 One might have thought it would be easier to walk down the mountains than up.\u00a0 One would have been wrong.\u00a0 The fronts of her legs burned like fire, and were going to be desperately sore later. It was too bad the carriage driver in Riften hadn\u2019t been willing to make a stop in Shor\u2019s Stone; she would happily have parted with a few of her hard-earned coins for a lift north.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Midmorning of the next day found Dag approaching the opening of a cave that seemed to be in the right spot to be Cronvangr.\u00a0 She looked around in dismay.\u00a0 There were a number of enormous spider egg sacs clinging to the rocks outside the entrance, which didn\u2019t bode well for what she was going to find inside. This is definitely a place where someone could meet a bad end, she thought. At least I have a stronger bow this time.\u00a0 She readied it, and crept into the cave.<\/p>\n
There were definitely some signs that people had been here at some point; some old lanterns and a brazier or two were placed along the passageway, nearly obscured by thick cobwebs. It didn\u2019t take long before she ran into spiders like those in Redbelly Mine.\u00a0 Instead of there being only a few, though, the place was crawling with them; and they were all on high alert the moment she got close enough.\u00a0 Her improved bow made short work of most of them, though, and while she managed to avoid getting splashed with venom she was grateful not to be in any close-up combat with them.<\/p>\n
She probably killed two dozen spiders on her way down to the bottom of the cave.\u00a0 There was a pool of foul-smelling water there, in which floated several web-wrapped skeever carcasses and other things she couldn\u2019t identify and didn\u2019t feel like investigating further.\u00a0 Another passage branched off to the right.\u00a0 Not far down it, Dag ran into two spiders that were equal in size to the big one she\u2019d killed in Redbelly; but by backing up into the passageway she was able to take them out with a few arrows each.<\/p>\n
The far end of the tunnel opened up into a large cave. People had definitely been here at some point. The skeletons of large predators lined the walls; there was even the skull from a small mammoth, probably a juvenile.\u00a0 There were no obvious containers that she could see, though.\u00a0 Ugh, she thought.\u00a0 I may have to search inside these godsforsaken egg sacs to find that shield, if it even is in here.\u00a0 Sighing, she took a deep breath, held her nose, and prepared to reach into the closest one.\u00a0 A sound behind her made her turn to look.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baakay.com\/FanFic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/1-1-13-3.png\")
<\/p>\n
The matron spider descending from the ceiling on a rope-sized strand of its own silk made the one from Redbelly Mine look like a baby.\u00a0 It was simply the largest beast she\u2019d ever seen in a cave, at least the size of an adult mammoth\u2019s head.\u00a0 And it was angry.\u00a0 Its fangs were the equal of a saber cat\u2019s, maybe larger. One bite from them and Dag was a dead woman.<\/p>\n
Alarmed, she ran back to the tunnel and turned to fit an arrow to her bowstring, slamming it into the beast.\u00a0 She prayed it wouldn\u2019t fit down the narrow opening.\u00a0 That was what saved her; the spider was in fact too big to leave her lair.\u00a0 But there was no room to dodge its venom. Even as Dag fired the fourth or fifth arrow she got hit full in the face with freezing, stinking poison.<\/p>\n
Her eyes blurred, nearly blinded, and she cried out in pain and nausea.\u00a0 Hoping beyond hope that her arrows were coming anywhere near the spider, she kept firing with stiffened, frozen hands, fighting not to fall to the floor in agony.\u00a0 She had some healing potions, but didn\u2019t dare put aside her weapon long enough to use one; the matron had to be put down.\u00a0 Finally, just as she feared her stomach was going to empty itself, her vision cleared enough to aim directly at the spider\u2019s brain and sink one last arrow into it.\u00a0 It shuddered and slumped to the floor, looking like nothing so much as a pincushion for all the arrows she\u2019d put into it.<\/p>\n
Dag dropped to her hands and knees and heaved, her stomach finally rebelling.\u00a0 Once it was empty, she wrestled a healing potion out of a pouch with shaking hands, and downed it. Its warmth spread through her body and, after a few moments, she was able to get her still-wobbly legs back under her.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy the Eight that was awful,\u201d she muttered, walking back out into the cavern.\u00a0 She stopped to admire the matron spider\u2019s carcass.\u00a0 It was every bit as tall as she was and made at least five of her in mass.\u00a0 \u201cNo wonder Lenne died in here, if the spiders grow this big.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dag pushed around the dead spider and toward the back of the cave.\u00a0 At the farthest point from where she had entered, she spotted something that looked wooden, mostly covered with webs.\u00a0 Pulling them away, her nose wrinkled in distaste, Dag found an old chest, so rotted that its lid nearly fell apart as she raised it.\u00a0 Inside were some jewels, a fair amount of iron ore, and an old iron shield so enshrouded in dust that she coughed for several minutes after blowing it off.\u00a0 Dag pulled the torn page from her pocket and looked at it, then compared it to the front of the shield, smiling as she realized that the pattern he had drawn was nearly identical to the one on the front of the piece she was holding.<\/p>\n
Roggi Knot-Beard\u2019s ancestral shield.<\/p>\n
The trip back out of the cave and up to the old cobble roadway seemed easier than any walk she\u2019d ever taken.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baakay.com\/FanFic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/1-1-13-4.png\")
<\/p>\n
It was late afternoon by the time Dag walked into the Braidwood Inn and smiled at Iddra.\u00a0 \u201cHey there,\u201d Iddra smiled back.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re looking well. What can I get for you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI would love a couple bottles of mead, Iddra.\u00a0 One for me and one for Roggi.\u00a0 Is he around?\u201d she said, grinning, sliding out some coin and handing it to the innkeeper.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, he\u2019s up at the mine still.\u00a0 If you hurry you can catch him before he leaves for the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI will.\u00a0 Oh, and wait.\u00a0 Here\u2019s the other half of that room you rented me before.\u00a0 I want you to have it.\u201d\u00a0 She pulled out a few extra septims and put them firmly into Iddra\u2019s palm.\u00a0 \u201cNo arguments.\u00a0 You really saved my hide that night.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell you didn\u2019t need to, but thank you,\u201d Iddra said, pocketing the coins. \u201cGods know I can always use the money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dag trotted up the path to Steamscorch Mine, grinning to herself.\u00a0 The guards looked at her strangely. Never saw a woman smile, boys? she thought, and headed inside and down the slopes of the mine.\u00a0 She heard Roggi before she saw him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow\u2019s the mine been today, Dravynea?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot bad,\u201d the dark Dunmer voice replied.\u00a0 \u201cBe careful around the obvious scorchers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roggi chuckled. \u201cAs usual.\u00a0 I\u2019ve always got an eye on the rocks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dag turned the corner of the mine and passed Dravynea, who gave her a curious look but said nothing. \u201cHey Roggi!\u201d Dag called, spotting him working a malachite vein.\u00a0 He turned, looked at her, and broke into a brilliant smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell! Look who it is!\u201d he boomed, dropping his pickaxe.\u00a0 \u201cGood to see you again!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI brought you something,\u201d Dag said, grinning, handing him one of the bottles of mead.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s almost quitting time.\u00a0 Share a drink with me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAny time, my friend,\u201d he said, smiling, cracking open the mead and taking a swallow.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s dry work down here.\u201d<\/p>\n
She couldn\u2019t help smiling. His sunny disposition was a welcome change from all the distrust and snarling in Riften. \u201cI\u2019ve got something else for you, too, Roggi.\u201d\u00a0 She pulled the shield out from behind her back and passed it to him.<\/p>\n
Roggi put down his mead and took it in both hands, staring, then looked back up at her with enormous blue eyes. \u201cMy family\u2019s shield!\u201d he said, his voice catching.\u00a0 \u201cYou found it!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSure did.\u201d This is great, Dag thought. Just look at him.\u00a0 He\u2019s so happy to have this dusty old thing again. It really means something to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it was all true,\u201d he said in awe, staring again at the shield.\u00a0 \u201cLenne really did go into that cave and get eaten by monsters.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMonstrous spiders.\u00a0 Those things were huge.\u00a0 I\u2019ve never seen anything like it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roggi slipped the shield onto his arm and blocked with it a few times. It could have been carved from the finest ebony, the way he acted.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t even know what to say,\u201d he murmured, then smiled at her. \u201cThank you. Here, let me show you a few techniques.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before Dag could protest, he was behind her, sliding the shield onto her left arm and guiding her through the motions by holding her arms, radiating warmth and smelling of clean sweat and mead. She was surprised at how natural he was at it; hadn\u2019t expected a miner to have any real battle skills. Shield work was not something she ever used, but it didn\u2019t hurt to learn something new. She practiced for a bit, Roggi murmuring encouragement and adjusting her stance as needed. She had to admit, it felt good to have a bit of physical contact that wasn\u2019t an attempt on her life.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere,\u201d he said, pulling away to smile at her again and reaching for his mead. \u201cMaybe that will help the next time you find spiders.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt might, indeed,\u201d she said, handing the shield back to him.\u00a0 I wish I\u2019d known how to do that when I first got here and only had one sword.\u201d<\/p>\n
They walked back up toward the mine entrance, stopping at the table where he\u2019d been when she met him, then both sat down to finish their drinks.<\/p>\n
He looked at the shield again and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cIf you should be leaving town, let me know.\u00a0 Having this back makes me want to do some travelling again, get out of the mine for awhile.\u00a0 Especially,\u201d he said, grinning, \u201cif you\u2019re heading toward Riften.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dag laughed.\u00a0 \u201cWell, as it happens, I\u2019ve just come from there.\u00a0 I picked up a job, and I have to go to Whiterun to do it and then back to Riften.\u201d<\/p>\n
His brow furrowed.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re travelling in exactly the wrong direction, then,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
She snickered.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I know.\u00a0 I was kind of hoping you might be willing to come with me.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know the roads, I don\u2019t know Whiterun, and I haven\u2019t met many people in Skyrim, you know?\u00a0 How about it? I\u2019ll split my pay with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re on,\u201d he said, his eyes twinkling.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll be good to see the world again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOk then. Do you have gear?\u201d<\/p>\n
Roggi frowned at the table, flushing visibly. \u201cUm, no. I sold what I had a while ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dag nodded. To pay his tab at the inn, no doubt.<\/em> \u201cNot a problem.\u00a0 I made a fair amount of coin since I saw you last. Maybe we should head up to Windhelm first and get you set up. I can\u2019t afford steel plate or anything but I don\u2019t want you just wandering around in light clothes. You\u2019ll freeze to death.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t need charity,\u201d he grumbled, frowning.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you dare start in on that. I don\u2019t want to have to beat you up again.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been practicing.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi laughed, the clouds vanishing from his face. \u201cWell all right.\u00a0 I won\u2019t freeze, anyway. I\u2019m a Nord. And I like light armor.\u201d He took a drink and then said, almost shyly, not meeting her eyes, \u201cLook, you can stay at my place tonight if you want.\u00a0 It\u2019s not much; the clan\u2019s old house, and there\u2019s not much left in it, but it\u2019s warm. And free. I\u2019ll grab a bedroll and take the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n Dag pondered for a moment, enjoying the smile on his face. The notion was actually tempting, but, she thought, the small voice in the back of her head snickering, not necessarily because of the coin.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s ok, Roggi,\u201d she said finally.\u00a0 \u201cWe don\u2019t want people to talk.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be bad enough when you leave with me.\u201d She grinned.<\/p>\n Roggi chortled. \u201cYou\u2019re right. All right then. At least come get a meal with me.\u00a0 We\u2019ll leave in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n They headed back up to the inn and did just that.\u00a0 Roggi spoke to Kjeld, Iddra\u2019s husband and owner of the mine. Kjeld looked over at Dag, raised his eyebrows, and elbowed Roggi in the ribs when he thought she wasn\u2019t looking.\u00a0 She heard Roggi laugh even as he shook his head; a fine sound indeed.<\/p>\n Dag slept like a rock that night, in the same room she\u2019d had her first night at the inn.<\/p>\n Dagnell walked toward Balimund, smiling.\u00a0 She was just shy of amazed at the amount of coin she had amassed in only a couple of days.\u00a0 As much as she hated to admit it, Brynjolf had been right about there being plenty of it for the taking. While she had eaten breakfast, she had pondered slipping … <\/p>\nPart I: Survivors<\/a><\/div>\nPrevious<\/a> \/ Next<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"