\u201cPleased to meet you, Kar,\u201d Roggi said, smiling. \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d\u00a0 The smallest moment of disappointment flitted over Kar\u2019s expression; but she quickly recovered, and nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, right away. But where are we going?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to investigate a mine, supposedly haunted,\u201d Dardeh said. \u201cWe\u2019ll see. We need to make sure the new owner can get people in there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLead the way!\u201d<\/p>\n
The mine was in the mountain above Riverwood, up a winding path that led to a clearing long used as a bandit camp. \u00a0Dardeh had been there before to clear out the bandits but he\u2019d never seen the mine door; the area had always been obscured by shrubs that had since been cut away. There was nobody outside at the moment, so he opened the door and led them inside.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baakay.com\/FanFic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/5-1-15-1.png\")
<\/p>\n
It was silent. The cobwebs that had only been partially cleared out from the entrance revealed that the mine had not been used for a long while. The mine itself angled downward into the mountain; and the thick webs blocking the way not far down the incline said that the new owner hadn\u2019t made it very far in.<\/p>\n
\u201cDar. Do you hear that?\u201d Roggi whispered just behind him.<\/p>\n
Dardeh cocked his head to the side and concentrated.\u00a0 There was a faint scuffling sound beyond the thick webs. He turned to Roggi and nodded, then pulled out his sword and sliced through the blockage with a couple of quick strikes.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baakay.com\/FanFic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/5-1-15-2.png\")
<\/p>\n
As he stepped through the opening he\u2019d made, Dardeh was attacked by a giant frostbite spider.\u00a0 He jumped out of the way, startled in spite of himself, and the spider missed him because of it. Roggi and Kar followed him into the passage, and the three of them wasted no time in taking care of the spider; but as it died there was a loud magical explosion. Dardeh cried out as his vision went completely white for a moment. When his sight returned the room looked strange to him \u2013 desaturated, shades of blue and grey. That was unsettling enough; but worse was a giant ghostly spider beside the corpse of the one they had just killed.<\/p>\n
\u201cKill it!\u201d Kar cried.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baakay.com\/FanFic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/5-1-15-3.png\")
<\/p>\n
Dardeh raised his swords to attack, not wanting to risk a Shout in this unknown situation. His attack didn\u2019t last long. Even though it was a ghost the spider could still spit poison, a fact Dardeh learned by being hit right in the eyes. It was cold and burned at the same time, and it smelled horrendous.<\/p>\n
\u201cArrgh! Damn it!\u201d he cried, backing up and furiously scrubbing at his eyes with his sleeve, trying not to retch. \u00a0He could hear Roggi and Kar chase down the ghost and battle it as his eyes watered and ran and stung.\u00a0 He had just about gotten his vision back when the light surged again and their surroundings returned to normal.<\/p>\n
\u201cDar, are you ok?\u201d Roggi said, trotting up to stand before him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not sure. I thought I saw a ghost spider! Did I really see that? Or have I completely lost my mind?\u201d Will he tell me if I was imagining it? Or is he too afraid to make me angry?<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNo, you\u2019re not crazy,\u201d Kar said from just behind Roggi\u2019s shoulder. \u201cLook on the ground there.\u201d\u00a0 She pointed to an area just in front of Roggi\u2019s feet.<\/p>\n Roggi knelt down and touched the glowing remains Kar had pointed to. He shook his head and looked up at Dardeh.\u00a0 \u201cEctoplasm,\u201d he said. \u201cThat ought to prove to you that the thing was real. It certainly felt like a real enemy to me. How are your eyes?\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh sighed in relief.\u00a0 \u201cThey\u2019re ok. And thanks. Sometimes these days I\u2019m not sure whether I\u2019m sane.\u201d\u00a0 He looked around the area and shrugged. \u201cOk, let\u2019s keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n He headed forward, toward an opening shaped something like a keyhole. Just as he reached it the light flashed again, the explosion loud and shocking. Kar yelped in surprise.<\/p>\n It\u2019s like that spell Sayma used to take us to Hammerfell, but white instead of red!<\/em><\/p>\n Just in front of the keyhole doorway was a small open area. A ghostly skeleton rushed him.\u00a0 Dardeh had no trouble dismantling it, as it seemed spectral skeletons were no tougher than corporeal ones. \u00a0As it died, another ran out from behind some nearby scaffolding. It also was easily dispatched. Then two spectral warriors – like armored skeletons with mist rather than legs – floated into the area and began attacking. Dardeh took one of them on, striking with both swords and readying his Fire Breath in case it was stubborn. Roggi and Kar both attacked the other. They were tougher to kill than the skeletons, but eventually went down.<\/p>\n Dardeh stopped to catch his breath and examined the room. He pointed at the scaffolds. \u201cWhat do you think? Do we need to find a way up there?\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi peered up at them, and then walked around their base. \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think so,\u201d he said after a moment. \u201cIt looks like just a support structure to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh nodded. \u201cI\u2019ll trust your judgment. I\u2019ve usually worked in short tunnels.\u201d\u00a0 He took a sip of water and pulled out his swords once more. \u201cAre we ready?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLead on,\u201d Kar said, smiling.<\/p>\n Through the keyhole-shaped opening just before them was just such a short mine shaft. As soon as Dardeh stepped through it the light shifted again, a noisy explosion revealing a small shape. This time Dardeh found himself face-to-face with the ghost of a little girl.<\/p>\n \u201cHello! Did you come to play with me?\u201d the ghost asked in a tiny, sweet voice. \u201cI don\u2019t have any friends here and I\u2019m so lonely. Come and play with me, and we can play forever and ever!\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh took one step forward, but stopped when Roggi\u2019s solid grip on his arm held him back.<\/p>\n \u201cWait, who are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll see,\u201d she said, her voice taking on a sneaky quality. She giggled. \u201cCome on, let\u2019s play! You\u2019re not scared<\/em>, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n She turned and ran down the corridor, at the end of which Dardeh could see a large multi-story pit mine.<\/p>\n \u201cCareful, Dar,\u201d Roggi said. \u201cI don\u2019t trust this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNeither do I,\u201d Kar agreed. \u201cDid you hear the way her voice changed?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I did,\u201d Dardeh said, moving cautiously in the direction the girl had gone.<\/p>\n A moment later, Dardeh cried out. His vision doubled, pulsating. His stomach threatened to empty as dizziness washed over him. There was an enormous magical explosion and colors around him faded yet again. Even if they hadn\u2019t seen their enemy the three of them would have heard it, for an unmistakable roar filled the space and a huge cloud of frost rolled toward them. Dardeh\u2019s mouth dropped open. In another opening on the far side of the pit, across a rope and wood bridge, was a spectral dragon.\u00a0 Dardeh found himself frozen, not by dragon breath but by fear.<\/p>\n \u201cBy Ysmir! What is that?\u201d Roggi yelped from behind him.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a dragon. Why am I panicking? It\u2019s a dragon. I\u2019m Dragonborn. I killed Alduin. <\/em><\/p>\n He sneered at it, not knowing or caring whether it could see him, and inhaled deeply.<\/p>\n \u201cYOL\u2013 TOOR SHUL!\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh watched the ball of flame roll across the gap between him and the dragon. It struck the creature, which flinched \u2013 and that was all. It roared once more and another huge plume of frost spread out from it.<\/p>\n What? It didn\u2019t do anything?<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cCome on!\u201d Roggi screamed, running across the bridge with his sword held high.<\/p>\n \u201cRoggi, no!\u201d\u00a0 Dardeh felt his temper flare as he pulled his swords and started after Roggi.<\/p>\n Gods damn the man. When will he learn? If I couldn\u2019t damage it with a Shout how does he expect to do anything with just a sword?<\/em><\/p>\n Damn it. It\u2019s as much second nature to him to fight a dragon as it is to me at this point. I shouldn\u2019t expect anything else.<\/em><\/p>\n Kar followed as he dashed across the bridge. Just as they all reached the far side, there was another flash of light, another explosion.\u00a0 Dardeh squinted into the brilliant light and saw the dragon disappear, to be replaced by a very solid and very colorful Dremora.<\/p>\n \u201cWho seeks death?\u201d<\/p>\n Its hollow, almost disembodied voice rang across the space between them.\u00a0 All three of them sprinted for it, but found that the bridge ended at a ramp which angled down just below the spot both the Dremora and the dragon had occupied.\u00a0 Roggi started to leap toward the edge of that opening; but as he did so the light shifted again and the world went back to normal, the Dremora having disappeared. Roggi paused for a moment before loosening his grip on the ledge and dropping back down onto the bridge beneath.\u00a0 In the sudden quiet, the sounds of pickaxes on stone from below them were vivid.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought nobody would work here,\u201d Roggi murmured, his head tilted to one side as he listened.<\/p>\n Movement on the bridge just above them caught Dardeh\u2019s attention. He looked up to see the small ghost peering down at him.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you see him? Did you? He was up there on the ledge for just a second. You must have made him really mad to come out like that!\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you mean the dragon? Or the Dremora? I saw them both. But I want to know what that was all about and who you are. And after all that I think you\u2019d better tell me.\u201d\u00a0 Dardeh hoped his voice didn\u2019t sound as threatening to her as it obviously did to Kar, who was standing beside him, staring at him looking appalled.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Hanna. And he\u2019s a very mean and nasty man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you for telling me, Hanna. What are you doing in here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy mommy and daddy used to work in here, and they\u2019d bring me along to play sometimes. \u00a0But one day there was this big cave-in and I haven\u2019t seen them since then.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi cleared his throat.\u00a0 Dardeh glanced at him to find Roggi staring down at his feet.<\/p>\n Yeah. Roggi\u2019s not big on death among families. Can\u2019t say that I blame him.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHanna,\u201d Dardeh said softly, \u201cI\u2019m sorry to tell you this but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I know!\u201d she snapped. \u201cThey\u2019re dead. And I know I\u2019m dead, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh\u2019s mouth fell open again, for just a moment.\u00a0 She\u2019s probably heard this a hundred times before and is very tired of having adults treat her like a fool.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAlright. I should have known better. Why are you still here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause of the bad man.\u201d She took a deep, shuddering breath; and when she spoke again she sounded like the little girl she\u2019d been in life, a girl who shouldn\u2019t need to be dealing with ghosts and Dremora and other specters.<\/p>\n \u201cHe won\u2019t let me leave and go be with mommy and daddy. And he makes me be mean to other people who come in here. I\u2019m scared all the time. I just want to go home!\u201d\u00a0 She paused for a moment and peered more closely at Dardeh. \u201cHey, I know what \u2013 if you can make him go away\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by a quiet, deep voice from beside him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat makes you think we can help you?\u201d Roggi asked her.<\/p>\n \u201cYou killed his spiders, his skeletons and even his dragon! I\u2019ll bet you can kill him, too. Can you help me? Please?\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi was staring at Hannah with an expression that nearly broke Dardeh\u2019s heart.<\/p>\n He\u2019s thinking of our girls. And he\u2019s thinking of how terrible it would be if something were to happen to them. And he\u2019s thinking of Briinda, and how he still misses her after all these years. I know he does.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll try, Hannah,\u201d Roggi said. \u201cWhat do we need to do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOk, first you have to go to the bottom of the mine. It\u2019s scary there, and you can hear miners, but you can\u2019t really see them much. I think they\u2019re trapped here, too. They won\u2019t ever talk to me. You might need to kill them all. It will make him <\/em>mad and he\u2019ll probably come after you again, like he did when you killed the others.\u201d\u00a0 She stopped and looked around warily, almost shrinking into herself. \u201cI\u2019d better go before he comes back. He won\u2019t like me talking to you, but I\u2019ll try to see if I can talk to you later.\u201d<\/p>\n Hannah ran a few steps away and then dissipated like a puff of smoke.<\/p>\n Dardeh looked at the others and shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI guess we go down, then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I have been hearing pickaxes,\u201d Kar said. \u201cI don\u2019t see anything, though.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go, then.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a circular pit mine, with a spiral ramp around its perimeter. They hadn\u2019t descended very far before the magic exploded again, the light blinding them all for a moment.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was that?\u201d Roggi shouted.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re everywhere!\u201d Kar yelped.<\/p>\n Suddenly, it was chaos.<\/p>\n Dardeh pulled his swords and began flailing about, almost blindly.\u00a0 It was dark and confusing in the circular space, and he could barely tell where the edge of the walkway was. He was hit from behind and staggered forward, striking the rock hard with his double-edged sword.\u00a0 The shock ran up his arm into his shoulder, and his bones ached from it.<\/p>\n His vision cleared enough to see two of the enemies before him and he gasped. He\u2019d been expecting ghosts, certainly; but he\u2019d been expecting the ghosts of miners. These were something that looked like a cross between a dremora and a specter, and they radiated evil.<\/p>\n Dardeh didn\u2019t often panic in the face of enemies any longer but he\u2019d done so several times in the past hour. With the strength born of panic running through his veins, he threw himself at the two beings before him. Kill them, he thought. Make them go away! Kill them! He heard Roggi get hit a couple of times, the particular tone of his gasps telling Dardeh that he was injured, and that made him panic all the more. Kar fought quietly, as ever, but he could hear her grunts as she made hard contact with the enemy.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t dare Shout, for he couldn\u2019t tell at any given moment whether he was facing Roggi and Kar or away from them. He was struck several times by weapons that were no less effective for being spectral and which seemed able to penetrate armor; he could feel blood running down the inside of it and started getting dizzy.<\/p>\n He wanted to scream, the dark, guttural howl of anger and despair that had so often carried him through battles in his youth; but he didn\u2019t dare for fear of unleashing his Voice and reducing Roggi or Kar to ash. The horror of the thought made him fight even harder.<\/p>\n As dark and confusing as it was, and as loud as it was with three of them shouting and grunting and fighting specters, it seemed almost a miracle when first one and then the other of the enemies before him fell. He found himself spinning around, desperately searching for the others in the darkness.<\/p>\n Somewhere below him, he heard Roggi yell \u201cthere you are\u201d and the sound of magic dissipating. \u00a0Suddenly it was normal again, colors returned to the mine, Roggi having taken down the last ghost.<\/p>\n \u201cBy the gods!\u201d Dardeh gasped, tears welling up in his eyes as he saw that both Roggi and Kar were intact, both reaching for healing potions but alive. He fired up his own healing spell and joined them. \u201cAre you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will be, Dragonborn,\u201d Kar said, smiling. \u201cIt was quite the thing to fight beside both of you.\u201d\u00a0 She turned and smiled at Roggi, who gave her a grin and then looked up at Dardeh.<\/p>\n He heaved a sigh. \u201cI won\u2019t lie to you, Dar, that was a close call,\u201d he said, smiling. \u201cBut we made it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPraise Talos,\u201d Dardeh muttered.<\/p>\n \u201cOr whoever was looking out for us,\u201d Roggi answered with another grin.<\/p>\n Dardeh watched Roggi, and saw Kar gazing at him in something approaching adoration. Love at first sight. Well I certainly can appreciate how she feels. I\u2019ll bet that\u2019s exactly what I looked like when I first saw him. <\/em>He looked down at his armor, trying to assess the damage, and couldn\u2019t quite suppress a grin. Sorry, Kar. I found him first. Or\u2026well\u2026 fourth, I guess. <\/em>He raised his eyes to find Roggi smiling back at him, and the joy he felt for that moment warmed him and eased his aches and pains.<\/p>\n They checked the pit for exits or more enemies and found nothing, then headed back up the spiral ramp. They were almost to the top when Hanna met them.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew you were here to help me. Now I know you can help me to go home!\u201d She sounded so hopeful and excited that Dardeh found himself having a hard time to force his voice out past the lump in his throat.<\/p>\n \u201cOk, Hanna.\u00a0 What do we need to do next?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he has this secret place on down in the mine. I think it\u2019s where he comes from. You\u2019ll have to go in there and kill him.\u201d<\/p>\n She started looking nervous, glancing around toward the corners and exits, and shrinking back into herself again.\u00a0 Dardeh glanced around, as well, but saw nothing; he gave both Roggi and Kar questioning looks but they both shook their heads.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think I can talk to you anymore right now. But if I can, I\u2019ll try to talk to you, um, well, after \u2026 you know.\u201d She started shaking, the wisps of her ethereal form trailing off around her. \u201cI think he\u2019s gonna come for me! I\u2019d better run and hide.\u201d\u00a0 Her voice dropped to a whisper. \u201cGoodbye!\u201d She ran ahead of them and dissipated in an explosion of magic.<\/p>\n The corridor beyond the pit extended straight ahead, with apparent branches extending from it at intervals. Dardeh led them past an innocent-looking descending tunnel to their left, for the branch just beyond it had a strange red mist that captured his attention. At the top of the descent there was a barricade, with a picked-clean skeleton on the ground outside it. Dardeh took several hefty strikes at the barricade with his swords, but it refused to break. After looking back at Roggi and getting a nod from him, Dardeh maneuvered around the near end of the barricade and started down the incline.<\/p>\n Halfway down the ramp on the left, was a structure that looked like some sort of sinister claw. \u00a0Dardeh stopped to stare at it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat in\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOblivion,\u201d Kar finished. \u201cIt\u2019s an Oblivion spike.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got a bad feeling about this,\u201d Roggi muttered.<\/p>\n Before Dardeh could ask for more information the world shifted again in an explosion of magic. This time his vision was so disturbed that he saw triplicates of everything, and when it returned to normal there were dremora before him.<\/p>\n \u201cA challenger is near!\u201d one of them shouted.<\/p>\n Dardeh drew his swords and started toward the noisy dremora only to be stopped short by an explosion in his face. It acted like a fireball \u2013 loud, compact, and full of force – but it felt like an intense frost spell. \u00a0For a moment his experience of the world shifted completely, his vision tripling again. He flailed wildly with both swords, connecting with something and praying to Talos that it wasn\u2019t either Roggi or Kar.<\/p>\n Suddenly he could see again. Both of the Dremora were gone, but Kar and Roggi were still on high alert, their weapons in hand. All three of them were scanning the area, Roggi\u2019s brows drawn down into a scowl so deep it nearly reached the bridge of his nose.<\/p>\n They inched cautiously forward and toward the left into an open area. There were crosses \u2013 whether of wood or stone he could not say – pounded into the ground, surrounded by flames that burned but did not appear to consume them. More of what Kar had called Oblivion spikes ringed the room, and at the far end was an ominous structure, an archway with spikes on its outer edges.<\/p>\n Kar inhaled sharply. \u201cIt looks like an Oblivion gate,\u201d she whispered. \u201cI\u2019ve seen drawings of them before, when I was studying about the Crisis. This is bad. I think we\u2019re in some kind of pocket of Oblivion!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMeet your end, mortals!\u201d<\/p>\n Before them was the same Dremora Hanna had called the \u201cbad man.\u201d He vanished for a moment, and Dardeh spun around, looking for him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019d he go?\u201d Roggi growled.<\/p>\n \u201cA challenger is near!\u201d<\/p>\n The voice came from behind Dardeh, near the wall.\u00a0 He turned in time to see the Dremora rising from the ground, clearly about to cast a master-level spell of some kind. Kar yelled and rushed the creature.<\/p>\n No, Kar!<\/em><\/p>\n Dardeh didn\u2019t even stop to think.\u00a0 He stepped to the side, to make certain he wouldn\u2019t hit Kar by mistake.<\/p>\n \u201cYOL \u2013 TOOR SHUL!\u201d<\/p>\n He watched the ball of flame explode outward toward the Dremora warlock and pulled his swords, anticipating a flurry of attacks.<\/p>\n Then he found himself stumbling backward, toward the gate.\u00a0 A frost spell of some kind, a very powerful one, had exploded directly in front of him.\u00a0 He was gasping for breath, his muscles refusing to respond to his commands. He wanted to shout to Roggi but couldn\u2019t push enough air out through his vocal chords. It was all he could do to keep breathing.\u00a0 He started to cast his healing spell, and struggled to regain his footing.<\/p>\n Three more frost explosions happened behind him.<\/p>\n He found himself on his back, gasping, but had no recollection of how he had gotten there. His heart was pounding. He couldn\u2019t raise enough magic to cast heal on himself, and he couldn\u2019t reach for a potion.\u00a0 The space was already dark but the area he could see began shrinking, as though he was looking through an ever-narrowing tube.<\/p>\n Where\u2019s Roggi?\u00a0 I can\u2019t see Roggi.<\/em><\/p>\n By the gods I\u2019m going to die. I don\u2019t want to leave him. I\u2019m not done yet. Talos help me.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIs that your best? Eh?\u201d Roggi\u2019s voice sounded harsh, angry. Dardeh heard several impacts and the Dremora\u2019s wobbly, hollow answering cries that were equally as angry as Roggi\u2019s. Then he heard footsteps approaching him.<\/p>\n \u201cDar! Dar, are you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n He swallowed hard and focused on Roggi\u2019s eyes, shaking his head no<\/em> as best he could. Roggi\u2019s eyes widened.<\/p>\n \u201cHang on, Dar. Hang on just a second longer.\u201d<\/p>\n He knelt and turned away for a moment; and then Dardeh felt his helmet being pushed back and found a potion bottle at his mouth.\u00a0 He swallowed, and felt the soothing warmth of a healing potion spread through his body.<\/p>\n Saved. It\u2019ll be ok. <\/em><\/p>\n He nodded at Roggi and mouthed the word \u201cgo.\u201d Kar was fighting the beast by herself; Dardeh wasn\u2019t about to take a corpse back to Korst if there was anything he could do to prevent it. Roggi nodded and stood to face the warlock.\u00a0 Then he uttered one of the most guttural howls Dardeh had ever heard, raised his sword over his head, and rushed at the creature.<\/p>\n Dardeh shakily pushed himself up to his knees and then, as his strength returned, healed himself further, pulling his helmet on again. Roggi and Kar were fighting as if they\u2019d always been a team, dodging frost runes and slashing at the creature one after another. Finally Dardeh was able to draw his weapons and join them.\u00a0 The warlock kept teleporting from one place to the next in this space, but because there were three of them fighting him they were able to keep him contained. They hammered at him, over and over until Dardeh wondered whether his arms would ever lift again.<\/p>\n Finally, the Dremora groaned and fell to the ground. The light in the room flashed, and color returned to their world.<\/p>\n The three of them stood staring at their surroundings, catching their breath. Kar was nearest to him; he marveled at how strong she was and how resilient she seemed to be. She reminded him of Frina: fearless, courageous, and well-prepared. He smiled, even though he knew she couldn\u2019t see his smile through his helm. Roggi wandered through the Gate to the other side, checking the area for anything they might have missed.\u00a0 Then he turned back toward Dardeh.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you ok, Dar?\u201d Roggi asked quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d\u00a0 He pushed his helmet back off his head. \u201cBut I wouldn\u2019t have been if not for you two.\u00a0 I think that\u2019s the closest I\u2019ve come to dying since the first time I fought a dragon out in Eastmarch.\u00a0 I really thought I was gone.\u00a0 Thank you. Thank you both.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi cleared his throat, his eyes moist. \u201cWell, I guess we\u2019re even now, my love,\u201d he murmured. \u201cYou saved me from dying when the cultists got me.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh slipped a glance at Kar.\u00a0 Her head had dropped at Roggi\u2019s words, and she heaved a large sigh. I\u2019m sorry, Kar. I can tell how hard you fell for him. But nothing\u2019s ever going to tear the two of us apart. We\u2019re both done. <\/em>He looked across the space at Roggi and smiled, inclining his head toward Kar just slightly.\u00a0 Roggi smiled back, and nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll be telling Korst that there\u2019s no doubt we couldn\u2019t have made it through this without you, Kar,\u201d he said. \u201cMaybe you\u2019ll get a promotion out of it. You should.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked back up at Roggi.\u00a0 A small smile turned slowly into a wide one, and she nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Roggi. It was an honor to fight alongside you. Both.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh stretched his shoulders and groaned. \u201cI think we need to get back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t care what he has for us next, Dar,\u201d Roggi said, rejoining them. \u201cWe\u2019re taking a couple of days off.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. I agree. \u00a0Let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n As they neared the exit from the mine, a small ghost appeared quietly before them.<\/p>\n \u201cHello, Hanna,\u201d Roggi said. \u201cWe killed the bad man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you. Thank you.\u00a0 Now I can go and be with my mommy and daddy. Now I can rest.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh tried to say something, but his throat closed up again. He suddenly remembered Jine, smiling at them as they gently arranged the bones of his skeleton in the coffin in Hammerfell.\u00a0 It must be so wonderful \u2013 to rest, after you\u2019ve been unable to. Who knows how long Hanna has waited to join her parents. This place says that it\u2019s been a long time.<\/em><\/p>\n She approached him and reached up to take his hand. He couldn\u2019t feel her, but something small, cold and hard appeared in his palm; he looked down to see a ring there. He could feel magical energies emanating from it.<\/p>\n \u201cHere. Take this. It\u2019s a ring I used to have when I was alive. But I don\u2019t need it any more. Bye, now!\u201d<\/p>\n She turned and scampered back down the corridor, dissipating as she went.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n It was night by the time they made it back to Korst, who was outside standing guard near the gate. He greeted them with the nearest thing to a smile that Dardeh had seen from him.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you need something, friend?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe cleared out the mine.\u00a0 They were right, the people who refused to go in. The place was haunted.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi cleared his throat and smiled at Kar. \u201cWe came really close to losing Dardeh, Korst. But we didn\u2019t, in large part because Kar was with us. You\u2019re lucky to have her here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know we are,\u201d Korst said.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Roggi,\u201d Kar said, suddenly looking very uncomfortable. \u201cNow, if you don\u2019t mind, I\u2019m going to go rest for awhile.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh sighed, watching her walk away.\u00a0 She was a good person.\u00a0 He hoped that her temporary infatuation would fade quickly.<\/p>\n I know what it feels like. The sudden rush of emotion followed by the awful embarrassment, almost shame, when you find out you\u2019ve been rejected. I wish there was something else I could do for her.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNow then,\u201d Korst said, consulting his list once more. \u201cHmm. This says some archaeologists have been trying to dig their way into an old buried ruin and woke up all the draugr in there. The archaeologist says they must have dug up something evil, because they ran for their lives!\u201d He started laughing, but Dardeh frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t laugh. We\u2019ve found enough to run from recently that I have no doubt they\u2019re telling the truth.\u00a0 Listen, Korst\u2026 we\u2019ll do whatever is next, but only after we get rested up for a couple of days. I hope that\u2019s ok.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, Dragonborn. The evil presence hasn\u2019t left the ruins. It\u2019ll wait for you to show up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks. We\u2019ll be back to get our next recruit.\u201d<\/p>\n He turned to Roggi and took hold of his hand. \u201cWhat do you say we go get some sleep?\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi smiled, and gave his hand a squeeze.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, for once sleep sounds like a very good idea, Dragonborn.\u00a0 Let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n They made their way back through the western gate of Helgen and headed slowly for home.<\/p>\n The weather was absolutely glorious when they found Korst outside Helgen Keep, the sun blazing down through a clear and very cold blue sky. 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