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\u201cDamn wizards and their damned magic!\u201d Skald had grumbled, pacing before his throne. \u201cLetting loose things like this out in the world when there was no need for \u2018em!\u201d<\/p>\n
Edwyn had kept a smile plastered on his face, but had struggled to keep his temper. \u201cActually, my Jarl,\u201d he said, \u201cit was not the College of Winterhold but an ambassador from the Thalmor Embassy who created the problem. While it is true that Master Tolfdir and I discovered the object of power, it was the Thalmor who did everything in his power to disrupt its equilibrium.\u00a0 In the end it was he who was ultimately responsible for the event that has resulted in these\u2026 anomalies.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cArchmage Wickham actually killed the Thalmor and prevented what might have been a far greater catastrophe, sir,\u201d Agryn Gernic added quietly.<\/p>\n
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The Jarl had seemed to come to his senses then, realizing that he was indeed speaking to the Archmage and the very person who had rid the world of the power-mad Ancano. He flushed, and then harrumphed and resumed his seat on the throne.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell then. Yes. And well done, at that. Damned Thalmor and their damned Concordats and their damned magic!\u00a0 I, uh, thank you, Archmage. I suppose I\u2019ll thank you even further once you\u2019ve gotten rid of our little problem. Having the Archmage himself come out to deal with it is\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the least I could do,\u201d Edwyn said smoothly, bowing his head. \u201cSeveral of our most senior wizards were killed or injured in the explosion, and our most experienced living mage is currently in charge of the College\u2019s day-to-day operations. Training the next wave of students, and all that. I am more available to deal with such issues as this. I do feel a certain responsibility for it. Without any real knowledge of the Thalmor\u2019s skills or how the object he was manipulating worked, we did try everything we had against it. Undoubtedly that was what created the unwanted release of arcane power.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. Well. Go to it, man. Don\u2019t just leave these \u2013 things \u2013 flying around\u00a0 my countryside!\u00a0 I need to keep the people safe! Come back and see me after you\u2019re done and we\u2019ll speak more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Edwyn had smiled, and bowed, and he and Agryn had left the Jarl\u2019s longhouse. \u00a0As soon as they made it out the door Edwyn had erupted.<\/p>\n
\u201cArrgh! The utter temerity of the man!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, Edwyn, he is used to being in charge. Don\u2019t let him get to you. He\u2019s an old man, and a great many strange things have been happening in his hold in a short period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Edwyn had taken a few deep breaths and then considered Agryn\u2019s words more deeply. \u201cYou\u2019re very likely correct. First the dragons returned; then there was the business with Auriel\u2019s Bow.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly. That must have felt as though the world was ending, to have the sky go dark over and over the way it did. \u00a0Just picture him, an old man, being asked to explain something that he had no way to explain, and everyone in the town expecting him to have an answer when he didn\u2019t even know the right question to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then the war.\u00a0 And now this. You\u2019re a wise man, Agryn. I should listen to you more often.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI hate to brag.\u201d Agryn grinned.<\/p>\n
Edwyn chuckled. Agryn had been the best of companions for a very long time and his sense of humor was one of the reasons why.<\/p>\n
Edwyn took out the map and stared at it. \u201cWell, let us go eliminate the threat, in that case. It\u2019s a shame that Ancano died. I would take a great deal of pleasure in slaying him all over again just to reiterate a point.\u201d<\/p>\n
They\u2019d continued on their way, even the fact that it was full daylight not concerning Edwyn much. They\u2019d both taken care to feed before leaving the College. Each of them carried blood potions with them in the event of an emergency, though Edwyn anticipated no need to use them. Edwyn might be slightly injured; he might well need to conjure not only a weapon but an assistant \u2013 a wraith, or a familiar or an atronach of some kind \u2013 and even doing so would barely make inroads into his deep well of power. He rarely made use of the abilities he had gained by virtue of being a vampire, preferring instead to rely on his skills with weapons and traditional forms of magic.\u00a0 Agryn, on the other hand, made frequent and effective use of his vampiric draining spell, the one he had been attempting to cast on the Dragonborn when they had been interrupted by the unfortunate fireball.<\/p>\n
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They crept around the end of a rock outcropping, silent in the way only a pair of senior vampires could be. The prickling of his skin grew stronger by the moment.\u00a0 Ahead of them, nestled at the base of a stand of trees, was a semi-transparent, greenish ball of energy, whirling and coruscating in place.\u00a0 Edwyn frowned; it didn\u2019t look like the magical anomalies that had nearly overwhelmed the town of Winterhold shortly before Ancano\u2019s demise. \u00a0Those had been smaller, denser, almost wisp-like in their appearance, and they had flown through the air in a similar fashion to an ice wraith.<\/p>\n
Edwyn raised his bow and fired an arrow at the energy.\u00a0 He watched as it flew to the dead center of the ball and then sailed harmlessly through it without any apparent effect.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you miss?\u201d Agryn whispered incredulously. \u201cHardly seems possible!\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cNo, I didn\u2019t miss. The arrow went exactly where it should have gone. It just didn\u2019t do<\/em> anything.\u201d<\/p>\n He walked closer to the energy mass, firing arrows as he went. Each of them acted as the first had, sailing harmlessly through the center of the ball and emerging on the other side to fall into the snow.\u00a0 He took another step nearer the energy.<\/p>\n Suddenly, the center of it flared white, rendering it more opaque.\u00a0 Edwyn felt a wave of negative energies flow past him, and he raised his ebony flesh armor spell.\u00a0 Agryn drew his sword and rushed past him to the far side of the mass, yelling \u201cCome on! Come on!\u201d<\/p>\n There was an explosion.\u00a0 It was the same type of explosion he\u2019d experienced in Winterhold, when the Eye of Magnus had discharged enough energy in one moment to kill Savos Aren, the former Archmage, outright and to throw Mirabelle Ervine into the wall so hard that she was ultimately unable to recover from her wounds.\u00a0 This was the same, simply on a much smaller scale.<\/p>\n An icy-looking, compact ball of energy flew at his face. Edwyn conjured a pair of swords and barely managed to block it from striking him; even so, its energy singed him as it flew past and he hissed.<\/p>\n These, I recognize. These are what we fought in Winterhold.\u00a0 They are annoying and they are tough but we can defeat them. <\/em><\/p>\n Both of them began slashing and hammering away at the wisp-like beasts. Edwyn noticed that while most of them were white and semi-solid, at least one was nearly transparent like the parent energy mass. They were all ridiculously hard to strike. He was an excellent swordsman, but he found himself taking wide swings that missed completely and resulted in his own momentum carrying him forward, nearly unbalanced.\u00a0 A short distance away he saw Agryn having the same trouble.\u00a0 He backed up to consider what other approach he might take.<\/p>\n There was a roar. Edwyn glanced to the side and groaned.<\/p>\n Just what we needed. A frost troll.<\/em><\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t as though he was particularly concerned about the troll. \u00a0Either one of them on his own could take down a troll without any difficulty and without sustaining much more than a scratch or two.\u00a0 But it was<\/em> day, their strength was <\/em>slightly diminished in the sunlight, and they were also fighting a number of writhing balls of compact, malign energy at the same time.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll kill you!\u201d Agryn yelled at the troll, who gave him a solid whack and sent him backward.<\/p>\n Edwyn growled and conjured a second sword.\u00a0 He was better fighting with dual weapons than with a single one; perhaps it was something to do with balance, he didn\u2019t know.\u00a0 What he was certain of was that he needed to get rid of some of these energy wisps so that Agryn could deal with the troll.<\/p>\n He lit into the nearest wisp.\u00a0 He could feel, this time, that he was making contact with it, and could hear the sizzles as each sword strike chipped away at the wisp\u2019s health. It writhed and swirled in front of him, occasionally getting close enough to injure him just a tiny bit.\u00a0 Then it disappeared from view, somewhere behind the original ball of energy.<\/p>\n Agryn, off to his right and into the trees, had taken care of the troll; but there were at least two and possibly more wisps circling him.\u00a0 He had his left hand extended, drawing life force from the wisps with his vampiric powers, and struck solid blows on them with his sword any time they approached closely enough.\u00a0 Edwyn ran into the midst of the battle, hammering away at the anomaly nearest him.<\/p>\n He kept missing his target, as striking one of the anomalies was roughly equivalent to trying to strike running water.\u00a0 Once, he struck Agryn a glancing blow.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d Agryn growled.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry!\u201d Edwyn cried, reaching over his head to swipe angrily at the nearest anomaly, the one Agryn was draining.\u00a0 It turned out that this was the one nearest to being defeated.\u00a0 His sword struck the creature, its magic slicing through what was left of the wisp-like ball. It exploded, leaving a shining pile of substance on the forest floor.<\/p>\n He swiveled to locate the next nearest anomaly. Then he heard the distinctive sound of two ice spikes being cast in a row.\u00a0 Agryn was highly accomplished at that form of magic, but wouldn\u2019t have wasted his energies on a target moving as rapidly as the wisps. Edwyn pivoted to find his friend; just as he did so he heard a Khajiit woman snarling.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re dead!\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn spotted the Khajiit standing just inside the cover of one of the trees\u2019 branches, taking aim with a bow.\u00a0 He sprinted into her, attacking with both swords and all of his strength. He was well on his way to dispatching her when he heard someone yell \u201cdie, vampire!\u201d<\/p>\n What? Where?\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n The Khajiit wasn\u2019t dropping. She was a tough piece of sinew, for certain, and Edwyn wasn\u2019t exactly sure what he should do.<\/p>\n Then he remembered his new spell.<\/p>\n He thought for a moment and then dispelled the sword in his left hand, replacing it with the Blood Boil spell he\u2019d learned.\u00a0 For a moment he was afraid that it wasn\u2019t working.\u00a0 Then an ominous red disc of power extended from his hand, swirling around him and reaching for the Khajiit.\u00a0 He could see her taking damage.\u00a0 He could also feel his own health diminishing, as Colette had told him it would.\u00a0 After a few moments he stopped, slicing at the Khajiit with his sword while casting the improved healing spell with his left hand.\u00a0 To his astonishment, he felt almost completely healthy again in just a moment.<\/p>\n He grinned at the Khajiit.\u00a0 He thought about using a maneuver he rarely used; namely, a combat bite that would have his fangs tearing out her throat.\u00a0 He began to bare those fangs and then heard a growl off to his left.<\/p>\n What? Another troll? <\/em><\/p>\n He could still hear Agryn fighting with whoever had attacked him, but he couldn\u2019t take his attention off the Khajiit. He slashed at her once, twice; and then she gasped, her eyes widened in fear and pain, and she dropped to the snow.\u00a0 The frost troll had run up behind her and given her the final blow.<\/p>\n Edwyn backpedaled as quickly as possible and, out of pure reflex, cast a frost cloud on the troll.\u00a0 Then he tsk\u2019d.\u00a0 Frost spell on a frost troll? And you\u2019re the Archmage of Winterhold? Absurd. The late and unlamented Vingalmo would be laughing at you now.<\/em><\/p>\n To my credit, he thought as he changed his spell to the vampiric flames that burned both hot and cold at once, I was under pressure from several directions at the same time. And it did manage to slow the creature for a moment.<\/p>\n The troll howled in pain and took several precious seconds to find its way out of the lingering cold flames.\u00a0 Edwyn used those seconds to dispel his sword and conjure his bow in its place, backing away from the troll and firing at it once, and then again.\u00a0 The second arrow took the troll down.<\/p>\n He paused for a moment to look around and realized that he could neither see nor hear Agryn.\u00a0 For the space of a heartbeat or two Edwyn wondered whether it was even possible that he had lost his loyal friend and lieutenant to this unexpected onslaught of multiple enemies. He ran back toward the trees where he\u2019d last seen Agryn and there, just over an incline, he saw the red glow that said Agryn was still at battle with something.<\/p>\n It was the nearly-transparent wisp Agryn fought; and Agryn was clearly flagging. With every massive blow he grunted loudly.\u00a0 The wisp was tagging him on every pass.\u00a0 Edwyn began firing arrows at it, but his arms were tiring as well, and his aim was off.\u00a0 He thought frantically about all the things he might possibly use against the creature and at last conjured something he rarely used: an ash spawn.<\/p>\n The creature native to Solstheim was also a creature of fire; and here in the cold wastes of the Pale he thought that maybe, just maybe, its fireballs could make a difference against the cold energy that had been dogging both of them.\u00a0 The ash spawn emerged wielding a fiery sword and casting fireballs with its left hand.\u00a0 Edwyn watched as the first fireball exploded beneath the branches of a tree but he couldn\u2019t tell whether it had done any damage to the wisp. He conjured his bow once more and tried yet again to find the wisp with an arrow: once, twice; and when the third arrow went wide he snarled and conjured a sword in its place, running closer in to the battle.<\/p>\n The ash spawn fired a fireball at the wisp, illuminating it long enough for Edwyn to make a massive overhand blow on it.\u00a0 He felt the concussion of his sword with what should have been an ethereal object run all the way up his arm into his shoulder.<\/p>\n The wisp flew off.\u00a0 All three of them \u2013 Edwyn, Agryn, and the ash spawn \u2013 gave chase.<\/p>\n They were approaching the roadway when movement to his left made Edwyn groan. As if it hadn\u2019t been enough to battle a Khajiit assassin and a vampire hunter, two frost trolls and three or four magical anomalies with varying degrees of visibility and strength – now there was a giant frostbite spider moving in to attack.<\/p>\n The spider was nothing.\u00a0 Edwyn could down a frostbite spider without much more than a thought.\u00a0 But it was the accumulated indignity of a spider attack after everything else they\u2019d dealt with that had him ready to scream.<\/p>\n The wisp, however, decided to attack the spider.\u00a0 Edwyn raised his sword to attack the spider and then yelped; the remaining anomaly had approached him from behind and gotten close enough to damage him.\u00a0 He cast healing with his left hand and took a massive blow at the spider with the right, and it went down.<\/p>\n An ice spike caught him in the leg.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry, Edwyn!\u201d Agryn panted. \u201cAnomaly!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, I know!\u201d<\/p>\n The ash spawn was proving to be remarkably useful as it kept illuminating the magical anomaly with fire.\u00a0 Edwyn knew they must have it nearly dead; and yet it kept slithering and squirming just out of reach. Once more it made for the open roadway, followed by all three of them bent on finally getting rid of the thing. The ash spawn landed several decent blows on the creature before its time ran out, and it disintegrated into a pile of dust on the snow.\u00a0 Edwyn and Agryn swapped a quick glance and followed the thing around another outcropping of rock and up an incline.\u00a0 Agryn got there ahead of Edwyn; and just as Edwyn reached him there was a mighty explosion as Agryn landed the final blow.<\/p>\n He came trudging back around the rock to meet Edwyn.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you alright, my lord?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cMe? What about you, Agryn? Once again you\u2019ve shouldered more than your fair share of the work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a bit tired. Nothing that a quick snack won\u2019t fix.\u201d\u00a0 He reached into his pack and pulled out a blood potion. \u201cYou might think about having one yourself. That may possibly have been the most ridiculous battle I\u2019ve ever taken part in.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI agree. Was that a Vigilant of Stendarr who attacked you while I was otherwise occupied?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure whether she was that, or some other kind of hunter, but she was definitely after vampires.\u201d They walked for a few moments, and then Agryn chuckled. \u201cBut she\u2019s dead now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed. That was well done, my friend. I do hope that our friend Jarl Skald will keep us in mind when it is time for the Moot.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMake sure he knows who your spouse is.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI shall.\u201d<\/p>\n They walked in companionable silence for some time, making their way back toward Dawnstar. Edwyn was lost in thought, trying to determine what he might say to the Jarl that would convince him to support Solitude\u2019s \u2013 or rather, his \u2013 bid to become High King.<\/p>\n Anything I can think of to say is arrogant or threatening. Truthful, but arrogant or threatening. Perhaps I am not charming enough. <\/em>He wrinkled his nose. Brynjolf\u2019s offhanded comment about his former partner still rankled, in spite of all his attempts to forget about it. He opened his mouth to complain but was interrupted by Agryn\u2019s hand on his arm.<\/p>\n \u201cUp ahead. I think it\u2019s another vampire.\u201d<\/p>\n The solitary figure trudged toward them, his head down.\u00a0 As he neared them, it became clear to Edwyn that the man wore armor much like that the Volkihar nobles wore.\u00a0 He frowned.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know this one. But he\u2019s clearly one of us.\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn nodded. \u201cHe seems familiar. I think I\u2019ve come across him before. In Cyrodiil. A long, long time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n As they came alongside the man Agryn cleared his throat.\u00a0 The man looked up. He was an Imperial, dark-haired with a slender nose and piercing gaze. He had short but dense stubble covering his strong jaw line and looked, to Edwyn\u2019s eye, almost aristocratic.<\/p>\n There\u2019s one who would have no difficulty attracting women. Or men, if that is his preference.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHello, brother,\u201d Agryn said, smiling.<\/p>\n The man looked up at them and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Agryn continued, undaunted by the man\u2019s silence.<\/p>\n \u201cI sense that you are very strong. The Lord of Volkihar Castle would be pleased to have you join us, I feel certain. Isn\u2019t that right, Edwyn?\u201d he added, grinning.<\/p>\n \u201cIt certainly is,\u201d Edwyn said.<\/p>\n The man shook his head. \u201cNot interested.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh come now,\u201d Edwyn said, intrigued by the man\u2019s attitude. \u201cWe\u2019ve recently lost one of our senior members, in fact. I am certain that you would be most welcome to fill that particular void.\u201d<\/p>\n The vampire smirked. \u201cDon\u2019t care.\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn stepped a bit closer to the man, and then back just as quickly when a rumble from him made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with proximity of any sort. \u201cI would swear I\u2019ve met you before. Where was it?\u00a0 Hmmm\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He rubbed his chin. \u201cSkingrad? In court, perhaps?\u201d<\/p>\n Ah, there it is, Edwyn thought as he watched a flash of some emotion pass across the man\u2019s eyes. He\u2019s saddened by this.<\/p>\n The man peered at Agryn, and Edwyn thought there was a glimmer of recognition in his eyes for just a moment.\u00a0 Then the wary, sad, neutral expression dropped back over his face and he shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing left,\u201d he said.\u00a0 Then he pushed past them, waving a hand as he went.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you change your mind,\u201d Edwyn called after him, \u201ccome and see me at the castle.\u201d<\/p>\n He thought the man hesitated for just a moment; but he then pushed on, trudging down the road toward the west.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a shame,\u201d he murmured. \u201cHe does seem quite substantial. And given the current state of affairs in the world it would be good to add another powerful vampire to our midst.\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn cleared his throat. \u201cPerhaps getting rid of Vingalmo was not the best idea you\u2019ve ever had, Edwyn.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn\u2019s head snapped around and he stared at Agryn. \u201cI\u2019m very rarely angry with you, my friend<\/em>,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cbut I would suggest you refrain from questioning my actions. Vingalmo had been a thorn in my side since before I met you. I spent more years than I care to recall being nothing short of saintly in my interactions with him. He wanted Harkon\u2019s throne and thought he could take it from me through political maneuvering, so as to avoid a direct confrontation. He was a grasping, arrogant bastard who needed to be sent to the Void long, long ago.\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn held up both hands, palms facing outward in a gesture of surrender. \u201cSorry, Edwyn. Sorry. I merely referred to the diminished defensive strength at the castle. That\u2019s all. No offense was meant.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn rubbed his eyes.\u00a0 I\u2019m getting altogether too testy lately. I need to rein myself in. All the deceit and politicking is getting to me. <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNo offense was taken, Agryn. Please accept my apologies for being short-tempered.\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn nodded, but didn\u2019t say anything.\u00a0 It was probably for the best that he didn\u2019t, Edwyn thought. Agryn was also a very strong-willed vampire and anything he might have said right then likely would have been tinged with anger.<\/p>\n We can\u2019t allow ourselves to be angry with each other. Not right now. We need each other too much.<\/em><\/p>\n Or perhaps it is simply that I need him. Perhaps I am not as necessary to him as I believe myself to be.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n They resumed their silent trek toward Dawnstar.\u00a0 A few minutes later Edwyn spoke again, feeling as though he needed Agryn\u2019s take on something that had just occurred to him.<\/p>\n \u201cI find myself unaccountably\u2026 distressed is perhaps too strong a word. Disturbed, perhaps? By our last encounter with Geor Mandel at Proudspire.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat disturbed you about that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe seemed a bit too enthusiastic about his mission, Agryn. Perhaps a bit too content with himself.\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn snorted. \u201cI thought that was the idea. He relieves you of the burden of getting Elisif with child and in return, he gets, well\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He trailed off with a snicker. \u201cLucky. Very, very lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn frowned, not so much at Agryn but at himself. \u201cYes. Of course. But she is after all my<\/em> wife, Agryn.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you\u2019ve barely been there to cement the relationship. Ever since you got married we\u2019ve been dashing from place to place trying to figure out how to get hold of a Dragonborn.\u201d\u00a0 Suddenly he stopped walking and turned to face Edwyn. A slow grin crept up his mouth. \u201cWait a second. Are you telling me you\u2019re jealous<\/em> of the man?\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn stopped dead in his tracks. \u201cOf course not! My marriage to Elisif is nothing more than one of expediency, one ordered by Harkon. You know that. My affections lie\u2026 elsewhere,\u201d he added quietly.<\/p>\n Agryn peered at him and then laughed. \u201cYou are <\/em>jealous! My, my. I never thought I\u2019d see the day. Edwyn Wickham, jealous of a mortal man\u2019s affairs.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn felt his temper flare. He snarled. \u201cI told you to be careful, Agryn. Don\u2019t make me angry.\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn Gernic was a very patient individual.\u00a0 Edwyn knew that. Perhaps that was why he often pushed the man as far as he did; he knew that Agryn would allow the abuse to run off him like rain off a rooftop.\u00a0 But on this occasion, Agryn had apparently had enough. He threw his hands up in an angry gesture.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t make you<\/em> angry? You<\/em>, Edwyn? Is it always about you and what you want or need?\u00a0 You marry a woman you don\u2019t love for the sake of a dead man\u2019s dreams and then complain when someone you\u2019ve made to look exactly like you develops a warm relationship with her.\u00a0 And then you rip out the throat of a member of Volkihar nobility and expect the rest of us to say nothing about it?\u00a0 By the divines, man, do you ever<\/em> look at yourself with a clear set of eyes? We are not your doormats! Particularly not me! Do you have any concept of how much I have given up, personally, in order to serve you \u2013 including nearly dying on several occasions?\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn pointed back down the road in the direction the Imperial vampire had gone.\u00a0 \u201cThat man seems to have been an excellent judge of character. I don\u2019t know that I\u2019d want to join your court either, if circumstances were different, Edwyn. I may be too set in my ways to start my own clan at this point but by the divines it\u2019s a temptation some days, and don\u2019t think I couldn\u2019t still give it a shot.\u201d<\/p>\n The silence that followed was thick enough to taste.\u00a0 Agryn stared at Edwyn for a few moments.\u00a0 Then he put his hands on his hips and drew a deep breath. He looked up at the sky and released it, slowly.<\/p>\n How trusting he is, Edwyn thought. Look at him exposing his neck like that.<\/p>\n \u201cEdwyn,\u201d Agryn said, returning his head to its normal position and shrugging, \u201cin spite of everything I just said you are, in fact, my friend. And you\u2019re far too important to me for me to leave. That\u2019s just the way it is. I don\u2019t want to end up like that man we just met, muttering about having nothing left because he\u2019s lost his friend.\u00a0 I was right about him, you know; his eyes told me as much. I met him in Skingrad, a very long time ago. He was a friend to the former Count, and now he\u2019s alone.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want that to be my fate too, Edwyn. But you really need to acknowledge that you might have gone too far with Vingalmo.\u201d\u00a0 He started walking again, back toward Dawnstar.<\/p>\n Did I? Did I really? The man had been an obstruction and a threat to me from the very start and\u2026 <\/em><\/p>\n He looked down at his feet as the realization dawned.\u00a0 And if the situation had been reversed I too would have been concerned about a mortal spouse for one of our nobles, for exactly the reasons he gave me. He was simply being prudent, and I let the centuries of resentment overpower my reason.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYes, I did,\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n He\u2019d heard Agryn\u2019s footsteps crunching quietly in the snow. The sound stopped, and Agryn\u2019s voice filled the vacancy.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2026 what did you say?\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn looked up at Agryn and grinned. \u201cI said, my friend, that you are entirely correct as is so often the case. I lost my temper. I allowed all of the accumulated irritations and slights overcome my equilibrium and I slew Vingalmo rather than simply giving him the comeuppance he deserved.\u00a0 You were right, Agryn, and I was wrong.\u201d He started walking again, and as he caught up to his stunned friend he chuckled. \u201cBut I will tell you this much: he had very tasty blood for such an old mer.\u201d<\/p>\n Agryn started to laugh.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n \u201cYour lands are free of magic anomalies and frost trolls, at least for the moment,\u201d Edwyn told the Jarl.<\/p>\n The old man harrumphed and nodded. \u201cGood, good. Now I suppose you\u2019ll want coin or something for your service.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn noted the superior smile on the Jarl\u2019s man, standing next to him, and laughed to himself. He\u2019ll love what comes next, I\u2019m certain. <\/em>\u201cOh no, not at all,\u201d he said, smiling. \u201cBut I would like to have your cooperation on a certain matter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what matter would that be?\u201d the Jarl grunted.<\/p>\n \u201cIt happens that I am not only the Archmage, my good sir, but the spouse of the lovely Jarl Elisif of Solitude.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that so? I didn\u2019t think the girl would remarry so soon after the High King\u2019s death.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Jarl<\/em>,\u201d Agryn interjected, staring at Skald with a glare that even Edwyn found intimidating, \u201cwas quite happy to wed my lord Edwyn. They\u2019re anticipating starting a family at their earliest convenience. It will be good to have some continuity in the capital, don\u2019t you agree?\u201d<\/p>\n Skald\u2019s eyes narrowed and he stared at Edwyn. \u201cIs that so?\u201d he said again.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, that is so,\u201d Edwyn said, smiling. \u201cThe matter at hand, however, is the business of the Moot.\u00a0 It is very likely to be held soon, unless I miss my guess, and it would be most pleasing if you would support the current Jarl of Solitude for the position. She is, after all, Torygg\u2019s heir and his legitimate successor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd we just fought a damn war to put Ulfric on the throne, man!\u201d Skald shouted. \u201cWhy would I suddenly change my mind about such a thing?\u201d<\/p>\n Edwyn smiled, parting his lips just enough that he knew from practice Skald would see a hint of fangs but not be certain of what he saw. \u201cBecause the Archmage of Winterhold has just rid your hold of some very dangerous magical anomalies, my dear Jarl. They did so much damage to Winterhold before we were able to subdue them there. A very large outbreak. So many deaths.\u00a0 It would be a true shame if such things were to reappear in your lands, I am certain.\u201d<\/p>\n A few minutes later Edwyn Wickham and Agryn Gernic left Dawnstar, having been reassured that the Jarl of that hold would give serious consideration to supporting Elisif of Solitude as the next High Queen of Skyrim.\u00a0 They walked to the water\u2019s edge and hired the ferry to Windhelm.\u00a0 They settled into the boat, sharing triumphant grins.<\/p>\n Edwyn and Agryn trudged through the snow on their way to the spot the Jarl of Dawnstar had pointed out for them. He could feel his skin prickling with the magic as they neared it. Edwyn Wickham carried no physical weapons and hadn\u2019t since he\u2019d been a young man. Instead, he conjured what he needed. … <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baakay.com\/FanFic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/5-2-3-5.png\")
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