{"id":1356,"date":"2021-12-20T14:06:21","date_gmt":"2021-12-20T21:06:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/?page_id=1356"},"modified":"2022-01-18T21:35:23","modified_gmt":"2022-01-19T04:35:23","slug":"chapter-8","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/volume-ii\/part-i-past-and-present\/chapter-8\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 8"},"content":{"rendered":"
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 <\/p>\n

The brothers were long gone by the time she made it outside. Even sprinting down the road to where it curved east, and a bit past that, didn\u2019t let Qaralana catch up with them. She\u2019d reached the edge of the eastern mountains without finding them, and looked around, confused. Then she consulted her map again.<\/p>\n

The only way to get there from here is to go north, all the way to the river, and then around the edge of the mountains and back south again. That would take forever. Those bandits could have met Yngvarr, handed over the key, and gotten halfway back to Staalgarde by the time we all get there.<\/em><\/p>\n

And the cave is due east, over the mountains.<\/em><\/p>\n

She stared at them. They weren\u2019t all that much steeper than the mountains east and south of Riften, and she\u2019d climbed those plenty of times. It was worth trying. Plus, the Greybeards had taught her a Shout \u2013 Whirlwind Sprint \u2013 that might help her get up and down some of the steeper spots.<\/p>\n

She took a moment to make certain everything was secured in her pack or elsewhere on her person, and started to climb.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t even as difficult as it looked, except when she reached the very top of the ridge. There didn\u2019t seem to be any good handholds or even flat places she could reach using her Shout. And she definitely didn\u2019t want to try getting over the top that way without a flat spot to land on. Who knew what might be on the other side?<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is bad,\u201d she muttered to herself. \u201cIf I don\u2019t figure this out soon I\u2019ll have to go back down and I\u2019ll have wasted all this time!\u201d<\/p>\n

She edged along the ridge toward the north \u2013 for, after all, the cave was east and<\/em> slightly north of the road they\u2019d followed to the manor house. After what felt like a lifetime she found what she was looking for. There was one spot \u2013 one small weakness in the almost vertical defense of this range \u2013 where a narrow, diagonal ridge of stone pushed out from the edge. It was a good way up and would be quite a stretch to reach.<\/p>\n

She situated her fingertips as securely as she could on that small ripple of stone and jumped at the same time she pulled, and managed to get the side of one foot onto the ridge as well. Straining to hold on, she slipped her left hand up the protruding ledge and pulled again, shifting her weight enough to get her other foot onto the edge.<\/p>\n

Then she just clung to the rock face for a moment, trembling and panting. If she had to, she could drop back down; it wasn\u2019t that far. But she was stubborn and had no intention of giving up. Once she\u2019d caught her breath, she continued inching her precarious way up toward the mountain\u2019s summit. By the time she reached the top and was able to haul herself up and step the short distance to the other side, she felt as though she\u2019d already won a war.<\/p>\n

It was just as steep going down as it had been going up; and it took almost as long because this side of the mountains was covered in a thick layer of cloud and she couldn\u2019t see her footing particularly well. To make matters worse, about the time she was halfway down it started to rain. She reached the valley soaking wet and cursing. She started scouting about for the cave, hoping there would be something to help her know where the brothers had gone.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

She had her daggers drawn and was creeping through the thick undergrowth when she saw a flicker of light ahead that wasn\u2019t simply the flash from a lightning strike. This was a redder light, a glow that could only be fire. Creeping nearer, she saw a small but well-established camp, with a cooking spit over the fire, chairs pulled up nearby, and a tent off to one side. It was too dark to tell who the figure seated on one of the chairs might be, but Qara could only assume that it had to be a bandit.<\/p>\n

The brothers can\u2019t possibly be here yet. Not unless they\u2019re supernatural or something. <\/em><\/p>\n

She crept up behind the seated man, taking a wide approach and inching left to attempt to see who it was before she struck.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood, you\u2019re finally here,\u201d Svegard said.<\/p>\n

Qara jumped. Her mouth fell open as she sheathed her blades. \u201cHow did you get here so fast? And where\u2019s Ulgar?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHunting. He was hungry. He\u2019ll be here in a moment. The bandits must have come and gone already. Let\u2019s get in there. With any luck, the key will be laying around in there somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

You didn\u2019t answer my question, Svegard. How did you get here so fast? <\/em><\/p>\n

She had expected to be waiting for them, not the other way around. But Svegard was right. They needed to get inside and search for the key while it was relatively quiet here and they had the cover of dark.<\/p>\n

Besides, I\u2019m soaked. It\u2019ll be good to get out of the rain.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re looking for an amulet, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight. Small, shiny, like the one Jalma wore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait for me,\u201d a deep voice called from behind them.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you full now, Ulgar?\u201d Svegard asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. It was a good hunt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Something about the way he said that raised the hackles on Qara\u2019s neck, but she didn\u2019t know why. She shook off the odd feeling and followed Svegard into the cave.<\/p>\n

It was a well-lighted cave as such things went, with a brazier crackling warmly just inside the entrance and torches along the walls of the tunnel. Qara was glad of it. All the light would, of course, prevent them from making a surprise entrance; but she wasn\u2019t convinced Ulgar was even capable of such a thing after watching him lumber through their obstacles the way he had been. They made reasonably quiet progress along the path even so, until they reached a spot where the tunnel made a sharp turn to the left.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wonder if she\u2019d take me back if I repent,\u201d a soft voice mumbled from up ahead.<\/p>\n

All semblance of quiet vanished as Svegard rushed the bandit Qara couldn\u2019t yet see.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome to play? Or to die?\u201d the bandit taunted.<\/p>\n

Qara heard swords clashing. She managed to turn the corner in time to see a mer in the corridor, just in front of Ulgar. Svegard had run past; judging by the ice spikes flying through the air, he was dealing with a mage in the room up ahead.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Qara kept low and managed to slip past Ulgar\u2019s greatsword and under the ice flying through the air. She came up behind the mer, turned to make brief eye contact with Ulgar, and set her blades into motion. The mer was bare-chested, with next to no protection against her blades and Ulgar\u2019s. He fell into the doorway of a side chamber that, to her quick glance, held a cook fire and a cage. Searching it would have to wait, though, as Svegard was still fighting up ahead. She looked down at the nearly-naked elf and shook her head.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll never understand that. You could get wounded just by running into sharp rocks. Wear something, people!<\/em><\/p>\n

She rounded the corner just in time to see Ulgar take aim on the Mage.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou may be a Nord,\u201d the man spat, gathering his magic, \u201cbut you don\u2019t belong in Falskaar!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2026 must slay you,\u201d Ulgar responded with a grunt and a powerful horizontal attack.<\/p>\n

Just beyond them was Svegard, fully engaged in battle with another bandit. This one was a powerfully-built man with another of the metal-clad polearms she\u2019d begun to respect.<\/p>\n

Qara couldn\u2019t reach either of them from her position in the mouth of the narrow tunnel. She needed to either slip under or leap over one of the brothers in order to engage one of the adversaries.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t a difficult choice. Get rid of the mage. Always get rid of the mage. <\/em><\/p>\n

She waited until Ulgar\u2019s next blow, another massive horizontal sweep of the greatsword, had passed her. Then she leapt for the gap between the two bandits, rolled forward, and came up onto her toes with blades ready. She took a couple of stabs toward the mage and stepped back, only to have the other bandit take his own step backward, coming between her and the mage and pushing her out of the way. Qara\u2019s temper flared.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cFO- KRAH!\u201d<\/p>\n

The powerfully-built bandit moaned, but turned back toward her and raised his pole.<\/p>\n

\u201cBring it on, milk-\u201c<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t get a chance to finish the insult. She had gone into the dance her mother had taught her, the dance of blades. Slash, slash, step back, whirl, slash, slash. Ulgar had done more damage to the man than she had realized. It took only one set of attacks to send him to the cave floor. She\u2019d lost track of the mage, but looked back in time to see Svegard sheathing his sword, standing over a corpse.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat wasn\u2019t so bad,\u201d Ulgar said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor once I have to agree with you,\u201d she responded.<\/p>\n

The cave they were in was almost completely empty aside from the corpses and a brazier lighting a ledge at the far end. She jumped up onto the ledge and looked around, carefully, scanning the ground for anything shiny. There was nothing. What she did see, though, was a second side chamber that had been just out of sight from below. The brothers were heading for that doorway; she hopped down from the ledge and followed.<\/p>\n

The most obvious thing in the space was a large wooden chest. Ulgar headed for it, but Svegard shook his head. \u201cIt won\u2019t be in there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara chuckled. \u201cIf you were in charge of something really valuable, would you leave it in a chest that screams \u2018treasure\u2019?\u201d She started scanning the room as Delvin and her father had taught her, looking under things. There were barrels under the table; she expected to find only ingredients or food in them and was not disappointed, but she also took a moment to kneel and run her fingers along the bottom edges of them, just in case. She stood to examine the things on the tabletop. There was a glazed plate with an uneaten, cold baked potato on it, but nothing underneath.<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm. That would have been a good place to hide it,\u201d she muttered. \u201cSo\u2026 maybe under the water keg?\u201d She felt around it and then crouched down to gaze underneath it. A glint of something metallic caught her eye, and she rose, grinning. \u201cOr perhaps behind it.\u201d There was a barrel placed in such a way that it blocked her from reaching behind the keg, but she wrestled it out of the way and stepped in.<\/p>\n

There was an amulet, laid casually on the table just behind the water keg. Qara shook her head. It made no sense. They\u2019d taken the key from the Hjorgunnar mansion, then brought it here and simply\u2026 laid it down, out in the open.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I guess they thought three goons were enough to keep it safe until they could meet up with Yngvarr. They weren\u2019t counting on the three of us catching up with them.<\/em><\/p>\n

I still am not quite sure how that happened.<\/em><\/p>\n

The two men were headed for the exit when she spoke up.<\/p>\n

\u201cSvegard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you find the Key?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think so. Isn\u2019t this the amulet you were looking for?\u201d She held it out for him to examine.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes! Great. We\u2019ve got it. Bring it back to Amber Creek and give it to Agnar. We\u2019ll meet you there. But you must hurry. I shouldn\u2019t have to explain why.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara fumed. You took so long getting to your family home that we almost didn\u2019t get the key at all, and now you\u2019re trying to tell me to hurry? You have nerve! Lots and lots of nerve! <\/em><\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t trust herself to speak, so she merely nodded and watched the brothers leave. \u201cAnd now they\u2019re going to travel back without me. I wish I understood what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

She took a moment to relieve the dead bandits of anything valuable, and checked in the other side chamber. There wasn\u2019t anything worth looking at there, either. Then she headed back up the side of the mountain. It was going to be much easier to scale the ridge from this side.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The skies in Amber Creek matched her mood: gray and ominous. She should have been happy; after all, she\u2019d gotten the thing they\u2019d been looking for and was more or less intact. But all the way back she\u2019d had a growing sense of impending doom coupled with a smoldering resentment.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t seem right of her to be angry at them all. They weren\u2019t thinking about anything aside from saving their own land and their way of life. The problem was that she\u2019d stumbled into their midst. They\u2019d figured out, right away, that she was a good fighter and of value to them; and while at first Jarl Agnar had politely asked things of her, the situation had had now devolved to the point at which she was just given terse orders by one or another of the men.<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t like it.<\/p>\n

In spite of having decided that she needed to help these people, she didn\u2019t like it.<\/p>\n

She had to wonder how many of them understood that she was Dragonborn. That was definitely an advantage she had over a common fighter \u2013 or in her case, a common thief-by-training. As she\u2019d been running up the road toward Amber Creek she\u2019d recalled an exchange between Roggi and Dardeh, back when he was still the only one who could absorb a dragon soul. It hadn\u2019t meant anything to her at the time.<\/p>\n

Dardeh had been grumbling about something or other.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut, Dar. Remember who you are. You saved the world, after all,\u201d Roggi had said.<\/p>\n

Dardeh had positively growled. \u201cYes. And did I ask for the chance to do that? No, I didn\u2019t. I just wanted to find my sister and go back to work in the mine. And as soon as they found out what I could do, they took me for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t make sense then, but it sure does now. They\u2019re not using me because I\u2019m Dragonborn \u2013 at least I don\u2019t think so. I\u2019m not even sure what I\u2019m supposed to do with that anyway. No, they\u2019re using me because I\u2019m \u201cthe Traveler\u201d and came through a Dwemer portal. What about my family? What about my friends? What about\u2026 the very attractive Imperial man I met recently? <\/em><\/p>\n

She laughed at herself for that. The moment of amusement vanished almost instantly.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t ask for this. <\/em><\/p>\n

But here I am, anyway.<\/em><\/p>\n

She found Jarl Agnar seated beside Brother Thorlough, on the upper level of the Borvaldur Manor. He looked deathly serious, and close to dead tired.<\/p>\n

\u201cGreetings,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have the Key of Strength,\u201d she said, feeling any elaboration would be superfluous at this point. Agnar\u2019s face lit up.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe key! Fantastic! We got our key, too. We must all meet, and discuss our next move. Everyone should be here shortly, if Ulgar is finished eating. Have a seat at the table, and we can begin.\u201d<\/p>\n

It seemed like a million moons ago that they\u2019d all been seated around the Jarl\u2019s feasting table. Yet here they were, all of them, she once more being taken for granted as part of the Jarl\u2019s subjects.<\/p>\n

Stop it, she told herself. It will do no good at all to become bitter about this situation. I could have left, but I didn\u2019t. I said I\u2019d help.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are we going to do next?\u201d Svegard asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Thorlough began. \u201cYngvarr has two of the keys.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, and we have three,\u201d Svegard snorted.<\/p>\n

Ulgar grinned. \u201cLast I checked, three is higher than two.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUlgar has a good point,\u201d Svegard said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYngvarr shouldn\u2019t have any<\/em> keys,\u201d Thorlough protested loudly.<\/p>\n

Qara sighed, and rubbed her forehead. \u201cAnd I shouldn\u2019t have been able to come through that portal. But I did, and he does. Could we maybe deal with the reality of the situation?\u201d<\/p>\n

She found them all staring at her, and felt her face flushing. \u201cI\u2019m sorry if that seems rude, but we can\u2019t waste our energy wishing things away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso\u2026 a good point,\u201d Svegard said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t count on us getting those two keys,\u201d Agnar said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo then, what do we do?\u201d Ulgar asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Heart Chamber.\u201d That was Thorlough. He was now the focus of everyone\u2019s scrutiny; Qara was glad to be out from under it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe what?\u201d Svegard asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is no time for poetry,\u201d Ulgar muttered. Qara found herself stifling a laugh.<\/p>\n

Thorlough, to his credit, didn\u2019t get upset for once. \u201cNo, no. The Heart Chamber. It\u2019s the underground cavern that was made to store the Heart of the Gods.\u201d He stared at the Hjorgunnars as if he expected them to understand immediately.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo\u2026\u201d Svegard prompted. \u201cWhat\u2019s your point?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019s saying we need to find it,\u201d Jarl Agnar said dryly.<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly. Yngvarr may or may not know where it is. Either way, we have to find it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd just how would we go about doing that?\u201d Ulgar asked.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Thorlough crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. Qara had the sinking feeling they were in for a saga.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe old scholars of Falskaar used to study in an old ruin to the northwest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVizemundsted?\u201d Svegard asked. \u201cWe have all heard the stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe scholars were there until the place awakened,\u201d Ulgar said. \u201cAnd the Dwemer tech crushed the poor little guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thorlough made a sour face at that, but mercifully didn\u2019t respond to it. \u201cThere was a book. Documentation of the Heart Chamber<\/em>. It contained all sorts of information, including the location.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nice of you to remember that now, Thorlough. I guess we needed the keys first, now that I think about it, but\u2026 <\/em>Qara couldn\u2019t help but shake her head.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we need that book?\u201d Agnar asked.<\/p>\n

Svegar frowned. \u201cHow do we get it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone has to go to Vizemundsted and get it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Everyone around the table shifted uncomfortably in their seats. \u201cOK\u2026\u201d Ulgar said, breaking the silence. \u201cBut who goes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a town to run,\u201d Agnar said flatly. \u201cI can\u2019t just disappear into the mountains.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qaralana\u2019s mouth sagged open at that. He had a town to run while they were off searching for a key, too, but it didn\u2019t stop him then! <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019m not leaving your side again,\u201d Svegar told him. \u201cYngvarr\u2019s bandits were at Hjorgunnar Manor. Yngvarr\u2019s men are getting more dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thorlough laughed. \u201cThey\u2019re probably cowering right now, pulling their hair out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen we stay here with Agnar,\u201d Ulgar said. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t leave many of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t like where this is going. And I definitely don\u2019t like the idea that it\u2019s going there with Thorlough.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cMe?\u201d Thorlough said, almost as though he\u2019d read her mind. He scoffed. \u201cI\u2019d love to go, trust me. But I fear I\u2019m not much of a combatant. Dungeon delving isn\u2019t my thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara\u2019s mouth fell open again. She tried to contain herself, but it didn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot your \u2018thing?\u2019 Really? It didn\u2019t bother you to go with Jarl Agnar to fight for a key. Aren\u2019t you the one who said Yngvarr had poked the nest with a stick, and you\u2019d fight for the Jarl, and all that?\u201d<\/p>\n

He gave her a sour look. \u201cKalrun was already pushing it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo put on some actual armor,\u201d she muttered. \u201cRun around in paper-thin robes and wonder why you get hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jarl Agnar proceeded as if he hadn\u2019t heard her outburst. \u201cThat just leaves one person.\u201d<\/p>\n

They all turned to stare at her. This time she didn\u2019t bother trying to hide her reaction.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo! No way am I doing this alone!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease,\u201d Agnar said. \u201cYou have proven yourself time and time again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes I have!\u201d she snapped. \u201cI\u2019m convenient, aren\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can do this!\u201d he said. \u201cHelp our people, those who are in need, once more!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I can\u2019t<\/em> do this!\u201d Qara yelled. \u201cNot alone!\u201d She drew a deep breath and blew it out. \u201cI\u2019m sorry to be disrespectful, but I was lucky<\/em> to make it through the Dwemer ruins I came through to get here in the first place. I\u2019m trained as\u2026 well, not as a fighter. I have some special skills but I\u2019m not good enough with them, yet.\u201d I\u2019m only fifteen years old! You people are men who have been around a long while and you\u2019re all bigger than I am!<\/em><\/p>\n

None of them looked persuaded. In fact, they all gazed anywhere but at her. They all shifted uncomfortably in their seats.<\/p>\n

She sighed. I have to do this, don\u2019t I. I wish I\u2019d just gone\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWait,\u201d she murmured under her breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d Agnar asked.<\/p>\n

Harald! Harald knows Dwemer ruins! I\u2019ll go to Windhelm and get him to come with me! I know he will!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou already said Yngvarr may not know where the Heart Chamber is; and even if he does know, we have three of the keys. That buys us some time.\u201d She looked at Agnar and grinned. \u201cI\u2019ll do it. I\u2019ll go. But you have to give me a couple of days. I\u2019m going back to Skyrim to get a friend. He\u2019s the\u2026 Well, all you need to know is that he\u2019s a real fighter, and he loves everything Dwemer.\u201d She could see the look of discomfort on Agnar\u2019s face, and thought he was about to forbid it.<\/p>\n

But you don\u2019t get to forbid anything, Jarl Agnar. I\u2019m not one of your subjects.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cGive me a couple of days. I\u2019ll be back just as quickly as I possibly can be, and then I\u2019ll go find your book.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care,\u201d she said firmly. \u201cThose are my terms. Take it or leave it.\u201d She shrugged. \u201cListen, I want to help all of you. My daddy was born here, even though he left when he was very young. So I feel like I have ties here, sort of. And I wouldn\u2019t feel right about leaving you without some assistance, even if I didn\u2019t have those ties. But I\u2019m not doing it all by myself. You have other people in this city, and they can help, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVery well. We\u2019ll be waiting for your return. May the Divines watch over you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFair travels, friend,\u201d Svegard added.<\/p>\n

Agnar and the brothers rose to leave. Thorlough did, as well, but Qaralana grabbed him by the arm.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need you to tell me about this place I\u2019m going to.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded. \u201cVizemundsted was used by our scholars as a library. However, in 147 of the Third Era the Dwemer machinery somehow reawakened, killing all but one of them. Only that one man made it out alive, and the library itself was lost. A tragedy, really. As far as we know, nobody has been inside since. The one man who survived immediately tried to rewrite as many books as he could, though memory is never perfect, so a lot of details probably got\u2026 skewed. \u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight. So how do I get in?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, the actual entrance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. It would be helpful.\u201d Gods but you\u2019re stupid.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, after the one man escaped, it was sealed. However, legend says you can access it by going through Watervine Chasm, to the west. It supposedly connects to a massive network of caverns, underground rivers, and ruins that should lead you right into the library.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMassive, eh? And you hadn\u2019t thought to mention this earlier? Now I know I was right to insist on help.\u201d<\/p>\n

He ignored her. \u201cOnce you\u2019re in, look for a book called The Heart Chamber.<\/em> That\u2019s what we need. Bring the book back to Agnar. Then we can figure out where the heart is and stop Yngvarr from obtaining it. It\u2019s going to be a long journey, and I\u2019m not sure what kind of dangers you\u2019ll encounter. But I know you can do it,\u201d he added softly. \u201cAnd may Shor guide your journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara nodded at him, and left the longhouse, headed for the docks. She waited until she was clear of the town to indulge in a long, loud scream of utter frustration.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

By the time she made it to the docks the clouds had mostly cleared. The sun revealed a beauty to this coastline that the dark and damp had concealed the last time she was here. Still, even as dark as it had been she recognized the dark-haired Nord on the ship. She dashed down the gangplank and onto the ship, and he looked up at her and smiled.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHi there. Name\u2019s Wulf. I\u2019m the captain of the ship docked here.\u201d His accent reminded her of Delvin Mallory and made her even more anxious to get back to Skyrim. \u201cI wanted to thank you for helping out. Damned bandits snuck up on us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re welcome. I was told you could get me back to Skyrim.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. If you need to travel between Falskaar and Skyrim and I\u2019m in port, I\u2019ll take you. However, it won\u2019t be free. I wish it could be, but travel simply costs too much these days. It\u2019ll be five hundred gold a trip.\u201d She must have looked shocked, because his expression turned apologetic. \u201cI know it\u2019s a bit steep, but I\u2019ll shift my schedule for your convenience. Hopefully that\u2019s alright, but it\u2019s the best I can offer. The trip takes less than a day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d she said, hoping he wouldn\u2019t mind honesty, \u201cit is pretty steep, but I understand. Here\u2019s the thing. I need to get back to Skyrim right away. As in as soon as you can get me there. It\u2019s imperative that I go get some help because things are looking bleak in Amber Hold and I promised the Jarl I would help. But I can\u2019t do it alone. My help is in Skyrim.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright then,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can even have the top bunk.\u201d<\/p>\n

She went below, positive that there was no way she could possibly sleep at sea. And yet the next thing she was aware of was the call \u201cwe\u2019re in Dawnstar, miss!\u201d<\/p>\n

Dawnstar? Oh no. More delay. Well, I\u2019ll take the ferry over to Windhelm. That\u2019s pretty close to Harald\u2019s house, anyway. <\/em><\/p>\n

She darted down the beach to where the much-smaller local ferry was and gave the ferryman his money.<\/p>\n

\u201cClimb in the boat and get comfortable,\u201d he said, picking up his oars.<\/p>\n

It seemed an interminable amount of time to row down the coast, in part because on the small, open boat there was no sleeping and no shelter from the cold winds. It was still dark when they reached Windhelm, but it didn\u2019t prevent her from scampering up from the docks into the city and then out the main gates. If she\u2019d had more time, or it had been daylight, she might have stopped to pay her respects to the King and Queen, but as it was she was more interested in locating their son. She dashed down the long, ancient bridge and skidded around the corner of the stables, then across the road and up the slope to Harald\u2019s home.<\/p>\n

\u201cHarald?\u201d She pounded on the door. He wouldn\u2019t be happy about being roused in the middle of the night, but when he found out why, she was sure it would be fine.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There was no answer. She pounded again, longer and harder. \u201cHarald! Are you home? I need you!\u201d<\/p>\n

She heard a loud yawn from across the roadway, and looked back just as the local carriage driver came crawling out of his tent.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not home, lass,\u201d the man called. \u201cBeen away quite awhile now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leave it to the carriage driver to know everything. But damn. Now what? I was counting on him to come back to Falskaar with me. If not Harald\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

She darted across the road to where the man stood yawning. \u201cTake me to Riften. Just as fast as you can go. I\u2019ll pay you extra if you can push your horse a little. It\u2019s an emergency!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright then. Climb in back and we\u2019ll be off.\u201d<\/p>\n

All the way south she rehearsed what she would say to Chip \u2013 more or less the same things she\u2019d told herself when trying to convince herself to help. It was Falskaar. It was where their father was from. They had ties there.<\/p>\n

She grinned. And if all else fails I\u2019ll tell him the hunting is really good there. That\u2019s what Ulgar says, anyway.<\/em><\/p>\n

She jumped down from the carriage and ran past the stables toward her cottage. It was too early to find her father in the marketplace, and it would take far too long to circle around the city to visit her mother. No, she just intended to duck into her house, drop off a few things, refill her waterskins and head up the ridge to the west to get\u2026<\/p>\n

As she rounded the corner of her house, a huge roar just over the lake nearly startled her out of her boots. She grabbed her bow in dismay. The last thing she needed was to fight a dragon right now. She couldn\u2019t tell what sort of dragon it was but its back was lined with upright spines, and its tail carried more of the same.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

She cleared her throat and focused her mind on the thing she\u2019d done in Falkreath, the Shout she\u2019d used to bring a dragon to ground. It needed to get close enough to her for her energy to reach it, and it was just circling over Riften and over her cabin, looking down at her.<\/p>\n

Get down here, get down here\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

It roared, turned, and sailed away to the northeast.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d she shouted in frustration. She and one of the Riften guards chased it down the road for a bit; but when it became obvious that the dragon was heading high up into the Velothis she stood watching for a moment, until it disappeared into the mountain clouds.<\/p>\n

I guess the gods don\u2019t want me to forget these are here, huh.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

She ran back to her cabin.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet ready for an adventure, brother!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Home Previous \/ Next   The brothers were long gone by the time she made it outside. Even sprinting down the road to where it curved east, and a bit past that, didn\u2019t let Qaralana catch up with them. She\u2019d reached the edge of the eastern mountains without finding them, and looked around, confused. Then … <\/p>\n

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