{"id":1544,"date":"2022-02-18T18:20:55","date_gmt":"2022-02-19T01:20:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/?page_id=1544"},"modified":"2022-02-28T10:13:39","modified_gmt":"2022-02-28T17:13:39","slug":"chapter-15","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/volume-ii\/part-i-past-and-present\/chapter-15\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 15"},"content":{"rendered":"
Home<\/a><\/div>\n
Previous<\/a> \/ Next<\/a><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

The metal doors swung open with a clang. Qaralana winced. About the last thing they needed was to alert whatever creatures might live in here.<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep your eyes open,\u201d Chip whispered. \u201cI don\u2019t like the looks of this. Or the sound, either.\u201d He pointed down the ornately-carved stone corridor toward the object resting lightly on the floor.<\/p>\n

Qara peered at it. She couldn\u2019t hear anything this far off but it did look to her as though there was steam coming out of the round ball on the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cDwemer sphere?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think so. Just keep your blades ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t have to tell me twice.\u201d<\/p>\n

First, Qara opened the door to their right. They\u2019d come so far to find the book, and she was not going to miss it for lack of investigating. The partially-collapsed room seemed to have been a bedchamber, but now held nothing but rubble and some bits and pieces of Dwemer scrap metal.<\/p>\n

They returned to the hall. The closer they got to its end, the deeper Qara\u2019s frown got, for it was clear that the sphere they\u2019d both seen had already been dismantled.<\/p>\n

\u201cOdd,\u201d she said. \u201cIt sure looked like there was steam coming out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSounded that way, too,\u201d Chip said.<\/p>\n

She glanced sideways at him. \u201cOk, you\u2019re going to tell me what this is all about. Maybe not right this moment, but soon. You keep talking about smelling things, and you can hear stuff I can\u2019t hear. I want to know why.\u201d<\/p>\n

He winced. \u201cYou don\u2019t really want to know, Sis,\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I do. There\u2019s something strange going on. Out of nowhere I suddenly can Shout and absorb dragon souls. And you\u2019re\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLater,\u201d he hissed. \u201cI want to know what wrecked this sphere. And what\u2019s behind that door?\u201d He pointed to their left.<\/p>\n

She pushed open the doors and jumped, blades in hand, seeing the spider automaton just inside the entrance. But it didn\u2019t move; it had long since been disabled. So had the second spider and the sphere up on the raised second level of the space.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d Chip whispered.<\/p>\n

Qara was about to agree when a cold draft touched her skin. She shook her head. \u201cNo, there\u2019s an opening back here,\u201d she said, pointing at the far corner. \u201cI\u2019m not leaving any room unexplored, just in case.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip sighed, but followed as Qara led the way into the dark corner. It was mostly blocked by debris, and she almost turned back; but movements of the ceiling-to-floor cobwebs in the corridor drew her onward. After clearing the path of sticky webbing she saw another disabled and partially-dismantled spider automaton.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cThis makes no\u2026 Oh!\u201d she exclaimed, turning to the right. There was a downed Centurion lying in a heap in the corner. Beyond it a skeleton lay atop stones covered in old bloodstains. There was a Dwemer panel, partially askew, blocking the end of the passage.<\/p>\n

\u201cOk, I get it. This was just a hallway, and they used it for storage. Whoever this poor guy was alerted the automatons\u2026\u201d She stopped as she spied a piece of paper, placed beside a still-burning brazier. She picked it up and glanced it over.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd they chased him in here,\u201d Chip finished. \u201cWhoever it was must have been pretty strong to have taken down all these things including a centurion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara shook her head. \u201cNo. This is really odd, but it seems this guy refurbished the centurion to obey him. Even gave him a name \u2013 Captain Platearms.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip snickered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I know. It looks like the Captain there defended our skeleton as long as it could. But spiders and spheres aren\u2019t nearly as strong as these big things. I wonder what it was fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip frowned. \u201cYeah. Let\u2019s be extra-careful. If whatever it was is still roaming around in here I don\u2019t want to run into it by surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n

They returned to the main passage and continued on through another set of metal doors. The larger chamber beyond was in poor shape, with support beams at crazy angles and huge chunks of carved stone littering the floor. Qara looked up, uneasily.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t want to be in here if there\u2019s any kind of tremor. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cLook out!\u201d Chip hissed behind her.<\/p>\n

This time, Qara could hear what her brother heard. The rolling and hissing of a Dwemer sphere was hard to mistake for anything else. Both of them made for the darkest shadow they could find. Qara held her breath as the sphere clanked along the floor, stopped for a moment just beside them, and then continued out the door.<\/p>\n

Thank the gods for Delvin\u2019s training. Again.<\/em><\/p>\n

Qara started to move again, only to spot a Dwemer spider. This one was operating and was raised up on the points of its legs, poised to attack. Qara saw an opening to her right and darted into it, hoping they could pass around the spider without being spotted. To her dismay, it was a dead end, a space with one large table at its back wall. Perhaps it had been a dining area, or a workspace; but regardless, they couldn\u2019t get out that way.<\/p>\n

They returned to the chamber and tried to slip past the automatons. Oddly, while the sphere was resting in place, still on alert, it didn\u2019t spot them. The spider, however, followed Qara down the next corridor. She dispatched it quickly, but there was still nothing quiet about the metal of her daggers against the metal of the spider. Once it was down they hurried along the corridor and through yet another set of doors; she closed the doors behind them, breathing a sigh of relief.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood, that\u2019ll at least slow that sphere down for a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before them was a series of narrow, silent hallways, full of debris and connected by ramps leading upward. It was good that they were moving up again, Qara thought, but intensely frustrating that they still<\/em> hadn\u2019t found the book. She was busily wondering what Jarl Agnar and the others were up to when she looked down and caught herself just in time.<\/p>\n

\u201cPressure plate,\u201d she whispered, pointing down. She couldn\u2019t see what trap it might spring, but she definitely didn\u2019t want to find out.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the time they opened another set of doors into a two-level chamber, Qara was thoroughly disoriented. She couldn\u2019t tell how far they\u2019d come or how close to the surface they might be. She sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know about you, but I\u2019m getting really mad. This is\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook out!\u201d Chip barked as a sphere rolled out of the deep shadows, extending to its full height as it headed toward her. He stepped past and began slashing at the construct. Qara tsk\u2019d in disgust that she\u2019d alerted the sphere, but then ran to help Chip. Between the two of them, they had it defeated shortly.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry about that,\u201d she grumbled once it was down.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo need. I get it. And we hadn\u2019t seen anything for\u2026 well\u2026. What year is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara cocked her head to one side as a ticking noise caught her attention. \u201cI think there\u2019s another one down below us,\u201d she whispered. \u201cLet\u2019s stay on this balcony and try to sneak past.\u201d<\/p>\n

The balcony hugged the edges of the chamber and led to a gate. Qara opened it, prepared for attack; but instead she found just more corridors and more ramps.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really don\u2019t like this,\u201d Chip whispered, pointing around at the piles of rubble half-blocking most of the passages. Side chambers were impassable, full of fallen masonry. \u201cIt\u2019s like it could all come down any second.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the more reason not to linger,\u201d she agreed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

They had to dismantle one more spider on their way around and upwards. It was almost like a square-sided spiral, odd as that seemed; and Qara was both relieved that they were moving up toward the surface and concerned that they wouldn\u2019t find what they\u2019d come for.<\/p>\n

They arrived at another very large chamber, this one with stairs leading up to another bedchamber. Qara tsk\u2019d in disappointment when they found no book, but pointed to the skeletons on the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, something just occurred to me. Ulgar \u2013 he\u2019s one of the Jarl\u2019s housecarls \u2013 was talking about how scholars came here to search for something, but then the machinery came to life and \u2013 oh, how did he put it \u2013 \u2018killed all the little guys.\u2019 That would go a long way toward explaining what happened to our skeleton with the named centurion. But this had to have happened ages ago. If the monk\u2019s story was correct it\u2019s been long enough ago that any tales about it would be hard to take seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm.\u201d Chip rubbed his chin. \u201cI wonder if this Ulgar\u2019s been around longer than you think.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara snorted. \u201cHe\u2019s hardly ancient<\/em>, Chip. I\u2019d be surprised if they\u2019re as old as Uncle Dar.\u201d They started back down into the large chamber. \u201cIt\u2019s odd, though. He and his brother have this mansion. The family homestead. It\u2019s enormous, and it\u2019s beautiful, even though it could use a good airing-out and a cleaning. But they live in this little shack out in the middle of nowhere. Apparently they like hunting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip frowned. \u201cOk, that\u2019s interesting. Let me think about that for a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

It took them a few minutes to navigate the piles of rubble in this huge chamber to reach a set of closed gates at the far side. When Qara pushed them open and looked down the hallway past them, she frowned. There was a disc, or sphere, with three blue inlays, fastened to the floor in some way. Of more concern, though, were the two metal structures on either side of it. There was steam coming from the one on the left.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cCenturion,\u201d Chip whispered, pointing to it.<\/p>\n

She nodded. Time to be careful<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The space the centurion was in was huge. It stretched up several stories over Qara\u2019s head and at least one below the landing they were on. In front of her was a desiccated body; not a skeleton, but likely belonging to someone who\u2019d come in much later, as she and her brother had.<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t have much time to look around, though. A spider near the body came to attention and then attacked. Two more followed. It wasn\u2019t difficult for her and Chip to take care of them; at this point she knew where to aim on the framework of the spiders to create as much havoc as possible to their inner workings. What concerned her more was the centurion beyond them, still firmly attached to its support frame but emitting steam.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not an unpowered or damaged construct. That\u2019s going to come alive and attack if we get too close.<\/em><\/p>\n

A fourth spider skittered up the stairs to engage her. She took care of it with one eye still on the centurion.<\/p>\n

She turned to look at Chip and pointed. \u201cWhat the heck is that thing with the blue discs?\u201d<\/p>\n

He frowned. \u201cI forget the actual term, but I\u2019ve heard of them. Harald would know. Dwemer power control things. Tonal doohickeys.\u201d<\/p>\n

She stifled a snort. \u201cDoohickeys<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell I don\u2019t know what the word is. Do I look like a dwarf to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

She snickered. \u201cNo, you look like a\u2026\u201d She stopped as her gaze came to rest on a table just beneath the blue discs. \u201cWait. There are books there! I\u2019ll bet this is what we came for!\u201d<\/p>\n

In her excitement, she\u2019d forgotten to be quiet. There was a loud clunk, followed by the hiss of steam as the centurion detached from its support frame and began moving toward them.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cBlast,\u201d Chip said.<\/p>\n

Qara stomped her foot. \u201cDamn it.\u201d She ran back up the hall a bit and took out her bow, fearing a protracted fight and wanting to do as much of it from a distance as she could. Chip, on the other hand, had his blades out and engaged the centurion at close range.<\/p>\n

She fired a single shot at the machine, watching the arrow lodge itself in one of the machine\u2019s joints. A moment later, she heard the resounding clang<\/em> of Chip\u2019s blades striking metal.<\/p>\n

The centurion stopped, hissed, and fell over.<\/p>\n

Qara\u2019s mouth dropped open as she stowed her bow and ran to meet Chip. \u201cAre you kidding me? After all that, we took it down with just a couple of attacks?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Chip said. \u201cI think your arrow mucked up something in its vital organs, if you can call them that. After that it was easy.\u201d He wiped a hand across his brow. \u201cAnd I\u2019m glad of it. I was afraid we were in for a bad time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe too!\u201d Qara said, moving toward the table. \u201cLet\u2019s see.\u201d There was a good-sized pile of rubble between the two centurion frames, and she clambered over it to get to the table just behind it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The books on the table included a volume of The Wolf Queen <\/em>and, she realized with a snort, a copy of the ubiquitous Lusty Argonian Maid<\/em>. Directly in the center of the table, though, was a slim volume she didn\u2019t recognize. She reached for it, realizing that her hands were trembling. Flipping the cover open, she saw a short title, the first letter of each word illuminated in beautiful artwork.<\/p>\n

The Heart Chamber. By Skorvaal<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is it!\u201d she yelled, wincing as her voice echoed around the room. \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ve taken care of all the machines,\u201d Chip said, grinning. \u201cThat\u2019s great. Finally. Let\u2019s see if we can get out of here now. I need a breath of fresh air. And maybe a nice juicy steak or something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara snorted. \u201cHonestly. You guys and your meat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were on our way to their manor when Ulgar complained about his brother hunting with a sword. Spoils the meat, he said.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip chuckled; but Qara saw the briefest flicker of something cross his face. \u201cEveryone knows you hunt with a bow,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat\u2019s the book say?\u201d he added, pointing at the volume in her hands.<\/p>\n

Deftly changing the subject. I wonder what\u2019s going on.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the story about the Heart of the Gods. Whatever that is, it was used by the first people here to warm the southern part of Falskaar and make it habitable. At least that\u2019s what Jarl Agnar told me.\u201d She flipped through the pages of the volume quickly. \u201cLooks like the Heart is in one of these really old Nordic ruins. We need to get this back to Amber Creek. Maybe Brother Thorlough can be useful for once and tell us which ruin it is. We have most of what we need to open the place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip grinned. \u201cI take it you\u2019re not fond of Brother Thorlough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot at all.\u201d Qara grinned at her brother. \u201cThere\u2019s a door over there. I\u2019ll bet that\u2019s our exit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through the door they found what Qara had hoped they would find: a Dwemer lift that took them all the way to the surface. A lever in its caged exit opened onto the ruins of a small Dwemer village, high enough on the side of the mountain that the grass was covered with snow. They started down the hillside, Chip in the lead.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cWait a second,\u201d he said, turning to face Qara with a serious expression.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no idea where we\u2019re going,\u201d he grinned. \u201cLead the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The sun was lowering as they reached the river. It had taken Qaralana some time to figure out where they were, and that they needed to go southeast to get back to town.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s pretty amazing, actually. We started down by the Priory and ended almost all the way to the northern mountains. It\u2019s hard to believe the tunnels and caves stretch that far. I guess Brother Thorlough knows a thing or two after all. He did say it was vast.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is Amber Creek,\u201d she called back to her brother as they crossed the footbridge from the town\u2019s mine to approach the back of the barracks building. \u201cBoth the town, and the river.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I assume that large house is the Jarl\u2019s place?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that\u2019s where Jarl Agnar\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait,\u201d Chip interrupted. \u201cSlow down. Something\u2019s wrong up there. I smell blood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara shot him a sharp glance. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t you feel it? There\u2019s something wrong in the town. Don\u2019t stop, but just keep your eyes open. I don\u2019t know what\u2019s going on but I don\u2019t like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara had to admit to herself that she felt it, too. It was ominous, as though some kind of cloud hung over the village, and not just the evening mists gathering over the water. She walked slowly past the door of the barracks, but then picked up speed as she spotted a cluster of men in the roadway. She was about to call out to Agnar when she saw it, and stopped dead in her tracks.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chip had been right. There was blood. There was a huge pool of it splattered into the path just in front of her. As she looked up and down the main street of Amber Creek she spotted bodies: a great many bodies, strewn across the entire length of the town. The hair on her neck rose in alarm, but was slowly replaced by the heat of rising anger.<\/p>\n

I see Agnar. And there\u2019s Svegard and Ulgar, and even Brother Thorlough. Thank the gods. But all these corpses! Agnar\u2019s guards most likely, and others. Bandits? Maybe? <\/em><\/p>\n

Gods. I hope none of them is Olvir. Or the smith\u2026 or\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

There was another man standing in the group before her, someone she didn\u2019t recognize.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ll kill me if I tell you,\u201d the man was saying as she neared them.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019ll<\/em> kill you if you don\u2019t!\u201d Agnar shouted at him. \u201cWhere are they?\u201d<\/p>\n

The man blanched, and held up his hands like a shield. \u201cOk, ok! They\u2019re at Fort Urokk! He wanted them taken there, but I\u2026 I don\u2019t know why. I swear, I don\u2019t know why!\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara had seen Jarl Agnar angry before, but she\u2019d never seen anything like the look on his face right then. There was nothing remotely resembling the calm, even-tempered Jarl she\u2019d come to know, and she couldn\u2019t help but be simultaneously angry and terrified.<\/p>\n

\u201cVery well,\u201d he said, snarling. He turned to his housecarl. \u201cSvegard.\u201d<\/p>\n

What passed between Agnar and Svegard, Qara couldn\u2019t tell; but Svegard nodded. \u201cI\u2019m on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

On it? What\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Svegard drew his sword, turned to his right, and with one massive blow slew the man. He fell, blood still pumping from the huge gash across his neck. Svegard calmly turned back to Agnar.<\/p>\n

Qara was dimly aware of Chip running past the group, around to the back. She saw him surveying the area, his head swiveling back and forth, his frown growing deeper by the moment as his gaze fell on one body after another. He moved up behind Thorlough and Ulgar; and then his eyebrows rose for a moment, as if in shock, before he faded out of her line of sight. She felt a little bit sick to her stomach and light-headed as she looked back at the scene before her and watched Svegard sheathe his blade as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.<\/p>\n

This is silly. How many people have we had to put down in the course of this? Why does this one bother me so much? It surprised me how powerful Svegard is, but\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s Agnar. That\u2019s what it is. He\u2019s so angry. <\/em><\/p>\n

He was still locked in a gaze with Svegard as he began to speak, and she couldn\u2019t help being a bit shaken. Ulgar and Svegard had made it clear from the beginning that they were completely loyal to Agnar; but now she could tell beyond any doubt that Svegard would do anything at all for his Jarl.<\/p>\n

For his King, that is. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve come at a convenient time,\u201d Agnar said, slowly disengaging from Svegard\u2019s stare to turn to her.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat in Oblivion happened here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYngvarr has crossed yet another line. He attacked the town. As you can see,\u201d he said sadly, gesturing up and down the corpse-riddled street. \u201cWhile we were out fighting his men, more snuck in. And\u2026\u201d His voice thickened, whether in anger or in pain Qara couldn\u2019t tell. She saw Chip circle around behind Agnar and shake his head slightly.<\/p>\n

What is he doing? <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what, Jarl Agnar?\u201d she asked quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey took Jalma and Wilhard! They took them!\u201d His voice dropped. \u201cThey took them away from me.\u201d It was just a moment before he took a deep breath and his voice strengthened again. \u201cWe are going to get them back! Please tell me you found the book!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. Yes, of course,\u201d she said, extending it toward him. \u201cIt\u2019s right here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Agnar heaved a sigh of relief. \u201cFinally, good news. Thorlough, take a look at it and tell us if there\u2019s anything in it that we can use.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thorlough opened its cover and started reading. \u201cHmmm.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara still felt as though she was in a fog, as all the information filtered through a haze of exhaustion and shock. Yngvarr had threatened the town while she\u2019d been standing here. He\u2019d sent his goons here to rob and kill. They\u2019d kidnapped Agnar\u2019s wife and son. The more she thought about it, the more her shock and confusion began to boil.<\/p>\n

Out of the depths of her mind, Dardeh\u2019s voice called to her. It was the raspy, gurgling voice she\u2019d begun to feel accustomed to as they\u2019d made their trek to High Hrothgar and back, as he\u2019d tried to share what he could about being Dragonborn.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes it\u2019s hard to control. Sometimes it feels like the fire is just going to explode from you whether you want it to or not. It\u2019s because your dragon blood sees the enemies before it as lesser beings. But you have to remember that dragon blood or not, you\u2019re still in a frail human body. You can\u2019t fly. You don\u2019t have claws, or fangs. All you have is this power, and it can kill other people around you. I\u2019ve had that happen. It\u2019s an awful feeling, knowing you killed someone but not remembering how. And it can kill you. Just be aware of it. Don\u2019t let it take you over, no matter how angry you get.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

She shook herself alert. Chip was standing beside Thorlough, looking at her with the same sort of questions in his eyes that she must have had in hers more than once, gazing at him since they\u2019d gotten on the ship for Falskaar.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t give you an answer yet. I\u2019m not even sure I know what the question is.<\/em><\/p>\n

Brother Thorlough was mumbling to himself as he read the slim volume in his hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cInteresting. Yes!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo?\u201d That was Ulgar, speaking for the first time since they\u2019d arrived back in Amber Creek.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does it say?\u201d Svegard asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm. Good news, everyone!\u201d Thorlough announced.<\/p>\n

There was a prolonged silence.<\/p>\n

Qara stomped her foot. \u201cDo you think you might share<\/em> that news with us, since we went half way across the island, underground, just to find that damned book for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jarl Agnar looked at her, one eyebrow rising. Qara felt herself flushing.<\/p>\n

At least it wasn\u2019t a Shout. I can see why Uncle Dar warned me about having a temper.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDoes it have what we need?\u201d Agnar prompted gently.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes! It has the location of the Heart Chamber, and much else. This is wonderful!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen let us not waste any more time,\u201d Agnar said. \u201cWe are going to Fort Urokk to save my wife and child.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, my Jarl,\u201d Ulgar said. \u201cWe are ready.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShall we meet near the fort to plan the attack?\u201d Svegard asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Agnar said. \u201cThat is what we\u2019ll do.\u201d He turned to Qara. \u201cWill you help us?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d she said, not waiting for agreement from Chip. He\u2019ll be as angry as I am about this. He\u2019ll come with us. <\/em>\u201cAll I need is for someone to give me directions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll get ye there, young lass,\u201d came a deep, familiar brogue from just behind her. She whirled to see the cranky old man with white hair absolutely glaring daggers at Agnar. \u201cYe willnae fin\u2019 many better guides than me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Jarl Agnar sighed and shook his head. \u201cNo, my friend. You don\u2019t need to come with us. You\u2019ve done more than your share in helping us with Yngvarr\u2019s men, here in town.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre ye now goin\u2019 te tell me I\u2019m too auld te help ye? Is that what it\u2019s te be, Agnar? After a\u2019 this time?\u201d<\/p>\n

The old man was positively glowering. And I thought I was the one with the temper, Qara thought, simultaneously admiring Agnar\u2019s slow, calm smile.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not it at all, Brunulvr,\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n

Qara heard Chip\u2019s sharp intake of breath from where she was. Brunulvr? Why is that a familiar name? Chip obviously knows.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut I need someone strong to guard Amber Creek, in case Yngvarr sends men here to finish the job,\u201d Agnar continued. \u201cWould you do that for me? Will you coordinate with the guards, and help keep things under control here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara could almost feel the heat rolling off the old man. She could see the muscles of his jaws working. This was someone who wasn\u2019t nearly ready to stop being alive, and who didn\u2019t like being regarded as old and practically discarded. Finally his shoulders dropped their angry tension, and he nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cA\u2019richt. Ye\u2019r the king, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Agnar snorted. \u201cHow many times have we been over this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs lang as ye\u2019ve been alive, Agnar. Dinnae forget I\u2019m twice yer age.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBesides, Brunulvr. Gulmist will flay the meat from my bones if I take you with me. Speaking of wives, I am going to go rescue mine now.\u201d He turned to Qara. \u201cThank you. Thank you for getting the book, and for agreeing to help us.\u201d He nodded at Chip, not asking for any introductions, and then made for his home.<\/p>\n

Qara smiled at the old man. \u201cSo it\u2019s Brunulvr, is it?\u201d she said. \u201cYou never told me your name, earlier. I\u2019m Qaralana.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, young lass,\u201d he said. \u201cBrunulvr it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich is the name Da always uses if he\u2019s heading to Cyrodiil, Qara,\u201d Chip said quietly.<\/p>\n

Brunulvr turned slowly to face Chip. His face didn\u2019t change; in fact it seemed nearly set in stone. Chip stared back at him, expectantly, as if Brunulvr should know what he was asking.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cYer\u2026 da, uses my name? Is that what ye said?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it is,\u201d Chip answered without any fanfare. \u201cI doubt that Qara has heard it many times but he\u2019s inadvertently slipped up and called himself that in front of me. When he\u2019s trying to fool someone, you know. He sounds exactly like you when he does it, too. That\u2019s why I was so surprised. It\u2019s like hearing Da.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd how do ye name yerself, laddie?\u201d Brunulvr said slowly.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u201d Qara chirped, distressed and confused and wanting to do something to break the tension. \u201cI didn\u2019t introduce you. I didn\u2019t introduce the Jarl, either. What\u2019s wrong with me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cQara,\u201d Chip murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh. Sorry. This is my brother, Chip.\u201d<\/p>\n

The old man smiled just a bit. \u201cThat\u2019s not yer real name, is it.\u201d It wasn\u2019t a question; it was a statement. And something about the way he said it sent shock waves through Qara.<\/p>\n

I know who this is now. It has to be.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s not,\u201d Chip said with a lopsided grin. \u201cI don\u2019t use my real name much. In fact only a few people get to use it without getting smacked.\u201d He took a deep breath and expelled it. \u201cMy name\u2019s Brynjolf. I\u2019m named after my Da.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShor\u2019s bones,\u201d Brunulvr breathed, earning a gasp from Qara.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

How many times have we heard that in our lives? I always wondered why; Daddy\u2019s not religious. It\u2019s because this is Falskaar. And this is where Daddy\u2019s from. And they believe the land was settled because of an avatar of Shor. It all makes sense now.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBrynny\u2019s still alive. And you,\u201d he turned to Qara. \u201cYou\u2019re his, as well?\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded. \u201cYes, he\u2019s our daddy. Mama\u2019s name is Sayma and she\u2019s a Redguard. We live in Riften. Or at least Chip used to live in Riften, but he\u2019s moved out into a cabin of his own out by\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSis,\u201d Chip said. \u201cHe hasn\u2019t been in Skyrim in at least fifty years that I know of.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNever,\u201d Brunulvr said, staring back at Chip. \u201cIf ye were a bit paler and a lot younger I\u2019d nae be able to tell ye apart from yer da as a young man. Grandchildren. I can barely believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two men stared at each other a bit longer, as if there was something else passing between them. Qara couldn\u2019t fathom what it was. Finally Brunulvr nodded, as though he was satisfied for the moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow then, ye both need tae go. Go help get Agnar\u2019s family back. When ye come back te Amber Creek I\u2019ll take ye te meet yer grandma. It\u2019ll take a bit te break the news to her. She took it hard when Brynny left home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara and Chip grinned at each other.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cGrandma!\u201d Chip said, smiling as he had when he\u2019d been just a kid. \u201cNever thought I\u2019d have the chance to say that. Or Grandda, for that matter.\u201d He started down the road to the east, just as though he was the one with the map.<\/p>\n

Qara didn\u2019t know what to say or do, so she simply smiled at Brunulvr, and waved, and ran to catch up to her brother. He was chuckling.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s so funny? I barely know what\u2019s going on and you\u2019re laughing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip turned his head and grinned at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrynny.\u201d<\/p>\n

They both broke out into much-needed laughter. It was good to have a reason to laugh for a moment. Qara was sure that it might be the last laugh they had for awhile.<\/p>\n

Home<\/a><\/div>\n
Previous<\/a> \/ Next<\/a><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Home Previous \/ Next   The metal doors swung open with a clang. Qaralana winced. About the last thing they needed was to alert whatever creatures might live in here. \u201cKeep your eyes open,\u201d Chip whispered. \u201cI don\u2019t like the looks of this. Or the sound, either.\u201d He pointed down the ornately-carved stone corridor toward … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Chapter 15”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":1208,"menu_order":15,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1544","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1544"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1588,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1544\/revisions\/1588"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}