{"id":156,"date":"2020-11-10T21:29:49","date_gmt":"2020-11-11T04:29:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/?page_id=156"},"modified":"2020-11-24T23:25:07","modified_gmt":"2020-11-25T06:25:07","slug":"chapter-5","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/volume-1\/part-1-moonlight\/chapter-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 5"},"content":{"rendered":"
Home<\/a><\/div>\n
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 <\/p>\n

The werewolf ran across the old Imperial road and climbed the hillside on its western flank, scrambling up the rocky slopes toward the old fort at its summit \u2013 Fort Sungard. He knew that if he was careful, he could drop down on the southern side of this ridge and possibly take the path south, toward the campsite where he had devoured a hunter two nights previous.<\/p>\n

Chip was a bit surprised that he could think, and direct the beast\u2019s movements, and control his actions as well as he could since on at least two occasions now he\u2019d had no recollection at all of creating the carnage he\u2019d found in front of him later on. He was also intrigued. It had been full day when the Imperial soldiers had attacked him. Yes, the moons were still nearly full; but it was still hours before sunset even now. And yet he\u2019d turned.<\/p>\n

Is it the ring?<\/em><\/p>\n

Sinding said the changes came at the worst possible time. This one came at the best possible time. I\u2019d have been dead if not for this animal I\u2019ve become. I was nearly dead anyway.<\/em><\/p>\n

Werewolf. Fearsome.<\/em><\/p>\n

He blinked as he jumped down from the rocks onto the roadway, realizing that those thoughts had come not from him, but from the animal side of him, the part currently in charge of their shared form.<\/p>\n

I am crazy, aren\u2019t I?<\/em><\/p>\n

No. Strong.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He heard voices from the hillside above and behind him. Some of the soldiers manning the fort had seen him; and while this was a very good thing, because it meant that the watch was being kept, it was also a very bad thing because he was within range of a well-placed arrow. He threw himself across the road as fast as he could run, and up into the woods on the far side.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t take long before he was out of sight of the fortress and making his way into the woods, south into Falkreath Hold once more.\u00a0 He headed toward where he thought he\u2019d found the lone hunter\u2019s campsite; but it had been very dark that night, and he\u2019d been not nearly in control of his own faculties at that point, so he wasn\u2019t certain he was in the right area.<\/p>\n

He stopped in a spot of shadow beneath a cluster of pines and tasted the air. Downhill from him, he caught the scent of decay; and looking in that direction he spied the small tent where the huntsman had been. That meant that he was going in the right direction; a bit farther on he would be able to cross over to his uncles\u2019 home.\u00a0 And he meant to do so, this time; at least once he reverted to human form. He\u2019d only gone a few paces in that direction when the howls of wolves drew him away, to a spot behind a fallen tree. They touched noses and sniffed each other in greeting, but he didn\u2019t know why they\u2019d called to him.\u00a0 He got the sense that they were guarding his prior kill, next to the tent.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He ran across the opening to the tent and found that, while there was a substantial pool of blood on the ground \u2013 that was what he had smelled \u2013 the carcass itself was gone.\u00a0 It was just as well.\u00a0 He sniffed at the bedroll inside the tent, thinking that he might well rest there for a moment. Then he doubled over as the pain of reverting to his human form took him by surprise.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A few moments later he stood, panting, and looked down at himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn, that hurts,\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n

There was a chest beside the tent \u2013 empty, unfortunately; but there was a full quiver of arrows and a bow leaning up against the far side of it. Those he took to sell, or practice with.\u00a0 Then he had a drink of water, took a deep breath, and took off in search of the roadway once more.\u00a0 He\u2019d gone only a few steps when he spotted an elk moving nonchalantly through the forest, and in one smooth movement he drew his bow, nocked an arrow, and dropped the creature, all while both he and the elk were in motion.\u00a0 He grinned to himself as he ran to collect the pelt.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m getting better.<\/em><\/p>\n

He was almost out of the forest when a frostbite spider caught wind of him and attacked. He leapt up to the high ground of a boulder, as he had always done, and fired a shot at the beast.\u00a0 It was hardier than he\u2019d expected, though, and it jumped up onto the rock to attack him. He grabbed for the blade his mother had given him \u2013 a Bosmer shortblade, longer than a normal dagger but far lighter and easier to wield than a regular sword \u2013 and stabbed down into the spider\u2019s brain.\u00a0 He thought he felt a tingling in his arm as the creature died and as he pulled the blade loose; but then he shook his head.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m also very tired, and I think I\u2019m imagining things.\u00a0 Probably just twisted my arm wrong.\u00a0 I\u2019ll know for sure if I have trouble drawing the bow.<\/em><\/p>\n

He gathered himself up and continued on his way.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t far, to the road; a few hundred paces along the rock face of the ledge and then around its edge. He smiled, seeing the red roof of Mammoth Manor peeking out through the trees. The last time he\u2019d been this close he\u2019d run away, fearing the reaction he\u2019d get. But he\u2019d been near his uncles\u2019 home three times in as many days and it was clear that he needed to speak to them.\u00a0 Why else would he have been drawn here, over and over?<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t hear voices outside, as he approached the home, so he made his way to the back deck hugging the shoreline. This place was one of their favorites, and one of his as well; it overlooked Lake Ilinalta and their fishing dock, and was usually bathed in sunshine and frequented by butterflies and dragonflies. He stopped for a moment to enjoy the view, and his gaze was drawn left, toward the place where he had hidden that first night as a werewolf.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know how to begin to ask them what I need to know. I don\u2019t know whether they would have any advice for me about that, to begin with. But I do know that they need to be told about the Imperials. So I guess I\u2019ll start with that. <\/em><\/p>\n

The house was oddly quiet when he let himself in, and he frowned, wondering whether they were even at home. He stepped around into the kitchen and peeked down the stairs toward what had once been their friend Lydia\u2019s room, and saw nobody there.<\/p>\n

\u201cUncle Dar?\u201d he finally called out.\u00a0 \u201cUncle Roggi? Are you guys here?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cChip?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dardeh\u2019s voice was unmistakable, even slightly muffled and coming from the upper floor.\u00a0 It was a very deep voice, and had managed, at times during the years Chip had heard it, to carry overtones of power that could make the very ground beneath their feet vibrate with it.\u00a0 Today it did not have that quality; and that made Chip frown. He bounded up the stairs to the second floor and found Dardeh sitting in a chair near the alchemy table.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, there you are!\u201d Chip said, grinning at his uncle. \u201cIt\u2019s been a while. Where\u2019s Uncle Roggi?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dardeh inclined his head toward the bedroom. \u201cIn there. He\u2019ll be out in a minute, I\u2019m sure.\u201d One side of his mouth quirked up into a grin.<\/p>\n

The look on his face made Chip want to giggle, to the point that he had to fight it down. If there had ever been one thing abundantly obvious to him, throughout his life thus far, it was that his uncles were deeply in love with each other and would take any opportunity to slip away for some \u201cprivate time.\u201d It had never been any different, as long as he\u2019d been aware of such things. Even his mother and father, who were as connected as any two people he\u2019d ever met, didn\u2019t come close to displaying the same degree of inextinguishable fire that these two men did for each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad you\u2019re home,\u201d he said to his uncle. Stepping a bit closer, he looked down at Dardeh\u2019s face and had something of a shock.<\/p>\n

Dardeh, like him, was half-Nord, half-Redguard. They shared the same mellow tan skin color. While Chip favored his Nord side, looking like a slightly sleeker copy of his father, Dardeh was clearly more Redguard. He\u2019d always been able to outrun any of them \u2013 not in a sprint, not by virtue of his speed, but by sheer endurance. Chip had always envied that, wishing he\u2019d gotten a few more of his mother\u2019s Redguard traits. On top of that, Dardeh was the Dragonborn \u2013 the only man alive who could absorb the soul of a dragon. He was ridiculously powerful because of it, and Chip had always admired that about him. Dardeh wasn\u2019t a hunter the way Chip was; but he was the<\/em> hunter: the dragon hunter, the only one who could do what he could do.<\/p>\n

But today, Dardeh looked different.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As he\u2019d grown into a young adult Chip had, of course, noticed the people who had raised him aging, even though he never thought very hard about the fact that they were so much older than he was. His father, Brynjolf, had begun to get creases and wrinkles in his face, albeit light ones, and his hair was fading from its original vibrant red. His mother, Sayma, was also visibly aging; her formerly jet black hair was a lighter, faded brown because of the large amount of it that was gray. He liked the way his Uncle Roggi\u2019s beard had streaks of gray in it, and the way the deep lines around his eyes and in his forehead had gotten even more pronounced. King Ulfric, who had been a regular part of his life as well, had gone from blonde to completely white-haired during Chip\u2019s lifetime, although it was hard to tell because of the crown he wore.<\/p>\n

Dardeh, though, had never really changed very much. But today, Chip noticed the deep shadows around and under his eyes. Dardeh looked exhausted.<\/p>\n

Is he\u2026 ok?<\/em><\/p>\n

Chip did his best to put that thought aside and smiled down at his uncle. This was his chance to get some guidance, maybe, and he had just the way to lead into it. But he needed to be careful.\u00a0 How would Da approach this, I wonder? <\/em>He frowned at the thought. Brynjolf would just handle it. As he always did. Sometimes I wonder if he\u2019s really my Da, I take after him so little.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s good to see you, Uncle Dar. But\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cI thought you both might want to know. There was an encampment of Imperial troops out in the middle of Whiterun Hold.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?<\/em>\u201d Roggi\u2019s shocked voice erupted from the bedroom, and he followed not long afterward. \u201cWhere, exactly?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

They spoke for a few minutes, Chip describing where the Imperials had been and how many of them, what sorts of weapons they had and any other details he could recall from that half-hour or so of complete carnage.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s where we found a group of them once, too,\u201d Dardeh said. \u201cNot all that long after the war had ended. That wasn\u2019t a pretty thing to come across, the aftermath of a battle.\u00a0 We needed them to be gone, but they weren\u2019t all gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were after we got done with them,\u201d Roggi said flatly. \u201cWhat was this group doing, Chip? Could you tell?\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip froze for a moment. What do I tell them? How can I tell them? <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cUm\u2026 when I left the area,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cthey weren\u2019t doing anything. They\u2019d all been mauled. I didn\u2019t find any papers or anything else that might indicate what they\u2019d been planning.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMauled?\u201d Roggi said in a startled tone, his eyebrows nearly touching in the middle for the depth of his frown.<\/p>\n

Chip nodded. \u201cLike an animal had gotten to them. Eaten them. There really wasn\u2019t much left of them, but it was clear that they were imperials. Red and brown armor. Imperial swords.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip managed to keep his voice level, but inside his emotions were churning. Nothing he\u2019d said was false. In fact, there\u2019d been very little left of the soldiers after he\u2019d gotten finished harvesting their souls for Hircine. But he wasn\u2019t telling his uncles the whole truth and that was tearing him up just as much as his claws had torn up the soldiers.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy Talos, Roggi!\u201d Dardeh exclaimed, his eyes round. \u201cDo you suppose it was that werewolf?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid it get loose?\u201d Roggi asked, staring at his husband in obvious dismay.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll bet it did!\u201d Dardeh yelped.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2026 werewolf?\u201d Chip asked, his blood freezing inside him as he pondered the awful possibility that someone might have seen him in his alternate form.<\/p>\n

\u201cA little girl was mauled a few days ago, in Falkreath,\u201d Roggi told him. \u201cThey captured the beast that did it. It was a werewolf; it turned human again not long after they threw it in the pit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip\u2019s legs wanted to turn to water as, once again, he realized that it had been Sinding to take the blame for a grisly killing. The first time, he hadn\u2019t known that it was Sinding\u2019s doing. This time, he knew it wasn\u2019t. Of course they would have known about Sinding. Dardeh was a Thane. He would have been notified of the situation right away.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are others around here, too,\u201d Dardeh said. \u201cI\u2019ve had a couple of close calls with them, at night. Gods. I don\u2019t know which is worse, the idea that the Imperials are sending people north again or the idea that there may be werewolves in the area.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Roggi said, frowning. \u201cNeither thing is something I like the sound of.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout all we need is for one of the clans to have moved south. It\u2019s bad enough that we have all of the vampires on our doorsteps all the time.\u201d\u00a0 Dardeh shook his head, and his eyes took on a far-away look. \u201cDid I ever tell you about the werewolves on Solstheim?\u201d<\/p>\n

This had Chip\u2019s interest piqued. \u201cNo. Werewolves\u2026 on Solstheim?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah!\u201d Dardeh said, rising from his chair. \u201cHang on a second, I\u2019ll be right back!\u201d\u00a0 He disappeared around the corner toward their bedroom.<\/p>\n

Roggi sighed. \u201cChip,\u201d he murmured, shaking his head. \u201cWe don\u2019t\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Whatever Roggi had been about to say was interrupted by a loud bout of coughing from the bedroom, followed by Dardeh\u2019s return. He was holding a piece of parchment in his hand, and clumped heavily over to the chair to plop down in it before unfolding it and waving Chip over to join him.<\/p>\n

The parchment turned out to be a map, with several marks on it.\u00a0 Dardeh looked up, obviously making certain he had Chip\u2019s attention, before pointing at it.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee? Up here. Near Miraak\u2019s temple. That\u2019s where they were. Oh, and over here, along the coast. I ran into some werebears there. Nasty things. But these were a family of them. Weirdest thing ever.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA\u2026 family?\u201d Chip leaned over Dardeh\u2019s shoulder to look at the map and saw only two marks \u2013 one in the northwest corner and one at the head of an inlet near the southwest.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. Let\u2019s see. That\u2019s Raven Rock,\u201d he said, pointing to one of the marks on his map, the one near the inlet. That\u2019s where the boat from Windhelm lands. Up here is\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Dardeh was off, nattering about this or that landmark on Solstheim, shaking his head, cringing from time to time, waving his hands around. He reached for a piece of charcoal on the table nearby and drew a rough circle on the map, saying that was where he\u2019d \u201cgone in\u201d to fight Miraak.\u00a0 He frowned, and his face looked even darker than it had a few moments before.<\/p>\n

\u201cUp there. A family of them. At least that\u2019s what I heard.\u201d\u00a0 He slammed the map onto the table and coughed. \u201cNasty business. I need some water.\u00a0 Be right back.\u201d\u00a0 He stood and made his way down the stairs.<\/p>\n

Roggi tugged on Chip\u2019s sleeve and pulled him around the corner again, out of eyeshot of the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it, Uncle Roggi?\u201d<\/p>\n

Roggi sighed, and Chip cringed to see the sadness in his eyes. He couldn\u2019t remember ever having seen his strong, willful uncle look this way before.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cWe try not to remind Dar of Solstheim, son,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cI\u2019ve never really gotten him to spell out what happened there, but whatever it was really changed him.\u201d\u00a0 He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed heavily. \u201cIt brought the two of us together, in\u00a0 a real sense, so I shouldn\u2019t hate it so much. But I do.\u201d He opened his eyes again and shook his head. \u201cHe gets very distressed when something reminds him of that experience. It\u2019s the one time since I\u2019ve known him when we weren\u2019t together, so I can\u2019t argue with him about it. But it\u2019s not good for him, to get that upset. He hasn\u2019t been feeling all that well, lately.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip felt a shiver work its way up his spine. He wasn\u2019t used to seeing his uncles distressed, or vulnerable, or anything other than cheerful and confident.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Uncle Roggi. I wouldn\u2019t ever have asked him if I\u2019d known.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Roggi said, smiling and patting him on the back. \u201cWe\u2019re getting older, now \u2013 or at least I am.\u201d He chuckled. \u201cTime for you young ones to be in charge of things soon. Do me a favor. Take that map out of here. And let me know if you hear anything else about Imperials. Or werewolves. By Ysmir, we don\u2019t need either one of those things hanging around at the moment.\u201d\u00a0 His face dissolved back into a frown. \u201cDar takes it on himself to solve everything. And I don\u2019t think we can solve either one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip was completely dismayed. He wanted to grab his uncle and give him a hug; but he was afraid that he might somehow smell like a wolf, even to someone who wasn\u2019t one. He couldn\u2019t even tell Roggi what had happened to Sinding, to reassure him that at least one small part of the problem had been taken care of.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take the map,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd if I see any more Imperial camps I\u2019ll be sure to let you know. Or at least someone. I\u2019m sure Da has people who can get word to King Ulfric, if nothing else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roggi sighed. \u201cNo, don\u2019t bother Brynjolf with it. I guess I\u2019m going to need to make a trip to Windhelm soon. Ulfric will need to know about what you found.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI could\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Roggi put a hand on his arm and shook his head. \u201cNo, son. Let me do it. I can always<\/em> get in to see him. He and I have been close for a long time. You might have trouble, especially since now you\u2019re all grown up and don\u2019t look like a cute little boy anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

They heard Dardeh clearing his throat and coughing as he came back up the stairs. Chip heard him groan quietly, and heard the chair squeak as he plopped down into it.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Roggi?\u201d Dardeh called.\u00a0 Roggi swapped a glance with Chip and returned to the main room.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s up, love?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you make me one of those tonic potions you\u2019re so good at? I have this damnable tickle in my throat again today and I can\u2019t seem to get rid of it. Not feeling my best.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Roggi said, leaning over to kiss Dardeh on the cheek. \u201cAnd then some of your favorite tea.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh that would be good,\u201d Dardeh said, smiling at him.<\/p>\n

As Chip moved into the center of the room Roggi stepped back from Dardeh. Chip felt the contact of Roggi\u2019s very warm hand, pressing a small square of folded parchment into his palm as they passed each other. He slipped the parchment into a pocket.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chip looked down at his uncle and smiled. Dardeh looked contented and happy, just like always.<\/p>\n

I must have been imagining things because I\u2019m worried. He looks fine. He could take down a dragon right now. People sometimes have an off day. That\u2019s all it is.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI probably should get going, Uncle Dar,\u201d he said. \u201cI want to get back to Riften before Ma starts worrying about me. Again.\u201d\u00a0 He grinned. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter how old I get, I\u2019m still a little kid to her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dardeh chuckled, and reached up to give his hand a squeeze. \u201cTell her hello for me. We didn\u2019t grow up together, but you know it\u2019s always nice to know I have family still.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll do that,\u201d he said, smiling again and then turning to go down the stairs. Roggi was pouring hot water over something, into a tankard.\u00a0 Chip moved to stand by him and said \u201cI\u2019ve got it. And thanks for letting me know. Take care of Uncle Dardeh, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you know it,\u201d Roggi chuckled. \u201cWe always said we\u2019d end up little old men making each other tea. And here we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip waved and made his way to the back door and outside. He stood staring at the roadway for a moment as his eyes started to sting.<\/p>\n

I came for advice, and I didn\u2019t even have a chance to ask. I didn\u2019t want to worry them.<\/em><\/p>\n

He shook his head.<\/p>\n

What would I have said? \u201cHelp, I\u2019m a werewolf, what do I do?\u201d It\u2019s clear what they would have thought about that.<\/em><\/p>\n

He reached into his pocket for the map of Solstheim and flipped it open for a moment, staring at it.\u00a0 It hadn\u2019t made a single bit of sense, what Dardeh had babbled about, but there was at least one thing that had stood out.\u00a0 There had been a family of werewolves on Solstheim \u2013 or at least he believed there had been such a thing.<\/p>\n

Chip started trotting down the road.\u00a0 He needed to get home, to make sure everything was in order and to replenish his supplies. And then\u2026\u00a0 With every step he took, he became more certain of it.\u00a0 He needed to go to Solstheim.<\/p>\n

He set off at a slow trot, wishing yet again that he had his uncle\u2019s ability to keep up a faster pace almost indefinitely, for it was a long way to his cabin near Clearspring Tarn.\u00a0 First, though, he had to head for Helgen, and make it through the pass to the Rift.<\/p>\n

The sun was beginning its long descent as he started the ascent toward the eastern end of Falkreath Hold.\u00a0 A deer ran across the road in front of him, and without missing a stride he shot one, and then a second arrow into it, and it fell.\u00a0 He happily gathered its pelt and started back up the roadway. When he made the turn to climb the hill south toward Helgen, he heard something behind him and turned to look across the valley to Bleak Falls Barrow. There was no threat there, that he could see, but the view was stunning.\u00a0 The only problem, in his mind, was that the sun was going down.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Am I going to turn again tonight?\u00a0 Or can I make my way home in my own body?<\/em><\/p>\n

Or do I even want to do that?<\/em><\/p>\n

Just having that thought run through his mind made him frown. There was, after all, something exciting about being so much stronger, and Hircine had praised him for harvesting the souls of those soldiers.<\/p>\n

It was almost too much to take.<\/p>\n

He passed Helgen, and turned east up the mountainside as the stars began appearing above him. There were scattered clouds and a few lazy snowflakes drifting down through the sky, and he felt no vastly increased heart rate, no drumming in his ears. He breathed deeply, relaxing into the beautiful evening.<\/p>\n

A few moments later, he pulled up. The roadway was almost completely blocked by two broken-down carts, a downed tree, and a number of bodies \u2013 horses and people both.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re mine!\u201d a voice called out from Chip\u2019s right.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou won\u2019t leave here alive!\u201d came another, from his left.<\/p>\n

From somewhere else, he couldn\u2019t tell where, a Khajiit said \u201cWell ain\u2019t this interesting!\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip fell backward a few paces as he heard arrows begin whizzing past.\u00a0 He ran up the hill toward the east, pulling his bow as he did and then swiveling back down toward his attackers. He sank an arrow into one of them, but didn\u2019t kill him; and before he could do anything else he was nearly surrounded. The three bandits were closing in on him.<\/p>\n

The next thing he was aware of was standing just uphill of the carriages, peering in horror at what looked like a sea of bodies. He sniffed the air and looked around himself, and was appalled by the carnage, once again.<\/p>\n

Did I do all this?<\/em><\/p>\n

He looked around again and shook his head.<\/p>\n

No. They did some of this. But by the gods. Look at this. <\/em><\/p>\n

He dropped to his knees and closed his eyes. Lord Hircine. I hope this has pleased you. I hope you will continue to guide my hunt.<\/em><\/p>\n

He felt no response from Hircine, and frowned. Stepping closer to one of the nearest corpses he realized that it looked different than those he\u2019d left behind at the Imperial camp on the plains of Whiterun.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t shredded; instead, there were many long, deep cuts in it.<\/p>\n

This man wasn\u2019t killed by a werewolf. Is this someone the bandits took out?<\/em><\/p>\n

He looked more closely at the body and realized that it was wearing an odd but solid combination of armor.\u00a0 The body just downhill from it, on the other hand, was dressed in light, loose clothing. Obviously this person had been riding on one of the carriages and had dressed for comfort rather than protection.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He moved among the bodies, a sick feeling washing over him as it became clear that he had, in fact, killed the bandits. He\u2019d done that with his short blades, not his claws. He pulled his Bosmer blade from its sheath and examined it, and gasped as he realized that it was indeed coated with blood.<\/p>\n

I killed them. I did. Not the beast. Not the werewolf. Me.<\/em><\/p>\n

He\u2019d always been proud of the fact that he\u2019d never purposefully taken a life except in self defense. He\u2019d always been very careful to keep out of situations where he would fight people rather than animals. Right at this moment, he was horrified. He\u2019d taken out half a dozen bandits, with his blades and his own two human hands. And he didn\u2019t remember doing it. During his last transformation he\u2019d been at least somewhat aware, somewhat in control.\u00a0 Not this time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what\u2019s happening to me,\u201d he moaned as he pressed east, into the pass through the base of the mountains. There wasn\u2019t anyone he could ask for guidance \u2013 not among his family, not among his friends. Anyone who might see him in his werewolf form would likely simply attack him. He passed a sizeable patrol of Stormcloak soldiers and cringed, hoping they would not notice how covered in blood he was; and in fact the dark disguised the extra blood on his black clothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cTalos guide you,\u201d at least two of the soldiers told him as he passed; and he grunted a response to them. Talos had never done a single thing for him, as far as he could tell. But there was, potentially, a family of werewolves in Solstheim.\u00a0 They might be able to tell him what to do. How to be. How he might stay alive.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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Home Previous \/ Next   The werewolf ran across the old Imperial road and climbed the hillside on its western flank, scrambling up the rocky slopes toward the old fort at its summit \u2013 Fort Sungard. He knew that if he was careful, he could drop down on the southern side of this ridge and … <\/p>\n

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