{"id":208,"date":"2020-11-27T13:55:46","date_gmt":"2020-11-27T20:55:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/?page_id=208"},"modified":"2020-11-30T16:14:25","modified_gmt":"2020-11-30T23:14:25","slug":"chapter-7","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/volume-1\/part-1-moonlight\/chapter-7\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 7"},"content":{"rendered":"
Home<\/a><\/div>\n
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 <\/p>\n

Chip squinted through the rain and the still-dark skies, trying to spot where the ship was headed. The captain had said they were nearing Raven Rock, when Chip had come back up onto the deck, but it was very hard to tell and the ship didn\u2019t seem to be slowing at all. He hoped they\u2019d be able to dock safely, no matter where they were; for in spite of being a good swimmer, Chip wasn\u2019t keen on the idea of doing so after having been tossed from a splintering deck.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In spite of Chip\u2019s misgivings, the crew guided the Northern Maiden into its place alongside the docks without issue. He hopped off the ship as Captain Gjalund was trading news with the Second Councilor and strode down the deck toward town.<\/p>\n

The moons were still bright in the sky. It would be some time before they were safely below the horizon. Chip decided to find the inn, both to get out from under their glare and to see whether he might gather any useful information.<\/p>\n

The inn \u2013 the Retching Netch \u2013 was not only beneath ground but very quiet, and Chip found himself breathing a sigh of relief as he walked down the stairs toward the bar. A friendly voice with Dunmer accents called out a greeting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome to the Retching Netch Corner Club, home of the finest sujamma that will ever grace your lips! I\u2019m Geldis Sadri. What can I do for you?\u201d The Dunmer bartender wearing deep red clothing smiled at him, and Chip couldn\u2019t help smiling back. Some of the Dunmer he knew had a real attitude, born of the unfortunate prejudice against them still held by so many of the Nords in Skyrim. Chip didn\u2019t feel that way and never had; and even if he\u2019d been inclined to agree with his fellow Nords, his parents and his uncles would have changed his mind for him. Roggi, in particular, had no patience at all for anti-Dunmer words.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll try some of your sujamma,\u201d he said, sliding the coins for his drink across the bar and taking the drink Geldis offered him. There was another Dunmer on the barstool at his left, a man wearing fine green robes and a noble\u2019s hat. He frowned warily at Chip, but gave him a nod. On the other side of the bar was a wholly unpleasant Orc who looked Chip over.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll give you this warning only once. Stay out of my way and we\u2019ll be just fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip looked him over and couldn\u2019t keep the corner of his mouth from rising into a sneer. Odd to see an Orc here in Morrowind. So he\u2019s the local tough, is he? I wonder what he\u2019d think of my fur coat.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cLikewise, I\u2019m sure,\u201d he said, grinning at the Orc as he pulled his drink toward him. The Orc sneered back at him and turned away.<\/p>\n

Chip took a seat at one of the nearby tables and enjoyed his beverage while watching the two men at the bar, and a few others who drifted in and out. It was good sujamma, for certain, though he didn\u2019t exactly have a wide range of samples under his belt. One or two visits to the corner club in Windhelm once he\u2019d finally come of age didn\u2019t exactly make for a broad selection with which to compare. But it was a tasty beverage, and he enjoyed it.<\/p>\n

After some time, the Orc rose and strode up the stairs. Chip could hear him bullying someone on the upper level.<\/p>\n

Well, good; he\u2019s occupied. Time to ask directions now that he\u2019s out of the way.<\/em><\/p>\n

He returned to the bar and caught Geldis Sadri\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were right about this,\u201d he said, sliding the tankard back to Sadri. \u201cVery tasty. Listen, I\u2019m wondering whether you might help me out with some directions. I\u2019ve heard rumors of werewolves here on the island. I\u2019m studying them, and I thought it might be good to get another perspective than just the ones in Skyrim. Anything you can tell me?\u201d He made certain to keep his voice low but not suspiciously so; nonchalant but not to the extent that anyone would question his sincerity.<\/p>\n

Da would be proud of that, I think.<\/em><\/p>\n

Sadri nodded. \u201cYes, actually. The Redoran guard have spotted a pack of werewolves in the mountains. The hunters up on Frostmoon Crag might know more.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFrostmoon Crag?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. Let me show you on your map.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip pulled out the map Roggi had given him and handed it to Sadri. He noticed one of the Dunmer\u2019s eyebrows rise a bit when he noticed the markings Dardeh had made, the place he\u2019d pointed out as Miraak\u2019s Temple. Frostmoon Crag, it seemed, wasn\u2019t near it; rather, it was closer to his current location, north and east, and across two ridges.<\/p>\n

Sadri handed him back the map. \u201cI\u2019m not positive that\u2019s exactly the right spot but it is up in that area. I\u2019m sure there\u2019s not much else there. It\u2019s all ice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks!\u201d Chip sounded excited, and he was. He was that much closer to potentially learning something about his new condition. If all he found was some wisdom on how to control it, the trip would have been worthwhile. He turned to leave.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe careful out there, if you\u2019re heading that way,\u201d Sadri called to him. \u201cWerewolves aren\u2019t the only things out there. People have reported seeing werebears, too, and they\u2019re sometimes even nastier.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks for the heads-up,\u201d Chip told him, waving as he headed for the stairs.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome back any time,\u201d Sadri said. \u201cMy door\u2019s always open.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In spite of having had his map marked, Chip managed to lose his way trying to get from Raven Rock to Frostmoon Crag. He found himself much too far east, and needing to cross a substantial ice field to get where he intended to go.<\/p>\n

At least I got a good look at the Temple. It\u2019s so huge! I\u2019ll have to ask Uncle Dar what\u2019s in there some time. <\/em><\/p>\n

As he dropped down from one ice shelf onto another, he heard a series of odd sounds. They were regular, like speech, but sounded more like barking. In the midst of them he heard a man shouting.<\/p>\n

“If death is what you want, you’ll have it!”<\/p>\n

What the\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He crept to the edge of the ice shelf and peered down over it. There was a man dressed in heavy furs \u2013 clearly a hunter \u2013 facing off with a huge boar. Mounted on the boar was a small, squat figure, its skin grey, in its hand a spear. Another of the creatures stood just beside it, threatening the hunter.<\/p>\n

Rieklings?<\/em><\/p>\n

Chip had, of course, heard of Rieklings before. They were something like a cross between a goblin and a dwarfed mer, ranging between grey to almost purple in color. They were fond of accumulating things, according to the tales he\u2019d heard; mostly, they collected junk but sometimes the shiny things they gathered included precious gems, and gold, and other items of great worth. Always, they were jealous of their territories; and, if the tales were true, they were fierce fighters with exceptionally good throwing arms and aim.<\/p>\n

The least I can do is help that hunter, Chip thought, drawing his bow and taking aim on the mounted Riekling. As he did so, he heard the creature yell.<\/p>\n

\u201cHagajawala! Hagajawala!\u201d<\/p>\n

Right. I don\u2019t know what you\u2019re saying, buddy, but get off that hunter.<\/em><\/p>\n

He loosed an arrow that struck the boar. The Riekling cried \u201cNo!\u201d and tried to steer his mount out of the line of fire, but Chip was too quick for him. He shot again, taking down the boar; and both boar and rider toppled, the boar crushing its rider beneath. Chip didn\u2019t have time to do much more than react, then, as a spear whizzed past his ear just to the left. The remaining Riekling was living up to its reputation as an expert spear-thrower. He looked down to see the spear-thrower brandishing another weapon.<\/p>\n

\u201cHagajawala!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, yeah, whatever you say,\u201d he muttered, firing just as the Riekling\u2019s spear grazed his arm. \u201cDamn it,\u201d he muttered, only to watch the arrow he\u2019d fired sink into the grey creature just as he\u2019d hoped.<\/p>\n

\u201cGuuh!\u201d the Riekling groaned.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou heard it here first, bud,\u201d Chip said, firing again and staggering the Riekling, while trying to skitter out of the path of another spear.<\/p>\n

\u201cHooojarakwafala!\u201d the Riekling cried, tossing one more spear that caught Chip square in the shoulder just after he had fired one last time. Chip yelped and watched the small form drop slowly to the ice and become still; then he healed himself while jumping down the ice to where the Rieklings were.<\/p>\n

So where\u2019s the hunter? Did they kill him?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI saw you, archer. You, with the red hair. You can\u2019t hide from me!\u201d he heard the man shriek. He was off to Chip\u2019s right, uphill from the Rieklings\u2019 corpses, and had been out of sight behind one of the slabs of ice. He was holding up a brutal-looking axe, but looking in the opposite direction, obviously not knowing where Chip was. Chip grimaced, pulled his hood more securely down over his hair and did what he knew how to do best; he dropped into a crouch and scurried away around the end of another huge outcropping of ice to hide from the man and find a better vantage point.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know why he\u2019s after me. I helped him! Unless one of those arrows hit him instead? I didn\u2019t think so, but he\u2019s after me anyway.<\/em><\/p>\n

Maybe he\u2019s a bandit. If he\u2019s a bandit, I\u2019m an idiot for trying to help him.<\/em><\/p>\n

He waited quietly behind the ice, listening for sounds of movement and hearing none. But when he raised his head to sample the air, he smelled the unmistakable scent of a man, and of heavy furs. He growled.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome after me, will you? We\u2019ll see about that.\u201d He backed quietly up the mountainside, behind the ice drift, until he caught a glimpse of the man through an opening, a break between two huge mounds of ice. The hunter was searching for him, that was clear. It was also clear that he could neither hear nor smell as well as Chip could. Chip slipped his bow in front of him and fired three times, in quick succession. He heard the man groan as the last arrow hit him, dropping him to the ground.<\/p>\n

He ran to the corpses, taking the hunter\u2019s axe and knife, as well as the several freshly-butchered pieces of raw meat he\u2019d been carrying. The boar, in particular, smelled so good that he couldn\u2019t resist taking a bite; and then, realizing that he was ravenous, he wolfed the whole slab down raw. He finished, and then stared at his own hands as though he didn\u2019t recognize them.<\/p>\n

Eating raw meat? A whole leg of boar at once? What is going on with me? How could I even hold that much food, much less eat it completely raw?<\/em><\/p>\n

The Rieklings were another story. The spear-thrower had a couple of lockpicks that he took, gratefully. He wasn\u2019t the best at picking locks, much to his parents\u2019 amusement – or dismay, he\u2019d never been sure which. But the real prize was in one of the pouches that the mounted Riekling had put on his boar. It was a soul gem; a huge one, and very dark in color; it was without the aura of power that meant it held a soul, but even empty black soul gems would fetch a good price.<\/p>\n

Then he heard something. It wasn\u2019t very clear, but off in the distance to the west he thought he heard human voices. He turned his head as he did while hunting, listening closely, trying to pinpoint the source of the sounds. Down the hill and to the west; that was where he needed to go.<\/p>\n

He retraced his steps down through the passages between ice outcroppings and continued downhill, stopping every few paces to focus again on the sounds he\u2019d heard. Just as he reached an obvious path across the snow, darkened by the passage of who knew how many feet, he not only heard voices but caught a whiff of something in the air. It was a scent that confused him; human, to be sure, but overlaid by wolf, much in the way Sinding\u2019s had been.<\/p>\n

I probably smell that way too. But why? I\u2019m looking for hunters right now. Unless\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The path veered off to his right. As he followed it, both the sounds and scents became clearer, more vivid. He slowed to a walk and approached what soon was visible as a large open area \u2013 a dugout, of sorts – tucked partially into the mountainside. As he approached the trailing edge of the glacial ice he started seeing movements, and then the flicker of a small campfire, and even the regular form of a pair of tanning racks set back under the rocky overhang. A woman dressed only in the barest covering of furs sat atop a boulder just at the entrance to this campsite. He cleared his throat so as to give some warning of his approach; in the unlikely event she didn\u2019t see his bright red hair she might hear the sounds he made. It wouldn\u2019t do to catch hunters by surprise.<\/p>\n

Well, here they are<\/em>. Took longer than I\u2019d have liked to find them, but here I am.<\/em><\/p>\n

The woman jumped down from the boulder and drew a well-sharpened dagger, stepping out to block his passage. Chip held up his hands, palms out, to show that he meant no harm and had no weapons at the ready.<\/p>\n

\u201cHold, traveler,\u201d the woman said. \u201cYou have no business here. Be on your way.\u201d Then she raised her chin slightly, and sniffed the air.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait. You\u2026 you\u2019re one of us, aren\u2019t you? A werewolf?\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip\u2019s mouth sagged open for a moment before he spoke. \u201cI was right then. I thought I smelled werewolf on the wind but I couldn\u2019t imagine\u2026 I was looking for a group of hunters in Frostmoon Crag. This is the place, right? And to think, you\u2019re also the werewolves.\u201d He shook his head. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I\u2019m babbling. My name\u2019s Chip. And yes, I\u2019m a werewolf. Very recently. That\u2019s why I\u2019ve come.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen perhaps you do have business here. Forgive me. I\u2019m Rakel, of the Frostmoon Pack. Welcome, brother.\u201d She sheathed her dagger and returned to her stony perch, resuming her obvious duties as the lookout for the pack.<\/p>\n

Chip approached her, slowly, and smiled as he got near. She was really rather lovely, he noted. Her chestnut hair was tied back into a tail, her shoulders and most of her upper torso bared to the sun and air; her features were delicate and, at that moment, wearing an open expression. He was certain, though, that \u201clovely\u201d in no way implied weak, or soft, or naive.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m pleased to meet you, Rakel,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is all very new to me. And confusing. I had hoped to get some guidance, maybe. Basic information.\u201d He took stock of the area and noted two men, one working at a tanning rack and the other sitting quietly by the fire. There was also another woman near the firepit, her back to him. \u201cSo, do you all live out here?\u201d he asked in what he hoped was not a condescending or overly stupid way.<\/p>\n

Brilliant. Of course they live out here. But I have to open the conversation up somehow, don\u2019t I? <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve lived here since I was born. My parents were members of the pack back when Majni\u2019s father was alpha. After they died, Majni and Akar took care of me. Taught me to hunt. I\u2019m not as good as they are, but I do my best.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not as old as they are, either,\u201d Chip said, grinning at her. \u201cI find I don\u2019t do most things as well as my da and my uncles, as well.\u201d He looked around again. \u201cDo you ever think about moving to a city?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rakel laughed. \u201cWhy? Have you seen how they live? They cower behind their walls, afraid of every ash hopper. Every netch. No. I\u2019d rather be here, free to hunt. Free to live my life as I choose.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded. \u201cI grew up in Riften, in Skyrim. I know what you mean. I\u2019ve always felt a bit\u2026 trapped. Restless. I ended up building my own home in the wilderness, away from the city. I still have walls,\u201d he added, laughing. \u201cAnd a fence. But I understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded at him and gave him another smile, and he found himself curiously drawn to her. She was very pretty. She smelled good. His gaze shifted to the two men working in the campsite and he laughed at himself.<\/p>\n

And I\u2019ll bet they would rip me to shreds if I so much as suggested anything more than a friendly conversation. <\/em><\/p>\n

He nodded at her again and began to move past her, intending to speak to the others near the fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cHircine go with you,\u201d Rakel said as he passed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you. He seems to. I hope it will continue.\u201d That reminded Chip that he hadn\u2019t thanked Hircine for getting him through the battles with the Rieklings and the lone hunter. He stepped aside a bit and dropped to his knees to pay his respects.<\/p>\n

Once his silent prayer was finished, he moved back into the campsite and approached the rather forbidding-looking man seated on a stone behind the campfire. On the rocks around him Chip noticed two sets of human bones, and couldn\u2019t help wondering whose they were. Were they kills? Were they perhaps the bones of Rakel\u2019s parents, arranged in a place of honor? He didn\u2019t know enough about how these people lived to have any idea.<\/p>\n

The man looked up at him, growled, and said \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

I see this one is more wolf than man. Fair enough.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWho are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAkar,\u201d the man said, his voice low and rough, just above a growl. \u201cMajni\u2019s brother. I hunt, he talks. Go talk to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hunt too,\u201d Chip said. \u201cAll the time. What kinds of things do you hunt?\u201d<\/p>\n

Akar grunted. \u201cDeer. Sabers. Rieks. Boar. Bear. I hunt soon. Go bother Majni.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip nodded, and turned toward the two remaining people in the camp. Behind him he heard Akar once more: \u201cHrmph.\u201d He couldn\u2019t help but smile. If not for his exceptionally sociable family, he might have ended up simply grunting at people, as well. But his Da, Brynjolf, was a man of cleverly-woven words; and his uncle Roggi was a man of many, many words.<\/p>\n

The nearer of the two remaining people in the camp was an angry-looking, sharp-featured woman who rose to move away as he approached. Unlike the others here, who had auburn hair a few shades lighter than his own, this woman was blonde and looked slightly out of place.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t trust you, whelp,\u201d she snarled, her voice barely escaping from between tightly-clenched teeth. \u201cKeep that in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHang on just a second,\u201d Chip said, a bit annoyed. \u201cNobody said you had to trust me, or like me, but I\u2019m trying to be friendly. I\u2019m just looking for information. Are you part of this pack too?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor now,\u201d she said, stopping to turn toward him. \u201cI\u2019m Hjordis. My pack lived in the mountains northeast of here, until they were wiped out. Damn werebears.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm. That\u2019s the second time I\u2019ve heard about werebears near here. Go on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMajni offered to help me reclaim my territory. I hunt with him until then. After that? We\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip looked at her for a few moments. He could sense not only the obvious anger, but also a deep sorrow in her eyes, a sadness that would likely only be relieved through bloody revenge on the werebears. He felt something bubbling up inside him, some emotion he wasn\u2019t familiar with. Before he could identify it, though, she turned away.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoodbye, whelp.\u201d It was sarcastic, dismissive, and unfriendly; and Chip watched in dismay as she went to where Akar still rested on his boulder and sat down next to him.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Maybe she\u2019s his mate. It would be a good match. The two of them seem very suited to each other. It\u2019s no wonder she\u2019s angry, though. Werebears, to the northeast.<\/em><\/p>\n

He heaved a sigh. There was something important about that, something he would need to investigate later. In the meantime, he made his way to the tanning racks, where a man wearing a fur helmet worked hides. He was an oddly nondescript Nord, not particularly large in build; and yet as Chip approached him he could sense the great power of the alpha wolf that lay beneath his outer skin.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou must be Majni,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cMy name is Chip. Well, actually it\u2019s Brynjolf, after my father; but I\u2019ve been called Chip all my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome, brother,\u201d Majni responded; and indeed, he had a welcoming voice, warm and open. \u201cIt\u2019s been too long since we met another who shares our blood. I am indeed Majni. Alpha of the Frostmoon pack. You are welcome here, so long as you respect our law.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Chip said quietly. \u201cI\u2019ve come because, well, as you no doubt can tell I am very young. And have only known that I have the blood for a short time. I\u2019m very confused.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will talk, then,\u201d Majni said, rising and stepping back from the tanning rack. He didn\u2019t have a chance to continue, though, as a Riekling spear suddenly landed between the two of them.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Before he had more than a chance to blink, Chip found himself trailing the full Frostmoon Pack in an attack on the Riekling that had thrown the spear. It had come down through the same opening in the ice Chip had taken to get here, possibly looking for revenge for the deaths of its fellows. There was no way to know. Regardless, the hunt that followed was brief and deadly. Majni and Akar attacked with blades; the two women with bows. Chip sprinted up the path drawing his own blades and managed to land the killing blow, a lucky backhanded swipe with his dagger on the strange creature when both of the other men stepped back after their own strikes.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood hunting, brother,\u201d Majni said as the others wandered back toward the fire. \u201cNow, we will talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip nodded. \u201cI\u2019m not even sure what I need to know. You\u2019re all werewolves?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye. The blood still runs true among some on Solstheim, as it has for centuries.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip\u2019s brain raced. \u201cWait.\u201d He opened his mouth, trying to formulate the question and not knowing how. \u201cWhat do you mean by \u2018the blood runs true?\u2019 I thought you could only become a werewolf through something like a bite. Or a scratch.\u201d He shook his head. \u201cThis is one of the things I\u2019m confused about, Majni. How did I get this way? I\u2019ve never been close to a werewolf before and now\u2026\u201d He raised his hands and then dropped them in a gesture that felt as futile as his attempts to make sense of what was happening to him.<\/p>\n

Majni nodded, and smiled. \u201cWe have chosen to embrace Lord Hircine\u2019s blessing.\u201d He stopped to examine Chip for a moment and nodded. \u201cYou know it well. The speed and strength of the beast. The thrill of the hunt. The triumph of the kill.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt runs\u2026 in your family? Is that what you\u2019re saying?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye. This is our purpose, our way of life. It is passed on in some families, so long as the bloodline is not extinguished. So it was for my father, and his father before him, and I welcome any who walk that path.\u201d<\/p>\n

By all the gods. Maybe that\u2019s why Hjordis is so angry. Her line was nearly wiped out. And now the only way to continue it is to join with another pack.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you the only werewolves on Solstheim?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou might find a few others. Strays. Lone hunters. But ours is the last true pack that remains.\u201d He turned back toward the camp. \u201cCome. We will talk for a time.\u201d<\/p>\n

They found places near the fire and Majni, as promised and as Akar had suggested, talked. He reminded Chip of his uncle Roggi, weaving long tales of adventure and glory that had Chip\u2019s eyes sparkling and his heart beating faster. Majni gave him some tips for hunting, for how to manage his being a werewolf, and Chip committed them to memory eagerly. At last it seemed that Majni was winding down.<\/p>\n

\u201cI should go. But I thank you more than I could say. I feel more certain now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is one more thing before you leave,\u201d Majni said. \u201cSince the days of the Great Hunt our pack has kept a set of rings blessed by Lord Hircine himself. I sense his favor on you.\u201d He looked pointedly down at Chip\u2019s hand, where the ring he\u2019d had from Sinding rested comfortably. \u201cFor you, I would part with them. If you can pay my price. Even we need gold from time to time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand,\u201d Chip said. \u201cWhat are these rings?\u201d<\/p>\n

Majni pulled a small pouch from his fur armor and opened it, shaking four rings into his palm. Chip\u2019s attention was drawn instantly to a silver ruby ring.<\/p>\n

His father wore a ruby on one hand \u2013 a gold and ruby ring that he never removed and never allowed anyone else but his mother to touch. There was something that had always fascinated him about the ruby. He couldn\u2019t take his eyes off the one in Majni\u2019s palm, either. He pointed to it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat does that one do?\u201d<\/p>\n

Majni smiled. \u201cThis is the Ring of the Hunt. You\u2019ve chosen well, young whelp. The one who wears this ring is given the ability to heal, during a hunt in his true form, without stopping to consume the kill. You will have noticed that is not usually the case.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip nodded, thinking about his very close call with the bear, his first night. \u201cYes indeed. I want this ring, Majni. How much?\u201d<\/p>\n

Majni wanted four thousand septims for the ring, a figure which at first nearly froze the blood in Chip\u2019s veins. It was nearly all the money he had with him, and close to all the money he had in the world aside from a few pouches in the safe in his home. He hesitated; but something about the ring called to him in a way few things ever had.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Perhaps it is Hircine, helping me to become closer to him. It doesn\u2019t matter. I\u2019m going to do it.<\/em><\/p>\n

He reached into his pack, and pulled out all the coin he had with him, handing most of it to the imposing but kind alpha werewolf before him. Taking the ring, he slipped it onto his hand and smiled.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. This was a good choice. Thank you for everything, Majni.\u201d<\/p>\n

He rose from the fireside and turned back toward the crevice in the ice. Northeast. That was where he needed to go. There were werebears there who needed to be driven away. He could do that for these people who had helped him.<\/p>\n

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Home Previous \/ Next   Chip squinted through the rain and the still-dark skies, trying to spot where the ship was headed. The captain had said they were nearing Raven Rock, when Chip had come back up onto the deck, but it was very hard to tell and the ship didn\u2019t seem to be slowing … <\/p>\n

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