{"id":2581,"date":"2023-08-04T16:27:04","date_gmt":"2023-08-04T22:27:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/?page_id=2581"},"modified":"2024-01-15T16:46:55","modified_gmt":"2024-01-15T23:46:55","slug":"chapter-6-brynjolf","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/volume-3\/part-i-horizons\/chapter-6-brynjolf\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 6 – Brynjolf"},"content":{"rendered":"
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 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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

Once again Brynjolf found himself unable to produce anything more useful than the name of the person he saw before him. It was such a startling difference from the younger Brynjolf\u2019s usual clean-shaven, short-haired appearance that he hadn\u2019t recognized him at first. And that was the least of it. He didn\u2019t remember his son with such a solid build. Chip had always been fit, for certain, even as a child – but lean, not muscled with arms like a blacksmith\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou startled me, lad. You look\u2026\u201d He trailed off, not quite knowing how to phrase what was going through his mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou look positively shaggy<\/em>, Chip,\u201d Qaralana said, finishing the statement. \u201cWhat is all this?\u201d She waved at her own face.<\/p>\n

Chip snorted. \u201cIt\u2019s hair. And a beard. What else would it be?\u201d<\/p>\n

She crossed her arms and tsk\u2019d. \u201cYou know what I mean. And look at you! You\u2019ve put on weight and all of it is muscle. And what happened to your armor?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chip ran a hand over his chin and grinned again. \u201cWell, basically I outgrew it. Literally. It doesn\u2019t fit anymore. I\u2019ve been hunting and chopping down trees and pounding on nails and pegs and stuff since you left and I guess I bulked up. I wasn\u2019t really thinking about hair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara peered at him. \u201cLots and lots of hunting, I\u2019ll bet,\u201d she said quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh absolutely. I\u2019ve spent time running back and forth between here and Amber Creek, too, to get supplies and what have you, and hunting with the Hjorgunnars.\u201d He smiled happily. \u201cLots of hunting, as you said.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf quietly listened to his children chattering with each other as they took seats before the fire, wondering at the emphasis on certain words that said the two of them shared knowledge of something he didn\u2019t know. Maybe more than one thing, for that matter. Then, as though it had needed some time to fully register in his consciousness, a thought came to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait. Did you say Hjorgunnars?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI sure did!\u201d Chip answered happily. \u201cBrothers. Ulgar and Svegard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey fought with us against Yngvarr,\u201d Qara said. \u201cThey\u2019re both big and powerful. Like Chip,\u201d she added, peering at him again with a question in her eyes.<\/p>\n

Brynjolf frowned, puzzled. \u201cWhy do I know those names? If I remember them from more than fifty years ago they must have been grown men then or they wouldn\u2019t have left much of an impression on me. But that doesn\u2019t seem likely, that someone that much older than me would have been fighting in a war.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip snorted. \u201cYou didn\u2019t see your father. He held his own with the best of them on either side.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s really strong, Daddy,\u201d Qara added.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need to tell me that, lass,\u201d Brynjolf said, frowning at the memory of Brunulvr\u2019s fist crashing into his face. \u201cHe\u2019s always been strong. But he\u2019s so much older now. And so would those brothers be. It makes no sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chip grinned up at him. \u201cDoes it make sense that you look so much younger than you are? Does it make sense that Farkas and Vilkas look about my age? Actually, Ulgar and Svegard remind me of them in a lot of ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if they\u2019re the same people I remember hearing about when I was a child they\u2019d be twenty winters or so older than I am. Tell me they\u2019re at least gray-haired like me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip shook his head. \u201cNope. Like I said, they remind me of Farkas and Vilkas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf sighed. He didn\u2019t know what this meant, but he did know it didn\u2019t make sense. Maybe these were the sons of the people he only vaguely recalled. Truthfully, it didn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m kind of surprised Qara got you to come,\u201d Chip said. \u201cHave you seen them yet?\u201d<\/p>\n

He felt himself smirking. \u201cYes, I have, lad. It was\u2026 odd. It\u2019s hard to think of people you haven\u2019t seen in fifty years as your parents.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought they were going to tear into each other right in front of me, Chip. Daddy got mad and used his Nightingale power\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you didn\u2019t!\u201d Chip exclaimed. \u201cReally, Da? You let that cranky old man get to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf felt himself flushing. \u201cYes, I did. I shouldn\u2019t have, but I did. And now everyone knows what I\u2019m capable of. Including me.\u201d<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t realize how easy it would be to get someone to do themselves harm. I should have, after what Mercer did to me and Karliah. Now I know. I\u2019ll never forgive Mercer, but I understand him a bit better.<\/em><\/p>\n

Chip grinned up at him again. \u201cThat\u2019s good. Grandda forgets, sometimes, that other people aren\u2019t him.\u201d<\/p>\n

He examined his son once more. It was impressive, how much he\u2019d grown in so many different ways. But he needed to give the boy a message before he forgot in the swirl of new old experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the way, lad. Speaking of Farkas and Vilkas\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip looked at him, eyes narrowed. \u201cWhat about them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell it seems you\u2019re more than you let on to me, the last time we spoke. Does the word \u2018Harbinger\u2019 mean anything to you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip frowned. \u201cDon\u2019t play with me, Da. If you know that word, you know it means something to me. I didn\u2019t ask to have the job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not doing<\/em> the job, according to Vilkas, and he doesn\u2019t like not knowing where everything stands.\u201d<\/p>\n

A low rumble sounded from Chip\u2019s throat. \u201cI assumed he would be in charge. He\u2019s the obvious choice. I guess he didn\u2019t get the message.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye. I guess he didn\u2019t.\u201d He ran a hand over his chin and then shook his head. \u201cI\u2019m a fine one to say anything, lad, given how many times I cut out and left Delvin in charge, but you need to go back and either make it official or do your job. It\u2019s not right to leave your second in charge without any definite word.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was just about to add something about his own experiences when Qara did it for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess you were the one left hanging a few times, weren\u2019t you, Daddy? I\u2019ve heard about a couple of them from Karliah. About Mama.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip looked at her as if something had suddenly occurred to him. \u201cYeah. About Ma – where is she? How come she\u2019s not here too? I know the old folks were hoping for a full-on family reunion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara looked up at Brynjolf and sighed. \u201cYou\u2019d best sit down, Daddy. We need to bring Chip up to date. Besides,\u201d she added, waving up the road toward the guard, \u201cI want to see what Chip\u2019s done here and it\u2019s not that long till daylight. We might as well have the discussion now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf sighed. He\u2019d been feeling better since they left Amber Creek but having the situation with Sayma – no, Dagnell – hit him full in the face again reminded him of why he\u2019d been willing to leave Riften for a time, leave the Guild for a time, leave his side business for a time. And as soon as he thought about that business, the anxious, uneasy feeling in his body started up again.<\/p>\n

Well there\u2019s nothing for it but to tell the lad what he needs to know. I can\u2019t very well do anything else now, can I?<\/em><\/p>\n

He lowered himself to a spot next to the fire, opposite his children so that perhaps they wouldn\u2019t see his pain so clearly. Maybe he\u2019d be able to get through this unscathed.<\/p>\n

He started talking, staring at the fire, and not looking up. If he had, he might have seen Qara and Chip exchanging glances, Qara shaking her head once or twice. He might have noticed Chip sampling the air once or twice, save for the fact that the crackling of the fire covered this sound of his discreet sniffing. But he didn\u2019t notice those things; and before he knew it, the sun had risen.<\/p>\n

They jumped down from the ledge where Chip had set up his camp and wandered into the town. Brynjolf again watched his children chattering away to each other as Chip pointed out Pinevale Hall, the largest building in the town and the one that, he said, served as a temporary home for the new residents as well as an inn.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m pretty proud of that place,\u201d Chip said. \u201cWe needed to get some kind of shelter set up so we could reopen the mine. No point in having a town if there\u2019s no source of income. So we tore down all the burned and rotten wood and rebuilt on the same spot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf looked around once more and smiled. \u201cI really don\u2019t remember much about this place except the fire. It seems as though you\u2019ve done a good job, lad. It\u2019ll keep growing, I\u2019m sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip grinned. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t just me, of course, but yeah. I guess I needed to do something for Falskaar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBesides helping win the war, you mean?\u201d Qara responded, chuckling. \u201cI think you really wanted an excuse to be out here with all the game. You were hunting last night when we arrived, weren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf watched Chip flush bright red, and wondered why. \u201cWell, yeah,\u201d Chip answered. \u201cYou must have heard me. And yes, I love this spot out here. I don\u2019t expect to stay forever or anything. That\u2019s why I didn\u2019t build a cabin for myself or anything like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust as well, Chip. Daddy\u2019s right, you need to take care of things at home. And we need to get back to Amber Creek,\u201d Qara said. \u201cThey\u2019re waiting for us. Yes?\u201d she added, her voice carrying the weight of authority.<\/p>\n

Chip made a sound that sounded to Brynjolf very much like a growl. He peered at Chip, curious. There was something going on here that he didn\u2019t understand, something that his children knew but he did not. He wanted to ask outright, but he had a nagging feeling that he knew what the thing was, if he would just still his mind, observe, and let the thoughts rise to the surface.<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, let\u2019s go. The sooner done, the sooner we can leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

He waited for a moment, watching Chip and Qara head down the road before taking a moment to quell the unease in his body and follow after them.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It was just about nine that evening when the near-catastrophe struck.<\/p>\n

They\u2019d been sitting around the fire while Gulmist fussed over all of them or worked at her alchemy table. Qara chatted with her the way she always had chatted to her mother. Brynjolf had been quiet, mostly, and for the most part so had his father and Chip. But the later it got, the more edgy the old man seemed to be. He\u2019d stood and paced the room like a caged animal several times. Then Chip started doing the same thing. He watched them, again feeling as though he was missing something that should have been obvious but was just out of reach.<\/p>\n

Chip rose again. It seemed to Brynjolf as though Chip\u2019s breathing was faster, and his eyes wore an expression of near-panic.<\/p>\n

\u201cI, uh\u2026\u201d Chip said, looking at his grandfather. \u201cI need to go outside. I, uh\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Brunulvr stood, and placed a firm hand on Chip\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cNa laddie. Tis nae safe oot thare. Thay wilnae understand whit’s happening tae ye. Come wi’ me.\u201d He headed down over the stairs with Chip at his heels.<\/p>\n

Brynjolf looked first at Qara and then at Gulmist, confused. Qara hoisted herself off the floor and made for the stairs as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go, Brynny,\u201d Gulmist told him. \u201cYour father has some things to tell you, and I think maybe Chip does as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Qara and Gulmist bolted for the staircase, with Brynjolf not far behind them. He got to the bottom just in time to see the women disappearing through an opening in the house\u2019s wall. It was impossible to miss the fact that a large bookcase that had been flat against the wall had been swung out perpendicular to it.<\/p>\n

What in Oblivion\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

He reached the roughly-carved tunnel just as a huge roar erupted from the space beyond its end. It was a familiar sound, the same one he\u2019d heard near Pinevale, but he couldn\u2019t place what it was, exactly. He took a couple of hesitant steps into the tunnel and then froze as a huge form bounded up the tunnel and stopped before him, breathing heavily. Brynjolf froze.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It was a werewolf. A werewolf with a deep auburn coat and greenish eyes. A werewolf that should have been his end, based on every other werewolf encounter he\u2019d ever had – but this one was breathing, noisily but calmly, just staring at him.<\/p>\n

The wolf cleared its throat.<\/p>\n

\u201cDa.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a moment, he felt as though he might pass out. He couldn\u2019t grasp it.<\/p>\n

My vision is blurry but I know what I see before my own eyes and there\u2019s nobody else that could be! Besides\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

He sniffed, testing the air. While his senses were in no way as sharp as they had been during the two periods in which he\u2019d been a vampire, he had caught this scent before. His mind cast back, to try to remember where or when; but the huge beast blocking his progress down the tunnel took his mind away from the effort.<\/p>\n

\u201cChip? Is that you, lad?\u201d<\/p>\n

The werewolf nodded. Then another word forced its way out through the long and frightening teeth.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf nodded slowly and followed the beast down the tunnel. Much to his surprise, it ended in a large cavern with a pool at its back. A wooden platform to his right held an enchanting table, and downslope and to his left was a raised stone platform with two mannequins flanking a standing bear, taxidermy having preserved it in mid-roar. Chip had run past all the humans in the space, and was examining the mannequins as if he recognized the armor they wore.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is going on?\u201d he asked as he approached Qara. \u201cI don\u2019t understand, other than the obvious.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brunulvr turned to face him. \u201cSo, ye dinnae ken aboot th’ laddie?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I didn\u2019t,\u201d he said, even as the memory arose. It had been the day he\u2019d told Chip about having been a vampire. That\u2019s when he\u2019d smelled wolf. \u201cThough the subject did<\/em> come up once, and Chip promised me he hadn\u2019t been scratched or bitten.\u201d He glanced at the werewolf and felt a shudder rolling up his spine. It didn\u2019t matter how long ago it had been: werewolves and vampires were not generally on friendly terms and he couldn\u2019t help his visceral reaction. At that, the werewolf bared its fangs and its tongue lolled out of its mouth. It came down off the platform and moved toward them.<\/p>\n

The brat is laughing at me! At least I think it\u2019s a laugh. That\u2019s what a dog does, anyway.<\/em><\/p>\n

Brunulvr shook his head. \u201cNa, tis nae lik’ that. Th’ laddie wasn’t bitten. That’s nae how this goes.\u201d He turned to Chip. \u201cAre ye a’richt, laddie? Kin ye turn back on yer ain?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The great red beast bobbed its head. Brynjolf watched in horrified fascination as the furry body snapped, and contorted, shortened and compacted, and the red fur reverted to just a shaggy mop of red hair on his son\u2019s head and a generous covering of body hair through which his almond brown skin showed.<\/p>\n

Chip gasped, clutching his chest, as the transformation ceased. \u201cGods. I don\u2019t care how long this has been going on; I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever get used to it.\u201d He looked at his grandfather. \u201cI\u2019m not sure how you knew, but thank you for getting me to a safe space before it happened. I was getting more anxious by the second. Wouldn\u2019t do to have people trying to hunt me down, and it would be a lot worse if the wolf decided to hunt people. I can\u2019t always control it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me, lad? Back when I asked you about\u2026\u201d Brynjolf began.<\/p>\n

\u201cI answered your question, Da,\u201d Chip interrupted. \u201cYou asked if I was bitten or scratched. I wasn\u2019t. It just happened one night, while I was out near Markarth. Roggi and Dardeh assumed that the massacre at the Imperial camp out on the tundra was done by the same werewolf that killed a little girl in Falkreath. I didn\u2019t tell them otherwise, and they didn\u2019t ask.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf sighed. \u201cI guess you two learned from me better than I expected. Don\u2019t lie, but don\u2019t necessarily share all the details.\u201d He frowned. \u201cBut that doesn\u2019t explain it. How <\/em>did this happen?\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip shook his head. \u201cI don\u2019t know<\/em>, Da. That\u2019s just it. I\u2019ve been trying to find an answer ever since the first time it happened. I went to Solstheim to talk to the family there. I\u2019ve talked to\u2026 well, people in Skyrim who knew from personal experience. Nobody could tell me anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot even Hircine?\u201d Qara asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot even Hircine,\u201d Chip agreed. \u201cThough who knows whether he would have said anything anyway. So here I am. It\u2019s been long enough now that I can mostly<\/em> control where and when I transform. Not always.\u201d<\/p>\n

It slowly dawned on Brynjolf that Qaralana\u2019s question raised another, in his mind at least. \u201cYou knew about this, lass?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Daddy. It was hard not to know something was up, what with Chip running around smelling <\/em>everything like a dog and hearing things I couldn\u2019t begin to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that helped us out a few times, didn\u2019t it?\u201d Chip grumbled. \u201cBut I\u2019m still no closer to knowing the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think your grandfather can help you with that,\u201d Gulmist said quietly.<\/p>\n

Chip turned toward Brunulvr, looking hopeful. \u201cGrandda? What do you know? And is that why you led me down here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brunulvr nodded. \u201cAye, laddie, this cave wis meant tae be secret, fur hunters or a’body else needing a safe steid ta hide. As tae how ah knew ye wur a shape-shifter, well, ah caught yer scent.\u201d He paced back and forth for a bit and then moved closer to Gulmist. \u201cYe see, thare are times when lycanthropy runs in th’ family. Naught tae be done aboot it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf\u2019s mouth fell open. \u201cWell the lad didn\u2019t get it from me!\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip chuckled. \u201cNo, that\u2019s for certain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brunulvr shook his head. \u201cSometimes it skips generations; ye ne’er ken whin it\u2019ll appear. \u00a0Th’ ainlie way tae be sure it wilnae is tae end th’ bloodline, and none o’ us hae wanted tae do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

This makes no sense. I\u2019m missing something obvious about it, but what? If Chip didn\u2019t get it from a bite or scratch, and not from me, then\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBrunulvr?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He watched his mother smile at the old man, who smiled back. It might have been the first genuine smile he\u2019d ever seen on his father\u2019s face, and it filled him with an odd, bittersweet satisfaction.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou may as well show them, dear,\u201d Gulmist said quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAye. That ah shuid.\u201d The old man moved away from them, up onto the stone platform where Chip had been not long before. \u201cNow dinnae be alarmed ‘n’ dinnae dae anythin’ rash.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then the most remarkable thing Brynjolf had ever witnessed took place before all of them. Brunulvr made a sound that was half groan, half roar. He hunched over, and it seemed to Brynjolf that Brunulvr\u2019s body was going through the same process he\u2019d just watched in Chip, only in reverse. The man\u2019s arms lengthened to the unsettling sound of snapping and moaning. His torso thickened. Chip cried out, \u201cOh!\u201d just as the transformation neared its end, and the old man stood and reached his arms to the ceiling and cried out himself.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Only it wasn\u2019t a cry. It was a deep, full-throated roar. And it wasn\u2019t a man standing before them, nor a vampire lord, nor a werewolf. It was an enormous werebear, white as the snow on the mountaintops and white as the hair on Brunulvr\u2019s human head.<\/p>\n

\u201cGranddaddy!\u201d Qara breathed.<\/p>\n

The werebear panted for a moment, then plodded down the stone steps to approach Chip. It rumbled in its throat for a moment, clearly wrestling its voice box into compliance.<\/p>\n

\u201cYe see, laddie? It somewhiles skips generations. Ye didnae sniff a wolf, fur ah\u2019m net a wolf.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

To Brynjolf\u2019s eye, his son was shuddering as the great white bear approached him. \u201cHrokkibeg?\u201d Chip breathed, almost reverently. \u201cYou\u2019re an aspect of Hircine?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCloser tae say ah wis touched by an aspect o’ Hircine. A lang time ago. A great lang time. Ah’m very auld, laddie. That’s how come ah kin speak in this form. A’ve hud a lot o’ practice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo wonder,\u201d Chip murmured. \u201cI was drawn to a captive werebear and\u2026 That\u2019s why?\u201d Chip caught a shuddering breath. \u201cEver since it first happened to me all I\u2019ve wanted in the world was to understand why. Why Hircine chose me to be his hunter, to take the shape of a wolf. And you\u2019re telling me all along it was in my blood?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, laddie,\u201d the bear answered, bobbing its head. \u201cHircine chose ye tae be his hunter. Th’ wolf wis already in ye. It wid hae come oot even if ye hadnae met Hircine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip shook. When he spoke, even his voice quavered.\u201cSo I really am<\/em> Hircine\u2019s chosen hunter. It\u2019s just not the way I thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAccording to your sister you\u2019re quite the hunter, at that,\u201d Gulmist said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPretty much the best I\u2019ve ever seen,\u201d Qara said. \u201cNot that I\u2019ve seen everyone, but even so, Chip almost never misses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, sis,\u201d Chip murmured.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake pride in that, grandson,\u201d Gulmist added. \u201cYou\u2019ve got a level of skill most never reach. And if Hircine touched you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlrabeg,\u201d the werebear rumbled. \u201cThe hunter. Ye’v likely met him, laddie. He carries a spear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip peered at the werebear and shook his head. \u201cI met someone. In the Hunting Grounds. There were<\/em> people with spears there, but this one didn\u2019t speak. He just gave me this.\u201d He brought the Totem of the Wild Hunt forward and showed it to his grandfather. \u201cIf I slam it into the ground I get all sorts of were-beasts to help in a battle. But I prefer relying on the bow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, laddie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip shook his head again. \u201cI can\u2019t believe it. This has been worrying me – no, hurting<\/em> me – for the longest time. I thought there was something wrong with me. Now I know it was just – what I am. Thank you, Grandda. Thank you so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf\u2019s mind swam, and he stared blankly at the floor. He was suddenly reminded of a conversation with Agryn and Vyctyna, when they\u2019d been discussing how it was that he, Brynjolf, had taken on so much of Vitus\u2019 vampiric power so easily.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood blood,\u201d she said. I don\u2019t think she knew exactly what it meant, but she knew it was something inside me that let me use so much power. And this is why. It may have skipped over me, but I still carry the blood. And it has power in it.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBy the gods,\u201d Chip cried out. \u201cI\u2019ve felt like I needed to hide away from everyone else until I learned why and how this happened, and how to control it. I felt like I did something wrong. I knew Hircine wanted me for his hunter- that\u2019s why I have this bow, and this staff – but the werewolf part\u2026\u201d He stopped and shook his head when he saw them all staring at him. \u201cSorry, it\u2019s a long story. Just know that I thought I did something wrong. All this time. I couldn\u2019t bear being around Farkas and Vilkas, especially now that they\u2019re human again, and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait,\u201d Brynjolf said, holding up a hand. \u201cYou\u2019re saying that Farkas and Vilkas were\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWerewolves. Yes,\u201d Chip said, nodding vigorously. \u201cThey got it the way most people do. Through the blood of another werewolf. There were others in the Companions too, but only one remains now. Farkas and Vilkas were cured. With my help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you didn\u2019t cure yourself,\u201d Qara said quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo! Why would I?\u201d Chip tossed up his hands. \u201cI didn\u2019t know whether or not I was being punished somehow but Hircine chose<\/em> me for this. At least that\u2019s what I assumed. And now you\u2019re telling me that\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cThat it\u2019s in your blood, grandson,\u201d Gulmist said quietly. \u201cYes.\u201d She walked over to the white werebear and gave it a pat. It grinned at her, and she returned to stand at the entrance to the cavern. \u201cI\u2019m not nearly as old as your grandfather, my dears. Not at all. He probably had a full lifetime before he met me but I never asked. I don\u2019t want to know. He\u2019s my grumpy old bear and that\u2019s all there is to it. But we continued the line. We hoped it would pass over Brynny, so that he didn\u2019t have to run from the rest of the world and hide in the dark forever, but now we see that the blood still runs strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

You have no idea.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHuh,\u201d Qara said. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t explain me, though. Being Dragonborn doesn\u2019t have anything to do with Hircine, I\u2019m pretty sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf roused himself enough to address that issue. \u201cThat\u2019s from your Ma, lass,\u201d he said quietly, looking at Qaralana. \u201cDardeh and Roggi saw it. She couldn\u2019t Shout and she couldn\u2019t absorb a dragon\u2019s soul but her side of the family has power, too. Just look at Dardeh. You<\/em> absorbed a dragon through her before you were born. If it had just been my part of your building-blocks that wouldn\u2019t have happened. I\u2019m certain of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

A rustle of movement startled him, and he turned back to find the werebear standing directly before him. The beast was so close that Brynjolf could see the textures of its individual teeth. A part of him – the small, injured boy of so many decades in the past – wanted to cower in fear; but he steeled himself to stand perfectly still and to stare into the werebear\u2019s eyes. It was almost too much to grasp.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

How old is he, then? How can it be?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSon,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDae ye see noo? Dae ye ken?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf\u2019s mind twisted up into knots as he watched the gigantic creature breathe. He didn\u2019t understand the whole idea of lycanthropy, and why would he, after all? He thought he understood what Brunulvr was getting at, but to accept it meant discarding a lifetime of anger, fear, and resentments. He didn\u2019t know what to do, so he cleared his throat and whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The old bear nodded slowly. \u201cI dinnae ken mah own strength. All ah wanted was tae teach ye right fae wrong, laddie. Ah was feart fur yer future. Ah didnae want ye tae turn oot lik’ me.\u201d The beast heaved a great sigh. \u201cBut ye couldna help yer nature. Any more\u2019n I can help mah own. Ah didnae mean tae hurt ye. I didnae ken mah own strength.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every word felt like a blade to Brynjolf\u2019s heart, especially as he remembered the times he\u2019d almost lost control with Dagnell. He stood silent, watching as the bear shimmered and bent backward, shrinking and changing back to the much smaller form of Brunulvr. The old man clutched his chest as the transformation ended.<\/p>\n

\u201cHurts, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d Chip said. \u201cI don\u2019t know if I\u2019ll ever get used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brunulvr nodded, continuing to stare at Brynjolf.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u200bDae ye ken? Ah didnae mean tae hurt ye.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

They stared at each other for what felt like an entire Era.<\/p>\n

I remember using my claws, when I had claws. I sent people flying, even if I didn\u2019t intend it. I can understand how that might have happened. <\/em><\/p>\n

But he still hit me.<\/em><\/p>\n

As though it came from a great distance, another voice arose in his mind.<\/p>\n

You do understand. Just tell him that. It\u2019s been more than fifty years.<\/em><\/p>\n

He closed his eyes. I know, lad. I know.<\/em><\/p>\n

He opened his eyes and heaved a great sigh. Then he met Brunulvr\u2019s gaze and nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cAye. I ken.\u201d<\/p>\n

Well done.<\/em><\/p>\n

Brunulvr nodded back at him. There wasn\u2019t much emotion, if any, on the old man\u2019s face, but his eyes glistened in a way that said everything.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He missed most of my life. He missed seeing his grandchildren born and growing. He missed meeting his daughter-in-law. I may not be able to forgive. Or forget. But at least I can give him this.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThank ye, laddie.\u201d Brunulvr nodded again, first to Brynjolf and then to Chip; he then turned and left the cave.<\/p>\n

Brynjolf started back toward the entrance to the house, but was stopped by Gulmist.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Brynny. You don\u2019t know how much that means to him. And to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Chip, standing next to his sister. He remembered the day Chip had come to him excited about killing a forest dragon outside the city walls, only to be spoken to sharply. And he remembered how it had stung to have Chip say \u201cI know you just want me to do well, but sometimes it would be nice not to have to work around something negative to get to the positive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip forgave me for that. It seems a small enough thing for me to do. I\u2019m just going to go home to Riften anyway.<\/em><\/p>\n

He smiled at her. \u201cAye. I understand how it can be.\u201d He shrugged. \u201cI\u2019ve got more things to share with both of you as well, I think, about what I do and how I got there. And then\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Gulmist smiled. \u201cThen?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen I need to go home, Ma. I\u2019ve got important things to do. People I don\u2019t want to let down.\u201d And some serious thinking to do. <\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not going to tell them about being a vampire. I\u2019m not going to tell Brunulvr how close I came to following him anyway. They don\u2019t need to know that. But maybe this will make things a bit better.<\/em><\/p>\n

Gulmist smiled sadly and nodded. Then they all turned to follow Brunulvr back into the lodge.<\/p>\n

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

Home Previous \/ Next   \u201cChip?\u201d Once again Brynjolf found himself unable to produce anything more useful than the name of the person he saw before him. It was such a startling difference from the younger Brynjolf\u2019s usual clean-shaven, short-haired appearance that he hadn\u2019t recognized him at first. And that was the least of it. … <\/p>\n

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