{"id":284,"date":"2020-12-10T21:02:53","date_gmt":"2020-12-11T04:02:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/?page_id=284"},"modified":"2020-12-15T17:53:12","modified_gmt":"2020-12-16T00:53:12","slug":"chapter-10","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/volume-1\/part-1-moonlight\/chapter-10\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 10"},"content":{"rendered":"
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 <\/p>\n

It was still early in the morning when Chip approached the north gate of Riften. He\u2019d spent some hours at his cabin, resting and getting organized, and was pondering exactly what he wanted to say to his family. It wasn\u2019t as though he saw them every day any more, but he\u2019d left for Solstheim without letting anyone know where he was going.<\/p>\n

I want to talk to Da. Maybe he can shed a little light on this situation. But how in the world can I bring it up? It\u2019s not going to be any easier now than it was with Uncle Dar and Uncle Roggi. <\/em><\/p>\n

I wonder if he\u2019ll be pleased for me, if I tell him about this bow and what it means.<\/em><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t even know how to begin talking to Ma.<\/em><\/p>\n

I wonder\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

He glanced idly at the Khajiit caravan camped in its accustomed spot just outside the gates. People distrusted these traders from Elsweyr, for reasons Chip had never quite understood and which made very little sense to him, and refused to allow them to lodge within the major cities. It had always seemed to him that they were simply acting out of hidebound prejudice with no real, rational logic behind it. After all, his father and his Guild did business with the Khajiit all the time. They certainly had no problems with that. On the other hand, the Guild did seem to be made up of people who had no problems with a great many things and who were, more than anything else, focused on business.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

An enormous roar interrupted his train of thought. A blast of wind tossed leaves and dirt into the air and sent the Khajiit scurrying into their tents. Chip ducked reflexively and looked up just in time to see a huge, brownish-green dragon slow and hover in front of the gates. It turned just slightly, to face the stables and the guards around them, and roared again. A wide blast of green energy burst from its maw.<\/p>\n

Forest dragon. Now there\u2019s game worthy of Hircine!<\/em><\/p>\n

He drew his bow and lobbed an arrow that seemed to bury itself in the dragon\u2019s hide but do very little damage. The beast flew up past the city walls, only to bank and turn back over the tents. One of the horses, acting in self-defense as those well-trained beasts always did, nearly bowled him over in its haste to move down the road and out of the line of fire. Chip watched in awe as the dragon returned to the same spot it had been, still hovering. For a moment he thought it was going to shout directly at him; but at the last second it turned to its left, once more breathing its foul magic down toward the city\u2019s defenders and the stables. He managed two more shots before the dragon flew off, over the city walls.<\/p>\n

Chip ran up the road, alongside a Bosmer dashing for cover. He\u2019d intended to skirt the city and follow the dragon; but just as he reached the gates the beast reappeared from behind the eastern walls and stopped where it had before. This time it was nearly overhead. Chip hurriedly backed several paces down the road and took two more shots at it, the second of which missed badly as the dragon flew over the city again. It spiraled up and then toward the west, out over the lake.<\/p>\n

Qara\u2019s house is out there!<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There were many things along the shoreline of Lake Honrich, including farms, the Riften Fishery, and the docks holding the city\u2019s official warehouse. A great many people might be out there, and open to attack. But Chip\u2019s mind had flown directly to the danger in which his younger sister might have found herself. He lowered his bow and sprinted uphill, glancing at the horses to reassure himself that all was well before dashing around the far side of the stables. The dragon passed close overhead once more, rattling things in its passage. He reached an open vantage point just as it flew over the docks. Chip spared a quick look toward the small cottage where his sister lived, and the farm just beyond; seeing nobody outside in the beast\u2019s line of fire he found it with his gaze, once more, and chanced a couple of very long shots at it.<\/p>\n

He couldn\u2019t tell at all whether his arrows were landing or not, but he knew that just below the place where the dragon hovered there were, at a minimum, two guards whose arrows undoubtedly were. The dragon roared its green fire at them, then turned directly toward Chip and flew back across the water, sending another attack over the city walls. Chip ran back toward the Khajiit tents, trying to keep the dragon in his sights, swiveling back toward the water when it banked and came around to attack something directly in front of his sister\u2019s home.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo! Get over here, you bastard!\u201d he yelled, firing as fast as he could draw the bow. This time, Chip\u2019s arrow clearly struck the dragon; it staggered in mid-air and fought to regain balance as Chip ran forward looking for another clear shot. The dragon rose, and circled around only to drop to the ground in the road directly below the caravan\u2019s tents. Chip could hear the Khajiit scurrying out of the way and calling to each other; but he couldn\u2019t make out what they were saying over the thunderous sound of the creature landing.<\/p>\n

He drew back his bowstring and took two steps to the left, out from behind the Khajiit tents, and fired. The dragon threw its head up to the skies and then crashed to earth, dead.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chip uttered a cry of victory and dashed to the dragon\u2019s carcass. As he had expected, there were city guards as well as the heavily-armored Khajiit bodyguard all clustered around it. He obviously hadn\u2019t killed the dragon by himself; far from it. But it had<\/em> been his arrow that had sealed the beast\u2019s fate; and as he wrestled as many of his arrows out of his hide as he could, he couldn\u2019t help but grin.<\/p>\n

There you go, Hircine. Another beast slain. And a large one at that.<\/em><\/p>\n

He couldn\u2019t stop smiling to himself as he followed one of the returning dappled horses back up the road toward the gates. He was proud of himself. He had a feeling his Da would be proud of him as well.<\/p>\n

He pushed open the gates, grinning at the guards. They knew him well, and knew whose son he was; so they never bothered him. But Chip knew that if they didn\u2019t recognize a person, these guards would stop them and try to bilk them out of a few hundred coins on behalf of his father. It was a stupid scam, but it had been in place for many years now and managed to snare a few clueless victims every season.<\/p>\n

The marketplace was busy on this bright day. Chip found himself dodging beggars and nobles alike as he pushed his way down the street and past the Bee and Barb. He could hear his father\u2019s distinctive voice before he could actually see the man, and he broke out into a smile once he saw the familiar form in its accustomed fancy green outfit, his eyes in constant motion as he searched the crowd for potential customers or for anything happening that was new or unusual.<\/p>\n

\u201cDa!\u201d he called out as he neared the kiosk where Brynjolf offered large red flasks promising miracles to the passerby. Brynjolf\u2019s gaze flickered over him, and Chip saw when he recognized his son, but he never stopped calling out his spiel.<\/p>\n

Chip got closer. \u201cDa, I just killed a dragon! Can you believe it? Did you hear it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Brynjolf lowered his voice to a harsh whisper. \u201cOf course<\/em> I heard it. The thing made enough noise to raise the dead. Nice of you to stop by for a change, lad, but what were you thinking? Can you imagine what your mother would do if you got yourself killed?\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip\u2019s face \u2013 and his mood \u2013 fell as though he\u2019d been slapped across the face. He had to fight the urge to simply turn and walk away in his anger.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you might at least be pleased that I kept it from burning Qara\u2019s house to the ground,\u201d he muttered. \u201cI didn\u2019t see her out there, but there were others; and they might have been killed. But they weren\u2019t. The dragon is dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf had had his mouth open to say something more, but he closed it abruptly and stared at his son. Chip waited, expecting to have his existence criticized in some additional way. To his surprise, though, Brynjolf heaved a heavy sigh and shook his head with a rueful expression.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, lad. I didn\u2019t mean it like that. It was a good thing that you did, killing the beast. Listen, give me half an hour and meet me down in the Flagon. I don\u2019t need to be out here all the time and it\u2019ll be good to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once more Chip wrestled with the urge to say something angry and walk away. He\u2019d come here to talk to this man, though. It would be stupid of him not to take advantage of an offer to do just that.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Da. Right. I\u2019ll meet you there.\u201d<\/p>\n

He turned away just as a furiously-blushing woman approached the kiosk to buy a refill of whatever it was his father was selling that day. It was just a miracle, she said, speaking with a giggle in her voice. He heard his father chuckle, and tell her that was a good thing, and thank her for her continuing business. He wandered over toward the smithy, his sharp ears picking up the sounds of flasks clinking and coin purses jingling, even over the loud hiss of white-hot steel being dipped into the water trough.<\/p>\n

It had not been the welcome he\u2019d hoped for. And yet, sadly, it had been the one he\u2019d expected.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

When Chip emerged from the Ratway into the Ragged Flagon, he immediately spotted his father\u2019s faded red hair across the water-filled central space. Brynjolf had changed into his favorite dark armor and was speaking to someone standing next to the dividers between the main bar area and the upper section where Galathil, the Bosmer \u201cface-changer,\u201d had sat for as long as he could remember. He worked his way around the bar, waiting until the man Brynjolf was conferring with moved away, and then took the man\u2019s place. He\u2019d been rehearsing what he was going to say in his mind, and decided to say it, right then and there, before he lost his nerve.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, Da,\u201d he said, hoping his face did not look as icy as his mood felt, \u201cit would be really nice, just once, if the first thing you said to me wasn\u2019t a criticism. Just once.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip braced himself for the reaction. Brynjolf had never hit him, the way some people\u2019s fathers had; but he had always been a hard person to please and his tongue could be sharp and abrasive if he was angry. It seemed to Chip that he had always had a talent for making his father angry, even without trying very hard.<\/p>\n

Brynjolf\u2019s eyebrows rose. He leaned back, just slightly, put his hands on his hips, and stared at Chip, saying nothing. Finally, he sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo get the table, lad,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cI\u2019ll get us a drink and be right there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, Da.\u201d Chip moved quickly to the table he knew was his father\u2019s favorite, not wanting to reveal how relieved he was to be able to sit down. It had taken more internal fortitude to say that, to stand up for himself to his father, than it had to face down the dragon outside the gates. His knees were weak and his legs wanted to betray him; so when he claimed the table and sat down he blew out a huge sigh. He watched his father gather up two tankards from the bar and approach, and mentally collected himself yet again.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cNow then,\u201d Brynjolf said, easing himself into the chair to Chip\u2019s right. \u201cIt seems I owe you an apology.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip had to fight to keep his mouth from sagging open. This was the last thing he\u2019d expected to hear.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always easier to speak first than to think first. That\u2019s something I\u2019ve always been good at, lad, speaking. Running my mouth off.\u201d He paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. \u201cBut I usually do better sensing the lay of the land.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip couldn\u2019t help himself; he grinned. \u201cYou\u2019re not nearly as good at that as Uncle Roggi is,\u201d he said. \u201cThe talking part, I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf\u2019s eyes twinkled. \u201cHeh. Yes, Roggi is a talker. But back to the subject. I\u2019m sorry, Chip. I wasn\u2019t expecting to see you, and right after the dragon at that. All I could think of was that you might have been killed out there, and then what could I tell your mother?\u201d He shook his head and grinned. \u201cMy life wouldn\u2019t have been worth a plug septim.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip snickered. This wasn\u2019t nearly as bad as he\u2019d feared for a few moments.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you killed the dragon, did you?\u201d Brynjolf prompted.<\/p>\n

Chip grinned widely and nodded. \u201cI did! Well, me and the guards, and the Khajiit. But I had the last arrow, the one that brought him down.\u201d He couldn\u2019t keep the excitement out of his voice; it had been a huge kill for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m proud of you, son,\u201d Brynjolf said quietly. \u201cYou\u2019re not a little boy any more, you\u2019re a grown man doing things on your own, and I\u2019m proud of you. And I\u2019m sorry I don\u2019t tell you that more often. I really am. I just\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cYou just criticize me every time you see me, Da,\u201d Chip answered. \u201cYou really do. I 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

\u201cI know.\u201d Brynjolf sighed, running a hand down his face for a moment. \u201cI didn\u2019t exactly have a good example to fall back on for how to be a father. At least I learned enough from him to know not to hit my children.\u201d He frowned and shook his head. \u201cI ran away from the old bastard when I was just a boy myself, and came here. Karliah was my parent, more than anyone else. But never mind that. How\u2019ve you been? Where have you been?\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip looked at his father\u2019s face in wonder. It was so odd to have him just sit, and listen, and actually ask him about things. But he took advantage of the situation, chattering away for a few minutes about his trip to Markarth.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was kind of what got me headed back this way,\u201d he said, trying to ease into the subject and not exactly sure in what order he should present the information. \u201cI was just so\u2026 restless<\/em>. I did some hunting. OK, a lot of hunting. But when I got back to Falkreath I got sidetracked. You see, out on the plains, between Falkreath and Rorikstead, I ran across a camp.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA camp? What kind of camp?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cImperials. Legionnaires. At least I am pretty sure that\u2019s what they were.\u201d He went on to describe what he\u2019d seen, leaving out his part in making it that way. \u201cAnd then when I went to see Uncle Dar and Uncle Roggi \u2013 well, they were pretty convinced it was a werewolf. Probably the one that killed a little girl in Falkreath.\u201d He found his heart beating harder as he uttered that statement. That was<\/em>, of course, the truth. The uncles had assumed it had been Sinding who killed the Imperials. He felt no need \u2013 at least not yet \u2013 to divulge the fact that they\u2019d been wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? By the Eight. That\u2019s not good at all. I hadn\u2019t heard any rumors of troops moving. Or werewolves. I wonder if\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUlfric knows?\u201d Chip grinned. \u201cUncle Roggi\u2019s going to tell him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf chuckled. \u201cWhy does that not surprise me? Ah well. As long as he knows. He\u2019s been telling us for decades that it would be the Thalmor who would attack next, not the Empire, but I wouldn\u2019t put anything past them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Chip said with butterflies beating their wings in his gut, \u201cwe got to talking about that werewolf and they said there were werewolves on Solstheim. Roggi seemed nervous about them maybe coming south, so I went there. And, uh\u2026 I killed three werebears.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf\u2019s mouth sagged open for a moment and his brows nearly met in a frown. \u201cYou did what?\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip sighed. Before he could say anything, though, his father shook his head. \u201cThere, I\u2019m doing it again. Someday, lad, I will remember that you\u2019re not a child any longer. I guess everyone needs an adventure now and then.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes. And now may be the time. How can I ask him\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDa. I\u2026 wanted to ask you something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s on your mind?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou used to say that sometimes all you really wanted to do was to run.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf nodded slowly, clearly considering how to respond. \u201cAye. For a few years, I could move so fast.\u201d He paused for a moment with a far-away smile on his face, and sighed. \u201cIt was special. I can\u2019t do that anymore, but I\u2019ll never forget what it was like.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip took a deep breath. If I don\u2019t ask him now I never will. <\/em>He made his voice as low as he could make it and still be understood.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike a werewolf? Are you\u2026 Were you\u2026\u201d He swallowed hard, and shook his head. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, that\u2019s a dumb thing to ask, isn\u2019t it. Just really, really dumb.\u201d He felt his face turning red, as red as his hair, no doubt, with the anxiety of broaching this subject in any way at all.<\/p>\n

Brynjolf visibly twitched in surprise. His eyes widened, and he stared at Chip for a long moment before laughing.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Chip. Not like a werewolf.\u201d He looked off to the side, his gaze far away and his mind obviously somewhere that wasn\u2019t the Ragged Flagon. He smiled a bit and shook his head. \u201cThat would have been the very last thing. The very last.\u201d He reached for his tankard and took a drink before putting it down slowly and then meeting Chip\u2019s gaze.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I suppose it\u2019s time. There\u2019s something you need to know. I\u2019d hoped I could put it off for a while longer, but life is catching up with me after all these years, isn\u2019t it? No matter how much I\u2019d like to pretend I\u2019m still a young man.\u201d Chip watched his father\u2019s face take on a look of nostalgia, mixed with something like sadness or regret, and didn\u2019t know what to make of it.<\/p>\n

Brynjolf gave a weak, lopsided grin and continued. \u201cThere are enough people who know it that it\u2019s only a matter of time before you find out, and I\u2019d rather you found out from me. Come for a walk with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf pushed back his chair and rose, heading for the door out of the Flagon. Chip swallowed. He\u2019d been uneasy before this, worried that his very clever father would suss out the reason he\u2019d asked about running right after speaking of werewolves. He\u2019d imagined, as he had thought about it, that perhaps he\u2019d gotten his condition from his father. It would have made sense: they were so much alike in so many ways. This, though, was something very different than he\u2019d anticipated. And he was nervous. Almost frightened.<\/p>\n

He followed his father outside, into the city, and they walked down to the docks. Neither of them said anything during the walk, and the longer that went by, the more on edge Chip became. He couldn\u2019t imagine what would have been so mysterious that they would have needed to be so far out of anyone\u2019s earshot. Finally, once they\u2019d reached a suitably remote spot, Chip cleared his throat.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK. Here we are, and I can\u2019t stand it any longer. What\u2026 are you talking about, Da?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Brynjolf leaned forward and lowered his voice. \u201cThank you for coming out here with me. The fewer ears there are in the area, the better, even though this is information long since old news.\u201d He paused for a moment; and Chip watched emotions flit across his face. \u201cYou see\u2026 for some time, son, for a couple of years in fact around the time you were born, your mother and I were, well\u2026 apart from each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip frowned. He\u2019d heard whispers about this, from time to time. Once or twice he\u2019d caught Roggi cutting Dardeh off, or vice versa, when they\u2019d been reminiscing about the time before and during the civil war; they would change the subject and give him a sideways glance. In spite of those moments, Chip had never been able to confirm that it had in fact been the case that his parents had been separated; and in the long run it didn\u2019t matter. They clearly loved each other, and were together now, and that had always been all that mattered to Chip. But here was the confirmation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reasons and so forth aren\u2019t important anymore,\u201d Brynjolf said. \u201cI can barely remember them all. We were<\/em> apart, though, and I didn\u2019t even know whether she was alive or dead. We were looking for her,\u201d he added when Chip inhaled sharply at those words. \u201cAll of us were. Me, your two uncles, even Delvin. Obviously we found her.\u201d<\/p>\n

He hesitated for a moment, and Chip wanted to groan. Finally, after so long, he was on the verge of getting some truth out of his father, and he was hesitating.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut?\u201d he said, hoping to prompt further discussion. \u201cI sense a \u2018but.\u2019 What does that have to do with being a werewolf?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf looked up at him, his fading green eyes scanning Chip\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

Oh gods. This is serious, isn\u2019t it.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNot a werewolf. I was a vampire, lad,\u201d Brynjolf breathed, just barely audibly. \u201cFor a couple of years. It seemed like something I could do, maybe the best way for me to protect the Guild. That\u2019s what I thought at the time, anyway, though I\u2019m not so sure looking back at it that I was thinking very clearly.\u201d\u00a0 He shrugged. \u201cI was a vampire, a very, very strong vampire; and I lived with\u2026 someone else. And then I was cured. As it happened, I was cured the same day we found your mother again. And you.\u201d He smiled. \u201cYou noticed that I had \u2018lello\u2019 eyes, just before the cure happened. I don\u2019t know whether you\u2019d remember that or not. I would expect not. You were just a wee thing still. I didn\u2019t even know you existed, before that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip stared at his father in disbelief, his mouth hanging open for a moment before he was able to shut it. His mind raced.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

What was I thinking, after all? If he was a werewolf, he would have known that I am one. He\u2019d have been able to smell it on me, the same way Sinding and I recognized each other as werewolves. But he didn\u2019t, and I didn\u2019t smell it on him. <\/em><\/p>\n

But I also don\u2019t smell vampire on him. How in the world would I ever have been prepared for something like this?<\/em><\/p>\n

Brynjolf reached across the space and grasped Chip\u2019s arm. \u201cAre you alright, lad? You look a little pale.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip nodded, slowly. \u201cYes, yes, I\u2019m\u2026 Yes. Shocked, obviously. And no, I can\u2019t remember that far back. But\u2026\u201d But I\u2019m still left with no answers. If it wasn\u2019t from Da\u2026 why am I a werewolf? How? Did Hircine somehow seek me out as a child? Before I was old enough to remember? I\u2019ve never known anything else than being a hunter; is that what happened?<\/em><\/p>\n

It must be. That must be it.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBut?\u201d<\/p>\n

He looked at his father\u2019s expression \u2013 deadly serious, and very concerned. He had to say something. And thus, the single most incongruous thing ever passed through his mind and across his lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re very warm, Da. Your hands, I mean. It\u2019s one of the things I\u2019ve always noticed most about you. Obviously you\u2019re not a \u2026 one of those \u2026 anymore.\u201d And you don\u2019t smell of death. I would have noticed.<\/em><\/p>\n

Brynjolf nodded, slowly. \u201cIt\u2019s been a long, long time since then.\u201d He stared out over the lake and sighed. \u201cI was in a position to lead one of the most powerful clans of vampires in the world. Instead, I chose to be cured, because I wanted to be with your mother, and you, and Qara.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip struggled to make sense of all of it. He looked at his father\u2019s face, lined and weathered but still not looking like the face of a sixty-year-old man; and he tried to envision what it would have looked like with fangs and the bright eyes he\u2019d seen on the few vampires he\u2019d encountered. Shudders of revulsion ran up his spine at the thought that his father had lived on blood. Then he was angry at himself. And what do I do as a werewolf, he thought, if not tear people apart and consume them? I even eat more than just their blood. What gives me the right to judge him, especially when he did what he needed to do in order to become human again?<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that\u2019s why I\u2019ve always told you how much I loved to run,\u201d Brynjolf continued. \u201cVampires can move very, very quickly. It\u2019s exciting. I ran more in those two years than I did in my entire youth.\u201d A small grin cracked the serious mask he\u2019d been wearing. \u201cWell, except for a couple of last-minute getaways that made me glad I was pretty nimble. I\u2019m afraid I wasn\u2019t as good a lad as you\u2019ve been.\u201d<\/p>\n

This sudden return to familiar topics brought Chip out of the detached, surreal place his mind had occupied for a few moments and back to a semblance of normalcy. This was his father, the thief, speaking. Chip snickered, and feigned shock. \u201cWhy Da. Are you trying to tell me you did things that you had to run from?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI might have done,\u201d Brynjolf said with a smirk, running a hand down his scarred left cheek. \u201cAh but I\u2019m an old man now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you don\u2019t look old,\u201d Chip murmured, sensing that this was an important observation he\u2019d made.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s true. And it\u2019s because of those years. At least that\u2019s what we\u2019ve all decided, talking about it over time. Something about the changes, they made me look younger at first, and kept me from aging so quickly after I was cured.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Things simultaneously made much more sense to Chip, and no sense at all. All of it, this conversation with his father, explained things about him that Chip had always wondered about, idly. Why was it that his mother \u2013 who was the younger of them \u2013 had so much more gray in her hair than his father did? If his entire body had changed, twice even, it obviously had slowed down the aging process. Vampires didn\u2019t age much, if at all; at least that\u2019s what he\u2019d always heard. So that was clearer now.<\/p>\n

What wasn\u2019t clear at all, still, was why he\u2019d become a werewolf. He frowned, pondering the question. There wasn\u2019t a good way to ask.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you alright with all of this, lad?\u201d Brynjolf asked quietly. \u201cI know it\u2019s not the kind of thing you expect your father to tell you. At least I imagine that it\u2019s not. I didn\u2019t live with mine long enough to know what\u2019s normal and what isn\u2019t. I hadn\u2019t ever intended to say anything unless it was absolutely necessary; but with you bringing up supernatural things while we were sitting there in the Flagon, where there are ears in every inch of the place\u2026\u201d He paused, and shrugged. \u201cBetter that you learn the truth from me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip nodded slowly. \u201cYou\u2019re right, of course.\u201d He smiled at Brynjolf. \u201cYou usually are right, Da, and I don\u2019t ever give you credit for that. I won\u2019t lie, it\u2019s an idea that\u2019s going to take some getting used to. But I suppose it\u2019s no stranger than being friends with a guy whose dad can Shout, or having the Dragonborn for an uncle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the truth. And I\u2019m not always right, son. I\u2019ve made a few very bad mistakes in my life. Usually they\u2019re things about myself that I\u2019m the last one to see. But thank you for the vote of confidence, anyway.\u201d He sighed heavily. \u201cNow I suppose it\u2019s time for me to go back in. I have some business to take care of before I can call an end to this day.\u201d He started back toward the stairs up to the city, and then paused, turning back to Chip and peering at him closely.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t get scratched or bitten by one of the werebears or werewolves, did you?\u201d His eyebrows nearly touched in the middle, his frown was so deep.<\/p>\n

Uh oh. He really is one of the smartest men I\u2019ve ever known. I\u2019d best tread carefully<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, not at all. I was really careful to stay up out of their reach. You know, the way I always do. Use my bow, and fire from the high ground.\u201d That at least is true. There\u2019s not a whiff of untruth about it. The werebears never touched me, and neither did Sinding.<\/em><\/p>\n

Brynjolf stared at him a moment longer, studying his face, weighing his words for truth. Finally he nodded.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright. I just wondered why this suddenly came up. If it was important enough for me to have to tell you about\u2026 Well, never mind.\u201d He waved a hand in the air. \u201cI suppose finding a camp full of mauled soldiers would be enough to raise all sorts of questions in a person\u2019s mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip shook his head vigorously, agreeing. \u201cIt sure did. I don\u2019t mind telling you that I was really rattled. I\u2019ve never seen a battlefield before. And it rattled Uncle Dardeh and Uncle Roggi, too, when I told them about it. I had a lot of time to think about things while I was away.\u201d There. Maybe the question will go back to sleep, where it needs to be.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAlright then. Are you heading back home? Or will you go to see your Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip sighed. He knew his mother would want to see him, but he really was too distressed to visit her right then. And she could see through him better than anyone else alive. He\u2019d never make it away without revealing himself, at least in this condition. Besides that, he felt the bow pulling him away, out into the wilds. More. It wants more.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m heading home for now, Da. I\u2019ll be sure to stop in soon, but I have some things to take care of right now.\u201d He started to turn down the opposite direction, but stopped. \u201cThank you, Da. I still feel pretty weird about the whole thing, but I am happy you trusted me enough to tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brynjolf smiled. \u201cChip, you\u2019re my son. Of course I trust you. I\u2019ve always intended to tell you, eventually. I just needed to wait until the time was right and I was sure you were old enough to understand that sometimes life takes you down paths you never would have expected to travel.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s about the truest thing he\u2019s ever said.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, Da. I\u2019ll be seeing you soon. Both of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Home Previous \/ Next   It was still early in the morning when Chip approached the north gate of Riften. He\u2019d spent some hours at his cabin, resting and getting organized, and was pondering exactly what he wanted to say to his family. It wasn\u2019t as though he saw them every day any more, but … <\/p>\n

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