{"id":749,"date":"2021-05-07T11:45:19","date_gmt":"2021-05-07T17:45:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/?page_id=749"},"modified":"2021-11-01T12:04:31","modified_gmt":"2021-11-01T18:04:31","slug":"chapter-5","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/volume-1\/part-ii-starlight\/chapter-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 5"},"content":{"rendered":"
Home<\/a><\/div>\n
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 <\/p>\n

As usual, Chip didn\u2019t sleep very long or very deeply. After the relative silence of his cabin, the comings and goings of people in Jorrvaskr didn\u2019t lend itself to rest. Still, when he rose after a couple of hours to head out on his job, he felt refreshed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

By the time he got out onto the plains west of the city, the sun had begun its descent behind the western mountains, and the long twilight common to mountain valleys had taken over the hold. He slipped quietly through the tall grasses, keeping low so as to avoid announcing his approach.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t know much about the bandits at Silent Moons Camp, but he did know the place, at least from the outside. It was an old chambered cairn with the outlying structures of a small, ancient Nordic city, arrayed up the side of the mountain; and it was still in excellent condition. He could easily understand why bandits would favor such a place over a dirty, damp cave. He could also imagine such a group of bandits being tougher and more dangerous than many others. They\u2019d almost have to be, in order to keep such a base for themselves.<\/p>\n

He extended his senses as far as he could, listening to the quiet breathing of the land around him, feeling the gentle touch of grasses whispering over his hands and the breeze caressing his face. He expected to hear saber cats, or deer running from them; but all he heard was the faint rumbling of mammoths plodding around the huge bonfire at a distant giants\u2019 camp, and the monotonous ringing of a nirnroot at the edge of a small pool. He swerved to his right, thinking to pluck the nirnroot for use in potions, and stopped in surprise at the sight of a skeletal arm, silently holding an orcish blade just above the water as if offering it up to the first passer-by.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Well, I\u2019m not one for full-sized swords, but this is a beauty. I\u2019ll take it back for Eorlund to look at. Maybe he can make a few extra septims off it. <\/em><\/p>\n

He plucked the nirnroot and continued on his way. The saber cat he\u2019d expected yowled from somewhere in the foothills north of him, and an elk dashed in front of him, heading south. He peered into the darkening west, trying pick out anything moving around outside of the ancient fortifications.<\/p>\n

Finally, Chip was close enough to see a single guard stationed at one of the outbuildings. There were several large rock outcroppings just downhill of the structures, and he sank as low into the grass as he could to reach them and use them as cover. He took careful aim at the guard, waiting until it seemed the man was facing back toward the main encampment, and then released. A moment later, Chip heard the single loud groan as the arrow hit its mark. He waited, straining to hear anything moving in the camp; but all remained silent.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There was another bandit, standing just outside a double door into the barrow. Chip took a chance on a very long shot; but as he had feared, the bandit moved before the arrow sailed harmlessly over his head. Chip slipped into the shadowed interior of the shelter where his first victim had been stationed, and took aim again. The bandit had, of course, heard the arrow clattering onto the stones nearby, and had cast an armored skin spell; its glow, ironically, made him a far better target in the gathering gloom than he had been before. The second arrow took the man squarely and lethally in his unarmored chest. Chip slipped forward and up the hill toward the dead mage, only to be met by a third bandit rushing down the stairs toward him.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t wait to count out your coin!\u201d the bandit yelled at him. Chip fired a quick arrow at him and took him down.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cTook the words right out of my mouth,\u201d he murmured. He was reaching down to check the man\u2019s pockets for coin when a sound from the highest level of stairs above him caught his attention. It was another magic-user, this one a cagey sort who kept moving back and forth, making it impossible to aim. Chip shot an arrow at him anyway; useless, as it flew by to the right. He moved up toward the base of the stairs and caught a whiff of the second bandit he\u2019d killed. To his dismay, his mouth started watering. The sun was fully down at this point; and while he hadn\u2019t felt the moons exerting their influence over him the wolf within hungered at the scent of the dead bandit\u2019s blood. Chip shook his head and shot again. The bandit side-stepped again, and Chip\u2019s anger flared.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn it!\u201d he shouted.<\/p>\n

And then he turned.<\/p>\n

He hadn\u2019t had any forewarning, or intention to change form. All he had wanted was to get the bandit who was taunting him, dancing back and forth. The change seemed to happen more quickly this time, although it was no less painful. He gasped as his bones broke and re-formed, and gasped again when a fireball cast from above exploded in his newly-elongated face.<\/p>\n

Kill. Eat.<\/em><\/p>\n

He was faster than the mage, in this form, and he knew it. So did the mage, based on the terror in his voice as he shrieked, \u201cDie, you monster!\u201d The wolf hurtled up the stairs on all fours, taking three steps in each leap. As it neared the top, what had been hidden in the dark became clear: there were two other bandits flanking the mage, and all three of them were firing arrows at the wolf.<\/p>\n

A couple of those arrows caught him. They stung. Most lodged harmlessly in his thick fur. He reached the top step and jumped, landing with front paws flailing. His momentum caught all three bandits and sent them flying backward, knocked off their feet. The werewolf stood over the nearest of them and slashed, twice with its right paw and once with its left, and then knelt, facing out over the stairs, to devour the body that was left behind. The warm, bloody meat tasted good.<\/p>\n

The second bandit had regained his footing and stood just to the werewolf\u2019s right, desperately trying to nock an arrow. He swatted at the man twice. The bandit cried out and crumpled backwards against the stones, bleeding. The werewolf devoured him.<\/p>\n

I am stronger<\/em>.<\/p>\n

From within the werewolf, Chip recognized that to be the case. He seemed to be stronger with each transformation into his wolf form. Whereas he\u2019d nearly died from one attack the first time he\u2019d changed, now he could take blows from several opponents at once without being in any serious danger. He didn\u2019t know whether this was the case for all lycanthropes, or whether Hircine held him in particular favor; but he did know that he\u2019d flung the mage far enough away in his attack that he couldn\u2019t find the body to consume it. Instead, he ran back down the stairs to devour the man whose bleeding corpse had triggered his hunger to begin with.<\/p>\n

Find Faendal<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Yes, Chip thought from within the massive body. We need to find Faendal and get him back to Riverwood. Got to be careful inside. It\u2019s going to be close quarters, and we don\u2019t need Faendal scared out of his mind and attacking a werewolf. He won\u2019t know we\u2019re there to rescue him.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The wolf opened the door next to the remains of the man he\u2019d just eaten, and stepped inside. It looked much like any other ancient Nordic ruin, inside, except that there was a carefully-laid firepit inside the main chamber. Bedrolls were arranged around the fire, and there was a table with provisions against the back wall. It was much as Chip had imagined; an outstanding location for a bandit encampment, dry and warm.<\/p>\n

The wolf eased around the periphery of the space and toward a doorway to a downward tunnel, following the scent of men. A moment or two later one of them noticed the huge beast moving in their direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy Ysmir, you won\u2019t leave here alive!\u201d the man shouted, raising a bow. The werewolf stepped back a couple of paces, first, grinning at the man; then, when the man didn\u2019t follow, the wolf leapt forward down the tunnel with its claws extended, and slashed the bandit to ribbons. There was a second man, wielding a pike, just behind him. The werewolf slashed at him as well while Chip, deep inside his alternate form, marveled at the stupidity involved in trying to fight with a pike inside such an enclosed and narrow space. The man got one substantial blow in; the wolf snarled and swatted him aside, stepping forward then to tear his body to pieces and consume it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Change, Chip thought, just as hard as he could. Change back. Rescue Faendal.<\/p>\n

He felt his wolf-consciousness whine internally, knowing that he did need to revert to human form in this small opening but not wanting to release the power he felt at that moment. Reluctantly, though, the wolf subsided. Chip seized his chest once again as the pain shot through him. A moment later, gasping for breath, he looked out through his own, human, eyes and took stock of what he\u2019d done a moment before.<\/p>\n

What a mess. I hope Faendal won\u2019t be too terrified. Maybe there\u2019s a back way out.<\/em><\/p>\n

He was just collecting his wits when a voice from the room beyond the tunnel startled him. It was a woman, and it wasn\u2019t addressing him.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should have stayed in your precious forest, elf,\u201d the woman sneered.<\/p>\n

So Faendal\u2019s alive. That\u2019s good. Now to see whether I can take her out without putting him in danger.<\/em><\/p>\n

He reached for his bow while advancing a few steps down the tunnel. He spotted movement and realized that what he had first taken for a shadow was a short-statured Bosmer, standing quietly and wearing a brave face but radiating tension.<\/p>\n

Nope. Can\u2019t use the bow in here. Too many chances for it to go wild.<\/em><\/p>\n

He pulled out his daggers instead, inching down into the opening. Faendal looked at him, saying nothing, but communicating with his eyes that the woman in question was just out of Chip\u2019s sight, to Faendal\u2019s right and Chip\u2019s left. He moved ahead, placing each step slowly and gingerly, as quietly as he could manage before shifting his weight out over the leading leg. There was a dogleg into another tunnel; and at the bottom of that tunnel was the female Nord bandit.<\/p>\n

Chip couldn\u2019t imagine why she was there, standing before a closed set of doors rather than keeping her prisoner in eyeshot. It didn\u2019t matter, though. He rose to a standing position and rushed down the tunnel, crashing into the woman with both daggers flying. It took only a moment before she fell to the floor, her eyes glazing over as she died. He turned and darted back up the slope to find Faendal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks for telling me she was down there. She\u2019s not going to be a problem any longer. Are you ok?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank the divines,\u201d Faendal said, heaving a deep breath. \u201cYes, I\u2019m fine. I didn\u2019t dare move, though. Let\u2019s get out of here. I don\u2019t know what\u2019s behind those doors but they\u2019ve come and gone that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, let\u2019s go.\u201d Chip led the way back down the slope to where the woman had been guarding the locked door, and shook his head. It still made no sense. Perhaps, he thought after the lock yielded to a single pick, it\u2019s that it\u2019s such a crummy lock they didn\u2019t trust it to keep people out \u2013 or in. The doors opened to a room holding a shelf or two and a chest with a few potions. Of more interest to Chip was the ladder up to the outside world; and this access point, he decided, must be why the area was double-guarded. Faendal took the arrows and longbow from the dead bandit, and they made for the ladder.<\/p>\n

It was very dark and very clear outside when they emerged into the open, and they made good time running quietly across the grassland back toward Whiterun. About halfway back, the saber cat Chip had heard earlier attacked. It had been almost inevitable, particularly with two of them making sound instead of just one; but both of them were expert archers, and it took only a moment or two to drop the cat. Faendal approached and lit a torch, examining the carcass.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake the pelt if you like,\u201d Chip said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNah,\u201d Faendal answered, shaking his head. \u201cI just want to get back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip nodded. \u201cSo why didn\u2019t you just shoot your way out of there?\u201d he asked. \u201cYou\u2019re an archer\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Faendal shook his head again. \u201cNope, not in a narrow place like that. Too many of them and only one of me. First of all, they smashed a club over my head to take me. I spent the first couple of days just trying to get my brains working again. Then I was watching to get a sense of what was going on. They thought they could get someone to pay ransom for me. I don\u2019t know who. Anyway, if it had gone much longer I would have tried something<\/em>, I guess; but I\u2019m not exactly armored and I don\u2019t know where they put my favorite bow. I\u2019m glad you showed up.\u201d<\/p>\n

After that it was an uneventful trip back to Riverwood. They ran through the night, not speaking. It was clear to Chip that Faendal and he were cut from the same type of cloth, if not from the same bolt; the Bosmer was quiet and observant, and an excellent shot with even the low-quality bow he\u2019d picked up. Chip would have preferred not to see the wolf go down to that bow, but he hadn\u2019t known how in the world he would explain why it was even an issue. The wolf had attacked Faendal, not him; it was Faendal\u2019s right to slay the beast. They were within sight of the bridge into town when Faendal stopped, and turned to face him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can make it from here. I\u2019m ever so grateful. Please, give my regards to the rest of the Companions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

A small thrill ran up along Chip\u2019s spine. He couldn\u2019t help but chuckle.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019d you know I\u2019m with the Companions?\u201d<\/p>\n

Faendal grinned. \u201cWho else would get sent? The Dark Brotherhood?\u201d He reached out for Chip\u2019s hand and shook it. \u201cThanks again, Companion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip headed back toward Whiterun, smiling. Who would have imagined it? One of the Companions. Well, I guess that\u2019s a respectable enough thing for a Nord to do, isn\u2019t it?<\/em><\/p>\n

Once he was well out of town, he dropped to his knees to thank Hircine for his success.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Vilkas was sitting in the corner of his room, engrossed in a book and so quiet that Chip actually missed seeing him when he first tucked his head in to find the man. It wasn\u2019t until he was turning to leave and Vilkas unconsciously cleared his throat that Chip stopped and swung around, noticing him for the first time. He approached and stood there for a moment, waiting for Vilkas to look up at him. When Vilkas didn\u2019t acknowledge him after a minute or so, Chip sighed loudly.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cVilkas.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cI\u2019ve rescued Faendal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I hear,\u201d Vilkas said, much to Chip\u2019s surprise.<\/p>\n

How in the world would you have heard that? Did you have someone else watching the place?<\/em><\/p>\n

Vilkas still didn\u2019t look up, but he smirked. \u201cYou brought honor to the Companions, and to yourself. Here\u2019s your payment.\u201d He did look up, then, and handed Chip the bag of coin that had been on the table next to his tankard.<\/p>\n

\u201cUm\u2026\u201d Chip started to ask about the situation, but paused as his mind raced trying to sort through this new information. It just didn\u2019t make any sense that Vilkas could already know about Faendal\u2019s rescue. Maybe the whole thing had been an elaborate ruse to test him, or even to get him killed and out of the way. Faendal might easily have been waiting there on purpose. Maybe that\u2019s why he hadn\u2019t fought his way out. He\u2019d certainly had no trouble identifying his rescuer as a Companion.<\/p>\n

By the gods. I\u2019m getting paranoid. It doesn\u2019t matter; nobody\u2019s worse for wear except for the bandits, and Faendal\u2019s back home. I know Vilkas doesn\u2019t like me, but I can\u2019t imagine him plotting to get me killed.<\/em><\/p>\n

Would he?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThanks,\u201d he said, finally, accepting the coin purse. Then he decided he\u2019d best cover the fairly obvious pause he\u2019d taken. \u201cI \u2026 hope you don\u2019t mind my asking, but why did you <\/em>join the Companions, Vilkas?\u201d<\/p>\n

Vilkas looked back down at his book and chuckled. \u201cTo hear Farkas tell it, our father raised us here as happy pups. Running around, biting knees\u2026\u201d He snorted. \u201cI love my brother, but his brains are not his long suit. We were brought here by Jergen. Whether he was our father or not, I don\u2019t care. He left to fight in the Great War and never came back. So he\u2019s not my problem anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip stared, fighting the urge to gasp at that. Not his problem?<\/em> He\u2019s talking about his father \u2013 or the man who might well have been his father. Doesn\u2019t he even care? My gosh, I\u2019m proud of my Da even if he has had kind of a less-than-stellar background. I\u2019d be horrified if he\u2019d left and never come back, always wondering whether I might have found him\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

His opinion of Vilkas had just dropped lower than it already had been. Not only did he disrespect his father, he made fun of his brother as well. Chip had to force himself to return his attention to Vilkas, who was continuing to speak.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been here as long as either of us can remember, though. So try to show some respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip nodded curtly and then left the room before he could say anything unfortunate. He was simply appalled. Show some respect? To a guy who shows none of his own to his own family? <\/em>Chip cast his mind backward and realized that Vilkas had only shown grudging respect to Kodlak, the Harbinger, in spite of Kodlak treating him with patience and gentleness.<\/p>\n

And Kodlak\u2019s the alpha. I don\u2019t trust this man. He may be older than me \u2013 a lot older, if his Da fought in the Great War \u2013 but he\u2019s going to find himself facing my claws if he doesn\u2019t watch himself.<\/em><\/p>\n

He shook his head. It was a stupid thing for him to do, getting angry at Vilkas \u2013 a pointless waste of energy and time. It was bad enough that being irked with Vilkas was the reason he\u2019d joined the Companions in the first place. If it had been Vilkas\u2019 doing that he\u2019d had to put himself in danger to \u201crescue\u201d Faendal, so be it. He\u2019d just keep a keen eye out and watch to see whether he got double-crossed again.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, he decided to see whether Farkas might have another job for him. He crossed the hallway to Farkas\u2019 chambers, to find him seated at the bar that filled half the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Farkas. How are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Farkas looked up at Chip and smiled. \u201cWell, Skjor says I have the strength of Ysgramor. And my brother has his smarts.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEh, don\u2019t sell yourself short. You\u2019ve got plenty of smarts. Hey, I wanted to ask you something. Why did you join the Companions?\u201d<\/p>\n

Farkas grinned. \u201cVilkas and I have been here since we were little whelps. Our father Jergen raised us here. Even Vignar couldn\u2019t remember Companions younger than us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hmm. Well that sort of matches what Vilkas said. But Farkas doesn\u2019t seem to have a chip on his shoulder about his father being gone.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI see. So, I did that job for your brother. What else can I do to help?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let\u2019s see. There\u2019s some trouble in Haafingar. They\u2019re hiring us to take care of their problems.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOk. What kind of problem?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOddly enough, spriggans. Usually they let alone, but for some reason this particular grove isn\u2019t. Shadowgreen Cavern. Do you know the place?\u201d<\/p>\n

Gods. I hate spriggans. But I\u2019m not going to let these two see me as weak.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t; but mark it on my map and I\u2019ll take care of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Farkas nodded. \u201cOk, good enough. Show them no mercy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It had always perplexed Chip how the tip of Haafingar\u2019s peninsula could be so comfortably warm and green on one side \u2013 the side Solitude was on \u2013 and so completely unforgiving just a bit up the road. He pulled his cloak a bit closer around him and made certain his hood was firmly fastened as he trotted along the drift-covered roadway. He rounded the corner and stopped for a moment before a curious structure, a small chapel of sorts tucked into a clearing, and surrounded by gravestones. He pondered going nearer, but then shrugged and continued on his way. It was an intriguing place, but he had a job to do on the other side of the ridgeline.<\/p>\n

The roadway lowered toward the northern shoreline and curved around to the west in what was clearly a mostly-deserted stretch. Not far along the drifts there were two roadside markers, piles of stone pointing toward a cavern that opened into the side of the ridge.<\/p>\n

This must be the place<\/em>.<\/p>\n

He stopped for a moment and sank to his knees to ask Hircine\u2019s blessing for the coming hunt, probably against adversaries much stronger and definitely more ancient than himself. He then stood, readied his bow, and slipped into the darkened cavern opening.<\/p>\n

What he found took him completely by surprise. In this area it might well have been an icy grove of some sort; but instead it was green, and humid, and much warmer than he had anticipated. Light streamed down from above. The air hummed with the sounds of pines and low-lying ferns and shrubs whispering to each other, and a brook splashing its way toward a pool of open water ahead and below him. He was frankly enchanted by the cavern\u2019s beauty. It reminded him of the hunt for Sinding, except that the light was natural, not the blood red of Hircine\u2019s domain.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He pushed forward through the earthy-scented cavern as silently as he could, stopping here and there to harvest a mushroom, or catch a butterfly. He made it to, and all the way around, the crystalline pool and found himself practically mesmerized.<\/p>\n

Vilkas sent me on what might well have been a suicide mission. Farkas has sent me to a place that I was bound to appreciate for its beauty. <\/em><\/p>\n

But beautiful or not it was, still, a job; and he still needed to exterminate spriggans in spite of not really being inclined to do so. He wouldn\u2019t drag himself back to Whiterun defeated and give Vilkas cause to shame him.<\/p>\n

Chip slipped into the pool to satisfy his own curiosity. The water wasn\u2019t nearly as frigid as he\u2019d expected, but it was crystal-clear; and as he\u2019d feared, there was evidence at its bottom that Haafingar had been wise to ask for help. A skeleton lay partially buried by sand. Next to it was a water-ruined hide shield, and a claymore which could likely bring in a few coins. Chip took that and rose to the surface, frowning. This was, indeed, a dangerous place in spite of appearances.<\/p>\n

There was a short slope up from the edge of the pool to the dry land beyond, and as he moved up it a skeever leapt out from the undergrowth. He reached for his shortblade; but jumped instead as a wolf appeared from another direction and attacked the skeever. Chip just stared for a moment. It wasn\u2019t unusual for wolves to leave him alone, these days; but he wasn\u2019t used to having them actively assist him. There was a pair of wolves, he now noticed as he pushed forward, extending his senses. They seemed content to run alongside him as he made his way toward the far reaches of this huge space. So far he\u2019d seen no spriggans.<\/p>\n

Just ahead of him, a huge tree had toppled across the space between the walls of the passage and the opening beneath. He headed for that, thinking to cross it. Perhaps what he was looking for was on the other side, at an upper level. He\u2019d just reached the point nearest the fallen behemoth\u2019s root mass when a familiar sound like the buzzing of an angry wasp\u2019s nest met his ears, and a spriggan stepped out from behind the trunk.<\/p>\n

Well, at least we know it wasn\u2019t some sort of hoax. There really is a spriggan here.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chip, still well hidden by the foliage, purposefully fired one of Hircine\u2019s arrows at the spriggan. A werewolf emerged from the sphere of magic and attacked the spriggan, slashing it to the point at which Chip\u2019s next arrow appeared to take it down easily. He couldn\u2019t tell for certain, though, because out of the green understory barreled a bear, clearly under the spriggan\u2019s influence and intent on killing the werewolf. They backed away from Chip, farther into the dark foliage. He followed behind them, firing one arrow after another at the supernaturally-charged bear from behind. The bear finally went down, and Chip edged forward, searching for the spriggan\u2019s remains.<\/p>\n

The werewolf, however, had not ended the spriggan. Chip was once more just beside the fallen tree when the green creature rose up from behind it, startling him badly. He backed down the path to where his conjured werewolf still stood and then whirled, firing a shot at the spriggan that struck it cleanly, finishing it off. The werewolf disappeared, noisily, as conjurations were wont to do, and Chip started toward the spriggan\u2019s remains to see whether he could salvage any ingredients from it.<\/p>\n

There was another spriggan.<\/p>\n

Chip had an intense dislike of spriggans. Even the werevultures he\u2019d fought weren\u2019t as unpredictable and single-minded as the most common variety of spriggans, which had no fear and wanted nothing more than to protect the trees they lived near. They were dangerous. This time he had no werewolf taking the brunt of the attack; and his heart pounded so that he wondered whether he was in danger of turning himself. That would be the worst possible thing to happen, for those moments between his forms were when he was at his most vulnerable. This spriggan came around and under the far end of the fallen tree, and headed straight for him. He backed away, unloading arrow after arrow into the creature, trying not to panic; and finally on his fifth shot it crumpled to the forest floor. He stood up from the cramped position he\u2019d taken while shooting, and found himself trembling in spite of having defeated the spriggan.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He looked down over the creature\u2019s remains and shook his head. \u201cI\u2019m sorry it had to come to this,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cI hope you know that it wasn\u2019t personal. But you were a hazard to people who came in here and you had to be taken care of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then he chuckled. \u201cTalking to a dead spriggan. You\u2019re losing your grip, Chip.\u201d He grinned at his own silliness and worked his way around the rest of the cavern, harvesting a taproot from one of the spriggans and some sap from the other. There were no other hazards in the cave, and the wolves seemed to have vanished; so he headed out to return to Whiterun.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chip found himself following Aela up to the doorway of Jorrvaskr. He knew that she had to be twice his age, if not much older. It was probably something he\u2019d never know for certain. And yet he couldn\u2019t help but admire her lithe form as she strode confidently up the steps. He could only imagine what a fierce hunter she must be. Her scent was unmistakable. Just before they reached the doors, Aela turned suddenly to look at him, catching him completely off-guard.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve heard you may be stronger than you look,\u201d she said, casting her gaze over him bluntly and maybe even appreciatively. \u201cPerhaps we could hunt together some day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip\u2019s knees threatened to turn to water, right then and there.<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps. I\u2019d like that,\u201d he managed to say without stumbling over his own words. \u201cTell me, though: what does it mean to be a Companion?\u201d<\/p>\n

She smirked. \u201cIt means resting your haunches in Whiterun more than I\u2019d care to, for one. But when it comes to drawing blood, there\u2019s no one in Skyrim I\u2019d rather have at my back. It means waking up every day knowing that you could die, and having to earn your life by clawing for every breath. I don\u2019t know how those cozy lords manage to drag themselves out of bed every day. Why bother if you\u2019re not living?\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip stood staring at her, slack-jawed. Not only did Aela have the scent of a wolf, she spoke like one, unapologetically.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2026 I don\u2019t know,\u201d he stammered. \u201cI wonder that myself, some days. But I\u2019m pretty young, and there is much I have yet to see. Why did you join up?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother was a Companion,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd her mother, and all the women in my family back to Hrotti Blackblade. I stayed with my father in the woods until I was old enough for my Trial. We hunted everything there was to hunt. Good training. Ma didn’t live long enough to see me join, but I fight to honor her and all my Shield-Sisters through time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chip could only nod, not really understanding all of what she\u2019d said. There didn\u2019t seem to be anything to say that wouldn\u2019t sound trite. He was a bit overwhelmed, though, that Aela had shared that information with him, unbidden. He merely followed her into Jorrvaskr, not even reacting when Skjor, standing near the door, said \u201cYou still need to prove yourself, whelp,\u201d as he walked in. He reported in to Farkas in something of a daze, receiving Farkas\u2019 thanks and another fat coin purse, all while trying to figure out what was going on in his own head. Somehow, he was a Companion, and he was mightily confused.<\/p>\n

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Home Previous \/ Next   As usual, Chip didn\u2019t sleep very long or very deeply. After the relative silence of his cabin, the comings and goings of people in Jorrvaskr didn\u2019t lend itself to rest. Still, when he rose after a couple of hours to head out on his job, he felt refreshed. By the … <\/p>\n

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