{"id":962,"date":"2021-08-04T13:39:51","date_gmt":"2021-08-04T19:39:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/?page_id=962"},"modified":"2021-08-08T21:48:32","modified_gmt":"2021-08-09T03:48:32","slug":"chapter-14","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/volume-1\/part-ii-starlight\/chapter-14\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 14"},"content":{"rendered":"
Home<\/a><\/div>\n
Previous<\/a> \/ Next<\/a><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chip walked slowly down the long hallway in Jorrvaskr\u2019s living quarters, torn between anxiety and excitement. On the one hand, he very much wanted the chance to ask Kodlak about his lycanthropy. Kodlak was much older than him, and presumably had been a werewolf for a very long time. Surely he had to know something<\/em>. On the other hand, any time he\u2019d been specifically called for a \u201cchat\u201d by either his mother or his father it had been because he was in trouble. He suspected the worst, right at this moment.<\/p>\n

Kodlak was seated in his usual chair. He looked calm, but Chip still needed to swallow against the knot of worry that threatened to clog his throat.<\/p>\n

\u201cHarbinger. You asked to see me?\u201d he asked quietly.<\/p>\n

Kodlak looked up at him and smiled, briefly. \u201cYes, youngling. Have a seat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip obediently sat down opposite Kodlak and waited. Kodlak\u2019s face gave nothing away; but as soon as he spoke, his tone had Chip feeling like a young child, about to be lectured by a stern father.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cI hear you\u2019ve been\u2026 busy, of late,\u201d Kodlak said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, yes,\u201d Chip said tentatively. Then, almost as though from a distance, he heard his own voice. \u201cI work for the honor of the Companions.\u201d<\/p>\n

He cringed internally, and felt his face growing hot with embarrassment. Boy that was lame. Where did that come from? I wouldn\u2019t buy that for a second if someone said it to me.<\/em><\/p>\n

Kodlak heaved a heavy sigh. Chip was certain he was fighting not to roll his eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cLad. I know what you\u2019ve been up to. Mind you, it\u2019s no business of mine what each Companion does in the name of \u2018honor.\u2019 But this sneaking around\u2026\u201d He shook his head. \u201cIt does not befit warriors of your standing. Aela knows better. And so should you.\u201d<\/p>\n

In spite of his intentions and desire to be respectful, Chip\u2019s anger flared in resentment the way it always had when his elders told him no. He tried to keep quiet, but the words insisted upon being said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut they killed Skjor! And they were torturing others of our kind to the point that they didn\u2019t even remember themselves! Even if Aela hadn\u2019t asked me to do it I would have wanted to take them out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kodlak observed him for a moment. Chip hoped he hadn\u2019t overstepped too badly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour hearts are full of grief,\u201d Kodlak said quietly. \u201cI understand this. My own weeps at the loss of Skjor. But his death was avenged long ago. You have taken many more lives than honor demanded. The cycle of retaliation may continue for some time. It is not good for any of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was right, Chip realized in shock. Kodlak was right, and that was why he was the Harbinger. Small-child Chip wanted to hang his head and cry \u201cI\u2019m sorry! I\u2019m sorry! I won\u2019t do it anymore!\u201d but Kodlak spoke again, cutting off any chance Chip had to embarrass himself more.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn any case, I have a task for you. Have you heard the story of how we came to be werewolves?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ah! Finally!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSkjor said it was a blessing from Hircine. And I would agree, except that I have no idea how I came to be a werewolf\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye,\u201d Kodlak said with a ghost of a smile. \u201cThat sounds like him. As in all matters of faith, though, the reality is a bit more complicated than what one believer would tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what is the truth, then?\u201d Chip asked hopefully. Surely Kodlak was going to tell him something meaningful to his own situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Companions are nearly five thousand years old.\u201d The hair on Chip\u2019s neck suddenly rose, to realize he was part of such an ancient organization. \u201cThis matter of beast blood has only troubled us for a few hundred,\u201d Kodlak continued. \u201cOne of my predecessors was a good, but short-sighted man. He made a bargain with the witches of Glenmoril Coven. If the Companions would hunt in the name of their lord, Hircine, we would be granted great power.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip nodded. \u201cAnd they were. They became werewolves. It\u2019s hard to imagine power like it \u2013 except for the dragons, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey did not believe the change would be permanent,\u201d Kodlak said. \u201cThe witches also offered payment, like anyone else would. But we had been deceived.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip\u2019s brow furrowed in confusion. \u201cBut you became more powerful. You did.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kodlak stared at him. The intensity of his gaze made Chip both uncomfortable and certain that Kodlak was about to tell him something surprising.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe witches didn\u2019t lie, of course. But they didn\u2019t tell the whole truth. The disease, you see, affects not just our bodies. It seeps into our spirit. Upon death, werewolves are claimed by Hircine for his Hunting Grounds. For some, this is a paradise. They want nothing more than to chase prey with their master for eternity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes! That\u2019s the idea, isn\u2019t it? We worship Hircine, don\u2019t we?<\/em><\/p>\n

Chip nodded vigorously. \u201cIt\u2019s not such a bad place,\u201d he muttered under his breath. \u201cA little dangerous, but that\u2019s the point\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Kodlak continued as if he hadn\u2019t heard Chip speak. \u201cThat is their choice. But I\u2019m still a true Nord, and I wish for Sovngarde as my spirit home. I\u2019ve spent my twilight years trying to find a cure, and now I\u2019ve found the answer. The witch\u2019s magic ensnared us, and only their magic can release us. They won\u2019t give it willingly but we can extract their foul powers by force.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip snorted derisively. \u201cSure. That seems honorable.\u201d<\/p>\n

He jumped in his chair as Kodlak frowned. He hadn\u2019t intended to say that aloud. \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Kodlak scowled at him. \u201cI want you to seek them out. Go to their coven in the wilderness, at the southern edge of Falkreath Hold. Strike them down as a true warrior of the wild, and bring me their heads, the seat of their abilities. From there, we may begin to undo centuries of impurity. You will have no shield-brother this time. The spirit of Ysgramor will travel with you to restore the honor of his legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2026\u201d Chip\u2019s frustration broke loose. \u201cBut I don\u2019t want to be cured! I\u2019ve been to Hircine\u2019s Hunting Grounds. I proved myself to him. I don\u2019t want to give up this gift, and I don\u2019t consider it an impurity. All I want is to know why. Why<\/em> am I this way in the first place? Can\u2019t anybody give me a straight answer?\u201d<\/p>\n

Kodlak growled quietly under his breath, and Chip froze in his seat. Kodlak was old, but he was the leader. He deserved respect, and Chip had been decidedly disrespectful. He thought back to the first time he\u2019d met Kodlak. Vilkas had been sitting here, equally frustrated, and yet he\u2019d been completely deferential to the Harbinger.<\/p>\n

Kodlak breathed deeply, his growl having clearly been meant to achieve exactly what it had \u2013 getting Chip\u2019s attention.\u00a0“This is not about your desires, lad. Your own fate will be your own choice. Just as always. Now be gone.”<\/p>\n

Chip nodded. \u201cI will. And forgive me for being a jerk. I\u2019m just\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYoung, and confused. I understand. Talos go with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip rose from his chair, feeling even more conflicted than he had been when he sat down on it. He hadn\u2019t learned anything important from Kodlak. Or, rather, he had<\/em> \u2013 but it wasn\u2019t anything that applied to his own situation. He owed Kodlak his allegiance, though, and his obedience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll bring you those heads, Harbinger, whether Talos goes with me or not. I appreciate the support, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

He left Jorrvaskr, frowning. He made his way through Whiterun\u2019s gate, annoyed. He was still annoyed when, halfway across the hold, a saber cat came out of the tall grasses to attack. He snarled at it and raised Grabber over his head, slamming it down into the base of the animal\u2019s skull to take the beast\u2019s life, and its soul.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t have done that before I became a werewolf. I wasn\u2019t nearly strong enough. Why would someone want to give that up?<\/em><\/p>\n

He continued thinking about it even as he worked his way slowly through Brittleshin Pass, where necromancers and their skeletons tended to congregate no matter how many times it got cleared out.<\/p>\n

Maybe it has to do with getting older. I can\u2019t say that it\u2019s ever even crossed my mind to wonder what my soul will be doing after I\u2019m dead. I\u2019ve surely heard enough of the old Nords talk about wanting to go to Sovngarde, though. <\/em><\/p>\n

He grinned, remembering a conversation he\u2019d had on the topic with Harald Stormcloak. Harald had snorted at him over a tankard of ale and laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy all the old gods, Chip, it\u2019s all they ever talk about, Father and Galmar. Talos this. Sovngarde that. They\u2019re so busy worrying about what happens after<\/em> they die that they\u2019re not living while they\u2019re still here! And it\u2019s almost worse with Mother. She\u2019s so much younger than they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip chuckled, thinking of it. His own parents never said much about such topics, but he\u2019d heard the word Evergloam in their conversations more than once. He\u2019d heard his Uncle Roggi talk about Sovngarde from time to time, though he was stubbornly determined to live every moment he had on Nirn to its fullest and for as long as he possibly could. Uncle Dardeh was different, though. He often got misty-eyed if the conversation drifted to Sovngarde. Chip had always assumed it was because of the old stories that said Dardeh had traveled there to defeat Alduin, the World-Eater.<\/p>\n

I wonder, though. He\u2019s a half-breed, like me. Where do our souls go when we die? I wonder if that\u2019s what makes him so sad. Maybe we\u2019re not \u201cNord\u201d enough for Sovngarde. I should ask him, sometime.<\/em><\/p>\n

All the more reason for me to be happy. I know I\u2019ll go to the Hunting Grounds in the end. But I suppose there\u2019s no harm in at least helping Kodlak achieve some kind of peace. He certainly deserves that much from me. I wish I hadn\u2019t been such a jerk.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The moon was hanging low and orange in the sky just above the mountaintops as Chip padded up the dark path toward the cavern entrance. It was hard to tell whether he was in the right place; but when he saw the spriggan taproots adorning dead trees near the top of the path \u2013 to say nothing of the odd assemblages of deer skulls and ribcages \u2013 he knew he\u2019d made it. Glenmoril Coven. And just in time to escape the thunderstorm that was moving in as he reached the cave\u2019s door.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Rumor had it that there were four or five of the witches inside. Even one of them was a decent challenge, as far as he was concerned. Hagravens, which were basically the same thing as these witches, packed an enormous wallop with their fire spells.<\/p>\n

I only need one head for Kodlak. Maybe if I am quiet enough getting inside, I\u2019ll be able to do the job quickly and get back to Whiterun unscathed. I should be able to do that.<\/em><\/p>\n

As dark as it had been outside, inside the cavern was worse. He stood in the doorway for a few moments and stared straight ahead, willing his eyes to acclimate to their surroundings. Ahead of him, weak light shone from the right-hand side of the tunnel; he headed for it with his weapon at the ready. It wouldn\u2019t do to be surprised.<\/p>\n

The light had been cast by a brazier just inside the corner of the tunnel\u2019s dogleg. Chip could see an enormous cavern beyond, cook fires and braziers creating small pools of light here and there on at least two different levels. It seemed completely empty to him as he crept toward the end of the tunnel. Then a tiny movement caught his eye.<\/p>\n

A Glenmoril witch, standing almost motionless in the center of the cavern, had scratched her arm.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chip reached slowly into his pack and drew out a vial of poison. He wasn\u2019t a skilled alchemist, but he practiced often and carried poisons with him just in case. This seemed a good time to use one. He readied his bow and slowly raised it, aiming at the witch\u2019s head. The shot struck her somewhere in the chest, not in her head; and she reacted instantly, drawing magic into her clawed hand and shuffling toward him. Chip backed away down the tunnel into the deepest shadows and fired another arrow from behind a dead shrub. He couldn\u2019t see her; but he heard the arrow connect, heard her noisy breathing and her bird-like feet scratching in the dirt, so he fired one more time. This time it went silent.<\/p>\n

He waited a moment before emerging into what passed for light, to search for the witch\u2019s corpse. She was hideous to behold and smelled worse to a nose as sensitive as Chip\u2019s; but he dutifully took out his woodcutter\u2019s axe and chopped off the head, tucking it into a sack he\u2019d bought specifically for the purpose.<\/p>\n

Gross. But I\u2019ve done what Kodlak asked of me. <\/em><\/p>\n

The practical side of his nature told him to head back for Whiterun, right then. But he sniffed the air, and listened hard, and something told him that there were more creatures stirring in this room. Braziers along the right wall spoke of a ramp leading upward, so he worked through the intense darkness to find the dirt path and followed it. He\u2019d just about reached the top when a familiar skittering sound in front of him revealed a frostbite spider at the other end of the ledge. It took him four tries to kill the creature, due in part to the face full of venom that hit him just after he\u2019d released the second shot.<\/p>\n

He passed the spider\u2019s body and crossed a short wooden bridge, turning into the next opening he found. This passage doglegged left, ending at a substantial chamber with a fat stone pillar in its center and water flowing in to form a pool in the floor. He was almost into the room when he spotted another spider, waving two of its legs in the air. It didn\u2019t see him, and it fell to a single arrow; but the sound had alerted the other resident of this space \u2013 a second witch.<\/p>\n

I guess I\u2019m taking care of all of them. Oh well.<\/em><\/p>\n

He was just about ready to take a shot at the witch, thinking that she didn\u2019t see him, when she turned and looked directly at him. She raised a hand and gathered a fireball in it, startling him so much that he lost his grip on the bowstring. He got lucky anyway; she was moving quickly \u2013 at least for a hagraven \u2013 and she walked directly into the path of the misfired arrow. She changed to a healing spell as she squawked her pain; but as she cast it on herself Chip snapped another arrow to his bow and launched it at her. This time it was a solid hit, and she fell.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He pulled the corpse out of the water where it had fallen, and hacked off its head. May as well. You never know. If Kodlak\u2019s first attempt isn\u2019t successful maybe the second will be.<\/em><\/p>\n

He found something else in this chamber, besides the pool of water and the hagraven\u2019s tent. At the very edge of the platform where her bedding lay was an altar, much like the one out in the wilds of Whiterun\u2019s western grasslands. Chip ran his hands over the altar, smiling as he felt the energy he\u2019d encountered there, and to an even greater extent at the shrine on Solstheim. Then a thought occurred to him that nearly turned his blood cold.<\/p>\n

Oh no. What if\u2026 what if Hircine is angry that I am killing these witches?<\/em><\/p>\n

He sank to his knees before it and raised his hands in supplication. He murmured a prayer aloud, asking for tolerance and forgiveness; because even while he was harming another creature who revered Hircine he, himself, was not seeking to change his status.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s too great a gift to reject, Lord Hircine. I accepted your boon with pride, in your Hunting Grounds. But I made a promise to the Harbinger. I don\u2019t understand him, and I don\u2019t agree with him. But I must keep my promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip didn\u2019t sense a response from Hircine. He hadn\u2019t really expected one, but it had seemed the thing to do, to try and explain the tangled and slightly contradictory thoughts he had about this entire adventure.<\/p>\n

He returned to the primary cavern and started down the ramp on his right, only to discover the other creature he\u2019d heard and smelled in this room: another frostbite spider. This one was smaller than its fellow, and took no time at all to dispatch; but Chip was fully annoyed that he hadn\u2019t spotted it before.<\/p>\n

A bit of light beneath the ledge caught his eye, and he worked his way to the back of the chamber where another tunnel led into the rocks. It was a long tunnel, snaking back into the side of the mountain so far that he wondered if he\u2019d ever reach the end; but at last he emerged into a dimly-lit cave that sloped downward from where he stood. As he had expected, there was another hagraven there, moving up the slope toward him at an uncomfortably quick pace. He\u2019d been prepared for another witch, though, and snapped two arrows at her in quick succession. She shrieked and fell; and her head joined that of her sisters in the sack that felt far too heavy now.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He could have left. He debated with himself, actually, about doing just that. But if these Glenmoril witches were attacking a fellow Hircine devotee on sight surely they would do the same to anyone else. Especially now that I\u2019ve killed three of their sisters. I can smell more. I need to finish the job. <\/em><\/p>\n

It took him a while to find the next tunnel, in the dark, hidden beneath the supports for the small wooden bridge he\u2019d crossed earlier. It was such a short passage that he nearly stumbled into the room at its end. He couldn\u2019t see the hagraven, but she certainly heard him. She raised her hand to begin drawing power, and that gave her position \u2013 on a ledge behind a wall of wooden spikes \u2013 away. Chip shot at her once, twice, and again; but he\u2019d been clumsy entering the room and was off-balance. Two of the three shots missed. The third struck home, and the witch yelped but didn\u2019t go down. Another two shots went wide of their mark.<\/p>\n

\u201cGods damn it!\u201d Chip shouted, firing one more arrow. That one struck home, and the witch died. He ground his teeth, shook his head, and went to harvest the fourth head, muttering to himself the entire time. \u201cI have got to be quieter, and I have to take my time before I just fling arrows around. Besides, it\u2019s going to start getting expensive to replace them soon. Moonstone doesn\u2019t just grow on trees.\u201d<\/p>\n

He wandered around in the dark of the complex for what felt like an eternity before locating the final tunnel with a whiff of hagraven coming from it. It was on the upper level, its entrance mostly dark because of the angle of it; and he\u2019d walked right past it earlier by stepping over the carcass of the first frostbite spider he\u2019d killed. He was annoyed with himself for taking so long to find the place, but he knew that annoyance would only serve to make him less accurate. So he stood for a moment, leaning against the cool rock walls with his eyes closed, breathing deeply and quietly until he felt fully settled again. He took a sip of water, and readied his bow, and said a quick, silent prayer to Hircine before pushing ahead into the dark.<\/p>\n

This tunnel emptied into a small, dark egg of a room. He couldn\u2019t see all of it for the thick stone pillar in its center. But he did see a brazier, up near the top of the chamber; and he saw the hagraven next to it. She saw him, as well. She immediately started down the path that sloped behind the pillar.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chip raised his bow to take a shot at her and then nearly jumped out of his skin. So focused had he been on the brazier\u2019s light and the hagraven just behind it that he\u2019d completely missed the spider lurking just in front of him. He almost fell over on top of the spider, but managed to catch himself and backpedal into the tunnel, his heart pounding so hard that he was afraid he would turn right then and there in the narrowest spot. And he wasn\u2019t sure the great red werewolf could fit through that tunnel. He had a brief vision of being unable to evade the spider\u2019s fangs and the hagraven\u2019s fireballs, and practically fell onto his backside in an effort to get away; but then he caught himself, grimaced, and dispatched the spider.<\/p>\n

The hagraven had started down to the right, when she\u2019d seen him. To his astonishment, she turned back toward the left and passed behind the brazier, where she disappeared.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip\u2019s question was cut off by the appearance of the bony, smelly creature coming straight toward him from the left. It was so dark in the cave that he hadn\u2019t seen a ramp down the left wall. He certainly saw it now, though, as the light of the hagraven\u2019s magic showed her off, in all her hideous glory.<\/p>\n

He took a step to the left to get a better angle on her. The arrow he loosed struck her solidly; but once again the lack of distance to build momentum meant he hadn\u2019t killed his foe in one shot. He fired again but the arrow went wild, clattering onto the stones beyond the hagraven. She turned around to look for it, dropping her hands and dousing the light; and Chip shot once more into near-total darkness. The cry of pain told him that he\u2019d done the job in spite of everything.<\/p>\n

He stood there for a moment, shuddering as he tried to calm down again. Another sip of water helped. Then he collected the witch\u2019s head and stowed it in the large sack, now full to the top.<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter not be any others in here because I\u2019m out of space,\u201d he said to the room. He took a few minutes to retrace his steps all through the complex, to make certain he\u2019d completed the job to his own satisfaction. Then he found the exit and stepped out into the open dark, raising his face gratefully to the cool rain that still fell over southern Falkreath Hold.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere, Kodlak,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cI\u2019ve done as you asked. I\u2019ve gotten the heads. Now let\u2019s see if we can\u2019t get you cured, if that\u2019s what you really want.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There was a strange atmosphere in Whiterun, as he walked through the marketplace and up the stairs toward the old flowering tree. Subdued, it was. People who might ordinarily have greeted him with a smile or a joke glanced at him and then quickly looked away, lowered their heads, and scurried past. At first, Chip wondered whether it was simply the quiet after a day of thunderstorms; but the closer he got to Jorrvaskr the heavier the atmosphere seemed.<\/p>\n

He turned for the staircase to the old mead hall and frowned. Brenuin, the old beggar, was standing at the base of the stairs, silent and still, staring up. So were three or four others of the townsfolk, people Chip didn\u2019t know well. He crossed the small footbridge and the hackles on his neck rose.<\/p>\n

Blood. I smell blood<\/em>.<\/p>\n

At the first landing, he met Aela, her sword drawn, standing over two corpses. Chip\u2019s mouth dropped open.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cThese two aren\u2019t a problem anymore,\u201d she said, a sharp edge in her voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cAela,\u201d Chip breathed. \u201cWhat\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Torvar was on the other side of the paved walkway, standing over a corpse of his own making. \u201cThe Silver Hand,\u201d he said grimly as Chip approached. \u201cThey finally had the nerve to attack Jorrvaskr. We got most of them, but I think a few stragglers made it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the gods,\u201d Chip said quietly. Kodlak told me so. He was right. This is terrible. <\/em>His head swam and his legs trembled as he walked slowly up the steps and pushed the door to Jorrvaskr open.<\/p>\n

Vilkas stood just inside the doorway, as if he\u2019d been waiting for Chip\u2019s arrival. His frown was so deep that his brows nearly met in the middle, and his eyes blazed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere<\/em> have you been?\u201d he said, his voice heavy with accusation.<\/p>\n

Chip\u2019s anger flared immediately, overriding the horrible dread he felt in the room around him. \u201cI was doing<\/em> Kodlak\u2019s bidding. He gave me a task to do, and I did it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2026 hope it was important,\u201d Vilkas said, his voice sarcastic but shaking. \u201cBecause it meant you weren\u2019t here to defend him!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of blaming me because I did something I was supposed to do, Vilkas<\/em>,\u201d Chip snapped, \u201cwhy don\u2019t you tell me what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Silver Hand. They finally found enough courage to attack Jorrvaskr,\u201d Vilkas said. \u201cWe\u2026fought them off. But\u2026\u201d His voice began to tremble again, whether in sorrow or rage Chip couldn\u2019t tell, as blinded by his own anger as he was.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cThe old man. Kodlak.\u201d Vilkas swallowed hard. \u201cHe\u2019s dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Chip started for the center of the hall, only to have Vilkas step in front of him. Chip saw red. It felt like an explosion in his head, and in his heart, and he could barely focus for the rage. He reached out and pushed Vilkas aside. \u201cGet out of my way, asshole,\u201d he growled quietly. \u201cOr you\u2019ll find yourself in another battle.\u201d He didn\u2019t wait for Vilkas\u2019 reaction.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He ran down the steps and took in the sight, then sank slowly to his knees. Farkas and Njada Stonearm sat next to the bodies of a Silver Hand bandit and Kodlak. Njada, always the sharp-tongued, abrasive member of the group, was fighting back tears. Farkas, though\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cFarkas,\u201d Chip whispered. \u201cAre you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n

Farkas looked up at him with an expression of sadness the likes of which Chip had never seen. He looked broken. Crushed. Utterly defeated.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cOh Farkas,\u201d he managed to say. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry.\u201d He reached toward Kodlak and then pulled his hand back. \u201cI did what he wanted, Farkas, and now it\u2019s too late. I\u2019m so very sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

He sat there for a moment, taking in the scene, trying to deal with his shock as the others were. And the longer he looked, the angrier he became. He began speaking again, raising his voice to be certain that the man standing behind them would get the message.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot that it would have made much difference if I\u2019d been here,\u201d he said slowly and carefully, with the heat building in his words. \u201cAs you\u2019ve made certain to let me know, on any number of occasions, I\u2019m barely more than a whelp<\/em>. I\u2019m the youngest and weakest of the Circle. And you should know that better than anyone else, Vilkas<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He was a bit afraid that Farkas might take exception to what he was saying to his brother. But Farkas seemed frozen in his shock and his grief, and so did Njada.<\/p>\n

There was a moment of utter silence. Then Vilkas spoke again, his voice steady but cold.<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody else was hurt, but they made off with all our fragments of Wuuthrad.\u201d<\/p>\n

I should care about that, Chip thought distantly, after all the time I\u2019ve spent collecting them. But I don\u2019t. Kodlak is dead and I don\u2019t care about a broken weapon.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you and I are going to reclaim them, Brynjolf Brynjolfsson<\/em>,\u201d Vilkas said loudly, snapping Chip completely out of any fog he might have been in. \u201cWe will bring the battle to their chief camp. There will be none left living to tell their stories. Only songs of Jorrvaskr will be sung! We will avenge Kodlak, and they will know terror before the end!\u201d<\/p>\n

Chip rose slowly and returned carefully up the stairs. He turned to stand in front of Vilkas, and took a deep breath while he considered what he was going to say next.<\/p>\n

By the Nine, the Old Gods, and all the Daedric Princes. You are more full of shit than any other man I have ever met. It\u2019s remarkable to me that you don\u2019t draw flies where you stand<\/em>.<\/p>\n

That was what he wanted to say. Instead, he shook his head. What came from him was from somewhere deep inside, something that had never been given voice before.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cNever call me that again. Never. That is my name, but only my father Brynjolf and my mother Sayma Sendu have the right to use it. Is that clear?\u201d<\/p>\n

Vilkas\u2019 eyes widened. Then he nodded, slowly.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood. Then understand this, Vilkas.\u201d He dropped his voice low. \u201cI know that you probably consider yourself the alpha now, and with good reason. I won\u2019t challenge that. But hear me. I was chosen by Hircine. I have been to his Hunting Grounds, and defeated his hunters, and received his tokens. You have not seen what I am capable of, not by half. But you will. We will go, together, and we will wipe the Silver Hand off the face of Tamriel.\u201d<\/p>\n

He turned and went back out into the beautiful day that had been forever marred by death. He stopped next to Aela and knelt to dip his fingers in the blood of the Silver Hand nearest her. Then he reached up and drew them down over his face, in a symbol his sister also wore. He was going to war.<\/p>\n

He both heard and smelled Vilkas following him, as quietly as a wolf in heavy armor could follow.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Home<\/a><\/div>\n
Previous<\/a> \/ Next<\/a><\/div>\n

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

Home Previous \/ Next   Chip walked slowly down the long hallway in Jorrvaskr\u2019s living quarters, torn between anxiety and excitement. On the one hand, he very much wanted the chance to ask Kodlak about his lycanthropy. Kodlak was much older than him, and presumably had been a werewolf for a very long time. Surely … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Chapter 14”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":653,"menu_order":14,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-962","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=962"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1001,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/962\/revisions\/1001"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/baakay.com\/Snow\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}