The Wolf Fights

by KiraLex

Five years have passed since Helgrim first returned to Skyrim. Recently he has seen how unjustly the Empire is treating their citizens and has vowed that he will do what he can to make everything right again. Follow the Frost Wolf once more as he travels through the land of Skyrim and fights for independence from Imperial rule.

1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Grim stood outside for a minute and looked around his land. He had accomplished so much during the last five years, considering that he had a five year old to look after who was constantly disappearing into the forest. His cousin, Iddra, had taken up the task of taking care of Lifa when he was away for work or some other reason and recently had come to him and explained how much she worried about the child. He had followed her several times in his wolf form, always keeping himself hidden from her so she wouldn't know that there was such a creature following her. He had already determined that he would keep his secret to himself rather than explaining to his cousin and her husband just what he was. It wasn't that he didn't believe that they would understand and accept what he was, but rather because he had to be careful just who knew about it. In case any hunters came looking for a huge white wolf. If he didn't tell anyone, they wouldn't have to lie about not seeing one.

Lifa may not have known who her mother was, but it didn't matter to the young girl. She had a papa and that was what did matter to her. Her papa was the one who tucked her in every night. Her papa was the one who kissed her boo-boos when she fell. Her papa was always there and even when he was away for a few days, her "Auntie" Iddra was there for her. The only thing that bothered her was that her cousin, Einarr, was always tagging along with her when she took off to explore the woods around their home. Growing up so close in age, the two were almost like siblings and fought like it, too. More than once Lifa has attempted to leave Einarr out in the woods by himself, but the four year old constantly found his way back home again, thinking it was all a game. Lifa would get in trouble for leaving him behind, but she would get out of the worst of it by saying she didn't know he was there. It was only a half truth, but that little bit should matter more. At least in her opinion it should.

Grim wasn't exactly sure what to do with Lifa, but he had managed to keep her alive so he had to be doing something right. He had gotten worried himself a couple years before when there was a serial killer going around Windhelm, the big city near Kynesgrove where they lived. The killer had been given the name of "The Butcher" and he had told himself that he wouldn't get involved and he managed to stay that way, but that didn't mean he hadn't worried about the safety of his own daughter during the time. The man was caught, he heard, in the act of murdering another and didn't even make it to the executioner. Someone hailed as The Dragonborn had apparently put a stop to the man and the Jarl had been very pleased, even granting the title of Thane to the person. He could get the title if he wanted to work for it, but he enjoyed his anonymity. An important factor for a man who could change into a large wolf whenever he chose.

The homestead established, Grim had turned his attention back to his family in Hammerfell. He had written letters to his parents, his siblings and most importantly, to his lover, Eir. Unfortunately, Eir had written back only once, explaining that she had found another and for him to let her go and start a new life in Skyrim with someone new. He had accepted what she wrote, but had no interest in finding anyone else to love. He had loved Aeri and she had given him his daughter, Lifa, but she had passed doing it and if he had a chance to do it over again, he would have made sure she lived. Somehow. There was no way it could have been avoided. Death by childbirth was not uncommon and was unpredictable. There was no way they could have known what would happen when she had gone into labor. He had accepted that Talos had a plan and it involved him raising his daughter alone, so he had kept it so.

He had continued writing to his family throughout the past five years and found himself on more than one occasion brought near to tears because of missing out on something that they were doing. He had heard about his brother's marriage, his only brother Koli, two months after they had already wed. He had not been able to attend, obviously, and couldn't help wondering what his new sister-in-law looked like. His brother's description is only part of the image process. He would have to meet her to solidify that image in his brain. To that effect he had written Koli back and invited not only Koli and his wife, Sif, but also his youngest sister Kenna to come and stay with him for a little while. He hadn't gotten a reply yet, but he hoped they would say yes and come to stay for a bit. He missed his family, especially as he read that his father was getting more and more stiff in his joints with the years. Hunting was getting more difficult for him and he felt guilty for not being there to help his father, but it couldn't be helped. He had come here to make a new start and he had. He also came here for another reason, to fight for religious freedom from the Empire.

Grim had been hearing about the goings-on in Skyrim for the past five years. Rumors and gossip ran amok about the Imperial actions and how badly things were getting in regards to worshiping Talos. It was not merely a jailing offense any longer. If anyone was caught for Talos worship now, it was an automatic execution. He had no idea how much truth there was to the gossip, but he was more likely to believe what the townsfolk were saying as opposed to whatever filth the Empire spewed to its people. He continued to go to the Talos shrine near his home every day and make sure that it is all clear of debris and what not, even spending an hour there himself praying, but he was careful who may have seen him. No longer did he worship openly. He had to be there for Lifa, not put his life in danger. The more and more he heard, the more eager he was to head out and take up arms against the Empire by joining the Stormcloaks.

Fjolnar had already said that if he ever wanted to do so, he would go with him. He wasn't sure he would take his cousin's husband away from her, but he wouldn't stop the man from fighting for what he believed in because it was what he was planning on doing. And he had a little girl to think about. Fjolnar had not only the little boy he had, Einarr, but Iddra was pregnant again with their second child. He didn't want to be responsible for making Iddra a widow. Something told him, however, that there was little that he could tell Fjolnar to keep him from re-joining the Stormcloaks. The man had a personal vendetta against them for nearly executing him five years ago when Grim had saved his life. He had to admit that if he were to have anyone as a shield brother, he would want it to be Fjolnar. At least he knew the man wouldn't let him die just as much as he wouldn't let Fjolnar die. What better friend could you have?

During the past five years he had even made a few new friends. No one all that important, but when you do odd jobs for people enough times they come to know you and have you do more and more for them. He had recently received a request to bring a packet of medicine from Quintus at The White Phial to the miners in Darkwater Crossing. Knowing that the small mining community was only a couple hours away, he told Quintus that he would be glad to bring the medicine to them. Apparently the mine was getting deeper and deeper into the ground and was causing a lot of problems with the miners' breathing. That was not a good thing, since the community depended upon the miners to make their living and keep the "town" going, so he felt the need to see to it that they got their meds.

"Iddra, can you watch Lifa tomorrow?" Helgrim asked his cousin later that night.

"Of course I can, Grim, what's up?" she asked in response, cleaning the inn counter. She stopped after a moment and stretched her back, then rubbed her belly. She was very pregnant with her second child.

"I told Quintus that I would bring some medicine to the folks in Darkwater. Shouldn't take me too long to get there and back. Five hours at the most." He was giving a higher number in case he ran into trouble.

"They've needed that stuff for a while now. It's not a problem. You know as well as I do that she'll probably be in the woods anyway." Iddra gave him a smile and a wink, then went back to cleaning the counter.

"Yeah, I know. That girl doesn't like to stay home." He laughed at the thought of his daughter running through the forest. He had, of course, watched her, but not too close. "How's Einarr doing with keeping up with her?"

"Well, I don't like it, him following her, but I can't stop him. He is his father's son." She laughed lightly at the thought of Fjolnar and how stubborn he was. Einarr was just like him. "I suppose Lifa will keep him safe."

"Yeah, she probably would. Well, I'm gonna turn in now. Got an early start. Good night, Iddra."

"Good night, Grim. Stay safe."

Grim gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek and then left the inn, heading up the hill to where his own house was located. Already Lifa was tucked into bed. He knew this because he had done so earlier that night. He still went into her room and stood in the doorway, just watching her sleep. She was so peaceful, so much like her mother. It nearly broke his heart to look at her, but it also made him think of Aeri and realize that she was still a part of him. She was still in his life, through their daughter. He sighed once and shut the door, then went into his own room to make preparations to leave before he went to sleep. He made sure his backpack had all the necessary things in it, as well as extra waterskins and apples to eat. Never know what he would find out there. He had taken a trip back to Dawnstar when Rustleif's son was born and knew how much things happened to pop up without expecting them. A trip that should have taken a couple weeks there and back, took nearly a month because of unforeseen things. Such as bandits jumping Matilda and him on the road, or Matilda getting a stone in her hoof that caused her to limp part of the way. He had made it, of course, but he determined that things that would happen would always happen during a trip. So he had given himself more time to get places since then.

In the morning, he was up with the dawn and went through his morning ablutions before heading outside to prepare Tilly. She seemed to sense that they were going someplace that day, more than just riding around Kynesgrove. He smiled at the mare's eagerness to get out there. It was nearly as much as his own. After she was brushed thoroughly and he was certain her feet were clean, he saddled her and made sure the bridle sat easily in her mouth before going inside to get his backpack and the saddlebags he had packed last night. He put the pack on his own back and the saddlebags on the horse. He patted her shoulder and then went inside to get his daughter.

"Papa? Where are ya goin'?" she asked him, her eyes peering at him as he knelt before her.

"I'm just bringing some medicine to people who need it. A few hours away, I'll be back before lunch." He pulled her close and kissed her tenderly. "You'll be a good girl for Auntie Iddra?"

"O' course, Papa. I'm always good for Auntie. But why does Einarr hafta follow me?" she whined at him.

"You'll figure something out, sweetheart. I love you."

"I love you, too, Papa."

Then she hugged him and left the house, heading to the inn where Iddra and Fjolnar lived. He sighed and watched her go until she made it inside, then he shut and locked his door and mounted Tilly. He turned her toward the road and urged her forward. The mare shot out and blew into the morning air, the mist rising from her nostrils with each breath. He shook his head and patted her neck, then settled into the saddle and made his way to steadily ride toward Darkwater Crossing. He'd heard rumors about the Imperial soldiers making rounds to several small towns in the area, but since he hadn't seen any soldiers for months, he assumed they were just rumors.

As he rode down the road, his thoughts wandered and he couldn't help but think about his parents. Though his mother was staying strong and doing what she could to make sure the family was cared for, his father was failing. The stiffness in his joints meant he couldn't track the animals he hunted as far as he could before, which made it more difficult for him to provide for his family and offer some to the town as well. It made him feel more and more guilty for staying in Skyrim, but this was Lifa's home now and he was determined not to move her like his family had done to him. He would find a way to make it safe to worship Talos again. From thoughts of his parents, he went to what it would take to join the Stormcloaks. Fjolnar already said he'd speak for him if he chose to sign up. Perhaps that would make it easy for him then. He looked at Tilly and then turned her around in a small circle when he heard the wolves coming toward them from the side of the road. He dismounted and grabbed his sword, stepping away from Matilda who was already running after one of the wolves and attacking. With her ears flattened to her head and teeth bared, she squealed and grabbed the wolf she was after. He didn't look at her anymore because there was a wolf in front of him. He swung the sword through the air as the beast lunged and with one swift strike it was dead at his feet. He found himself growling as he looked at the third wolf. It seemed to shake itself and falter slightly, but Tilly had taken care of one wolf and pounced on the final beast herself with her entire weight. It didn't even have a chance and before long it lay at her feet, bleeding as it died.

"Good girl, Tilly. Nice to know we haven't lost our edge, eh?" The horse merely snorted and stamped a foot, but he took that as her saying 'never'.

Grim remounted and turned her back in the direction they needed to go and urged her onward. As he'd determined, things always came up when he was on his way somewhere. This was no different. At least the rest of the trip was uneventful and he made it to Darkwater Crossing within the next hour and a half. Riding up to the small town, he had to take a moment and look it over. He had been here only once before to see a friend of Gemma's at her request and it had changed little since then. It was a beautiful little hamlet, the sun rising over the trees and shining on the batch of tents around a campfire. Up a small hill sat a farmhouse with a few crops, some chickens and a goat. Beyond the farmhouse he could see the steam rising from the hot springs that lay there. He hadn't had a chance to try them out yet, but he had decided that he would do so one day. Maybe before he got too old to enjoy it. He dismounted from Matilda and patted her neck, then walked her up to the miner's camp and stopped near one of the miners.

"Hello. I'm Grim Frost-Blood. Who would I speak to about the medicine shipment?" he asked a young woman and remembered her name was Tormir. A young mother, she was.

"Oh. That would be Sondas. I believe he's walking around here somewhere. Probably with my daughter, Hrefna. He's who you need to talk to."

"Thank you, Tormir."

"You're welcome, Grim." She smiled at him and then turned to go toward the mine.

He watched her go for a moment, then headed toward the farmhouse to see if he could locate Sondas. If he remembered correctly, he was a dark elf that didn't like his homeland much, if at all. It didn't take too long to locate the man who was walking around with a young girl of about eight years old. He introduced himself to the man and told him he had the medicine in his saddlebags. A quick conversation later, the meds were in the man's hands and he was preparing to head back to Kynesgrove. Back to his daughter. Suddenly, there was a commotion near the woods beyond the camp. Before he could do anything, a mass of people emerged. Not only were there Stormcloaks, but also Imperials. It must have been a battle and he had just gotten caught up in it. Great. It looked like it would take him longer to get home than he thought.

The residents of Darkwater Crossing ran away from the soldiers fighting now beside the miner's camp of tents and took refuge in the shelter of the farmhouse. He was glad to see that they were at least smart enough to get out of the way. He would have hated to have seen anyone, especially the little girl, get hurt by one of the soldiers. He had already drawn his sword and sent Matilda off with the intent to get her out of the way. He should have known better. Setting her free like he did, she took it as a sign and turned on the first soldier she saw. He had time enough to roll his eyes at the mare before a pair of the men were upon him. He growled under his breath as he felt the wolf inside leap against his skin, but he pushed it down. He had to be smart here. Only kill the Imperial soldiers. He wanted to join the Stormcloaks at some point and he had a feeling they wouldn't look favorably on him shifting into a huge white wolf and killing an entire attack party very well. Pushing the soldiers away, he stood abreast a Stormcloak and nodded, then swung his sword at the Imperial and managed to cut him deep in the upper arm, causing the other man's sword arm to become useless.

"I'll help!" he called to the Stormcloak he stood beside and the man nodded and they went after another Imperial together.

The entire battle only lasted about twenty minutes total, so perhaps a skirmish would be a better term for it, and when all was said and done they had won, sending the Imperials running back where they had come from. The Stormcloaks lost just one man and the Imperials had lost five. The leader of the Stormcloak troop came up to him and clapped him on the back with a grin.

"Ah, good that ye were here, man! What's yer name?"

"Grim Frost-Blood. Glad that I could help."

"Aye, that ye did. We were ambushed, ye see? Don't normally have too much trouble with those damned boot-lickers, 'specially when they're in such a small group as that was, but we were caught un'wares, ye know?"

"Aye, I can understand that. May I ask what your name is?" Grim asked the man.

"Ye may. I'm Bjorn Storm-Giver. This here's my group." He motioned to the eight other men standing around the fire to get warmed. "We're on our way to Windhelm after a mission. Once again, I thank ye for steppin' in when ye did."

"You're welcome, Bjorn. I was thinking of joining up with the Stormcloaks anyway. You all seem like a nice bunch of fellows." He whistled to Tilly who trotted over and snorted, ears pinning as she looked at the Captain and other Stormcloaks. "Easy, Tilly. They're all right. They're good."

"That's a good horse ye got there, lad. Never saw a horse fight on their own like that before. How'd ye train it to do that?" asked the captain.

"Now there's a story for you." He chuckled lightly and shook his head. "I didn't train her. She just started fighting off whatever came after me. I worried that she'd get hurt the first few times, but she's as battle hardened as I am now." He patted the mare's neck and smiled. "I named her Matilda. I'm sure you can understand why."

The soldiers, interested in the story, started to laugh and nod. Everyone knew the song that the bards played in the taverns about Matilda. The captain nodded and chuckled, then shook his head. He took up Grim's hand and told him to look for him when he reached Windhelm to join up. He would even put in a good word for him when he got there himself. Then he turned to his men and ordered them to gather up their fallen comrade and head out. After goodbyes were said, he mounted up on Matilda and sighed.

"Are you ready for war, Tilly?" The mare stomped her hoof into the snow as if to say 'Pshaw, really?', then snapped her tail. "Well, let's hope we don't end up dead, eh?" He grinned and urged her on after waving to the Darkwater residents one more time. "Time to get home and talk to Iddra and Fjolnar. I'm sure they won't like the idea of me heading off right now, but they have to know I can't stay the way things have been. Right?" Tilly snorted and picked up speed, knowing that home meant food and she was starving after that bit of fun back there. He focused on getting home as it was now late afternoon and he wanted to get there before dark.

That night at the Braidwood Inn there was much activity inside. Not only was Iddra not happy with Grim's idea to join up with the Stormcloaks, she was most definitely not happy with her own husband's idea to rejoin the army he had been a part of five years before. She blamed Grim for putting the idea into Fjolnar's head, but in reality it was probably the other way around. Fjolnar had been thinking about it more and more as the years had gone by without a resolution to the war. Five years was a long time for a civil war to be going and he wished to see it all end before his own son was old enough to fight. Rejoining the Stormcloaks was one way of doing that.

"Come on, Iddra. At least if I rejoined, I could keep an eye on Grim and keep him safe. Right?" His wife simply glared at him with narrowed eyes and he swallowed hard, looking over at Grim.

"Iddra, let it go. I'm joining. That's all there is to say about it. Lifa will understand and soon enough I'll have Koli and his wife here for a while. They'll help you with watching her."

"Yes, well, he's not here yet, is he? Must you leave right now?"

"I have to do this, Iddra. Bjorn said that he would speak for me in Windhelm. Fjolnar said he would, too. The war has been going on for five years, it's sure to be slowing down. I bet we don't even see much action."

Iddra sensed he was saying that just to ease her mind, but she was still worried. Worried for her cousin's life, but more for her husband's life. Fjolnar had become much more a part of her than Kjeld ever had been. Would she dare call it love? She didn't know for sure, but it was definitely better than her previous marriage. She sighed and hung her head, resting on the table.

"Fine. But if you die out there, I'm going to have a necromancer bring you back just so I can kill you myself for dying!"

"Understood, Iddra. I'll be very careful." Grim smiled at her and then kissed her cheek before stepping back. "I'll make sure to keep Fjolnar safe for you."

"Oh come now, Grim. You think I'm gonna need the help? I've been a soldier before. What have you done other than make armor for them?" Fjolnar teased his best friend.

"I've had my share of battles. They just happen to be against the Draugr rather than living people made of flesh and blood." He laughed along with them.

"Are you sure Tilly hasn't slain most of your enemies for you?" Fjolnar asked, pushing against Grim's shoulder.

"Oh, that's a low blow. You know as well as I do that I can't stop Tilly from fighting just as I can't stop breathing. That mare is a bit insane, I think, but she's got a heart of gold and hooves of steel, it seems. I'm glad to have her as a partner."

"Aye, she is a good shield-maiden to have alongside."

Iddra left the men to talk about horses and battles and went to her room to lie down. It was late and she had to be up early to get breakfast ready for the miners who would be in before they went to work. She was still stewing silently when Fjolnar went to bed. There was no loving between the two that night. Helgrim made sure to get to sleep at a reasonable time as well after saying goodnight to his daughter. He lay in bed before falling asleep that night, wondering what it would all be like. Would he have battles like he'd had with Bjorn's troop against the Imperials? Would they sneak upon an Imperial troop and take them out while they slept? Another thought came into his head as he thought about it all. Would he meet the great Ulfric? With so much talk about the man, he did have to wonder what he looked like. Was he as tall as everyone made him out to be, which was seven feet tall? Surely not everything they said about him was true, was it? Had he actually shouted the High King Torygg apart using just his voice? As he thought about all this, he soon drifted to sleep to have dreams of fighting alongside Fjolnar and Matilda.

A few days later, Grim was in the yard outside the inn, saddling Matilda and making preparations to leave. Nearby stood his daughter, pouty and red-eyed from crying, but brave just the same. He had to give her that, at least she didn't run off and hide like others might have. He finished with the saddle and walked over to Lifa, kneeling before her. He lifted her small chin and smiled at her.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Papa will be back soon enough. Don't forget that your Uncle Koli and Auntie Sif are coming to stay with you, and your Auntie Kenna, too. You'll have so many Aunties and Uncles you won't know what to do with them all." He teased and she sniffled without saying anything and threw her tiny arms around his neck in a hug.

He sighed and hugged her back. It wasn't easy to leave his daughter with uncertainty as to when he would be back, but it was something he felt he needed to do. Something he believed in. He had to do this. He stood up, still holding Lifa, and looked over at his best friend who was also saying goodbye to his family. His boy, Einarr, wasn't crying, but Grim knew how much the boy wanted to. Iddra, however, was alternating between crying against Fjolnar's shirt and pounding her fists into his ribs. He supposed he should have told Fjolnar to stay home, but he couldn't because the reasons would be the same. To stay with his family. He had a family, too. He had Lifa. Perhaps one day he would have another wife and more children, but for now he wanted just his daughter in his life.

"Come on, Fjolnar, it's time to go. We want to get there in plenty of time, no?"

"Aye. Aye. I'm comin'."

Fjolnar then gave his wife one more kiss, rubbed her belly softly, then patted Einarr's head a final time before turning to get up on his own horse as Grim mounted Matilda. The two of them waved to their family and turned the horses, trotting down the road toward Windhelm. Grim looked over at his friend.

"Tis hard to leave, eh? I keep wanting to turn around and run right back there. Will it get easier, do you think?"

"I can't answer that one, Grim. I feel the same way, but I've decided to do this. We just gotta put our whole hearts into this fight and make sure we return home to them."

"Right." He nodded to Fjolnar and the rest of the ride to Windhelm was quiet and full of thoughts.

Thoughts of home, thoughts of what was to come, and thoughts of what would happen if they didn't return. He didn't like those thoughts at all so he pushed them out of his head. He saw the towers of Windhelm's walls appear soon enough and smiled at his friend and urged Matilda into a canter. The mare tossed her head once, but moved into the faster gait and he heard Fjolnar coming up beside him, too. To say that he was eager to join up was an accurate description. He had been living in Skyrim for five years now. He had seen numerous wrongdoings done to the citizens of Skyrim all in the name of Imperial justice. He wasn't against other races, normally, but those damned Thalmor were behind the troubles, he was sure of it.

The two of them rode up to the stables and dismounted. Grim smiled at Ulundil and handed off Tilly's reins.

"Nice to see you again, Grim. I see Tilly's still in fine form, eh?"

"Aye she is, Ulundil. Nice to see you again, too. Keep them fed and happy for us would you?" He tossed the man a smaller pouch that held gold in it.

"Oh aye, Grim. They'll be taken care of well. Thank you."

"Come on, Fjolnar. I'm looking forward to a nice warm fire." He laughed and walked with his friend over the bridge to the gates to Windhelm.

It hadn't really been that long since the last time he was here, but the enormity of the city always managed to get to him when he entered. After a second of taking it in, he walked through and looked around. Fjolnar motioned ahead of them and Grim shrugged. His friend knew where to go and who to talk to, so he would follow him. They passed Candlehearth Hall, the inn, and he realized they weren't going to be sitting by a fire anytime soon. He followed Fjolnar up a set of stairs and then through an archway with guards on either side. On the other side of the archway was a courtyard, then the palace. It was called the Palace of the Kings and it was where Ulfric ruled from. He hadn't ever actually been in the palace, so it was all new to him. He swallowed and continued to follow Fjolnar as they passed more guards and went into the palace. It was so ... big! He couldn't get over the architecture and open space the place had. Perhaps Ulfric was overcompensating a tad, but it worked for the man. He saw the throne sitting at the end of the hall and thought it was ostentatious of Ulfric, but said nothing. He did want to fight for the man, after all. Finally, he and Fjolnar entered a room off to the side and he realized it was a war room. Inside was a man wearing a bearskin. This was who Fjolnar went up to.

"Why I thought I'd never see ye again. Fjolnar, how are ye? How's married life treating ye?" the man asked.

"It's treating me very well, I'd say. I've got a young son and another babe on the way soon," Fjolnar answered with a smile and then shook the man's hand. "This is my wife's cousin, Grim Frost-Blood. He's come with me today because he wishes to join the cause."

"Is that so? Let me take a look at ye, boy." He instructed Grim to come forward, then stand. "I am Galmar Stone-Fist, Ulfric's right hand. It is through me that all recruits must go. Tell me, boy, why is it ye want to join the Stormcloaks?"

"I want Skyrim to be free to worship whichever Divines they wish to and not be told which are right and which are wrong. I want my family to be free to return home. I don't want to walk around in fear of what I might say to another."

"Very well. We shall see. Fjolnar, are ye rejoining us as well or did ye just come to bring the pup to us?"

"Oh, aye, I'm rejoining sir. You can't keep me down for long." He laughed about that, but it was a light laugh.

"All right. Since I do not know ye, even with Fjolnar's word, I have a task for ye, Grim."

"What sort of task, may I ask?" he asked Galmar.

"Just a test to see how much ye can take, the kind men use to measure themselves. Ye see?"

Galmar leaned against the map table, arms crossed as he watched him. His eyes took in everything they could about the man, including the way he stood opposite him.

"That's fine. I'm ready for whatever you have for me to do."

"That's what I like to hear, boy, let's just see if ye have the steel to back it up. Fjolnar, why don't ye go with the boy. Mind ye, don't do it for him, ye see? He needs to do it."

"Aye, sir. I'll keep Grim safe and bring him back in one piece." He clapped Grim on the back with a smile and shook his head. Galmar himself shook his head and chuckled before going on.

"I'm sending ye to Serpentstone Island, Grim. If ye survive, ye pass. If ye die, well, ye weren't going to be much use to me anyway."

He wasn't exactly sure he liked the way Galmar spoke about him dying, but he nodded and waited for the man to go on with his task giving. He was glad that at least he wouldn't be alone, Fjolnar would be with him. Not to help, but to keep him safe. It was something at least.

"Men have tested their mettle there for ages. Ye'll see a strange rock formation, I've been told it was built by the ancients. Now, for whatever reason, it seems that Ice Wraiths are attracted to the place, ye see? Yer task is to kill an Ice Wraith. Do that and I'll have all the proof I need."

"Aye, sir. I'll be back as soon as I can. Thank you." He nodded, not really sure on the protocol here, but since Galmar simply waved him away, he figured there really wasn't a protocol to follow, thus none to mess up.

He walked out of the war room and toward the entrance to the palace with Fjolnar beside him, smiling. They were being given a task to go on an adventure and he could do that. He had no idea what an Ice Wraith was, but he was sure he would find out soon enough. Once outside, he looked over at his friend.

"So, did you have to go through this, too?"

"Aye, every new recruit does it. Don't worry too much, most everyone lives." He laughed and then slapped him on the shoulder and continued past him, leaving a silent Grim behind him. He recovered soon enough and caught up with him, laughing.

Grim and Fjolnar rode at a trot most of the way and the entire trip to the island only took a total of four and a half hours, but the majority of the journey was crossing the ice flows to the island itself. It was dark by the time they reached Serpentstone Island, so they made camp and more importantly, a fire to dry themselves off by. He was no longer a stranger to the cold of Skyrim and could deal with it better than he could five years ago, but that didn't mean he liked swimming in frozen waters very much. It still chilled him to the bone and a fire was the only way to thaw him out. He wrapped the cloak tighter around his bulk and glared up at the ice and snow that rose above them as if it were the island's fault that they'd had to swim to it.

"Oh come on, Grim. It's nothing but a bit of water. It dries." Fjolnar grinned and then offered him half the fish he'd just taken off the fire. "Eat up. You're gonna need your strength tomorrow." Grim took the fish and chewed on it a little.

"What exactly is an Ice Wraith, Fjolnar? What is best to fight it with?"

"Well, it's a flying creature, I know that much. And it's made outta ice. Hits like a brick, too, so be careful of that. As for what to fight it with? I don't know, really. I used my sword, but it took me almost twenty minutes to kill the damned thing."

"So it's hard to hit it or just hard to kill?" he asked as he took another bite of his fish.

"It's different for everyone, Grim. I had a hard time hitting it at first, but then once I learned how it moved, it was easier for me to know where to hit it. Just took a while to kill it." Fjolnar shrugged and finished off his fish with a grunt, then leaned back against his saddle, pulling his own cloak around him. "Don't worry so much. You'll do fine."

"I wanna do well, Fjolnar. This means a lot to me. And I don't want to die. I'd really hate to be brought back by Iddra just to be killed again by her."

He laughed and finished off his own fish and poked the fire with a stick to make sure it would stay lit, then put another log on it before settling down to rest against his own saddle. He sighed as he looked up at the sky at the stars above. It was a clear night, which was good, they wouldn't have to worry about rain. Neither one of them thought to bring any canvas for a tent. Soon enough, his eyes were drifting and he let them close, falling into a restful sleep. He was awakened in the morning by Fjolnar and thanked him. After taking care of his morning ablutions, he sat down again with Fjolnar to eat breakfast of bread and cheese.

"So the plan is, I'll walk up to the top with you, Grim, but once we see the stones, you're on your own."

"That's fine, I guess. Any other information you can give me about this thing? Will there be more of them, or just one?"

"There's always just been one whenever someone's gone up there, so it should be the same for you. Oh, they're vulnerable to fire. Have you learned that fire magic from Quintus yet?"

"Good. I'd hate to find out I have to fight off a bunch of these things when I was prepared for one." He smiled, then thought about the fire magic. "I haven't quite figured it out yet. It only works half the time. I could try, I guess." He started to pack things away in the saddlebags before going to groom Matilda. He wanted her to be ready in case they had to hurry up and get out of there.

"Who knows, it might be just the thing to make it work right." Fjolnar smiled and got up to do the same with his horse.

He wasn't really worried about the Ice Wraith killing his best friend, but he did want him to do well and have Galmar be impressed. It would make him look good if Grim worked out because he brought him in. It could also work the other way if Grim didn't do well.

After they had saddled the horses and Grim was ready, they made the short trek up to the top of the island where the stones sat circled around at the edge of the opposite end. He thought he saw a cloud moving around the stones and Fjolnar told him that was the Ice Wraith. He took a deep breath and let it out, then walked toward the stones. Shield raised, sword ready, he prepared himself as much as he could. It seemed to sense him and came around a stone straight at him. Grim bared his teeth and clenched his jaw as he watched how the thing moved toward him. He had enough time to determine where it would go and swung his sword at it. He heard the scream it made as the steel made contact. He dodged away as he would as the wolf, then watched his "prey" again just in time to see it lunge at him once more. He thrust his shield out at it and struck the creature. While it was stunned, Grim steadied his hand and aimed at the thing, then chanted the Flames spell. Fire shot forth from his hand and hit the Ice Wraith squarely.

Grim heard the scream again and smiled, pulling the shield back in to protect his head as the creature attacked. He felt the cold as it struck his shield, his shoulders, and head. Luckily he had armor that covered those spots. With a quick jab, he struck the thing again. It took him a combination of dodging, striking with the sword, stunning with the shield, and hitting it with Flames, but he managed to kill the creature after eighteen minutes of effort. He stood over a pile of ice and snow on the ground, panting from the exertion, but he felt good. He felt alive, and he hadn't had to change into the Frost Wolf to feel this way. Fjolnar came up after he killed the Ice Wraith and smiled, patting him on the back.

"Well done, Grim! Your time was even better than mine." He reached down into the pile and came up with something in his hands. He handed it to Grim.

"The creature's teeth. You've earned them. Besides, Galmar's gonna wanna see them to know you killed it." He put the teeth into Grim's hand and then bent once again to the pile, coming up with a bottle in his hand.

"For whatever magical reason, these guys drop bottles when you kill them. Never used it myself, but I've been told it's their essence and you can use it on your weapons to imbue them with the cold power. Like I said, I've never used it, so I'm not sure how it works." He handed the bottle to Grim as well.

"Come on, let's head back before it gets too late. I'm looking forward to seeing my wife." He put his hand on Grim's shoulder, then walked away.

Grim nodded and then walked along with Fjolnar, looking at the Ice Wraith teeth and bottle he held. The bottle felt cold to the touch and he had to figure that was because it was the creature's essence inside. He would have to try it and see what happened when he used it on his sword the next time he had to fight something. Who knows, it might just give him the advantage he needed in a battle. He mounted up when they reached the horses and turned Matilda toward the water again. He wasn't looking forward to swimming across again, but was pleased to find that the ice flows had come together during the night and now formed a sort of ice bridge to the mainland across from the island.

"We don't have to swim, Fjolnar!" He grinned and urged the mare onward, eager to get back and prove himself to Galmar so that he could become an actual member of the Stormcloaks.

To know that he had beaten even Fjolnar's time at killing the Ice Wraith made him smile and he had to admit that he gloated a bit to his friend as they rode along the road back to Windhelm. They had started out before eleven in the morning, so it was early afternoon when they reached Windhelm. Leaving the horses at the stable with Ulundil once again, he thanked the man and walked into the city with Fjolnar. As they walked to the palace, Grim saw Hermir leaving the inn and waved at her. She waved back with a grin and hurried past to get back to the forge. He shrugged at Fjolnar.

"What? It's not like I could ignore her."

"Right." Fjolnar teased and walked on.

"Seriously, Fjolnar, you should just stop trying to set me up with every woman you see around here. If I ever decide to look for love again, it'll be my choice. Not yours and certainly not Iddra's."

"I have no control over your cousin, Grim." He laughed. "You should know that as well as I do. She does what she thinks is best, regardless of what I tell her."

"Aye, but you could distract her more often." He chuckled along with Fjolnar and then went into the great hall of the palace. He saw Ulfric sitting on the throne this time and brushed a few pieces of hay off his clothes. "I didn't think I would see Ulfric today."

"Sure, sure. Come on, we're not here to talk to Ulfric. We're here to speak with Galmar."

"Aye, I remember. I have the cold bottle to remind me of why I'm back here. Let's get on with it then." Grim let Fjolnar walk ahead of him into the war room where Galmar stood staring down at the map table.

The battle veteran looked up and couldn't believe what he was seeing. He smiled and shook his head, then motioned for them to come in and sit down.

"By the Divines, ye're alive! It appears that I owe Ulfric a drink." He chuckled about that and then leaned back on the table, looking at the pair. "To be honest, I didn't think we'd see ye again. I'll admit that I misjudged ye. Looks like ye are Stormcloak material after all."

"Thank you, sir. It wasn't easy, but I did finally get the Flames spell to work reliably." Grim thought about the man's words and tilted his head slightly. "You didn't send me to the island to die, did you?"

"Well, there ye go then. Something came out of it. Call it early training." Galmar laughed and shook his head.

"And no, I didn't send ye there to die. I wasn't so sure yer heart was in our cause, but since ye stand before me ye've proved me wrong. I told ye it was a test, but it was not just for yer abilities. It was also so I could see yer resolve." He pushed off the table. "Right, time to make this official then. Are ye ready to take the Oath, Grim Frost-Blood?"

"The Oath? What exactly is entailed in that?" Grim asked Galmar.

"Each recruit's gotta do it before they become one of us. Ye swear fealty to Ulfric Stormcloak, the future High King of Skyrim. Ye also pledge unswerving loyalty to yer fellow Stormcloaks, to Skyrim, and to her people."

Grim nodded as Galmar went on. He supposed that he could do all of that. It was simple enough. He believed that what Ulfric was doing would eventually free the people of Skyrim from Imperial rule, so there was no problem in swearing fealty to the man. Loyalty to other Stormcloaks? That's a no brainer. He wanted to count on them in a fight and for them to count on him in a fight. Loyalty is a big factor in that. Finally, loyalty to Skyrim and her people? He hadn't returned to Hammerfell. He had chosen to stay. Chosen to be a citizen of Skyrim, to fight for its freedom. He was loyal to it.

"Very well, is there anything else?" he asked Galmar.

"This Oath is necessary simply because killing an Imperial doesn't make ye a Stormcloak. Our goal isn't just to kill Imperials, here, it's to restore Skyrim to her glory and give her the king she deserves."

Grim looked at Fjolnar who was prepared to take the Oath without explanation, but then he'd taken it once before. It was probably nothing new there. He let out a slow breath and nodded at Galmar.

"All right. I accept. I'm ready to take the Oath."

"Ah, that's the spirit, boy! When ye sweat this Oath, ye become one of us. A hero of the people. A true son of Skyrim. A Stormcloak." He waited for Grim's nod before continuing. "Repeat after me."

"I do swear my blood and honor to the service of Ulfric Stormcloak." Galmar paused as both Grim and Fjolnar repeated the beginning of the oath.

"Jarl of Windhelm and true High King of Skyrim." Again, pausing so they could repeat.

"As Talos is my witness, may this oath bind me to death and beyond."

"Even to my lord as to my fellow brothers and sisters in arms."

"All hail the Stormcloaks, the true sons and daughters of Skyrim!" After they both repeated this final line, he walked over to a shelf and picked up a set of clothes.

"Now that makes ye both one of us. Just in time, too. Ye get to tag along on a little trip with me. Here." He handed the set of clothes to Fjolnar, then moved back to the shelf and got another set which he handed to Grim. "Ye're Stormcloaks now, ye should look the part."

Grim and Fjolnar each took the set of clothes and nodded, then looked at one another. They had the same question, but neither wanted to ask it just yet.

"What is it?" Galmar asked, seeing their silent exchange.

"Well, sir, before we tag along with you, we thought we might return home to Kynesgrove for the night to say goodbye to our families," Grim spoke up, knowing that asking was a risk.

"Ye're young. I'll give ye 'til morning to be ready to leave. I expect ye to be here bright and early tomorrow though."

"Thank you, sir. We'll be here. Thank you."

"Aye, now get yerself gone. Both of ye." Galmar waved them off, dismissing them.

Grim turned and walked away with the clothes he'd been given and once outside the war room, near the palace door, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. With a look at Fjolnar, he shrugged and went outside.

"Was it like that when you took the Oath the first time, Fjolnar?"

"No, it wasn't. Well, taking the Oath was, but I wasn't asked to go along anywhere with Galmar first thing. He must think highly of you."

"I'm not sure what to think about that." Grim laughed and shook his head, walking through the city toward the gates that would lead outside to the bridge and to the stables.

"If I were you, I would be proud of myself. Galmar is not the type to be impressed easily. He's almost as rough as that bearskin he wears." Fjolnar laughed and tossed a rock down off the bridge into the freezing water below.

Grim was silent then, thinking inwardly about what it meant to be impressive to the right hand of a King. Would that mean he would be put in more dangerous situations? Hopefully that didn't mean he would falter and let the man down. Shaking his head to clear his head of these thoughts, he stowed the Stormcloak outfit in the saddlebags and mounted on Matilda. He patted her softly and then turned her to the road. He wanted to see his daughter, to hold her and hug her. He didn't know what this little trip would be and he had no idea when he would be back. He hoped it wouldn't be all that long. Somehow, he had the sense that it wouldn't just be a quick jaunt away from Windhelm. Not during war time at least. It didn't take them long to reach home, but he still took care of Tilly before heading into the inn to find Iddra and the children.

A little while later, Grim and Lifa left the inn and went back to their house where he sat with his daughter and smiled. He read her a bedtime story, sat with her in her room until she fell asleep and kissed her forehead before leaving the room. He had the need to get out for a bit and went outside. He made sure he was alone and closed his eyes. He slowly thought about the wolf and when he opened his eyes once more, he had furry paws where once he'd had hands and feet. Then he shook his himself with a snort and stretched. A quick howl and he disappeared into the forest. The great white wolf that was like a ghost to many hunters that had thought to capture him was once again king of his own kingdom in the forest. The Frost Wolf had returned.

Something told Grim that he wouldn't be able to change and run through the woods like this when he was a soldier in the army. There would be too many people around for that. He didn't need anyone finding out his secret and trying to kill him. He ran for several hours. He caught a deer and ate most of it before he made his way back to the house, changed and went inside to sleep. His mind was still full of the way it felt to run as the wolf and he dreamed pleasantly that night. In the morning, he dressed in his new Stormcloak uniform and made sure his weapons and supplies were prepared. Then he went and spent the last hour before leaving with Lifa, Iddra, Einarr, and Fjolnar at the inn.