GRAVE MISTAKES
I know I shouldn't have, but I couldn't not let our leader go to the castle without back-up. My name is Agner Thorn-Shield a member of the rebellion. I was stationed in Winterhold as a spy for the rebellion. I was walking down a path leading to the city when I heard a strange cry from above. I looked up but couldn't see anything through the cloud covered sky. I instinctively drew my bow and pulled the string back, placing an arrow perfectly in place. I looked around for any sign of danger. I heard a loud splashing noise from a nearby lake. I ran towards the lake arrow still in place. I look up at the tower and see Elves looking down at the lake. I look to the lake and see that the water had been recently disturbed. I see the body of my leader, Bormir Blood-Bringer, surfacing from below. I start to swim out and a man joins me. I swim as fast as I can but I can't reach him before he floats out to the rapid. I decide to try and swim to the nearest edge and run along the banks. I reach the edge in next to no time but I was struggling for breath. Despite this, I ran on ni hopes of catching him up. He was helplessly floating amid the white water. I reach him and dive in. I grab him and reach for something to grab onto. My hand falls onto a root protruding from the bank. I grab it and hold on for dear life. The man who was swimming with me in the lake appeared on the bank.
"Take my hand!" He shouts.
"If I did the cause wouldn't have a leader!" I shout back.
"And what would you know of the cause?" He asks.
"Enough to know that this is our leader and that I'm part of it." I shout back, my grasp slipping from the rock."My hands slipping!" I shout.
"Let go of him! This river should lead straight to the bottom of Skyrim." He says.
"And if he fails at crossing the rapids! What then?" I ask.
"He will be fine! That mail is tougher than a mammoth tusk!" He shouts.
I look back to the limp figure my hand was clutched around.
"Forgive me." I say and release my grip.
I grab the man's hand and he pulls me to the bank. I stand up and get a good look at him. I see General Brynjolf. I punch him for convincing me to let him go.
"Why?" I shout at him.
"He's fine, believe me." He says, rubbing his jaw.
"Prove it." I say.
"Right, fine" He says."Look down the river. Do you see the junction?" He asks, pointing to fork in the river." Well, one leads to the edge of Summerset Isles and the other leads to Falkreath, at the very bottom of Skyrim." He says.
I turn around, dumbstruck."And if he goes down the Summerset way!" I shout at him.
"He would die before he got there." Brynjolf says." If you can't notice there's a tree blocking that path and the only way through is to go under and in an unconscious state that means drowning." He finishes.
"If he is dead or dies in that stream I will kill you." I say." I heard there were two of you." I say, changing the subject badly.
"Yes me and Ralof, I trust you've heard of him. I'm not sure where he is, presumably at the inn." He says.
"Then let's go find him." I say
We walk along the banks silently. For the most part we were crouched in amongst the trees and shrubs, avoiding guards. We reach the castle and walk round the side. The sky was slowly turning into a lighter blue indicating that it was early morning, easily four or five am. We turn and twist through alleys and reach the inn, we see Ralof.
"Who are you?" He asks.
"Agner Thorn-Shield." I reply
"Where's Bormir?" He questions.
"Ask him." I say, nodding towards Brynjolf.
"Well?" He says.
"He's floating down the river, he should reach Falkreath by week's end." He says.
"The river? Which way did he take, the left or right?" He asks.
"The left." He replies.
"Idiot! It won't be Falkreath he'll reach, It'll be the Summerset Isles." He shouts.
"Oh, fuck." I say, punching the wall.
"No, I'm sure it's the right that takes you to Summeret Isles." He replies
"Here's a map."
"Oh, bastard." He says after several minutes of studying the maps.
"He should regain consciousness before he gets out too far to swim back and let's hope , for your sake, that he does." I say to him.
Ralof again spoke "There's a waterfall that way"...
I should probably say that my good friend Echo2345 gave me the kickstart for this chapter as I had the worst case of writer's block.