Chapter 9.

The canoe touched the shore line, and the five survivors climbed out.

"Lets get to the inn, I need a drink!" Ralof suggests, pulling the canoe halfway out the lake.

They all nod, and head towards Ivarstead.

"Something's off... it's too quiet" Hadvar points out.

He's right, the town is too quiet. While Ivarstead may be just a small isolated community, you could usually hear something.

They nearly reached the end, and Mjoll gasped, "By the God's..."

The remains of the farmers and guards littered the street. Torn off limbs, ripped clothing and blood stains. The small huts and cabins bore broken down doors and smashed windows. Claw marks and troll tracks were visible in the dirt.

"They killed them... We only left this morning" Delphine says quietly.

"It's just like Riverwood all over again!" says Ralof as he investigates the front of a home.

Mjoll investigates a severed arm with a locket gripped in its hand, "They just slaughtered everyone."

Delphine regains her comporesure first , "Alright, fan out, look for survivors. The people here knew how to fight trolls. Keep your swords close" She says, pulling out her blade. The others do the same. Esbern makes for the Vilemyr inn. He looks inside quick, then calls out "I found a survivor! Come quick!" They rush into the inn.

"Barknar! Oh no!" Barknar the hunter is lying in a pool of blood besdie the burnt out fire pit.

"You're back... I didn't expect that" He coughs up a bit of blood.

Delphine rushes to his side and kneels beside him"Damn it, don't talk. Can anyone help him? Esbern, do you know any spells?" She looks up at Esbern.

He shakes his head "I'm sorry... he's too far gone for what I know."

"I know... I know it's too late" Barknar coughs up a bit more blood, "They came... so many... over ran the guards. No chance... Argh, damn it!" He winces in pain, holding his sides, "You have... have to warn" He can't finish the sentence, the pain is too hard to bear.

Mjoll who is closest to the door, sees movement in the distance. She grips her battle axe.

"Don't try to talk... just try to sleep" Delphine whispers to the dying hunter.

"Trolls" Mjoll speaks.

Ralof and Hadvar rush to the door and look out, swords drawn, "I would like to get some revenge on the bastards" Hadvar growls, "I'm with you, friend" Ralof agrees.

Barknar manages to cough out another couple words, "No... hide... Not worth it" He lets out a moan.

"How many are there?" Delphine hisses. She can hear them in the distance, pounding towards the village.

"Too many for us" She growls, gripping her battle axe tight.

"Go... by day" Barknar is sturggling with each word. He tries to speak but can't, so instead he points to the floor, before his head slumps to the side.

Delphine thinks for a moment... "The basement! We have to hide downstairs! There might be a hatch somewhere!" She hisses to the group. Esbern nods to her and begins searching.

"They're getting close" Mjoll whispers back, and they back away from the door. Delphine can hear the trolls down the street just as Esbern finds a hatch behind the bar.

"In here, now" He hisses, and they rush down the hatch. It closes just as the first troll creeps into the bar.

They look up through the cracks in the floor board, keeping silent. Four trolls sniff around the room, searching. They check the rooms before approaching Barknar's corpse. Delphine watches with horror as they prod and sniff the body for a few seconds, before one loses patience and bites straight into it.

She covers her mouth as Barknar lets out a scream of pain, evidently still alive, but only for a few moments as the trolls ravage his body, ripping open his stomach and spreading his entrails across the room.

The trolls eventually leave, but night has fallen on Skyrim. The five sleep that night in the basement of the inn, knowing that travelling at night now would be certain death.


"Jarl Ravencrone, please tell your story" Jarl Balgruuf the Greater asks of his guest. Jarl Sigrid Ravencrone, jarl of the Hjaalmarch Hold, sits in a chair, surrounded by Jarl Balgruffs council, Olfrid Battle-Born, Irileth the house carl, Proventus Avenicci the Steward, Hrongar, and the inner circle of the Companions, the highest and most respected warriors of whiterun hold. A very intimidating crowd. They sit around the great roaring fire pit of Dragonsreach hall.

"It was early morning when they came. You know of Labyrinthian, the old nordic ruin?"

"Yes" Jarl Balgruff nods his head.

"We always advise against travelling there. Frost trolls have a lair there" Irileth adds.

"Well, a whole pack of frost troll charged down from the ruin straight into Morthaal. We didn't even know what was happening until the screaming started. My housecarl tried to rally the guards, but we were overrun. We fled south into the mountains, hoping to find a pass, but by then two thirds of my people were dead" The Jarl goes silent for a moment, staring off into the flames.

"Please, continue" Jarl Balgruuf urges her.

"Yes... sorry. I... see things sometimes" Ravencrone clears her throat, "They followed us up the mountainside... catching up to us. The were faster, and better climbers. One reached us. It ripped apart the mill runner and slashed me before my housecarl fought it off the mountain, but he too fell with it. More were coming up, and Benor carried me the rest of the way. I don't know how we cut through the mountain side so quick, but we were soon on the other side, running down the mountain."

"That's where we saw you" Hrongar cuts in. "The Battle-Born boy pointed it out. Then the trolls came after."

"So how could you be the only survivors?" Proventus asks.

"We saw your group coming, we thought we were saved. But the frost trolls were faster. They sprinted down the mountain like an avalanche. They charged through our crowd, cutting through peoples legs, smashing knee caps, tackling my people to the ground." A tear runs down her face. She stares off into the flames.

Hrongar cuts in again, breaking the silence, "I was the first to reach them, followed by the Battle-Born boys. I sliced off a frost trolls head, and the rest fled, leaving the bodies." He folds his arms, "They were cowardly beasts."

"Please.. I need rest. I am in pain" Ravencrone pleads. She is shaking a little.

"Oh course" Jarl Balgruuf looks around, "Lydia!" He shouts to a woman standing in the corner with long dark brown hair.

"Yes, my Jarl?" She replies, looking up at the group.

"I need you to watch over Jarl Ravencrone. Tend to her while she is in Dragonsreach. Take her to the guest room, make sure she is alright" He orders.

"Yes, my Jarl" Lydia walks over and helps up the injured old woman, leading her out of the hall.

They wait until she is gone before resuming the talk.

"Well, if you ask me, those trolls seem to only attack unwalled villages. Those frost trolls came from the Hjaalmarch, they might not even come into Whiterun hold" Proventus suggests, "Sending out more armed troops to fight them might send a wrong message to the Stormcloaks and the Empire!"

He is immediately boo'ed by the companions, Olfrid Battle-Born and Hrongar.

"We must destroy these monsters!" The companions shout.

"This is no place for politics , these things aren't soldiers, they're animals!" Oldfrid Battle-Born argues.

"Let me kill the beasts, I've already taken out one" Hrongar jeers.

Proventus looks to the Jarl.

"The hold is not safe as long as these monsters are about. Labyrinthian is on the border of our hold, there's no reason to think they wont attack travelers on the tundra" Irileth points out, "We should increase guard patrols, issue out warnings."

"That's foolish, send out the companions to clear out these beasts" Kodlak Whitemane proposes (The Harbinger of the Compaions)

"Sned me out. I am a weapon" Hrongar volunteers. The group argues amongst themselves before the Jarl speaks.

"These beats threaten my hold. They must be eliminated. I want a group sent to Labyrinthian tomorrow, to end this." The Jarl orders.

"Let me lead them, I will rally the soldiers!" Irileth volunteers.

"No, I need you here at my side, I can't risk you" The Jarl declines her proposal.

"Let me. I will return with a pile of heads bigger then any pile of gold you've ever seen" Hrongar growls.

"Let the companions do this, for glory!" Kodlak Whitemane proposes.

"Clan Battle-Born will be the ones to save Whiterun! My son's will end this nightmare!" Olfrid Battle-Borns chimes in.

The Jarl podners for a moment. "Hrongar shall lead the hunt. Brother, tomorrow, you end this madness"

Hrongar nods, "I will take the Battle-Born's with me, and the hunters that were with me today. I don't need the aid of the companions for troll hunting" He scoffs at the circle.

"So it shall be" Jarl Balgruuf declares.


Delphine and Esbern look out at Ivarstead as the sun rises in the morning. The others are still inside, awakening and searching the inn storage for breakfast.

"So what's the plan?" Esbern asks, "Head to Winterhold?"

Delphine shakes her head, "Not yet. I thought about this all night. We're returning to Whiterun first"

"Ah... yes, Whiterun. Why?" Esbern asked.

"We have to warn them that giant's have joined the trolls. They doubted me before, and I fear they still might not believe me about the strength of the troll king, or even his existence."

"A fair reason, but there's got to be more to it" Esbern asks.

"I want to check with the court mage, Farengar. He's a weaselly man, but he might have advice on getting into the college. And we may be able to get horses, or a carriage. The road to Winterhold is long and dangerous, and I want to get there and back as fast as possible" Delphine explains.

"A fair reason: Esbern agrees , nodding his head.

"Come in, we're cooking up something good!" Mjoll calls from inside.


Hrongar inspects his posse of soldiers, hunters and volunteers at the Whiterun city gate.

"Men, friends, I am a man of few words, but know this. I've known you all my life, and we are the finest group of fighters in Whiterun. I wouldn;t want anyone else by my side." Some of the posse cheers.

"But what about the companions? This seems like the kind of thing they do all the time?" Jon Battle-Born asks.

"Hush brother. It's only because of father that you were able to share in this" Idolaf Battle-Born growls to his brother.

"But what about the companions? They are strong warriors, but they think they are the best of Whiterun. They think they represent Whiterun. I'm not saying they're bad people, Whiterun just needs its own heroes to be proud of!" Hrongar continues his speech.

"I'm only here to kill the trolls, I don't care about any of father's damn feuds!" Jon Battle-Born whispers back to his brother.

"We are going to Labyrinthian, and we are going to burn the trolls out of their holes. They have descended upon Morthaal, and slaughtered everyone. Only the Jarl and one other survivor made it out, but we won't let that happen to us!"

"Brother, this is what's important. The family matters, not becoming some kind of nancy bard!" Idolaf Battle Born growls back at his brother.

"Let's go kill us some trolls!" Hrongar shouts, pulling out his great sword and waving it in the air. The crowd of soldiers and hunters cheer back, raising their axes and swords and cheering, drowning out Jon Battle-Borns reply.

The city gate opens, and the mob rushes out towards the Northern border of Whiterun, to destroy the frost troll menace.

"Godspeed, brother" The Jarl whispers from the top steps of the palace, as he watches the mob charge out into the tundra.