All right. Through much writer's block, YouTube marathons, chocolate bars, and orange sodas, I have finally finished this chapter!

"You are such a child."

Beryn dared to open her eyes a fraction to see me standing in front of her with my shield still raised, arm muscles probably pulled beyond recovery because of the quick and violent motions I had just subjected them to. Beryn hesitantly said, "Odiana-"

"And reckless. And high-spirited. And don't even get me started on your nosiness." I lowered my shield and turned completely around, offering a hand up. "But if we're going to be doing this," I grunted as I pulled Beryn to her feet in one pull, "we're gonna have to do this together. That means listening to my warnings and taking them to heart. I have more experience with this place and the creatures that live in it. Another stunt like that and I might not be so merciful."

Beryn nodded seriously, still trembling from her close encounter. "I understand, Odiana. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"Clearly." I retorted, stretching my arm and wincing. Once I had determined that the damage wasn't permanent, it was a simple matter of replacing the shield on my back and picking up my bow from where I'd carelessly tossed it into the dirt. Then we were all on our way once again, like nothing had happened in the slightest.

I heard Sethys talking to Beryn, though. Telling her off about how stupid she'd been to run straight into a giant camp. I felt I had to agree. Even in my most naive and wild days, I would've thought twice about sprinting straight into a giant camp with no weapon besides a few rudimentary spells. Yet, as idiotic as it'd been, she'd showed a lot of guts. However, that could be a good thing or a bad thing, in my experience. Too much guts and you'll get yourself into a situation you can't get back out of. Not enough, and you'll back away from what needs to be done. But kept in moderation, that kind of courage can be useful.

We walked in silence for a few more miles before I said, "Hey, Beryn?"

"Yes?" she asked, tentatively. She seemed to be expecting me to berate her like Sethys had.

"You've got guts. And I can respect you for that." I said simply. "Just don't do anything that stupid ever again."

Beryn laughed nervously, but replied, "No promises."

I turn to Sethys and say, "Was she this much trouble before I knew you?"

"That much and more." Sethys responds, with a mock-serious expression on his face. He grins at me, though, and against my better judgment, I grin back.

Then it hits me. I just made a joke! How long has it been since I've made a joke? Well, I guess it wasn't technically a joke...oh, forget it.

"So remind me, what are we going to retrieve?" Beryn asked. "That Graybeard master said something about a horn, right?"

"Yeah, the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, or something along those lines." I replied, frowning as I wondered about the Horn itself. Would it be heavily guarded? Would there be tests to pass? From what I'd inferred at High Hrothgar, this was some sort of initiation that newly-anointed Dragonborn had to go through. What that initiation would entail, I hadn't a clue. "Apparently, Jurgen Windcaller was the man who started the Graybeards, so that Man could learn the proper usage of the Voice."

"And what is that proper usage?" Sethys queried.

I puffed out a sigh. "Well, the Graybeards only use their Shouts for non-combative purposes. It's supposed to provide a connection to Kynareth or something like that. The Dragonborn, however, is said to be the exception to the rules."

"You seem to know an awful lot about this." Beryn remarked. "I didn't think you'd talked to that Graybeard master for that long."

"I didn't." I said quietly. "I had a big library growing up."

That's all that's said for the next several miles; the snow nearby Windhelm turns into an icy blizzard close to Dawnstar, which slows us down considerably, and then a bitterly cold marsh as we finally skirt the edges of Hjaalmarch, mid-afternoon of the next day.

I shake some muddy sludge off my boots with disgust. "I hate this place."

"Can't say I'm enjoying it too much, either." Beryn commented, her own boots seemingly acting as a magnet for the smelly, icy-cold mud.

I glance up at the sky. We traveled all the way through the night, and into the next day. I know Sethys and Beryn have to be getting tired, but if they are, they don't say so. I cast a quick look at the sun again, and make a decision. "We'll head to Morthal for the night, and push on tomorrow morning."

Sethys sighs with what sounds like relief. "Can't say I won't be glad to rest my feet awhile."

I scowl at him. "If you were tired, you should have said so."

"It wouldn't have done any good to stop in a blizzard." Sethys points out.

With an ambiguous grunt, I keep slogging through the mud and layer of frost until I catch sight of the buildings that comprise the minor city of Morthal. "There." I said, pointing. "Is that a gathering outside the Jarl's hall?"

"Looks like it." Beryn said. "Should we...find out what's going on?"

My inner judgment says we should just ignore them and push on for the inn, but curiosity wins out, and I jerk my head to indicate where we're going. As we get closer, I start to hear indignant voices, clamoring for attention.

"What's the Jarl going to do about it?"

"How are we supposed to feel safe in our own homes?"

"We've no need for wizards in our midst!"

I cast a quick glance at Beryn, but she just shrugs, indicating she doesn't mind whatever verbal abuse might be directed her way.

"Please, enough!" calls out the voice of who must be the steward. "I've told Idgrod of your concerns, and she'll look after you all. Go about your business." and then the steward went inside the hall. I saw a lot of unaddressed problems and unanswered questions still on these people's faces, and so I go up to one of them.

"What is it that the Jarl isn't dealing with?" I ask briskly.

The man, with a hat on, nodded to a point somewhere behind him, where I saw the shell of a burned-down house. "Trust you saw that house that burned down." he began tightly. "Peculiar bit of business that was. Then there's this wizard, Falion, who could be doing all manner of experiments in the night. What's a man to do if he can't look to his Jarl for help? No, we can only rely on ourselves."

"Words to live by." I replied grimly. "Thanks for your time."

I start to turn and walk towards the inn, but Beryn's insistent tugging on my arm stops me. "We should investigate the house."

"What? The burned-down one?" I ask, annoyed. "I don't see what that would accomplish, besides wasting time. It's not our business, anyway."

"I can't...I can't explain it." Beryn says, and her face takes on a distant look. "Something feels...off...about that house. I can't put my finger on it...but something tells me it wasn't an accident."

"Just a hunch, or actual magical intuition?" I query, crossing my arms. "Because we can't waste time on random hunches."

"It's...a bit of both." Beryn seems to be struggling with her words. "I've heard that magic and spirits roam more strongly in Morthal. Something magical, maybe the well that all my magicka comes from, is telling me that something is wrong with that house."

I sigh and look to the heavens for guidance before stalking towards the nearest guard I see. "What can you tell me about that house?" I jerk my head towards the burned house.

The guard visibly shuddered. "It's real bad luck to talk about that place. Jarl's been looking for someone who isn't superstitious to figure out what happened."

"Thanks." I replied shortly, before walking towards the longhouse. Just before we enter, I stop and say sharply to Beryn, "If this turns out to be a waste of time and effort, I'm taking it out of your hide." and then I push the door open roughly.

Highmoon Hall seems to be kept meticulously clean, not a speck of dust out of place, and I catch sight of Jarl Idgrod sitting in her throne, staring into space with a somewhat blank expression on her face.

"Jarl Idgrod?" I ask. Her gaze focuses sharply on me, and I continue, brusquely, "I'm here about the burned-down house. A guard said you were looking for someone to investigate it. First, though, I have a question. Why do people think it's bad luck?"

Jarl Idgrod raised her eyebrows slightly, although I couldn't tell whether it was about my audacity, my not being superstitious of the house, or a combination of the two. "The house belonged to Hroggar and his family, a wife and daughter. Hroggar blames his wife for spilling bear fat into the fire, but many think he set the fire himself."

Shock thrums through me. "What? Why would he set the fire with his own family inside?" I can't imagine anyone stupid enough to take their family for granted like that. They're given to you for a reason, and I can't imagine why someone would want to throw theirs away so callously.

Jarl Idgrod's response is dark. "Lust can make men do the unthinkable. The ashes were still warm when he pledged himself to Alva."

Anger rises within me. "Then why in Meridia's blessed name haven't you arrested him?"

"On rumors? Gossip? No." the Jarl states. "But you might seek the proper truth. Sift through those cursed ashes, those that many are fearful to touch. Should you prove Hroggar innocent or guilty, I will reward you."

I bow my head. "Very well."

Leaving the hall, we headed towards the burned house. Beryn and Sethys appeared to have forgotten their exhaustion, or perhaps it had faded into the background with this new puzzle to solve. We mounted the steps cautiously, listening for anything that sounded out of place in a burned-down house. As soon as I step through the threshold, I'm hit with another sudden flash of memory.

I awaken to fire. Consuming, flickering tongues of destruction that reach for me, sending off smoke with everything they devour. Hungrily, greedily, they take everything combustible I might be keeping in my meager, temporary room.

I cough as the smoke starts to overwhelm me. My father's voice is shouting something indistinctly; I can't make out the specific words, but I think he's attempting to wake all of us up. I hear my brother's voice just outside my door. "Odie!" he shouts urgently. "We need to move! Now!"

I stumble for the door, muscles weak and trembling, my body still wracked with feeble coughing. I'd been sick a few days ago, and I hadn't gotten entirely better yet. I push against the door and it swings open. My brother swoops me up, sensing I won't be walking out on my own, and we both make it to the surprisingly chill summer air. My mother and father are standing stock-still outside as well, facing someone else I don't recognize. A group of people, actually. Elves.

Then a pair of those evil eyes turn to me. Slimy green, with a pupil that looks, to my smoke-delirious gaze, reptilian in nature. Something is terribly wrong here.

"Odiana?" Beryn's voice breaks me free of my reverie. "Is something wrong? You just stopped in the doorway like you saw a ghost."

"I-" I stop and shake my head for a moment. "I'm fine. Let's just keep-" I freeze again.

"What?" Beryn asks, trying to peer around me.

"I see a ghost." I said, hoarsely.

"Ha ha, very funny, but that's just a figure of speech." Beryn retorts. "What do you really see?"

"A ghost." I said again, and I step aside to let Beryn and Sethys through. They gasp and stumble backwards in shock as well.

It is, in fact, a ghost. A young girl, no doubt. I cautiously approach and ask, "Who are you?"

"Helgi." the young ghost replies, readily at first, but then her voice turns wary. "But father says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers. Are you a stranger?"

I turn to Beryn and Sethys, and they both shake their heads. "Uh, no." I said, turning back to the petite ghost. "I'm a friend. What happened here?"

"The smoke woke me." the girl, Helgi, began fearfully. "It was hot and I was so scared, so I tried to hide myself away so the fire wouldn't burn me. Then it got cold and dark. It's not scary anymore."

I exchange an alarmed glance with both of my companions. Is Helgi telling me about her death as it happened?

"Can you tell me who set the fire?" I ask, trying to keep my voice as soothing as possible.

"Let's play hide-and-seek! We have to wait until nighttime for the other one to come out so we can play. I can tell you if you find me."

"Other one?" I ask, confused. "What other one?"

"I can't tell you! She might hear me; she's so close." Helgi's spectral form appears to shiver slightly. "If you find me first, I can tell you." and then her ghost vanishes into thin air.

I slowly turn to Beryn and Sethys; they look just as shocked as I do. "Well," I said, trying and failing to keep the slight tremble out of my voice, "we should probably go report to Jarl Idgrod."

Contrary to what I'd expected, Jarl Idgrod did not think my story strange or far-fetched in the slightest. She seemed to be certain that Helgi was hiding in the graveyard just above town. I supposed that I needed to search there tonight, but for the life of me, I couldn't imagine who Helgi would have to wait for until nightfall to play hide-and-seek with. I seemed to have a sudden, fleeting idea, but it was gone from my grasp before I could pinpoint it.

Upon exiting the hall, I saw that the sun was about to set. I turned to Sethys and Beryn, saw the exhaustion in their eyes and their stance, and made another decision. "Why don't you guys go ahead and go to the inn? I can handle this."

Rather than argue, Beryn just asked, "Are you sure?" and Sethys yawned, only proving my case.

"I'm sure." I said. "Get some sleep. I'll catch you up tomorrow morning...or if something unexpected happens."

"Let's hope for tomorrow morning, then." Beryn yawned as well, and the two of them trudged off towards the inn. Watching them go, I removed my bow from my back and headed up to the graveyard Jarl Idgrod had told me about.

As far as graveyards went, it could have been worse. Stacks of stones marked where some were buried, while others had intricately-carved tombstones, small spires that protruded from the ground, some almost as tall as me. Something unusual did catch my eye, though. It appeared that one of the stacks of stones had been dismantled, revealing a child-size coffin.

Carefully sidling up to it, I set my bow down and leaned next to the coffin, putting my ear close to it, listening for any indication that Helgi's spirit lived here.

Then, a faint voice. "You found me! Laelette was trying to find me, too, but I'm glad you found me first."

Laelette? I wonder to myself, narrowing my eyes. Who's Laelette?

"Laelette was told to burn my mommy and me, but she didn't want to. She wanted to play with me forever. She kissed me on the neck, and I got so cold the fire didn't even hurt."

A vampire! I realized, my eyes widening again with shock. Laelette is a vampire! But who told her to set fire to the house in the first place?

"She wanted to take me and keep me, but she couldn't. I'm all burned up." Helgi's ghost finished sadly. "I'm tired. I want to go to sleep now."

I rose to my feet once again, and right as I picked up my bow, a blinding pain exploded at the back of my head, and I fell forward before knocking my head on one of the stones that had once buried Helgi, blacking out.

This was originally going to be posted as one chapter, but splitting it up seemed to make it flow better, in my opinion. Part 2 will be out shortly.

Thank you for reading!