Chapter 21

Ragnthor

3 and a half weeks later they were riding into Riverwood. Ragnthor had Lucia in his arms as she slept. They stopped outside the inn and Ragnthor softly slipped off and managed to tie the horses to the fence with one hand. He motioned for Slasher to guard the horses then walked inside.

Delphine was cleaning tables when they walked in. When she looked over and saw Esbern she looked shocked. She walked forward and pulled him into a hug.

"So you did survive, old man."

Esbern laughed. "That I did, though it's not like the Thalmor didn't give it their all. This Dragonborn you found is a hell of a fighter. Took out the Thalmor team that was almost to me."

Ragnthor almost snarled under his breath. "Keep it down you two. Lucia is asleep. That ride was just beyond her limit."

Delphine nodded and replied with a lower voice. "Of course, of course. Let's go and talk in private. You can lay her down on my bed while we talk."

They walked into a room off to the side and Delphine closed the door. Ragnthor laid Lucia down then followed them down into the basement.

As he got there, Esbern was pulling books out of his pack. "Now, going off what you have told me now and that Ragnthor has told me about what he found in the Embassy, I believe that The World Eater has returned. And that our friend here is The Last Dragonborn. Or at least the last one gifted to the world Akatosh."

He started flipping through the books. "Now I wasn't able to salvage much before the Thalmor destroyed the archives but I think…" He flipped open to a page with a map and slammed his fist on it. "This is it! This is an Akaviri map of temples the Dragonguard built when they first arrived in Tamriel. Now sometime late in the First Era, they pooled all of their knowledge and craved it into a wall. They called it Alduin's Wall and they put it their most secure temple, Sky Haven Temple, a place that can only be accessed by the Dragonborn. Now through studying both the book and comparing it to modern maps, the most likely place for it to be is on or in the Karthspire."

Ragnthor looked at a map and slammed his fist into it. "The maps match, it's the Karthspire. The gods damned Karthspire."

He walked over to the table and laid out a map he pulled of his pack. "This is the most recent map I have been given of the most dangerous places in Skyrim, according to the Empire. You see this red area. This is the Reach. And this is the area of the Karthspire. It has the largest known camp, village, whatever you want to call it, of Forsworn outside of the wilderness areas. How are we supposed to get through that?!"

He started passing back and forth. "I have to take Lucia with me. Ralof is off somewhere with his…well I guess lover at this point, in hiding, my contact with the Thieves Guild isn't due to send someone to watch her for 2 or so weeks and we can't sit that long, I trust no one else in the Hold, and the one person I fully trust in this world is off somewhere, freezing her ass off gods know where, most likely threatened by the Thalmor like me because you had me break into the Embassy!" He was roaring by the time he had finished.

Delphine walked over and put her had on his arm. "I know I might not look it but I am a fully trained member of the Blades with over 30 years of experience."

Esbern walked over and put his hand on Ragnthor's arm. "And I am not as good with a sword as Delphine but I am no slouch and I am a decent mage. I was the one who enchanted the door in the Rat Way. Between the 3 of us, even with Lucia with us, we should be able to get through the Forsworn easily."

Ragnthor nodded and was starting to speak when a voice drifted down the stairs. "Ragnthor, where are we?"

He laughed. "Somewhere safe. Something rare in this world."

Suddenly a louder voice spoke up. "Delphine, there is a messenger here for that Thane, Ragnthor. He says it is urgent."

Ragnthor went up the stairs and was given a note. He shook his head and sighed. He turned back to Delphine.

"There is something I need to do in Whiterun before we leave. Something that falls under what I consider my duties as Thane."

Delphine gave him a questioning look. "It's not going to interfere with anything, is it?"

Ragnthor gave her a grim smile. "Did you ever stop at the Bannered Mare on one of your trips to visit Farengar?" Delphine nodded. "Well then you would remember the bard there. A man by the name of Mikael."

Delphine let out a sigh. "That lad would hit on a Hagraven."

Ragnthor laughed. "That's him. A while back a woman asked me to stop him from bothering on her. So I beat the shite out of him. Well he is back at it again so I plan to kick him at least out of town, if not the hold itself."

Delphine nodded. "When will you leave?"

Ragnthor looked out the window and saw it was dark. "Not until morning. It has been almost 2 months since I have slept in a bed. On that note, I would like both of your rooms."

Delphine laughed. "You can have them, on the house. And we will leave with you. Give you 2 more pairs of eyes to watch Lucia."

Ragnthor put a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you."

He helped Lucia walked to one of the rooms. As he laid her on the bed she yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"Are we leaving tonight?"

Ragnthor laughed. "Not tonight, little lass. Tonight we get to sleep in real bed and then wake up and eat breakfast that is cooked by someone who knows how to cook."

Lucia softly laughed and hugged him. "Your food tastes good too."

Ragnthor rubbed her head. "Whatever you say. Now get some sleep."

Lucia let go and laid down on the bed and from how quickly she relaxed she was out by the time she hit the pillow. Ragnthor smiled as he pulled the covers over her and walked into his own room.

He sat down on his bed and pulled out his pipe. As he started to fill it he realized the bag was light. He tossed it in the air a few times then put them both back in his bag. He shook his head and walked over to a window.

"Talos, Arkay, someone who I haven't met, help me end this soon. I came home on an urge and was thrown deep into the fire. I just want to be done, with everything. I'm tire of losing friends and loved ones. Once Lucia is grown I'm vanishing off into the far reaches of this world. Maybe something there can give me release from the turmoil I have gone through the last decade."

As he looked up at the stars he saw something flash. He shook his head and smiled.

"Maybe someone decided to listen."

He pulled off his shirt and slipped under the covers and went to sleep.

The next day, toward evening, they were riding into Whiterun. Ragnthor slid off Ghardh and turned to Delphine and Esbern.

"We can spend the night at my house, I have more than enough rooms. Lucia can show you the way, though it is hard to miss." He walked closer and spoke so Lucia couldn't hear. "And please leave now. Last time I spoke with Mikael it got violent. Lucia saw more than enough of that in Riften. If she gets bored, work on her sword play."

Delphine nodded then they started to ride away. Ragnthor shook his head then walked into town.

As he walked up to the Bannered Mare, Carlotta stopped him. "Ragnthor, thank you for coming. I have heard that you are busy saving the world."

Ragnthor put his hand on her shoulder. "No, thank you. I would give all that up to be just a Thane. It's doing work here that keeps me grounded. But keep little Mila away. If past experience proves true, he won't leave without a fight."

Carlotta nodded and walked toward her house. Ragnthor walked into the inn and sat down at the bar. Hulda gave him a questioning look and he nodded.

"That right. He has finally gone far enough that I am going to make him leave town. If you could allow people behind the bar if it goes south, I would be grateful, I would hate to have someone get hurt because of this."

Hulda nodded. "Of course, Ragnthor."

Ragnthor stood and walked over to Mikael. "Mikael, it's time for you to leave town."

Mikael turned and gave him a broken toothed smile. "Oh yeah, on who's order?"

Ragnthor scowled at him. "Mine."

Mikael laughed. "And what right do you have to force me from town. If you use force I will report you to the Jarl."

Ragnthor laughed. "By my right as Thane. My power within this hold is only second to the Jarl. And Balgruuf respects me as much as he respected my father. Unless what I do causes war with another hold, he will back my judgment."

A small flash of fear pass through Mikael's eyes as he looked around. Then he smiled. "Where is that positively lovely woman who was hear the last time we talked? Did you chase her away with your crass nature? Is that why you want me gone, to open up the waters?"

Ragnthor's hand shot out and grabbed Mikael's throat. He picked the bard up and slammed him against the wall. Ragnthor snarled at the quivering bard. "There have been enough complaints about your behavior to give me cause to kick you out of town. Not to mention you now have raised my hackles." His voice had change to a snarl.

He looked around the room and saw Hulda herding people behind the bar. Ragnthor pulled him back and slammed him into the wall a few more times.

"I Want You Out Of My Town! I WANT YOU OUT OF MY HOLD!"

Ragnthor turned and threw Mikael as hard as he could. Mikael smashed through a table. Ragnthor walked over and, picking him up, slammed him into another wall, arm jammed under his throat.

"If I even hear of you being back in the hold I will track you down." Ragnthor pulled him close as he lowered his voice to just above a whisper. "When I get you, I will tie you out for the saber cats. Maybe you'll get lucky and the wolves will find you first, they'll kill you quick. Saber cats like to…to play with their prey. It might get lucky, cut you free and spend the next 3, 4 days slowly stalking you. When it catches you, it will test its fangs by sinking them into your still living body 5, 6 times before finally, mercifully, sinking them deep into your skull."

He smiled as Mikael's face went from red to white. Ragnthor walked over to the door and threw him out.

"And keep moving."

Ragnthor walked back in and over to the bar. "I'm sorry Hulda", he pulled out a coin pouch, "This should enough to buy a new table."

Hulda tried to give it back. "I don't need it Ragnthor. I'm just glad Mikael is gone for good."

Ragnthor pushed it back. "Keep it, small things feel like the only thing I can do these days." He stood. "Now I would love to stay for a drink but I am leaving on more Dragonborn shite. But one of these days I will manage to stay for a while."

As he stood to leave, Hulda spoke again. "Since Mikael brought it up, what has happened to Lydia?"

Ragnthor faced her with a mix of fury and sorrow. "Let's just say that he wasn't all that far off. But please don't be spreading that around. She has a high position in this hold and it would kill me to ruin it for her." Hulda nodded as he walked off.

As Ragnthor was walking toward the gate he saw Jon Battle-Born and Olfina Grey Mane sneaking toward an unmanned guard tower. Ragnthor shook his head and smiled as he called out.

"Ho Jon, can I have a moment?"

He had to bite back a laugh as they jumped. As they walked over they were still holding hands. Ragnthor smiled and nodded toward them. He bit back another laugh as their hands split like they were touching venom.

Jon's face was ever so slightly flushed. "Aye Ragnthor, what do you need?"

Ragnthor slapped his shoulder. "Well I might have done you a favor and I know I need one."

Jon's face grew confused. "Well are they good?"

Ragnthor laughed. "Well one is. The Bannered Mare is in need of a bard. I have finally got enough complaints to drive Mikael out of town. So if you are tired of digging in the dirt for living, go and see Hulda."

Jon's face lit up and his hand found Olfina's again. "That's better than good, that's great. Now what is the favor you need?"

Ragnthor ran his hand through his hair. "I am going away for a few weeks and as you can see, the grass is covered. I need someone to feed my horses and cow for me. Now normally I would ask Ralof and his lover to do it but, due to something I have done, they are in hiding."

Jon's face dropped. "What did you do?"

Ragnthor sighed. "I messed with the Thalmor. I know it was stupid but I was wandering lost after Lydia left me. They are after everyone who they consider close enough to me that they can be use as bait. Lucia hasn't left my side for more than 3 hours in more than a month."

Jon motioned and Olfina left. Then he put a hand on Ragnthor shoulder. "That's rough about Lydia. But it does explain your haggered look. And I will feed for you. Just do me a favor, get those dirty elves out of Skyrim."

Ragnthor smiled and grabbed Jon's forearm. "That's a deal, brother. And one more thing. A person will show up in 2 or so weeks. Leave her alone. She is watching the house for me and will keep Lucia safe if I can't bring her. I will leave a note warning her."

Jon nodded and Ragnthor started walking toward the gate. He stopped and shouted back. "I want an invite to that wedding. And if you need the help convincing the old men, I would be more than happy to help. It's the small things that matter!"

He walked off shaking his head, happy that he was going to sleep in his own bed for the first time in more than a month.

Lydia

Over the course of a month, 4 more groups of Thalmor agents had found her little cabin in the woods. And despite to amount of bodies she had left out for the wolves, they had preferred the deer she had saved. She only had enough food for 2 or so weeks, if she managed to get lucky.

Her days had devolved into a sorry existence. She would wake and pull on several sets of clothes then stagger out and throw an increasingly smaller amount of hay to Black Moon. She would shake her head and curse herself as she looked at him. He was getting bonier, it seemed, by the day.

Then she would fill her arms with as much wood as she could carry and stoke the fire. Then she would cook herself a tiny piece of meat which she supplemented with a slightly larger amount of vegetables that the Thalmor had on them.

After she was done, she would slip on muffled snow walkers, sling the bow over her back and tie the axe to her belt, and shuffle out to see if there were any fresh track, animal or, if she was unlucky, men or mer. For a week she hadn't seen any of either.

Then she would go back into the cabin, take off the extra clothes, wrap herself in a blanket and sit next to the fire in a half aware state.

Around evening she would slowly wake up and pull the clothes back on and feed Black Moon again before cooking her small dinner. Then she would strip and slide under the covers.

That night the wolves howled, close and loud, loud enough to wake her from her almost death like sleep. She shook her head as she realized what it meant. They had raided the last of her meat.

She gave a chuckle. "I wish I would have known, I would have liked a feast tonight."

She lay there and listened to the wolves for only the gods know how long before the peace of sleep found her.

The next morning she pulled on her clothes and when out to feed Black Moon. The air was absolutely frigid as she opened the door. She moved as fast as she could to check on him. She opened the door and was shocked at what she saw.

The stable had a look of surreal beauty. The window had been broken and some snow had been blown in. It lightly covered the floor and was slightly piled in the corners. There were 2 wolves lying dead on the floor, their thick, frost covered fur rippling in the slight breeze and shining softly in the morning sun. Frost was creeping up the walls in a beautiful, branching pattern And Black Moon lay unmoving in a corner. Snow was gathered around his knees and hocks and swirled around his muzzle. His body shone because of the thin covering of ice.

Lydia rushed in and tried to raise Black Moon but he was gone. But by the way his body still moved she knew he hadn't been dead for long, less than 2 hours in the freezing air.

She fought back her rising rage as she looked around for clues on what happened.

From the cuts on one of the wolves it was clear that it had broken through the window and the other had followed. And from their crushed bodies Black Moon had fought back. One was crushed not far from the window and the other lay in a crumpled heap against the wall. As she looked closer as Black Moon she saw the tale tell signs of over exertion. His fur was rough and looked like it had been soaked. The breeze blowing through the window would have cut clear to bone. From how he was laying he had tried to get small and keep warm but he was just too thin to be able to recover the body heat to keep him from freezing.

Lydia waged an active war to try and stop herself from crying, knowing that in this air her tears would do to her face what sweat had done to Black Moon.

She walked over and sat down by his head and pulled it into her lap. "I'm…I'm so, so sorry. For dragging you all over Skyrim, for riding you into battle that day, for not being a good enough warrior to not take that spear, for leading you off into the woods on this fool's errand."

She lost the war with her tears as she hugged his head. "I'm sorry everyone that gets close to me ends up hurt or dead. I'm so, so sorry." She buried her face in his mane and sobbed until the tears felt like they were searing her with the mythic Ice Fire and his body started to stiffen.

She rubbed his head one last time then, as the tears were starting to freeze to her face, she quickly went into the house. She put the rest of the wood she had in the fire, stripped down to her small clothes and sobbed herself to sleep.

A few hours later something pulled the covers off of her. As she adjusted to the burst of cold and light, she heard a deep voice speak.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? This, my young apprentice, is a fine example of a Nordic woman. The only flaw I see at this moment of time is a rather large wound, almost completely covered with scar tissue, most likely caused by the Forsworn."

A second voice spoke. "That is all well and good master, but is it the woman we are looking for?"

The first voice laughed. "Do you not remember from the description our informant gave us? This is our woman, the bait for the Dragonborn. Now we have her, that brute of a man will come running to us. Now grab her so we can go. I don't want to be in a place that can freeze one of those thick horses for longer than I have to."

As they were speaking, Lydia's mind was racing. In seconds she had determined where each one stood and exactly how long it would take to grab the axe by her bed. Suddenly someone touched her and she sprang into action.

She swung her feet over the edge of the bed and kicked as hard as she could, staggering the apprentice. She grabbed the axe and, spinning, lashed out with an over head blow that split the elf's skull clear to the teeth. She heard the wizard's robes rustle on the floor and, wrenching the axe free, ducked behind the apprentice. Seconds later he disintegrated.

As she stood and faced the wizard, he started laughing. "What are you going to do? This winter has clearly been hard on you, just one mer down and you are already winded. I am thoroughly surprised that you were able to take out 5 of our Agents. As soon as we get back I will have to crack down on the advancement requirements."

As Lydia adjusted her grip and snarled, the smile left the elf's face. "So it's the hard way you want, is it? Let's see how this spell affects people without armor."

The elf drew back his arm and tendrils of lighting started to form. Lydia summoned what was left of her strength and hurled the axe as hard as she could. It revolved twice then slammed into the elf with a sickening thud.

Just before it slammed into his chest, the elf's face changed to one of utter shock. As it slammed home, a scream ripped from his mouth and he lost control of his spell. It collapsed on itself and sent out an explosion of pure energy that knocked Lydia back into the wall.

She hit with a thud and slid to the floor. She sat there for a moment, stunned, then painfully rose to her feet and staggered over to the wizard, who somehow was still alive.

The force of the explosion had obliterated his arm and laid bare almost all of the right side of his body to the bone, of which over half were utterly shattered. The right half of his lower jaw had been blasted free of flesh and covered with a spider web of cracks. He was vainly tugging on the axe with his left arm.

Lydia place and foot on his chest and pulled with all her strength, wrenching it from his chest. He screamed again, though it was muffled by a massive amount of blood.

He looked out at her with a shocked expression, mixed with massive amounts of pain. As he spoke, he coughed up blood. "How? How were you…able to beat…not just…an…apprentice…but a…high ranked…spellweaver?"

She gave him a grim smile. "Because I am a strong, Nordic woman with something to live for. Now find peace with your gods." She swung the axe at his neck like she was splitting a log.

She stood there, taking deep, rapid breaths, watching the head roll on the floor.

"Maybe if I hang it up in the trees at the edge of the clearing, the Thalmor will back off." She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess it is worth a chance."

She wiped the blood off her body and then pulled on her clothes. She picked up the head and, putting on her snow walkers, went out to the trees. She turned and faced the cabin then jammed the head one a thick, dead branch and adjusted it so it faced the way the Thalmor had always come.

She stood there for awhile, thinking about what was stopping her from running off into the woods and meeting her end by way of the cold and the snow. She stood there for a long while, letting herself follow the narrow, twisting paths in the dark part of the mind, before the cold forced her to shove back the dark thoughts.

She went back and pulled the bodies into the trees behind the cabin. She then went inside and sat by the fire, cleaning the axe and steeling herself for what she knew she had to do.

The axe was shining when she suddenly stood and tramped outside. She walked into the stable and laid her hand on Black Moon's bony neck.

"I'm sorry boy, but this will help me last at least little longer."

Tears were forming in her eyes as she grimly set her face and swung the axe.

Author's Note: Well that happened. I didn't want it to happen but he was going to die anyway because I was a bastard and forgot about him when I was setting up Lydia's…sabbatical. But I got the chapter out, admittedly 4 days late from what I promised but with a day to spare from when I start the job that will leave me little to no time for writing, so some of you must have had your fingers crossed and I thank you. And I hope you don't hate me for what I am doing to these characters, I know I sometimes hate myself. Well happy reading until next we meet.