AN: Hey all! Welcome back! So here we are with yet another chapter, and now we're stepping into Solstheim territory! Thanks so much for all of your feedback from the last chap, and without further ado let's press on!
The Mind of Ysgramor: Chapter Twenty-Nine
17th of Last Seed, 4E 202
(Six months later…)
Vilkas didn't know why he had been so worried about becoming Harbinger to begin with. He glanced over the courtyard proudly as Farkas and Aela dueled with a couple of the new recruits that had made their way to Jorrvaskr recently, watching their steps and attacks like a hawk watching its' prey, and was impressed to see that their training had improved quite impressively since their first lesson. Pretty much everyone who had shown up to join in the past few months had done excessively well with the new system he had set up for training.
Now that he thought about it, almost everything had improved since he had taken the reigns for the Companions a few months back. Not only had they managed to get an increase in recruits by new means of advertising, but they had also raised funds to restructure the old mead hall, as well as purchase horses for travelling uses from the stable outside of the city. It was with the help of his brother, Aela, and his wife, Adelia that Jorrvaskr became the busiest and most flourished it had ever been, and it made him prideful to be called the Harbinger of such an expansion.
Farkas excused the recruit he was training with to take a break, and came up beside his brother on the porch as he wiped his face of sweat with a rag.
"Damn, that boy needs to work on how he swings that axe of his. Kept hitting me right in the shin, and it didn't even knick me. Just kept hitting the same bruise over and over," He groaned as he plopped down at one of the picnic benches.
"I think we may want to switch him to a lighter weapon," Vilkas said, taking the seat opposite his twin.
Farkas shrugged. "Said he wanted to learn how to use a battleaxe, so I agreed to train him. He'll get it eventually. Remember how you used to nearly fall over every time you picked your greatsword up when we started out?"
Vilkas grunted. "That was ages ago, Farkas. Besides, I trained in other things aside from the greatsword before I made my choice."
Farkas sighed and grabbed a bottle of ale off the table. "Then I'll see how he does with a war axe. Tomorrow, though. I'm exhausted."
"You've hardly trained for three hours," Vilkas said in amusement.
"Blocking a bunch of attacks from an un-experienced whelp is a lot harder than it looks."
Vilkas chuckled. "Whatever you say, brother."
"So where is Adelia at? I haven't seen her all day. Lydia neither." Lydia had become quite the frequent visitor to Jorrvaskr lately, since his and Adelia's wedding, in fact.
"Don't know, Adelia said she had to run some errands this morning, and Lydia went with her I suppose."
"Hope they don't take all day, I was supposed to go riding with Lydia tonight."
The elder twin cocked an eyebrow. "Farkas, I didn't purchase the horses so you and Lydia could go off to gods'-know-where."
Farkas shrugged. "All of our contracts have been local lately. The poor things have been collecting dust the last few weeks. Why not use them for other means for the time being?" he said innocently with a toothy grin.
Vilkas smirked at his brother and shook his head. He started to reach for a bottle of mead sitting away from him, when suddenly a loud scream broke through the air. Immediately he stood, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as he recognized who the sound belonged to.
"Adelia…" he whispered in fear, before storming out of the courtyard and sprinting towards the direction the shriek had come from. He barely registered Farkas following behind him.
He stopped abruptly at the end of the Plains District, causing Farkas to nearly ram into him, as he observed his wife standing over two corpses, both donning strange robes and masks. Lydia stood not too far away, her sword covered in blood.
"Adelia, what happened?" he asked frantically as he moved closer to her, scanning her body for any wounds or blood.
"I…I don't know," she responded, obviously shaken. "Lydia and I were heading to Breezehome to grab some things and out of nowhere, these...these…lunatics approached me and asked me if I was the Dragonborn. I said yes of course, and then they said something about some 'Miraak' and attacked me!"
"They weren't very tough to take down, but the whole event was unexpected." Lydia muttered.
"Why the hell would the guards let them in the city?" Vilkas growled in anger.
"I don't think they did, they were just sorta…waiting for us. It was strange," the housecarl replied.
"Are you alright, though?" Vilkas asked Adelia; his brows knitted in concern.
His wife nodded, before walking toward him and slipping her arms around his waist. He returned her embrace, noting her body was still tense from the occurrence.
"Hey, what's this?" Farkas said as he walked over to the corpses, then knelt down and pulled a piece of parchment out of one of the bodies' pockets. His eyes skimmed over the words, before he narrowed his gaze suspiciously.
"What does it say?" Lydia asked.
"'Board the vessel Northern Maiden docked at Raven Rock. Take it to Windhelm, then begin your search. Kill the false Dragonborn, known as Adelia, before she reaches Solstheim. Return with word of your success, and Miraak shall be most pleased.'" The man read aloud slowly.
"Solstheim? What in Oblivion would this 'Miraak' want with Adelia if they're all the way in Solstheim?" Vilkas questioned.
"False Dragonborn…?" he heard Adelia murmur under her breath.
"No idea. But it sounds like the only way we'll figure everything out is if someone goes there and confronts this person," Farkas said.
"Isn't Solstheim that island off the coast of Morrowind?" Adelia asked.
"Aye, but there's a ship that sails there from Windhelm, as the note states. The island's not too far off from the city's coastline."
Adelia sighed. "Sounds like I'm heading to Solstheim then."
Vilkas looked down at her. "You don't think you're going alone?"
His wife shrugged. "Things just got into routine around here, I don't want to take you away from your work. The Companions need their Harbinger."
"My duty is to you first, dear," Vilkas responded.
"B-but-"
"That's alright," Farkas spoke up suddenly. "Me and Aela can handle things while you're gone. S'not like we haven't done it before."
"Then it's settled. Tomorrow we head for Windhelm, and teach this bastard a lesson about attacking people they know nothing about," Vilkas growled.
"My Thane, do you wish me to accompany you to Breezehome to retrieve necessities?" Lydia asked.
Adelia released herself from Vilkas' grasp and nodded. "Yes, I'd appreciate that, Lydia."
"Do you need me with you, love? In case more of them turn up?" Vilkas suggested.
The woman shook her head. "No, no, I'm fine. Lydia and I can handle things. Go on back to Jorrvaskr and get ready, I'll be home later."
"Alright…but, come find me if there's any trouble," he murmured as he bent over and kissed her forehead.
"Of course, my love," she said with a smile, before turning and following Lydia down the road.
Vilkas watched after them until they were inside the small house, then let out a sigh, his shoulders sagging.
"Never seems like we can get a moment of peace around here," he said whilst running a hand through his hair in frustration.
"Was it just me or did Adelia seem kinda…zoned out?" Farkas asked, looking down at the letter in his hands still.
"Understandable that she would be, she just got attacked for being the Dragonborn. The only things that have done so on the same grounds were the dragons themselves, not an actual person. To send people here to assassinate her…and I'm sure she wasn't expecting them to come to Whiterun of all places."
"Who do you think this Miraak is?"
Vilkas shrugged. "Don't know, but I'll make sure they don't forget me when I'm through with them. I need you to come help me saddle the horses, it'll be a quicker trip to get there if we take them."
"Looks like I'm not going on that ride with Lydia tonight," Farkas grumbled.
Three days later, he and Adelia were at the Windhelm Docks, trying to persuade the captain of the Northern Maiden to take them to the island, though the stubborn fool was deliberately refusing their request.
"You wouldn't understand my situation!" the man cried out. "Those people with the masks came on board…then I was here, and they were gone! That isn't normal, losing whole days like that. There's been something strange going on over there for quite some time, but after this…no more! I'm not going back to Solstheim!"
"Captain, please. It's important that we have passage," Adelia said soothingly.
This only made the captain panic more. "Have you been listening to me? I'm not going back there!"
Vilkas' patience cracked, and quickly he was grabbing the man by his arm.
"You owe us this. You owe her this. Those cultists you say you brought over, they tried to kill her. We have every right to ask for something of you in return."
The captain held up his hands and swallowed. "A-alright, you have a point. Taking you there to find out who sent them is the least I can do. Maybe you can figure out what's going on over there. I owe them a bit of payback myself, really. We'll shove off as soon as possible."
Vilkas released his arm then, the man rubbing it absentmindedly as he walked away, looking back every other second to make sure the Harbinger stayed in place.
"Your lack of patience is a good tactic at times, I must admit," Adelia laughed.
Vilkas smirked at her. "Why, because you have no backbone?"
She narrowed her eyes at him, a mischievous smile on her face.
"Oh I have plenty of backbone," she said as she sashayed up to him, pressing her body flush to his. "I just know when to use it properly."
"Oh? How?" He murmured, snaking his arms around her and leaning down to press his lips to her neck.
She giggled. "Getting you worked up in public, for instance."
He raised his head from her neck and perked an eyebrow at her.
"Minx," he said with a fiendish grin.
She hummed in response, quickly pressing a kiss to his lips and then slipped out of his arms.
"Come love, I'm sure the captain and crew don't want to watch our show of affections all day," she said with a wave as she walked toward the boat.
"On the contrary, dear, it'd probably be the most entertainment they've had in a long time."
She glanced over her shoulder at him, a smoldering look on her face. How he loved being the only one that could experience this side to her.
"Well…here we are. This is Raven Rock. Can't say I'm all that glad to see it again." The captain muttered as the ship drew into port.
Vilkas looked around with his nose scrunched in disapproval. The place smelt like ashes spilling out of a fire pit, except that it was literally everywhere in the atmosphere. The sights weren't too prominent either, the sky being a dark gray-brown and the land in front of them buried in a pile of soot. He had heard of the disaster that the explosion of Red Mountain had caused, but to see it for himself…he could now understand why so many Dunmer had moseyed their way into Skyrim after the incident.
"You know, I've always wanted to have a chance to go to Morrowind. I've pretty much killed one of everything in Skyrim, and I heard the creatures on the mainland over there are brutal. But, I suppose this is close enough," he said to his wife, who was preoccupied with looking down at the murky water from the edge of the boat's rim.
"You haven't killed a dragon yet, dear," she reminded him informatively.
He shrugged. "No, but I have seen one. That counts as a close second, right?"
She laughed. "Whatever you make it to be."
Once the ship was docked, the two stepped off the boat and began walking towards the small settlement, only to be stopped by a male Dunmer, wearing fancy robes.
"I don't recognize you…" he said as he eyed them suspiciously. "I'll assume this is your first visit to Raven Rock, outlanders. State your intentions."
"We're looking for someone named Miraak. Supposedly they come from somewhere on the island. Do you know them?" Adelia asked.
"Miraak…" the Dunmer pondered. "I…well, I'm not sure that I do. Hmm…anyway, just remember, Raven Rock is sovereign territory of House Redoran. This is Morrowind, not Skyrim. While you're here you will be expected to abide by our laws. Any questions?"
"You're sure you know nothing of this person?" Vilkas said, stepping forward.
"I…I'm unsure. I swear I know the name, but cannot place it."
"Do you know anything at all about them though, aside from the name?" Adelia pressed further.
"I don't think so. I'm not…the name has something to do with the Earth Stone, I think. But I'm not sure what. If you're looking to find it, it's sitting at the west of the settlement, on the other side of the bay."
"That's all we need to know," Vilkas replied.
"Hmph, very well then. Be on your way, but remember, we're watching you," the Dunmer said before he turned on his heel and walked off.
"Earth Stone, huh? Wonder what Miraak would have to do with that," Adelia spoke as they passed through Raven Rock's entrance.
"I don't know," Vilkas responded. "But I've only been here for ten minutes and already I'm not feeling comfortable."
"Oh, love. This isn't Skyrim, remember, we just have to accept that some places are going to be different from home."
"I know, but something about this place just doesn't settle right with me."
"It seems to be that way for everyone who's been coming here," Adelia pondered as they passed by the square of the town. "I wonder if what happened with me is part of the reason?"
"Most likely, you just seem to draw trouble to places, my little omen," Vilkas teased.
"Ha, very funny," his wife replied, rolling her eyes.
As they continued in the direction of the Earth Stone, Vilkas let his eyes wander over the settlement, a couple of notable things catching his attention. For one, the entirety of the place held mostly a Dunmer population, which was expected, but the way that the citizens were moving about their daily business, it was almost trance-like, and strange, not normal in other words. A mine sat at the back of the town, but from the looks of it, no work had been done there in quite some time. Really what went through his mind was how anyone could even consider living here.
"Vilkas, I think I found the Earth Stone," Adelia piped up.
He turned his attention to her. "How do you know?"
She pointed northward. "Well, that mysterious green light coming from that rock could be a clue."
His eyes followed the direction she was pointing at and to his surprise she wasn't kidding. A bright green light was ascending from a large pointed stone sitting in the middle of some construction site. Around the base of the stone were a bunch of workers, presumably from Raven Rock, either walking aimlessly or pounding hammers against the infrastructure surrounding the stone, whilst reciting peculiar phrases. The whole look of the situation was odd.
"You there!" A voice suddenly called out. The couple turned to find a very old Dunmer walking toward them, a curious expression on his face.
"You both don't seem to be in quite the same state as the others here. Very interesting," he muttered as he examined them closely. "May I ask what it is you're doing here?"
"We're looking for someone named Miraak," Adelia replied.
"Miraak…Miraak…" the Dunmer said aloud in thought. "The name sounds familiar, and yet…I can't quite place…Oh, wait! I recall. But that…makes very little sense. Miraak…well, he's been dead for thousands of years!"
"What do you mean by that?" Vilkas asked.
"I'm not sure," the elf replied. "But it is fascinating, isn't it? Perhaps it has some relation to what's been going on here. Quite unexpected. I'm afraid I can't give you any answers, but there are ruins of an ancient temple of Miraak's toward the center of the island. If I were in your situation, I'd look there."
"Sir, if I may ask, what on Nirn are these people doing?" Adelia said curiously.
"Oh please, dear girl. Call me Neloth. Master Neloth of House Telvanni, the greatest wizard you shall ever have the opportunity to meet, to be more precise. As for what these people are doing here, well, they seem to be building something, clearly. And yet they don't seem to have much to say about it. I'm very interested to find out what happens when they finish."
"…And you haven't thought to stop it, with the amount of power you claim to possess?" Vilkas dead-panned.
The elf's eyes widened in supposed offence; "Certainly not! Doing so would interfere with whatever is going on, and that would deprive me of seeing how this all turns out."
"How are you unaffected from this trance they all seem to be in?" Adelia asked.
"I have gone through some pains to ensure that I am immune to many forms of control. I cannot say for certain which is currently protecting me, but it bears further investigation at some point. My question is: how are the two of you unaffected from this mind capture? You certainly don't look out of the ordinary, and I can tell that you aren't practitioners of the arts of magic…"
"We have no clue, it could be associated with the fact that I'm Dragonborn," Adelia muttered.
"Dragonborn? Ha! Don't be ridiculous, girl. Surely if you'd been Dragonborn I'd have found out about it long before anyone!" Neloth scoffed.
"But it's true," Vilkas growled. "That's the whole reason we're here, because this so-called Miraak decided to send his lackeys to Skyrim and rid of her."
The Dunmer shut his mouth for a moment. "Hmm, well I don't know why he would want to eliminate you, but perhaps you should go to the ruins as I said already to elaborate on it further. As for I, I am going to continue investigating. Something of this sort to happen on Solstheim is most exciting, I must say."
"We'll be on our way then," Adelia huffed.
"Very well," Neloth said obliviously with the wave of his hand. "Perhaps I'll come across you again soon. Good luck on your little endeavor!"
The two Nords turned away in disgruntlement and retraced their steps back to the town in order to start off to their next destination.
"The nerve of that elf," Vilkas spat while they passed through the gate that led to the rest of the island.
"I'm sure he means well," Adelia replied. "He probably is just priding himself off the fact that he didn't fall under that spell."
"Do you think Miraak is behind all of this?"
Adelia shrugged. "I don't know. From what Neloth said, it doesn't seem possible. Apparently this guy's been dead for over a millennium. But then…how could he send those cultists after me?"
"Guess we'll have to head to that temple to find out."
His wife sighed. "Never a dull moment in our lives, huh? I thought I was going to finally be able to relax for a while after we married."
"You've had six months to do so, dear. You can't tell me you didn't miss the adventuring life just a little bit?"
She smiled. "Of course I did. But you have to remember that I was accustomed to the simple life before I came to Skyrim."
"I'm afraid you sign that aspect away once you cross the border. And we're Companions on top of that, so I don't think the simple life suits us entirely."
She took a deep breath. "It's just…ah, nevermind. Maybe I should just be thankful that I get to see Morrowind in my lifetime, even if it's just a segment of it…and only because some maniac is trying to kill me."
"That's the way to think, love." Vilkas replied with a chuckle.
Although he tried to remain optimistic for her, deep inside, he still felt a tingle of uncertainty in coming here to begin with.
Sorry to end it there, but if I went on any further it would run on for a bit x) Anyways…as always if you liked this chapter and or are liking this story, please follow/fave/review! We're not too far from the end, so I hope you stick with me till then! I can't even begin to explain how happy I am to finally finish!
