Chapter 29
Ragnthor
He had been sitting in the shadows of the gate for the last hour, waiting for Lydia to come back. With every passing minute he grew more worried and tense, readying himself for action.
As he was walking back to the house he had seen a rustle of brush and saw another horseman brush out of the trees to follow Lydia. It had taken all the strength he had not to swing over the back of a horse and follow. But he trusted his wife as much as he worried for her now.
The light was fading when he heard the clang of swords and the pounding of hooves. He surged to his feet with a massive longbow in his hands. He drew back the heavy, blunt arrow and waited.
Suddenly Lydia rode past yelling "They're With Me! Take Out The One Fighting Mountain!"
A smaller woman rode past and then a pair of riders appeared out of the gloom. Ragnthor loosed the arrow at the smaller of the 2 men, hoping the bandit wasn't bigger than Mountain.
The arrow slammed into the man, the force of the large, heavy head knocking him off his horse. Mountain waved as he rode past and Ragnthor ran out to look at the man.
He was lying on the ground, writhing and holding the arrow which had pierced his steel plate and, from the blood, had managed to pierce skin as well. Ragnthor grabbed the man by the front of his armor and slammed him against the closest tree.
"Why are you doing this?"
The man laughed, signs of blood in the corner of his mouth. "Why else, land is money boy. And the land Waynek is sitting on is worth more than any other piece for the next 50 miles, even without the improvements."
Ragnthor slammed him against the tree again. "But why go about it this way? Why not haggle a price?"
The man smiled, teeth red. "Because it's easy to steal land from an old man."
Ragnthor smiled back, pushing the arrow until he felt it on the back of the man's armor. "Well you will find it harder to take the land from me. It's my land now." He threw the man to the ground.
The man laughed at him. "Then you have sealed your fate. We will have that land, if we must take it from your dead hands."
Ragnthor turned and walked to the house. "Then you have sealed yours. If I must buy this land with a mountain of corpses and a ocean of blood then so be it."
He found everyone waiting at the stables.
Mountain walked up to him and grabbed his arm, smiling and shaking his head. "So this is what you call a honeymoon? Taking up arms against a group of bandits?"
Ragnthor smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. The plan was to buy the ranch from the old man while showing Lydia a part of the empire she had never before seen."
Mountain laughed. "At least you had a good reason. Eilonwy wanted to clear her home town of the worst Thalmor agents." They all laughed.
Ragnthor walked over to Lydia and put his arm around her. "I'm sure you both will want some sleep. We can plan more in the morning."
Eilonwy smiled. "Are you sure its us that want some 'sleep'?"
Lydia blushed and he smiled. "I don't know. That all depends on the little one." Lydia swatted him as they all laughed.
Lydia
A few hours later, Lydia was deep in sleep and having the strangest dream. She was watching Ragnthor battle a massive Daedra. They were in the mouth a cave, Ragnthor had the sun shining from behind him and you could barely tell the Daedra from the darkness. The fight looked like it had gone on for hours, both of them bleeding from dozens of wounds.
Suddenly a voice rose behind her. "The forces of light and the forces of dark. For time unremembered they have been such, locked in eternal combat." It was Arkay.
Lydia turned to him. "I'm not dying, am I?! P…please don't let me be dying."
Arkay smiled. "You're not dying, Lydia of the Isles. But your mind is wondering why now, of all times, something like this is happening. Look at the scene and what do you see. A champion of light battling a harbinger of dark."
Lydia looked at him. "And what does that mean?"
Arkay smiled. "In the beginning, I'm told, all was dark. But none of the gods knew it was dark because none had seen light."
"And what are you trying to tell me?"
Arkay smiled and nodded. "Good is only known as good because of evil. And evil is only known because of good."
Lydia sighed. "That is all well and good but what does this have to day with Ragnthor and myself?"
Arkay gestured behind her. "Look at the scene. Ragnthor is surrounded by light. And let's call the light good. And the only reason he saw the Daedra was because it entered his sphere of… the best word I can think of is goodness. But light can never truly shine bright enough to erase the dark and neither can dark truly snuff out the light. Only in balance can peace truly form. Watch what happens when Ragnthor finally concedes that point."
Lydia watch as Ragnthor dodged a blow and suddenly half his face was shadowed in dark and the other was shining with light. He lashed out with a blow that took the Daedra in the side, a blow it never saw coming. He cleaned his sword and left.
"Do you see? It wasn't having the light at his back that helped him win. It was moving to a spot where he could still take advantage of the light while using the dark. Balance slayed the Daedra. Balance, Lydia, is the true deciding force in the world. Ragnthor understands this and knows how to use it, much to his hatred. So he stays in the light as long as he can before finally slipping into the dark just long enough to save those who need saving."
Comprehension spread over her face. "So Ragnthor could have avoided this?"
Arkay nodded. "The moment he heard Waynek call through door he could have grabbed you by the arm and left, leaving his friend. He knows Waynek is stubborn but not stupid. The next time the men showed up Waynek would have taken the money and left. But Ragnthor also knows what you would have done. You served the Jarl as his Right Hand, the hand of the Light. He never let you see those on his Left Hand. So you have made noise and Waynek would have known."
A shadow crossed Lydia's face. "So I should change?"
Arkay looked at her with all knowing eyes. "No, never. Ragnthor depends on you. Ragnthor came home to live in balance with the world, being tired of being a champion of light, ready to concede to a world of peace. But you have helped him to keep that drive, the will to do good. But remember, when he does something that you find extreme, he is doing it for the good of all."
Lydia nodded. "I understand."
Arkay smiled. "Then awake, something is about to happen."
Lydia snapped awake and saw Ragnthor opening the door. As the moonlight shone around him she heard a voice.
"Leave. Now. We will have the ranch."
Lydia stood and grabbed her sword as Ragnthor laughed. "I told you, it's my ranch now. I dropped 40,000 on it."
As Lydia drew close she saw the man smile. "Then I guess it's you we will kill."
As Lydia touched Ragnthor on the arm to let him know she was there the smiled changed to a sneer.
"So this is the ranch stealers whore. The slut who got help."
She felt his arm tense, arms feeling like they were wrapped in thick, metal cords. "What did you call her?"
The man smiled. "A whore and a…" Ragnthor arm shot out like the strike of a snake.
She heard the sound of bones being crushed as Ragnthor grabbed the man's neck with both hands. As he fell, his head lolled to the side. She watch Ragnthor throw himself at the next, using his weight to throw the man to the ground. There was a loud pop, pop as Ragnthor pulled the man's arms, his own foot on the man's back. She closed her eyes just before the man's spine snapped.
The third person, a young woman, turned and tried to run. Ragnthor lunged after her in a blind fury. He hit the ground as he grabbed her ankle. As she fell he stood, still holding her foot. Savagely he turned and slammed the woman into the ground like he was sinking an axe into a log. Lydia heard multiple something's break as Ragnthor snarled, eyes wide and face telling his fury, and the girl let out one last scream.
Ragnthor noticed the last one as he swung the girl again. He was tearing after the man, barely more than a boy, before she hit the ground. He caught up to the man right before he reached the gate. Ragnthor slammed into him with his shoulder, knocking the boy into a post, head hitting with a thud. As the boy lay there on the ground, dazed, Ragnthor grabbed him by the front of the armor and slammed him into a post.
"Why are you here?" When the boy didn't speak Ragnthor slammed him into it again. "ANSWER ME!"
As Lydia approached he heard the boy mutter into the front of his armor. "Why should I tell you? You killed my sister."
As Ragnthor pulled the boy back to slam him into the post again, Lydia put a hand on his arm. Ragnthor looked at her and she nodded. He let go and the boy fell to the ground.
Lydia crouched in front of him. "What did you think was going to happen, lad? The moment my husband opened the door you should have realized what could happen."
The boy looked up, tears starting to roll down his face. "We only came because they promised us taking the ranch would give us money. Me and Lucia, our family doesn't have much." Lydia looked up and saw Ragnthor looked like he had been punched in the stomach.
Ragnthor reached an arm down and helped the boy up. "My niece is named Lucia. And I'm truly sorry lad. My anger is rabid when it comes to my family."
The boy looked up and wiped his face. "What are you going to do to me?"
Ragnthor put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You're going to bring your family here. I own the ranch now and you and yours can help run it. I will give you a fair days paid for a fair days work."
The boy looked up and nodded. "Yes sir. And can I…can I take Lucia with me?"
Ragnthor looked him in the eye. "Where to lad?"
He squared his shoulders. "To a clearing on the side of a slight hill back in the forest. It was Lucia's favorite spot and I want to lay her to rest there."
Ragnthor put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I will go with you. Her death, her blood, is on my hands and the shame is mine alone to bare. I will help did the grave and give her last rights. I'm no priest but I have laid more men in their graves the any 3 holy men I know." The boy nodded and Ragnthor went back to the guest house and picked up Lucia.
As he walked back past her he stopped. "Go back to sleep, Lydia. That is if you can, I know how you feel after watching me fight. But not in the guest house. Go to the main house with the others. I don't feel safe with you staying by yourself." Lydia nodded as he walked through the gate, packing only a dagger.
Lydia went back to the guest house and pulled on her armor then walked over to the main house and sat on the porch, waiting for his return.
The sun was just about to break over the horizon when Lydia heard, then saw, a wagon roll toward the gate. Ragnthor was driving with the boy beside him, head bowed, willing taking the yelling of the woman in the back. The man next to her looked like he wanted it to stop but want Ragnthor to suffer at the same time. He was holding a little boy and girl, twins by the look of them.
As Ragnthor pulled up to the guest house, Lydia walked over, hearing him speak. "You can stay here until I get a house built." The man nodded and walked into the house with the children as the woman huffed.
Ragnthor slammed his fist into the side of the wagon, cracking a board. "I've done all I can for you, woman, and still you want more. Shall I pay her weight in blood? Then so be it." Ragnthor pulled his dagger from his boot and sliced his forearm, dagger sinking an inch deep.
He grabbed his wrist with his other hand and started flexing, causing the blood to gush out in large, pulsating streams. Lydia saw the woman take a step back as the blood rapidly flowed down his arm and pooled around his feet.
Lydia grabbed him and felt him sag from the rapid loss of blood. "What are you doing?!"
Ragnthor looked down at her. "I am paying the blood price. A fitting thing for what I wrought in anger."
He looked over at the woman. "Do you think I have not lost those close to me, that I haven't felt loss? I would wager in my 30 years I have had more than you. And yet you insist on more and more compensation." He slipped from her grasp and fell to his knees, causing the blood around his feet to splash, while still flexing, forcing it out.
The woman took another step back and raised her hands. "The debt is paid. Despite your barbaric customs, I can see true remorse in your eyes. It's just easy to dig at the man who stole you child."
Ragnthor grabbed the side of the wagon and slowly pulled himself up, stripping off his shirt and wrapping it around his arm. "That is something I understand, in a slightly different way. I hope, in time, you can at least have less anger in your heart toward me."
The woman nodded. "Maybe." And she turned and walked away.
Ragnthor turned and face and she gasped, his face pale from the loss of blood. He nodded. "Get a needle and gut, quickly. There is a chance I cut something I shouldn't have and I need the wound closed quickly."
She shook her head. "Just use magic, it's faster."
Ragnthor looked ready to fall again as he roared at her. "NOW LYDIA! Unless You Want To Watch Me Die!"
Lydia nodded and took off. When she came back he was sitting on the ground, leaning against a wheel. He grabbed them from her hands and unwrapped his shirt, causing the blood to flow free again. With his teeth he tied the shirt above his elbow and pulled it tight, so tight the blood stopped flowing. Then quickly, so quickly Lydia was surprised he did it with one hand, he stitched his wound shut.
When he was done it was closed, in a rough, ragged line. Then he untied his shirt and blood started to slowly ooze between the stitches.
He wrapped his shirt around it again and cursed. "Damn. I did hit something wrong. I'm lucky I didn't bleed out." He looked up at her. "I'm sorry I yelled but I cannot heal this with magic. When you pay a blood price, the wound must heal naturally. Using magic would mean I would have to pay it again. Not that Cyrodiil would know but my, our, honor would have. Would you please help me up?" Lydia reached a hand down and pulled him up.
When he reached his feet he leaned on her and she sighed. "I would hit you but I think you would fall over and break something. Just promise me you will never do something like that again without telling me."
He nodded. "Of course Lydia. Now let's get inside. I need to sit and drink to replace the blood I lost before the fight."
Ragnthor
The next week passed quickly. Even with his bum arm, between him, Mountain, Caius, and Gallion, and the women, they had the house up in a week. It wasn't much. It had 4 walls and 5 rooms and no furnishings apart from what Caius and his family had brought but it was a house.
It was a little over week from when he and Lydia had pulled up in front of Waynek's house that they came. Ragnthor had an urge to look outside and saw what seemed to him a horde of men. He rose, arm in still in a sling, and walked inside.
He looked around and saw everyone in their armor, as they had been for the past few days. "Well friends, they're here."
Lydia stood and walked to the window to look outside. As soon as she did he was struggling to pull on his armor. He got it all on except the left gauntlet. The moment it touched the red, raw, puckered row of stitches his arm bellowed in protest.
The moment Lydia turned around she walked up to him, concern and anger in her eyes. "What are you doing?"
He looked at her. "Getting ready to fight."
She started fake laughing. "No you're not."
Ragnthor put a hand on her shoulder. "Yes I am. This is my land and I will not ask anyone to do what I will not."
She huffed. "But your arm! It will be the…" He put a finger on her mouth, stopping her.
Thankfully she did not bite it. "It will be all right. I'm not fool enough to try and wield a greatsword with an arm like this." He pulled a sword and shield out from beside the chair he had been sitting, and sleeping, in.
As he slipped on the shield he winched as it slid over the stitches, drawing a growl from him and a hiss from Lydia. "Contrary to what I always say, I'm not that bad with a sword and shield."
Lydia nodded and sighed. "I know that. But I also know you are nowhere near as good as me. And so you will fight behind me."
He laughed. "No. I will fight beside you. I won't have you behind me like I had planned. I might have need of a Housecarl who can protect me today." As Lydia nodded he saw fear on the edges of her features.
He pulled her close. "Kiss me sweet, my dear, and this day will be over soon." He smiled as she kissed him then motioned for everyone to follow him outside.
They walked outside in a group. Ragnthor, Lydia, and Mountain forming the first line with Eilonwy and Waynek following behind.
Waynek cursed as he saw the other group. "Shit, that must be at least half the town and all the guards."
Eilonwy put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "I'm sure our fearless leader has a plan."
Ragnthor nodded, not looking back. "Not fighting if I can avoid it." Suddenly a man walked forward and Ragnthor walked out to meet him, Lydia hugging his side.
The stopped a swords length from each other. "Greeting sir. How may I help you?"
The man, a guard, smile. "I'm here to take you to jail for the death of my brother and nephew and to oversee the selling of this ranch."
Ragnthor smiled. "I may have killed your brother and nephew but you are not needed to sell the ranch. I bought it a week ago."
A flash of shock cross the man's face. "Oh you did, did you? You finally pay his inflated price?"
Ragnthor nodded. "I did. 40,000 in gold."
"Who are you, stranger?"
Ragnthor squared his shoulders as best he could without wincing. "Ragnthor of the Isles, son of Freynar the Vast." There was a gasp from the crowd, and behind him, and the order of the group changed.
The brave souls who had risen to take his land fell back and only the guardsmen stayed upfront and even they looked uneasy.
The man smiled. "Well since you are a land owner now, I can challenge you to combat for the death of my kin." He drew his warhammer and smiled. "Draw your weapon, I like showing my people that champions are as weak as the rest of us."
Ragnthor looked down at Lydia. "May I?" She nodded.
The man smiled. "You need a wench's approval to fight? This will be easier than I thought."
As Ragnthor drew his sword Lydia spoke. "Break him, Ragnthor. But don't kill him." He nodded as she took a step back.
The man swung and Ragnthor barely managed to get his shield up in time. It crashed into his shield, sending splinters flying. A plan started to form as he straightened and swung with as much strength as he could. The man deflected it and swung. The force of the man's blow to his sword spun him, making it easier to block. As the hammer hit his shield again, it sunk deeper while jarring his shoulder. Ragnthor swung another blow and it was deflected again in the same way, just as he had hoped. As the hammer hit his shield, it punched through, hitting his bicep and bruising down to the bone.
As the man tried to pull it put, Ragnthor angled the shield and jerked the man forward, kicking him away from his hammer. As the man staggered back, Ragnthor reached around and pulled the hammer out of the shield and walked toward the man, not taking off the shield for fear tearing the stitches out of the weeping wound.
As he got close, the man drew a sword and swung. Ragnthor brought his shield in a flash and savagely deflected the blow while at the same time swinging the hammer. It slammed into the man's knee with enough force to slam it against his other leg and lifted the foot up sideways. In the seconds before the man roared in pain there was the splintering pop of a joint being crushed.
The man fell to one knee, wincing as his weight landed on the crushed joint. He knelt there for a moment the lashed out with a blow to Ragnthor's stomach. Ragnthor took the blow on his armor as he lifted the hammer above his head with both hands and brought it down on the man's other knee. It hit hard, shattering the man's knee and the leg beneath it. The man screamed as he fell forward onto his face.
Ragnthor smiled, the pain in his arm stoking him toward a berserker's rage, as he looked at the crowd. "Who dares dispute my right to own this land!" As they took a collective step back he dropped the hammer and let the shield fall to his side, feeling blood trickle down his arm.
He fought to control the anger build inside him. "I only killed those 4 people to save the one I love and others I care about. I am ready to settle this peacefully but I will fight if that is the only way to resolve this."
And older man stepped forward, wearing the robes of a mayor. "We are more than willing to resolve things in a way that will stop more bloodshed."
The man laying on ground growl. "Stop talking and attack, there are only…"
The mayor stepped on his lag, causing him to scream. "Quiet captain, you're finished." He looked over to Ragnthor. "He is the cause of all of this. More than half the town was under his control, through fear or because they were both weak and mean enough to group together under someone stronger. If anything we are in your debt. Welcome to town." The mayor held out a hand.
Ragnthor shrugged off the shield, wincing as it touched the stitches, and pulled to bags out of the pouch at his waist. He shook the mayor's hand and gave him the 2 bags.
"Thank you. And take this. I feel I have to do something. Use it to rebuild what you have lost or to hire someone better than this scum."
He took it and nodded. "I was hoping you would take the job."
Ragnthor shook his head and put his arm around Lydia. "I'm honored but I can't. In a week me and my new bride are going back to Skyrim. I'm a Thane in a hold there. And I have important thing to do. We only came down because I wanted my little one to see more of the Empire than Skyrim and to buy the ranch from Waynek."
The mayor nodded. "I understand that. But who is going to watch it for you while you are in the land of snow?"
Ragnthor smiled. "A friend but I still need to talk to him about it."
The mayor nodded. "I understand. Enjoy your time of peace, Champion of the Isles." Then he turned and left.
They stood there a while, watching them leave. Ragnthor felt how tense Lydia was and sighed, wishing he could bring her peace after what had happened.
The moment they were out of sight he took his arm off hard and wrapped a piece of cloth around it to stop the steady trickle of blood. As he turned around to walked back to the house he stumbled and felt like he was going to fall until Lydia caught him.
She looked up at him, worry clear in her face and eyes. "Ragnthor, what's wrong?"
He smiled and would have rubbed her shoulder had she not been in armor. "I'm just tired and sore. That took more out of me than I thought it would. And I'm lucky he didn't break my arm with that last blow."
She grabbed him and he thought she was going to hit him. Instead, for reasons unknown to him, she kissed him.
"Think about what you're doing before you act next time. I don't want to lose you."
Ragnthor nodded. "Of course, little one. Anything for you. Now let's go and talk to Mountain."
A few hours later they were all sitting around the table. Waynek was out checking the horses and teach the new family just how to do things.
Mountain looked up at him, smiling. "So you're Champion of the Isles and son of the Vast. My parents told me stories of the old frontline Legate. My father served under him. And I never thought that you would be that Ragnthor. When Lydia mentioned you're name I never thought you were that Ragnthor. I'm honestly surprised that our little brawl lasted that long. We watched you fight in the Arena."
Ragnthor shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't enter the Arena looking for fame and glory. I wanted to test my sword arm and make enough money to eat, eating being the most important of the 2. And I hate using mine and my father's name like that. Take me on my own values, not those tied to me due to fame."
He smiled, grabbing Lydia's hand under the table. "That was my second reason for coming back to Skyrim, after Lydia. The Nords of Skyrim are an insular people, not taking much interest in things that don't direct concern them in some way. I knew I could use the name of the Isles and no one would care, thinking I had earned it in my wandering days, whereas anywhere else in the empire they would be breaking down my door."
He took a drink from his bottle. "So Mountain, have you and Eilonwy found yourself a home yet?"
Mountain shook his head. "No. I have money but no one is looking to sell the kind of land I want to buy. In fact we were in to about ready to make an offer for this place when Lydia found us."
Ragnthor smiled. "Well sorry about buying it out from under your nose but I have had my eye on this place for years. Waynek is a friend from my wandering days."
Mountain laughed. "No hard feelings. I'm sure you would have none if I had got here first."
Ragnthor nodded. "Maybe. But if you 2 are looking to rest your heels for a while and don't mind some honest work I have a proposition for you."
Mountain wrapped his arm around Eilonwy and nodded, smiling. "Let's hear it."
Ragnthor smiled and nodded. "There is no possible way I can stay and run the ranch. And Waynek is getting old and wanting to go back to Hammerfell and rest his old bones in the heat. So how would you 2 like to run the ranch for a while, until you find a place of your own? I'm hoping you can for 3 or so years, until Lucia finds herself a man and they can run it until me and Lydia are old and want to finally leave Skyrim."
Lydia looked at him, coy smile on her face. "So Lucia gets to choose? I would have thought you had this planned out."
He smiled. "And I was working on it until she was raised by you for 2 years. If that didn't make her a strong, stubborn, independent lass then I have overestimated the both of you." She smiled and kissed him.
Mountain laughed. "So how much are you offering for this?"
Ragnthor faced him. "An even 50 percent, after costs are taken from the top. You'll get exactly what I get." Mountain nodded and reached his hand across the table and they shook.
Ragnthor stood. "Now I know this isn't much if a honeymoon but I am ready to get some rest." He looked at Lydia.
She stood and put his arm around her shoulders. "Let's go. Maybe this will teach you to think before purposely hurting yourself."
As soon as they got to the guest house he sat on the bed and looked her, totally believing himself to be the luckiest man in the world.
She smiled and shook her head. "I had better get back before they think this was just a ploy to get me away."
He grabbed her hand, pulling her down beside him and kissing her. "Let them think that."
She kissed him back. "But what about your arm? Should we really be…"
He kissed her again. "If I let a little things stop me, I would never get anywhere." She laughed as he pulled her farther onto the bed.
