"You would be pleased to know that Kematu's journey home was uneventful, the traitor Saadia will face justice at our court. They are shorter on bourbon than their usual journeys though. I shouldn't be surprised but rather glad to see that you still kept your taste of Akivir with you. I must say that I am quite disappointed to not be hearing from you directly until now.
Balgruuf is an old friend and he has been keeping an eye on you if you hadn't figure it out by now, Make sure you spare him the headache if you can, he is a kind man and a good ruler and you can stand to learn a great deal from him. Hopefully, the harsh winters of Skyrim can also hone your skills a bit better too, your skills might get rusty if you hadn't been practicing, always keep your swords by your side and your mind sharp. Drink less, if you can.
I will have to seek you out personally some time, it has been far too many years since we last saw one another. Although the crowns have been quiet about the little incident with regards to their prince, it is worthwhile to keep an eye out. People talk and the crowns have many ears to listen.
It is a shame that the pomegranate fruit have been in abundance since you left, every season there were crates of them going to waste. I still always keep a fresh stock of them at the palace in case you come back that season, but so far they have just been left untouched. Your old room is still well kept as it was, know that you always have a home here. Best, Tonendy."
As I read through the lines on this carefully delivered letter, I couldn't help to touch my own eyes a few times, it is strange that it is so windy today and didn't know the winds can be as sandy in Skyrim as in the Alik'r desert. I have never called Tonendy by an endearing name but she had never required that of me either. She is a military general for most of her life and that's the only language she knows. She knows all about fighting and heading an army and that was exactly what she had taught me.
We both had difficulty expressing our emotions, but what she wrote, the old room, the pomegranate, are probably meaningless to others but to me, they bring back the fondest memories. It was my favorite fruit and ever since I was little, I would bug Tonendy to take me through the markets for some freshly picked ones and she would open them with her blade and pick them out for me in a bowl. That was probably her language of love more than anything.
Well until I was 10, then I learned how to cut my own fruit and was taught on a sandbox how to counter an ambush in the ten types of terrains.
Part of me felt guilty to not have ever written a letter and I didn't even have a good reason for it either. But we didn't exactly have the kind of relationship you know. She taught me everything she knew, but what she didn't know, she couldn't teach. Saying sorry for attacking the crown prince and fleeing the country without notice for example, no idea how that should be done.
I thanked the kind messenger with some coins and quickly scribbled a letter while he patiently awaits. I have so much to tell her, not of the times I almost died of course, but of the things that happened, the people I have met and the odd encounters I had.
"…Get this, they are calling me, the Dragonborn, and it is an irony that I came to Skyrim to run away from all my problems and on the way taken up a thousand more by accident." I jokingly concluded. "And you will never guess who I had befriended on the way, the pride and joy of King Jakcieleier, the Sapphire of Glenumbra, she's like the high Queen of mages in Skyrim as it seems. She is not at all like what the rumors has said, very rude and very frustratingly stubborn, never met anyone like her indeed."
It is strange indeed, no matter how old I get, I still feel like the timid little girl in front of her, amassing every accomplishments trying to impress her. She was the figure in the light that found me in the deserted village and took me in. I owe her my everything and she never expected anything in return.
I lost myself in the memories, in the pomegranate and the sea winds of Sentinel for a moment, it is fitting that I reminisce about the city by the great port at my new house 'Breezehome'. I wonder what it is like there, the winds of winter probably have reached there by now, the festivals must be drawing near. It's been a few years but I will never forget how wild the celebrations are. I usually like to sneak away from barracks and catch a few hours of break there. Had my first or first hundred kisses there? Good times I had aren't always the most logical.
The clouds are getting heavy today, doesn't look like its going to be a nice evening. There's a certain chillness creeping in through the bones and won't be shaken away.
"There you are," the raspy voice that brought me back to the reality was Aela, and she is flanked by Angi, Vilkas and Farkas. They seem rather wretched for the evening, exhausted, broken and wounded. The lot of them are all dressed in armors and weapons steadfast to their back, something tells me that these won't return tonight without drinking the blood of its foes. There's a tone of seriousness when Aela pleaded, "Come with us, we need your help."
Seeing how serious they are and especially noticing that some quick bandages are on some of their sides and chest, I started getting ready for the journey with my light armors and weapons, "what's wrong? What had happened?" I asked while it didn't take long for me to get ready. There was really no need for explanations really, only curiosity. They need my help, whatever it is, a companion of Jorrvaskr will pick up arms for her shield brothers and sisters without fail.
Angi, who has been sharpened by the bloodshed lately like the point of her arrows said, "it's the Silverhands, they finally found enough courage to attack Jorrvaskr. We fought them off, but... The old man... Kodlak... he's dead."
Kodlak, the legendary harbinger of the Companions, the brave and wise man who stood like a mountain in front of the Dragon with us that night, he's dead?
"By Shor, how were they able to do it? Jorrvaskr is heavily guarded by how many companions, not to mention how they were even able to pass the city gates."
"They disguised as merchants to get through the city and stayed at the Bannered Mare's and the Drunken Huntsman's till night fall, then they ambushed us in our sleep. It's an assassination, all of their weapons were silver and coated with poisons. We killed most of them but not before they got to Kodlak…" Farkas was still in the process of explaining, but Vilkas brashly interrupted him.
"There is no more talking needed." He grinded his teeth, like a wounded beast backed in a corner of his cage, "We will bring the battle to their chief camp. There will be none left living to tell their stories. Only songs of Jorrvaskr will be sung. We will avenge Kodlak. And they will know terror before the end."
Aela chimed in from the side, "These bastards like to collect wolf heads as trophies? we will get their heads on the spikes this time, Jarl Balgruuf wanted to send his men to help us but it can only be done by the companions, we are the ones who shall rightly avenge him. For Kodlak."
"For Kodlak."
"For Kodlak." I echoed their near silent war cry, and started heading out of the city without hesitation. If for nothing else, for the respect I had for the old Harbinger and for the wise advices he had offered to me these past weeks. A warrior like Kodlak didn't deserve to fall on the swords of cowards and plotters. He deserved an honorable death and a proper sent off to Sovngarde, and we will bring it for him.
…
The night is well amped by the thundering clouds above us. The waves of rain crashed down and made an almost inaudible sounds on our leather armors but Vilkas and Farkas has to stay close to the trees so the thumping of rain on their steel don't alert the lookouts. The Crimson snowberries blossomed around us, painting an omen of war.
"How many do you reckin" Angi tilted her head at Aela, who squinted and gazed afar, her war paint was especially fierce tonight and made her eyes pop with a pale grim, they washed down her side and dripped like a smudge of reaper's grim. Her red hair, much like mine, are like a whimpered flame in the rain stuck to our cheeks. It's supposed to be cold, but our blood runs hot, the silver hand will be no more after tonight.
Aela silently drew an arrow from her quiver, and leaned it on her bow and whispered "Five on the entrance, two archers on guard on top"
Reading her body language right away, Angi followed her lead, two steel arrows are now drawn to the end of the bow. Me and the twins in steel armors got closer, shielded with the night, like phantoms of the twilight waiting for our chance to strike. The three on the ground didn't notice us, they seemed to be drinking and celebrating, and not doing their job properly, we trotted lightly.
Two feathers disappeared at the throats of the two archers on watch and their body dropped down from the post, it hit the floor with a dull thump, one of the Silverhand men yanked the others at their sleeve, 'What's that? Finn? Rael? Do you see anything? Who goes there?" And when he doesn't get a reply, he seemed to instantly sober up a little, "Shit, Gunter, stop drinking, something's not right!"
They were just reaching for their swords when we charged in with the chaos of the storm, It was an easy game, a unfair hunt when the hunter gets a drop on its prey. After putting an extra hole in their neck to ensure they stay down, we turned around and gestured for Angi and Aela to come forth near the entrance of this strong hold once we made sure it was all clear. It was almost too easy. As organized as the Silverhands are, they failed to see the importance of a good lookouts.
"These bastards are celebrating?" Aela kicked over their bottle and cursed them under her breath.
"Let's move, there's way more inside, it won't be long until someone notices something is up." Vilkas was ready to foot the door of the stronghold in right away.
"Halt, they attacked Jorvaskr not so long ago, it is fair to say they could be expecting us, doesn't make sense to charge head on in without a plan right away, there could be an ambush." I put my hand on Vilkas's arm, as he grunted back unpleasantly, never did have a chance to bond with Farkas' twin, didn't have much of a chance to work a job with this one. He often picks on Farkas for being slow, but it seem like that trait runs in the family.
"Alvanna has a point," Angi walked up closer and started examining the ground near us, "the footprints, fresh ones, are predominantly inwards, meaning not many has left from there, we don't know exactly how many we are dealing with, but there's at least 50."
Farkas stumped the ground with his large sword, "all of them are in there? Good, should be an easy mark, I say all of us change, and just rip every last one of them limb from limb, should get the point across."
"What? A few werewolves bust the door open down to a den of the werewolf hunters with silver swords? When they could be expecting us? Farkas, come on, use your head, ice brain." I didn't even have to say a word and Aela already scorned Farkas. To be honest, this would also be my number one suggestion if I hadn't learn a hard lesson at Blackwater crossing.
"Then what should we do?" Vilkas asked.
I carefully scoped out the strong hold in front of us, solid stoned and most of which are underground. One way, in and out. There's really no telling how large of the surrounding we will get once we will get down there. It is definiltey not advantageous to storm into an unknown fortress like this. If only we have someone here skilled in the stealthy arts so it would be a much easier mission, alas, the companions aren't exactly the stealthy kind.
"Nice solid hole they got underground," I smiled and a plan beginning to form, instead of fighting it in their headquarters, maybe there's a better way, "how about we get them to fight us in the open?" These were the type of things I have learned from Tonendy on the sandbox as a child, but learning it and applying it are two things completely.
"how'd you propose we do that?" Vilkas scratched his head and he is willing to listen.
"Okay, first, no one changes at all tonight, you'd lose your cool and they know all too well how to deal with your beast forms." I gathered them close and proposed a plan…
…
"Ah, you whoreson, let me have the last of the mead!" A silverhand bandit yelled at his comrade across the table, "come on, give it before I gut you like the dogs!"
"How much did you drink tonight? Boss said to keep our wits about in case the people at Jorrvaskr comes for us" The other Silverhand was also tipsy but just enough so that he can still remember their command.
"Comes for us? Didn't you know the sayin, cut off the head and rest will die, they be pissin in their trousers and eating their own shit right now those dogs, wailing over their pops more like," the drunk one said, a few others who have clearly been celebrating replied with a loud and careless laughter.
"Oy, why you came down here? Weren't you guys keeping watch up there?" one of them spotted me, who is disguised in the fur armor with the silver sword strapped to my back and face covered in dirt. He is trying his best to point at me but his finger is wavering way too much to do so successfully.
"We are all out of mead up there, the ones with the bows are keeping watch and we are just supposed to there sitting grabbing our own crotches while the rest of ye having a time eh?" I tried my best to do a hoarse accent as much as possible, not too sure if they will notice the difference, there's about 5 near the first hall already, weapons nearby but still celebrating without any shred of .
"Ha ha, well said, lad, get another crate from the cellar, we drink tonight, a shame we didn't get the old dog's back here for a good roast!" more laughter broke out and no one is bothering to look anywhere else but their food and drinks in front of them. Not all of them are Nords, a few elves are here too.
Seeing how I successfully infiltrated past the gates, I smiled and kept going further with my head down. It's quite easy to sneak into the home base when half of them are pisspoor drunk, bandits, gotta love them. They kept their weapons close probably due to commands, but every leader knows its futile to keep his camp from celebrating after a job.
This is my plan, for me to put on the disguise and get in there to check out what we are dealing with first and, maybe give them a few surprises on the way back up. The others await at the entrance, and as Angi and Aela confirmed, the only way in or out of this underground stronghold is through the entrance, things should be easy if it goes according to plan. Afterall, we got two great archers ready to shoot anything that goes across the gate.
I grinned and carefully touched again the roll of paper on my side pocket, it was a gift from Paige before she left with the orc from Dawnsguard. Their dwemer research seem to have peaked her interest, weird one that is, I for one had barely even know much about the dwarves, but she seemed quite enthusiastic about them, thought she was out to study the Dragonborn? Not that I am complaining, before she left she had so kindly left me with a few magic scrolls she made, "Be careful with those, I am not exactly sure how they are going to work as I may have made a few enhancements to them."
It didn't take long to find the kitchens and the dinning room in this dump, it's the busiest place to be. I found my way easily to the cellar with the stored food, vegetables and most importantly, the mead and the liquor. Looking at the vast supply of it, I thought to myself, this should do nicely for our plan tonight.
"What are you doing back here at the storage," the cook noticed me getting close as he looked up from the stove, I never was a truly stealthy stepped one, that can be sure.
"Just here fetching some mead for the lads upstairs," I replied, not really caring if he sees my face now that I have gotten to where I came for.
"You lot sure doesn't know when to stop. Fine, take the crate by the door." He pointed at one crate near the door but he paused and took a second look at me, "I don't think I have ever seen you before…and I remember everybody's voice so I can get their orders right and yours is quite different…wait, who are you?"
He didn't have to confirm again as I shook off the cloak and unsheathed my scimitars, it felt good to not having to pretend anymore, all this sneaking really isn't my style, this ought to be someone else's trade.
He had already yelled out "Intruder! Intruder!" when I shoved the sword into his chest, and dropped him by the fire near the cooking pyre. I even had a moment to scoop up a little hot soup he was making with a spoon, hmm, too salty for my liking.
Starting to hear some footsteps, I know that I don't have much time to waste, I quickly ran to the door and still made sure I was in the line of sight to where the mead was stashed, "Forgive me ancestors. I have no choice," I whispered and said goodbye to the mountains of sealed liquors and perfectly fine mead which have done nothing to nobody, but they are the integral part of my plan.
I broke the seal on the scroll and unleashed the power within it and tossed it as close to the liquor cellar as possible and I ran out while yelling, "Fire, fire, there's fire in the kitchens, we got to put out the fires!"
The others were first a bit shocked and confused as I run past them but they didn't have much time to react to me since a loud explosive sound shook the ground we were standing on. And much of the dirt and the stones were getting slightly loosened and the flames shotted out from the kitchens bursting through its door where we were standing.
Did the mead do that? No way. It might burn for a while but no way it would've exploded like that. What could it be then? Gods, it's not the scrolls is it? And I have been carrying that 'thing' on me all this time back to Whiterun? Gods, fucking mages.
I didn't spend much time pondering about it though, I quickly hastened my steps and ran against the now rattled Silverhands, a lot of them went to look at the kitchen, which is now burning like a wildfire, thinning out the air and putting heaviest of the smokes in their stronghold. Before long, they wouldn't have a choice but to vacate the building, through the only entrance it has.
I quickly moved pass a few other corners and dropped the torches on the wall onto the floor, where I have once again smashed the bottles of mead near the end of it. Forgive me gods, for wasting the mead tonight. But it doesn't hurt to make a fire go a bit stronger and quicker.
As I ran past a dark hallway, I smelt the air of piss and rotten stench in the few cages, it was odd at first but when I held a troch close, I saw the Silverhand had actually captured some wild wolves locked in there. They really don't discriminate against the nature of these beasts as it seems. Happily adding more ingredients to their chaos, I quickly broke open the cage to let them out, did have to dodge a few of them for trying to scratch at me though. But eventually I shooed them away to the other hallways.
Then there was the big one left. It's about thrice the size of a normal wolf and looked awfully a lot like when Farkas had turned, seems that the werewolf hunters were keeping this one a captive for some time. And his body is crawling with marks of their torture. Pity how the men got braver when they trap a beast like this in a silver made cage.
When I got closer it locked eyes with me as it licked its wounds. Its sight is piercingly cold and filled with bloodlust and revenge. I am not sure how much of the humanity is left in this one as I can see much less restraint is in his eyes than Farkas.
"You want out of there? I am not one of them" I put my hand on the cages, "I can let you out if you promise not to try to take a bite at me, deal? If you follow me, I will introduce you to my friends who are just like you"
The werewolf kept his gaze, blue as a spectre, and he didn't say a word, but he nodded slightly. The chillness and thirst for blood was actually flamed up like pouring trolls fat on a fire pit. He is ready for some bloodshed tonight.
After I cut open the silver latches and bars with my sword, I started making my own way back up, there are already flames and smokes everywhere so it wasn't difficult to slip out in the chaos, did have a few more sober ones notice me though so I had to cut them down, but it was not too much trouble with my new shouts. And plus, I had help.
The majority of them were occupied with the fires, the explosion and the wolves on the loose too. The big one followed me a few steps behind and he seemed to be following me through my scent, a few times he had to stop and take care of someone on the way but he managed to not fall behind, with the exception of a few new wounds on his body too but he didn't seem to care.
As I got back up, immediately I felt an arrow coming straight for my eye socket, narrowed dodged and used my Scimitar to deflect it away from my face, I said, "Aela, praise Talos, I would still very much want to have both of my eyes"
"Many apologies," Aela put her bow down and laughed carefreely, "I will make it up to you after this ordeal, I promise."
Angi was in a bit serious mood, "your plan worked, quite a few staggered loose ones have came up but before they could do anything we could take them down and threw their bodies on the side, most of them didn't even know what hit them. What did you do down there? There was a lot of commotions and smoke coming up"
"I gave them some other things to worry about." I grinned, "and my big friend here was trapped down there we found our way up, he has been most helpful in that regards as well."
The big one stumpled once he reached the trees where we stand, and he collapsed down, its furry body heaving and we can tell a few gushing wound on him still bleeding. Angi and Farkas quickly attended to him to put some sort of ointment on his wounds that seems to calm him down for now.
"There was about fifty of them down there, so there's bound to be more coming up soon, once the smoke and the flames take over the space," I gestured the others, "let's be ready"
As I predicted, more ran up periodically but none made it far with Angi and Aela standing with a drawn arrow, if there were ones that didn't die right away, the swords of Farkas and Vilkas and my scimitars got them. I wouldn't even call this a hunt, a hunt has the element of a chase and fight. This has been a slaughter.
But the truth is I still sort of underestimated their tenacity, as the last of them ran through the doors with their shields up I think they knew what to expect, I count about a dozen and a half with a semi defensive position and in their midst, a man wearing fancy orcish armors and a great axe.
There was no more talking needed, there has been so much bloodshed on both sides that either knows right away what is expected of them. The last duet of the Silverhand and Jorrvaskr.
We jumped into the battle field and I felt the winds give my strikes speed and strength, "Su-Grah-Dun". Every blow was a powerful stroke on the armor and shield of the leader of the Silverhand, and he held his stance, narrowingly avoiding being slashed through and he stumpled back against the stone wall. He held his shield strong. The others were in a match with the twins, they got the strength in numbers but they didn't match them in their strength.
Occasionally a few Silverhand drops when their shields had an opening that lead to their body and their head. And an arrow would always find its way through there.
When I knocked the leader off his footing with my unrelenting force shout, that is when Farkas was ready with his broad sword splitting his helmet in half, and his skull along with it.
"That the last of them?" Farkas collapsed down on the floor facing the ground but propped himself up with his arms, exhausted, like all of us were.
"Think that's the leader." Aela went up to check on the Silverhand leader's belongings.
"What use is all of this though," Vilkas cursed, "Kodlak is still dead and I still feel like shit."
Angi went up and got a few of her own arrows back from the necks of the dead silverhands, "At least we avenged him, and we should search the stronghold for survivors after the fire dies down, gotta make sure they are all dead so we don't run into problems like this later and for the fragments of Wuuthrad."
It doesn't feel great to know that I am partially responsible for the loss of this many lives tonight, but when I think about the sort of things I heard these Silverhand bandits were capable of in my past run ins with them, I felt less guilty. At least they deserved to die, I told myself that.
In fact, I have a habbit of trying to justify to myself that whoever I killed probably deserved it, I don't know of anyone who can kill without ever feeling like this after. When I had killed for the first time in Skyrim, the two wretched bandits who thought they had a lucky day finding a 'fair maiden' travelling along in the mountain roads. I puked right through the gapping hole of their stomach and almost got my swords dirty. I was eighteen. And I am not eighteen anymore.
"What's this? A letter?" Aela pulled a few things from the chest plate of the dead man, and held it under the torch lights to show us.
"We have stormed the Jorrvaskr successfully and retrieved the package as requested. The Harbinger of Companions, Kodlak Whitemane is dead. The companions won't ever have their chance to put together Ysgramor's weapon and it shall stay buried like the savage's history. If you want us to send you the fragments of Wuuthrad, you will have to double up on your payments and supplies this month as we lost a few good men in the mission and it isn't cheap.
Long live the Aldmeri Dominion."
I lifted the helm from the dead bandit leader's head with my sword and just one glance I can make out the pointed ears, pointed chin and his golden complexion, an Altmer. I really shouldn't be surprised. Who benefits the most from financing and backing a group that deliberately makes an enemy of the most respectable warrior groups of Skyrim? Who seeks to destroy or at least weaken the faction that is the direct legacy of Ysgramor and his Companions?
"Why is it that when some deep shit happens in Skyrim, it is always the Thalmors behind pulling all the strings." I cursed under my breath, but loud enough for everyone to hear.