DF: One chapter down. Many more to go.

Chapter 12

Lyz sat on top of a barrel in the middle of the Stone Quarter. It was past dark, and all the stalls were empty. Everyone had gone home, even the guards. The only person in sight was Lyz. She hummed quietly to herself while she waited for Wuunferth. She had her hood down, allowing her blonde hair to sway in the breeze. Her gray eyes sparkled with a youthful innocence that she normally hid from the world. The Necromancer's Amulet swung between her fingers.

Bran had hidden himself behind one of the empty stalls. His gray coat helped him blend in with the stone-covered ground and darkly lit market. He'd been waiting for over an hour and his legs were beginning to cramp, but he was still as focused as he was when he had first moved to his hiding spot. Any good hunt required a bounty of patience.

Wuunferth was hidden across from him behind a crate. He had cast a spell that quieted his movements and made him harder to see. The spell's similarity to the effects of pack magic had alarmed Bran at first, but Lyz had reassured him that it was an illusion spell that most of the better trained mages were capable of casting. If Lyz wasn't bothered by it, that meant that it didn't need to bother Bran. Still, the wolf made sure to keep Wuunferth within the corner of his eye.

Bran let his mind wander as he waited. Look at him, he mused. Only a couple weeks in Skyrim and he already found himself hunting a serial killer. He wondered what his sons would have thought of him. An old wolf who rarely concerned himself with human matters now teaming up with two human mages whom he barely knew. Being the dreadful brats that they were, Bran was sure they would have teased him for it. He ignored the ache the thought brought to his chest and told himself to stop worrying. He would get back home if it was the last thing he did.

After what must have been a couple of hours, a shadow appeared at the corner of the market. At first, Bran thought that it was just another merchant returning for some forgotten belonging that they had left at one of their stalls, but then the wind changed directions and blew the person's scent towards Bran. The wolf narrowed his eyes. The Butcher.

Bran turned his head towards Wuunferth, but the court mage had still not noticed their target's arrival. But Lyz did. He saw it in the subtle stiffening of her posture. The way her eyes drifted over Bran's hiding spot before wandering back towards the night sky.

Bran's stomach began to roil as he watched the Butcher take notice of Lyz and the amulet in her hand. The shadow crept towards Lyz stealthily and maneuvered itself around the woman until it stood behind Lyz. Moonlight glinted off the pointed edge of a knife as the Butcher pulled out his dagger.

Bran exploded out from his hiding spot and charged towards the Butcher. Lyz ducked down and rolled away as the dagger whizzed through the air where her neck had been. The Butcher let out a curse and sent a wave of magic in the direction of the pair. Bran ducked expecting to feel the burn of magic on his pelt, but instead the magic slithered past him like a snake and gathered on the ground behind him. He turned around and stared in horror as a gray portal formed beside him.

Dark, hardened claws reached out from the other end of the portal and dragged a strange creature through the round opening. An amalgamation of volcanic rock, fire and lava levitated above the ground as the portal closed below it. The fiery creature had a feminine figure but was otherwise inhuman.

Its long horns turned to reveal a crown of flames where its eyes should have been. The creature hissed at Bran and sent a fireball zipping towards him. The fireball was intercepted by a blast of electricity that dispersed the fire before it could hit Bran.

"Go," Wuunferth shouted as the Butcher fled the marketplace. "Don't let him escape. I'll deal with the atronach."

Bran and Lyz raced down the streets, the darkness making it difficult to keep up with the fleeing killer. They pursued the Butcher through the Stone Quarter and into the adjacent section of the city. An unsuspecting woman was the unfortunate victim of Lyz's shoulder as she was shoved out of their way. The basket the woman had been carrying flew out of her hands, spilling apples across the ground. The woman screamed angry things at the pair, but they paid her no heed as they attempted to catch up with their target.

The Butcher abruptly changed his path and darted into the Valunstrad neighborhood. Bran went around the corner just in time to catch sight of the Butcher disappearing inside his hideout. Bran raced towards the front door but discovered that the Butcher had locked it behind him.

Lyz caught up to him and placed her hands against the door. "Locked," she growled and nudged Bran out of the way. "Watch out."

She blasted the doors open with a wave of magic and motioned for Bran to enter first. The wolf slipped inside the house and Lyz followed right behind him.

The door opened up into silence. The room seemed as quiet and deserted as it had been the first time they had entered the house. It immediately set Bran on edge.

Suddenly, an old shelf lifted itself off the ground and threw itself at the pair. Lyz ducked just in time to miss getting hit by the shelf as it smashed into the wall. The Butcher rolled out of his hiding spot behind a corner and sent another shelf flying their way with a wave of his hand.

"And people wonder why they outlawed levitation magic," Lyz muttered as her magic pooled in her hands.

She gestured with her fingers and a blast of ice roared out of her palm and coated the ground in front of the Butcher. The killer's feet slipped out from under him and sent him sliding into a crate with a crash. Bran charged in after the Butcher. He wanted to subdue the killer before he could harm Lyz. But before Bran could reach him, the Butcher surprised Bran with another wave of magic that sent the werewolf flying to the other side of the room.

Lyz shouted and a small dagger appeared in her hand. She chucked the dagger through the air and nailed the Butcher in the shoulder. He cursed loudly and dropped the spell he was preparing so he could wiggle the knife out of his shoulder and heal the bleeding wound. While the Butcher was distracted, Bran rushed in and harassed him with nips to the legs before darting out of reach.

Bran and Lyz danced around the Butcher and peppered him with a combination of magic, daggers, and bites. The Butcher was slowly weakening as Bran looked for an opening that would allow him to incapacitate the man without killing him. Eventually, the Butcher lured Bran into striking at his leg with his claws and before Bran could pull away, nailed him with a blast of magic that set every nerve in his body on fire and caused him to collapse to the ground. The move also distracted Lyz long enough for a levitating bucket to catch her on the side of the head and knock her out.

The Butcher paused as he took in the collapsed pair and let out a loud laugh. The fight hadn't lasted as long as he had expected, hadn't been as desperate of a last stand as he had expected. He must have been dealing with amateurs. True professionals would not have been beaten so easily. The serial killer let out a deep chuckle.

"You really thought catching me would be that easy," the voice mocked. "Thought that if you caught 'the Butcher' you'd get what? Prestige? Honor? Money?"

The Butcher chuckled again as he sauntered towards Lyz's unconscious form. Bran let out an angry snarl and tried to stand, but the paralysis spell kept his muscles locked in place.

"I'll teach you a lesson for stealing my amulet," the Butcher sneered at Lyz. "Don't worry. I'll make sure you get killed in a way that leaves enough of your body useful. Hmm. Which part of you will I use? You have a pretty face. Maybe I will use those eyes of yours for the ritual. My sister always liked gray eyes."

The Butcher took one more step and his body suddenly went straight as a rod. A circle of odd symbols glowed against the ground as it discharged its magic into the Butcher's body. Purplish bolts of magic danced across the Butcher's body as he convulsed wildly. Finally, the rune ran out of juice and dissipated, causing the Butcher to flop to the ground limply, unconscious but not dead.

Lyz sat up with a wide grin.

"Gotcha bitch!"

Wuunferth chose this moment to barge into the house. His eyes were glowing, and his magic lashed around him like a barely restrained tiger.

"I stopped the flame atronach. How are you - oh."

Wuunferth took in the mild destruction within the room. The shattered furniture, the scorch marks on the ceiling, the unconscious body on the floor.

He scratched his beard thoughtfully. "Huh. Looks like you didn't need my help after all."

"On the contrary," Lyz said. "Placing a rune inside of his hideout was your idea. There's the perpetrator right over there."

Lyz pointed at the Butcher. Wuunferth walked up to the unmoving form and used a ball of light to illuminate the Butcher's face.

"Ah, I recognize this one. His name is Calixto. He runs one of the shops in the Grey Quarter. Lost a sister recently. That must explain what he was trying to do with the murders and the ritual. Bring his sister back." Wuunferth shook his head. "I'll get the guards and have them carry him back to our jail. He won't hurt anyone ever again."

Wuunferth said the last part ominously and left the house to fetch the city guards. Lyz watched the court wizard leave, then turned her attention to Bran. The wolf still lay on the ground unable to move. Lyz slowly walked up to him and examined his body.

"Hey, pup. You're not too badly hurt," Lyz concluded. "Calixto must have used a paralysis spell to knock you out of the fight. It won't cause you any physical harm, but it'll take magic to dispel it."

Bran panted heavily and tried to move away when Lyz settled a hand on his shoulder. Lyz noticed the change in his breathing and paused.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Lyz murmured softly. "You should know that by now."

Bran squeezed his eyes shut. The memory of the nightmares flooded his head. The witches' shadowy faces pressed against the edges of his mind. The magic-tainted hands grasped and tore at his flesh. For a moment, he thought he even saw the woman who had turned him into a monster many years ago among the clawing hands.

He'd always hated witches. Hated their magic. Hated their cruel ways. Hated that he would have become one had he not run away from his own mother. He didn't want to feel the taint of a witch's magic on him ever again.

A gentle brush against his ear interrupted his thoughts. He opened his eyes to find Lyz gently petting his head. Her fingers slid through his thick fur and stroked the skin underneath.

"You can either wait until the paralysis spell wears off on its own and be completely defenseless until that happens. Or you can let me dispel it and be able to get up now. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise." The last part was said earnestly, as if Lyz was speaking from her heart.

He swallowed thickly. Part of Bran wanted to say no. It was definitely because of his fear of witches and had nothing to do with the hand stroking his head. He had watched magic tear his mate to pieces and sever his connection to his wolf. The last thing he wanted was to give another person, witch or otherwise, a chance to use their magic against him. But Lyz was right. He hated being defenseless too. If Bran was frank with himself, it wasn't so much knowing that the witches had used their magic to try and turn him into a mindless pet so many times throughout his life. It was that he had been helpless to stop them.

Bran let out a shaky breath. Lyz's reassurances had been unnecessary. The choice had already been made for him. He looked up at Lyz to the best of his abilities and blinked.

Lyz removed her hand from his head, and he stopped the panic that slid up his spine. Then he felt her place both of her hands on his side and stroked downwards. The soft magic in her palms pulled away the burning sensation of the Butcher's magic as her hands slid across his back. His muscles relaxed as the paralysis spell lost its grip on his body, but Bran waited until all of the magic left his body before standing up.

He met Lyz's eyes and they stood frozen for a moment, neither able to look away. Her eyes flashed with realization as she saw something in his expression, and she opened her mouth to speak. However, before any words could leave her mouth, she looked away from him and stood up. She walked over to where she had dropped the Necromancer's Amulet and picked it up. She stared at the magical trinket silently, her expression turning unreadable. With a sigh, she shoved the amulet into her pocket and motioned for Bran to follow her.

They walked side-by-side as they exited the house. A group of guards passed them by as they left Valunstrad, presumably summoned by the court mage to arrest Calixto. Bran was surprised that the guards had responded so quickly. They were probably eager to clean up the mess that the Butcher left behind before the city residents woke up and got curious.

Bran glanced up at Lyz curiously as they made their way towards the jarl's palace. Her face had gone blank ever since they had left the abandoned house. He thought back to how Lyz had reacted around the dead bodies in the Hall of the Dead, and again whenever necromancers had been mentioned.

Yes, Bran said mentally. He was more certain now than he had been earlier. Lyz knew something about necromancers, more than could be explained away by her being a mage and an adventurer. She'd known something about the Necromancer's Amulet even before Wuunferth had told them about it. He had caught it in the subtle frown she had made when they had first found the amulet and again when she had shown it to Wuunferth. She had a personal history with necromancers even though she didn't seem like she was one. Bran would need to keep a close eye on her.

They returned to the jarl's palace after a good night of rest. They left the inn just before dawn. The streets were still quiet this early in the morning. A few merchants were making their way towards the Gray Quarter market with crates full of merchandise, but the stands would not be open for at least another hour. Lyz led the way, her hood pulled up over her head to keep out the cold. Bran's thick fur kept out the cold without the need for extra cover.

Steward Jorleif was waiting for them when they entered the castle. He smiled when he saw the pair and he motioned towards the chairs at the feast table as he sat down himself.

"Well done, you too," Jorleif congratulated. "Thanks to you two, we managed to stop the Butcher before he could kill any more victims. I wouldn't have ever suspected Calixto. I had heard strange things about the man, but never anything like this. He had always seemed like a nice one, eccentric at worst. He will be kept in our prison for a very long time."

"So, about my reward," Lyz purred.

"Of course. I had wanted to wait until the jarl was present to give it to you, but he won't be available today. The war has left him rather busy. Wait here."

The steward rose from his chair and disappeared into one of the side rooms. Lyz swayed her legs underneath the table eagerly.

"Gold, gold, gold, gold, gold, gold."

Bran looked at the woman sideways before stealing one of the pastries off the table. He sank his fangs into the pastry and wagged his tail as it melted in his mouth. The sweet rolls in Skyrim were amazingly delicious.

Jorleif returned quickly and placed a key into Lyz's outstretched hand. Lyz tilted her head as she inspected the key.

"What's this?"

"That is a key to Hjerim. It used to be the home of Friga Shatter-Shield before she was killed by Calixto. Now that the house is vacant, we need someone to move in before the place is taken over by any more squatters."

Lyz made a face. "Is that the same place where the Butcher was hiding out? The one where he was captured?"

"Why yes. A little cleanup is still needed, but you will be receiving Hjerim for free. It shouldn't be too costly."

"T-thank you," Lyz said hesitantly. She gingerly placed the key in her pocket. "Is there anything else you would like to give me?"

"No. That will be all. You are free to go. By the way, you can keep that token I gave you. You have more than proven yourself worthy of it."

With that, Jorleif walked away, no doubt to find the jarl and report the news of the Butcher's capture to him. Lyz made a face before getting out of her seat and leaving the castle. As soon as the doors closed behind them, she scowled bitterly.

"This reward sucks. Why couldn't they just give me money?"

Bran woofed in agreement. He wouldn't want a house that a necromancer had called home either.

"No way am I living in a house like that. I will pay to get it cleaned up, but I am selling it as soon as it no longer reeks of dead bodies." Lyz gave Bran a rare smile. "Are you ready to leave Windhelm?"

Bran nodded. She couldn't have asked too soon.