I pulled the door shut leaving Jeor alone in the hall. Probably not the most proper thing to do but I had work to be done. Clear out a bandit camp? I did it tons of times with my shield siblings back home, even did it a few times by myself just to challenge myself. Though after Mjoll came back into my life and little Hilde… those runs stopped. Never quite forgave myself for what I did to Mjoll even though she told me a thousand times she didn't know she was pregnant till months after she had last seen me and couldn't be mad at me for that didn't mean I wasn't mad at myself. If it weren't for me getting that living exotic carpet Inago out of prison I'd never have been walking by the White River. Never seen that little girl flailing about drowning. Never would have learned what a wet Khajit smelled like after two months of self imposed imprisonment and skooma withdrawal. Never found out I was a father.
I stopped at thought and the automatic process of putting my armor on halted. The reality of what I did not truly settle in until now. I left them. Brynhild was already four when I first saw her. That had been fourteen fifteen years ago now, while I'm not sure for sure but Jeor was probably around her age. From the age of five her mother and I taught her swordplay as much as the classical education by Aryuan would allow. Of course, being my blood, she caught the wander bug at a young age. at sixteen winters had announced her intention to wander Tamriel as a adventure as her mother and I had. We didn't fight it but we spent about six months getting her some basic gear and maps of the continent and giving her some last minute advice. Hadn't seen her for two years. Fargas the little fool managed to get a girl probably eight years older than him pregnant at fifteen. Had to be one of the orphans I had taken in too. One from Whiterun had been training under Lydia and had a promising future as a member of Whiterun's Honor Guard. Well now she's got two babes to care for her son and mine. Luckily the two care for one another and there's always a need for guards at the museum especially as Avram gets up there in years. Haven't seen Fargas since the wedding and I was furious at him. I've only seen my grandson once they even named the lad after me. I never did make peace with him. Then little Siegfried despite the boy's menacing name he doesn't have a violent bone in his body. Instead he's got a head for the clever craft not seen in a long time. Smart too, took to lessons of the empires of Alyssa, Reman, Tiber Septim, and the Meads. Always took an interest in the longhouse Emperors though and he seemed to want to try and integrate Reachmen into society. Maybe a few generations ago that might have been possible but after Ulfric… he was the only one I said goodbye too. Didn't cry then but I saw the red in his eyes.
"Damnit Ymir you old bastard. Just had to act without thinking, didn't ya. Oblivion take me so I should have listened to Inago!" Slamming my hand into a nearby table I send a pitcher of water flying. On instincts alone I the power of telekinesis came to me extending my reach and holding the pitcher of water still in the air. Gently I place it back on the table and move back to my work strapping my pauldrons into place. "No need to have a heart attack Ymir. Just need to work this out. And I've got just the set of unfortunate bandits to help with that." Placing my helmet on my head I move to the door. Quietly I call on my dragon soul. I envision the word. I feel it and in a whisper I release.
"Laas"
The world goes black for a moment with the first word of power of Aura Whisper I can see any soul living or dead at roughly twenty meters. The second word doubles that range. The third doubles it again however that would be overkill as I see no one in the hall. Before I leave I cast two spells. Muffle to silent my footfalls so as to not disturb anyone and invisibly cast at twice the strength so I am not seen. As I open the door my world goes hazy and I no longer have a presence in the viable world. Moving quickly I navigate the winding halls and hills of Winterfell navigating the oddly constructed castle was about as difficult as finding your way around a druger infested tomb in the dark without trying to be cut in two. But I do and in a matter of minutes I'm out of the castle and in the open air. The next spell was well over two hundred years old and for the most part illegal in Tamriel now.
Calling forth my mastery of alteration I use my power over reality to augment myself. Increasing my running speed, endurance and acrobatic capabilities. With this spell I was able to run about the speed of an Yukuden Araby of Hammerfell but for four times as long. The only problem with the spell is that the strain that it put on my legs and lungs meant I tried to use it minimally. I've never been the best at restoration but the masters I've spoken to have warned me many times why this spell was outlawed and why alteration was such a restricted school now. In the past there were young mages trying to create spells that would allow them to soar through the air at high velocities but unable to break their fall having an externally unpleasant landing. However this spell was something I had used time and time again and only once did my legs give out. Still after a few moments I cast the spell Kyne's Wind and I was off leaving behind snow tracks so wide that anyone who saw them would think they were crazy.
It took me about three hours to get back to the forest after only two casts of the spell. It felt like my heart was going to explode and my legs were going to fall off. But one full bottle of my special brew of herbs and animal bits restored my breathing and relieved the pain in my legs. It also had the added benefit of waking me up quite a bit. It didn't take long for me to find the bodies of the other day crows and wolves had had their way with them but they also had what I needed. A human corpse is a terrible thing. The moment that the soul leaves the body it begins to break down the skin sags and discolor. The bowels loose and whatever was inside becomes outside. Then nature begins its work. It begins with the eyes, nostrils and nose weak points in an otherwise excellent defense for the brain and soon maggots begin their work. But I wasn't there to observe the bodies of these men return to nature instead it was what was around them. The birds had scattered long before I got here. They now sat on the branches of trees looking down at me and their meal. Likely they worked slowly in order to stretch out this mighty meal. Wolves have been present as well. The man that I had cleaved in two had much of his chest cavity completely hollowed carrion birds and maggots wouldn't be able to work that fast. Especially in this weather I had been told that it was actually summer right now and this light snowfall was nothing in comparison to the years long winter that could pass. That was a whole other matter to digest but one that was irrelevant to me. Instead I found what nature did not do. The footprints. This snow was light but steady. It came every night but barely added anything to the total amount and the footprints we had made were deep and I found the ones I had wanted to find. One of the man ran off and his footprints were just as deep if a little harder to find a path to my goal.
As clairvoyance did its work the blue line of light made it clear to me I was still going the right way after about an hour of walking, cursing myself for not using Mark on the Winterfell courtyard because the walk back would be hell if I brought back a prisoner or worse rescued prisoners. Still walking in the unfamiliar forest and the snow crunching beneath my boots was nostalgic, calming even. But I found myself unable to reminisce, the guilt of my previous epiphany still weighed too deep for more self reflection so I instead began to compile what I knew.
Less than a week ago I had been sailing on a single man voyage to Atmora. Already a fool errand but I had hoped that I would make it to my destination whether it was Atmora or Sovengard i'm still not sure. Then at some point while I was asleep Lord's Shor and Akatosh transported me to this land Westeros in order to assist in its preservation by training someone called "Prince who was Promised." Then some self righteous candle introduces himself as lord of light and tries to command him like I was sort of Aldmari pleasure worker. Then he says something about Azor Ahai which I suppose is the same person then I get attacked by the locals followed by meaning the Mormonts. Now instead of doing research into this destiny's child I'm hunting bandits to get in the good graces of some lord's son so I can call in a favor to go south with him to find a prince. Even though from a technical standpoint he was a prince because his father was a king in practice and in the eyes of the law he wasn't.
"I thought I was done with this shit after Miirak I swear." I grumble to no one in particular.
After another twenty odd minutes I finally found my target, the faint glow of fire in a grove, and looking into the camp my blood began to boil. In a clearing there was a circle of wagons that had been made into an impromptu wall with men standing on them but that was not what made me furious. It was instead the group of women sitting around a fire in the middle being pulled away and thrown back down to the ground. Now when I was young people started to call me "the bear" so much so that I started to wear the bear cloak on my back to lean into the story but I was unawares to WHY they called me such. Turns out people who had found my work on bandit camps and had mistaken them with a bear attack. My work has been described as a mauling and as I grew old the fire that made me do that faded and I grew jaded to the crimes of bandits of Skyrim. But this was something different: women were just as likely to go rogue and become bandits than any man so there was never a need for bandits to take "trophies''. But this, this was a new level of depraved, no honor was left in these men and something snapped.
I began to move before I intended to. Heavy footfalls in the snow and Glacier shimmering in the moonlight as I approached. One of the men says something but I do not listen instead letting my rage take me. Soon the sound of the inner evil that Paarthunax warned me off and I let it guide me. The first man who approached me began to yell in my face when I made it to the outer ring of wagons. I let him scream while I watched his friends begin to circle me. I counted at least ten around me now and at least that many in camp stirring awake and the select few men who had been partaking in the prisoners began to stir and turn to me.
"Ya listening ya fucker? Have any last words knighty.?" I look down to the bandit. I couldn't see his face in the dark with the fire to his back.
"Aye. TIID!" the world slowed and I began to move. Grabbing my blade with both hands I bring it in and turn swinging all the while cutting though the bandits that had surrounded me most of them feeling the cold cut of Glacier as the world returned to normal they fell down most dead a few clutched missing limbs and screamed in pain. Walking into the camp I see the men start to get around several of them forming lines to fire crossbows at least one man was hiding behind the women.
"Give 'em hell! Shoot the fucker now!" and a volley of crossbow fire was directed at me. Clearly however none of these idiots had dealt with plate before because the bolts just harmlessly bounced off my chest. The one bolt that went towards my head I brought up Glacier to protect my eyes. After that a rush forward the panicked screams from the bandits great me getting low in order to make myself a harder target I let my blade drag up the snow and as I got close to the crossbowmen I bring my sword up throwing snow into the air in order to obscure the view of the bandits. Moving through the snow I picked up one of the bandits and ran him to one of the wagons slamming him into it, sending the cart up for a moment before slamming back down. The man fell off my shoulder and we greeted each other with my knee. Looking back most of the bandits seemed to be considering their choices.
"If you'd like to surrender, now's the time." I say to them. Several of them threw down their weapons but still enough who didn't. Sighing I wave them forward while bringing my blade back up into a defense stance. Four men charged me blocking the first high strike. I redirect his weight to my left moving with him in order to get out of the way of the next strike swinging. I catch one of them mid overhead cutting open his belly bringing him down. The next man to swing was using an ax meant for cutting down trees. He went into a fury of swings constantly trying to break through my defenses with pure might. After a few seconds I let one swing fall to the ground embedding the ax into the frozen earth. In that moment of confusion I swung overhead removing his head from his body. The two left were more cautious seeking so many of their allies cut down. Moving slowly to each side of me I stand straight allowing Glacier to hang loose in one hand tip hanging just above the ground. The two men simultaneously attacking began to swing with wild abandon. Moving quickly I block the fist blow on my right then parry the one on my left giving me the advantage as I advance a step closer to him. His space now compromised he began to swing again only to be met with my hand around his throat picking him up. I heave him overhead into his ally so that they fall into each other. Walking over to their downed forms and with a mighty cry I plunge my blade into the combined mass putting all of my weight behind it.
Clapping filled the air as I pulled my blade from the men. Turing I see the man who fled when Jeor and I were going to Winterfell. I could see him clearly now black hair oiled back to expose his forehead, a somewhat handsome face with a scar running it from ear to lip. His smile was cruel and fitting a bandit leader.
"What do we have here? Some southern knight came all the way up here to put down ol' Blackdog? Must say I'm mighty flattered, excited even though it's you. Lost a lot of boys to you and a few to that little lord you were protecting." He smiled as he began to circle me. I did nothing as he put himself in a more advantageous position. Nothing he could do would save him.
"Quiet one ain't ya? Quivering in your boots at the thought of a real man? Don't worry, just ask the girls. I'm really gentle!" He let out a terrible laugh at that sick and wet thing that sounded closer to an animal than a man. Fitting for someone who called himself Blackdog. I did turn to the women however. All of them huddled close together by the fire, all of them looking on in terror, and hope. I was probably the only hope they had for a long time and I wasn't even there for them. I lift my helmet's veil for a second to spit as Blackdog yelled.
"Oi! Are you even listening you fucker? How much am I worth that some lone Southern fuck walks his way back into MY territory?" I look back to him and speak. "A favor." He looks bewildered. "What?"
"A favor is all your worth. The Stark pup didn't even have a name. Only real reason he knew you were out here is because you attacked Joer and myself." I motion to the dead bodies around me. "I suppose you're beginning to regret that." The man took a cautious step back. Clearly I had called his bluff. His pointless posturing was getting on my nerves however so I began my approach. Bringing up his blade he charged, letting out a war cry in the process. The clash of blades was a quick affair. He was more skilled than the bandits he was with but he was no warrior. It ended with my blade against his throat and his blade on the ground after only one hard part. His hands up he uttered a single word that would save his life.
"Yield."
Smiling, I bring my hand back and send him to the floor. After my foe had been knocked out I moved to the ones who put down their weapons. I looked at them all in total. About thirteen of them had surrendered all told. Most of them weren't able to even look at me mumbling about the forest itself turning on them and sending me. I set off binding their hands with rope accrued from around the camp after that I had them all tied together and sat down around the fire so I could see them all. Most of these men were dirty and covered in dirt a few had been missing fingers from the cold. There cloths were not suited for the weather some of them were in thin tunics and short pants. The women however were in a worse state.
There was about six women I didn't have to try that hard to figure out the math there and two of them were pregnant one very much to. Walking close many of them flinched moving back quickly to surround the women furthest in her pregnancy. I stop lifting up my hands. I move to remove my helmet and they all tense. Slowly I remove the intimidating centerpiece of my armor giving them a reassuring smile.
"Greetings ladies, the name's Ymir. I'm here on request of Lord Rickard Stark heir to Winterfell. He has sent me to find and deal with these men. Are any of you hurt or ill?" The women looked to each other and spoke quietly amongst themselves before one of them spoke.
"Be ye a spirt of the forest? Here to punish these men?" She said fear still evident in her voice. I chuckle
"Nay, I'm just a wandering sword under the service of Jeor Mormont, heir to bear island and currently on loan to Lord Stark."
"All the same Sir Ymir, you have our thanks. To answer your questions from before Yennet and Bonnie are both pregnant. Bonnie is almost ready to deliver." The women named Bonnie rubbed her belly while looking at Blackdog face first in the snow.
"I imagine it's his?" I ask my voice quite. She nods in response.
"Blackdog for all his stink and bravado was better then most of his men. Bonnie was always his favorite and after she started to show he changed. Started looking for one of the boys to replace him and start over with her." One of the women said. She had a deep black eye moving closer I checked to make sure her eye proper wasn't damaged. She flinched at my touch at first but after I lay a hand on her cheek and ask her to open her eye as much as she could she calmed down a little. Although her breath was still rapid she likely was worried I'd take some sort of 'reward'. Her eye seemed fine however so I pulled my hand back and stood straight.
"Here's the plan" I say loudly so that the bandits can hear. "You lasses are gonna salvage as many furs as ya can and bundle up in one of the wagons. Meanwhile, I'm gonna hook up the lads over there to act as work horses and have 'em pull us back to Winterfell." The men began to protest. I turned my head and with my back to them I called out. "Unless they'd rather I just give them the Gods Mercy now." This shut them up. I turned and began to walk to the bandits when one of the women called out.
"What about Blackdog?" She called. I looked to the man who was beginning to stur.
"I'll handle him don't worry." And I began my work. Now some would call what I was doing "dehumanizing" and "morality objectable" but I say that once a man goes bandit he loses certain rights. Men who give up on honest good living and instead take the easy road of taking what isn't yours. Praying on the less fortunate. These are the kind of men that robbed my Mjoll of her family. These kinds of men lead to six women being used as stress relief and use there unborn children has hostages. Blackdog might genuinely care about Bonnie he might not. But the truth is that this women is pregnant and likely will never be able to support it properly and it was his fault for putting it in her.
"Just like Fargus…" I mumble to myself. Fool of a boy. But my son non the less. But was it fair of me to compare the two? Fargus had been sweet on the girl since he was a boy. Mother Mara's milkers I'd given him advice! Taking a deep breath I stop myself from going down this road. If I ever made it home I'd make peace I told myself. For his and my own sake.
"Were ready sir Ymir!" One of the women called. At that I hauled to bound and gaged Blackdog over my shoulder making sure not to stab him with my horns. (Its happened before.) Looking to the men who were now tied to the cart like pack animals I smile. But they'd never actually pull this thing to Winterfell and as such I'd figure I'd give them a push. Opening my free hand I channel the power of illusion magic and I send it into the cart. A pale green fog then fell over the cart affecting all present the women fell asleep and the men went glossed eyed. An old Telvanni spell for catching slaves. It would either knock them unconscious or make them completely sub servant for a time depending on how tired they were. With that I then channel alteration and touch each of the bandits giving them all the strength and endurance of a draft horse. A dangerous gamble but with them like this they would follow every command.
"Alright lads back to Winterfell!"
We arrived back in town probably and hour before sunrise letting us move through Winter Town with minimal distractions the look on the guards faces was priceless though but for safeties sake I hit him with an illusion spell that wiped his most recent memories. Shortly after we rolled into the main courtyard and began to let the bandits off the cart all of them falling to the ground exhausted.
"Lord Stark! I've got a present for you!" After I called out using a part of my Thu'um to be as loud as possible I began the process of waking up the women. Soon the young Stark came out of the castle with three men behind him. His eyes widened when he saw what I had. He pointed to the bandits and me and the men came over to help me the women down some crying as they walked down thanking the men the way down. I decided to take a seat on Blackdog to make sure he was still alive. removing me helmet I out it under him just to engorge him to stay up. The groan that he let out caused me to let out a barking laugh. Soon Sir Cassel and Jeor had come out Stark looked upset while Jeor looked flabbergasted Cassel for what it was worth was impassive. I raised my hand to them.
"Morning Jeor, Sir Cassel. I believe these would be the Wolfswood bandits who've been giving you trouble the last few weeks. And Pup? I believe you owe me a favor."
Well there we are. Ymir six is done and next chapter we'll be after a short time skip just until Edwyle Stark shows up. I'm sure you guys don't want to read three thousand words that amount to Ymir Sat with a thumb up is ass and truth be told I don't wanna write that. So let's see this took an extra week to make because no reason. Just had trouble figuring out how I wanted to handle this chapter. the original idea for it was gonna be this massive fight between Ymir and the bandits but as I spent time really getting into it I realized that that would be very tedious to write and very likely very repetitive to read so it cut down pretty hard. Plus with Ymir's experience in clearing bandits (were talking 50+ years he's been doing since he got out of the legion in his twenties) it would be a non event for him to take care of a bunch of non important bandits.
On the note of moving the story I'm not even sure if the fucking poll went up or if you guys don't have opinions either way so I'm gonna leave it up for like a week to see what you guys think (please tell me if it isn't up btw) but after that I'll probably just move it. I just don't know what will happen when I do I imagine it will just move there but can't be to cautious ya know?
Something of note anyone else feeling like Ymir might be to strong? I'm having the dreadful feeling of presenting him so strong that he could fight just about any character and win any fight. This is not my goal however as he's been dealing with untrained bandits . But when we get south we will be dealing with some of the finest swordsmen in the history of Westeros were talking Barristan Selmy in his prime here. Most of Ymir's skill comes from practical experience and from his time in the legion he would have been given the standard issue sword and board regardless of the purpose of the Bulls of Morihaus. But I am happy with Ymir regretting just leaving. I've always played the Elder Scrolls game with a wild abandon of exploration not really trying to keep the role play in mind. For Ymir this is especially true because running around Skyrim looking for relics for the museum. But now that he's old and has a family he's had to stop doing that shit. But in what was basically a suicidal episode he ran off to a long abandoned continent for a flimsy reason and left everyone who cared about him behind. And now that he has not only NOT up and died he's in another world doing the bidding of a foreign god. He's had to do some serious self reflection and gives me an excuse to talk about his kids. No reason in particular.
So I hope you have a good when ever your reading this if you feel particularly passionate I'd appreciate the feedback weather its positive or negative feedback it feedback and I'd appreciate it. One more thing before I go however. Would you guys prefer more diversity in perspectives or keep it as primarily Ymir? Just curious is all.