Lydia's mind was wandering. The soldiers under her command had no inkling however, as she ran them through complex and brutal drills before splitting them into sparring teams. All in all she was very satisfied with the troops. In fact, she was shocked at the speed with which they had improved, not only the leaps and bounds of difference in their skill with weapons but also their endurance and physical conditioning. Frankly she thought that one for one they were more than a match for any foot soldier in Tamriel, but it was in a group that they truly shone. Kratos had drilled into them that a soldier was only as strong as the man at his side and they took that message to heart and fought as one.
Lydia shook her head, frowning. She did not know what to do with the conclusions she was coming to. Her thane came from a mysterious plane beyond this one. He walked the 'realm between realms.' He was clearly far too strong to be a normal man, and days ago on their hunt… he had known something, long before they had received word. She also remembered an earlier conversation with Irileth before she had been assigned to be Kratos' housecarl. Irileth had told her that when they had fought the dragon she had thought she had seen Kratos miraculously heal.
She knew what you got when you added those things together. A daedra. Or an Aedra she supposed. She shook her head again more violently. It made no sense! But it was the only logical conclusion. An aedra she decided, if he is one, he is an aedra. She sighed internally and gave out the command to dismiss. As one, the troops brought closed fists to their hearts in salute before breaking formation and filtering from the yard. Lydia followed after them but headed back to the longhouse. As she did she cast a glance down the main street and saw two guardsmen in Whiterun livery coming up the way.
Lydia stood before the longhouse and waited for them to approach. When they did she hailed them. "I am Lydia, housecarl to the thane of these lands. What news?" The newcomers gave her a similar salute, fist to chest.
"Hail, housecarl." One said, "We come with a message to your thane from Jarl Balgruuf. We were told not to delay."
A pit opened in Lydia's stomach. Given recent events she had an inkling as to the subject if not the precise content of the jarl's message. She nodded to them, "I believe the thane is inside. Come." When they had entered the longhouse she gestured for them to wait in the entryway and went to find Kratos. She found him speaking with Thomas in the council chamber. Kratos straightened immediately when he heard Lydia clear her throat.
"My thane, there are messengers here for you. From Jarl Balgruuf." She saw Thomas' face blanch. Kratos however did not so much as twitch, he simply gave a nod as was his wont and headed to the messengers. Lydia followed along in his wake, filled with trepidation. Her lips did twitch up in a small smile when she saw one of the messengers swallow nervously as Kratos stalked up. Frankly it was difficult for the man to do much of anything and not have it appear somewhat threatening.
"You have a message. Speak."
The Whiterun guards exchanged a momentary glance before one quickly blurted out, "Jarl Balgruuf requests that you attend him in Whiterun. He asks that you come in all haste."
Kratos raised a brow, "A summons. That is all?"
The messenger nodded, "Yes." Kratos' eyes narrowed, "… thane." the man finished lamely.
Kratos let out a snort, "Very well." He turned to address Lydia, "Gather 10 soldiers. We depart in 15 minutes." She nodded and darted away. He looked back to the messengers, "There is food and drink if you wish refreshment but we will not wait for you." Kratos went to his room and snatched up his already packed travel pack, which joined his axe across his back and then returned to Thomas. "We will continue our discussion later. Provide what incentives you can. I want smiths. And there must be ore in the hills and mountains. If you do strike a deal I will ratify it upon my return."
Thomas straightened, encouraged at the trust placed in him. "You can rely on me, my thane."
Soon enough the time had past and Kratos exited the longhouse only to freeze in his tracks at the sight before him. Lydia stood in the thoroughfare, a perfect, if small, formation behind her, above which a pale banner with a blood red omega rippled in the gentle breeze. That alone was something, but Lydia and every one of his soldiers wore deep red war paint in a broad line from hairline to jaw passing over the left eye, in homage to his own tattoos. On seeing him they all struck fists to heart and let out a shout.
He walked slowly down the steps, and Lydia could see the impact the spectacle had had on him. He stopped before her, "We have done well. Here I see true soldiers." He looked over the troops once more before calling out marching orders and setting a brisk pace for Whiterun.
Their trip was uneventful, spending the rest of the day on the road, a night in wilds and arriving at Whiterun around noon on the following day. Kratos and his soldiers moved without challenge through the city until they reached Dragon's Reach. One of the guardsmen stepped forward, clearly expecting their arrival "Hail Thane Kratos. Please enter. We have accommodations set aside for your men and will lead them there presently."
Kratos turned to his troops, "Settle in and rest while you can. We will likely not be staying long." He and Lydia entered the great hall and could see immediately that Jarl Balgruuf was not in his habitual spot at the throne. They had only traversed half the length of the hall when Irileth approached them.
"Thane. Lydia. Be welcome. Jarl Balgruuf is upstairs in his war room and requests your attendance. Please follow me." She turned without waiting for a reply and set off up a nearby staircase leaving Kratos and Lydia to follow after. They ascended another flight of stairs before heading down a short hallway to the war room. Irileth opened the door for them and waved them in before following and closing the door after her. Inside was a large table with a map of Skyrim spread across it. The jarl and Aventus Avenicci his adviser stood next to it, speaking in low tones and examining the map.
Jarl Balgruuf looked up immediately, "Ah, there he is. You can't help yourself can you? Do you have any idea about the ramifications of what you have done?" Kratos cocked his head.
"And what have I done?"
Jarl Balgruuf let out an exasperated noise, "What have you – You killed four Thalmor justicars! What else could I be talking about!?"
Kratos shrugged, which seemed to frustrate the jarl even more, before replying, "They will do nothing."
"Oh? And you're sure of that are you?"
"Yes."
Balgruuf threw up his hands, "And why would they do nothing when you killed four of theirs? Though obliterated may be more accurate given what I heard about the condition of the bodies…"
"They abducted one of my people. I confronted them. They leveled an accusation and I requested proof. Then they threatened both my person and my people." Kratos growled out, "They took one of mine, with no cause, under threat of violence. That makes them bandits. The punishment in my hold for banditry is death."
Balgruuf stood in silence for a time rubbing at his forehead. "I can work with this. They lost their standing, acted illegally, were punished." He chuckled, "And I do love to see those bastards put in their place." His face grew serious again, "I can't say if they know what happened to those justicars yet, but they will put it together. They don't have proof and if they do come, your explanation may work, but they will be watching you after this. They won't be sloppy."
Kratos bared his teeth, "I have seen their ilk. If they try, they will die. And they will not take my people."
The jarl nodded, "For that final sentiment at least I commend you." He sighed deeply, "Do try not to complicate my political position."
"I have seen the preacher in front of your hall. Your position is clear and I followed it." Balgruuf sighed and rubbed at his face.
"Your point is well taken, thane." He let out a sigh, "But perhaps try to avoid another diplomatic nightmare for a time?"
Kratos nodded and crossed his arms, "I will not seek one out."
Balgruuf gave him a nod, "I suppose that's the best I can hope for." He straightened, "Thank you for your prompt attendance. I did not wish to put this matter in writing and risk its interception. The Thalmor seem to have a talent for ferreting out secrets. My business is concluded unless you have else to discuss."
Kratos simply shook his head, "I do not. Be well." With a final nod to the jarl he took his leave and left the room. As they headed back towards the main hall, Lydia looked to him and asked, "What are your plans now, my thane? Shall we return immediately?"
Kratos let out a thoughtful rumble before answering, "No. First we shall see to a drink."
Lydia shot him a grin, "An excellent idea." They quickly left Dragon's Reach and trudged down the steps, through the posh Cloud District of Whiterun to the inn. Kratos ducked through the door into the common room, Lydia following after him, and quickly selected a table. The room was quite crowded as many were there for their midday meal.
A serving girl quickly bustled up to them, "Ah it's you again!" Kratos looked up to the see the same barmaid, whose name he could not quite recall. "It's nice to see you again. And what will you both be having?"
"Wine." He murmured ignoring Lydia's inquiring expression.
Lydia turned her attention to the girl, "And I will have mead. Thank you." The barmaid gave them a smile and hurried off. Once she had gone, Lydia turned back to Kratos with a small grin on her face, "Nice to see you again? I didn't think you were in Whiterun long." Kratos merely grunted. Lydia's grin widened fractionally. "Must have made an impression."
Kratos gave her a look that would have been intimidating to anyone else, "Are you finished?"
Lydia's smile spread, "I was just surprised that you are so well received by the young barmaid."
Kratos let out a rumble, "Nothing of the kind." They fell silent as Asta, the barmaid, returned and set their drinks down.
She paused for a moment; "I didn't have a chance to thank you… so, well… Thank you!" She looked away as someone called her name. She gave them a little wave and rushed off again into the hectic room.
Kratos let out a heavy breath at Lydia's cocked brow, "She had unwanted attention. I intervened."
Lydia shrugged and gave him another little grin, "I assumed as much. Nothing else made sense." Kratos leaned back and sipped at his wine, savoring the flavor. They relaxed in companionable silence for a time, each slowly working through their respective tankards. Kratos' eyes abruptly narrowed, as he seemed to hear something, a whisper at his ear as if someone had said his name. It seemed to have come from a nearby table, he focused in on their conversation; "… some kind of daedric artifact. It must be. A strange axe covered in mysterious symbols and strange enchantments? That sure sounds daedric to me."
Kratos immediately stood from the table and approached to the two men. He loomed over them, "You are discussing an axe. Where? Where is it?" It was a vague description in an overheard conversation, but he knew somehow that it was his.
One of the men made an annoyed scoff, "Hey listen buddy…" he trailed off when he looked up to see Kratos. He swallowed, "Uh, my apologies, thane. Yes, the axe. I don't know really. I just heard this rumor about it while I was in Windhelm. Some bandit warlord in Eastmarch claiming he had an axe that was the favor of a new daedric prince." The man raised his hands defensively, "That's all I heard." Kratos narrowed his eyes and waited, staring at the man. "Swear on the Nine that's all I know!"
Kratos let out a grunt, pulled a few coins from his belt and placed them on the table, "For another round. My thanks." Just as abruptly he turned and went back to his own table. Lydia who had followed him over and waited a few steps behind, eyed him as they sat back down. Kratos immediately drained his remaining wine and fell silent staring off into the middle distance.
After a few moments she burst out, "Well? What's going on, my thane? I almost expected there to be a brawl from how you leapt over there."
Kratos' eyes refocused on Lydia. "There is word of my axe. Some petty bandit lord has it." His eyes narrowed again and he growled out through clenched teeth, "I want it back." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, when he opened them again the rage that had momentarily clouded his face was gone. "Go. Gather the troops and acquire supplies. We are departing for Windhelm immediately."
Lydia rose and saluted, fist to heart. "Yes, thane. We will assemble at the gate in all haste." She immediately set off, pushing through the crowded common room. Kratos sat at the table for a few more minutes thinking. Some degenerate had his axe. Some degenerate had Faye's axe! His fists clenched unconsciously. This was not to be born. It was an affront to her memory and all that she was! He paused a moment shaking his thoughts loose, focusing on his memories of her and Atreus, breathing slowly and deeply until his hands loosed and the red tide receded. He stood then and laid a few coins on the table for their drinks, before leaving the inn. He didn't notice, but he did not have to push his way through as the crowd melted away before him.
Kratos stalked through Whiterun in silence, lost in his own thoughts. He waited for his troops, leaning against one of the porch posts of Warmaiden's, one of Whiterun's blacksmiths. He did not see Adrienne Avenici eye him occasionally as she worked at the forge. Soon Lydia and the rest of his soldiers came jogging down the thoroughfare, stopping when they reached him. Kratos pushed off of the post, shaking off the clinging thoughts. "We are supplied?"
Lydia nodded to him, "Yes, thane."
"Then we go."
The journey to Windhelm was for the most part uneventful. To Lydia's eyes it seemed that the news of his axe being in hands other than his own had made Kratos' temper somewhat shorter. This was not to imply that he was snapping at her or the troops, but she could sense it. On the second day they came across an old tower and bridge across the White River, which paralleled the road to Windhelm. As they passed by Kratos' sharp eyes had spotted signs of life and bandit activity. They swept through Valtheim Towers, as the construction was called, like a whirlwind. To Lydia it seemed almost like an excuse to hit something with clear moral justification.
The remainder of the trek was uneventful if difficult in its own way. Kratos set a hard pace, obviously impatient to retrieve this axe from his home realm. To Lydia this only strengthened the sense that he was much more akin to the aedra and daedra. There was little more daedric than one of the princes sending out or retrieving one of their imbued items.
There was a cold wind blowing when the party arrived at the gates of Windhelm. Lydia and the other nords were quite resilient and well accustomed to Skyrim's harsher climate, but she was still astounded by how Kratos was able to go about with most of his torso exposed without the slightest hint of discomfort. Kratos eyed the forbidding grey walls and broad gates of the city with a hint of approval. This was a much more fortified city than Whiterun.
They could see one of the gate guards send a message as they made their final approach towards the open portal. One of the guardsmen stepped forward and hailed them, "Hold! Identify yourselves and state your business in Windhelm."
Kratos simply narrowed his eyes at the man in annoyance, but Lydia stepped forward, "We are the party of Thane Kratos of Whiterun. We are planning to rest in Windhelm before continuing our journey."
The guard nodded, "And the duration of your stay?"
"One or two days."
Another man in Windhelm colors approached the guard and whispered something to him. He turned back to them, "Welcome to Windhelm. We apologize for the delay, but we must have a care with parties traveling under arms."
Lydia gave them a nod and they continued into the city. "My thane, if we are seeking information, I suggest Candlehearth Hall. It is a small inn off the main square and a local favorite. I will take the men to a lodging house I know and return to meet you there if that is acceptable?" At Kratos' nod, Lydia called out a few orders and led their soldiers off.
Kratos gazed out at the forbidding stone city as a chill wind whipped through the streets. It was altogether a much greyer and unwelcoming place than Whiterun and thin drifts of blown snow caught up against walls and corners. Kratos set off deeper into Windhelm, making for the main square he saw before him. No sooner had he entered the plaza, he heard raised voices coming from a small group of men surrounding someone. It was nearly in his path and with an infinitesimal sigh he set off. Kratos heard the increasing volume and belligerence of the indistinct voices. The other occasional passersby were giving them a wide berth and purposefully ignoring the commotion.
In the center of the ring of men was a harried and frightened looking dark elf woman. Then as he neared, Kratos heard clearly one of the threatening voices, "Maybe we pay you a visit tonight, little spy… We have ways of finding out what you really are." He could see the woman's terrified face and one of the men had her by the wrist. Seeing this, Kratos' countenance clouded over and grew thunderous.
In a few long, swift strides Kratos had reached the encircling thugs, looming over the man holding the elf's wrist. "Let go." he grated out through clenched teeth. "Now." Many faces turned to look at him in shock, the elf's among them.
The man with the grip recovered from his surprise, "You should leave here, stranger. This isn't your business. And the damn grey-skins deserve it anyway."
Kratos' lip curled in disgust, "I will not tell you again. Release her."
One of the other men, a large fellow, stepped up to Kratos and gave him a completely ineffectual shove, "Get out of before we decide to give you the same as –" He was cut off as Kratos' forehead smashed into his face with a spray of blood, laying the man out, spread eagle on the flagstones. Everyone froze in shock, staring down at the now unconscious man.
The moment was shattered when Kratos' hand shot out grabbed his original target's neck. The man immediately released the dark elf, both of his hands scrabbling uselessly at Kratos' single iron grip. The man was gasping and choking as Kratos restricted but did not completely cut off his airway. With a cry the three other men moved to attack.
Kratos threw the man he had by the neck down at the legs of the nearest assailant, tangling up both of them and causing him to trip. Another one of his attackers threw a wild haymaker at him and rather than dodge, Kratos let loose a quick jab and punched the incoming fist. The man screamed as his punch connected with Kratos' impossibly hard fist, and he stumbled backwards, cursing and clutching at his hand. Kratos shot out a kick at the last standing combatant, striking the man's lead thigh as he stepped forward, the moment before he put weight on it, catapulting the leg behind him and sending the man face-first into the ground.
"Fools!" Kratos spat, looking at the groaning pile of beaten men and shaking his head. He turned to the dark elf woman who was standing there covering her mouth with her hands in shock. "You are uninjured?" She nodded to him hesitantly. "That is good." His eyes narrowed momentarily as he shot a glance at the battered men who were slowly dragging themselves up and away from him. "Is this normal?" he asked, gesturing to the would be attackers.
A short nervous laugh burst out of her, "This? No, this is new." She grew more serious, "Those 'true sons of Skyrim' harassing any dark elf they see? That happens any time they get a few drinks in them. So at least daily." She sighed, "It's not just them. It's this whole rotten city." She looked back to her rescuer, who merely let out a small grunt.
"Leave." He told her with a small shrug.
She shrank under his gaze, "E-Excuse me?"
"Leave this city. If there is no opportunity, only harassment, then leave." He shrugged again, "It is simple. Stay and have nothing. Go and have a chance." She looked down considering his words.
"I am Suvaris. Thank you." She blurted with a smile.
He gave her a nod, "Kratos." He cocked his head minutely hearing footsteps approaching at a run. He turned to see several guardsmen converging on the scene. Seeing that the business, whatever it was, had concluded, they approached more slowly.
The lead guard called out as he approached, "What happened here?" and examined Kratos carefully.
Kratos looked down at him, "I am thane to Jarl Balgruuf." Suvaris' eyes bugged out a bit at that. "These men began a fight. But they will recover."
The guard looked at him in disbelief, "You put down five men?"
"It's true," Suvaris interjected, pointing to one of the men "He shoved the – uh – the thane and then…" she gestured broadly to the current condition of the attackers.
One of the men spoke up, still cradling his hand and wrist, "Yeah, but he didn't have to do that for a shove!"
The guard nodded, "So they did start it." He shrugged, "Good enough for me," and turned to Kratos, "Thane, please try to stay out of trouble in Windhelm. I don't want to deal with the complications of trying to jail another hold's thane." Kratos nodded to the man and set off across the square towards Candlehearth Hall, leaving the guards to gather the fools up off the flagstones.
Soon enough Kratos was seated at the bar of the inn with a flask of wine in his hand. He sat drinking in silence for a few minutes before flagging down the innkeeper with a wave of his hand. "Yes, sir? Can I get you anything else?" she asked, polishing a tankard as she did so.
"Yes. Information. I have heard there is a bandit chief in the hold with a strange axe. Do you know something of this?"
The woman's eyebrows raised in surprise, "Another one, eh? Some Vigilants of Stendarr came through a few days ago and were asking after the same thing." Her brow furrowed, "Though I'd call them as much a cult as bandits. They claim to follow some new and unknown daedric prince from what I've heard. Load of hogwash if you ask me."
"Where are they?" he prodded.
"Ah, yes. The attacks have all been taking place in central Eastmarch. Guardsmen think that they have their hole somewhere in the hills southeast of Kynesgrove."
Kratos nodded to her, "My thanks. Another flask, please." The innkeeper gave a quick smile and set off to fetch it and see to her other customers. After another minute or two Lydia came and took the seat next to him.
"Any luck, my thane?" she asked, eyeing the bottles behind the bar.
He replied, keeping his eyes forward and folded his arms as he sat back. "We are not the only ones seeking the group which has my axe. The Vigilants of Stendarr hunt them as well."
Lydia turned to look at him, brow furrowed in confusion, "Vigilants? Why are they after bandits? They only deal with deadra worshippers." She paused, looking up in thought, "And vampires, I suppose. In any case, not bandits."
"We were misinformed. They appear to be as much a cult as they are robbers."
Lydia frowned, "My thane, this could complicate matters. If they believe that your axe is linked to the daedra…" Not that she was entirely convinced that it wasn't. Or that she wasn't sitting next to one, in fact.
Kratos let out a low rumble, "We will deal with that if we must. Today's trouble sufficeth me." He turned to look back at her, "They are likely near a town called Kynesgrove. We will rest and resupply tonight and set off in the morning." The ghost of a smile whispered across his face, "You have done well with the troops. Get some sleep, girl."
AN: Thank you to all those who review, you keep the updates coming.
Special thank you also to the anonymous reviewers, who I can't thank individually as well as all those who have favorited or followed.
Another chapter in the books!
