Chapter 14

Emeralda

After completing their tests at High Hrothgar, the quintet of travelers were given the task to retrieve the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller from a tomb known as Ustengrav. However, there was to be a special stop along the way: Renee's home village of Emeralda. After seeing that the village was on the border between Whiterun and Hjaalmarch, it was agreed that it was time for Renee to visit her birthplace.

So here we are, in the skies of Skyrim. After charting a course and having gathered supplies from Whiterun, the four Dragonborn were flying on Toothless towards their destination. Surprisingly, Renee wasn't effected by her fear of flying this time, much to the relief of Rahm-Ku before her, but also to his and their brothers' worries.

As they followed the mountain range that bordered the holds of The Pale and Whiterun, it was Hiccup who decided to get his sister talking.

"So, what's it like in Emeralda, Renee? I know you've told us that it was an emerald mining village."

Renee nodded, her senses spacing out to a wonderful time long past.

"Yes. The most common job in Emeralda is mining emeralds. I cannot even begin to tell you of the beauty of the gems. I can still remember the days where my father would take me into the mine, probably thinking that one day I could become a miner myself. The miners were all quite friendly, even if there were some cantankerous at times.

"Outside the mine, the second most common livelihood also involved emeralds. I told you my mother was a gem cutter and a jeweler. I remember this one piece of jewelry she made. It was a pendent in the shape of a star, the emerald imbedded in the silver. It was a birthday present for one of the girls in the village. And I can't even remember how many emerald wedding bands I had seen."

"Sounds like your mother had quite the gift." Rahm-Ku spoke up.

Renee nodded, her saddened eyes returning but her smile lingered.

"I hope we can find some of her pieces once we get to Emeralda."

The trio remained silent until they passed the last mountain. They could see the marshland to their right and the plains to their left. Renee pointed them in the right direction.

"Just follow the boarder until you reach where Whiterun, Hjaalmarch, and the Reach meet."

Hiccup and Toothless listened and with Rahm-Ku's help with the map, they followed the boarder until they saw the mountainous hold. Finally, after what may be hours of flying, Renee pointed downward.

"There! There it is!"

The boys and the dragon looked down to find a village nestled against a great mountain with plains and marsh surrounding the rest. Upon flying downward and landing, the quartet got off the dragon and approached a ruined wooden wall, a thick blanket of mist surrounding the area.

Renee took in a deep breath. She was home.

"Emeralda."

The four males followed the Nord into the empty village. Were it not that the plague that had struck the village a decade ago, it would have appeared that the village had not seen life for a century. All of the buildings were dilapidated and covered in mosses, fungi, and ivy. The grasses grew tall enough that it would hide their lower legs though there was still a dirt path that led to various parts of the village. The boys then decided to split up to check the place out.

J'Kiir was the first to split after noticing a strange scent in the air. It was old, yet it seemed familiar. And not a good familiar. J'Kiir followed his nose, careful not to inhale too much. Working with poisons and potions, the Thief was cautious with certain smells. And something about the air just didn't feel right.

Hiccup and Toothless were the second to depart from the group once the former caught sight of what may be the village blacksmith. Upon studying the forge, Hiccup called out to his siblings.

"Looks like the forge is still in good shape. Toothless and I will focus on relighting it. If not for our armor, then we'll at least we'll have something warm to go to. And it'll be a good beacon within this fog."

Rahm-Ku, hearing this, got an idea.

"How about we light all of the torches and lanterns in town? Give us more light?"

Hiccup nodded at his brother's remark and turned to Toothless.

"Come on, bud. Let's get some firewood."

Toothless silently agreed, not liking what he was sensing in this village.

As the Viking, dragon, and Argonian got to work in bringing light into the town, Renee continued walking without a word. Each step she took, a memory would flash before her eyes. Slowly, the decayed village transformed to Renee. She could see the village as it was when she was younger, filled with light and people of many races going about their daily lives.

Renee took a look to her left and found herself looking at what was once a trader's shop. The dilapidated building once more became new to the Nord's eyes. She could see people coming and going from the store. Inside, a Nord family of four worked to keep shop. Remembered a gruff, bushy bearded Nord manning the stall while his fair-haired wife worked the books. The children inside either playing or tending to the inventory.

The Nord Dragonborn then looked to the right and saw the local inn. Even after ten years, the sign still remained attached to the beam above. It was called the "Emerald Eagle Inn." She remembered the innkeeper telling the story of how the inn got its name. Apparently, the innkeeper's ancestor, one of Emeralda's founding members, saw an eagle sitting on top of a large deposit of emeralds sometime after the mine opened. It took off with a pair of emeralds in its talons. The first innkeeper took it as a sign and gave the inn its name.

As it came, the memory faded and Renee once more saw the decayed inn. How could such a lively village succumb and die from a disease? One name flashed in Renee's mind: Namira. Even though Peryite was the Daedric Prince of Pestilence, the symptoms that the plague carried made its victims more like living corpses, a favorite for the Prince of Decay and Revulsion.

After fleeing Emeralda and joining the Sabre Fangs, Renee kept an ear to the ground concerning the fate of Emeralda. One of the last reports and rumors she heard was that mages from the College of Winterhold found traces of Daedric influence in plague infested areas. Upon observing the corpses, it was determined that Namira was the one responsible for the plague. Since then, Renee loathed Namira. More than Mehrunes Dagon, more than Boethiah, even more than the dreaded Molag Bal.

Renee snapped out of her hatred once she saw her destination. Next to the main entrance of the mine was the remains of a two-story house. Even though there were holes in the thatched roof and parts of the walls, the house looked pretty stable. It was white with beams of brown crossing each other in a pattern.

It was her house.

"Home sweet home." Renee muttered as she approached the house.

Her heartbeat accelerated as she reached for the door handle. Her heart jumped as she touched the iron. Ten years since she touched the handle. The last time she did so, she was fleeing the village. Taking in a deep breath, she opened the door.

Inside, the house was barely touched by time, which was unusual. There were signs of time, like the moldy remains of what was once food and dust. But everything else was virtually unchanged. Renee entered her house, carefully absorbing the scene. She even opened the windows to let the dust out like it was a normal thing.

She passed the den and kitchen before looking to a door underneath the stairs. She opened it to find a room with a workbench and a window. Across from the work bench were velvet wooden busts of people as well as similar busts of hands.

This was her mother's workshop.

She remembered the times she would watch her mother work on the various gems and jewelry in this very room. The first time she was allowed to enter, she was six. As she grew older, she began to work with her mother. She placed a hand on the dusty workbench, leaving fingerprints as a memory flashed in her mind.

Flashback: 11 years ago…

A 7-year old girl with crimson hair in a green dress worked with a smile at the workbench before her. She was almost finished with her newest creation. All she needed was to install a couple of smaller stones and she was done. As she was about to pick up the next gem, she heard the sound of someone knocking on the window.

She looked to find a man with long red hair tied dressed in miner's clothes back knocking on her window. She unlatched the window and opened it and spoke to the man.

"Daddy? What are you doing?"

The man gave a cheeky grin as he spoke to his daughter.

"Just checking on you, Renee. Your mother is coming back this evening, you know."

Young Renee puffed her cheeks in annoyance.

"I know, Daddy! I'm just about done with my gift."

She then gave her own cheeky grin.

"But what about you, Daddy? What did you get for Mommy?"

The man reached up and rubbed the top of his daughter's head, messing her hair.

"That's a secret, Little Gem. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work. You know those milk drinkers in the mine can't get anything right without my help."

Renee laughed.

"Oh yeah? Who's helping who?"

Renee's laugh was soon joined by a chorus of laughter behind her father. Apparently, some of the miners overheard their conversation and couldn't help but laugh.

"She's got you there, Roth." A Dunmer miner spoke up.

"Yeah. Of everyone in the mine, I for one had never seen someone who takes his sweet time digging up emeralds." An Altmer laughed.

Roth turned to them and spoke with a smirk.

"Come on, boys. You know that if I actually worked my quota, then you won't have anything to mine."

The miners laughed as they entered the mine. Roth then turned to his daughter and spoke.

"I suppose I better get back to the mine. I'll be home for lunch, Renee."

Renee nodded.

"I'll be sure to have the food ready."

That night, her mother, Greta, returned from the neighboring town that night. It was when she presented what she had worked on to her mother. It was a heart-shaped emerald set in a gold brooch. Smaller emeralds were embedded in the gold in a dotted line. It was crude, but it was better than the best a child Renee's age could do.

It ended up as her mother's favorite birthday present.

Present Day…

Renee sat in the room where she and her family would gather. It was the largest room in the house, the one place that saw a lot of people other than their family. She could hear the ghosts of their laughter echoed in her mind. She could see the smiling faces long past. She could even smell all of the food made in the nearby kitchen.

There were two more stops before she could meet up with her brothers. Solemnly, she walked up the steps and found herself facing a wall with two closed doors. She entered the door on her left, which was her room. Inside, she found her room as she left it: a bed set in a corner with a dresser at the other side as well a chest where she kept her toys.

She sat on the wood and straw bed, remembering nights where she vowed to pluck every goose feather in the village to make a comfortable bed instead of a prickly one. She gave a soft laugh as she looked at the wall that led to her parents' room. Her memories flashed forward to the night that she saw her parents one last time.

10 years ago…

8 year-old Renee walked up the steps tiredly, carrying a pot of soup and some bowls with her. The entire village had lost half its population to the plague and her parents were infected. She, however, remained healthy. At first, she thought she was lucky. But she then began to wonder otherwise. She worked around the clock trying to tend to every villager. Her parents were her last stop.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, she opened the door to her parents' room and found them on their bed. Their pale skin had changed to an ash-like black. Much of their bodies were wrapped in bandages to cover the open sores. Renee had to cover her mouth with a cloth so not only would she not get infected, but to spare her nose from her parents' corpse-scented breath.

It was horrible to look at the outside, but nothing could compare to what her parents felt inside.

Renee began to pour the lukewarm soup into the bowls and started to feed her parents, starting with Roth.

"Here, Daddy. I've made the soup a little colder this time."

Her father swallowed the first bite and cringed slightly. Seeing this made Renee cringed.

"Sorry, Daddy."

Roth placed a hand on her arm.

"I…it's alright, Little Gem. As far as we're concerned, you've done great."

Renee placed a hand on her father's hand, tears starting to fall from her eyes. Greta turned her head to speak to her daughter.

"Renee. It's time for you to leave Emeralda."

Renee's eyes widened in shock. Leave Emeralda?

"But…why, Mommy? I promised to take care of everyone! I promised to make sure everyone gets better!"

Greta shushed her child.

"Shh… Renee. I'm afraid…this sickness…no one will get better. And I…I don't want you to harm yourself in preventing the inevitable. Which I why we want you to run from her. Run as far from the plague as your legs can carry."

But Renee shook her head fiercely.

"No! I won't leave you!"

Roth placed his hand to his daughter's cheek and, despite the pain, wiped away her tears.

"But it won't be long before we have to leave you. Which is why we'd rather see you run while we are still alive than to stay and watch us perish."

Greta slowly moved to place a hand on her daughter's other cheek.

"Now go. Go and become a strong, beautiful woman."

Then, her hand fell and she collapsed. Roth gently placed his wife back into her original position as he spoke to Renee once more.

"No matter what, Renee. Know that your mother and I will always love you and will always be proud of you."

Her emotions ragged, Renee consented to her parents' wishes and stood up. She spoke one last time to her loved ones.

"I love you too, Mommy and Daddy."

She then turned around, ran down the stairs, and out the door. She ran from her house and out of the village that night. As she did, she screamed as tears fell from her face.

"I'M SORRY, EVERYONE! I DID MY BEST! I'M SO SORRY!"

Renee cried and cried as she ran out of the gate and into the wilderness of Skyrim, leaving her life behind.

Present day…

Renee pulled up her legs up to her face and began to sob. Even after ten years of training with the Fangs, the pain she felt never went away. The helplessness, the fear, the loneliness, the losses. Even living with the Fangs for years the pain never went away. It was at the behest of the Fangs' leader that she'd return to Emeralda to defeat her demons. To defeat her greatest enemy: her suffering.

With tears in her eyes, Renee stood up and left her old room. She then turned to face the door to her parents' room, knowing what was inside.

"No doubt Mother and Father are still inside."

She then reached for the door and opened it.

What she found caused her to gasp in shock.

With the brothers…

Hiccup and Toothless had finished lighting the forge when Rahm-Ku lit the last torch and put it in its place. Despite the fog, the light exposed the town. As they performed their duties, they discovered the skeletons of the previous residents. The plan afterwards was to bury the dead with Renee being the one who could possibly give names.

But as they regrouped, J'Kiir came barreling towards the trio.

"Everyone! Everyone! I've found something you've got to see!"

"What in the world?" Rahm-Ku asked.

Hiccup was just as confused.

"J'Kiir's never loud or un-sneaky."

"That's not even a word."

But the argument went on hold as J'Kiir stopped in front of them, panting. He then held up a stick.

"Do you know what this is?"

Rahm-Ku gave his answer sarcastically.

"A stick?"

J'Kiir snarled.

"It's burnt Blood's Bane incense. I've found barrels of them all over the place. And what's worse is that these are absolutely deadly when burnt!"

This caught the trio's attention.

"What makes you say that?" Hiccup asked, wanting some answers.

J'Kiir informed them while Toothless took a light sniff of the stick and snarled at it.

"This incense is made up of ingredients not native to Mundus. In fact, the only place to even get the ingredients is in the realm of Oblivion."

Rahm-Ku then put in his two bits.

"So? A daedra was here? That was suspected before."

J'Kiir shook his head.

"That's what I thought at first. But I found nothing that could tell me that a daedra was here. Not even a single scale or bit of fur. I did, however, find evidence."

He then handed a tattered book to the Argonian.

"I've read this. And I believe that the accusations on who caused this were wrong. It was not daedra, but mortal hands that lit these incense."

The brothers then became shocked.

"Are you saying that...?" Hiccup cut off as J'Kiir nodded.

"Yes. Namira's Harvest wasn't a plague or a disease. It was a mortal-committed mass murder... by poison."

Back with Renee…

Renee froze, her emotions all wild at the sight. She found her father's skeleton in the bed, but found her mother's missing. Instead, a woman stood at the other end of the room.

She was wearing robes that looked somewhere between noble and beggar. Her dark hair draped over her shoulders with a braided crown on her head, carefully braided around a pair of small horns. Her jewelry resembled spiders, leeches, and even decayed body parts.

Renee would have mistaken her for a mortal woman were it not for the smell of decayed flesh emanating from her body and the fact that this wasn't the first time she had met this woman.

The woman gave a wicked smile as she spoke to the Warrior.

"Well, well, well. Welcome home, Renee Silverglass. I hope you don't mind that I popped in for a 'visit.' I do wish to speak with you concerning this."

She gestured to the corpse of Roth Silverglass as Renee began to snarl at the woman, growling her name.

"The Prince of Decay. The ruler of all things repulsive. Matron of Beggars. And the Queen of the Cannibals: Namira."