Most of the group was still winding down well into the next day, and, to Weiss' delight, they hadn't had to pay for rooms or food since the death of Sahloknir. The vampire was enjoying a few drinks to herself while most others were scattered and relaxing in their own ways, though her classmates were mostly studying while teaching M'rissi a few basics. The young Khajiit caught on quickly, but her attention span varied. Weiss tried to show her Enchanting, but the girl ended up nearly dozing off while studying a fire enchanted dagger. She was definitely more of a talented mage than a studious one.
As Weiss sipped a glass of spiced wine she received from Ruby (and was that a surprise!), she noticed a Dunmer drunkenly waving one arm around while holding a mug in the other. While not abnormal considering he'd been there since before they arrived and that drunken patrons was just a fact of life for an inn, his full set of steel plate armor he was currently wearing made his movements much noisier. And of course, cursed by her observation, Weiss began to feel more and more annoyed by the clanking metal and bad singing coming from the Dunmer. And so, she gently stood up and walked over to him prepared to politely ask him to stop.
"With three beers down the orc did frown and bid the elf *hic* goodbye!" he sang terribly out of tune before taking a draught of his mug. "For none could know 'twas not for show, and someone had to die!" Before Weiss could open her mouth, he suddenly noticed her looking at and approaching him and set his face into a scowl. "What do you want?" he asked as all pretenses of cheeriness drained from his face. "Come to gawk at the Knight of Thorns?! Well here I am, for your viewing pleasure!"
As he hiccupped again, Weiss formulated a response while her brain somewhat recognized the title.
"Honestly? This is what you call a knight? You're dancing around making a fool of yourself, drunker than a Cultist of Sanguine. Where's your dignity, "knight"?" she asked while making air-quotes, only remembering a second later that air-quotes didn't seem to be a thing in this land.
"Where's my dignity?" he went with a sloppy smirk that contrasted the sadness in his eyes. "Why, it's in Cyrodiil, where I left it, in the bloodstained robe of the Countess of Cheydinhal." Weiss' eyes opened wide and her eyebrows rose in response. "The same Countess who held me close to her side like a maiden clutches a rose. I am that most unworthy of fiends you see." Now his face morphed fully into a scowl. "A liar. A betrayer. A turncoat."
"Wait, you assaulted a Countess?"
"Yes, and she survived." The fact that there was smidgen of joy in that phrase left Weiss confused. "Such was the depth of my failure. In fact, so pathetic I am that the Countess chose to exile me rather than take my head. One final insult to the Knight of Thorns!" He looked to his cup and gestured toward himself as if reciting poetry from it. "To be pitied rather than scorned." He took a deep gulp from the mug and sighed.
"Wait, the Knights of Thorns… Wasn't that the name of a knightly order a time ago?"
"Yes, that was an order founded by the now-retired Count of Cheydinhal, Farwil Indarys, a hero of the Oblivion Crisis. In fact, he was a personal friend to the Five Heroes, and was even trained for some time by the Hero of Kvatch himself. He changed it after a time, reinstating his knightly order with a rose sigil, either at the suggestion of the Five, or his future bride. Or both? He keeps telling the story differently every time," the Dunmer drunkenly slurred and waved his hand around. "So the Knights of the Thorn became the Order of Roses. Fighters chosen for their incorruptible honor as much as their skill in battle. Thank the Gods Grandmaster Farwil wasn't around at the time of my crime, for he surely would have cleaved me in twain for harming his beloved daughter."
"A survivor from the Oblivion Crisis…" Weiss wondered for a moment. "So the Order still serves the Count and his family?"
"We swore an oath to more than the Count." His eyes began to take a deep look into them, seemingly misty as the disgraced knight recounted pieces of his past. "We swore to uphold the very essence of virtue. We were the unsullied. The unspoiled. Every single member a rose without a thorn. That is who you speak with. An elf who betrayed not just the Countess, not just her family, but the very ideal of what a knight aspires to be."
Something bothered Weiss about the whole thing. Long forgotten was her drink at the table. She wanted to know just why this knight spoke the way he did, with no conviction to the crime he admitted to, yet joy at its failure, and anger at its occurrence.
"So who are you? You weren't the Knight of Thorns before, obviously."
"Hmph. Some called me the White Rose. A paladin in pure white armor, said to be painted by a soul that was the very same." He started walking towards the bar, harrumphing again. "Ha! I deceived all of Cyrodiil with my feats of valor. The liberation of Fort Farragut. The vanquishing of the Warlocks of Quickwater Cave…" He paused as he took a seat, letting down his mug to be refilled by the innkeeper with hardly a sidelong glance. "All a ruse, an unctuous gambit to gain the trust of the fair Countess. Then without cause, motivation, or provocation I stabbed her in the chest." He took a sip of his drink once again. "Thank the Divines the Steward was there to witness the entire deed and to provide the Countess with the healing potion that saved her life." The small smile that appeared disappeared just as quickly as Weiss noticed it. "Of course, he never saw my face, but there was no mistaking my armor. And no mistaking the petals of blood that stained its chest plate." He leaned back and shook his head. "So it was obvious that I, jealous over her love of the new Count, clumsily stabbed the woman I was sworn to protect."
"So you're saying that someone stole your armor in order to frame you?"
"No, no, that's impossible! Heavy armor is so comfortable to sleep in! At no point would I remove it and allow an enterprising thief to purloin it." If the lie wasn't so obvious, Weiss would not have even realized he was being sardonic. The knight then placed his chin in his hand as he leaned against the counter. "Bah! It matters not. The evidence points to me. There is no other explanation. The Countess chose exile to be my sentence, and so I serve."
"All right, this whole act you have going on is getting quite annoying. Just tell the truth already!"
"What are you suggesting? That I am not a traitor? That I am not a drunk? This belly full of mead begs to differ." He twirled his hand then placed it upon his chest. "I am the Knight of Thorns, and to say otherwise is to defy the Countess of Cheydinhal. Yet perhaps that is what a traitor would do. I could embrace my decorated past, and challenge all those who would say I am tainted." He turned around in his stool and then tipped up his mug, drinking it deeply until it was emptied. "Or perhaps I'll just stay here and keep drinking and build a new legacy as the Knight of a Thousand Beers." He chuckled at this as he began to sway in his seat. "Now, leave me be."
He fell over with a clang, catching almost every patron's attention with it.
"Dravenyea, can you go tell Kjeld that Erevan's out again," Iddra rubbed her forehead and called out over to the Stoneweaver.
"Um, which Kjeld did you want me to get?" the Dunmer mage inquired as she approached the bar.
"Both of 'em. He's in his armor again."
"Right." As the woman left to go get the two men, Weiss looked down at the drunkenly unconscious knight and felt a large twang of sympathy for him, despite the large amount of disgust she felt as well.
'He just gave up,' she realized. 'His whole life crashed down and now that he has nothing…' She looked over to her half emptied glass and pushed it back.
"I think I've had enough for now."
As the group rode and walked to Windhelm, Ruby signaled for Yang and Blake to begin Operation 'To The Vet' which had made Yang smile and Blake roll her eyes. Weiss herself was discussing something to do with Alteration with Brelyna while J'zargo was speaking with Inigo and M'rissi about something more than a few paces away. It took some subtle pushes, but, to Blake's surprise, Ruby was able to pull it off without garnering any suspicion from the two.
"Oh, I definitely agree. Moon sugar is important to the Khajiit diet, but Skooma is just terrible for everyone. Moon rum, though… Hm, that one is tricky. Of course, I am trying to stay sober, but a beer or mead once in a while hurts no one if in moderation. Could the same apply to moon rum?"
"Hey guys," Ruby butted in as she hopped off of Chocolate Hooves. "Whatcha doing?"
"We are discussing experience with moon sugar and skooma," M'rissi unabashedly told the younger girl. "M'rissi does not remember having skooma before, but she has eaten some moon sugar recently. It is good!"
"Yeah…humans have to be more careful about that stuff. So, J'zargo, you and Weiss are…together sorta. How long has that been happening?"
"Hm, since, a week ago, when she asked J'zargo an oddly worded question."
"Hey, J'zargo?"
"Hm, what is it, Weiss?"
"Would you…like to go out…with me?"
"All right. Where are we going?"
"No, I meant, like on a date."
"Well, he will have to check his schedule, but J'zargo is pretty sure he has plenty of free spots."
"She eventually explained that she wanted to try courting." The khajiit shrugged. "I must admit, J'zargo never thought he'd end up with a human vampire as a lover, but the world is a surprising place."
"Did he just say something in first-person?" Yang whispered over to Blake.
"He's probably picked up sayings here and there," Blake whispered back and rolled her eyes.
"So she asked you out?" Ruby hummed in contemplation. "Okay, so where are you planning to take it?"
"To Winterhold and the College?" J'zargo squinted his eyes in confusion. "Is this another one of your land's phrases?" Ruby rubbed her chin in thought before nodding.
"Oh, yeah, I guess it is," she acquiesced.
"She meant how far do you plan on your relationship going with Weiss," Inigo put in, cutting Yang's next sentence off.
"Wait, you understood it?" she asked the blue Khajiit in surprise.
"I got it from the context clues." Inigo acted like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You seem to be sniffing out his intentions to ensure they are pure and that he will not use her for his own satisfaction at the risk of breaking her heart." Yang and Ruby stared blankly at the Khajiit.
"Wow, that's actually… Yeah, pretty much." The blonde brawler numbly nodded, not used to people in Tamriel getting what she was talking about right off the bat without some effort on her end.
"I see. So you want to know how far J'zargo will go with our newly forged bond?" Ruby nodded at J'zargo's question. He smiled and nodded back in response before answering. "This one will go as far as Weiss allows, and no further. To be honest, he is as curious as he is enamored. If she wishes to stop, this one will stop."
"So you understand that 'no' means 'no'?" Yang asked for clarification.
"Yes, that is how words work." At her glare he laughed. "J'zargo also understands that 'not right now', 'I don't feel like it', and 'I'm not sure' are other ways of saying no. J'zargo's mother was very firm on him learning these lessons."
"Okay, so at least we're clear on that. That just leaves… Oh, uh…"
"No," Ruby quietly pouted. "I don't want to ask this," she whispered.
"Me either, but it's gotta be asked." The sisters looked over to Blake, whose ears popped up and eyes widened in shock and disgust.
"What? No! There's no way!" the Faunus spat in denial. The other two girls tried to convince her to say it, while the two male Khajiit merely looked on in confusion.
"What are they on about?" J'zargo asked his fellow, eyebrow raised.
"I'm afraid I do not have the key to this mystery, my friend."
"Okay, I'll just…" Blake groaned and looked at the two males. "Khajiit are cat-like, right?"
"Well, that is what my fur, ears, and tail seem to indicate. Also my snout. These things tend to vary among our people though."
"All right. So, the question is, how cat-like are you…Khajiit men?"
The two looked to each other and shrugged. "Well, we are Cathay," J'zargo started, "so we have plantigrade legs and-"
"I meant in more…personal aspects."
"I still do not- OH!" Inigo suddenly shouted in realization. "You mean the thorny myth. No, it is not true."
"Thank the gods!" Yang exclaimed, happy to finally get that over with.
"Gah, do people still believe that rubbish?!" J'zargo angrily exclaimed. "Just because house cats… The sand cats do not have them, nor do the jungle margays. Just because some domesticated pets do everyone thinks we do as well! We Khajiit do not believe Men eat termites, fling dung, and pick through each other's hair just because they resemble monkeys!"
"So that means the book lied?" M'rissi asked, gaining a very concerned look from Blake, Yang, and Inigo.
"What kinda books have you been reading?" Yang asked worriedly.
"She found The Real Barenziah in Blake's things. But if the book lied, is it not real?"
"Still carrying around trashy novels, Blake?" Yang questioned her partner with a smirk. "Some things never change."
"I didn't know it was that! I haven't even gotten around to it. M'rissi, you should be more careful about what you read."
"Oaky!" M'rissi saluted and then stuck out her tongue, causing Blake to roll her eyes and smile.
"Not to mention The Real Barenziah was completely wrong about most things," Inigo added. "For instance, did you know that Therris, which the book said she had a tryst with, was not interested in her at all. He was more attracted to Straw, the stableboy."
"Wait, really?" Ruby questioned. She had read the book during one of her downtimes between missions and, while she suspected it wasn't telling the full truth, that there was a tryst was one of the more believable aspects of it.
M'rissi had a thoughtful look in her eyes for a moment. "Suddenly she is much more interested to learn the truth, but how?" As the others pondered the truth of the tale and the search for it, Yang merely closed her eyes and shrugged.
"At least there's no incompatibility danger there, if things ever go that far." J'zargo seemed to blush while Ruby glared at her.
"Bleh!" the younger girl went at her sister's words. "Well, you're cleared. For now!" she emphasized with a finger pointed at the sky. A pleasant smile immediately fell back onto her face. "So just be good and treat her with respect and we'll have no problems."
"Very well. He will keep doing what he has been doing so far, then."
"Did you guys seriously do something like this to Jaune and Sun?"
"Sorta." Yang shrugged. "I also told Jaune to calm the hell down and put some space between attempts after that one week. There also wasn't…that kind of thing to worry about."
"You didn't have to worry about it here either, but you did." Blake's ears wiggled. "Wait, you guys weren't surprised that I didn't know either."
"You are a girl, and, I'm assuming, a maiden," Inigo explained. "Why would you have known?"
"Hm, good point." Blake looked ahead before looking back. "Wait, you assume?"
"What else would I assume?" Before Blake could reply, Ruby loudly coughed and grabbed everyone's attention.
"I take the reins and steer this conversation to something else!" Ruby cried out. "Hey, Inigo! You know any cool songs? I know cool songs!"
"I know a few. I've even written some. I…would like to wait before sharing them though. I'd rather get a professional opinion or two first from the Bard's College. Maybe even go there to learn too."
"Cool! I was there for a few days, you know. Let me play something for the road."
"Hey," one guard, slightly overweight and wearing an orange sash, standing across the bridge from another said to catch his fellow's attention. "You ever wonder why we're here?"
"We're here guarding the bridge. I'm filling in for Donnert 'cause he's sick. You're on your normal schedule. Lucky bastard," he grumbled the last part out, his maroon sash swaying in the wind.
"No, I mean, why are we here in this world? Are we really just the random results of the mixing of Static and Change, or do the Gods really have a plan for us all, in which we all need to play our parts to reach a greater destiny beyond mortality." The orange-sashed guard nodded thoughtfully. "I just don't know, and…it keeps me up at night, friend."
"Ah, yes. That's pretty…out there…thoughtwise." The maroon-sashed guard rubbed the side of his helmed head. "Mm, I'm a little sleepy to think about it, but…the Gods have to have some idea right? I mean, Shor got them all stuck here for some reason, so at least he's planning something. And daedra are always plotting to destroy us, so the Divines have to be plotting how to stop them. At least, I hope so. Don't seem to be doing much else," he grumbled the last bit angrily.
"You thinkin' 'bout the poor little flower girl again?"
"Ain't right, that. At least that Arentino boy lets her stay at his house overnight. Any idea when they're going to be sent to the orphanage?"
"No idea, that. But I heard Commander Storms is going to be leading the Scouting Brigade to check out something happening in Riften. Some fort being refurbished or something. A lot of rumors say it's vampire hunters setting up shop, but they're checking it to be sure it's not an Imperial trick."
"Aren't all those vampire attacks happening over to the west? What's with that anyways?" The maroon guard narrowed his eyes.
"Don't know. Maybe people are too busy between the war and the dragons that the vampires decided to take advantage of it." The gold guard sighed and gazed upward at the clouds. "Gods, it really looks like the end of the world, doesn't it?"
Before the maroon guard could answer, three musical notes suddenly echoed out from the distance, and the two looked forward to see a motley procession of humans, catfolk, and one elf coming in, one girl sitting on a horse with a lute in her hands.
"~HERO!" she sang loud and proud then began playing. "Don't wanna hear you calling out my name. I'm not here for fortune and fame. Hero! Instead, I'll fight knowing nobody knows my name! Push on! The mortal that I used to be has died. There's gods inside my fist tonight. Hero! I'll stay, until I taste the dirt of defeat someday! Unleash my fists, HEROOOOOO!~"
"Well," one went as the song ended, "ain't that about the damnedest thing you ever heard?"
"Wow, so this is Windhelm!" Ruby exclaimed as they entered the city into a sparsely populated street. As a cold breeze blew past her, she shivered, rubbed her arms and then breathed into her hands. "It's really cold up this far north. Don't you have a house or something here, Weiss?"
"Yes, Hjerim should be warm enough. And Calder should be able to get all the rooms ready long before evening comes up," Weiss replied, the cold not affecting her in the slightest.
"Wait, how'd you afford a house?" Yang asked through chattering teeth. "And a servant?"
"Oh, it was a gift. No one would have wanted to buy it after Calixto used it to house a necromantic ritual in an attempt to bring his sister back to life. In fact, that's his head over there." Weiss pointed out a near fleshless skull on a spike at the top of the wall. Ruby cringed while Yang made a slight wince.
"Did they behead him?" Blake asked.
"Well, after I killed him, they did. That's actually why I got the house and Thanedom. I finally found the murderer and brought him to justice, then Jarl Ulfric had his head removed and put there like he'd promised to do."
"Is that sanitary?" Ruby asked in genuine worry. Weiss actually hadn't thought about that, and now it seemed like a good question that needed an answer.
"Well, at least Windhelm is a good bit safer," Inigo stated as he took Mr. Dragonfly from his side. "Between the witch and the necromancer this place was not at all a good one to rest in. Luckily, both of those are gone."
"Wait, what witch? I didn't hear anything about a witch."
"No one probably has. She's how Mr. Dragonfly and I met. I'll explain better after dinner. It is a long tale."
"And now this one is curious as well. He just thought Inigo had too much skooma at one time."
"Oh, I most certainly did, but that is not how Mr. Dragonfly and I met."
As the group was checking out Weiss' manse, a knock came at the front door. Calder immediately went to answer it, leaving the large cauldron of stew and rack of meats under Onmund's care. Opening the door, he saw that a guardsman was there, who saluted the housecarl as he answered.
"Hail, friend. I bring a message from Jarl Ulfric. He's asked that Thane Weiss and the…Dragonborn come up to the Palace of the Kings. He wishes to meet with them."
"I shall pass it along, good sir." Calder saluted back and moved to close the door, only to be interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming up from behind.
"No need, I heard." Calder turned back to see Weiss just behind him. "Let the Jarl know we'll be there shortly. We just have to settle in a few things here."
"Of course, Thane. Talos guide you." The guard saluted and began leaving. Calder closed the door, and Weiss sighed.
"Well, I suppose I should have suspected it." Weiss shook her head and turned towards the stairs. "Ruby, the Jarl wants to meet you!"
"'Kay, one second," the Dragonborn yelled from upstairs.
"Hey, I'm coming too," Yang called from the basement.
"Can you guys stop shouting," Blake, ironically, shouted at them.
"Girl, I ain't started shouting yet!" Ruby sassed jokingly before appearing from atop the stairs then hopping down. "Okay, I'm decent. Let's go and meet the Jarl." Ruby's expression suddenly shifted. "Oh… He's… I almost forgot about that." She huffed and took a deep breath. "Weiss, if I have to ask a tough question, you'll back me up, right?"
"I always have your back," Weiss answered without a second thought. "I might try to steer you in a better direction, but in the end I'll follow your lead. But what exactly are you going to ask him?"
"Well, everyone in Solitude keeps saying the same thing; that he Shouted the High King apart in a duel. If he can do that… It's not that I want to learn from a guy who does that kind of thing, but how…useful could it be to be able to do that? And then…I wanna know why."
"Oh." Weiss rubbed the back of her neck as she thought it over. "Might not be a popular question, but he's a fairly reasonable man, from all I've seen. If nothing else, he will give you a straight answer."
Yang came up from the basement, buckling her chest piece back on, but having a little trouble with the strap under her left arm.
"Stupid thing," Yang grumbled as she attempted to move the strap into the correct position. Before Ruby could go over and help her sister, Lydia stepped up and grasped it for her.
"Let me help you with that." The housecarl buckled the strap into place and tucked the slack. As Lydia let go and took a step back, Yang turned and smiled.
"Thanks. Not the easiest thing to put on with these girls." Yang emphasized her point with a few knocks on her breastplate. "I'm just glad Eorlund got the measurements right."
"No trouble at all. It took me quite some time to get the movements right as well," Lydia smiled back. As the two continued to converse, Weiss silently glared at her teammate and the woman, particularly at where they were more 'gifted' than her. Ruby noticed and snickered at this. As the vampire turned her attention to her partner, Blake cleared her throat.
"So are we going?"
"Yeah, let's go," Weiss replied and walked out the door. After a moment, the others followed.
After a short walk, the four Huntresses and housecarl walked into the main hall of the palace and went towards the back where Ulfric was seated. His own housecarl was at his side, like always, and the two seemed to be talking about something to do with a recent battle. As he saw them approaching, he gestured for Galmar, who turned and saw them before nodding and crossing his arms.
"I heard about the dragon at Kynesgrove," Ulfric began as he stood from his throne. "You did well, bringing it down and defending my people. We are in your debt."
"You're welcome, Jarl," Ruby responded. "Did you just want to thank us?"
"Not fully," Ulfric admitted without missing a beat. "I have many reasons for bringing you here. But, first among them, I wished to see what kind of person you are. I will not dice words here, you are a young girl, barely a woman. I imagine your Voice is strong, but that can't be all. Even dragons bite and claw as they rain frost and fire."
"Well, I've been trained…in a certain fighting technique that I'm really good at, if I do say so myself," Ruby admitted with a hint of pride.
"Can't be those mismatched swords of yours," Galmar grunted from his place only to receive a glare from Yang. "What? Most folks swinging two blades around have no idea what they're doing. Unless that box under her lute is her real weapon. Or maybe it is the lute." As the Nord laughed, Ruby took the compacted scythe from her back.
"Don't call her a box." She unfolded the scythe, surprising the man and even causing Ulfric to take a step back. "Crescent Rose is, at the very least, the second greatest battle scythe in this, or any world."
"Yes, that is more what I had thought," the Jarl calmly stated as he observed the scythe. "Imperials were talking about a Red Reaper slaying necromancers left and right out west. Some said she was a dragonslayer as well."
"Man, rumors really travel fast." Ruby folded Crescent Rose and set her to her back. "Okay, so were you going to ask me to join your army like Tulius? Because I'll tell you the same thing I told him."
"I know you won't join. Your friend explained as much." Ulfric looked slightly disappointed, but only for a moment. "So long as you're keeping the dragons at bay, however, I will not complain. And, it seems that despite appearances, you are more than capable. I trust I can forward any dragon related problems to you?"
"Yeah. Any dragon problems we're more than willing to help with."
"I'll see if we can't make out a list then. There have been a few spotted landing at places. Some are more trouble than others. One has been targeting caravans, another burning whatever farms it comes across. There's even one that's set itself as a highwayman of sorts, though it has yet to kill any law-abiding citizens."
"Heh, we could put a badge on that one and practically call it a customs officer," Galmar joked. "Damn thing's keeping the road to Riften clear of outlaws and the more dangerous beasts. Just don't travel laden with gold, and you're fine."
"Yes, that one is much more convenient," the Jarl admitted. "But I would still stay wary of it."
"Well, at least that's out of the way," Ruby sighed. She looked up and took a deep breath. "There's something else, though. You know I've been to Solitude."
"Yes. I assume you've spoken to Elisif and her Court." Ulfric didn't sound surprised, which tipped Ruby off that he likely already knew.
"I have, and…" Ruby paused as she tried to straighten out her train of thought. "Everyone says you challenged the High King, and then Shouted him to death."
"…Not entirely true. Though not entirely false, either," he admitted with a long sigh. "Any Nord can learn the Way of the Voice by studying with the Greybeards, given enough ambition and dedication." Lydia seemed to shift at that, something noticed by Yang and Blake. "My shouting Torygg to the ground proved he had neither. However, it was my sword piercing his heart that killed him. By that point, all of the Solitude Court were either hiding behind tables and curtains, or, in the case of Elisif, had fainted. So of course the one or two who actually witnessed it would twist the tale."
"But…did you need to kill him?"
"It is the way of Skyrim and our forefathers," Ulfric calmly stated with absolute conviction. "When a High King is challenged, it's up to him to defend his honor or die trying, and to the victor the throne. But, a challenger must have just cause for his challenge, and mine was that we needed to break from the Empire, reestablish ourselves as sovereign, and fight the Dominion on our own terms. But the Empire decries our ways, and Solitude stands against us, saying I fought without honor."
Ruby looked on sadly, recalling the man she'd seen beheaded for having let Ulfric leave through the gate. She took a deep breath and stood firm. "You could have done things differently."
"Perhaps, but what could have been done no longer matters, only the future. And for Skyrim to have any future where we aren't placed under the thumbs of the Thalmor, I will keep fighting."
"God, that was cold," Yang groaned as they returned to Hjerim and flopped onto a couch. "I wanted to say something, but…"
"He has a presence," Weiss filled her in. "You should have seen him when he was explaining how he'd run into a pair of vampire clans back during the Great War."
"I may not agree with his actions, but yeah. He's a leader." Ruby sighed as she sat down. "I guess it makes more sense than there being some Shout that tears people apart."
"That concussive Shout you do can be pretty dangerous though," Weiss pointed out. "I saw a dragon use it against a group of men. Some of them were just instantly killed when the force ruptured their organs and broke many of their bones. Those were the lucky ones. Three men were hemorrhaging and Madame Collette was only able to save one of them."
"Unrelenting Force," Ruby muttered. "Yeah, I know two words of that one. Greybeards taught the second to me. I think they're going to teach me the third one when I return, and then something about getting ready to meet the Grandmaster."
"Grandmaster?"
"You couldn't meet him before?" Yang asked.
"He lives alone, way up at the peak of the mountain, the Throat of the World. I can't go there because there's some weird, permanent storm that nearly froze me solid in seconds. Even Lydia couldn't go far into it." The three Huntresses turned to look at the housecarl, who nodded in affirmation.
"Well how the heck did he get up there? And how are you supposed to meet him?"
"Argneir said I can go up there when my 'Voice can clear the way'. I think he means I've gotta learn how to control the weather."
"Do you know how hard it is to magically control the weather?" Weiss asked her partner.
"It's not really magic, though. The Unrelenting Force Shout? I'm literally just shouting 'Force'. And the second word is 'Balance', which helps the Shout concentrate its power into a finer point."
"So what do you have to do to learn a weather controlling Shout?" Yang asked her in curiosity.
"I don't know. He just said I'd know when I'm ready. It'd be kinda cool to meet the guy though. He's either a really old elf, or he was named after some ancient guy called Paarthurnax."
"Paarthur-" Lydia blinked and then looked over to her charge in surprise. "You said it right."
"Yeah, I did. I don't get every name wrong."
Inigo carefully placed the jars down on the shelf and looked them over. "If you are sure that you're fine like this. I'm glad I found you, otherwise, who knows what may have happened. That ghost did a good job of taking care of you, Lady Butterfly, but I think he was starting to lose himself. He did forget where you were, even though you were right on the table." He went quiet a moment and then nodded. "That is true. We can't expect too much of an old man, much less one that has died. At least now you're somewhere where people can understand and watch over you."
"Okay, is no one going to ask about the bugs?" Yang asked as she indicated to Inigo.
"M'rissi knows the story," the Khajiit girl stated with pride. "It was a good and suspenseful tale."
"Well are you going to tell us anything?"
"I will tell everyone, after dinner," Inigo proposed as he walked away from the rows of jarred bugs. "It is a long story, and one better told when no one is distracted by hunger or thirst. Especially me. I am quite hungry."
As the blue Khajiit walked into the kitchen to check on dinner's progress, M'rissi headed upstairs. Yang watched the girl leave, then looked over at her sister and frowned at the expression she saw on her face.
"Hey, Ruby?"
"Hm, what's up?" she responded, the forlorn look disappearing again.
"You're not…feeling that thing with the dragon souls messing up how you feel, are you?"
"No, no, I'm not. It's just…" Ruby checked around, and saw that it was only Team RWBY in the main hall. Everyone else was scattered throughout the house for one reason or another. "Guys, you know that dragon that brought Sahloknir back to life was the same from Helgen. That was… Sahloknir called him Alduin."
"The same name from the Dragonstone," Weiss muttered. "And the same one that's supposedly a god of destruction."
"But, that's not what keeps bothering me about it." Ruby's face morphed into an enraged expression. "I…heard exactly what he said. Four words. Ziil gro dovah ulse."
"And what does that mean?" her sister asked.
"Directly, they mean 'spirit bind dragon eternally', but that's just how the grammar works. I understood it as 'I bind the dragon spirit for eternity'." Yang's mouth went agape while Weiss covered hers. Blake seemed to stare dead into space.
"You mean, he 'bound' the dragon? How?"
"I've been thinking about that, and I've noticed a pattern. Mirmulnir. Mir, mul, nir. Loyalty, strength, hunt. It's the same with every dragon we run into. Their names mean something, and each name seems to…indicate what they're like. Paalduzaam was a horrible slaver, but 'slave' is literally a part of his name. Alduin said Sahloknir's name, then said that he bound him. Just like calling a dragon's name out is a way of challenging them, it's also a way to show dominance. Words, to dragons, are supposed to be used with great care, so he wouldn't have just said something meaningless before reviving him. Then…just before he died…"
"Yeah, I remember," Yang told her sister, not wanting her to face that moment again.
"I don't think all of the dragons want to fight, but he's making them. I'm not sure exactly how, but I'm going to find out. Yang, when me and you head back west, we need to take a scenic route. Blake, about where did that dragon hold you up?"
The Faunus groaned. "Near Steamcrag, but you could probably get his attention anywhere south of Kynesgrove. Why do you want to run into him though?"
"Well, he's obviously not working with Alduin. I wanna know how."
"I rushed out the main gate onto the bridge. I was exhausted, but while my legs were running, Mr. Dragonfly's mind had come up with an idea."
At this point in Inigo's story, Ruby and M'rissi were both enraptured, Yang was seriously intrigued, and all of the mage students were invested. Blake, however, still held on to a bit of skepticism even as she listened to his tale.
"As the brothers stepped out of the gate, panting and furious, I walked onto the ledge before the first stone arch. I sheathed my sword and held out Mr. Dagonfly's jar. "Do you know who this is?!" I shouted.
""I don't care, all those bugs look the same to me," replied the middle brother. "Stay there, you coward! You're a dead man!" I waited until all three brothers stood near me at the edge.
""Do you love your mother?" I asked.
""Yes," sniffed the youngest.
""Tell us where she is and we'll kill you quickly," said the eldest.
""Here," I replied. Then I threw Mr. Dragonfly off the bridge." Most of the others gasped at this before M'rissi began clapping.
"Wow, that was so brave of Mr. Dragonfly!" M'rissi cheered.
"Yeah, go Mr. D!" Ruby agreed.
"Yes, I am very proud of him," Inigo complimented the bug with a pat on the top of the jar. "I think he may have used the last of his courage in that moment though. Lady Butterfly is quite impressed as well."
Blake looked over at the butterfly in a jar sitting next to the bee in a jar, both with tiny, magically shrunk dishes that had been filled with sugar water at the bottom of their jars. She had to admit, those bugs all did display some odd behavior, though nothing really screamed 'sentient' at her.
"The brothers then all yelled "No!" and threw themselves over the edge, trying in vain to catch the jar. If I had carried out the plan thirty feet along the wall, they may have survived, but the icy water they landed in was very shallow." A few winces were then had around the table. "There was quite a mess. For a second I worried about Mr. Dragonfly, but then I spotted his jar bobbing in the bloody water. "I made my way down to the river and retrieved him. He thanked me, and I asked him again if he wouldn't rather be released.
""No," he said. "I would stay in my jar and in your company if that is okay. I have already forgotten my past life, and even the meanings of these words I am saying are beginning to fade." I told him he could stay with me for as long as he wished then asked what I should call him.
""Mother scratched my initials on the lid of my jar," he said. "I no longer know what they mean."
""They seem to say Mr. D," I replied. "Do you mind if I call you Mr. Dragonfly?" He said that was fine. He then said I would no doubt lose the ability to hear him soon, but that has not been the case. Ever since the transformation I have been able to randomly pick up his thoughts. I can also sometimes understand horses, fleas, and dogs too."
"Whoa, you can talk to animals?" Ruby asked excitedly.
"In a way. Their thoughts are alien and often do not contain words as we know them, but I can usually decipher the overall gist. Mr. Dragonfly's fear about losing his words has also not come to pass. I think our little conversations are good for his mind."
'Maybe he's projecting,' Blake theorized in her head.
'Aw, it's like one of those mushy stories but without the dumb mushiness,' Ruby thought.
"Anyways, that is how Mr. Dragonfly and I met. It was a long story. I hope it did not bore you."
"Dude, that was a cool story, even if it was long," Yang complimented.
"I was invested," Weiss admitted. "Though my experience with polymorphing was quite different. For one, someone kept messing up instead of getting a professional to fix the problem." Brelyna chuckled nervously at that. "Also, I didn't end up with some kind of animal telepathy."
"It does not sound like this mother used a traditional polymorphic spell," J'zargo explained. "It seemed more like a potion, and, by the description, ate away at the mind until all that remained was instinctual fear."
"She just hopes that she does not get turned into a bug. She likes being a Khajiit." Most of the table laughed at M'rissi's comment, to her confusion. "Why is everyone laughing at her? She was serious." This caused the laughter to intensify before Yang suddenly stopped in thought.
"Hey, while we're at it, what's your story?" Yang directed at J'zargo.
"Pardon?"
"Well, we've got Bree and Mundy's bits of history, and Inigo just gave us a bit of his. How about you share a bit of backstory?"
"Yang, that's hardly the proper way to phrase that," Weiss admonished.
"What, you don't want to know?"
"No, it's not that." Weiss looked over at her newly-minted boyfriend and cleared her throat. "J'zargo, you have no problem telling us a little about yourself, do you?"
"Not at all. Let's see…" J'zargo tapped his chin in thought. "This one supposes he will start from the beginning. J'zargo was born in Elsweyr, like many Khajiit, youngest of five. There were…problems at the time." He closed his eyes and groaned. "He was young, but he recalls how his clansfolk grew restless and scared. We had neighbors who protested Thalmor occupation. As one side told it, they were rioting and terrorizing those loyal to the Dominion. By others' words, they simply refused to bow any longer."
Blake's ears sprung up, as did M'rissi's, both girls beginning to listen more intently to the tale.
"J'zargo does not remember much from the time, but there were many who grew scared and complacent. His siblings, however, grew angry. Many a friend and kinsman were lost to them and our family. They grew angrier when they found that many survivors, of which there were few, were taken away like slaves. His family's resentment grew, but he did not quite share it. J'zargo had not been wounded like they had, and did not think he had as much reason to be angry." He paused to take a deep breath before continuing.
"When J'zargo was nearly grown, a year or two ago, his siblings had made an assault on many Thalmor agents with many others. Two were felled, another captured. His last two remaining siblings managed to avoid capture, and it was from them he learned his eldest sister was in the clutches of the long ears." A low growl echoed up from J'zargo's throat. "Even then, J'zargo was a skilled mage. Many disagreed that a Cathay should focus so much into learning magic, but J'zargo was also born under the Mage's sign. He went with his free brothers and lanced the damned elves with bolt after bolt of lightning while they clawed and ripped them apart. When we found our sister and several other prisoners, we killed more, but we soon realized our mistake. The Thalmor destroyed the Mirrsha with no qualms and little quarter. Our clan would just as likely be swept away." M'rissi had perked up even more as the mention of her supposed clan came up, but if J'zargo noticed he didn't show.
"It was then that this one had an idea. Publically, one of the more injured rebels went out and declared that we had separated ourselves from clan and kin, unable to stand the yoke of Thalmor any longer. He succumbed to his wounds long before he could be captured, last J'zargo heard. The rest of us scattered like sand in the wind. His sister cut through Cyrodiil and made it safely to Hammerfell. His brothers went up along the edge of Argonia, pretending to be mere beasts when needed, and civilized when not. J'zargo, however, went north. First this one tried to find a place to learn in Cyrodiil, but they were lacking in what he needed and too far directly in the gaze of Thalmor. Then he hears of Winterhold, deep in Stormcloak territory, offering to teach magic to any who were worthy of gaining entry.
"J'zargo was far more than worthy of entry, and has only grown in skill since then. He will push himself to learn, and eventually he will master the ways of Destruction magic. It may be that magic is the high elves greatest strength, but it is also their greatest weakness." He took a deep breath and exhaled with a resolute look on his face. "This one knows there will one day be another Great War. The elves keep pressing, and men struggle back. When the day comes, J'zargo will be there to help destroy the long ears that stole his home, his kin, and his life. This one did not understand the rage before, but now… Now, I understand how to hate them." He blinked himself back and shook his head. "But that is not a worry for now. Today he is another, much above average student."
"J'zargo, you didn't have to tell so much," Weiss comforted the Khajiit with a hand on his arm.
"Ah, it is no trouble. Besides, it is good to get things off of one's chest, is it not?"
"It was a little heavy, but man, I didn't know the Thalmor could be so bad," Yang stated.
"I did," Blake said evenly, looking over to M'rissi. The girl nodded back.
"She does not remember, but notes and books and a ghost say that M'rissi came from the Mirrsha clan." J'zargo's ears popped up and he looked over at her.
"Ah, this one is sorry then. J'zargo cannot express how much sympathy he has for your clan's plight. Even his dark experience pales in comparison. But, he is curious, why can you not remember?"
"We don't know. That's why we're heading up to the college. To, hopefully, get her memories restored."
"Well, if anyone can do it, Madame Collette can," Onmund decided. "Unless the Hero of Kvatch suddenly reappears, she's the best at Restoration that there is."
"What's up with that anyways?" Ruby asked.
"Huh?"
"About the Hero of Kvatch," she clarified. "People mention the Five Heroes here and there, but anytime it's something plain heroic, they usually just mention him. Like, the others have specific stuff. The Champion's all merciful and a skilled warrior. The Guardian was a big shaker in equal rights and uplifting tribal people. And the Watcher was stealthy and good with money and stuff. The only specific thing about the Hero is that he was a good healer."
"Oh, well… Ah, Shor's bones, how do I explain this…?"
"Also, why does no one seem to remember their names?" Yang threw in.
"Even the novelization of their adventures states that it's using 'speculative' names," Blake explained.
"Well, that's a bit easier," Brelyna started. "First of all, consider that after Martin Septim's death, there were no legitimate heirs to the throne. A lot of people, including the High Chancellor Ocato, wanted to make the Hero of Kvatch the new emperor. He certainly had the confidence of the people behind him should he have done it. But then he disappeared along with the others. Then came The Forgetting. It may seem like forgetting a simple name wouldn't be much, and by the name you wouldn't be clued in, but it was a horrifying time for many people. Imagine there was someone famous you knew. Everyone knew about them. Maybe you even saw them a few times and recognized them. Then, one day, you can't remember almost anything about them. Actions and words are there, but you can't think of a name, title, or even a gender or race." Brelyna paused to emphasize her point as the others contemplated the event. As it sunk it, they all shuddered, causing Brelyna to nod.
"Ocato's assassination didn't make things any better. Thules the Gibbering, as everyone calls him, used The Forgetting as an excuse. He said that it was 'in honor of their sacrifice' and began striking all records of the other four of the Five Heroes' names. Everyone now knows that it was just him trying to secure his rule. The Heroes were still fresh in everyone's mind, even if one of their members couldn't be remembered. If they ever reappeared, he'd be asked to abdicate almost immediately."
"Didn't save him though, when Titus Mede I overthrew him," Onmund continued for her. "Unfortunately, it was too late to save any records, and no one could be sure what their real names were. A lot of citizens swore they knew the true names, but every other person had a different name to give. Between the Civil War when Titus Mede I overthrew Thules and the sacking of the Imperial City by the Thalmor nearly a hundred years later, all traces of their actual names were lost." The others looked downcast at this before Blake narrowed her eyes.
"Wait, you said the Thalmor sacked the Imperial City," Blake pointed out, causing the others to direct their attention to her. "Did they purposefully go after surviving records of them?"
"They did," Calder added, causing the others to scowl. "Their very existence ran counter to their Elven Superiority propaganda. That a mere Nord could stand against the forces of Oblivion when they themselves could not was an insult to them. So, when they sacked the Imperial City, any and all surviving records of them were burned. It was a travesty."
"Surprised you care about the Imperial City getting sacked, Calder. Thought you hated the Empire?" Lydia pointed out, causing him to shake his head.
"The Hero of Kvatch and the Guardian were the two greatest Nord heroes of the past few centuries. Of course I'd be offended that the Thalmor attempted to wipe their memory out. Even then, I don't hate the Empire. I just don't trust them to stop the Elven threat." Brelyna slightly scowled. "Not you, of course. The Thalmor and their ilk." Brelyna smiled at the hasty correction.
"Well, at the very least they all went absolutely insane after that," Onmund shrugged. Seeing the others all look at him in confusion, he continued. "After the records were burned, it's said every Thalmor agent that did it ended up losing their minds afterwards. Some murderous, others simply crazy. Many of them died within the month, and the only ones that didn't had to be taken back to the Isles and stuffed into asylums. No one really knows why, but in my opinion it's only proof that The Unknown actually did Mantle into the role of Sheogorath, and did not appreciate what they did to his friends." The others all thought about it for a moment before nodding their heads in agreement.
"Seems legit," Yang nodded while Weiss looked at Onmund.
"So, no one actually knows their names?"
It is believed that Farwil Indarys, Count of Cheydinhal knows it," Onmund pointed out.
"He's not the Count anymore," Brelyna corrected her classmate. "He stepped down and gave the seat to his daughter, in order to better focus on his knightly order."
"Oh, uh, right. Anyways, he's one of the few people alive today who knew them closely." Weiss' eyes widened at this as she remembered her encounter in Kynesgrove.
"I actually talked with a…former knight from Cheydinhal," Weiss added. "He said that the Hero trained Farwil."
"Sounds about right," Blake agreed. "In the Journey of the Heroes, Farwil apparently got almost every 'knight' with him killed when they tried to assault an Oblivion Gate that appeared near Cheydinhal. At the time, they weren't really knights. Just a Count's son and his friends all wearing armor and pretending to be valiant while trying, and usually failing, to catch outlaws. And going out drinking."
"So like some rich guy's kid starting a tough-guy club?" Ruby asked.
"Basically, but apparently after losing nearly all of his friends to his own mistake, he was dejected as could be. Then Yohannes- Sorry, the Hero offered to show him what being a knight really means."
"Yohannes?" Ruby raised her eyebrow. Something about it sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"It's the speculated name the book uses. Wouldn't exactly flow well if everyone just called him Hero, would it?"
"…Guess not." Ruby shrugged and dropped the conversation.
"So, the Order of the Rose was basically inspired by the Hero of Kvatch." Weiss noticed Ruby's bright smile and Yang's light chuckling. "What? That's what they call it. The former knight just didn't know if the name was suggested by Farwil's wife or the hero."
"Where'd you meet a former knight anyways?" Yang leaned forward towards Weiss.
"Kynesgrove. He was the Dunmer with the armor that was constantly drunk."
"That guy used to be a knight?" Ruby stuck her tongue out. "He smelled like if my uncle had slept in a troll cave. For a week."
"So why hasn't Farwil told them what their names were?" Yang asked. "He was obviously close to them, and he was a noble."
"Not entirely sure, but I heard rumors." Onmund nodded. "Some say that he feels like giving out their names would diminish their legend. Others say that he never actually knew them and that he is trying to use their association to improve his image, but most people don't actually believe that one. Doesn't sound like something he'd do." Onmund paused before another thought came up. "Oh, one thing people say is that he saw something in a dream, that one day when Tamriel needed them most, the Heroes would return. As such, he doesn't really see the need to correct their names when they will do it themselves."
"Do dragons burning up the world not count?" M'rissi asked. "She is pretty sure that they would be useful for that."
"Well, we've got us," Ruby said, indicating to the whole group sitting around the table.
"Yeah, that's true." Everyone went quiet at that, thinking about what was just said, before Yang spoke back up.
"You know, you never answered the question, Mundy," Yang pointed out. "Why is it that the Hero of Kvatch was so much more fondly remembered than the others?" Onmund looked at Yang before closing his eyes in thought. When he opened them again, there was something in them that wasn't there before, something that sent Yang aback slightly.
"Well, they were all heroes, certainly, but there was something about him, something that inspired a whole continent in their darkest hour. Something that made him more than just 'one of the heroes'," Onmund began, the others enraptured by his words. "He was a leader. A knight and paladin that inspired several knightly orders through his actions alone. But... I think the biggest thing is during the invasion of Kvatch. It's not just books and tales, he historically went forward all on his own to stem the tide of daedra. That one action freed up everyone else to push and save anyone left in the city before the other four went in after him. He saved so many lives, all while risking his own. And he risked his own life again and again, leading the charge against any evils that popped their heads up. Umaril, Mannimarco, Mankar Camoran... He even defied Mehrunes Dagon himself, right in his face. No matter how many times he got knocked down, he simply got back up and kept going. People thought it was symbolic, that he was a living personification of their unwillingness to give in, and when he and Martin stopped Mehrunes his status was all did great things, and they all saved their fair share of people from disaster, but..., he saved us all. That's why he's The Hero."
As the group began leaving Windhelm, M'rissi and Ruby began looking over the edge of the bridge and towards the ice-edged river below. Inigo stopped and took the dragonfly in a jar from his side.
"Yes, Mr. Dragonfly, this is where it happened. You were very brave. I am proud of you."
"I wonder…" Ruby looked over to the side and hummed as she stepped onto the ledge. Everyone, Huntress, companion, and even the nearby guard immediately tensed up.
"Ruby, don't you-" Yang started to warn her sister, only for the younger girl to ignore her, hop over towards the stony canyon side below the walls of Windhelm and begin sliding down. Everyone immediately ran over and looked down, only to see her safely slide all the way to the frozen bank.
"Ooh, M'rissi wants to try that!" the Khajiit girl declared as she ran to where Ruby slid down.
"No! M'rissi!" Blake yelled as she tried to catch her, only for the girl to hop out of her clutches and then begin sliding down like Ruby had, somehow even more graceful than the Huntress-in-training had been.
"Do not be too surprised," Inigo said as he loosened himself up. "We usually tend to be more agile. Well, shortcut away." The blue Khajiit followed the two's girl's trail and Blake sighed before looking back at the rest of the group.
"Just so you know, I'm doing this to catch up with them quicker." Blake hopped up an the ledge and then the canyon wall, focusing Aura into the bottoms of her feet and shoes and the hand she kept on the wall as she slid down. After a few seconds that seemed longer than they should have been, she was on the snowy bank of the river, while Ruby and M'rissi were both looking around the ice sheet nearby and into the water.
"Hey, I see 'em," Ruby declared before pointing it out to M'rissi, who leaned over her with her chest pressed against the top of Ruby's head.
"Oh yes, she's sees the three skulls."
Blake immediately came over and looked where they had been staring and saw three bleached skeletons half buried in the river's silt, some bones broken, and one of the skulls dented and cracked up.
"Hehehe," Inigo laughed. "Silly brothers. We showed them, Mr. Dragonfly."
The Faunus blinked, suddenly realizing that Inigo's story might have been a bit more credible than she had originally thought.
"Look at 'em go, Gyaf," the maroon-sashed guard pointed out as the group from before all hugged and went their separate ways. The khajiits and elf went with the mages up north while the blonde and the redhead continued south. "Wonder where they're going?"
"Beats me," the orange-sashed one pointed out. "Either way, it doesn't really affect us, Cyrigs."
"You just say that about everything," Cyrigs scowled. "Unless there's a damn sweet roll involved, nothing involves you."
"Yep," Gyaf replied, causing Cyrigs to sigh. As the two began to argue, another voice sighed in boredom, only this one half a mile away and looking at them through a spyglass.
"What are they doing?" an Imperial soldier with dark skin and wearing a teal headband asked the man watching the Stormcloaks at the gate.
"...What?" the man holding the spyglass looked up at the other, his blue sash swaying in the wind.
"I said, "What are they doing?", Kirk". The other soldier put his hands on his hips in expectation, causing Kirk to stand up in irritation.
"Gods above, I am so sick and tired of answering that question!" he shouted. "You ask it every five minutes!"
"It's not my fault I don't have the longlense and you won't share it!" the Redguard shouted back. "What else am I supposed to do? Play wi-"
"Okay, Tu'kar, stop," Kirk demanded and pointed at the two Stormcloak guards. "They're just standing there talking. That's all they've been doing. It's all they ever do. It's what they were doing last week. It's what they were doing five minutes ago. So, when you ask me again in about five minutes, I'm going to give you the same damn answer. They're still just standing there, and they're just talking, so stop asking that stupid gods damned question." At that, Kirk knelt back down and brought the spyglass back up to his eye, satisfied at the silence he was now given.
"...What are they talking about?"
"... I hate you."