Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Shadow Rising

Chapter 2 – Saviour

"Bloody stone beds, I really don't know how the vermin in this city stand them!" Ondolemar grumbled internally, arising from his slumber he donned the robes of the Thalmor Justiciar and strode from his chamber. "Guards!" He shouted and almost immediately his personal bodyguards walked from there own rooms, fully clad in golden elven armor. "When you're ready Justiciar." One spoke, Ondolemar nodded and walked from his quarters.

"And you're sure the guards disposed of the boy?" A hurried whisper came from a solitary corner, with his keen hearing the Altmer heard the somewhat heated exchange with interest.

"When have I ever failed to dispose of troublesome pests' brother mine?" The second voice said in a sniping tone. "The boy was flung from the hills, the guards assured me – nobody could survive a fall like that." Said the second voice again.

"We can't have it getting back to the Jarl, they'd run us out of town if they knew we'd been disposing kids." The first voice said. The second voice laughed. "HA! The Jarl is a simple-minded fool who takes advice off his uncle, let me deal with him Thongvor." The second voice said. "What are the Silver-Bloods up to?" He thought to himself.

"You there, Silver-Blood. I wish to speak to you." He ordered, striding forward and using his advanced height to tower over the two Nords.

"What do you want you pointy eared milk drinker?" Thongvor said aggressively, stepping forward and uncrossing his steel plated arms. The Thalmor's eyes narrowed, he didn't take well to disrespect. As he felt a ice spike forming in his hand, he forced his magic back down and instead glared down at the Nord. "Watch your tongue boy, wouldn't want it to get you in trouble." He said evenly.

The Nord made to step forward but a hand on his arm stopped him. "Thongvor, calm yourself. Leave us." He said calmly though a threatening note could be detected. The armoured Nord glared intensely for a few more moments. "Listen to your brother, boy." He said, eyes boring into the man.

Thongvor growled but stomped away moodily. "He would rip you into pieces if he could." Came the other Nord's voice. Turning, Ondolemar regarded the younger Silver-Blood. "I'd like to see him try, now tell me – what where to noblemen talking about in such hushed and heated tones? Nothing heretical I trust." He said glaring at the man.

To his credit, the man didn't flinch at the Thalmor's veiled threat. "Nothing that concerns you Thalmor, just a little pest control." He said making to walk away but Ondolemar's guard had him by his arms in an instant.

"What? What are you doing?! I am Thonar Silver-Blood, noble of the highest order! Let me go at once or I'll have you dragged to Cidhna Mine!" He shouted flailing in the guard's grip. "You are only a noble of the highest order as long as I allow it boy, I could seize your slave-mine and strip you of all your wealth in an instant, even the Warrens would be too good for you. Know your place boy, or I will drag you into it." He said holding his hand up with a swirling ice spell held there.

The guards dropped the now snivelling man to the floor in an undignified heap. Leaning down, Ondolemar lifted the man's chin, forcing him to look at him. "If I find even the slightest evidence that you are not telling me the truth, we'll be having this conversation again." He said and kicked the man to the stone flagged floor. Running like a scared rabbit, the man made the huge door to the keep in record time.

"Organise a patrol and bring me the Captain of the Guard. I want to know what the Silver-Bloods wanted rid of so badly." He ordered his guards, glaring at the ground for a moment – he then collected himself and made his way back to the Jarls throne.

-x-

The camp was in cinders, most of the inhabitants dead or seriously injured. The Hagraven had been the first to fall, being in such close proximity to the boy, no child… Nobody knew what had happened, the boy had undergone the Briarheart Ritual, but then – the ethereal light had erupted from him, words in an ancient tongue permeated the air around them. Then the boy moved no more, those that had survived had checked his vitals, they'd called it.

The boy was dead.

Despite him being a Nord, his sworn enemy as a member of the Forsworn. Philbard felt sympathy stirring in him for the loss of the boy's life, as Caytte had said – they weren't monsters. The boy had been killed by his own kind, for what crime he did not now – but what he did know was that the filthy usurpers would pay most dearly for it.

The men bore him to the river on a bed of straw, animal pelts and wood. Not the native tradition of the Breton people who practiced cremation and ground burial mostly, but the boy was a Nord and as such would be given back to the land of his blood.

Laying him to rest on the riverbed, they stood a few moments in solemn silence. "We must depart, come let us go home." Philbard spoke, the rest of his company all nodded and took there leave.

-x-

Sat in a ornate looking chair in his personal interrogation chamber, Ondolemar looked up as his guards brought the Guard Captain in. "Good of you to join us Captain, I have a few questions which you will answer." He said looking at the Nord man with surety. "Oh, is that right? What makes you think I'll answer any of your questions Elf?" The man spoke with embittered hatred compounded by years of fighting the Thalmor in the Great War.

Ondolemar leaned over the desk. "If you do not, I will make whatever horrors you witnessed in the Great War look like a pleasurable experience." He looked the man in the eye as he did this and saw fear sparking in them. "W-what do y-you w-want?" He stuttered, sweat beading on his forehead.

"The Silver-Bloods, who were they so keen to get rid of?" He asked not breaking his gaze with the man.

"I-I can't t-tell you, the Si-Silver-Bloods, they'd-d ki-kill me, my f-family would be exiled, pl-please d-don't m-make m-me!" The man begged and Ondolemar sneered at the pathetic nature of him. "If you do not tell me. Your wife, your son, will be tied to horses and dragged from here to High Rock, your daughter sold into slavery and you will be made to watch, then I'll split your skull and hang you from the gates as a warning to all who would defy the Thalmor." He snarled and stood from the table, throwing it against the wall and kicking the Nord to the floor.

"Or, you can tell me. I won't touch a hair on your family's head, possibly get you a promotion. How does Commander sound? You could provide the sort of life your family needs, buy that house you've been eyeing, maybe even ascend to Thane in time. All that could be yours, if you simply submit to Thalmor authority and tell me what I want to know. What say you Captain?" He said holding his hand out for the man.

After a long moment, the Captain's shoulders slumped, and he took the Elf's hand. "It was a thief, stole a one of a kind silver mould from the Silver-Blood's house. Thonar gave the order, I-I threw the lad from the cliffs myself." The man's voice croaked with the last bit.

Ondolemar stared for a moment, the Silver-Blood's where killing children then. Interesting, this could be used to his advantage. "Thonar ordered the death of a child? Over a silver mould? Seems a tad excessive to me." He said, looking down at the man.

"He said there was something special about it, had magical properties or something. That's all I know, I swear." He said, Ondolemar glanced at him. "I believe you; you may go. And here, for your troubles." He pressed a bulging sack of gold and jewels into the man's hands. "Escort the Commander out, he has a busy day tomorrow." He said to his guards.

After they had escorted the man home, Ondolemar stood looking out of his window. He would get his promotion; he would be a handy asset in future. "Has the patrol arrived?" He asked his guards quietly. "Yes sir, Ambassador Elenwen sent them as a matter of haste." One of them said. "Good, we leave tonight." He said drawing his cloak on.

-x-

Walking over the rocky crags of the Reach, the elven squad's boots made no sound as they traversed. "Sir! Over there, by the river!" Came a voice, rushing over the squad quickly came upon a rough bed made of straw, pelts and wood – what was disturbing was what lay upon it.

A boy with the ice like paleness of death enveloping him. "This must be him! Check for signs of life." He ordered; he would not touch the boy himself – not one to be sullied by weaker blood. "Sir, it looks almo-…AGHHHHHH!" The Altmer scout shrieked when a pale hand caught him round the neck, sightless eyes blazing like the fires of Oblivion. The boy was alive with strength that belied his weakened state, the boy threw the scout a fair distance away into the river, where he landed with a sickening crunch and moved no more.

He then shot upwards and ran with inhuman speed towards Ondolemar. Forming a frost spike in his hand he threw it at the boy, who appeared to not notice it as he continued his forward assault regardless. Jumping into the air the boy made to attack him, but just then he seized an opportunity and slammed the boy into the ground, focusing a large amount of magic in his palm he thrust his hand at the boy's head.

The gambit worked, the boy went limp in his grip and Ondolemar himself fell to his knees. Using that amount of raw magic like that was, inadvisable shall we say. Though the strike had killed larger and stronger men, the boy was apparently just unconscious.

What was going on here? Looking down, he saw a large hole in the boy's chest. A briarheart where his human heart used to be. "Gods, the barbarians of the hills found him first." He thought to himself.

"Prepare a cart! We make for the Embassy with all haste!" He shouted, immediately his guards sprang to action and within the hour the boy was being taken under armed guard to the Thalmor Embassy.

AN: So, who saw that one coming then eh? ;) the next part will show the boys arrival at the Embassy, his naming, and I may do a bit of a time jump as well… I intend to put a bit more of my "poetic" type stuff in the next few chapters also, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Anyone translate the Dovahzul from last week? C'mon give it a go.

Do please review.

Until next we meet

Seya soon my freaky darlin's!

Grae.