Chapter 6: Bleak Falls Barrow, Part 1
Away from the gate, and down the ancient winding pathway they strode. Every necessary item and equipment they needed for venturing into an ancient ruin had all been found and paid for. They continued walking down until they were right by the caravan camp again. Summer glanced at what they were doing. Two Khajiit (one being female judging by the chest and clothes) were busy cooking a steamy, boiling pot over a fire while the third one in armor stood watch as usual. The fourth one, being female, was tending to the mules grazing about next to the cart. The fifth one, looking to be old judging by the greying fur, was sitting cross-legged on a carpet under the canopy of a fur covered tent, the kind of temporary home which she had never seen before. She remembered that she had questions to ask them about, but given that they were on a quest, she still had no time to have them answered. Unless…
She glanced at Adrien walking beside her, and believed that perhaps he might hold the answers to, hopefully, all of her questions, but only one question stood out among the rest. She looked up to him and spoke. "Adrien, I have a question." He turned his head a bit to glance down at her. "It's about the Khajiit. Why are they left outside when they can be inside where it's warm?"
He paused for a short bit to recollect everything he learned before giving his answer. "The reason they're outside the main entrance is because they're traders. A trade caravan is what they're called. You'll find them on almost any road in Tamriel. They travel like nomads from one settlement to the next, setting up camp and ready to do business with customers. They can also trade inside a settlement, depending on trust and the province they walk through."
"Trust?" She raised one eyebrow.
"Yes, which is another reason why they're left outside. Here in Skyrim, the natives just don't like their kind. You remember what Ralof and Hadvar said about the Nords being resentful to anyone who is not a Nord, yes?" She nodded after thinking back. "For the Khajiit, it's not just because of racism; it's their stained reputation, mostly. The common folk will tell you that the Khajiits are thieves, smugglers and drug dealers. Those may be somewhat true to some extent, but that's a matter of perspective. What really matters is that they are… infamous for manufacturing and selling skooma."
"Is this skooma some kind of drug?" She guessed with a raised brow.
"Right as rain. Skooma, as I've been told, is a drug that's been widely used by dealers to make an easy profit, and it's more addictive than any narcotic out there. It's been outlawed nearly everywhere since the Third Era, but not Elsweyr. They've been making that stuff for themselves to this day."
"Are the Khajiit the ones who made the drug?"
He shook his head. "No, I later found out that it was the dark elves who developed it."
"Oh…," she was a bit surprised with the revelation, but she stayed on track. "Back to the topic. Why would they continue making the drug, even though it's been made illegal?" Summer asked with confusion.
"Well, if there's profit to be made in their own kingdom, then they can sell it to their people for limited legal reasons. The empire does have strict laws and regulations on Khajiit merchants who harbor the stuff outside their home province. As long as none of them break the law, they can keep them."
"I see… I guess the empire can be a bit lenient if need be, right?"
"Of course, we want their merchants to come through our lands to trade, and for the economy to grow. Since the Khajiit use moon sugar as a spice for all their cooking, and with skooma for personal use, the imperial watch keeps an eye on all of them traveling through their heartland of Cyrodiil. If any of them break the law, or if the drug addicts point back to one of their merchants, then they get arrested, and their goods will be confiscated. It does sound harsh, but it's the best the empire can do for everyone else's safety."
"I think I understand. Please let me know when we pick up any potions along the way. I'd rather stay clean than be a junkie." She added with an ere of caution as they passed by the stables
"Moon sugar and skooma are not the only drugs you should watch out for." He stated. "There's Balmora Blue, Hist Sap, Agrotat, Indulcet, Quaesto Vil, and Sursum. Sleeping Tree Sap is also considered illegal in most provinces, but it has been deemed legal in Skyrim… or so I'm told."
"Huh… that is concerning," she muttered with concern in her tone, now being a little more worried about what she might accidentally use, but was also astonished by how much he knew. Her world, too, had illegal drug problems to deal with as well, and it would sometimes be up to the huntsmen to crack down on organized drug dealers if the police could not deal with them. It was also hard for her to keep track of how many illegal drugs were out there. "You seem to know a lot about them."
"It's part of the job description of the Fighter's guild to know these things, especially since on occasion they work with the guards." Now it was his turn to ask. "Speaking of which… Tell me, does your world have crime as well? I know it may sound obvious."
"It's all right, and yes, we still do have crime, unfortunately, but it's not as bad in my home kingdom as you think. The only kingdom with the highest crime rate that I know is Mistral. It's basically the underworld of crime and organized gangs, and the bandit tribes inhabiting the landscape are more numerous than in Vacuo. Like if you cut the head off one snake, it will just grow two more, and the government running the kingdom doesn't do much to solve the crime rate."
"Their leaders sound corrupt and lazy, then," he stated.
"Indeed." Silence stretched on for half a minute, until Adrien continued the subject.
"So your people have bandit problems of your own," he mused. "I would think that an advanced civilization would hardly have problems with scum."
"It's a complicated matter really," she sighed. "Wherever there's poverty, there's bound to be crime popping up somewhere."
"That is true. What do you do to deal with the bandit problem?"
"Well, we deal with the criminals by taking them all out and turning them in alive for the bounty." She explained.
"You spare them all? Outside and inside the kingdom?"
"Yup. As for those outside the kingdom, the only way to turn them in safely is by an armed airship." She looked at the knights expression, seeing that he was a bit surprised yet still had that look of confusion. "Is there something wrong?"
"No, it's just… you really must be a saint for sparing all their lives, despite their crimes."
She smiled at the compliment. "Why, thank you. But truth be told, it's important to spare lives no matter the moral compass. Since we're still small in number, and since we're being continuously threatened everywhere by the Grimm, it's best to spare as many lives as possible. Of course, if the crook is truly a psychotic serial killer with no remorse, and if they are beyond redemption, then… technically yes, they'll be behind bars for life, or be executed for the safety of everyone."
"Hm. What about petty criminals?"
"Like all criminals, they have to deal with the police department first. They're not like us huntsmen, but the officers who patrol the streets make sure the law remains upheld. They're like guards, but they take their job and badge more seriously. They're the ones who deal with petty crimes and gangs, even murders if they can handle it. So if anyone breaks the law, the officers will be the first ones on the scene.
"Oh, and before you ask, we have a justice system: a trial for those arrested to be either proven innocent or guilty."
"Ah, so this 'justice system' you people made must sound complex, and it does not involve the church?"
She shook her head, no. "We abandoned that idea a long time ago, so the church doesn't have a say in the justice system. How do you deal with crime in this world, by the way?"
"It's almost the same as what you explained, but that depends on the crime and punishment. And yes, the church does have a say in these affairs. For petty crimes, they either pay a fine or get tossed in jail for a time, but that's depending on the severity. As for the seriously heinous crimes such as murder, rape, necromancy, banditry and so on, they will either be killed on the spot, be jailed for life, or they be sent to an execution."
"Kinda simple, blunt and straight to the point if you ask me." She said with the uncomfortable thought of the clergy casting their judgement on her.
"That's just how things work when it comes to justice." He shrugged. "Yet here, Skyrim's way of law and justice is… traditional."
"Yeah… I remember Gerdur telling me much about it."
He hummed, and after that conversation was over, the two remained silent for a while. Once they were next to the Honningbrew Meadery did he speak up.
"Summer, have you ever delved into ancient ruins before?" He asked on an important subject.
"We have a lot of ruins, both old and recent, but I never explored them." She answered.
"You never have?" He asked as he gave her a curious look, while deep down, he was surprised that she did not have the curiosity to be as adventurous.
"I was assigned one time to protect some archeologists from being eaten alive… but I was never curious to see what the ruins belonged to. I only went in there because the Grimm were lurking about."
"I see. Since this will be your first delve, I should warn you that there will be dangers within the barrow we're headed. Like all ruins and dungeons, it will have puzzles and traps, so have a keen eye and be careful where you step." She nodded, paying careful attention to the veteran adventurer's every word as he continued. "But those are not the only obstacles you'll face. All the ruins that dot Skyrim's landscapes and mountains have tombs, and from what I gathered from Alvor and Hadvar, draugr dwell within those tombs. They're what you would call zombies, but they have their souls trapped within themselves, so they have some semblance of how to use weapons. So be ready to take them down."
Her expression, however, showed doubt. "I'm having a hard time believing that the undead are real."
"Your world doesn't have any magical beasts or undead beside the Grimm?"
"We have wild animals, but never any fantastical beasts. Also, magic doesn't exist in my world either. We only have Dust, Semblance, ingenuity, and our training to help us survive."
He was about to end the conversation, but then a thought occurred to him about the Grimm. "I see, but if what you say is true that the Grimm have no soul, then wouldn't they be considered undead?"
She paused. She did not think past the fact they were genocidal monsters… but by making comparisons between the two; she concluded that they may not be too far apart. "...I never really thought of it that way. It's true they do nearly lack the same thing, but the Grimm are living monsters, not the walking dead."
"Hm, interesting…"
The conversation ended then, and the two walked down the road in silence for a while. They were way past the bridge, and as they soon neared the waterfall, they suddenly stopped when they saw a small band of imperial soldiers walking in a line down the path opposite their direction.
"Let's get off the road. Let them pass," he ordered, and the two stood off the side of the road and watched as the soldiers soon walked on by. They learned why they were walking in line. There were four soldiers of two different races, both Nord and Imperial, escorting and guarding a bound rebel Nord in rags in the middle of the four. A couple of the soldiers gave them warning looks that said 'do not interfere', but other than that, they stayed in line. As Adrien watched, he knew that, to their luck, these were not the soldiers from Helgen. Otherwise…
Summer, meanwhile, could do nothing but look at the prisoner in sympathy, wrenched with the dread of his fate. Yet out of morbid curiosity, as the band went further away from where they came, she asked her partner without the worry of getting their attention, although deep down, she knew the answer. "Adrien, where do you think they're taking him?"
"To one of the forts or their headquarters for interrogation." He answered neutrally. "If it's the latter, then they have a long way to go. Let's get going."
The two got back on the road and continued up the incline. While they went higher, Summer was still troubled by what she saw earlier. She would shiver at what kind of fate awaited the poor rebel. She took no pleasure in the suffering of others, reminding her again how cancerous war can be.
"...I hate war," she muttered in displeasure for the second time.
Adrien overheard her saying it again, and he turned his head slightly to glance momentarily at his companion, but did not say a word. He still would not resent her for what she believed, and even he would like to live a life without war. But, like everyone else, he had no power to make that happen, and it will happen someday no matter what. So he turned his focus back on the road and said nothing of it.
They were past the waterfall, but they still went up a ways before reaching the sign post. They went in the direction of the village the same way they came from, and soon the walled gate could be seen up ahead. Once they were through the gate, they saw that nothing had happened since they left, save for the added guards now patrolling the streets. Other than that, everything seemed as normal as usual to their relief.
"It's good to see that nothing bad has happened," Summer said with relief.
"Indeed." He agreed. "Let's get a quick bite to eat. It's past noon right now, so it would be best to go on a full stomach. Soon we'll ask them the way to the barrow."
She nodded, already feeling the pit of her stomach ache during the long journey from the city. The two booked left and went inside the inn. Inside, the usual customers were seated, drinking, eating and chatting up a joke or two, and meanwhile the bard was playing a playful tune. The bartender already noticed the huntress and the knight before they took their seats, with Adrien taking off his backpack and setting it down on the floor next to him. He put away the laminated bowl he was cleaning before walking over to them from behind the counter.
"Welcome back. What can I get you," Orgnar asked.
"We would like a quick meal, good sir," Adrien kindly ordered. "I do not mind if it's not cooked."
"Hm… alright, I'll see what I can gather. What about drinks?"
"I'll have an ale," he answered.
"And I'll have water, please?" She asked/answered.
He nodded before he left the two alone for a while. He was back behind the counter, setting two laminated plates on the top. He gathered two cheese wedges, two pieces of bread and two apples before taking them over to them.
"Here you are," he said as he set the filled plates down in front of them. Well, he did ask for a quick meal. At least it would keep somewhat feeling filled. He left them and soon came back with a bottle of ale and drinking horn with a stand. He gave the drinking horn to Summer which she looked at curiously. "I'm out of clean mugs at the moment, so it'll have to do."
"I don't mind this at all, thank you." She replied with a sincere smile.
He nodded with a soft smile for the thanks, but then he addressed Adrien. "That'll be twenty coppers."
"Alright…" He leaned sideways, opened his backpack and pulled the bag of coppers. He counted twenty after picking one coin at a time and gave them to his awaiting hands.
"Thanks," he said, but there was something on his mind. "If you don't mind me asking, what's the rush?"
"We're on a quest from the Jarl, and we're heading to Bleak Falls Barrow. Do you know how we can get there?"
Suddenly, if subtly, he frowned in foreboding at the mention of the name. "Ah, sorry. I know this may be important, but I'd suggest you don't go to Bleak Falls Barrow." The two adventurers raised an eyebrow. "You look like you're prepared, I get that, but believe me when I say you two weren't the first to try raiding into that place. Those that did, never came back. Again, I suggest you forget about it."
Before Adrien could argue that he was an experienced adventurer, the bartender turned around and headed back to the counter without another word.
"Could he be right, though?" She asked her partner. "Is the barrow really that dangerous?"
"Nords can be very superstitious, but for their own good reasons. Problem now is that this village might not be forthcoming to us. This is going to be problematic."
"Well, the only thing we can do now is ask around and hope for the best." She tried to assure him.
"Yeah, let's pray that one of them is not the superstitious type. But first, let's eat."
She agreed, and the two silently ate their meal.
After they were done eating, they asked the patrons about the barrow. Unfortunately for them, some were too scared to talk about it, and the others (the travelers) honestly did not know anything about it, though it was almost hard to tell. Far from giving up, they headed outside and stood on the main road.
"All right, let's ask our hosts for directions," he suggested. "I'm sure they'll be willing to help us out."
"I'm sure they will. I'll meet up with Gerdur at the sawmill, then."
"And I'll have a talk with Alvor."
The two walked down the main road, and soon went their separate ways for a time. Adrien was on the deck as he approached the forge, seeing Alvor hammering away at a hot strip of metal being held by the tongs.
"Alvor," he called out, and the blacksmith stopped doing his work and turned his head to see his acquaintance had returned.
"Ah, Adrien, welcome back!" He greeted graciously, then he stabbed the strip of metal back into the hot coals of the forge, placed his tongs on the anvil and turned around to face him while he continued. "And I see we have guards now, so it must've gone well. On behalf of Riverwood, I thank you for looking out for us."
"It's no problem. Just doing what's right."
He nodded. "So, is there something I can help with?"
"I have a favor to ask of you. The Jarl has given us a task. His court wizard believes there's an artifact in Bleak Falls Barrow that could explain something about the dragon and we've been asked to find it. Do you think you can help me point the way?"
Alvor paused, or rather was hesitant to tell him, a conflict of concern written on his features. He learned he was a knight during their family dinner last night, so out of respect, he asked him one question. "Tell me, friend, have you delved into ruins before?"
"I have on several occasions," he answered.
"So you know what to expect in those… haunted tombs." The knight nodded, and he felt a bit assured. "I would have told you to avoid that place but… since this is from Jarl Balgruuf, refusing your request would be like refusing the Jarl himself. Okay, I can give you the directions to get there, but you have to promise me that you both will come back alive, alright? You're a good friend, and I hate to let it be the last time we see you."
Adrien held a tight right fist over his heart before answering with aplomb: "On my honor as a knight, I swear I will keep us alive."
The blacksmith smiled slightly. "With a conviction like that, I have no doubt that you'll fulfill that promise. Okay, in order to reach the barrow, you'll have to cross the bridge and head north. Once you reach the signpost, there's a path that will lead you up the mountainside. It's almost easy to miss. Just be wary of the cold while you climb up the mountain."
"Thank you for your help, Alvor."
"Don't mention it. Just make sure to come back alive."
He nodded, and then turned around to leave the smithy when suddenly…
"Wait a minute." Alvor stopped him, and the knight turned back around. "There is another thing you could do for us, if you're willing. You see, our merchant, Lucan, had a break-in last night." This now had his full attention. "I didn't know about it until after you all left. They didn't steal anything of value, which is strange, but they did steal the merchant's heirloom or something. He can tell you more about it. He runs the Riverwood Trader." He pointed his finger at the shop across the street from where they stood. "Would you be willing to lend a helping hand again?"
"Of course, I'd be glad to help. I'll just need to know where they went."
"Thank you, and safe travels to you." He bid farewell.
He nodded again, and then left the smithy to wait for his partner, which did not take long at all.
In another perspective
While Adrien went to meet the blacksmith, Summer strode across the bridge and onto the isle of sawn lumber and chopped logs. She saw the Wood Elf chopping logs at a stump when she passed by, but he was not who she was looking for. Gerdur's husband could be seen handling the pile of lumber as he pulled the lone lumber with a hook, and carried it on his back with his brute strength before dropping it onto the conveyor. She finally found Gerdur doing what the elf was doing, standing next to the sawmill while splitting away at each log she chopped atop a naturally wooden pedestal.
"Hey, Gerdur!" She called out through the loud machinery as she walked up to her. The Nord woman paused a bit in her attempt to grab another log when she overheard her name. She turned her head in the Huntress's direction. It took her a second to recognize her from the armor she wore and smiled.
"Summer, and you're back so soon." She called back as she straightened back up. She brought the hatchet down on the wooden pedestal, jamming the blade in between the wood, and she walked over. "How was your visit with the Jarl?"
"It went rather well, I think. But that's the reason I'm here. The Jarl has given me and Adrien a task, and we're looking for directions to head into the barrow up there." She pointed her finger up the mountain past the river, then she returned to her gaze and felt a little hesitant. "I figured maybe you could help me as a favor?"
She folded her arms and looked her in the eye with a question. "Perhaps, but have you ever gone into ancient ruins before?" She already knew Summer had the heart of a warrior and also a monster hunter, just yesterday after she took her in for dinner that night and learned her backstory. Although, in actuality, Summer made her story as somewhat vague, luckily much to Gerdur being oblivious to the half true story.
"Well, I haven't… but Adrien knows a lot more about going into dangerous dungeons and tombs, so I'll be following his lead."
"Then I feel much better knowing that. I know you're a capable fighter, but it's best to pay close attention to what he says, lest you end up dead. Skyrim has always been a brutal place to live." She nodded in agreement. "Right, about those directions: Once you leave the way you came, cross the bridge and then head north. Once you reach the sign post, there's a path behind it. That will lead you straight to Bleakfalls Barrow. I'd tell you to be wary of the cold when you're going up the mountain, but it looks like you came prepared."
"Indeed," she affirmed. "We bought the gear and supplies from Belethor."
"The sleazy little Breton?" She raised a single brow while having her fists placed against her hips. "I hope his prices were reasonable this time."
"They were. He said everything was on sale today despite the war."
"Hm, strange. I know his prices can be reasonable at times, but still, I'd be careful around him if I were you. You never know when a merchant might swindle you with something useless."
"I'll be more careful in the future, I swear."
She nodded with a re-assured smile. "Good to know."
"I should get going, then. See you later." She waved goodbye as she left.
"Take care," she bid her farewell, then went back to work chopping wood.
With the directions now given to her, Summer walked across the island and soon crossed over the bridge to link up with her partner. She noticed that he had just got done talking to the blacksmith, and was waiting for her on the other side of the bridge.
"How did it go?" He asked.
"It went well without much fuss," she answered. "And I got the directions to get there."
"So do I, but before we go, let's meet up with the merchant."
"What for?" She asked curiously.
"Alvor told me some thieves had broken into his shop last night, took nothing but his heirloom. I want to see what he knows about what happened."
"If it's catching thieves, count me in!" She offered with optimism.
"Good." He nodded, and the two went across the street and to the front door of the shop. When Adrien opened the door, they, however, were met with a heated argument between two siblings.
"Well someone has to do something!" The woman sitting at a table to their left argued.
"I said no! No adventures, no theatrics, no thief chasing!" The man, Lucan, argued from behind the counter.
"Well what are you going to do then, huh? Let's hear it!"
"We are done talking about this!" He finally noticed he had customers when he heard the door creak to a close. "Oh," he clears his throat, "some customers. Sorry you had to hear that."
"I was told about what happened last night. It must be very unfortunate." He said his condolences.
"Indeed. Although it's good that nothing has been stolen besides a broken pot, thank the eight, so I still got plenty to sell. They only stole one thing. An ornament. Made of solid gold in the shape of a dragon's claw. I've had that claw as my decoration since I set up shop a while back."
"Maybe we can help you get your claw back," he proposed.
He was surprised. "You will? I've got some coin coming in from my last shipment. It's yours if you bring my claw back. If you're going after those thieves, you should head to Bleak Falls Barrow, northeast of town."
"How do you know they're in Bleak Falls Barrow?" Summer asked, and that question also got his sister's attention with a questioning look.
"Uhm, well I… I followed them." He replied, embarrassed.
"You followed them…?" His sister implied with a smirk. "And you told me no thief chasing."
"I wasn't trying to be a hero!" He snapped at her, then returned his address to the guests. "I'm a merchant, of course there was no way I could win!" He sighed. "Come to think of it, I didn't know what I was thinking."
"How did you follow the thieves without getting caught?" Summer asked, her and her partner being interested in how he managed to pull it off.
"Alright. Last night, I woke up to the sound of a broken clay pot. Fearing that my shop was being ransacked, I took my knife and ran down the stairs without a thought of safety. The thief was no longer there, but the door was left wide open. Besides my damaged merchandise, nothing was stolen except for my claw. I panicked and ran out the door to find him. I spotted the man running away at a far distance, so I ran after him. Once he was past the bridge, I got exhausted trying to follow him… but then I noticed that he wasn't alone, so I hid behind a nearby bush. I watched as more of them were coming out of the woods."
"How many were there," he asked.
"About ten, I think?" He somewhat guessed as he then continued his story. "Anyways, I watched them converse for a bit. He showed them the claw, and then they all went up north, and I could see under the two moons they were going up the mountain. That's how I knew they were heading to Bleak Falls Barrow."
"You made a wise choice not to pursue. Those were not thieves that stole your claw. With numbers like that, those would be bandits."
"I thought so, too." He agreed, being a bit downcast.
"Well, thieves or not, we'll make sure to get your claw back." He promised.
"Thank you," he said, feeling glad that they would go out of their way to help a lowly merchant.
"So, this is your plan, Lucan?" His sister asked.
"Yes. So now you don't have to go, do you?"
She did not give up, however. "Oh, really? Well, I think your new helpers here could use a guide."
"Actually," Summer spoke up, "we just so happened to be heading to the barrow anyways for a different reason, so we already got directions to get there. Of course, I do thank you for the offer."
"Oh, um, you're welcome, I guess." She deflated and pouted, and her brother was snickering all the while.
"Right, we should get going. We'll be back with your claw, sir." Adrien bade his farewell as the two adventurers left.
"Be sure those bandits know not to mess with Lucan Valerius!" He declared before the door shut behind them.
"This is good for us," Summer commented positively. "We'll be able to take out two birds with one stone! So, how do we deal with the bandits?"
"We'll have to kill them," he answered bluntly, then he started walking while Summer did a double take on what he just told her. "Come on, let's form a plan while we're heading there."
His words immediately burst forth flashbacks which flooded her mind, giving her visions of the seven hunters she murdered as her skin was losing color. Each of those faces had a predatory look to them with the intent to kill her, but each of them were dead by her hand in different ways than one, in different places and time.
"Wait, did you just say 'kill them'? As in murder?" She was in shock while she could not believe what she was hearing from him. She still remembered what she overheard yesterday between Alvor, Adrien and Ralof, how they spoke of the massacre so casually as if it were just normal. That moment almost made her remember those terrible years, but her will was strong to keep it buried and dismissed it. Now it no longer mattered as the memories were flooding back.
"Yes," he replied as he stopped and turned back around to face her impassively, but when he saw her troubled and pale expression, he realized he had forgotten her profession. "Oh, that's right; you're a huntress. This is probably against your moral code." He thought for a second while Summer could not think of what to say. "If you want, we can try to coerce them to back away. Though honestly, they're not the kind of people we can trust to keep their word. If not, then we'll have to."
"Can't we just knock them out and capture them?" She proposed, hoping to convince him to take a different approach than killing. "I'm sure the bounty would be better if we take them alive, right? Let the guards handle the rest?"
He knew where this was going, and he internally sighed. "Under normal circumstances, I would have taken up your idea." Then he shook his head. "But these are not normal circumstances. Time is against us right now with the dragon still out there. If we wait any longer, who knows what might happen to Whiterun Hold. It would be best to be expedient about this."
"Maybe we can get the guards to help us?" She ignored what he said and was starting to get desperate in not wanting to do it again.
"No, Summer, we will not hire the guards to risk their lives for some mere bandits!" Her persistence was now starting to irritate him.
"What's all this about?" A guard asked them in demand from behind as he joined in. "I thought I heard about you hiring us?"
"We were, actually." She beat Adrien to the punch, to his annoyance. "Do you think you can help us bring some bandits to justice?"
"Hm, I would like to, but no can do," he shrugged, leaving her crestfallen. "I would much rather be keeping this town safe from a dragon attack than deal with petty thieves. You'd best be getting yourselves some mercenaries to do the job."
"Thank you for your suggestion, sir." Adrien thanked while Summer was at a loss for words.
"Of course," he nodded, then he left them alone and continued his patrol.
"You see now? There is simply no time and no way to do this! If we do this, then the nearest dungeon will be back in the city, and it's too far away for us to waste multiple trips." He pointed out. "This is not your world, Summer. You should've just told me you couldn't do it. So how about you stay here, I'll take care of this task on my own." Putting up with it no more, he turned around and marched toward the gate.
'Why? Why must this…?' Summer's mind was in turmoil, with her head down, jaws clenched while Adrien was walking away. She could not find anything else to argue with, and she knew he was right. She knew this was not her world, but she did not want to bring out the truth of her dark past. Call it a force of habit she would think, but the truth remains she was scared of doing it again; the act of killing. Unfortunately for her, without her Aura, she needed his guidance and protection in order to survive, and yet she feared later on that she might become a burden. At this point she had to decide on what to do, and that also meant if she was willing to spill blood. He did say he would try to talk them out of it, and it did bring a bit of comfort to her. So, she looked up to see Adrien getting closer to the gate. She breathed in and, swallowing her fear, she called out.
"Adrien, wait!"
He stopped and turned his head back to glance in her direction, seeing she was marching up to him. He turned completely around to face her, him giving off the expression saying 'what now' once she stopped two feet in front of him.
"I'll… go with you," she answered somewhat hesitantly, but with absolution. The answer made him raise a single brow, however, but she continued. "But under one condition…"
"And that is…?"
"If we fail to make them leave… then let's make our kills clean. I don't want to make them suffer, sound fair?"
He was surprised she would consider doing the opposite of what she told him, but took in all that she proposed and considered her words. He had to ask her, though. "Tell me, and be honest. Have you ever taken a life?"
"...I have," she replied, though she hated to answer that. "I just don't want to talk about it." She averted her eyes from him as she gently rubbed her arm.
"Hmm…," he kept considering her words, but he soon expressed his doubt as he crossed his arms. He wanted to argue, but the emotion she was giving off convinced him to hold his breath for another time. "I don't know your tale, and I understand you abhor killing, but out here, dangerous folk won't give you much of a choice. It will either be you or them. If you're still willing to come with me, I could use an archer to watch my back."
She hesitated, but she still kept her word. "I will come with you."
"Okay," he nodded. "You know what to do?"
"I'll first need a non-destructive set of arrows." Just saying that reminded her how she electrocuted a hunter to a crispy death with one lightning Dust arrow.
He nodded. "I still remember how destructive they are. Come, let's get you fitted with some steel arrows. I saw that Alvor had a quiver ready."
"Thanks," she nodded, and the two went over to the blacksmith to buy arrows before setting off.
The knight and the Huntress were past the gate and going across the bridge. Summer was now carrying a replacement for her modern quiver with a larger primitive version on her cloaked back made to carry fifteen arrows. With the fifteen arrows plus the quiver, the total cost was fifty five septims. As for her other quiver, it was conveniently made to be compact and was stored inside Adrien's backpack, since the quiver had ten compacted fire dust arrows left.
By comparison, her Dust arrow quiver was more sleek and could adjust its height based on the number of Dust arrows it carried, which could amount up to a total of thirty arrows. This Nordic styled steel lined quiver made for steel arrows, however, was more bulky and could only carry less. The metal alloy of the fire Dust Arrows had more sharpness and toughness, and they were more handily retrievable due to its retractable construction, but the arrowheads would be destroyed on explosion. The steel arrowheads were tough as well as sharp, but the haft was made of wood which breaks more easily, making them tricky to retrieve. Plus, wood can be warped if not handled and maintained well, which will then make them unreliable for accuracy. It was also important for her to consider remembering that she now carried this quiver behind her back. She knew this undoubtedly is a rookie mistake, knowing that if she had to jump, the arrows will have nothing to keep them from flying out of the quiver, but the quiver was too large to be carried by hip. So she had no other choice, and would have to remember to keep them in place when in a combat situation.
As they headed up further north, Summer was still trying to come to terms with her impending act of murder. A part of her wanted to change her mind and stay at the village until he came back, but the cynical part of her showed otherwise. She understood that he was an experienced warrior, but what would happen if Adrien got killed on this task? She could handle some things herself, but how far would that get her without her Aura? There may come a time soon when she would be forced to take someone's life, but could she go through with it? Would she come out the same person she was before? These were the kind of questions which ran through her troubled mind, each one of them bringing no comfort to her as the memories kept coming back to haunt her. Fearfully, it would all come down to one thing. She either had to do it or face more hardships ahead.
As she pondered things over, they were already past the signpost and followed the trail behind it. As they walked up the mountainside, the pair were beginning to notice that the air was getting colder the further they went, and soon, snow was starting to become prominent all around them. Then the sparse snowflakes gently drifted down from the sky as they went higher along the inclining trail. At this point, they could see what looked to be an old, abandoned watchtower, but they soon saw that it was no longer abandoned but occupied. They quickly hid behind the boulder, peeking as two men in patchwork fur clothing, which confirmed his suspicion, were conversing. Luckily, the pair were too far away for them to notice.
"It looks like the rest have gone up ahead." He stated. "These ones are obviously the lookouts."
"What should we do?" She asked.
"I'll go ahead and try to convince them to leave. I'm counting on you to watch my back in case they decide to attack."
She nodded. "I hope it works."
"Don't be surprised if things go south," he warned. "When I raise my two fingers, that'll be your signal to attack." She nodded again, then he stood back up, walked away from their hiding spot and strode towards the conversing bandits. He only made it more than halfway when one of them finally spotted him coming.
"The hell?" The bandits stopped their conversation and addressed the armored stranger, threateningly sneering at the man who dared to come up here. "That's close enough! Who are you, some tomb raider? If you're here for the treasure, buzz off! Or don't! At least I won't be bored after killing you." The two chuckled menacingly.
"I didn't come here for the treasure," he answered neutrally, which got them a bit confused. "I'm only looking for one item."
He really disliked this idea and knew this was not going to work, considering the situation both parties were in. These guys had greed on their minds, so it was obvious they would easily follow the order to keep watch while whatever was in the barrow would be dug up or not. It would have been easy to coerce them to leave if he still had his armor. His armor was, in practicality, his badge of office. Good and bad folk alike would just as easily recognize a knight in full armor and regalia like a sore thumb. Since his armor was taken from him and had to start back from scratch affording iron armor, his appearance could be that of either a brigand, a mercenary or adventurer, and all three of those categories would do no justice to his station.
"You think he's talking about the claw?" The nord bandit asked his comrade, which then made them both suspicious. "I think that merchant hired him."
"Well, if it's the claw you're after, it's too late!" He spat back. "Any minute now and all the riches will all be ours! Unless you intend to try…"
"I'm not talking about the claw either."
"Then what are you rambling about!? Spill it!" He threatened as he brandished his iron mace.
"There's a stone tablet in there that I came to collect for myself, but I would like to give you all the chance to leave."
"Who in Oblivion do you think you are telling us what to do," he threatened.
"Tablet…? We were never told about a tablet." The nord said.
The imperial bandit looked to his comrade in confusion until he put something together in his head. "Hnh, I'll bet that tablet could be worth a fortune if he's here for it," he commented. Then suddenly he grinned when he looked back at the hidden knight, giving him the indication he was up to something. "Tell you what, we'll go our way and let you pass, if you give us all the Septims you have. You're a mercenary, right? I'm sure you'll find a way to make plenty more along the way. Sound fair?" He chuckled greedily with a grin.
Adrien paused for a moment to choose, but before he pondered, he noticed another bandit to his right, further from them and up the trail. He had a bow and arrow ready. It would seem he was put into a trap, but he could not let that bother him. He still had plenty of Septims left and could bribe them all to leave, but the problem remained that he needed this money to get where he wanted to be, and to help Summer find her way home. Also, even if he refused, they would surely just try to kill him for everything he had. At this point, he would have to disappoint her to prove his point, but in time she would understand.
Meanwhile, Summer had watched the whole exchange happen from where she hid with her bow and arrow ready. When he left to negotiate with them, she transformed her axes into a bow as quietly as she could. Luckily, the wind was not blowing in their direction, so the transformation was muffled enough for the bandits not to notice. She too saw the archer further back with his bow and arrow out, ready to shoot him if given the order. The talks were going longer than she thought, and she could hardly hear anything from a distance. While it went on, she began to feel within herself something familiarly ominous warning her of danger, that something wasn't right. At this moment, this was it; this was going to be the deciding factor in her path. Being more cautious, she pulled the nocked arrow a little closer to herself.
Her fears were right when suddenly she saw it. She spotted the archer pulling back his nocked arrow. This had turned out to not be a lookout but a trap. She mentally punched herself for letting her insecurity get the best of her, naively thinking things would go peacefully when her experience had taught her otherwise, and now she accidentally had gotten her partner in mortal danger. With or without the signal, she was going to save him as she peeked slightly out from the boulder and took aim at the archer, steeling herself as she finally made the decision which must be done.
"Sorry, but that's not going to happen," was his stern answer. "I won't pay you."
"Heh heh heh, who said you were gonna pay?" He chuckled mirthfully with a lust for blood as he raised his mace. "Skewer him!"
The Breton archer eagerly pulled the arrow back, but suddenly an arrow pierced through his hide armor and chest. The force threw his aim off course as he released the arrow, and luckily the trajectory was off as the arrow missed the knight when he jerked sideways away from it out of instinct. He already saw what happened. He had no need to do the signal and wasted no time sprinting towards the closest bandit with his sword being drawn with his left hand, and at the same time while the bandit turned to see who shot him, another arrow pierced him in the heart, killing him as he fell backwards. The closest one was the imperial bandit as the scumbag reacted with a swing of his mace, but he ducked under, and plunged his sword through his rib cage, puncturing his heart before pulling it out and shoving him back to face the nord bandit to his right. The nord blocked the attack with his steel longsword, and was about to use a counter but did not anticipate being grabbed by the hair and bashed in the head by the knight's iron helmet. In his dizzied state, he suddenly felt the cold steel plunging through his chest and piercing his heart, thus losing the battle in seconds as the knight twisted the blade and stopped his heart.
"Damn you!" He heard the telltale voice of an orc charging him from behind as he pulled the sword and twirled around to block the incoming attack from above with both hands using the sword as a shield. The orc had a round shield, and a war axe lifted high above his head when the knight saw an arrow piercing his skull, already falling sideways from the force of the shot. The shot came from none other than Summer herself, and he turned to see the huntress leaving away from her hiding place and walking up to him. She had a frown and an expression of discomfort as she rubbed her arms to either keep herself warm or to find self comfort.
"I should've known better," she muttered out loud while being three feet away from him.
"Bandits are often unpredictable when they see an opportunity, but it looks like they chose poorly."
"And once again I've taken more lives." She spoke bitterly with guilt.
"Don't beat yourself up over it." He said somewhat sternly to reassure her. "You took their lives in order to protect me, and for that I thank you for watching my back."
She replied back with a grim nod, even though she still found little comfort in what she did.
He was about to make an explanation, but it was cut short when he heard ruffling coming from the old tower. Both of them heard the sound and looked to see there was another bandit, this one a redguard woman in iron armor, looking down at them warily from atop the tower. When they saw her, she gasped in surprise and backed away in hiding. They looked away from the tower and at each other, one of them wondering what to do. While Summer looked up to him, expressingly pleading him not to do it, but the cold look given back spoke otherwise. She sighed through her nostrils in both contempt and sadness to witness another life taken as she looked away.
"Just… do what you must," she said bitterly as she walked over to the dead orc to retrieve her arrow, but before she did it, he witnessed her making a quiet prayer for the dead bandit before trying to get her arrow back.
When she said that and did her prayers, it made him pause. All this talk of morality in a time like this brought a memory of something almost similar popping up. He remembered a time with his fellow knight brothers who brought justice and made compassionate decisions as befitting a knight's chivalric code, but to what he had seen, compassion was fickle when it came to the wicked. He had experienced enough instances where the ones spared or forgiven would come back to haunt him. He would love nothing more than to leave nothing to chance, and yet… He sighed quietly as he looked back down at her being disgusted while also struggling to pull out the arrow from his skull. If she wanted him to spare the bandit, she could've tried harder to convince him. He did not like letting such naïveté take over, but...
"Summer," she looked at him in question after giving up on the arrow, "I leave the decision to you this time."
She was taken aback and did not know what to say at first. "A–Are you…"
"Yes," he affirmed. "After all this…," he waved his hand around the dead bodies, "I think you already know what you'll be facing from here on out. I'm just giving you the option this time."
She stared at him for a moment, then looked away in thought. After a bit of consideration, it was obvious she would take the chance to save a life as she stood back up and faced the tower.
"Hey you up there!" She called out. "You know you can't stop us. If you have any ounce of common sense, you should take your loot and run. We're giving you one chance to live."
They waited for her to make a response or peer out over the edge of the watchtower, perhaps to give the usual defiance he so commonly ran into, but nothing happened. Assuming she got the message, she settled with contempt and looked back up at Adrien. "Let's get going."
He nodded and went their way, but not without retrieving her two arrows from the archer bandit. In some grim relief, her two arrows were undamaged, so she put the bloodied arrows back in her quiver.
With that out of the way, they moved further up the path. At every step, however, the air grew ever colder, the snow fell thicker, the wind blew stronger. Minutes later, the blizzard screamed its chilling rage all around them as they trudged through the deep snow. Summer's wool clothing kept her warm, but it did not help her aching fingers and toes much, and her eyes stung from the ferocity of the gale. She bit back a curse before it escaped her mouth and torturously looked at her companion, envying him. The cold simply did not bother him. There was the woolen cape to complement his outfit and armor, true, but the cape by itself was a poor shield against that blizzard. He was just that tough or experienced? Except for the glaringly obvious elves and cat folk, she had not been in this world long enough to tell the races apart from each other, and thus Adrien's mixed Nord and Imperial heritage went completely unnoticed by her.
To his credit, Adrien noticed her discomfort and stopped to fish a bottle from his backpack and put it to Summer's lips. She felt the warmth of the brew before she could tell it was sweet, thick and not at all rough on her throat. New energy coursed through her muscles, and she gave the knight a grateful smile. Her companion nodded and turned around to continue their ascent.
They peered as far as they could, but soon they caught sight of a silhouette of stonework from around the corner. As they got close enough, they could now see the full side view of their objective. Bleak Falls Barrow. It was just as imposing as it was old and familiar. Alas, they could spot a few more bandits keeping guard (or lounging around) on the barrow's upper level. At this point, there was no point in hiding since there was hardly any cover to go behind.
"Alright, you take out the archers. I'll deal with the fighters," he ordered as he pulled out his iron greatsword, and the huntress got her steel arrow nocked to her bowstring. They trudged faster through the snow, but as they rapidly got closer, the visibility from their position had the bandits spotting them coming.
"Ahh shit! We got fools coming!" They heard the Breton bandit shouting at his comrades while pulling out his steel sword. "Come on, boys! Let's kill em and take everything they have!"
Adrien charged forth while Summer stopped in her tracks and pulled back her nocked arrow, quickly scanning for archers further up the barrow while ignoring the cold biting at her exposed fingers. It didn't take a second to spot one of them aiming for Adrien, so steeling herself again, she released her shot and it soon pierced the scumbag in the heart. No sooner had she released when she sensed danger almost too late as she moved from an arrow whizzing by her left shoulder, leaving a cut in the fabric of her cloak. She gasped in surprise, with some degree of fear for her life as she traced the source back to another archer standing next to a column on the other side of the barrow's courtyard. She saw he had already nocked another arrow and fired it straight for her. She could easily see it coming, and she jumped out of the way of its trajectory as best she could given the deep snow while keeping the arrows in her quiver. Her hand immediately went for an arrow, almost struggling to pull one out, considering how she was not used to grabbing arrows this way. She nocked it and pulled it back when another came soaring toward her. She leaned sideways out of the incoming arrow when she released her own toward the offender. The archer saw it coming mid ready and made a smart decision by going behind a column. She quietly cursed as she prepared another.
Meanwhile, Adrien soon clashed with the three bandits at the foot of the steps, now being two after he almost bisected the first bandit wielding a war axe (from left to right) as the blood and guts spilled onto the snow. The two remaining combatants attempted to gang up on him, but he backed away from the steps. They came close enough to where he spun around and swung a heavy arc which made one bandit stop in his tracks, but the other was too late to react as he got a deep cut to his chest, but it was not fatal enough to kill him. The smart one decided it was the right time to strike at him with his battle axe while he prepared to swing, and he thought the knight was preparing to swing again. Instead the knight thrusted his greatsword into his heart, pulled it out by the blade in both hands and fiercely bashed his skull with the pummel. That left with the wounded bandit who already recovered and was about to avenge his fallen comrade. He almost struck him down with his steel sword, but the knight was quick to reflexively move in and grab his sword arm, then he lifted and suplexed the bandit over his shoulder to the snowy ground, leaving the surprised crook in a daze. That gave Adrien the opportune moment to plunge his sword into the bandit's heart, and twisted the blade which ended his life.
Summer quickly thought to herself what she would do if she were her enemy. Taking from her experience, she aimed at the opposite side of the arch column and released her arrow. Her hunch was right when the bandit archer appeared from the other side, just where the arrow soon pierced his skull before he could draw his bow further. He slumped to the stone floor, and the battle was over.
The two companions still kept their weapons out as they walked past the dead bodies, assuming the worst as they ascended the ancient steps to the courtyard. Even with no enemies in sight so far, Summer scanned her surroundings while taking notice of the architecture. Her assumptions were obvious, even from a distance, that these ruins would be almost as old as the mountains themselves, but like the ruins of her world, it is a marvel that this place withstood the test of time. Even if she was not a mason, the construction and measurements of the arches and its foundation were clear for her to see how this place still remained standing, even as its surrounding constructs were slowly falling apart and withering away back into the earth. Another thing which caught her eyes were the strange heads adorned on the arches. They looked either like birds or something else, it was hard to tell, but how they were placed there would remain a mystery.
Adrien looked back at the path they came from, to see if the redguard was following them. But to his small surprise, there was absolutely no sign of the armored woman. Maybe she did run off, but he could not be certain. So he went back to observing their surroundings.
"Looks like no one else is here," Adrien observed when there were no bandits coming out to attack them. "Perhaps the rest are inside, and I'm willing to bet the entrance is that way." He pointed his greatsword to their right in the direction of the mountain further in.
"I should grab my arrows first," she said as she went left to recover her arrow. Adrien got the message and stood there waiting for her. When she knelt down next to the dead body of what she realized was an elf, she was just lucky her arrow didn't get damaged, seeing that the elf she killed was lying on his side. She could not say for the other arrow, which was nowhere to be seen. So she was now down another arrow. After putting her bloody arrow back in her quiver, she stood up and walked over to the other dead bandit she shot, with Adrien following behind her. The first archer she killed luckily was laying on his back, so the arrow was left undamaged.
Once that was done, the two went further up in the courtyard and soon found the ancient double doors hidden behind an arch column. The doors looked strangely made of metal with the etched visage of what could either be a dragon or a demon. Every carving and etching surrounding it were like hieroglyphs.
"Right, let's make a last minute check," Adrien proposed.
Summer unslung her pack and checked to see if everything was still inside. Every item she carried was still in her backpack, thus she quietly breathed a sigh of relief. She looked up to her partner as she put her backpack back on. "I'm good to go, how about you?"
"So am I," Adrien answered, who already checked everything strapped to him was still with him, not needing to check his things inside his backpack. "All right, ready for your first tomb raid?"
His answer came with a nod before turning back to the door in front of them. Looking like it could only be opened by pulling it, Adrien grabbed the rings and pulled. The metal screeched in protest from being left unmaintained for so long. It took some amount of strength considering how heavy the doors were, but they were soon inside and finally out of the freezing weather. But…
Adrien: 59 Copper + 17 Silver + 0 Gold = 433 Septims
Summer: 0 Copper + 0 Silver + 0 Gold = 0 Septims
A/N: Well, this took too long for me to get this out, my bad. Just been getting lazy as of late with my own problems to deal with. Also, I had another reason… this chapter.
What you just read was just one part of the chapter, and I had nearly 18,000 words in this, even reached the tomb where the draugr were and I didn't know where to stop until CruxMDQ suggested I stop at the front door. So this'll either be three parts or two, depending on my prolific writing, so you'll be getting the next one soon. Sorry for not working on Bloodborne Twin, I know you guys have been wanting to see the next chapter. This adventure in Bleak Falls had been constantly on my mind and I wanted to get it all written down and out of the way. I'm still working on my Bloodborne Twin fic from time to time, so I haven't forgotten. Once I'm done with Bleak Falls Barrow, I swear I'll get back to it.
Onto real world events.
A lot happened when I was busy with life, that's for sure, and it seems like everything here in America has gone crazy lately. First the coronavirus and now nationwide riots? I'm not getting into politics although I know where I stand in all this chaos. All I can say is that 2020 is turning into one hell of a year. Stay safe out there everyone, and keep following those basic guidelines to prevent the virus.
Anyways, shoutout goes to CruxMDQ for his best suggestions and proofreading.
This is Kyro2009, signing off.