Chapter 2 – The Spark

The feeling of walking out of the cabin with my bow slung on my back and a packed traveling bag is one that I never grew tired of. This was the first time in perhaps a year or two that we were going to visit Whiterun. Most of my visits to the city were just with Cal and I, and our father on the rare occasions when he was actually home. This time, it was me, Cal, and two friends, which made it feel more exciting. At least, I thought Borrin was going to be a new friend. He was much older than us, and I think he viewed us as unworldly children, but nonetheless he wanted us to travel with him. On top of this, we were going to actually see this alleged Dragonborn fellow in person, which is something I could not stop thinking about. I also couldn't stop wondering if he was actually going to be there when we got to Whiterun. I simply could not find it in myself to believe in the stories about Dragonborn since I had never laid eyes on even a shred of magic in my entire life. Either way, the trip was going to be better than sitting around Riverwood.

Borrin was leaning against the stone wall attached to the guard bridge on the northern entrance to town, right where he said he would be at first light. The sun had just barely begun to light up the sky from the east, and the mountains would continue to block much of that sunlight for many hours.

"Morning," I said to him as we approached. I noticed his armor and sword shimmering for a brief moment again, just like the night before, but this was particularly curious as no direct light was coming from anywhere. The shimmer faded as quickly as it came.

Borrin stood up straight, "Good morning. I hope you both were able to get plenty of rest. Where is your friend?"

Cal and I both looked at each other, and Cal said, "Good question. Garren likes to sleep late usually, but I was sure he'd be awake in time for something like this. Should we go and wake—"

Just then, Garren came running up to stand between Cal and I, breathing heavily, "Sorry if I'm a bit late! I had to explain to Ma why I was leaving. She didn't much care for the idea. I had to repeat many times that I was only going to be gone for a couple of days in order to get her to calm down."

Borrin spoke, "Not to worry, boy. We were just leaving. But, aren't you a little old to be asking your mother for permission to go somewhere?" Garren's cheeks colored a little, but he didn't respond. Borrin chuckled, and then looked between the three of us, "Well, shall we depart?" With a nod from each of us, we all began our journey up the road.

For the first several miles, we all walked mostly in silence. The change of scenery was enough for each of us to stay occupied, all of us looking around at the surrounding nature. Borrin was doing the same, but I think for a different reason. He bore an expression of intent observation, as if he was looking for danger. We did eventually start conversing about various trivial topics here and there, and we did this for a few hours in between periods of silence. Eventually, Borrin said "Why don't we stop to eat for a bit?"

"Finally, I'm starving and my legs feel like they're about to give!" Garren blurted as he leaned on a tree and slid down until he was sitting.

"We're barely halfway, Garren. You can't be that tired already," Cal said as he swung his travel bag around from his back so that he could reach in and pull out some dried venison. I had already done the same, chewing on the meat intently while I looked around.

Garren frowned, "Well, I don't go hunting in the forest like you and Jol do. You've done this more than I have."

"There's that, and we actually work on a daily basis," I said with a sly grin.

"I plan to work soon! Ma just needs me around the house still," Garren mumbled as he stood up and unsheathed his sword. He began swinging it about rather unskillfully as he chewed on his own strip of dry meat.

"You'll cut your own foot off using a sword that way," Borrin laughed as he took a bite of bread and cheese that he had taken from his own bag, "Here, let me at least show you a proper stance." Borrin began helping Garren hold the sword in the correct manner, and then proceeded to show him how to maintain correct posture. I watched for a moment, and then turned to explore the area a little. I climbed a hill that looked out to the northern path we would soon be walking on, scanning the land.

I eventually noticed three forms lurking around a little ways up the path, recognizing what they were immediately. I went back down the hill and told the group, "We've got wolves up ahead. Three of them. They're directly in our path."

Cal said, "They won't likely attack. They're usually more scared of us than we are of them. I bet they'll have moved on before we get to them."

Borrin agreed, "Aye, that is true. But, would you say they're within range of, say, a bow and arrow?"

"I mean, yes. But why should we try to kill them when we can simply go around, or scare them off?" I asked.

"Their pelts sell for good gold, and we've got three bows here. Mine, yours, and your brother's. If we all shoot at once, and don't miss, none of them can attack us." Borrin smirked.

Cal and I looked at each other, he shrugged, and I said, "Alright, why not? I've never actually hunted a wolf before, let alone three. And if you say we can sell the pelt for decent gold, then I am definitely not opposed. What if one of us misses, though?"

"Don't," Borrin said simply. "But if they even try to attack us, I can take care of it."

"What about me?" Garren asked with his sword still in his hand as he tried to hold the new combat stance he'd just learned from Borrin minutes ago.

"That sword isn't going to be much help here, I'm afraid. Perhaps it will be someday, but not today." Garren frowned at Borrin, but he sheathed the sword and followed us up the hill.

We all came to a crawl as we neared the top, inching our way up until we could see over the hill. The wolves were still there, all sniffing around a cluster of pine trees. "This is quite the distance," Cal said with his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Are you doubting that you can hit them from here?" Borrin asked, but Cal shook his head as he bore a focused expression. "Good. I'll take the leftmost one. Jol, you have the middle. And Cal, the far right." Borrin said this in a commanding tone. Garren sat patiently, watching the three of us. "On the count of three." Cal and I nodded. "One." I knocked an arrow. "Two." I pulled back on the bowstring. I lined up with the wolf in the middle, with just the right amount of arc. I took note of the slight breeze blowing east, compensating by adjusting to the left by just a hair. I breathed out slowly and lingered at the end of my breath. "Three." All three of our arrows loosed, nearly in perfect sync. I could almost feel my arrow sinking into the wolf as if I were the arrow myself. I watched as the three lurking forms down below fell to the ground.

"Well done," Borrin congratulated us with an impressed tone. We all headed down the hill to examine our kills.

As we approached them, all but one lay limp in the snowy grass. One of them was still quivering slightly and making quiet whimpering noises. This one was Borrin's target, with the arrow having gone through the wolf's lower abdomen. He quickly approached it and ended its pain with his belt knife. When looking at Cal's wolf, I saw that the arrow had gone right through the upper abdomen, just a few inches back from the crease of its front legs. The perfect kill for preserving the quality of the pelt. I looked at mine, and I had struck my wolf in the same spot as Cal. Upon this observation, Borrin raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Cal said, smiling, "I honestly didn't think I was going to make the shot." He looked very pleased with himself. I realized I was smiling with just as much pride.

"I don't mean to sound as if I'm boasting," Borrin began, "but it has been awhile since I've met anyone who can come close to matching my own skills in archery. And here I have met two, who have matched them and bested them." Now I bore an even bigger smile, for it was nice to be complimented by someone who seemed so well-traveled and combat trained.

"I wish I could shoot like that!" Garren exclaimed, then he frowned, "How come you two never invite me on your hunting trips?"

I glanced at Cal with a smirk, then said to Garren, "Because you talk too much, and talking scares off game." Cal let out a laugh, and Borrin bellowed a loud laugh as well.

Garren looked irritated, still baring his frown and his eyebrows furrowed, "I don't talk that much."

"To be a talker isn't always a bad thing, boy," Borrin encouraged, laughing between his sentences, "There are many places I have been where talking can be turned into a profession. Especially amongst noble houses. One noble family always has something to say about another, but sometimes they feel it's necessary to pay someone else to do the talking, to spread the rumors." Garren's frown lessened at this, and I'm sure he was now daydreaming about running around spreading rumors for gold.

Several hours later, we had cleaned the wolves, packed their pelts into our bags, and were well down the road from where we had encountered them. We were again walking in silence, and it was only when Cal spoke that this silence was broken, "Borrin, why does your armor and sword shimmer like that?" I came out of my thoughts as soon as he said this, intrigued to hear the answer.

"Shimmer?" Garren said before Borrin could speak, "It's not shimmering. His armor is as dark as the night sky!"

I looked at Borrin's armor, and strangely enough, it did not appear to be shimmering right now. I said, "I've noticed it too. But, Cal, it isn't shimmering at this very moment."

Cal looked between Garren and I, "Are you two crazy? You don't see it right now?" I shook my head, confused. We all turned to Borrin for an answer.

Borrin looked over at Cal and said, "You've got the spark in you."

The three of us all glanced at each other in confusion before Cal asked, "The spark? What does that mean?"

"That means," Borrin began as he looked ahead, squinting his eyes against the low, evening sun, "that you have the ability to wield magicka."

With that statement, Cal stopped walking and gaped at Borrin incredulously, "You actually think I can do magic?" Cal's tone implied that Borrin was insane for suggesting such a thing. We had all stopped walking at this point.

"That I do. I don't just think it. I know it." It was a mere statement of fact according to Borrin's tone. "If you can see this 'shimmer' you speak of on my armor, then you most definitely have the spark."

Cal only looked even more puzzled, "I don't understand. How is that relevant?"

"The shimmer," Borrin held his hands apart as he spoke, "is the magicka that is laced and embedded into this armor's material existence. It's enchanted, boy. And only one who has the spark can see the magic that enchants it." Cal's eyes were wide open, and Borrin added, "That is why sometimes you see it, and other times not. And also why you saw it just a moment ago while your brother could not. You are experiencing small moments where the ability to harness magicka is coming and going, and when it is there, you see the shimmer."

I realized my eyes were just as wide open as Cal's, and Garren was mumbling a fit to himself as he looked between us and listened. "Why don't you seem surprised at all to discover this about us?" I demanded.

"Aye, good question. Others who share the ability can often detect it in others." Borrin's expression never changed or showed any shred of surprise. There were also no signs whatsoever that he was lying. He meant and believed what he said.

"You can do magic?" Cal asked incredulously.

Borrin adjusted his feet, "I cannot do much. My abilities are limited to the practice of Restoration, and even at that I can do very little. The fact that I can sense your ability, Cal, reveals to me that at least one of the sources you can tap into is of the restorative type. As for other schools of magic, I cannot say. Which brings me to say why I am at least a little surprised to learn that you," Borrin pointed at me, "can also see my armor shimmering. I cannot sense your ability. And yet you see that my armor is enchanted. Therefore, you cannot wield Restoration magic, but at least one of the other types is a part of you."

Cal, Garren, and I stood in shock. I had never seen firsthand proof that magicka even exists. And here I was being told that me and my brother could use it? Yet… I believed him somehow. I knew that the shimmer of his armor and sword did not look natural. It never really looked like light reflecting off, but rather a sort of filmy glow that flowed through the material. I just couldn't wrap my head around the fact that magic might actually be real. Despite the hundreds of stories and what Borrin had just told us, I still hadn't actually seen magic in use. Borrin's shimmering armor was the only evidence I really had.

"Could you teach us how to use our… abilities?" Cal asked carefully, as if trying to avoid the word 'magic.'

"I might be able to teach you some of what I know if we find the time," Borrin answered. "But first, let us reach the inn in Whiterun. The sun is already getting close to setting, and I could use a good mug of mead."

It seemed like no time had passed at all, for I was thinking constantly about what I had just learned, before Whiterun came into view perhaps an hour later. As we neared the bottom of the mountainside, the thick forest opened up to a wide-open stretch of farms and rocky plains leading up to the great stone walls surrounding the city. Dragonsreach, where the Jarl resided, towered over everything in sight, save for the omnipresent mountains that scraped the clouds to the east and the west. It was strange to see land so open, with only a handful of farm buildings dotted across the land, the occasional tree or rock formation, and perhaps a windmill here or there. It was the opposite of Riverwood's thickly forested, tucked-away isolation.

I wanted to be excited for the fact that I was going to see Dragonborn tomorrow, but I couldn't stop thinking about what it meant that magic was real and that I could allegedly use it. If it was real, then Dragonborn… I realized suddenly that I feared someone who might be as powerful as they say Dragonborn is. I also grew fearful of the possibility that anyone with comparable power to Dragonborn, or even just someone who really knew how to use magic, might have bad intentions. I eventually shook these thoughts, for the sense of excitement finally overtook me as I set my eyes on the nearing city.