Chapter 2
Loredas, the 25th of Rain's Hand, Year 202 of the 4th Era
Once the moons had risen, Jenassa and Ull led them to Dustman's Cairn. As its name implied, the entrance to the barrow was found at the center of a circle of stones set upon a hilltop. Within the stone circle, a staircase led down into a circular pit and to a door.
Farkas emerged from the shadows under the stairs when they arrived. "Took you long enough." Farkas and Vilkas were close to identical in looks; they had the same face and the same build. They even wore the same wolf steel armor that all the Circle members wore. They both fought with identical two-handed swords. However, as soon as they spoke, it was easy to tell them apart. Vilkas was more reflective and thoughtful in his replies. Farkas spoke with a gruff, no-nonsense manner.
"We waited for moonrise. More light to see by, and hopefully they'll be asleep." While she was annoyed that he had altered their plan, she wasn't in any position to complain. He was a representative of the Circle and more importantly he was here to report back to the Companions. So far it seemed his report would be favorable. He had no objections to her use of followers and tactics. He even got along well with her troops. He just didn't have much patience for waiting around. "The important thing is we're here now."
"Then let's go." Farkas opened the door and went straight on through.
Val waited for a nod from her before he followed. The rest of her party fell in line and they entered the crypt. Inside the entranceway of Dustman's Cairn coffins and sarcophagi stood empty. Recently destroyed draugr were splayed on the ground not far from their former resting places. That was remarkably fast killing even for Farkas.
"Didn't bother to save any draugr for us?" asked Daenerys.
"What? Oh, no. Someone got them first. Looks like they been digging too." He gestured to where there were signs that someone had to move dirt and fallen debris to open up the passageway leading down. Farkas headed down the passageway without another word.
"Val, stay with him like we discussed." She picked up the pace herself, but she was feeling frustrated. She had discussed her attack plans with Farkas and he agreed to them, but now he was ignoring them again. This was just like the attack on Fort Greymoor. Farkas had liked her plan to have her ranged attackers draw the bandits at Fort Greymoor to one wall while they came through a collapsed wall on the other side. However, once the battle started, he had rushed ahead cutting down bandits left and right. While his tactics had worked against the farmers turned bandit at Greymoor, against stronger enemies he could easily find himself outnumbered, or worse run headlong into a trap. Yet he had survived for years. Apparently, he was just that good. Fortunately, she had prepared after Fort Greymoor and modified her plans to take into account Farkas charging everything as soon as he spotted it. She had Val follow after him to make sure he had backup. She stationed Sofija and Lydia in the second rank, where they might be called upon to flank, stand aside for the casters, or defend as needed. Daenerys and Faralda came next in the middle of the formation with Ull and Jenassa bringing up the rear. It was similar to her old pincer attack plan but required her to quickly assess the situation to best deploy Lydia and Sofija.
As they ventured farther into the catacombs hostile draugr staggered out to attack them, but they also found the remains of many draugr that had been destroyed sometime before they arrived. Whoever had invaded Dustman's Cairn had brought people who could handle themselves with draugr. That worried her; she preferred incompetent enemies over competent ones. In the narrow catacombs there often wasn't room for more than one person to fight. Farkas excelled at one-on-one fights, quickly cutting down draugr and not even pausing to loot. However, the catacombs were also a maze with many intersections. As Farkas charged ahead, they had to deal with other draugr attacking their flanks. Trying to keep up with him also meant they left unexplored passageways all around. Sometimes a draugr would stagger out from those passageways to threaten Ull and Jenassa.
Farkas kept getting farther and farther ahead, which really wasn't surprising. Most of the draugr were weak and easily destroyed, but some of them were stronger, tougher, and more skilled. Val kept up with him for a while, but he got tied up with a particularly strong draugr while Farkas kept going. Lydia had to deal with another draugr on their left flank while most everyone else was stuck waiting because the corridors were too narrow.
"Everyone, halt. This isn't working. I can hear Farkas up ahead, but we can't even see him any longer. Val, stick with us. You take the front. Lydia, left-hand passageways. Sofija, right-hand passageways. We slow down and clear the whole area. I don't know who is up ahead, but the draugr are stirred up. I don't want to get in a fight with someone else and have draugr come creeping up and attack us from behind."
"What about Farkas?" asked Val.
Daenerys shrugged. "He can obviously take care of himself."
Once they stopped trying to keep up with Farkas, the fighting became much less chaotic. The corridors in the catacombs were still narrow with multiple intersections, but her followers worked together well. They would step aside on command allowing her and Faralda to cast spells. Faralda wasn't holding back. Sometimes she completely obliterated a draugr with a single fire spell. Daenerys held back her Thu'um. With the noise of their fighting, it did not seem likely they would surprise whoever had broken into this barrow first. However, Shouting would certainly alert them. So, she stuck to Firebolts and trusted her warriors to finish the draugr off. In addition to draugr awake and alert, they also found the collapsed remains of recently destroyed draugr. Which of the no-longer-undead had been destroyed by Farkas and which by the others was impossible to tell. They had finally reached an area where the tunnel opened up as it sloped deeper into the barrow when the loud baying sound of a wolf came from further down below.
The howl sent shivers up her spine. She had been hunted and almost killed by wolves before outside the Temple of Azura. This took her back to that time and place. The howl sounded very close and from down the corridor ahead of them. "Hurry it up. Let's find Farkas."
She didn't like hurrying through Nord barrows. Silverdrift with its many traps had taught her the folly of that. However, given that the unknown other party and Farkas had already been down this passage before them, any traps had most likely already been triggered. The shouts of men and the growling and snarling of a wolf had her encouraging her people to move quickly and link back up with Farkas.
The corridor ended at a room lit by silvery light, but they weren't able to enter. A large portcullis blocked the entrance to the chamber. The room beyond looked like it had been set up for ritual combat. A large circle was sunken a few feet in the center of the room forming a combat arena. Two thrones sat one end overlooking the ring. A hole in the ceiling let the moonlight shine upon the room below. A battle was taking place lit by the silvery light of the moons. Three men with swords were fighting a raging, shaggy beast that stood on two legs but had the head of a wolf. Daenerys had heard tales of this beast and hadn't been sure whether they were myth or fact. That had to be a werewolf, a creature that had once been a man but had been bitten by a werewolf and infected with lycanthropy. The result was the half-man half-wolf fighting before them - a vicious mad creature that lived to kill. She didn't see Farkas anywhere, but he might be dead already. There were two bleeding corpses on the floor, and as she watched the creature killed another man before her eyes, hitting him so hard that he flew across the room and slammed into the wall.
"Kill the beast!" she commanded. She had no idea who these other people were or why they were in Dustman's Cairn, but they were at least human. They could sort the rest out once the beast was dead.
However, issuing the command to kill it and doing so were two different things. Shouting or casting spells into a frantic melee like that would be just as likely to hit one of the humans. That became less of an issue after the werewolf ripped the throat out of one of the two remaining men. Daenerys risked a firebolt and hit it, but it didn't die. It didn't even seem to be hurt that much. Faralda tossed one as well, but her aim was off. The werewolf slashed the last warrior standing and then turned and fled down the hallway beyond the room.
The last warrior turned to them. He had the tusks and green face of an Orsimer, and way too much blood was leaking from several claw marks. The orc would die if he wasn't healed soon, but he didn't seem to care. In fact, he was smiling revealing more pointed teeth. "I drove him away, and more come to join our cause! The Silver Hand lives on! This is a good death. Death to the werewolves! Death to the-"
While the orc spoke to them, a naked Farkas rushed up from behind him. With one slice of his enormous sword, Farkas sliced his head off. "I piss on your good death," growled Farkas at the corpse. Then he looked to the portcullis where Daenerys and everyone else was watching. "That's not good." He shook his head. "No, definitely not good. Give me a moment to find the release." Farkas went over to a scattered pile of armor and started to get dressed.
Daenerys watched Farkas intently, and not because he was a naked man with an impressive display of muscles and scars. She didn't need the mutters behind her to deduce the obvious – Farkas was the werewolf. The few stories that she had heard of werewolves had depicted them as no longer human. They were dangerous beasts that had to be put down. While Farkas was eager for combat, he clearly had the beast under control.
As she watched Farkas don his armor, she also realized that he wasn't the only werewolf in the Companions. She very much doubted that Farkas had stopped to take off his armor when he had transformed, and he had been much larger as a werewolf than as a man. Yet, his armor was intact. As she watched him tighten the straps of his armor, she realized that the armor must have been designed to fall apart. Otherwise, Farkas would have either been crushed within his armor or more likely have broken the straps when he changed into the wolf. She had already known that the Circle wore custom armor, specially made by Eorlund Gray-Mane. That couldn't be a coincidence. They even called the special armor wolf steel armor. She thought it was because of the wolves adorning the belt and collar, but obviously it had a deeper meaning. That must mean that all of the Circle: Skjor, Aela the Huntress, Farkas, and Vilkas were werewolves, as was Kodlak Whitemane himself. She had to wonder how much of their skill and strength due to being great warriors before they joined, and how much came from the beast.
Once Farkas was dressed he located a winch and raised the portcullis. "So, you saw." He crossed his arms and glared at them. "No telling anyone. This is Companions business."
Daenerys looked up at Farkas. "I'll be the judge of that. So, you and everyone in the Circle are werewolves?"
"Yes. It's a blessing given to some of us. We can be like wild beasts. Fearsome," he stated it proudly as if daring them to make something of it.
"Are you going to turn us into werewolves? Or kill us to keep the secret?"
He shook his head. "No, Vilkas and Kodlak are going to take turns kicking my ass, but we don't kill witnesses. As for joining, Maybe you, someday. Only the Circle have the beastblood."
"How long?" asked Daenerys.
"Until you join the Circle?" Farkas scoffed. "Prove your honor to be a Companion. Eyes on the prey, not the horizon."
Daenerys shook her head. She hadn't even been thinking about becoming a werewolf. "I meant, how long have the Circle been werewolves? All the way back to Ysgramor?"
"No, just a few hundred years. This is secret stuff, you all know that, right?"
Daenerys nodded. "Hundreds of years, that is enough of an answer – for now." She looked at her followers. Sofija was stone-faced. The rest didn't look happy. "If it's been going on for hundreds of years, they obviously have it under control. We will talk about it after the fighting is done. There are still draugr to kill and those others, the Silver Hand." She looked at Farkas. "Don't suppose you know anything about them?"
"Bad people who don't like werewolves. So, they don't like us either."
Daenerys tried to make that fit. Farkas called them bad people, but were they wrong to target werewolves? On the other hand, she knew many people thought daedra worshipers should be killed on sight, but Brelyna and many Dunmer worshiped the three good daedra. Did that mean there could be good vampires as well? This was such a crazy world, but now wasn't the time to ask questions about werewolves. However, it was past time that she put her foot down about Farkas running off so much. "Now -"
"I have a question," interrupted Faralda.
Daenerys turned to her mentor. Farkas could wait. Anything that brought Faralda out of her shell had to be important. "Yes?"
"Would becoming a werewolf cure scars?" asked Faralda
That sentence was more than Faralda had spoken since the fight with Mir-Mul-Nir, which was a good sign. Unfortunately, Daenerys knew the answer before Farkas even replied. Farkas had numerous scars on his body and Skjor was blind in one eye.
"No. The wolf heals faster. You don't get many new scars. Old ones stay."
Faralda gave a tiny nod but said nothing.
"No more questions? Good. Let's go."
"No," said Daenerys. She was done with Farkas running off. She should have put a stop to it before, but she was ending it now.
"No?" asked Farkas with a growl. "What else?"
"Why did Skjor call this my trial?"
"I told you. I watch you to make sure you're honorable. If you are honorable and strong, I can call you sister."
"But you haven't been doing that. How can you watch me when you keep leaving me behind?"
Farkas fumed. "You're slow. You talk too much. While we talk, the Silver Hand are trying to snatch Wuuthrad out from under us."
She understood that Farkas was impatient at the best of times. It didn't help that Wuuthrad was basically a holy relic to the Companions. It was the shattered weapon of Ysgramor who had founded the Companions. This was a very important mission to the Companions – one that had been given to her. She wasn't backing down. "Is this your mission or is it mine?"
Farkas pulled himself up to his full height so he loomed over her. "Do you think you're in charge, whelp?"
"Yes. I am." Daenerys gazed at him calmly. It wasn't the first time a man tried to use his height to intimidate her. Farkas was impressive as a warrior. As a werewolf he had been terrifying. However, he was not scarier than a dragon. If he tried to use force, she could freeze him in place with Iiz. "This is my trial. My chance to prove myself. Stop being the kind of brother who won't let their sisters use blades because they might cut themselves."
Farkas threw back his head and laughed. "I know better than to keep a shield sister from a fight. Fine. I get it. Vilkas is telling me all the time to stick with the pack. It's your hunt. I'll follow." He gave a little bow. "Ladies first."
"Thank you," Daenerys dipped her head a little at his acceptance. "Farkas, would you please swap with Sofija? I know you're deadly with that blade, but I want you to see how we fight. That will put you in the middle and you can watch everything"
"Fine, but you better speed it up." Although this time there was more respect in his tone.
"Val and Sofija, front rank," commanded Daenerys. "Faralda and I will be second rank. Lydia, you're with Farkas behind us. Jenassa and Ull, you're bringing up the rear. Now let's go."
She wasn't sure if Farkas had been testing her, but he settled into formation as she directed without complaint.
The rest of Dustman's Cairn went much more smoothly as far as Daenerys was concerned. Other than the presence of the Silver Hand, Dustman's Cairn was similar to other barrows they had cleared, dark, dangerous, and full of draugr. Just to mix things up there were occasionally traps, skeevers, and spiders. The draugr were less deadly than the Silver Hand warriors they encountered.
The Silver Hand was a cut above any of the bandits that she had faced before. Bandits fought as individuals, and often broke and fled as soon as she and Faralda started tossing fire at them. The Silver Hand didn't give up. They were stubborn, determined, and almost fanatical in their hatred. Even when Faralda fried one of their number they kept charging and bellowing war cries: "Kill all the beasts!" "Every infected must die!" "You betrayed Ysgramor!" While she had some sympathy with their goal of putting down werewolves, she had no issues killing people who were trying to kill her. While they obviously knew the Companions could control their beasts, they still attacked on sight. Which was a pity. She could have used warriors like them.
It was a good thing that she had her showdown with Farkas. The Silver Hand weren't only more determined, they were better organized. They lay in ambush in various rooms and used tactics. They tried to flank her men, and they used archer support. While Farkas charging ahead might have thrown off their tactics, she was much more comfortable using him as a reserve and sending him where support was needed. Daenerys found herself relying on Shouting despite the noise it made. Iiz could freeze a man in place with a single word making it easy to run him through with a sword. Yol-Toor-Shul was as devasting as any of Faralda's spells, perhaps even more powerful.
As they fought their way deeper into Dustman's Cairn, she noticed something else unusual about the men of the Silver Hand – they weren't all Nords. They weren't even all men. They had quite a few Orsimer in their number. She also noticed that a few of the Nords had a greenish tint to their skin and sharp teeth. Daenerys had heard that when men and mer had children, the child usually resembled the mother, perhaps with a few traits of the father. The evidence of children of mixed blood implied that at least this branch of the Silver Hand had a history of Nords and Orcs working together for generations.
After fighting past multiple Silver Hand ambushes, they reached a section of the barrow that contained a lot of Silver Hand corpses and lots of draugr. After that, they encountered no more of the Silver Hand. Daenerys still had Ull and Jenassa keeping an eye on their back while they pressed on. Eventually, they came to a large locked pair of iron doors. While they were intricately carved in the Nord style, the doors weren't magically trapped. Farkas and Val attacked the lock with picks, and eventually smashed in the mechanism. Daenerys shouted Fus-Ro into the hole that created, and the doors shuddered in response. Val and Farkas were finally able to pry the doors open.
The room beyond was a large central chamber. Stairs climbed up to a raised platform with a prominent alter. A Word Wall was visible at the far end.
"Wuuthrad," said Farkas in awe and started up the stairs.
"Wait!" cried Daenerys. "The sarcophagi." She gestured to the walls which were lined with dozens of the upright stone coffins. "The altar is probably trapped to wake the draugr."
Farkas turned around. "Heh. Guess we should do something about that. You got a plan?"
Daenerys smiled broadly, it seemed her speech had really gotten through. "Of course, I do. We pry open some by the door. If we do wake the others, they at least won't be able to surround us."
"Simple," agreed Farkas. "I like it."
Prying open a sarcophagus was much easier than opening the door. As soon as they did a draugr staggered out only to fall to the axes of Faraks and Val. Even as it fell the sound of stone shifting filled the chamber. Several draugr pushed the lids off their sarcophagi and came out to attack. The battle that followed was lopsided. The draugr emerged in wave after wave only to be destroyed; whoever had set these draugr as guards had favored quantity over quality. The draugr were dangerous, but none of them were draugr lords. Daenerys and Faralda were able to blast several of the slow-moving creatures apart from a distance. Farkas took apart the remainder quite easily with a little bit of assistance from Sofija and Val. After defeating several waves there were no more draugr left.
"That was fun," said Farkas once the last draugr was destroyed. He started up the steps and then he paused. "Hey newblood, it's your mission. You take it."
"Thank you, Farkas." Daenerys claimed the fragment of Wuuthrad feeling pleased. She really didn't care that much about the pieces, but the Companions did. Whatever Farkas reported would also matter, and she seemed to have earned his approval. Given the importance of Wuuthrad to the Companions, this would hopefully be enough to see her invited to join. That would open the possibility of recruiting some of the Companions to come with her, and that was the real treasure in her mind.
Or more accurately one of the treasures. The other was the Word Wall... although this one was silent. "That's peculiar. I don't hear any chanting." She should be close enough. Daenerys advanced on the wall and read the message. It was a memorial to King Jafnhar who was burned alive by a dragon. "Oh, I already know this word." That was disappointing.
"What's this about words? asked Farkas.
"Ancient Nord Word Walls, like this one, contain Words of Power for those who have the talent to learn them. I have a gift for learning Shouts. Sofija can feel a vibration, and Ull can even hear chanting if he presses his ear against the word."
"Huh. I have to give that a try."
Daenerys backed away as everyone crowded around the Word Wall. She tried to stay back at these times. It left her feeling like she had drank all the wine and left everyone else with empty cups. While everyone took turns she started examining some of the enchanted items they found. She still wasn't good at reading enchantments, but she would only get better with practice. A high-pitched feminine squeal brought her attention back to the Word Wall.
"I feel it!" yelled Faralda. "I can feel it buzz like an angry wasp when I touch it." Her stoic mentor, a sober and decorous Altmer hundreds of years old who hadn't spoken more than a handful of words since the dragon attack, suddenly broke into excited bouncing and dancing like a young girl. Abruptly she halted and turned to face Daenerys. "What word is this?"
Daenerys held back happy tears as she replied. "It's Yol, Fire."