Chapter 49

The Whispering Door

The sound of Bishop's disgruntled voice carried up to her, waking her from her dreamless sleep.

"Wow - okay, sure, just let yourself in why don't you," she heard him sputter with annoyance.

"This is where the Dragonborn lives?" the voice of Nelkir caught her ears then.

Bishop scoffed, "Sorry it's not up to your standards, highness."

"Where is she? I demand to speak to her right now," Nelkir put on his most commanding adult voice, trying to sound like his father it seemed.

"Take a seat, prince. It's going to be a while, she still needs to get dressed," Bishop commanded right back at him.

"She's not even up yet? But it's already midday."

"Yeah well," Bishop chuckled lightly, "she was up all night slaying a werewolf. Kind of wore her out."

Rona smirked at his remark, glad to see he still had his sense of humor about the whole thing.

"A werewolf? Just one?" Nelkir sounded incredulous, as though she should have easily been able to take on far more than that. And he wasn't wrong.

"Yes a werewolf. He was a particularly challenging and," he laughed again, "very hard werewolf to beat. You know what, just sit down for a bit. I gotta go get some fresh water from the river so she can... wash the blood off and be presentable for his esteemed princliness." Bishop said the last bit with dripping sarcasm.

She heard Bishop grabbing the larger wash basin and leaving out the door for a minute. She listened closely, though Nelkir didn't make a peep. She wondered why he'd come to see her all alone. Surely he should have had some sort of escort with him?

She started thinking about her evening with Bishop, blushing fiercely at the fact he'd seen her touching herself, but also bit her lip slightly. She'd liked it. It was unexpected but when he came to her last night, with so much love in his eyes, and touched her and held her... she was so happy. They still had a lot to talk about, she still had to apologize to him for omitting the fact that the Circle were werewolves, even though Kodlak had asked her to. It was no excuse. She should have trusted him. The worst that would have happened, she realized, is that they wouldn't have joined the Companions at all... but then they would have gone to the Rift without her... they might have all died instead of just two. Perhaps this was fate, weaving it's way around, guiding her on her path.

That couldn't be right either though. Olava said herself that her choices were what directed her destiny, that there were many paths she could take leading to different outcomes. One of those choices had been hard on her mind lately. Until he came back and she pushed that thought away again. She wouldn't let him go this time, she wouldn't lie to him or hide anything ever again. She loved him and he loved her. They'd get through it all... and they'd find a cure. Her eyes widened when she realized Kodlak had said there was a cure. They had to go see him.

She heard the door open and close again, then the sound of Bishop coming up the stairs. He came into their room and set the basin full of fresh water down and looked over at her. "Your kid brother's here," he said thumbing over his shoulder.

She held a finger to her mouth and shushed him.

Bishop rolled his eyes at her, "He told me that he wanted to speak to his sister. So he already knows."

She knit her brows together. Who had told him? Probably not Balgruuf. He seemed like he'd wanted to keep it a secret, especially considering the fact he was trying to pawn him off as his deceased wife's youngest child.

"How does he know?" She whispered.

Bishop scowled at her, "I didn't ask any follow up questions. People like to gossip though Ladyship, you know how it is."

He grabbed a couple of wash cloths and tossed her one. They both took a quick rinse over the basin, using some soap to clean all the messy nooks and crannies on their bodies and wiping the sweat and other unmentionable things off, especially between her legs. Rona still couldn't believe he'd gone four times in a row, back to back. She was highly impressed though she knew it was because of the beast blood.

He noticed her reddening face, thinking about it, as he scrubbed an armpit and leaned over whispering sensually, "I'm not done with you yet, Princess."

She smirked at him and shoved him away playfully. She finished off her bath by washing her hair thoroughly and then dried them both off with her magic. They got fully dressed and went downstairs to find Nelkir who'd wandered over to look at an assortment of books, potions, soul gems, alchemical ingredients and plenty of other junk they'd collected in their travels and shoved aimlessly onto the shelves.

She cleared her throat and he jumped, turning back to look at her with the same green eyes as hers. He was a scrawny boy, though his clothes had been tailored to fit him perfectly. His hair was reddish in color, not entirely unlike her mother's if it had been much darker. It was too long she thought and he let it hang over his eyes, like he was hiding from something.

She motioned to the chair and said, "Can I get you anything to eat? To drink?"

He went back over to the chair and sat down, crossing his leg over the other and pressing his fingertips together, looking like a haughty noble in a smaller body, "I'll have a pheasant roast with a few slices of Eidar cheese and some braided bread - I prefer the butter melted on top. Oh and to drink I'd like fresh squeezed juniper juice."

Bishop looked at the boy flabbergasted and Rona pressed her lips together stifling a laugh. Nelkir looked at both of them confused before he said, "Well if you don't have any pheasant I'll take a salmon steak instead."

Rona held a hand to her mouth, trying very hard not to laugh at the poor boy.

Bishop just said, "We were thinking more like a sweet roll and some milk."

Nelkir frowned at him, "I'm no milk drinker."

Bishop just shrugged his shoulders, "Whatever, more for me then."

Nelkir stared at him as he walked into their tiny kitchen and started throwing together their usual breakfasts of milk and sweet bread. He even added a couple of apples. The boy said, "You drink milk?"

"Of course!" Bishop said loudly as he started cutting one of the apples into slices, "You want to grow some muscle and put some hair on your chest don't you? Then drink your milk kid."

Nelkir scowled fiercely at him and said, "I'm not a kid!"

Bishop laughed, "Well you're certainly no man."

Rona threw him a firm look and chastised him, "Bishop."

He just rolled his eyes and went back to fixing their breakfasts. Rona addressed Nelkir then and said, "So you wanted to see me?"

He looked up at her and immediately said, "I know who you are."

She nodded and said slowly, "Yeess, we met before. I'm the Dragonborn."

"No, I mean," he looked away from her, his hands moved to grip the armrests on his chair, then he gave her a side eye glance, "I know you're my sister."

Rona did everything in her power to keep her face still, to not give anything away. She asked him, "And who told you that?"

His eyes searched her face, as she expected, looking for any change that would confirm his suspicions. He said, "I know things. Lots of things. The castle is really old . Got lots of places nobody's been in a while. Places where you can overhear things... see things."

She furrowed her brows at him. Had he somehow stayed behind that night when the Jarl told her that Nelkir was her mother's son? That couldn't be possible, could it? He'd just left, with the housecarl escorting him away.

Then he said, "I've gotten really good at listening to keyholes. I hear things you know. I know things about my father. About the war. More than he might think."

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. This quaint conversation with her younger brother was getting... creepy. She asked, "Like what sorts of things?"

He got really confident when he spoke then, "I know that he still worships Talos. That he hates the Thalmor almost as much as the Stormcloaks do. That he worries about being chased from Whiterun. That he... that I'm," he faltered, looking down at the burned out hearth and spoke the last part quickly, "that I don't have the same mother as my brother and sister."

She treaded carefully, asking him, "Do you know who your mother is?"

He looked into her eyes then, with the saddest expression on his face when he said, "No... she won't tell me. Maybe she doesn't know. But she told me you were my sister. So I... I thought maybe you could tell me."

Her heart nearly broke for the boy. Of course he'd want to know who his mother was and to actually know her, just as she did at that age. However, she really wanted to know who this 'she' was. Some woman was telling him all these things? A gossiping maid perhaps? Rona noticed Bishop half into a bite of a whole apple when he'd stopped and was listening intently to their very peculiar conversation.

Rona took a deep breath and asked him, "Who is she? Who told you all these things?"

Nelkir looked up at her hesitantly, his eyes bouncing from her back and forth to the hearth. He pressed his hands to the seat of the chair and said, "The Whispering Lady did."

"What's her name?" Rona pressed him.

"I don't know," he mumbled, "She won't tell me her name."

Bishop chimed in then and said, "How can you not know who the hell she is? She a servant or a maid or something?"

Nelkir looked over at him, his hair covering his eyes more as he moved his head. "I've never actually seen her," he looked back to Rona and said, "There's a door in the castle. I've listened at it and I can hear her talking to me. At first I thought I was caught, snooping around, but then she started telling me even more secrets. But I can't open the door."

Rona got a bad feeling in her gut, but didn't want to show her fear or worries so she asked politely, "Where is this door?"

He sank into the chair, crossing his arms and pursed his lips, "Why? What're you gonna do? Go tell my father?"

"No," she shook her head and smiled sweetly at him, "I just want to see it for myself."

"And I want to know who my mother is. My real mother, not Dagny's and Frothar's mother," he pulled himself upright and leaned forward slightly, knitting his brows together and asked, "Are you really my sister?"

She took a deep breath and sighed before she answered truthfully, "Yes. Half-sister," she clarified, "We share the same mother. Her name was Claudia Windsleaf, she was a member of the Companions."

He smiled at first but then his face fell, "Was?"

Rona looked sadly at him, "She died about eight months ago sometime in Last Seed. That's why I came to Skyrim from Cyrodiil. She sent me a letter saying she was ill. But when I got here, she'd already passed on. I'm sorry, you'll never get to meet her, Nelkir."

His lip trembled and he looked very upset but then he got really angry and stood right up, fists clenched. He was definitely Claudia's child.

He started shouting, "It's all that disgusting pig's fault! One day I'll tear his face apart! I'll punish him for it!"

Rona was taken aback and stood up too holding her hands out to the boy, "Nelkir, it's alright. Please don't be upset. I can tell you anything you want to know about her, really."

"No!" His chest heaved. He was furious and he glared up at her then, "How come you got to know her but I didn't!? That's not fair!"

Bishop barked much louder than the boy, startling him, "Watch yourself kid! You don't know a damn thing about the hell that woman put her through. You should be fucking grateful that she chose to give you up instead of keeping you around."

This did not help in the slightest, it only served to make Nelkir even more furious, "She didn't even want me!?"

Rona stared harshly at Bishop making a face that said, shut the fuck up.

He pressed his lips together and turned slightly to evade her angry stare.

Nelkir totally lost it though and started throwing things, he even managed to kick over his chair, a nearby end table and shattered a few plates they had laying around. Bishop had to duck as an old tankard went careening his way and then Rona had enough and grabbed Nelkir's wrist sharply as he made to throw another dish, he dropped it and it shattered on the floor and she shouted, "Enough!"

He tried pulling away from her grasp, clawing at her arm with his free hand and then he started yelling at her, swearing and dropping elvish slurs. Bishop lost his own shit and said, "That's it!"

He yanked the boy up by the back of his shirt, kicked open the front door and tossed him out, "If you want to act like a damned animal then you can do it outside!"

Nelkir glared furiously at the both of them before he pulled himself up off the ground and stormed off towards Dragonsreach.

Bishop slammed the door shut and said, "Your whole family are a bunch of raging lunatics!" She blinked at him and he immediately said, "That came out wrong."

She smirked shaking her head and knelt down to start picking up the shards of broken dishware off the floor.

Bishop helped her and the two were silent for a while. Without the distraction of the boy, suddenly their own issues were immediately present. It was the mammoth in the room they both didn't want to address. As she tossed the last few pieces of broken shards into a bin she finally said, "I'm sorry I didn't trust you Bishop."

He was readjusting the few pieces of furniture in the room that had been toppled over when he replied, "I'm sorry I made you cry."

She laughed slightly, "Kind of my own fault I think."

"Yeah," he agreed, "But I hate being the one who upsets you," he turned back to her and took a step closer, putting a hand to her face and running his thumb over her cheek, "I love you Rona. I trust you with my entire being. I'd never lie or hide anything from you... it just... it hurt so much that you hid that and," he laughed feebly, "now I'm a werewolf. I was so afraid that I was going to change and hurt you like that night. I was so damn close to actually kil-," he stopped himself. He couldn't say the words.

For once she didn't get teary eyed. She felt like she'd shed all the tears she had. She looked into his eyes and said, "You're right. I should have told you from the beginning. Kodlak was afraid of what you might do to them if I did... and I'll admit, I was afraid too. I knew how hot-headed you could be and I didn't want to see anyone get hurt."

He looked sad and shook his head, "You really think I'm like that? That I'd..."

"I did," she admitted, "But you've changed so much Bishop. And I know Kodlak never meant to hurt you, or for any of it to happen."

Bishop scowled, growling angrily, "He was naive... stupid. He put too much trust in that bitch," and he looked sad again, "And it almost got you killed."

"I realize that now," she hugged him, "I won't make that mistake again Bishop. I'll never hide anything from you ever again, I swear to you."

He pressed his face to the top of her head and took a breath, "I'm trusting you Rona. I'll do whatever it takes to protect you. To keep you safe from anything... even me."

She pulled back and looked into his eyes, smiling, "There's a cure!" He looked surprised at her. And she said, "Kodlak mentioned it to me a while back. He didn't say exactly what it was, but we can cure you."

He looked relieved, "I guess we should go talk to the old man then," then he smirked, "See how his face is feeling."

Rona frowned at him and went over to collect her weapons, "I really wish you hadn't hit him so hard. He's not exactly young anymore."

Bishop scoffed, seeming much more happy, "Pft... I've seen what that old man can do. He can take a damn beating."

They went up to Jorrvaskr and went inside. Rona was feeling extremely anxious about possibly seeing Aela again, however as they stepped inside there was no sign of her. Only the two brothers sitting at the table, looking morose.

Karnwyr loped over to them, giving them a friendly greeting and Vilkas looked up, surprised to see them, "Didn't think you two would ever come back."

"And we're not coming back," Bishop said firmly, "We're only here to see the old man. Where's he at?"

Vilkas motioned his head to the stairs and said, "Downstairs. Been spending all his time brooding lately."

Bishop scoffed and headed for the stairs, "Yeah I bet."

"The Companions are dropping like flies these days," Vilkas said. Bishop stopped and looked back at him.

"What do you mean?" Rona asked.

Vilkas looked right at her, "Skjor is dead."

Bishop came back over and blurt, "What!? How!? When!?"

Farkas hardly budged. He focused his attention on petting Karnwyr and looking sad.

Vilkas crossed his arms, "Aela and Skjor have been searching for the fragments of Wuuthrad, but they'd also been going out of their way to try and wipe out the Silver Hand."

"What's that?" Rona asked.

Then Farkas looked up at her and said, "Remember Dustman's Cairn? All those bandits? They're the Silver Hand, werewolf hunters."

"Where's Aela now?" Rona asked.

Vilkas shrugged, "Who the hell knows. Probably taking her anger out on the Silver Hand some more."

"That's who killed Skjor?" Bishop asked.

Vilkas nodded, "Mmhm... it's not good. If she keeps this up... and with our numbers the way they are now. I don't know what's going to happen to the Companions."

Bishop turned away again and said with seething scorn, "Probably going to get wiped out. Got to admit you all probably deserve it."

He disappeared downstairs before they could reply. Vilkas just sighed heavily and Farkas kept petting Karnwyr. Rona looked on sadly at them but said nothing more. She left to follow Bishop, she'd made her choice. She would stick with him no matter what.

She found him at the door of Kodlak's study, it was shut. He was just staring at it, almost like he was second guessing actually going in. Rona came up next to him and looked up into his face. "You going to be alright?"

Bishop knit his brows together, "I don't hate him. I wanted to be angry, to stay angry, to hold onto it...but. I can't. Kodlak is good man. He's made a hell of a lot of mistakes, but..."

She smiled at him and took his hand in hers, giving him a reassuring squeeze. He returned her smile and then knocked on the door.

Kodlak's voice came through, "Come on in you two."

They entered and found him sitting in his usual spot at the table. An old journal in his lap. He set it aside and looked them both over, smiling slightly, "I'm glad to see the Dragonborn and the famous ranger grace our halls once again. Please, pull up another chair, take a seat."

Bishop grabbed another chair, while Rona sat in the one already there.

Kodlak set his journal aside and looked them both over, his eyes rest on Bishop however, "I'm glad to see you're doing well. Both of you," he nodded to her, "May I ask how the beast blood has affected you?"

Bishop smirked, "Well I can smell every fresh shit in a ten mile radius now, so there's that."

Kodlak chuckled and nodded, "Yes. You do get used to that. Though I imagine you've come to me today because you'd rather not become so accustomed to your newfound power."

Rona nodded and said, "You mentioned before that there's a cure?"

He took a breath and said, "Indeed there is. Have you heard the story of how we came to be werewolves?"

Bishop looked at him with half-lidded eyes. "There's always a story isn't there?"

Kodlak chuckled again and Rona said, "Skjor said it was a blessing from Hircine."

He said, "Aye, that sounds like him. As in all matters of faith, though, the reality is more complicated than one believer would tell you."

"So what's the truth then?" Bishop asked.

Kodlak took a breath and told his tale, "The Companions are nearly five thousand years old. This matter of beast blood has only troubled us for a few hundred. One of my predecessors was a good, but short-sighted man. He made a bargain with the witches of Glenmoril Coven. If the Companions would hunt in the name of their lord, Hircine, we would be granted great power," he sighed, "And so, they became werewolves. They did not believe that the change would be permanent. The witches offered payment, like anyone else."

"But we had been deceived. They didn't lie of course, we became much more powerful. But it's more than our bodies. The disease, you see, affects not just our bodies, it seeps into the spirit. Upon death, werewolves are claimed by Hircine for his Hunting Grounds. For some, this is a paradise. They want nothing more than to chase prey with their master for eternity," he shrugged, "And that is their choice. But I am still a true nord and I wish for Sovngarde as my spirit home."

Bishop looked annoyed by the long tale and asked again, what he really wanted to know, "So what's the cure?"

"That's what I've spent my twilight years trying to find out. And now I've found the answer. The witches' magic ensnared us, and only their magic can release us. They won't give it willingly, but we can extract their foul powers by force," Kodlak paused a moment, looking Bishop over with tired eyes and said, "I wonder if an old man such as myself could trouble you for one last favor."

Bishop smirked at him, "What would you ask of me Harbinger?"

Kodlak smiled broadly and said, "I want you to seek them out. Go to Glenmoril Coven. Strike them down as a true warrior of the wild and bring me their heads. The seat of their abilities. From there, we may begin to undo centuries of impurity."

Rona asked, "Why not come with us?"

Kodlak looked over at her and sighed, "I'm worried for Jorrvaskr. With the Companions' numbers dwindling and Aela taking more lives than honor demands, I'm not sure what is to become of us. Her heart is full of grief for Skjor and my own weeps at his loss. The Silver Hand may target us at any time, the cycle of retaliation will continue, I know it. I cannot bear to lose anymore of the whelps in my charge. So I must stay, pray and be vigilant."

He looked back to Bishop again and said, "I want to apologize to you Bishop for what happened to you. I knew what Aela and Skjor were up to, but you are right, I trusted them too much. I let them continue to grant the beast blood to our Shield-Siblings, I turned a blind eye to it. If I had put a stop to it long ago, then perhaps Rona would never have been attacked and you wouldn't be here now, sitting before me, a werewolf. I hope that someday you might find it in your heart to forgive me for that."

Bishop sighed and averted his gaze before he said, "I don't forgive that easily Kodlak. But I'll think about it," then he stood up and put a hand to Kodlak's shoulder and said, "We won't fail you. Watch over the others, we'll bring their heads back, every last one."

Kodlak smiled proudly at him. "Talos guide you lad."

As they left the Mead Hall, the sun was still out, it had to be around three in the afternoon. Rona looked over at Dragonsreach and tugged on Bishop's arm. She said, "I want to talk to the Jarl."

"Ladyship," he groaned, "We could leave right now and be at Glenmoril Coven by nightfall. I wasn't kidding when I said I could smell a shit ten miles away, but it's even worse up close. Karnwyr's are the foulest dumps I've ever had the displeasure of getting to know! Every time he drops one... ugh," he gagged and cringed his face, "I can still taste it in my mouth."

Karnwyr looked up at him and let out a low whine, then his tongue flopped happily from his mouth. Bishop looked right at him, crossing his arms and said, "Don't give me that look. You know nasty they are."

Rona laughed loudly at him, "Are you serious?"

"Yes," he moped. But then he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him, pressing his face into her hair, "Your smell though... I'd gladly drown myself in it," he took a deep breath and she laughed again, pushing him off of her.

"Down boy," she said, "I really want to talk to the Jarl about Nelkir. I'm worried about him. All this talk of creepy whispering ladies and those things he said about his father. Plus we have to escort them to Solitude in two days, we might not have time to go all the way to Glenmoril Coven and come back just yet."

Bishop grumbled again, "It's just a day trip, we'll take the horses and ride them at full speed. They've had plenty of rest this last month already!"

Rona rolled her eyes and started walking towards Dragonsreach without him.

"I see how it is," he called playfully at her back, "You like old Bish as a werewolf." He came up behind her, spanking her right on her rear and she stopped gaping at him, "I'm a lot faster than you now too." He smirked at her then took off racing up the stairs towards the palace without her, Karnwyr chasing after him. She scoffed loudly and laughed running after them both.

Inside the palace they noticed that once again Jarl Balgruuf was nowhere to be found. They heard some loud talking upstairs and headed up to his war room where he was having a discussion with his Commander about where to station the guards in the coming days and what to expect when the Empire's Legionnaires arrived.

When he saw her he excused himself and walked over to them, "Lady Rona, what brings you back so soon? The carriage won't be leaving for another few days."

She said in a hushed voice, "I need to speak with you about your son. About Nelkir." He looked puzzled and she said, "He came to see me today... to ask about his mother. Our mother."

His eyes widened and he said, "Please, follow me to my quarters."

He lead them across the room and into the privacy of his study, up a few more flights of stairs. When they were all in he shut the doors behind him and asked harshly, "He knows?"

"You didn't tell him?" She inquired.

"Of course not!" He practically shouted at her. She gave him a surprised look and he made to calm himself, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to take my anger out on you. It's just... these damned servants and guards with all their loose lips."

Rona shook her head, "I don't think any servants or guards told him about her."

Balgruuf looked her over and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Nelkir said something about a Whispering Lady."

Balgruuf looked like he was about to faint and he uttered, "Mephala."

Bishop furrowed his brows, "Mephala?"

He glanced back and forth between the both of them anxiously, "Mephala is the Daedric Prince of sex, murder, secrets and conspiracy."

"Shit," Bishop muttered.

"Indeed," Balgruuf agreed.

"I don't understand," Rona said, "How is she speaking to Nelkir? Why is she getting involved with a little boy?"

Balgruuf gave her a fearful look, "We have her blade. The Ebony Blade that once belonged to Mephala. It is locked away in the depths of the palace."

Bishop scowled at him, "Why would you do that? Why not destroy it?"

"YOU DON'T THINK WE TRIED!?" Balgruuf roared, "Even the hottest flames of the Skyforge couldn't destroy it! Nothing can melt the metal of that vile blade! We locked it away so that no one would find it. And she's been talking to him... oh gods."

Rona looked at him very seriously then, "Have you tried dragon fire?"

He met her gaze curiously and then his face changed with realization, "You have breath of fire?"

She nodded fervently.

"Then let's not waste any time! Come with me."

The three of them hurried downstairs again and Balgruuf called for his court wizard, "Farengar! I need you with us, please follow me."

Farengar looked up from a large tome he was poring over and said, "What's this then my Jarl?"

"Mephala has returned to Dragonsreach," he said seriously.

Farengar's eyes widened and he said no more, only followed closely behind as they made their way down into the basement of the castle. Balgruuf threw open the doors to an old pantry that had some boxes and sacks of wheat sitting in front of it. He fished around in his pocket for something and pulled out a tiny key and pressed it into the lock of the second door hidden inside. He looked back over his shoulder at Rona and said, "I trust you'll be ready to shout at any moment if need be?"

"Yes," she said firmly.

"Good," he twisted the key making it click as it unlocked. He carefully opened the door and they stepped inside. The room was plain and empty except for several stray cobwebs and a single table in the center with a long thin sword laying on it and a journal. Balgruuf wouldn't go near the thing though and he said, "Can you do it? Can you destroy it?"

She said, "I'll try."

Bishop, Farengar and Balgruuf all stood back as Rona approached the harmless looking blade and made to shout when she heard all three men cry out behind her. She looked back to see they'd been thrown from the room and the doors slammed shut.

"LADYSHIP!" Bishop roared.

(The song is The Parrots Orchestra by Valentin Wiest)

She ran to the door, grasping at the knob, trying to open it, but it was jammed tightly shut. The room darkened and Rona felt a creeping shudder run up her spine as an elegantly wicked and ethereal voice poured into the room.

"At last... I've been waiting for someone fit to carry out my will. The child is spirited, but lacks... agency."

Rona looked around and saw that spiders had started crawling from the cracks in the walls, they were moving quickly and spinning webs along all the corners of the room. The table shuddered and the voice spoke again, "Regrettably I cannot reach your plane so directly. But I forgive you for not knowing who I am. Few hear my whispers anymore. I am Mephala, the Lady of Whispers. I tug at the web of connections between mortals. Love, hatred, loyalty, betrayal. The boy was good as sussing out secrets. You, I expect to take a more active role."

"What do you want from me?" Rona breathed, her heart pounding in her chest as the light in the room flickered and the shadows cast from the webs seemed to grow larger around her.

"As you can see a piece of my power has been locked away behind this door. I want you to take it. It should be in the hands of an ambitious and talented person such as yourself."

Rona looked at the blade, which was now glowing an eerie red color. She mustered up all her courage and shouted, "YOL TOR SHUL!" directly at it. The spiders on the walls skittered away as their webs caught fire and quickly burned up. But the blade remained unharmed.

Mephala gave a dancing laugh and said in a whispering voice, "Do you see? Even dragon's flame cannot harm my power. Take my blade, use it to defeat your greatest foe and fulfill your destiny Dragonborn."

She stared at it. A blade that couldn't be harmed by dragon flame, that could be powerful enough to defeat Alduin? She felt tempted to touch it, but held back and said, "It just looks like a plain old sword."

Mephala replied in kind, "Yeess... the sword is weakened. It has languished too long outside the winds of alliance and betrayal. To return to its past glory, it must first drink the blood of deceit. Your world is admirably seeped in lies and inclinations. My blade is a darling leech that feeds on deceptions, and nourishes its master."

Rona felt something crawling up her hand, she looked down and saw spiders, then shuddered and shook them off and cried, "You want me to kill people with it?"

"Not just anyone... Seek out those closest to you. The final pluck in their misguided heartstrings will accompany my blade in the song of your grandeur."

Rona was horrified. To kill those closest to her just to empower some evil blade? To kill her closest friends... her family... or even...

"Bishop," she breathed.

"Yeess," Mephala whispered, "The blade would be nourished with the taste of his blood. One life taken and thousands more spared as you use it to its fullest power to destroy The World Eater."

Rona shook her head, "No. I would never. I could never..."

The spiders came crawling again, in full force, covering the walls, darkening the room with how many there were. Rona made to shout again when the door shuddered loudly behind her. She stood back from it as it started to splinter and she heard loud and vicious roars coming from the other side.

Then it broke and a hulking werewolf ran in, roaring with all his fury. Bishop flipped the table over and Rona ran out of the room and back out of the tiny pantry. He came out himself not a moment later, returned to human form. They quickly slammed the second pair of doors shut and stood back as they watched several spiders skittering around through the cracks. Balgruuf stared at Bishop.

Bishop noticed his staring and said, "It's a long story. We're uh... looking for a cure."

"Right," Balgruuf said, brushing it off then turned his attention back to Rona, "Any luck? I heard your shout."

She shook her head.

"Damn it," he grumbled then looked back to Bishop, "You broke the door?"

"I had to! We couldn't just leave her in there!"

"I don't blame you lad. Still... I can't very well leave the thing there unprotected. Farengar," he addressed his court wizard who looked quite interested in the entire situation but was staring most interested at Bishop.

He snapped to attention though and said, "Yes my Jarl?"

"Seal this door for now and lock it. I'll see about having the other door fixed so that we might reinforce the room again. Better twice over than just once I say," he looked at Rona with fear and desperation. "My children need to leave tonight. I can't keep them here, not with Mephala lurking about, whispering to them through the damned keyholes. I wanted to spend a few more days with them... but it can't wait. Will you take them tonight?"

Rona looked to Bishop and he nodded his head. He wouldn't argue it. He would hold off on curing his curse until they returned. She couldn't appreciate the man more than she did now.

"Yes, I'll escort them tonight," she said.

"Excellent, thank you. I'll go make the preparations and collect the children. Please wait for us in the great hall."

As they left the room Farengar got to work on casting his sealing spells over the doors. When he finished with his spells he took the key and carefully locked it then slipped the tiny key into his pocket. What he hadn't realized however, was that there was a single spider tugging at two stitches on that pocket, carefully pulling them open and creating a small hole. As the key hit the bottom of his pocket it slipped down and fell through the opening and landed softly and silently onto the stack of oats in front of the door.

Bishop and Rona brought Karnwyr in from outside. They figured no one would mind if the wolf was close by the front doors. Bishop seemed on edge as he had his arms crossed and tapped a foot impatiently.

Rona couldn't stop thinking about how awful it was that this Daedric Prince had filled her younger brother's mind with such horrible things, making him hate his own father even.

She wanted to talk to him and she would. They had a long trip to Solitude. She'd be honest with the boy, tell him the awful truths about their mother's madness and inability to care for children. He'd understand, he'd have to.

They heard the children come in. Dagny whined loudly, "But Papa! Why are we leaving? Aren't you coming with us?"

"No Dagny, I cannot come with you. I have to stay here. The Stormcloaks are coming... it's too dangerous for you all to stay here."

"But why leave now?" Frothar protested with a yawn, "Can't we go in the morning instead?"

"I don't know when the soldiers will arrive son. The Dragonborn will be escorting you though, she can... show you her shouts and such," Balgruuf tried enticing them. Rona rolled her eyes at the suggestion.

"Maybe she can sing more of mother's songs!" Dagny said excitedly as she ran over to the bookshelf where her mother's song journal sat tucked between two other larger books.

Then Nelkir's voice carried over to them, quiet and angry as he muttered, "She's not my mother."

Rona and Bishop looked to the top of the stairs and could barely see Balgruuf's anguished expression as he looked over the boy, not knowing what to say.

"Don't be stupid Nelkie," Frothar scoffed.

Nelkir roared at his brother, "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! STOP CALLING ME THAT! She's NOT my mother! TELL THEM THE TRUTH!"

Even Frothar looked taken aback by his outburst and clammed right up.

"Nelkir," Balgruuf muttered and reached for his son.

But Nelkir smacked his hand away and scowled furiously up at his father, this time his hair was no longer covering his vicious and sharp green eyes, "You're a liar! I know all about you! I know you kept her from me! And now she's dead and I never got to meet her! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! I HATE YOU!"

"NELKIR!" Balgruuf called at his back as he ran away from him into the kitchens and rushed down the stairs to the basement. Rona hurried up the stairs, feeling anxious.

Balgruuf saw her and waved a hand, "It'll be alright. Farengar sealed the door and locked it. I already checked. I'll go talk to him, can you get these two to the stables? The carriage will meet you there shortly."

She nodded and ushered the other two children along with her. The four of them and Karnwyr wound their way down Dragonsreach and through the marketplace.

Dagny was holding her mother's song journal to her chest. She looked up at Rona and asked, "Are you really the Dragonborn?"

Rona smiled down at her, "I am."

Frothar looked up at Bishop and asked, "Who's he?"

"Already told you kid," Bishop grumbled, arms crossed, "I'm her personal guard."

Frothar frowned, "Why would the Dragonborn need a guard?"

Rona laughed, "Sometimes I need someone to watch my back too."

Dagny said haughtily, "I know why he's her guard."

Frothar looked at her and said, "No you don't."

"Yeah I do," she argued, "You're like Papa and Mama. You love each other. That's why you protect her right?" Dagny looked up at Bishop. He smirked at her and just nodded. Rona's cheeks burned slightly at the girl's intuition.

"Told yah!" Dagny said proudly.

"Gross," Frothar said scrunching his nose.

They escorted the Jarl's children outside to the stables and collected their own steeds from the stable master. Rona mindlessly pat Karinda on the neck while they all waited in silence for their carriage to arrive.

(The song is Tomahawk by Valentin Wiest)

Then they heard some yelling coming from above, near Whiterun's front gates. They both looked down the road as they saw Nelkir coming down the path, holding a very long and red glowing blade, Balgruuf and Irileth were both on his heels shouting for him to stop.

But the boy did not stop, in fact he was much faster than them. He definitely inherited his quick feet from their mother. He was cackling madly and Rona ran forward, attempting to block his path, or catch him or something. Bishop yanked the other two kids out of the way and threw them hard across the field before he grabbed her, saving her from being stabbed in the belly by the boy who'd clearly lost his damn mind.

Balgruuf caught up to the both of them, breathless and stopped, bending over and pressing a hand to his knee.

Irileth kept up the chase though but stopped when Nelkir swiped at Rona's horse. Karinda reared up, terrified and nearly kicked the boy in the face. Then he aimed the Ebony Blade for her chest and she fell on it. It killed her instantly, leeching her life from her.

Rona threw her hands to her mouth, holding back a scream as the boy kicked off and ran across the fields, heading west of Whiterun.

Bishop grasped Balgruuf by his clothes and roared into his face, "HOW DID HE GET THE SWORD!?"

"I - I don't know," he breathed. His eyes looked like they would bulge from his head out of sheer terror, not because of Bishop, but out of fear for his son and he shouted, "We have to stop him! I have to do something!" He pulled back from Bishop's grasp and took up the chase again with Irileth.

Rona and Bishop ran after them and she shouted firmly back at the other very stunned children, "Stay here!"

She shouted, "WULD NAH KEST!" shunting forward to catch up to the boy and completely outpacing the others. He was so fast though, she almost couldn't believe it. It had to be Mephala.

She used another shout, "TIID KLO UL!" Everything around her slowed down significantly. Everything except Nelkir. He was still running forward at the same pace, laughing madly. It was definitely Mephala. Her father always did say that Daedric Princes were nothing to trifle with.

She picked up her own pace then and ran like her life depended on it. Using another whirlwind sprint she finally caught up to the boy and grasped him by the back of his shirt, but he spun swiftly around and the blade cut her right across her abdomen, easily slicing through her dress. She leapt back and held her healing hand to her belly. It stung sharply and she felt her life being drained where it had cut her. Her magic didn't do much for the wound.

"Nelkir," she said calmly, as though he hadn't just tried to kill her, "give me the blade."

He glared at her, his chest heaving. His eyes were glowing red. Mephala's influence was strong.

Rona put a hand out and motioned for him to give it to her, "We don't want to see you get hurt Nelkir, please. I'll tell you everything about our mother, whatever you want to know. Just give me the blade."

"NO!" He roared in a voice that sounded possessed, "YOU'RE LYING! YOU'RE ALL LYING!"

The other three finally caught up to them all and Bishop pulled Rona back and looked over her wound, then he glared at the boy and growled like an animal. She pressed a hand to his chest and pleaded with her eyes for him to calm down.

Balgruuf carefully stepped forward, his voice trembling as he said, "My son. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have told you. I should have made an effort. I'd always hoped you would meet her someday, but... she died. I'm sorry."

Nelkir looked at his father with pure rage and hatred, so much so that his eyes burned like fire, glowing brighter. He pointed the blade at him and shouted, "I'm going to make you pay Balgruuf! I'm going to punish you!"

Balgruuf took another tentative step forward and said tearfully, "Nelkir... my son. I love you. Please."

But the boy moved too fast, with Mephala's influence he'd never have been able to evade it and Rona couldn't stop it without hurting Nelkir.

Irileth threw an anguished scream into the night as Balgruuf took a choked breath. The blade plunged straight through his belly and out his back. He fell forward, sliding on the blade more and grasping his son's shoulders as the boy stared into his father's shocked face with his own viciously hateful one.

(The song is Hand of Sorrow by Within Temptation)

Nelkir quickly drew the sword from his father's body and ran forward, his murderous rage was now meant for the Dragonborn. Rona had to stop Bishop, she felt his hair standing on end and he growled low and heavy. She turned right at him and shouted, "FUS!" sending him careening across the plains while he still maintained human form, then she drew her blades and met Nelkir's vicious slash with her own, making their blades clang loudly.

He pulled back and fought against her with near perfect precision, as though he'd wielded a blade his entire life. She stayed on toe though, dodging and dancing around his swipes, meeting her own blades to his when necessary. She took a breath and sang to the skies the vicious song in her heart, for her mother, for his father but most of all for him. She had to save him.

"The child without a name grew up to be the hand
To watch you, to shield you or kill on demand
The choice he'd made he could not comprehend
His blood a grim secret they had to command

He's torn between his honor and the true love of his life
He prayed for both but was denied

So many dreams were broken and so much was sacrificed
Was it worth the ones we loved and had to leave behind?

So many years have past, who are the noble and the wise?
Will all our sins be justified?

The curse of his powers tormented his life
Obeying the crown was a sinister price

His soul was tortured by love and by pain
He surely would flee but the oath made him stay

He's torn between his honor and the true love of his life
He prayed for both but was denied"

Rona danced expertly, clashing their blades together and singing with all the force in her voice as Nelkir started to tire. Then she managed to catch the Ebony Blade between her two and twisted it sharply from his grasp. He yelped painfully as the blade tried to stay, searing itself into his hands. He fell back and held his steaming hands out gasping and crying painfully. Rona flung the Ebony Blade through the air, sending it flying before it landed upright and sunk into the grass nearby.

A red aura licked the entire thing, growing more intense and bright. Rona wanted nothing more than to destroy the thing forever. She poured her heart and soul into the words and shouted scalding flames against it, over and over again.

"Please forgive me for the sorrow, for leaving you in fear
For the dreams we had to silence, that's all they'll ever be
Still I'll be the hand that saves you
Though you'll not see that it is me!"

She kept shouting and watched as the blade began to melt, Mephala's vicious whispers hissing into the night, coming from the blade itself. Rona roared as though she were a dragon herself. Allowing her strength to come from her blood, her inborn nature. She was a dragon. She had the fire of one. She would kill the blade that had destroyed her little brother's life. Because she cared for him. Maybe even loved him. He was her blood too.

"So many dreams were broken and so much was sacrificed
Was it worth the ones we loved and had to leave behind?
So many years have past, who are the noble and the wise?
Will all our sins be justified?"

And with a final and powerful, "YOL TOOR SHUL!" Mephala screamed painfully and the Ebony Blade became like liquid and dispersed into a mist within the fires of her breath. It was finally gone. But the path of destruction it had left behind was still present as Rona looked over and saw Irileth holding a lifeless Balgruuf in her arms and sobbing into his chest and Nelkir held his burned hands out looking horrified and muttering, "What... did I do? What... have I done? Father? Father?"