Chapter 50
Tearful Farewells
Rona sheathed her blades and stepped over to Nelkir. She fell to her knees, in front of him, blocking his view of his father as she held his hands in hers and healed him as best as she could, ignoring her own wound for the time being. He was crying hysterically, realizing what he'd done.
A stray tear traced her cheek for him and she pulled him into her arms and held him against her chest and whispered, "It's going to be okay. I'm here now. You have me."
He clung to her as he sobbed against her. Bishop came over and knelt beside them, looking just as sad and said, "I'm going to get the other two and take them back up to the palace, then send some guards down to," he glanced back at Balgruuf's body and said slowly, "...come get him."
"Wait a minute," She said and then she pushed Nelkir back by his shoulders and cupped his face in her hands.
He sobbed almost incoherently, "Why did I do it? I didn't want to! Father! I'm sorry! Father! It's all my fault..."
She looked him right in the eyes and said, "It's not your fault. It was the Whispering Lady. Don't blame yourself. You need to be strong now. Our mother was a Companion. I'm a Companion and someday you will be too. We're strong warriors and sometimes you have to suck it up and do what needs to be done and right now, you need to be strong for your brother and sister - because I know you're stronger than both of them. You have the blood of a Windsleaf and your big sister is the Dragonborn. You come from an entire family of powerful warriors, did you know that?"
He sniffled pitifully shaking his head slightly and she smiled at him, trying to hide her own pain, "Can you do that? Can you be strong?"
He nodded slowly and she looked up at Bishop, "Take him with you. Tell no one of what happened here," Rona looked back at the housecarl, who was tearfully staring into Balgruuf's lifeless face, "I'll talk to Irileth first... see what she'll say. But as far as anyone here is concerned, the Jarl was attacked and killed while trying to see his children off to Solitude."
Bishop nodded and held a kind hand out to the boy saying, "C'mon kid."
Nelkir took his hand and let him draw him away from that horrible scene. Rona turned back, ready to face Irileth. She stood by her as the woman cried in silence.
Rona knew she had very little time to discuss what they would tell everyone and she made to speak when Irileth said softly, "He and I shared a battle bond. We met as youths and forged our friendship in the fires of war. When he became Jarl, I insisted on serving as his protector," she smiled weakly, "He had no cause to argue... I just wanted to be close to him."
Rona looked on at her sadly. Irileth breathed, "He was such a fool. I always told him that the boy would be his downfall. He just ignored it, every sign, every strange thing he did, how aggressive he was becoming. There have been many attempts made on the Jarl's life. More than one would-be assassin met their end at the tip of my blade. But I could not save him from this. Even I never truly thought the boy would..."
"It wasn't Nelkir," Rona insisted, "It was Mephala."
Irileth looked up at her with shining crimson eyes, "Don't worry. I won't do that to him. I won't tell everyone that he... murdered his own father," she choked back her tears at the words then looked back at the Jarl and pressed a hand over his eyes, closing them, "I'll protect his children, all of them, just as I once protected him. It's what he would have wanted."
"We need to get our stories straight," Rona said.
"He was attacked wasn't he? An assassin... one that I failed to kill."
Irileth stayed by the Jarl's side until the guards came. She and Rona spoke very little about what had happened, despite how much they pressed them for answers. The two women stuck to their short story. An assassin came and killed the Jarl when he tried to see his children off to Solitude. Rona's poor horse got in the way and the assassin killed her too. The stable master insisted that he would take care of Karinda's body and return her things to her home the next day.
Rona, Irileth and the guards went back to Whiterun Hold, bringing Balgruuf's body with them. She parted ways with Irileth at the gates, returning to her own home and Bishop stepped in shortly thereafter. Neither of them spoke of what happened. They had no need for words now and couldn't bear to utter them anyways.
Bishop put an arm around her shoulder and drew her up to their room. He took care of the deep slash on her abdomen, focusing his attention on sterilizing it and dabbing a strong healing potion to it before bandaging it over. Then they crawled into bed together, ready to forget it all. Rona's back was turned to him and he pressed close against her, just holding her tightly. Being in each other's presence was enough to strengthen them after everything they'd suffered through in the last month and a half. It would all be over soon. They would cure Bishop, attend Balgruuf's funeral and then escort his children to Solitude and stay there and forget all about Whiterun if they could.
(Recommended background music Tomorrow Will be better, I promise by Exist Strategy)
The next morning they both woke bright and early to the sound of rain pattering on the roof. Both had slept fretfully and looked tired and drained. Bishop pushed a few stray bangs from her eyes and said, "How you doing today?"
She couldn't even muster the strength to joke about it. She just said, "I want to go to Glenmoril Coven today. I need to kill something."
He smiled feebly at her and said, "A woman after my own heart."
They left, taking all their weapons with them and trudged down to the stables through the muddy puddles. They both brought their cloaks and pulled their hoods up to take cover from the steady drizzle. They shared a saddle on Misty and began their ride westward towards the outskirts of Falkreath and the border of Hammerfell.
Rona held Bishop tightly around the waist. She was sad for her poor horse, but was glad to be able to hold him like this. She laid her head against his back and looked out at the sky through her hood, watching the sky cry for them. She could have easily cleared it with her shout, but she loved the rain. The sound of it as it pattered the ground and the way it felt when it flecked her skin. It was soothing and more than appropriate for how she felt, for everything... for everyone they'd lost.
Bishop laughed suddenly and pulled Misty to a stop. Rona looked up and they watched as Karnwyr raced around the fields, biting at the raindrops, wagging his tail and rolling in several patches of mud. Rona smiled too. It was nice to see someone so happy in these trying times.
Then Bishop said, "You know, I get it now."
"Hm?"
"Why he likes to roll around in the dirt and the mud. It's crazy but it just... feels good."
She laughed, "Have you been rolling around in the dirt?"
He chuckled, "Only when I turn Ladyship. You know, it's not so bad being a werewolf," she was surprised by his admission. He turned a bit and looked back at her, "I can even understand Karnwyr better now and he understands me. Watch this," Bishop whistled sharply to the wolf and Karnwyr stopped his playful mud roll to sit up and slowly walk over to them. Bishop said, "Sit."
Karnwyr sat, tail still wagging, tongue lolling from his mouth.
"Roll over," he said.
Karnwyr immediately plopped to the ground and did a quick roll over and laid on his belly patiently waiting for another command.
Bishop took a breath of the cold air through his nose and looked around, he noticed a fox dart out of a small hole in the ground and pointed, "Sick 'em!"
Karnwyr turned and seeing the fox raised hackle and ran after the poor thing.
Rona was astounded, "I can't believe it."
Bishop smirked at her, "Pretty amazing huh? Didn't even need to bribe him with food either."
She looked into his eyes, "You don't plan on staying a werewolf though, do you?"
He turned away from her and said, "I don't know."
She pulled on his shoulder getting him to look back at her, furrowing her brows at him. "Bishop..."
He sighed, looking her over under the hood of his cloak as the rain continued its gentle stream from the sky, "Rona... I'm so much more powerful now. I feel like I can actually protect you, more than I ever could before... For once I'm almost as strong as you now."
She grasped his arm and pressed her face to it, "Do you really think you're weaker than me?"
He pressed his lips together, his eyes darting out over the fields. "You're the Dragonborn," he said, "And I'm... just a man. I don't have any special powers, no freaky voice to shout down my enemies with, no magic, none of that. But now..." he held a hand up, looking at several of the lightly scarred gashes on his arm.
"Bishop," she caressed his cheek with her hand, turning his face more to her, "You've always been stronger than me. Always. I wouldn't have made it this far without you. You've saved me more times than I can count. You've brought down armies of dragons with me. You spent an entire day racing around Skyrim just to find me and save me from a Daedric Prince. You're not just a man," she said smiling lovingly at him, "You're my ranger."
He turned more in his seat and leaned over her, the hoods of their cloaks touching as his warm amber eyes bored into her own. He touched her face and traced her lips with his and said, "I love you so much Rona." He kissed her, slowly and deeply. They enjoyed a quiet and intimate moment together under the rainfall. It was a calming peace for her. Something to soothe her aching heart.
When they parted he said with a smirk, "You know, I won't be a werewolf for a whole lot longer, so after we kill these witches we might want to take advantage of my beastly stamina a few more times."
She smiled broadly and let out a laugh, "I suppose we could do that, but I look forward to having you back the way you were. I'm still a bit raw from the last time we did it."
He chuckled and looked back to their path then spurred Misty onward again.
It was around midday when they arrived at their destination. They left Misty a short ways off the path and trekked up a tall hill on foot. The rainfall was growing stronger and a few lightning bolts splintered through the sky. Karnwyr was ahead of them, sniffing at the path and then he stopped and his fur bristled at the eerie cave entrance. It was surrounded with the bones of dead animals mounted and affixed to pikes in creepy effigies, made to look like creatures they were not. There was fresh blood splashed against the walls. It was made as a warning for those who might go snooping into the cave.
Rona kicked at a spriggan taproot and drew one of her swords. She'd keep a free hand ready to cast a ward if necessary.
Bishop looked at her, "You ever actually faced a hagraven before?"
She shrugged, "I know they use magic, but the only one I've ever actually seen was your lovely bride."
She smirked at his disgusted expression and he said, "Ugh... I completely forgot about that. Why'd you have to remind me? Well, just be careful. These witches will blast some heavy fireballs at you without hesitation and next thing you know your pretty little legs will be decorating their walls."
She looked at him with half-lidded eyes and he chuckled at her, "What? It's true. Oh and don't shout at 'em. I'm thinking we need to keep them intact... well their heads at least."
He pulled out his bow, then looked down at Karnwyr and said, "Stay."
Karnwyr whined, cocking his head but did as told.
(Recommended background music The Witch's Curse and Salem's Secret and The Shadows Hymn by Peter Gundry)
The two of them crept into the cave and it wasn't long before they heard some sinister chanting echoing into the tunnel as they wove their way through. They stopped and crouched down near the turn in the wall and both took a breath, holding their noses. It smelled absolutely foul within, like death and decay. It was vomit inducing but they held back.
They looked in to see a stone table with the corpse of what used to be a nord man laying on it. There were three enchanters tables around and the room was littered with splashes of blood, guts and bits and pieces of dead animals. An entire elk lay on the ground in front of them, its entrails cut out and spilled across the ground and it's antlers had been ripped from its head.
Rona counted seven hagravens hunched over the body of the man doing gods knew what to it. One was viciously hacking away at his bottom half with a crooked dagger and she tore a leg off with a resounding squelch, while another took a pair of antlers and stabbed them into the nord man's skull. The others were fussing about, plucking his eyeballs from his head and raking their claws across his body, drawing blood.
When they finished tearing his other leg off they drug the strange and mangled corpse from the stone table and pulled him to the ground behind it. The two of them couldn't see what they were doing, but the witches all kept whispering and chanting and then it started glowing where they worked, green and ethereal. The light flickered off the cavern walls illuminating every disgusting, mangled creature and corpse they'd taken and turned into these bizarre effigies, made to look like things which they were most certainly not.
The head of a bear cut off and planted onto the rotting body of a man. Sabre cat claws torn from the beast and stuck to the fresh body of a woman, her entrails spilled out and her legs replaced with those of a spriggan's. The body of a bear matched with that of a sabre cat's head, the legs of a frostbite spider stuck into the orifices of another bloody and rotting corpse.
The walls were covered with these things, all mixed and matched and so incredibly disturbing. Rona wanted to burn it all, but they needed to keep the witch's heads intact. While still holding his nose, Bishop whispered, "I'll grab their attention and start picking them off with my bow. Cloak yourself and start sneaking around and killing them with your sword."
She nodded and he let his nose go, gagging heavily. Rona remembered that Bishop's senses were much stronger now, so she could only imagine how awful the smell really was for him. He stifled his gagging and carefully crept into the room. He hid behind a pillar and Rona cloaked herself then started walking around, keeping to the edge of the cavern walls. She made it around the view of the stone table and saw that the hagravens were affixing the man's body to that of an elks, making it so that he had four legs. She'd never understand why any creature or being would do something so disgusting and so strange. It didn't matter though, they were all about to die, thank the gods.
Bishop gave a sharp whistle and all of the hagravens stopped what they were doing and looked up, they hissed and whispered to one another in a language she did not understand. One of the witches moved forward, towards the spot where Bishop was hiding, her head snaking back and forth curiously. Then he leaned around the pillar and fired an arrow straight into her heart and the others all shrieked furiously and started casting explosive magic at the pillar. Rona ran in and plunged her blade into the back of one of the nearest ones, catching the eye of another that screeched at her. She pulled her blade back and threw her ward out as a fireball smashed into it shattering it.
They were a lot stronger than she anticipated, but she moved forward with quick fury and swiped at the next nearest witch while Bishop picked a third off with his bow, another perfect shot to the heart.
Rona got the one she was after, cutting her head right off and then leaping out of the way as a fireball exploded where she was just standing. There were three left now and the hagravens all hissed and one whispered something in a scratchy voice. They rushed to the enchanters tables and threw their clawed hands to them and cried out in a sharp screeching tone that hurt Rona's ears. Bishop yowled in pain too, covering. Then the whole room shuddered and swirling green magic poured from the witches and circled around all the effigies on the walls and the one on the floor.
The creatures grew bigger and fiercer. Their bodies twisting and truly becoming the monsters that they were. They all started to come off the walls and were crawling all over the place. Bishop began firing arrows into them while Rona swung her blade at the sabre-beer, fending it off and then killing it when she plunged her sword into its skull.
She turned at the sound of an agonizing cry which became a roar as the deer-man's body grew ten feet tall and he morphed into a living breathing monster. Rona stared wide eyed at the thing, its hands grew long talons while the nord's eyeless face changed, its mouth growing longer and wider and sharp teeth shot from its gums. It reared up like a horse before clacking down and threw its entire hulking body forward as it roared at her.
Bishop picked off two more of the hagravens and yelled, "TIME TO SHOUT LADYSHIP!"
She let it fly from her throat, "YOL TOOR SHUL!"
The monster seemed to welcome the blaze though, holding its arms out and allowing itself to ignite, catching fire. The fire became possessed turning green and its whole body was licking with flames, more dangerous now than it was before.
She heard Bishop utter a stunned, "What the fuck!?"
The creature pounced on her and she swiped at one of its thin legs with her blade cutting it off completely. It toppled over and she rolled out of the way right into the bird's feet of the last hagraven. The witch muttered in her scratchy voice, "Pretty, pretty girl."
Rona spun swiftly at the witch slicing a bloody swath through her abdomen. The hagraven screamed and Rona felt the heat of fire behind her. She turned to see the hulking deer-man looming over her, ready to plunge his talons into her. Bishop had other plans though as he roared loudly, now a werewolf and leapt onto the creature. The flames licked at his body but he didn't seem to care as he started ripping into the monster and tearing hunks of flaming flesh from its body. It rolled over with him still burying his claws and teeth into it.
Rona started swiping viciously at the other monsters crawling around the cave and killed them quickly before they became a real threat to them. She looked back to see Bishop struggling with the monster, his own body bloody and burned. She saw an opportunity as it lay on the floor, fighting with Bishop. She raced forward and leapt off the ground, bringing her full weight into the swing and slammed her sword right through its neck, severing its head from its body.
The whole thing went limp immediately and Bishop roared pulling away from it. She cried, "FOH KRAH DIIN!" putting the flames out on the monster then looked over at Bishop who, still a werewolf was trying to calm himself. She almost felt afraid to approach him. Her experiences with werewolves had not been very good thus far so she kept her distance as he slowly and agonizingly morphed back into a man.
He fell to one knee and she ran to him. There were burns and many bloody slices all up and down his arms, neck and across his chin. She held her healing hands out and touched each wound. The burns were not so easy to heal, they had been dragon's flame and it took so much more to fix those. He must have seen the fear and worry etched all over her face as she worked to heal him as best she could because he grasped her hand and said, "It'll be alright. There's a full moon tonight. I'll heal."
She took a breath and then embraced him. He held her too and whispered, "It's almost over. We'll make it through this."
They both stood and went around, cutting off the heads of each of the witches, not entirely sure how many they would need and carried them along by their hair. They stepped out of the cave into what had become a downpour and Bishop took a deep breath and sighed, "Aahh... wow, I almost forgot what fresh air actually smelled like."
"Me too," she said breathing in the wonderful smell of the rain and trying to forget the stench of decay. Karnwyr was sitting nearby, he'd taken refuge in the entryway of the cave as the rain came down hard and lightning bolted through the sky.
Bishop said, "It's coming down pretty bad, huh?"
Rona looked back into the dark cavern and said, "I do not want to stay here."
She stepped forward into the rain and shouted to the sky, "LOK VAH KOOR!" The clouds parted slightly, she waited a moment, allowing her voice to recover and shouted it again, revealing the sun slowly setting.
They made their way back down the slope, found their horse and took off back to Whiterun.
Rona nearly fell asleep, with her face pressed to Bishop's back and her arms wrapped around his waist as they rode along. She stirred when he stopped suddenly. He was looking up at the full moon high in the sky.
He sighed deeply as his wounds started to quickly mend themselves. His burns and slashes were all but gone in seconds. She leaned around and stared up at him, astonished. He looked back at her and chuckled, "Told you I'd be fine."
She saw that they were almost to Whiterun, near the old watchtower where she'd killed her first dragon. As they drew closer to the city they noticed that quite a few people were standing outside near the stables.
"The hell?" Bishop muttered. There was smoke and a bright blaze coming up from a place near Dragonsreach and it was not from the Skyforge. They came to a halt and climbed off Misty.
Bishop seemed to recognize one of the people in the crowd and called, "Ysolda! Hey, what's going on? What's happening?"
Ysolda looked at him, fear in her eyes, "Some bandits came into the city and attacked Jorrvaskr."
Bishop shouted, "What!? When!?"
"It was just a few hours ago, the guards have been evacuating people while they try to take them out," she shook her head slowly, "It's just madness isn't it? First the Jarl and now the Companions? I heard that the Legion is supposed to be here in a few days too."
Bishop looked at Rona and they both ran off towards the city gates. Dagun saw them coming and let them in immediately. They raced up the steps to Jorrvaskr and found the bodies of city guards and plenty of the Silver Hand cut down as well. Rona gasped at one body in particular and Bishop looked over. It was Njada. She was dead, heart pierced by an arrow. She was dressed head to toe in Silver Hand armor.
There was a smoldering blaze coming from the side of Jorrvaskr nearest to Skyforge. Eorland and his entire family, plus a few other guardsmen were hard at work trying to put out the blaze with buckets of water from the nearby aqueduct. Rona ran over and said, "Stand back!"
She shouted at the flames, "FOH KRAH DIIN!" putting the fire out immediately.
Eorland sighed and said, "Thank the gods you're here."
"Where are the others?" Bishop asked frantically.
Eorland looked him over sadly and said, "They're out back, in the yard."
The two of the them went around and found the brothers and Athis sitting quietly by Kodlak's body. Aela was standing aside looking away from him, holding back her tears.
Rona couldn't help it then. It was too much. All of it. She turned into Bishop's arms and burst into tears. Bishop's face twisted as he held back his anguish and muttered, "God damn it old man..."
The next day the two of them went up to Jorrvaskr early and joined the other four remaining Companions at the table in the Mead Hall.
Rona's heart broke for Farkas, his eyes were red and swollen and he looked like he'd actually cried all night long. He really was a sweet and kind hearted man. Vilkas just held his hands in his head and stared miserably at the table while Athis looked off to the side with his arms crossed. Aela looked right at Rona when she sat down and with her brows knit together she said, "I'm sorry Rona. I'm sorry for what I did to you, how I behaved. It was wrong of me," she looked at Bishop too and said, "And I'm sorry I turned you Bishop."
He averted his gaze from her, not looking to forgive her any time soon. Rona asked quietly, "What happened last night?"
Vilkas looked over at her, from his hands, "You saw them girl. The damned Silver Hand came," then he glared furiously at Aela, "All because you couldn't stop yourself from going out and taking your goddamned vengeance and hatred out on them!"
Aela said nothing, knowing he was right.
"I saw Njada out there too," Rona said.
Vilkas laughed bitterly, "Yeah, because she joined them! She brought them here and she killed Kodlak. Ran up to him and screamed at him, said it was his fault Ria was dead and the old man," Vilkas grimaced as a sob nearly overtook him, "he just let it happen. He wouldn't raise his sword to her."
"Who killed Njada?" Bishop asked.
"I did," Aela said resentfully, "I let her taste my arrow, but I was too late."
Athis spoke up and said, "Heard the Jarl's dead too."
Rona turned her head, she didn't want to discuss that matter in the slightest. She wanted to continue protecting Nelkir.
"What're we gonna do?" Farkas finally talked, "If you two don't come back to Jorrvaskr... well we can't really be the Companions with just four of us, can we?" He looked to Vilkas.
His brother just shook his head, "And with no Harbinger... this is the end of us for sure. Kodlak was right, it's a curse."
Eorland came upstairs from the living quarters and said, "Don't give up just yet, we still have the fragments of Wuuthrad," he was holding a few pieces in his hands, along with an old journal. He looked to Rona and Bishop and said, "Kodlak told me about your task. Were you able to defeat the hagravens?"
"Yes," Rona said, "We brought all of their heads."
"Good. I'll get to work on repairing Ysgramor's battleaxe. They're holding the funeral for the Jarl and Kodlak together," he came up and looked down at Aela and said, "We will also be remembering Skjor and the others - Ria, Torvar and even Njada. It will be here at Skyforge tonight. All of you come pay your respects and then we'll discuss what you must do next."
He handed Bishop the journal and said, "Kodlak wanted you to have this."
Bishop took it, looking surprised and glanced over at the two brothers, "Why me?"
"Well not just you, but for her too," he nodded to Rona, "It has a lot of details that pertain to you both. Read it over. We'll meet tonight then."
Bishop and Rona returned to their homestead to have lunch and to look over the old journal Kodlak had left them. Bishop handed it to her and told her to read it out loud while he fixed their food.
She sat at the table and turned open the first page and started reading, "In my dream, I see the line of Harbingers start with Ysgramor. Each of them ascends to Sovngarde, until we come to Terrfyg, who first turned us to the ways of the beast. He tries to enter Sovngarde, but before he can even approach Tsun, he is set upon by a great wolf, who pulls him into the Hunting Grounds, where Hircine laughs with welcoming arms."
"Terrfyg seems regretful, but also eager to join Hircine after a lifetime of service as a beast. Then I see every next Harbinger turn away from Sovngarde and enter the Hunting Grounds of their own accord. Until it comes to me and I see great Tsun on the misty horizon, beckoning me. It appears I have a choice. And then, at my side, a woman who resembles Claudia. As I look into her eyes, we turn to see the same wolf who dragged Terrfyg and she and I draw weapons together. I realize this is only a dream, but a strong enough dream to inspire a man like me to take to writing, so it must be of some import."
She glanced at Bishop who was sitting nearby and properly cooking her piece of beef over the hearth fire but tearing into his own completely raw. She blinked at him, but he didn't seem to notice as he tore into it some more and said through a mouthful, "Go on, keep reading."
Rona took a breath and exhaled, turning the page, "I've spoken of my thoughts to the Circle, withholding the part about Claudia, lest Aela take it wrongly. I was not surprised to see them torn by it. Skjor and Aela are strong in the ways of the beast and even seemed to suggest that the Hunting Grounds would be their choice of afterlife. I don't know what to do about them. I know they respect the Companions and me, but they take to the blood more deeply than the rest of us."
Rona licked a finger and turned another page, "While Vilkas was confiding, through the shadows of Jorrvaskr, I thought I saw the ghost of Claudia, young and spritely as she once was long ago. But it was in fact her daughter, little Rona, all grown from when she barely reached the height of my knee and I realized then that it was she who stood with me against the beast. I eagerly asked if she was to join our numbers, but she declined. She only had questions about her mother. I shared everything I could and it pained me to see her go."
"That was when we first came here?" Bishop asked.
"Yeah," she confirmed. She skimmed over some of the journal and found another passage regarding her and read it, "The young Dragonborn returned to us, if only briefly to collect her new blades made from dragon bone. I'd heard tales of her power and her killing of many dragons all over Skyrim. I would have been more skeptical of the tiny elfling," Bishop snorted at the word and Rona rolled her eyes, continuing, "if I had not personally known her mother. Today she demonstrated her ferocity and I was highly impressed by her skill. Unfortunately she left us again, rather quickly, seeking out her prey."
She flipped the page again and read, "It was only a few days before Claudia's daughter returned to us. She came around the yard and I could sense her agitation. I called for her to join me and we spoke for some time. I was surprised, but very pleased when she offered her sword arm to us. Her wolf and another young lad joined us shortly after," she paused, her face turning beat red at the next line.
Bishop cocked an eyebrow at her and asked, "What? What's it say?"
She said, "I'm just going to skip that part."
He laughed and reached over, snatching the journal from her. She shouted, "Hey!"
Bishop looked it over and read out loud, "I realized then that his scent was all over her. I gleaned that the two were involved and having a lover's spat," he burst out laughing while Rona just buried her reddening face in her hands.
He continued reading, "I looked over the young man and saw that he was a ranger. He seemed quite capable, however when I asked his name he merely bristled at me," Bishop's face fell slightly as he read with less enthusiasm, "He reminds me of my son Brandr. I could sense his anger buried deep within. After a brief argument with the Lady Rona, he gave his name. Bishop. I offered to train his sword arm and he snapped at me again. Perhaps he will return with the Dragonborn, if he does I will teach him and do what I never did for my son."
He passed the journal back to her and looking sad said, "Keep reading for me okay?"
She gave him a sympathetic smile and took it, flipping the page, "Both Rona and Bishop returned today. Aela sent the Dragonborn on a mission with Farkas to collect some fragments of Wuuthrad while I have taken on training the new blood. We tried training in the yard and at first I thought the sword did not suit him at all. He has no discipline in the art and fights like a child having a tantrum," Bishop scoffed slightly at that part. She smiled and continued, "He allowed his anger to overwhelm and consume him and left Jorrvaskr. I thought to try something else. I assured Rona that I would speak with him and I collected Brandr's sword. It has not been used in ten years since his death. Bishop showed great talent with the lighter blade as well as incredible spirit as he joined me in taking down a dragon today. I gave him the sword. I hope he will fight for honor and glory with it."
"Both Rona and Bishop showed incredible talent and skill. We will formally recognize them as Companions. Farkas was particularly impressed with her voice and her power," she laughed again, "Though I'm afraid he might fancy the girl and don't have the heart to tell him about her involvement with the ranger."
Bishop scoffed, "What? You didn't notice the way those two look at you?"
"Two?" She asked.
"Farkas and Vilkas," he said, "Always acting like a couple of hungry wolves every time you walk by."
She made a face at him, "Oh, you mean just like you - wolf?"
He smirked at her, "Exactly! No man gets to look at you like that, but me." She rolled her eyes and he said, "Go on, keep reading. It's just starting to get interesting."
"In the meanwhile, I look for ways of cleansing my blood. The writings and legends on the subject are sparse and contradictory. I don't wish to engage any wizardy on this matter, but I fear they may be the only ones who best know how to navigate these worlds of knowledge. It's apparent to me now that Terrfyg's choice to turn us was indeed a mistake. Magics and their ilk are not in keeping with the spirit of the Companions. We face our problems directly, without the needs of such trickery."
Bishop interrupted and said, "Damn, too bad he never got to meet Serlas. Now there's a man who knows how to be really direct with his magic."
Rona chuckled and kept reading, "I can only hope to guide us back to the true path of Ysgramor before the rot takes me," she looked over the next part and her face fell. Kodlak had gone on, talking more about Bishop and his progress in opening up to him and gaining a hold on his anger. Then it went on about their trip to the Rift and mentioned a few things about his discussion with Bishop up on Bonestrewn Crest. He talked about his admiration of her voice and the power it evokes and how sad and happy he was to see all of his old friends the way they were once more, even his son. He expressed great sadness for the loss of Ria and Torvar against the dragons. Then it went back to his struggles in trying to reach out to Njada who was just furious and angry over the death of Ria.
Kodlak had been trying to hold the Companions together for a long time it seemed, while struggling with his own fears and worries on the issue of his beast blood. She knew what it felt like to carry so many burdens on her back.
Rona took a breath, finishing reading a section when Bishop set her food on the table and said, "Here, give it to me. I'll read the rest, you eat." She cut into her seasoned beef while he read on, "We finished cleaning and dressing Njada's wound. Athis stayed behind to catch up on sleep and when we returned upstairs we saw that Aela, Skjor and Rona were missing. A strange and frightening song carried into our hall from outside. As we went out to look, Skjor hurried to us and told us that Aela had lost herself in the call of the blood and was trying to kill the Dragonborn. The wolf, Karnwyr, was the first to race off into the night, already keenly aware of the danger his companion faced. Bishop chased after and we followed through the Underforge."
"We quickly caught sight of them and turned, however we were too late to stop Aela from biting Bishop. He turned and tried to," Bishop paused for moment before finally saying it, "tried to kill Rona. Somehow she was saved. We returned to Jorrvaskr and I made to strip Aela of her position. I have turned a blind eye to her and Skjor's activities for too long. Bishop returned to us, livid and hateful. I have failed him, just as I failed my son."
Bishop sighed and skimmed over the rest, "It's just everything else, his worries about the Silver Hand and how the cure resides in Glenmoril Coven, heart breaks for the loss of Skjor, all of it," he flipped over the rest of the journal which was empty. He looked crestfallen as he said, "Kodlak should have been cured. He deserved to go to Sovngarde." Rona touched his hand and he set the journal aside.
As the dusk came over Whiterun they prepared to attend the funeral and memorial service. The city appeared to be empty until they reached Jorrvaskr. Everyone from Whiterun was in attendance, standing by in a crowd filling the space around Jorrvaskr and out along the path by the old Eldergleam. They were all there to pay their respects for Jarl Balgruuf and Kodlak Whitemane.
There were a few murmurs and whispers as the crowd split, allowing Rona and Bishop to pass through. They knew the Dragonborn and her companion all too well now as they'd helped many of them in their time there.
Rona and Bishop joined the other Companions and the Gray-Mane family up at Skyforge. Irileth, Steward Proventus and Balgruuf's brother stood by with the Jarl's children. Dagny and Frothar were sobbing fitfully, eyes puffy and red, noses dripping. Nelkir however had no tears to shed, he only looked remorseful. Perhaps he had taken what Rona said to heart and was trying to be strong for his brother and sister.
Two funeral pyres with Kodlak's and Balgruuf's bodies sat above the forge, both of them dressed in their finest, eyes closed and looking peaceful.
Eorland stepped forward with a torch in hand and asked, "Who will start?"
Aela said, "I'll do it." Eorland gave her the torch and she spoke loudly so the crowd could hear, "Before the ancient flame..."
The Companions spoke in unison, Bishop and Rona included, "We grieve."
Eorland said, "At this loss..."
"We weep."
Vilkas said, "For the fallen..."
"We shout."
Farkas finished, "And for ourselves..."
"We take our leave."
Aela lit the funeral pyre, though the flames burned a pure white instead of their usual orange. Then Eira of White Fire blessed them with her presence, burning into being as she stepped from the flames themselves. Aela stood back, startled by the sight of her. Eira looked sadly over the two men and turned to face the crowd, strumming her lute as she did so.
(The song is Into the West by Annie Lennox)
Rona knew she was there because of her own sorrow. Whiterun was supposed to be a refuge for them. A place to stay until the real battles were to come and yet it had become a place that held some of her worst memories. She'd made so many new friends and lost so many of them in such a short time. Even Bishop looked on tearfully as Kodlak's body burned. He had finally gained something he'd lost long ago, only to have it ripped from him again.
Eira sang the words that burned in Rona's soul. The words she herself could not utter because of the choked sobs she held within. Bishop held her tightly and they watched on together as the flames sent the fallen to their final rest.
"Lay down
Your sweet and weary head
The night is falling
You have come to journey's end
Sleep now
And dream of the ones who came before
They are calling
From across the distant shore
Why do you weep?
What are these tears upon your face?
Soon you will see
All of your fears will pass away
Safe in my arms
You're only sleeping
What can you see
On the horizon?
Why do the white gulls call?
Across the sea
A pale moon rises
The ships have come to carry you home
And all will turn
To silver glass
A light on the water
All Souls pass
Hope fades
Into the world of night
Through shadows falling
Out of memory and time
Don't say
We have come now to the end
White shores are calling
You and I will meet again
And you'll be here in my arms
Just sleeping
And all will turn
To silver glass
A light on the water
Grey ships pass
Into the West"
All of Whiterun mourned the loss and as Eira finished her sad song she vanished within a pillar of white flame. Rona heard Nelkir burst into awful sobs and she pulled from Bishop and embraced the boy, telling him it was okay to cry, just as Kodlak had done once for her. She was finding herself feeling more attached to the child. They shared a blood bond and she was all he really had left, save for his other brother and sister. Irileth held the other two as they cried in her arms.
Aela said mournfully, "Their spirits are departed. Members of the Companions, let us withdraw to the Underforge, to grieve our last together."