Chapter VIII
Rasha pulled the hood tightly over her head, made sure her tail was hidden from view inside her trousers, and that her trousers were tucked firmly into her shoes. She then fastened up her coat to the very top, all to reduce the amount of heat that would start to escape once she was outside.
The Ohmes-Raht looked over at Faldan as he fastened up his own coat. It wasn't as good as the one he had given her, but it would definitely be better than nothing.
"Are you ready?" she asked him, as he clumsily put on some cheap fur gloves.
He looked up at her, his dark brown eyes conveying fatigue. "Erm, yes. I think," the Bosmer responded shortly before yawning loudly.
It was the early hours of the morning, sometime before dawn. Early enough for there to be few people, but late enough not to draw suspicion on what they were doing. Faldan had slept little that night, and it showed on his face, and in his posture.
"You're not going to fall asleep on me are you?" she asked half-joking. "I'm not going to carry you."
"I'm fine."
"Well you're going to need to be alert."
"I'll try. It is late y'know."
"Have the map?" she asked him.
"Yes," he said, pulling the folded cloth map out of his pocket.
"Want me to look after it?" she asked him.
He quickly shoved it back into his pocket. "No, I can keep it safe, no worries."
Rasha moved over to the door and gripped the handle. "Take one last look around," she told him. "Because chances are you'll never see this place again."
"I've only been here about a month," he told her. "I have no attachment to this place whatsoever. Now let's just go."
She pushed the door open, the cold air rushed in as they both stepped out into the darkness beyond. Faldan closed the door before they both began to make their way down the cold, frozen street. The only source of light were the dull glow of torches that rested in sconce's by the front doors of the small impoverished Dunmer homes.
They climbed some steep steps before walking down a thin alley that lay at the end of the street on the right. After walking up another set of steps, they both passed the large gate that lead to the docks and went under an arch into a sheltered alley, heading up a second set of stairs.
Rasha stared up at the strange glowing ribbons of light in the sky. She had never seen anything like it. They were absolutely beautiful.
"I noticed them too," Faldan whispered. "No idea what they're supposed to be."
The Ohmes-Raht forced herself to look away after a minute or so, and continued on, followed closely by the Bosmer.
Soon they were at the large tall city gates, which were illuminated by two fires at either side. While there wasn't any guards on this side of the gates, she had no illusions that when they opened them, that they wouldn't bump into some at the other side.
Rasha gripped the hat she had been given and pulled it tight around her head, trying to cover up as much of her fur covered face as possible.
They both moved over to the gates and pushed one open just enough for them both to get through. Faldan went first, closely followed by Rasha. The large gate swung shut behind them with a hefty clang, as a Windhelm guard stood at the base of some wide shallow steps turned to them.
"Where are you two going at this time of night?" he asked, his voice muffled from behind his helmet.
Faldan glanced at Rasha before speaking. "Erm, we're leaving."
"What do you mean by 'leaving' exactly?"
When the Bosmer failed to respond, Rasha decided to intervene. "We've decided to leave Windhelm and find somewhere else to live." She hadn't wanted to draw attention to herself, lest the guard realise that she was the one that had escaped from the dungeon a few mere days ago.
"Good riddance," the guard uttered. "I hope more elves follow your lead and leave too."
They both headed onwards across the bridge, under a thick arch and between two stone constructions, continuing along past tall stone walls and under another archway. Rasha sighed a breath of relief as they passed the stables, heading down the incline onto the main road.
"This is it," Faldan said aloud. "We're actually doing this."
"Yes," she replied as they both began walking westward. "Yes we are."
"What will we do when we get there?" he asked.
"I'm not entirely sure," she revealed.
"Oh?"
She looked across at him as they set foot on a stone bridge near where two rivers joined. "I'll figure it out."
As they came to the apex of the bridge, Rasha stopped and leant on the waist-high stone wall, looking north above the tall mountain that lay to the north-east of the city, at the ribbons of light that danced overhead.
"Rather beautiful," she said softly. "Never before have I seen anything quite like this."
She looked over at Faldan as he stood beside her. "I've seen them before," he told her, "just not from beyond the city walls."
"Mind if we stay here for a little while?" she asked him.
He shrugged. "Sure, I don't mind."
The Ohmes-Raht stared back up at the glowing red lights in the sky. They looked almost aetherial in nature as if it was the breath of the Divines, gently blowing against the sky, its magic dancing slowly among the clouds.
Rasha simply stood and stared in awe. The beauty of these northern lights took her breath away.
Faldan leant against the wall beside her. "Strangely peaceful," he said to her. "The city is just across the river, but it's so quiet, unlike during the day."
"Looks old," Rasha added, turning her attention to the city.
"Supposed to have been built a the end of the Merethic era, from what I've been told."
"I'm not up to speed with ancient lore," she revealed to him. "When was the Merethic era?"
"Thousands of years ago. I think it marked the end of the Falmer rule in Skyrim."
Rasha turned her attention back to the lights in the sky "This land may be freezing cold, but the nights certainly are beautiful."
"You're right, they are."
They both stood there for a few moments more before continuing on westward, into the darkness of the early morning hours.
"Just keep it there. Yes, right there," Magoza said as she helped guide the front door into position.
Darovin and Llandri were stood in the doorway holding up the large door while Magoza, who was on a ladder in the interior of the house, guided them in.
It was just after mid-morning and they had already attached one side of the hinges to the door and the other to the alcove. She had designed the hinges so that one simply lowered a pin through rungs to join the two halves together, making a functional door. To then remove the door one simply lifted all the pins out.
Of course they were designed so it could only be done while the door was open as to stop would-be thieves from breaking in by removing the door.
Magoza gripped the edge of the door, guiding it into position. "Okay, lower it."
The Dunmer couple lowered the door down into place, while Magoza dropped the pin into the upper hinge joining them. She then stepped down the ladders and popped a pin into the centre hinge, then one into the bottom. With an okay from the Orsimer, the two Dunmer let it go, stepping back to admire the handiwork.
"That's a lot easier than how I've been doing it in the past." Darovin said. "Getting folk to hold up the door while I bash nails into the hinges, when they were already attached to the wall."
"Well it's just something I learned from my mother," Magoza told them. "Will we be putting up the rest today?"
Llandri smiled. "Maybe one more before dinner."
They all looked around as Brendarr came walking up to the house.
"Looks the same," he said to them.
Llandri shook her head. "That's 'cause it is the same. Just the hinges have been replaced."
Darovin gripped the door, closed it and then opened it again. "Glides really smoothly. Like a foot sliding on some freshly spilt scrib jelly."
"Doesn't look very good to me," Brendarr told them. "Not as good as it was."
Llandri let out a stifled laugh. "Are ya joking? The old hinges were on their way out. If ya breathed too hard near 'em, there was a chance they might've fallen off."
"Whatever," he replied before casting a death stare at Magoza. "I'll be in the guar pen." He turned and left.
Llandri's mouth gaped open. "What was all that about?"
"Brendarr doesn't like Magoza very much," Darovin explained.
"He doesn't?"
"Haven't ya noticed?"
She looked over at Magoza. "I thought he was just shy 'round her."
"No." Darovin said shaking his head. "He seems to have taken a real disliking to her for some reason."
"Well have ya talked to him about it?" Llandri asked her husband. "See what it is?"
"Yes I have, on a few occasions."
"And?"
Darovin looked over at Magoza. "Well, sometimes he seems regretful of his dislike and other times it's like he's doing it on purpose."
"Maybe I should go talk to him," Llandri suggested. "Maybe I can get something out of him."
"If ya think it'll work," her husband agreed.
Llandri turned to Magoza. "I'll try and sort this out for ya. It's not fair for ya to have to live with someone who dislikes ya so much."
"Thank you," Magoza replied. "But honestly it doesn't bother me that much."
"Nonsense," Llandri said. "I'll get to the bottom of it."
She left for the guar pen, walking along the cobbled pathway. In a few minutes, she was setting foot into the pen, where Brendarr was once again tending to the animal.
"You spend a lot of time down here as of late," Llandri said to him.
"Yeah," he replied.
"Any reason why?"
"Not really."
"Has nothing to do with the Orc does it?"
He scowled, turning his attention towards his mother. "What did she say about me?" he accused.
"Absolutely nothing. It was yer father who told me ya didn't like Magoza very much."
"We don't need her here."
"Why don't you like her?"
Brendarr turned away. "I've already had this discussion."
"With yer father, not with me."
Brendarr shrugged. "Still had it."
"Just tell me what the problem is?" Llandri asked.
"She's a stranger in our house." he told her.
"Back when we could afford it, we often had strangers come work for us. We gave it time and they became like family."
Brendarr nodded over at the four small unused buildings behind the farmhouse. "They lived in them, not in our house."
"You can't expect her to live alone in one them, can ya? She's just a kid."
"Is she? How old is she even?"
"I think she's seventeen."
"Old enough to live on one of them small houses then," he told his mother.
"I don't get why yer being so difficult."
"I just don't want to talk about it."
"We have to talk about it, Brendarr."
"Why?" he asked her. "Why do we have to talk about it?"
"Because I want to be able to understand what the problem is exactly."
"Nothing to understand. She's an Orc in our house, that's it."
"So it's because she's an Orc?"
"She's not one of us, she's an outsider."
"She may be an outsider, but she's done some good work for us."
"Do you like her more than me?" Brendarr asked her suddenly.
"Of course not. While she's nice and I respect her, I love you son. You will always be the light in both mine and ya father's life. Don't ever forget that."
"I just don't feel comfortable 'round her." Brendarr stroked the guar's snout.
"It can't feel that y'know," she told him.
"Naren knows I love him, don't you boy?" he said as he patted him.
"I wish ya had a woman to spend this much time with."
"Do ya see any women 'round here?" he asked. "I tend to go into the city for supplies once a week, and I don't have time nor the coin to go 'wife hunting' I'm afraid."
"There is a woman 'round here," Llandri said to him. "But ya seem to have a problem with her that I still don't understand."
He glared at her. "Yer not setting me up with that Orc!" he sputtered angrily.
"Well she wouldn't have been me first choice, and I'm sure yer father wouldn't be happy with the idea either. But if only you could find some Dunmer girl who is nice like her."
"A Dunmer like her?" he repeated. "So a girl with teeth sticking out her face, weird eyes and a crazy temper?"
"Magoza don't have a temper."
"She's an Orc. Make 'em angry and they'll eat out yer heart."
"They're just silly stories, used to frighten folk into being prejudiced against Orcs."
"Just keep telling yerself that. One day something will make her mad and she'll use those teeth to rip out yer throat," Brandarr warned his mother.
"That's ridiculous."
"It's not, Orcs are crazy beast-folk that only look like people."
"Yer not scared of her are ya?"
"No!" Brendar uttered quickly.
"You are."
"No I'm not!" he said defensively. "But she is dangerous, and we have to be on our guard."
"She's got arms like broom handles, I don't think she's any threat to ya."
"Can we just drop it okay?"
"No we can't. Ya need to have a sit down with her. Get to know her better."
"I'm not sitting anywhere with her!"
"Well ya need to do something. She might be here for a while."
"I'll just stay out of her way."
"You can't hide from her forever."
"I don't have to. She'll mess up sooner or later, then she'll be out."
Llandri sighed loudly, rubbing her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Brendarr, you need to be able to get along with her. She's done us good and she tries really hard."
"Yeah, father said the same thing."
"Because it's true."
"Okay, just give me some time."
"Are ya saying that because ya actually need time, or are ya simply shutting down this conversation?" Llandri asked him.
"A bit o' both."
"Well we'll be in the farmhouse if ya need anything."
Brendarr shrugged. "Sure."
Llandri left her son with the guar. She was deeply concerned that he would never be able to get along with Magoza. If things got any worse, then unfortunately she would be forced to ask the Orc to move on. While she liked the young woman, in her heart her family came first, no matter how likeable or hard-working she was.
"How did it go?" Darovin asked as she stepped through the front door.
Llandri looked around for Magoza. "Where is she?"
"Went upstairs."
"Oh."
"So how did it go?" he asked once more.
"He's scared of her."
"Yer joking?"
"I wish I were. It might be a while before he gets over it."
"Well we'll give it time."
"That's what he said."
"Then he wants to move past the fear then?"
"I have no idea if he does or not. All I know is that he put off having to talk to her."
"We'll figure something out."
"Maybe." she said.
Llandri didn't feel very optimistic that a solution would be found. For now she would let it be. Hopefully Brendarr would come around. She didn't want to think about the outcome if he didn't.
Valerie clutched her husband's hand tightly. His chest rose and fell slowly as he took breath, but his eyes remained closed as they had done since he collapsed in that cave.
As she understood it, Tam had not only collected the bounty on the sabre cats earlier that day, but had also warned the Jarl of the strange creatures.
As to whether or not the Jarl had managed to get out of paying the full bounty price was another matter. He had successfully done so before and it wouldn't surprise her if he had done so again, despite the grave injury that had occurred on the job.
Mostly she had been alone with him. Occasionally the restoration mage Arellin would come check on him, and other times she caught college students stood near the doorway looking in. Upon catching them, they quickly moved on.
She felt yet another presence behind her. Half expecting to see more students gawking in, she turned to see Tam, who was stood by the arched doorway. She was dressed as usual in her hefty armour,how she tolerated wearing it all the time, Valerie didn't know.
"How is he?" Tam asked her concerned.
"The same as he has been since we gave him the cure for the poison."
"If isn't awake by tomorrow evening, we'll have to try something else."
Valerie looked back down at her husband. "The Restoration mage, Arellin has come in a couple of times and seen to him. She says that it's just a matter of time."
"I hope so."
Valerie looked over at her. "Come in and sit down."
"I don't want to intrude."
"You're not intruding."
"Are you sure?"
"I want someone to talk to."
"Okay then." Tam sat on a creaky chair in the corner and placed her hands firmly upon her plated lap.
"Tell me about yourself?" Valerie inquired, wanting to take her mind off of her husband's condition. "You said you were a Blade?"
"Yes, for a long time."
"Well how did that happen?"
"I was in the legion."
"And that lead to the Blades?"
"Yes and no. I think they discovered my past and thought I'd be a valuable asset."
"I think I remember. You said you were in the dominion or something?"
"Yes, well I was born in Alinor. The city not the Isle."
"Isle?" Valerie inquired. "There's an Isle of Alinor?"
"It's what the Summerset Isles are known as in the dominion."
"And you were born in the third era?"
"Third-era four-thirty-two. When I was a year old Tamriel was attacked by hordes of Daedra sent by Mehrunes Dagon. The Daedra were driven back in the Summerset Isles by powerful mages and wizards, who just happened to be Thalmor."
"And that's how they rose to power?"
"They were seen as heroes. They protected the civilians and sealed many Oblivion Gates. They even claimed to have stopped Mehrunes Dagon himself."
"But it was a Septim, a descendant of Talos that sealed them completely. When he used the Amulet of Kings to turn into the avatar of Akatosh."
Tam smiled. "Many believe it was not just an avatar, but that it was Akatosh himself."
Valerie glanced down at her husband, giving his hand a squeeze. "Why do they hate Talos so much?" she asked, looking back at Tam.
"Because he is a man made Divine. That very concept undermines everything they stand for. They believe that man is inferior to mer in every single way, that we are ourselves descended from divinity."
"They hate him because he was human?" Valerie asked.
"Yes, and they believe that he cannot be a god because of it."
"But worshipping at his shrine gives benefits."
"Only to those that believe," Tam pointed out.
The Nord nodded slowly. "So you grew up under the thumb of the Thalmor?"
"No, I grew up in a world where their power and influence was ever-increasing. When I was old enough, I joined the army as a foot soldier and was sent on several missions. The Thalmor were still not entirely in control at that point, but were well praised and very influential."
"You said that one of the missions caused you to leave?"
"It was an accumulation really. We were sent into the Valenwood forest to find the remaining lost colonies of the Ayleids."
Valerie's eyes widened in surprise. "Hold on, what?"
"There were rumours that the Ayleids, the once proud Heartland-High-Elves of Cyrodiil, well." Tam paused. "There was some evidence that suggested that after they were defeated by their human slaves back in the first era, that they fled into the densest parts of the Valenwood forest."
"Did they?"
"We found colonies of mer-folk hidden away in the most inhospitable places."
"But you don't know if they were Ayleids?"
"No, they looked like Bosmer."
"And what were you supposed to do once you found them?"
"Give them a chance to join the Dominion and its forces, or die."
"What did the Thalmor want them for?"
"Apart from the Dwemer, the Ayleids were the most powerful mer that there ever was. The Thalmor wanted to know if they still knew the powerful ancient magicks that made them so feared, so dangerous."
"But didn't they get their power from the Daedra?"
"Yes, supposedly."
"What happened during your mission?"
"They didn't want to join any army."
"Did you kill them?"
"We killed everyone in most of the small villages, but in some had shamans. We were to take them back to Alinor and give them up for interrogation."
"Why did you kill them?" Valerie asked her. "How could you?"
"I was Thalmor."
"You were Thalmor?" Valerie said, almost disbelieving.
"Yes."
"How did that happen?"
"My parents were Thalmor," Tam clarified. "It was kind of inherited."
"Oh."
"And I did it because I was a soldier in an army."
The Nord stared at her for a moment, before clearing her throat in preparation of asking another question. "Back at the camp-fire north of Whiterun, you said that you were forced to destroy Bosmer villages in 'purges'?"
"I only did one of those. I never completed it. In the commotion of the attack I left. Headed eastwards into Elsweyr. I sold my armour and bought some cheap moonstone armour. Absolutely terrible stuff, probably why you don't see much of it around, but it got me through. I eventually ended up in Cyrodiil. At that time I saw the races of man as nothing but chaff. I felt superior and even spoke down to people. Honestly, I was a bitch."
"What changed you?"
"In the fourth-era thirty-eight I moved to Cheydinhal as there was a strong Dunmer presence, and even though I felt they were inferior elves, I wanted to be around other mer. That and it was one of the furthest places away from the Dominion. About two years later we were forced to flee for our lives."
"Why?"
"You've never experienced terror until you've fled an army of undead controlled from a flying island."
"Flying island?" Valerie asked. "That's just a fairy-tale to frighten children. Isn't it?"
"It was quite real. Nothing gets you to re-think things like running for your life."
"And you stopped being a bitch?"
Tam laughed. "Well I did get to know a human family as we fled. They were nice to me, while everyone else treated me as I had treated them. Like a piece of horse manure." Tam shook her head slowly. "I found that men were no different to mer, not really. Both have hopes, dreams and fears. Both bleed and feel pain. Later my acceptance extended beyond just man. I found that everyone is the same. Be it beast, mer or man. We're all the same deep down."
"Then what happened?"
"I joined the Cheydinhal city guard after the flying city, Umbriel had been dealt with. Did that for a decade before joining the Imperial Legion."
"And that eventually lead to the Blades?"
"Yes."
"So how did people join them before they were disbanded?"
"Lots of different ways. The way it happened for me is that they reached out to me. Cautiously of course. They knew of my past, and thought me either as a great asset, or a mole giving information back to the Thalmor. I informed them on the purges. They already suspected such a thing was likely."
"Why do the Thalmor kill people in these purges?" Valerie inquired.
"It's all to do with purity of blood. I'm not sure exactly, how they deem one to be 'pure'. All I know is that they cannot be too brazen about it. They are carried out almost in secret. The Bosmer people could quite easily turn on their own leaders and the Dominion if it were discovered to be actually happening. In the past they've blamed it on bandits, saying they attacked the villages. As the war approached, they spread rumours stating it was the empire's fault."
"What about the Dark Elves?"
"You mean regarding the purges?" Tam asked.
"Yes."
"From my time in Alinor, it was quite clear that they were seen as being corrupted by the Daedra, the same as the Orcs, but they see the Orcs as too far removed from mer to bother with right now. From what I gathered, they also see the Bretons as abominations.
"So the Dark Elves and Orcs would not be safe if the Dominion ruled Tamriel?"
"No race of mer, man nor beast would be safe. Only who they deemed to be of pure Aldmeri blood would be truly safe. How far they would actually try and take it I have no idea. If they thought they could wipe out the races of man and beast, and non-Aldmeri mer, then they probably would."
Valerie didn't immediately respond. Instead she looked down at her husband as he lay there. "Seems so backwards."
"It is," Tam agreed. "During the Septim Empire of Tamriel, we were all joined. It wasn't perfect, but it certainly sounded like it was something."
"Yeah."
"So, I've told you about myself. How about you tell me about yourself."
Valerie looked at her with half a smile. "Perhaps another day."
Tam smiled back. "I look forward to it."
Valerie stared down at her husband, squeezing his hand. "I'd like the both of us to tell you our story."
"I'd like that," Tam agreed. "I'd like that a lot." Tam rose up from her chair. "I'm off to go grab something to eat. Do you want anything?"
"Maybe a little something," she replied.
Tam left the room, leaving Valerie alone with her husband once more. She leant over and kissed him on the cheek.
"Come back to me," she whispered. "Come back."
"Keep down and stay quiet!" Rasha hissed at Faldan, as they both moved off the road behind a pile of rocks.
In front of them on a rocky ridge was a large group of bandits, and it appeared they were setting up a rock trap, ready to be sprung on any unwary passers-by. It was also quite obvious, unless of course you were travelling in a snow storm, which by the looks of the gathering clouds, it wouldn't be long before there was one.
"How will we get past?" Faldan asked her.
"Sneak by," she responded, looking around.
"How?"
It was a valid question in Rasha's eyes. There were only a few pine trees about, and the white snow that covered the area would make them stand out quite literally like a blotch of ink on fresh parchment.
Rasha wondered how long they had been there. By the fact they appeared to be still setting up their trap, could mean that they hadn't been there long. She chided herself at that possibility, as they had spent a good part of the day at the mill further down the road. The workers there had been happy to see travellers, and Faldan had quickly started a conversation with them, despite her telling him that they should continue on.
Instead they had stopped and the owner of the mill, a youngish Nord woman who's name she couldn't recall, had offered them some food if they helped move some logs for them. Rasha had been about to decline, when Faldan had gleefully taken up the offer, asking if they could take a nap afterwards also.
Agreeing, they had both helped move the logs to where she wanted them. Unfortunately, the owner had made the ordeal far worse as she hadn't shut up. She had told them how her father had died in the war, and that she had inherited the mill. She had then gone on about how cold it got this time of year, which the Khajiit had to agree.
With seven hefty great logs set up ready to be cut, the owner had allowed them to take a shot nap in her house. Of course it had been in chairs near the fire, and not in an actual bed. Faldan had fallen asleep rather quickly, while Rasha simply dosed till the owner had asked them to either continue helping, or move on. Rasha had quickly thanked her for her kindness and informed her they would be moving on. Now it appeared that if they hadn't stopped, they might not be in the position they found themselves in now. That, and the fact that Faldan walked about as slow as a wolf with its hind legs missing.
Rasha peaked over the rock they were hiding behind. "I doubt we can get past them without them seeing us, unless we try to go round the back of them."
"How will we do that?" Faldan asked. "This whole area doesn't have that many places we can hide, and I doubt we'll get away with running from tree to tree. They'll spot us for sure."
"Shhh!" she hushed. "I'm trying to think of a way out of this. Shut up and let me take in our surroundings!" Faldan fell instantly quiet, while the Khajiit scanned thei area with her eyes. "Damn this snow!" she said angrily. "We might have to wait till nightfall," she said looking up at the early afternoon sun that lay high in the sky, the gathering clouds threatening to cover it up. "Which looks like it will be several hours or so."
"Do you think we'll be able to get past?" Faldan asked her.
"Not sure."
"We could always head back to Anga's Mill," he suggested.
Rasha looked at him unimpressed. "No, we find a way past."
That's when they heard howling behind them.
They both turned around to see a pack of three wolves descending down the hillside, through the tall snow-covered pine trees. Rasha swore as she prepared her dagger. But not before she heard shouting from the ridge. If the bandits didn't know they were there at this moment, they would in a few seconds when she buried her dagger into the first wolf's neck.
As they got into range, Rasha jumped from cover and flayed the first wolf's face open with a single sweeping strike, before smashing the end of her boot into the face of another. There was more shouting from the ridge, before arrows started to fly over her head. As one wolf ran off, she sank her dagger into the side of another's head as an arrow struck the third.
"Get them before they run off!" she heard a voice yell from behind.
She turned to Faldan. "We have to go!"
"Where!?"
"Back from where we came, we'll have to find another route!"
The two of them ran as fast as they could. Luckily, the bandits who had given chase, were too far behind to catch them up.
An hour later, they were passing the mill once again. Faldan mentioned asking if they could stay the night, but with a quick smack around the back of the head from Rasha, they continued on. Hopefully using the map that Faldan had, they could find another route. If not, then they might have to go across the frozen tundra, which Rasha didn't want to do. Especially since in around two hours it would start getting dark.
Unfortunately, that was the only road which meant they'd either have to take the long route, or go across country. She chose the latter, deciding to go the scenic route around Lake Yorgrim.
It wouldn't be very pleasant trekking it, but it would probably be much better than an arrow in the face.
Updated 01/04/2014
