Chapter Twenty-Seven:

Surprise Attack

I stared at Kodlak for what seemed like an eternity. The dagger in my hand... It was my mother's? No. Impossible. Couldn't be. There was no way in Oblivion that something like that could happen.

But... if the dagger really was my mother's, that meant Kodlak...

Kodlak's hands pulled away from mine and the dagger. He waited patiently as I tried to grasp my situation. Another thing I'd been forced into. I just didn't know how to react this time. As I looked at Kodlak, I noticed things I hadn't seen before. The similarity of the shape of our eyes, the natural furrow in our brows...

Maybe I was just being hopeful and finding things I hoped would connect us. That hope dimmed as I looked at him.

Because if Kodlak was my father, then the fact that I was a Werewolf was his fault.

"No..." I whispered.

"Taryn—."

"No," I repeated, louder. "No no no no no! That's...! You're lying. You're a liar!"

Kodlak took a step forward. "Taryn, please listen to me—!"

"You stay away from me!" I shouted. My hand flung downward and released the dagger. It stabbed into the floor beside his foot. "You stay the hell away from me!"

"Taryn—!"

I bolted, flinging the door open and sprinting out into the hall. Hiemdall grabbed me before I could get out and held me by my arms.

"Taryn, what's wrong?" Hiemdall asked.

I was shaking. I couldn't help it. Kodlak walked slowly out of his quarters, the dagger in hand. I met his eyes and saw the sadness in them, the apology. I didn't want an apology. Did I?

"I'm sorry, Taryn," the old Nord said quietly.

Aela looked in-between us and tried to figure out what may have happened. Perhaps she was thinking that he'd told me there was no cure?

"Why didn't you ever come find me...?" I whispered.

Kodlak's silver eyes softened. "I thought you and your mother were dead. I gave up when I shouldn't have. I'm sorry."

"It's been twenty years!" I yelled. "An apology doesn't work after twenty years!"

"Doesn't it? Then I will keep apologizing every day of the rest of my life, and hope the Gods will grant that you accept it. It may sound pointless coming from an old man who doesn't have much time left, but if that's the case, I will do it twice every day. Three times—whatever you wish!"

"I don't want anything from you!" I snapped. "I've done fine for my life! Fine and dandy! And then I come to Skyrim, and all this... shit happens to me!"

"What in Oblivion is she talking about?!" Farkas growled.

"Farkas, Vilkas, Aela, Hiemdall," Kodlak regarded, "Taryn's my daughter."

I clenched my fists, shaking in rage. "I'm no one's daughter!"

"That's impossible, Kodlak!" Farkas reasoned. "Werewolves have silver eyes—!"

"And yet Aela has seen her become one, and so has Hiemdall," Kodlak said, deflecting it. "She takes after her mother."

"Stop talking about me as if I'm not here!" I marched up to Kodlak. "I don't care what kind of sick jokes you think are funny, but this is too much!"

"Would you at least allow me to explain in further detail—?!"

We suddenly heard shouts coming from upstairs. Hiemdall, totally dog-like, sniffed the air.

"Silver Hand," he growled.

Everyone but Kodlak and I raced up the stairs. Kodlak returned to his quarters in a hurry. I watched him go, and then followed Hiemdall and the other Companions up the stairs. I drew my ebony blade as soon as I saw the fight. Men and women dressed in armour bandits would wear charged into the Jorrvaskr from all four doors, surrounding the Companions. I hacked my way through, killing a few men with swords I'd never seen before.

A woman came up behind me, having seen me kill her comerades, and sliced her sword up my arm. I yelled in pain as it burned through my flesh. We locked eyes for a second before horror settled on her face.

"This one too!" she screamed to her fellows.

I killed her quickly, stabbing her through the chest, and then whirled around to meet three others, two men and one woman. I was being backed-off into a corner before I realized just how skilled they were with their blades, and just how much they'd hurt if they cut me again.

A warhammer caught the woman in the side, and its momentum flung her away, a nasty bruise forming. Kodlak roared and charged at the other two. Panic flooded through me and I joined him quickly, adjusting to the swings he gave with his warhammer and catching the remaining Silver Hand members when they were most vulnerable.

And then Kodlak screamed.

I whirled around to see a man with a silver claymore pull his weapon out of Kodlak's stomach. Red blinded my sight as I leapt toward him and buried my longsword deep into his chest, falling on top of his body as I did.

Some Silver Hand members came at me, screaming at the top of their lungs. Tears fell from my face in a flurry as I cut them down and used the Voice to get them away from me; Unrelenting Force to be specific. I was on my hands and knees, heaving from over-use of the Voice, exhausted from fighting, and weary of the sadness.

The sounds of battle eventually dimmed as the Companions brought the fight outside, where the guards would assist them. I carefully crawled over to Kodlak, wounds from the Silver Hand's weapons appearing where I could have sworn I'd blocked. His breathing was low and ragged, but he was still alive.

However, it was apparent that it wouldn't be for much longer.

It was a while later that everyone came in, weary and wounded. Aldren was treating a cut on Farkas, Javin was healing anyone and everyone he could, Cha'qim was wiping blood off of her sword, and Hiemdall was in a heated argument with Aela.

"... Bed..." Kodlak murmured.

"HIEMDALL!" I screamed.

He hurried to me, breaking off from Aela, and saw Kodlak's sorry state. Carefully, with the help of Aela, Farkas, Vilkas, Hiemdall and I, we got the old Nord downstairs into his room. Blood soaked the already red sheet of his bed, and later an old woman came in to tend to him. Her name was Tilma.

"So he can at least be a bit more comfortable..." she mumbled.

We were sitting outside of Kodlak's quarters in a heavy silence. A few of the newer Companions respectfully kept their distance, while the Circle were the closest to his door, waiting for a sign that he'd pull through. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach that the old man wouldn't be so lucky.

"Dammit..." I growled, my fists clenching together. "Who were those guys?!"

"The Silver Hand," Hiemdall said quietly, crossing his arms across his chest. "They're... not exactly friends with the Companions. They think that having a Beast Form is a taint, and they strive to eradicate it."

I snorted. "So... silver weapons?"

"Mhm." Hiemdall traced a scar on his arm, but he had to lift his armour to show me. "Got this one during my first encounter with 'em. We were avenging a fellow Circle member, named Skjor. A good man. He and Kodlak were my mentors, whereas Aela, Farkas and Vilkas became just like siblings. Not just shield-brothers and a sister."

Aela glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. "So you're Kodlak's daughter?"

I wrung my hands together. "I... I don't know. I mean, he thinks so, but I've got no idea what he's basing it on. My appearance? Please. What a stupid way..."

Hiemdall shrugged. "You never know. There've been stranger things to happen to us mortals. The Gods aren't known for how obvious they want to be."

I snorted. "Well, that's great then. Because if Kodlak really is my dad then... Ugh! Wouldn't you know it? I've lost two people I should have been close to in two days. I've got a streak going."

Tilma quietly opened the doors of Kodlak's quarters. She had a ruined bedsheet in her hands that she was folding up carefully.

"He's resting now," the old woman said. "He wants to speak with you, Taryn."

My brow furrowed, but I stood up and entered his study, and then crossed into his room. If anything, Kodlak's breathing had gotten worse, and he was wrapped in bandages. There wouldn't be much use for those though.

Kodlak strained to open his eyes when he heard me enter. I dragged a chair over to his bedside and sat there for a time, my lips pressed against my intertwined hands. He had paled considerably.

"Are you there?" he asked.

I nodded. "I'm here, Kodlak."

A smile came to the old Nord's lips. "Ah. Good. I had hoped..." Kodlak broke off and pushed a notebook towards me. "My notes on... the cure. It would be best... if you had them."

I touched the notebook, but I couldn't bring myself to grab it. Kodlak's hand rested on mine. He was cold, despite the blood still running through his veins.

"Would you allow me to tell you... about your mother?" His eyes were pleading.

I nodded again. My hands were shaking.

Kodlak closed his eyes and laid his head back. I feared for a moment that he had stopped breathing, but then he inhaled and my fears were quelled. I sat still, and listened to the old Nord's tale.