Ch 10: Bleakfalls Barrow
Morning came early for Idrissa as she snuggled into the warmth of her furs, curled up beside the glowing embers of the previous nights fire in an effort to stave off the wintery chill that permeated the thin mountain air. As planned, she had made it to the old watch tower Camilla had told her about shortly before sunset, allowing her to take shelter within its walls and build a fire before night fell, when the temperature dropped significantly.
That night, she sat quietly in the solace of her own company, wrapped cozily in the extra furs she had bought from Lucan as she peered through one of the towers narrow windows to watch the sunset give way to the colorful auroras that lit the night sky. To her delight, she had discovered that the colorful display she had grown accustomed to since taking up in whiterun was different there on the mountain- All around her, the clean, undisturbed snow sparkled as it reflected the light from the sky, taking on a full spectrum of colors that seemed to dance and shimmer, bathing her surroundings in an aethereal beauty like she had never experienced before...
Feeling strangely peaceful, Idrissa had curled up beside the roaring fire she had built within the towers empty hearth when it was time to retire, falling quickly into an easy slumber that lasted till the break of dawn- Then, as she gathered up her remaining supplies and prepared to continue up the mountain, she was humbled once more by Kynoreths majesty as she witnessed the birth of the a day.
Awestruck, the young nord had starred up in open mouthed wonder as the sky above her ignited into an array of burning pinks and reds, causing the stars to fade and the morning clouds to glow as their brilliance was overshadowed by the sun that crested the horizon- For a while, she trudged onward through the dense, deep snow in a daze, feeling as though she had somehow stepped into another world...
Eventually, the sky faded, yielding to the blue of an ordinary, clear sunny day- by then, her toes had gone numb, and her lips were starting to chap in icy breeze...
. . .
It was well after noon when the cold, weary young woman rounded the last windy bluff on her way to the summit, and as Idrissa beheld the base of the barrow rising up from the drifts ahead, she was filled with an intense relief as she realized she had reached her destination at last- With this knowledge, she was blessed with a renewed sense of vigor that gave her the strength she needed to close the distance between herself and the immense stone structure carved from the bones of the immense, icy mountain rock.
Eager to take refuge from the harsh wind and fridged snows, she gave the steep, treacherous stairs leading up to the temple a baleful look, before reluctantly forcing herself to make the ascent- Much to her displeasure, she was forced to use her hands and knees to battle her way up the slick steps, as they were buried beneath a layer of sharp, slick permafrost, making it nearly impossible- and quite dangerous- to walk upright.
It was a painstaking, uphill battle, but soon Idrissa crested the stairs at last, using what felt like the last of her strength to pull her dead weight onto the landing before rolling herself away from the offensive steps. Breathing heavily, she laid still upon the windswept surface of the immense structure, bitterly second guessing her decision to take on this particular mission as the winds that passed over top of the structure stung her already burning cheeks. After a few moments, she forced herself upright, searching her desolate surroundings with a sour expression as she silently vowed to take revenge on the Jarls court wizard should her efforts prove fruitless...
"Hear that Farringar?" She muttered bitterly into the wind. " You better hope i find that Dragonstone inside this frozen rock heap, because if i don't..."
Brows furrowing, the words she had been about to speak died on her lips as she spotted remnants of a recent camp site scattered only a few feet away from where she sat, indicating that she may not be alone on the blustery mountaintop.
pushing herself to her feet, Idrissa moved to examine the soot stained snow and half charred pieces of wood that littered the area where the snow had been disturbed, determining quickly from the lack of accumulation around the site that it had been mere days since the occupant had moved on- Along with that knowledge, and the fact that she hadn't encountered anyone else during her climb up the mountain, she knew it was probably safe to assume that whoever had been there, might still be nearby...
Unsettled by the sudden realization that she may not be alone, Idrissa's stomach began to flip as apprehension washed over her, and she became cautiously aware of how exposed she was. Bending at the knee, she made herself smaller in an attempt to become a more difficult target, moving swiftly toward the immense stone doors that barred the entrance to the ancient temple to her right. Nervously, she cast another furtive glance over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't being followed, before slipping through the gap between the partially open entrance.
Inside, she was relieved to discover that not much light made it in from the cracked portions of the cavernous roof above her, shrouding much of the reception hall in darkness- A circumstance that most warriors would find inconvenient without her particular set of skills. Unfortunately, though, her relief was short lived as she spotted a ruddy light flickering at the far end of the echoing chamber beyond...
keeping to the shadows, her senses were alert as she moved further in, hoping to determine how many others might be present in the hall, as well as what their disposition may be- If Lucan was right, and the thieves who stole his golden claw had indeed fled to the temple, it was likely they wouldn't take kindly to her skulking around their chosen hide out. Hopefully, lady luck would continue to smile on her, and guide her careful steps.
Creeping closer, Idrissa paused when the sound of muted conversation began to tickle her ear drums, too distant for her to make out at her current distance... Reluctantly, she continued forward, reducing the distance between them more than she was comfortable with, until she could at last make sense of what was being said.
The first voice was male, she noted, and sounded cross.
"So were just supposed to sit here, twiddling our thumbs while Arvel makes off with that golden claw?" He asked incredulously, addressing an unknown partner that she could not see due to a thick stone support pillar that stood between them- their fire had been built at its base, illuminating the space they occupied at the mouth of the tombs, while casting the space behind it into the very darkness that now sheltered her as she eavesdropped.
At the mention of Lucan's Golden claw, Idrissa started, and the realization that the merchant had been right about the thieves suspected whereabouts gave her a momentary thrill.
"...If that dark elf wants to go on ahead without us, I say let him. Better than us risking our necks..." A second voice answered dispassionately, throwing an empty mead bottle carelessly into the darkness beyond their fire- It shattered a few feet away from her, sending thick glass shards skittering over the cold stone floor.
"What if he doesn't come back though?" His cohort continued to worry, reluctant to be swindled. " I want my share!"
"Just shut it, and keep an eye out for trouble..."
Lips pursing, Idrissa prepared herself. At present, she was confident that there were only two men with her in the hall- and from what she had over heard, at least one more exploring the tombs up ahead... Idly, she considered the odds before her, and noted her good fortune that their group had split up before she happened upon them- Facing the two men in the hall alone could prove challenging enough, but taking all three of them down together seemed much less likely...
Praying Nocturnal continued to favor her, the former nightingale sleuthed carefully toward the far left of the room where the pillar could no longer obscure her view, before pulling Ralofs lucky bow from its strap on her worn travel pack. As she notched a single arrow from her quiver, she inhaled deeply through her nostrils to steady her tight nerves.
Taking aim, Idrissa made sure her shot was clear before losing her grip. and releasing the shot along with her pent breath. Silent and deadly, the lethal projectile whizzed through the air, embedding itself deep inside the first unsuspecting mans throat as it struck home- Falling from his seat, the thief clutched at his neck desperately, choking on his own blood as his partner sprang up to defend himself.
Fearfully, the man brandished his weapon- a one handed axe similar to the one she had procured from Gunjar in Helgen- and peered with wide eyes into the shadows beyond his crackling campfire. Too frightened to seek her in the darkness, he began to pace back and forth within the illuminated area, moving erratically in a desperate attempt to avoid falling victim to her next arrow.
"Show yourself, coward!" He shouted, hoping to goad her into revealing herself.
Unbothered, Idrissa ignored the insult and stood her ground, taking a brief moment to reflect on how her new shield siblings would handle the situation. Doubtless, the twins would face the man head on, as their code of honor demanded- A strategy she knew would be unwise for someone of her stature. Still, she found herself feeling strangely self conscious as she watched her opponent pace, as if Farkas was there watching her, judging her as he had on their mission together...
After some deliberation, she compromised with her newfound sense of honor and decided not to waste an arrow trying to hit a moving target at close range- instead, she would take advantage of the opportunity to break in her new blade.
Heart thumping steadily in anticipation, a shiver raced up her spine as she drew the sword, causing it to hiss metallically as it slid against the material of the sheath- Alerted by the noise, her foe jerked in the direction the sound came from before lunging toward her, swinging his arm in a wide arc, and bringing his weapon down hard in a powerful attack that would have cleaved her in two had she not moved immediately.
Nimble as a cat, Idrissa danced around his assault, causing him to stumble as his weapon met only air and threw him off balance. Blindly, he cursed, swinging around and hacking at the space she no longer occupied while unwittingly leaving himself wide open, backside exposed.
Wasting no time, Idrissa closed the distance between them, plunging the virgin sky forged steel between his shoulder blades and running him clean through from behind. As her blade exited his sternum, the thief fell to his knees, blood spurting from his lips as his lungs collapsed and his spinal column was severed. From the wound, hot crimson liquid poured, quickly soaking his fur armor and pooling on the stones around him as he died...
Breathless with the relief of victory, the silver haired nord yanked back on her weapon in an attempt to remove it from the man's torso and was startled when the blade refused to budge. Grimacing in response to the unexpected dilemma, she felt her stomach turn as the dead man's bones shifted internally against the metal while she struggled to pull it free.
Frustrated, she gave pause, taking a moment to regain her composure before revisiting the problem again. Examining her stuck blade studiously for a long moment, she pushed the corpse at her feet into a laying position so she could brace one small, booted foot against his upper back as she pulled with both hands- and as the blade finally dislodged, a strange, wet groan passed through the mans lips as the remaining air was expelled from his lungs.
"How macabre..." She thought out loud, straightening to tuck a few escaped strands of silver hair behind her ears before re-sheathing her weapon.
Exasperated- and suddenly feeling more tired than she could remember being in her life- Idrissa shambled into the light of the fire still burning at the base of the stone pillar then, allowing herself to fall heavily into the single wooden chair that her first victim had occupied before his death. As she recovered from the stress of the ordeal, she allowed herself to enjoy the warmth it provided, casting a critical eye around her at the surrounding camp site; Judging by the mess they had left behind, she assumed the thieves had occupied the temple for a few weeks now- All around her lay the shattered remains of empty wine bottles, and other bits and pieces of trash that had been discarded and strewn about the immediate area, ripe with the scent of urine and feces...
Casting an apathetic glance toward the floor beside her, she gave the dead thief starring sightlessly up at her a look of rueful disappointment, shaking her head at as she noted the blatant lack of wealth or goods among their few possessions.
"You know, I've met some piss poor bandits in my life..." She told the corpse conversationally, before a wide yawn caused her to pause, and stretch out her travel worn limbs. "But you guys have got to be the worst I've ever seen..."
. . .
. . .
Idrissa didn't recall falling asleep when she awoke sometime later, but she was grateful that lady luck had been on her side when she did. At any point during her slumber, the thieves remaining associate could have returned to the camp site and easily dispatched her- or worse...Growing up, Vex had made sure to educate the young girl on the dangers of femininity, impressing upon her the grim fate that could befall her should she be overwhelmed by a man- a fate she would rather die than submit to...
Rising stiffly from the wooden chair beside the now smoldering remains of the fire, she moved to grab one of the unused torches laying beside an abandoned bedroll near the fire pit, pressing it against the glowing coals until the oil soaked linen ignited and illuminated her surroundings once again. Feeling as though she had wasted enough time, Idrissa turned then, facing the tunnel entrance in the center of the wall, where a set of narrow, eroded steps curved, leading deeper into the barrow. As she forced herself to take the first steps onward, she found herself wishing fervently that Farkas had been able to accompany her for the dangerous excursion.
. . .
The first chamber Idrissa entered into appeared to be a preparation room of sorts, where ancient, moth-eaten rolls of stained linen adorned rickety wooden shelves, and old splintering tables that were laden with various rusty embalming tools and cracked, broken urns still lined the walls prepped for use- Thankfully, whomever had passed through before her had taken the time to light the sconces on either side of the room. The dull light revealed the unlocked gate ahead, as well as the body of a man, who had evidently perished when tripping a hidden trap that left his body laden with arrows next to an unassuming iron lever...
Kneeling beside him, she pressed two fingers into the skin of his neck, finding that his flesh was cold and unyielding, already stiffened by rigor Mortis. It had been a while since his passing- Whoever he had been with was likely far ahead.
Reflecting on the mans poor luck, and hoping her competition wasn't too far ahead, Idrissa reminded herself solemnly not to touch anything as she pressed on, passing through the open gate and following the subsequent spiraling stairwell down to a small embalming room- At this depth, the ceilings had been carved lower, and closer together, as only those that had been tasked with attending the dead had been expected to pass here...
. . .
Silent as the shadows she moved through, Idrissa padded silently through sprawling catacombs, ignoring the many squealing rats that skittered harmlessly around her feet, and brushing away the thick curtains of dusty cob webs that obscured her way as she kept a sharp eye out for any sign that she was gaining on the thief that preceded her. To her dismay, the elf- Arvel, the thieves had named him- had left little trace of his passage, save for a few dead skeevers and dispatched draugr here and there, and she was beginning to grow increasingly concerned for her prospects as pressed deeper in without a sighting.
It wasn't until she reached a strangely drafty section of tunnel, where many thick, winding roots had broken through the walls, and ankle deep puddles of stagnant ground water collected along the eroded floor that she was made aware of their proximity- While attempting to avoid one of the chilly puddles, the jumpy young adventurer accidentally stepped into a sticky curtain of pale spider web, causing her to let out a girlish squeal of disgust and fear that echoed off the narrow walls around her.
As the noise reverberated loudly through the tunnels, she paused, waiting for the noise to die off in the shadows...
"Is...is someone coming?" Someone called out from somewhere up ahead, startling her. " Is that you harknir? Bjorn? Soling? I know i ran ahead with the claw, but i need help!"
Straightening, Idrissa drew her sword before slinking toward the voice, using its razor-sharp edge to slash and tear at the curtains of silky webbing that only seemed to get thicker as she persevered, until stumbling unexpectedly out of the dilapidated tunnel into the cover of a small cavern, where a deep fissure in the mountain somewhere far above allowed a dim light to filter down to illuminate the space.
Apprehensively, she noted that the ground and walls around her were covered in a thick, fine blanket of the same sticky webbing that had obscured the passage behind her.
"What? Who are you?" The thief Idrissa could only assume was Arvel asked as she emerged, before shaking his head and waving her over urgently. "Oh, never mind- just cut me down! There's a spider- A big one! Hurry before it comes back!"
Humorously, Idrissa observed the grey skinned Dunmers predicament, glancing cautiously around her toward the shriveled husks of the spiders other web ensconced victims littering the cave floor as she crossed the open space to stand in front of the open archway, where he struggled futilely to detangle himself from a wall of strong, thick web. The more he struggled against his sticky bindings, she noted, the more entangled he seemed to become...
"Do you have the Golden claw?" She inquired immediately, eager to secure the stolen heirloom before the giant arachnid that inhabited the sticky cavern could return to finish its meal.
"The wha- oh, yes of corse, i have the claw- Its in my pack." He admitted urgently, desperate for assistance. "If you get me out of this its all yours- you won't believe the power the nords have hidden here..."
Eyes narrowing suspiciously, Idrissa was about to comply when something large moved above them, briefly obscuring the light that filtered down through the deep fissure in the cavern dome, causing the shadows in the small space they occupied to shift. Reflexively, she whirled around, gripping the hand and a half hilt of her sword tightly as she threw it up in a defensive position, while lifting her gaze sharply toward the chasm in search of danger.
"Ahg-There it is!" The distressed thief screamed in terror, resuming his desperate flailing as the largest frost bite spider Idrissa had ever seen crawled out of a gap in the rocky wall. "keep it away! kill it! kill it!"
Blood running cold, the young nords breath caught as she beheld the giant arachnid looming over them, causing her to freeze in place as her mind went strangely blank, and a loud ringing filled her ears. Petrified, she watched in horror as it braced its hairy white legs against the wall, preparing to launch itself at her.
Skipping several beats, her heart hammered against her sternum painfully then, sending a surge of adrenalin pounding through her veins that ignited her nervous system and flooded her brain, jump starting her flight or fight response- In that moment, she felt something strange come over her, and her limbs seemed to take on a mind of their own. Without thinking, she dove forward as the eight-legged monstrosity pushed off the wall, scrambling across the open space to flee back the way she came.
Seconds later, the spider landed heavily in the spot she had stood in, letting out a high pitched screech of rage that sent a vile, mucousy white substance spewing from its mandible's as it maneuvered, reorienting itself in the limited space...
Still in shock, Idrissa took cover in the narrow, eroded passage she had emerged from only minutes prior, hoping it wouldnt be able to pursue her within the confines of the overgrown tunnel- Fearing she had abandoned him, the trapped Dunmer called after her desperately, begging her not to leave him behind as the spider scuttled to the mouth of the passage, reluctant to let dinner escape so easily.
With wide, unblinking eyes, she watched as it shoved itself against the too small opening, making a cacophony of nightmarish clicking and squealing sounds as its nimble limbs skittered and scraped against the rock wall that separated them- In a daze, she forced herself to swallow passed the lump in her throat, releasing the death grip she held on her sword and allowing it to fall haphazardly to the ground before reaching back methodically to draw her bow- once again, she was struck by the vague feeling that something else had taken control of her limbs, guiding her actions as she retrieved and knocked an arrow with smooth, precise skill.
Taking a deep breath, she aimed for the cluster of beady black eyes in the center of its head, drawing back as far as she could before releasing the deadly projectile. Upon impact, its white whiskered head exploded like a over ripe watermelon, causing her to flinch as she was spattered with slimy brain matter.
Abruptly, the spiders limp mass crumpled, twisting in on itself as its muscles contracted violently and its legs twitched, curling against its abdomen and reducing it to half its former size. Dumbfounded, It was several, long minutes before Idrissa could do anything but stare.
"Oh thank goodness..." Arvel sighed in relief when she reemerged, giving the body of her fallen foe a wide birth as she sheathed her blade and moved to rejoin him. "Now help me down."
In no mood for games now, Idrissa gave him a sour look but obliged none the less, pulling her newly purchased dagger from its strap at her hip and beginning to carefully sever the swatches of thick, sticky webbing that ensconced his slight form, until she was able to pull him free from the opening.
Feet firmly planted on the ground; Arvel paused to brush himself off before shooting her a quick, devious smirk.
"You fool, why would i share the treasure with anyone?" He inquired ruefully then, before turning on his heel to sprint down the dark hallway without her. Blinking rapidly, Idrissa starred after him for a few incredulous moments before giving chase, mentally kicking herself for not predicting the elf's betrayal- she of all people should have known better, after all. There was no honor amongst thieves...
"...Sithis and damnation!" She swore as she slowed to a stop, pausing to catch her breath. "You'll pay for that!"
. . .
At first, Idrissa had pursued the fleet footed Dunmer with a bitter attitude, ruminating on the irony of the situation as she felt her way forward in the pitch black of the tombs. The feeling, however, was diminished greatly when she found him a few hours later, laying in a bloody heap in the center of a dimly lit burial chamber, where a groggy draugr had put an end to his trespassing ways...
kneeling beside the fresh corpse, Idrissa felt herself smile in the darkness as she carefully removed his blood-stained knapsack, taking a moment to make sure none of the chambers slumbering occupants had detected her, before slinging it over her shoulder and making her way toward the hall of stories up ahead. There, she hoped to find the entrance to the inner sanctum, where Farringar's blasted Dragon stone was said to be.
. . .
. . .
If you've made it thus far, thank you kindly for sticking with me! This project has been an ongoing fixation of mine for several years now, and I truly appreciate those who have made all the time and fuss worth it. As always, i would appreciate some feedback- be it constructive criticism or praise.
Blessings of the Nine be upon you, sincerely
J.N. Petersen