Shadows of the Past
Chapter 5
The carriage from Whiterun only took them as far as Morthal, and even that was a round-about trip. From Ivarstead they returned to Whiterun to get a night's rest at Breezehome before catching the early morning carriage to Morthal. Bjorlam had to go out of his way, passing through Rorikstead and heading up to Dragon Bridge before swinging back eastward towards the capital city of Hjaalmarch. Edna noticed an almost wistful look in Kaidan's eyes as they passed through Rorikstead.
"Septim for your thoughts?" she said gently.
"What?" he blinked. "Oh…it's nothing," he brushed off. "I just…"
"Go on, tell me," she encouraged.
"I have a childhood friend here," he explained. "I haven't seen him in years. I was just wondering if he still lived here."
"Maybe on our way back from Ustengrav we can stop by," Edna suggested.
Kaidan smiled. "Yeah. I'd like that!" He was less brooding for the rest of the day.
Bandits had set themselves up at a narrow passage near a bridge that crossed a tributary to the Karth River. Ironically called 'Robber's Gorge', they demanded a toll of the carriage driver and his passengers. Between Edna, Kaidan, and a couple of mercenaries who were also traveling that route, they made short work of the brigands and were able to continue the rest of their journey unmolested.
"Why on Nirn do you have to take this long way around?" Edna asked Bjorlam. "Why not just cut through that old ruin in the pass between Whiterun Hold and Hjaalmarch?"
"Labyrinthian?" Bjorlam shuddered. "You must be new to Skyrim if you don't know that place is dangerous," he scowled. "Between dragons roosting in the mountains now, and trolls that have taken up residence there for the last ten years, it's just not safe. I'll take my chances with the bandits!"
"I've heard Ri'saad, one of the Khajiit caravan leaders, is looking for some brave soul to clear the place out and keep it clear," one of the mercs told them. "No amount of coin is going to entice me to go face-to-face with a dragon! I heard what happened at Helgen!"
"Who is Ri'saad?" Edna asked.
"He leads the caravan that runs between Markarth and Whiterun," the other merc, a battlemage, replied. "He also owns the routes between Solitude and Windhelm, which Ma'dran runs, and the Dawnstar to Riften route which is handled by Ahkari."
"Is there a route between Morthal and Falkreath and Winterhold?" the Dragonborn inquired.
"There used to be one between Morthal and Falkreath," the first mercenary said, "about ten years ago. But when trolls took over the ruins of Labyrinthian it was no longer profitable. And as far as I know, Winterhold has never had a caravan route. Who'd want to go there, anyway? There's nothing there."
The two mercs left the carriage at Dragon Bridge, but Kaidan could see the Dragonborn turning over what they'd said in her mind.
"You're thinking about clearing that pass, aren't you?" he asked.
"Well, it wouldn't hurt to find out what we'd be up against," Edna reasoned. "If we managed to get rid of the trolls, Ri'saad might be able to re-establish his trade route."
"You're forgetting about the dragons, though," Kaidan warned her.
"And you're forgetting who you're traveling with, my boy," Edna chuckled, before subsided. "No, I haven't forgotten about them, and I sure as Oblivion wouldn't underestimate them. But if we could clear the ruins and the pass, we might be able to convince the Jarls of both Holds that it might be in their best interests, from a financial standpoint – to say nothing of making it easier to move troops around in this silly Civil War – to have that way cleared and maintained. It's how we'd have done it in the Legion."
"It would require constant vigilance," Kaidan pointed out. "There would have to be watchtowers and guard posts manned all along the way. I doubt either Idgrod or Balgruuf have the resources right now to spare."
Edna sighed. "You're probably right, my friend," she agreed. "As long as this ridiculous conflict rages, the people are going to suffer and pay the price for it." She lapsed into a brooding silence the rest of the way to Morthal.
It was late when they arrived, and as they entered the small village perched on the edge of a vast saltmarsh, they noticed a group of angry men outside the Jarl's longhouse, Half Moon Hall.
"What's the Jarl going to do about it?" one demanded.
"How are we supposed to feel safe in our own homes?" fumed another.
"Please," the man at the top of the stairs begged them, making soothing motions with his hands. "Enough already! I've told Idgrod of your concerns. She'll look after you. Please…go back to your business."
"We've no need for wizards in our midst!" one man called out to the other's retreating back.
The second one chimed in, "Morthal has enough problems as it is!"
But they were speaking to a blank door, and the others milled outside in irate frustration.
"Bah," the first one finally said in disgust. "It's no use. Let's get back to it, then."
He and the second man left to head towards the mill on the other side of town, while the two remaining men, a Nord with a battleaxe slung on his back, and an Orc with – surprisingly – a lute on his, went their separate ways. The Nord returned to what Kaidan recognized as a military headquarters; the Orc wandered back to the only inn in town.
"Sounds like one big happy family," Edna snorted in mirth. "Come on, Kai. Let's find a place to stay for the night."
"That inn over there looks like the only place here," he commented.
"It'll be fine," Edna said, peering up at the threatening skies. It had been clouding over all day, and already they could feel the first droplets of rain starting to fall. "As long as that Orc doesn't try to sing Ragnar the Red, that is. I won't be held responsible for my actions if he does."
Kaidan laughed. "Want me to hold him down for you?"
"You think I couldn't take him on my own?" she bantered back, grinning. Her face sobered, however, when she caught sight of the charred remains of a house set back from main road on a mossy knoll that rose from the swampy pond in front of it. "Oh my," she breathed. "I hope no one was hurt."
Inside, it was warm, bright and cheery, and the innkeeper welcome them though her words were laced with irony. "Finally, someone comes in," she sighed. "Kick off your boots, stay awhile. Let me know if there's anything I can help you with. I got nothing but time these days."
Edna stepped up to the counter to inquire about rooms for the night. "Is business in Morthal slow?" she asked, out of idle curiosity.
"Slow?" the innkeeper, Jonna, snorted. "No. It just ain't there at all. Few enough reasons to pass through Morthal before the war started. Now?" She gave a mirthless laugh. "Well, let's just say the front door doesn't get much use."
Edna paid for their rooms, and while Kaidan wandered over to a table to enjoy a pint of ale, Edna leaned over the counter to murmur to the innkeeper. "Is there a story behind that burned down house? I hope no one was hurt."
Jonna's eyes widened. "Hroggar's house? It burned down not too long ago. And unfortunately, there were casualties: his wife and daughter. Their screams woke half the town."
Edna shuddered. She was no stranger to the casualties of war; she had survived a dragon attack – two, in point of fact; but to be burned alive in one's own home? It was a horrible way to die, and she squeezed her eyes shut to try and block out the memory. Aloud she asked, "How did the fire start?"
"Hroggar claims it was a hearth fire," Jonna explained. Her voice dropped to nearly a whisper as she added, "Some folks say Hroggar started it himself!"
Edna gasped, shocked. "With his own wife and child inside?"
Jonna shrugged. "That's what they say. See, he's living with Alva now. That started the day after the fire." Jonna's face took on a mutinous look. "It ain't right, movin' in with a new love the day after your kin die like that."
Edna agreed privately, but stated only, "And of course they can't prove he murdered them."
"Aye," Jonna nodded. "Our Jarl would sure like to know if he did, though. Might even pay to find out." She grabbed a towel and began wiping down the bar. "Lemme know if you need anything else, okay?"
Edna got up and joined Kaidan, who had listened to the entire exchange.
"What kind of man takes another woman as a lover immediately after his wife and child die in a fire?" Kaidan simmered. "Nah, this doesn't sit right with me at all."
"Nor me," Edna agreed. "There's something not right here. I don't think I can rest easy until I find out what it is."
"What could possess a man to burn down his home – with his own family inside?" Kaidan choked.
"You might have hit the nail on the head," Edna said darkly.
"What?"
"You used the word 'possess,'" Edna said.
Kaidan thought about that. It was possible, he supposed. A strong enough charm spell could make people do things they normally wouldn't. Was this wizard, whom the townsfolk were leery of, responsible? "That poor child," he said softly. "She's in Mara's arms now."
"She barely had a chance to grow up," Edna agreed quietly. "It isn't fair."
"If you want to put off going to Ustengrav for a day or two, just to find out," Kaidan said, "I'm with you all the way."
Edna patted his hand. "Thank you, Kaidan," she said. "That means a lot to me. I'm not that hungry," she announced. "I've kind of lost my appetite, but order anything you like for supper. I might just head to bed early."
"I think I'll sit up for a while yet," Kaidan said. "At least until that Orc starts singing."
"No bar room brawls, Kaidan, please," Edna begged.
"I promise nothing!" he grinned. "Good night, Dragonborn."
He was lost in thought, still nursing his third ale, when a couple came in, and Jonna greeted the newcomers.
"Why, good evening Jonna!" a sultry voice purred.
Jonna's voice was stiffly professional. It was clear she wasn't happy about the woman patronizing her tavern, but equally clear she couldn't afford to alienate her. "What can I getcha, Alva?"
So this was Alva, Kaidan thought, instantly alert.
"What can't you get me, sweetie?" Alva murmured, as if laughing at some private joke. The hairs on the back of Kaidan's head were rising in an alarming way.
Jonna looked uncomfortable. "Umm...Did you want somethin' to eat, Alva?"
"Eat?" Alva echoed, and the thought seemed to amuse her no end. "No, I don't think I'm... hungry. Not now, at least."
Kaidan stole a glance at Alva when she paused before saying 'hungry.' All kinds of warning bells were going off in his head, but there was nothing in Alva's appearance to suggest she was anything other than a flirtatious woman whose sexual appetite clearly swung both ways.
"Right," Jonna replied, a sheen of sweat breaking out on her brow. "Okay, tell me if you change yer mind."
Alva suddenly swung around and fixed her eyes on Kaidan. He turned swiftly back to his ale and heard a distinct chuckle of appreciation. It was the sound of a woman who knows she's been studied by an attractive man who is pretending not to notice her. She glided over to Kaidan's table and sat down on the bench next to him, facing out into the room.
"Well," she hummed seductively, running her hand up his armored bicep. "Aren't you the handsome one? You and I should spend some time together."
Kaidan glanced beyond her shoulder to the man standing not ten feet away, scowling like a thunderstorm.
"What about your friend?" he asked, making an effort to focus on his surroundings. "The guy you came in with. Aren't you with him?"
"Him? Hroggar?" Alva tinkled a laugh, and it splashed like diamonds all over him. "Forget about Hroggar. He's always so tired lately. I need someone with a little…fire…in their blood." She leaned into him, and Kaidan withdrew as far as he could without toppling off the bench.
His mind was swimming, and he felt like he was drowning in a pair of dark eyes, red lips and midnight tresses. Somewhere in the back of his mind, logic and reason were screaming at him.
This is Alva! She seduced a man into murdering his own family. What will she make you do? Murder the Dragonborn?
That thought, more than anything, brought him around. He rose so abruptly he almost knocked Alva off the bench.
"I'm sorry," he said shortly. "I'm not interested. It's been a long day for me. Good night." He retreated to his room and resolutely threw the lock on the door, even while his conscious mind was howling at him that he was a coward, and what in Kyne's name did he think he was passing up? He threw himself down on the bed – carefully, since he was a big man – and lay there, half of him calling himself every kind of a fool to reject what had been offered, and the other half feeling the strongest sensation that he had just avoided something preternaturally dangerous.
He woke the next morning feeling surly, groggy and completely fatigued. He hadn't slept well, and when he had, his dreams had been filled with dark, threatening shadows filled with a pervading sense of evil that he desperately tried to escape.
Edna was already up, sitting at a table staring at the mug wrapped in her wrinkled hands. She didn't look much better than he felt.
"Rough night?" she asked. When he nodded, she replied, "Me too. I kept thinking about that poor little girl, and her poor mother."
"I'd rather not discuss my dreams, if that's alright," Kaidan said.
"If you wish," Enda said easily. "I'm still not very hungry, but today promises to be a busy day. We should get some food."
Jonna came over, barely hiding a yawn. "I just wanted to congratulate you, young man," she said. "That was some kind of fortitude, not falling all over Alva last night. She's got most of the men of this town thinking she's the second coming of St. Alessia."
Kaidan shifted uncomfortably, and Edna looked at him in surprise. "Alva was here last night?" she asked.
Jonna nodded. "Yeah, and she put the moves on your friend here, only he just got up, said goodnight and went to his room. I can tell you, she was pretty pissed about that! It was fun to watch!"
"I don't trust her," Kaidan muttered.
"Some steak and eggs, if you have them, please Jonna," Edna interjected, to save her friend any further embarrassment. Jonna merely grinned and headed back to her kitchen.
"Kaidan," Edna said in a low voice, "I'm going to ask you a question, and it's very important that you answer me as truthfully as you can: did Alva try any playful nips on you? Like a hickey on your neck?"
Kaidan gave an indignant snort. "Hell fuckin' no! I never let her get close enough for that."
"She didn't try to charm you?"
Kaidan thought about how he'd felt with Alva sitting so close to him.
"She didn't exactly cast a spell, no," he admitted. "But I found it hard to think with her sitting right there."
"What color were her eyes?" the Dragonborn asked.
Kaidan thought back. "Dark," he said. "They were dark. I don't really know what color. Black, maybe, or a dark brown."
Edna considered this silently while Jonna brought their food. When the innkeeper left, Kaidan asked quietly, "Tell me what you're thinking, Dragonborn?" but Edna shook her head.
"Not yet," she replied, tackling her steak. "I don't have enough evidence to support my theory. We'll talk to Jarl Idgrod after we eat and see if she can shed any light on the matter."
But the Jarl of Morthal wasn't much help. "Hroggar blames the fire on his wife spilling bear fat into the fire," she explained.
"Even if he moved in with another woman the next day?" Kaidan argued sourly.
Idgrod nodded, acceding this point. "Many people think he started the fire himself," she agreed. "Lust can make a man do the unthinkable. The ashes were still warm when he pledged himself to Alva."
"So why haven't you arrested him, then?" Kaidan demanded, while Edna threw him a sharp look and murmured, "Kaidan, please!"
But Idgrod seemed unconcerned. "On rumor and gossip?" she challenged, and waited as Kaidan deflated. "No," she added, in a kinder tone. "But you two, strangers here to our town, might find the truth for us. Sift through the ashes that others are too fearful to touch. See what they tell you. Should you find Hroggar innocent or guilty, I will reward you."
They left Half Moon Hall, and Kaidan marched down the steps, picked up a stone and launched it into the nearby marsh pond. "Bunch of pompous bureaucrats," he snarled.
"You weren't helping back there," Edna said severely. "There was no need to antagonize the Jarl like that."
"She's just another fucking public servant getting people like us to do her dirty work for her!" he stormed. "It's no wonder the people here are pissed off! I don't blame them!"
"Kaidan!" Edna said sternly. "That's enough! Idgrod has to work within the law. They all do, every Jarl, every courtier, every Thane. Even I have to do things legally, or find myself hauled off to a dungeon somewhere. I'm not doing that again!"
"'Again'?" Kaidan echoed. "What did you mean by that?"
"Nothing," Edna frowned. "It's not important now. What's important is trying to find out how the fire started, and who's responsible for the murder of Helgi and her mother." Her voice softened. "We owe it to that little girl to lay her to rest."
"Aye," Kaidan said, letting his anger seep away. "Let's find the son-of-a-bitch who did this."
They made their way to the burned-out cabin and began poking around at what remained. There wasn't much. But Kaidan nearly shat himself when he turned around to see the ghostly figure of a little girl watching him.
"Who's there?" the little girl asked. "Is that you, father?"
Edna turned around, and her eyes widened, but to her credit she approached and knelt down in front of the child. "Who are you, dear?" she asked.
"Helgi," said the spirit. "But father says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers. Are you a stranger?"
"Bless you, no, child," Edna smiled. "I'd like to think I'm a friend. Can you tell me what happened to your house?"
Helgi frowned, as if trying to remember. "The smoke woke me up," she recalled. "It was hot, and I was scared, so I hid. Then it got cold and dark. I'm not scared anymore. But I'm lonely. Will you play with me?"
Edna exchanged a look of pity with Kaidan, who couldn't trust himself to speak. There was something in his throat keeping the words bottled in.
"If I do," Edna cajoled, "will you tell me who set the fire?"
Helgi jumped up and down happily and clapped her hands. "Okay!" she exclaimed in delight. "Let's play hide-and-seek. You find me, and I'll tell you. We have to wait for nighttime, though," she continued. "The other one is playing too, and she can't come out until then."
Edna frowned. "The other one?" she queried. "What do you mean?"
"I can't tell you!" Helgi said, suddenly afraid. "She might hear me. She's so close! If you can find me first, I can tell you."
With that, she vanished, leaving a confused Kaidan and Dragonborn behind.
"'Other one'?" Kaidan finally said. "What do you suppose she meant by that? Do you think she meant her mother?"
Edna shook her head. "No, Kai, I don't," she replied. "Did you notice how afraid she was when she spoke of that other person? Why would she be afraid of her own mother?"
"You're right," Kaidan agreed. "Maybe there's some other spirit here nearby. The marshes here are a dangerous place."
"That's possible," Edna allowed. She gave a sigh. "Well, let's see if we can find out where she is. Where would a ghost hide out during the day?"
"The graveyard, maybe," Kaidan offered. "I mean, she was just here, but probably because we were poking around in what used to be her house. We should see if there's some kind of headstone with her name on it in the local cemetery."
When they found the cemetery, however, after some directions by one of the Morthal guards who made the sign of Arkay on their chest, they found that someone else had been there before them.
"I don't believe this!" Edna raged. "How dare they desecrate that poor child's grave!"
Mounds of dirt lay all around a hole in the ground, in the center of which was a coffin that was far smaller than it had a right to be, half-way hauled out of the ground, and then left as though whomever had done this atrocity had been interrupted. Kaidan felt as outraged as his companion, and looked around the area to see if there were any signs of the desecrater. He prowled around the hillside and the adjoining swamp for over an hour, but came up with nothing more than a few footprints that were clearly not made by the local law enforcement.
"I lost the tracks in the marsh," he apologized. "I'm sorry, Edna."
"It can't be helped," she soothed. "You did your best." Blowing out a sigh she looked at the skies. Clouds were moving in again, and it promised to be another miserable, rainy night. But it couldn't be helped. It was now only just past noon.
"Let's get some food and rest a bit at the inn," she suggested. "Since Helgi said the 'other one' couldn't come out to play until after dark, we've got a few hours to kill."
"Then what?" Kaidan asked.
"Then we find a place to wait and watch," she replied, "and see who's trying to get into Helgi's coffin, and why."
They rested for a while at the Moorside, but Edna announced she was going to head over to the alchemy shop down the road.
"Need me to come with you?" Kaidan asked.
"Oh, no, dear," she insisted. "Stay and enjoy yourself. I won't be long. Just want to sell off some of these potions I know I'll never use."
She was gone longer than a simple transaction would have taken, and the afternoon was wearing on. Kaidan decided to head over to the Thaumaturgist's Shop to find out what had happened to his friend when a rush of people burst through the door of the inn.
"Dragon!" one of them cried. "There's a dragon coming down from the hills! Take cover!"
Jonna burst into action and began marshalling people behind the shop counter, as if that would have afforded them any protection. Kaidan rushed outside to see the Morthal guard gathering at strategic points around town, bows and arrows at the ready.
Edna came out of the alchemy shop, and when Kaidan raised his hand she nodded and called back, "I know! Thonnir's boy, Virkmund, told me inside." She cast her eyes to the sky, searching for and finding the dragon. It was white, with thorny points down its head, back and tail. It roared out a challenge as it landed on the roof of Half Moon Hall, and belched out a cloud of frosty ice.
Kaidan felt chilled to the bone, but drew his bow and struck the softer underbelly part of the dragon. Edna's arrow found its mark in the dragon's snout, hanging there like a whisker on a cat. The dragon let out another roar as the iron-tipped arrows of the Morthal guard plinked against its armored scales.
"FUS!"
A few of the guards turned their heads in amazement towards Edna, unwisely taking their eyes off the dragon.
"The thu'um!" one of the cried. "She summons the thu'um!"
A rippling undertone of "Dragonborn!" spread out among Morthal's finest, and each of them seemed to take confidence in this stroke of good fortune, that a Dragonborn should be here, right now, at a time when Morthal needed one.
The dragon blew out another cloud of frost, and a handful of the guards staggered, sinking to their knees. Then it launched itself into the air again, gaining altitude with every powerful thrust of its wings, to bring itself around and strafe everyone out in the open.
"Take cover!" Edna yelled, ducking under the awning of the alchemy shop just in time to avoid a full-throated blast of frost from the coldrake. Two of the guards fell to the ground and lay still, and Edna's face set itself into a firm resolve. Kaidan could almost hear her thinking, Not one more victim!
He tracked the dragon's flight pattern and saw it heading to the edge of town where the mill was.
"Edna!" he bellowed. "The mill! They have no protection there!" He took off at a dead run, knowing that his friend was too far away to get there before the dragon would take off again.
"WULD!"
Something streaked past him, and he gaped to see Edna in front of him, pelting towards the mill with her shield up and her sword drawn.
Of course, he berated himself. Dragonborn.
Jorgen had raced up the ramp to the millhouse and was cowering behind the stack of logs to be cut. The dragon saw this and angled itself around to be able to climb partway up the ramp – just enough to use its breath attack on the helpless timberman. Behind Jorgen, Kaiden could just make out the form of Thonnir, who was already at the sawblade. Both men were essentially defenseless.
"FUS RO!" Edna Shouted, smacking the dragon in the side of its face, and it turned to glare at her. Kaidan's heart leaped when he saw its intake of breath.
"FO KRAH DIIN!"
The cloud of mist and ice crystals enveloped Edna and Kaidan gave a wordless roar of rage. Leaping forward, he closed the distance and struck out with the nodachi, carving a deep gash into the dragon's side. It shrieked in pain, and Kaidan gave a gloating smirk.
"I do what I do best," he taunted. "And if you don't like it, tough!"
Edna emerged from behind her shield, her hair covered in a frosty white sheen. "That was a bit close for comfort," she frowned, and bashed with her shield before sweeping under with her sword. The dragon scales were tough, however, and even Balgruuf's Imperial longsword seemed to do little damage. The coldrake snapped out at her, and she quickly dodged to one side, slashing again with the sword.
Kaidan drove in with his curved nodachi, and part of the membrane of the dragon's right wing separated as the blade cut through it like paper. Now the creature was grounded, unable to fly, and in a vicious counter-attack, the dragon struck Kaidan full in the chest with the injured wing, sending him flying backwards about twenty feet. It snaked its head around and inhaled to deliver another chilling breath attack, but choked on its own thu'um as Edna Shouted again.
"FUS RO!"
Frustrated at only knowing the two Words, Edna thrust again with her the longsword as the dragon recoiled, exposing a long column of neck. At the juncture where it met the shoulders, she found a soft spot and pushed harder, and the dragon shrieked again, jerking backwards and swiping at her with dewclaw of its left wing. Leather armor ripped, and flesh was torn as the dragon found the Dragonborn's chest. Edna gasped, reeling with the pain, but managed to get her shield up before those massive jaws could close down on her.
"The Dragonborn will eat your soul!" Kaidan bellowed, bringing his nodachi down on the dragon's neck so hard that everyone nearby heard a loud SNAP! The dragon slumped to the ground, unmoving, as its soul poured out and flowed into the lone figure in torn Imperial armor.
Instantly, Kaidan was by her side, pressing a healing potion into her hand and making sure she drank it down.
"Thank you, Kai," she breathed. "That helps, a lot. But look at my armor!" She gestured down at herself, unconcerned that her smallclothes were now on display for the crowd of onlookers rushing over the bridge to view the dead dragon, that was now no more than a collection of bones. "I can't go into Ustengrav like this!"
"They don't have a smithy here, either, to repair it," Kaidan told her. She was right, he knew. Her armor afforded little to no protection now.
"Take Ingrid's armor, Dragonborn," one of the guards said, almost in reverence. "She won't need it anymore, and I think she'd want you to use it – at least until you can get yours repaired, or get something better."
Edna looked as if she might have argued, but she seemed to mentally swallow her pride and nodded. "My thanks," she said simply. "I would be honored to wear Ingrid's armor."
This was swiftly arranged, and Kaidan insisted Edna return to the inn to rest.
"Not for too long," Edna said. "We have an appointment to keep at the cemetery. A little girl is counting on us to be there."