Chapter Eighty One

“Fire and frost will be your end!” The hedge wizard waved his staff before him to summon a shard of ice. It missed Gaeolin by a hair’s breadth. The Bosmer let an arrow free, the blue fletching spinning wildly through its flight.

The shot glanced off of the magician’s ward. The foe hurled a ball of flames in response. Gaeolin tried to dodge, but the bolt caught the hem of his shirt at the last moment. He rolled on the ground, tossing ash onto himself in an attempt to avoid the flames catching hold of him. While he was down, His companions continued to fight their foolish opponent.

“Krii!” Auroth sent his thu’um barreling to the mage. It struck, weakening the High Elf to the point of falling to his knees. Inigo took the chance, rushing to bring Dawnbreaker into the fray. The golden blade sliced clean and deep into the flesh. While the enemy screamed, Faendal made his way forward, plunging his short blade into the man’s abdomen.

Once the fighting stopped, the sounds of the wind were all that remained. Auroth helped Gaeolin to his feet while Inigo checked the body for anything that they could use or sell. Faendal inspected his lover’s clothing, shaking his head at the scorch marks on the leather.

“These used to look nice. Maybe you should consider investing in a set of armor for these adventures. Something that is made for abuse.”

Gaeolin smirked. “And slow down my reaction time?”

“Níl aon am freagartha agat, a stór.” (You have no reaction time, my dear.) Faendal gave a soft laugh. “I’m sorry, I will have to insist on it. We will look into it at the next opportunity.”

In spite of the clouds, the party all held the opinion that the day was rather nice. At any rate, they had been given the honor of a few hours of direct surlisht. The winds had remained calm ever since they had left Neloth’s tower. It had been a stressful departure. The Telvanni master was quite reluctant to let them leave with the books. As far as he was concerned, the only place in Tamriel that the tomes could be stored responsibly was his study. Auroth had managed to convince him after a long argument to allow them to keep the books they had found. He was forced, however, to promise that they would bring them back for his review at a later time.

Inigo joined them, a set of filled soul gems and a hefty coin purse in his arms. “Our unfortunate Altmer fellow had quite the haul. He might have had a better time if he had been travelling with as good a team as we are.”

Auroth gave a nod. “I can say from experience that running solo doesn’t lend itself to taking on a group as large as ours. He was a fool to try and attack.”

“No matter. To the victors go the spoils!” The blue khajiit took off his pack, stowing the goods for later division. “How much farther until we get to the job?”

Gaeolin checked his map. “According to the note, the Heikling camp is near the center of the island. It is no short climb up the pass. We will need to stop and camp for a while, if we want to have the strength to clear out the creatures when we get there.”

“Even if the climb weren’t as long,” Auroth leaned on the cudgel Inigo had given him, “I still wouldn’t have fancied the idea of rushing into their camp without planning the attack at all. We know nothing about the area. It would be a bad idea to just rush in.”

Faendal stretched, his spine giving a slight pop. “Once we get close enough, I can scout the camp.” He caught the look Gaeolin sent him. “Don’t look at me like that. I’ve been tracking and scouting for many years. I know how to not get caught.”

Gaeolin gave a mutter of agreement. “Just be extra careful.”

“Anyway, we still have to get that far. Shall we be moving on?” Inigo gestured toward the path. Having little else to add, the others took up their usual line. They trudged through the ash drifts in silence. The only exception was Ingo and his occasional humming. Gaeolin smiled. After all this time, he had come to appreciate the cat’s sudden lapses into music. It filled the void of these quiet journeys. He was about to ask him to start singing louder, but was stopped when he heard voices on the road ahead.

As they drew closer, he recognized their garb as Skaal. He removed his hand from his weapon to greet them. The party of hunters responded, their leader coming closer to speak to them. “Hail, Skaal friend! I hope your travels find you safe.”

Gaeolin offered a bow. “And you as well. Tell me, what brings you so far south? I haven’t seen any elk or deer this far from the foothills.

The man nodded. “You are right, we are not here pursuing deer. My hunters and I have come to test ourselves against the mighty netch. A creature that large would certainly help supply the village larder, and quicker than our usual game. More than that though, it has been long since our people have had the challenge.” He considered them. “It is better to face the netch in numbers. Would you care to hunt with us? Share in the glory of the fight?”

Gaeolin looked to his friends. They all nodded their consent. “We would be honored to fight by your side. Lead the way.”

It was a short distance in truth. What made the path seem long was the care prey had to take to avoid detection. Gaeolin and Faendal had their bows ready, following the Skaal leader to the bottom of a hill that shielded them from the prey. Auroth and Inigo joined the other warriors who wrapped around to attack from the east. The old Nord motioned them to hunker down near a boulder. “Wait for my signal, then send as many arrows as you can.” He left them there in favor of finding a good place to watch for the moment of attack. The bosmer both waited, arrows nocked and ready.

“This reminds me of the old days.” Faendal whispered, a grin on his face. “Back when you and Inigo first came to Riverwood. You two would always bring back the largest elk I had ever seen. At the time, I thought you might force me to make the mill my only work. There wasn’t much need for me to hunt while you two were doing so well.”

Gaeolin peeked over the stone. The Netch was still oblivious to the danger. “You could have come with us. We would have enjoyed the company.”

“I wish I had. I wasted a lot of time in that village. It was agreeable enough, I suppose. It’s nice to share a home with one of my own, though. The others never really felt the same way as I did for the mountains. Probably why I spent so much time walking the trails. It felt more like home.”

Gaeolin sent him a warming glance. “I’m glad you spent so long in Riverwood. If you had moved on, I might not have met you again.” The sound of a hawk’s cry filled the air, sounding almost as if from the ground. The Elves took it as their cue, jumping over the cover to begin their volley. As the arrows rained down onto the beast, the others rushed it with spear, hammer, and sword. Auroth wreathed his cudgel in flames, striking the fore-tentacles to ignite them. The Skaal warriors were deadly with their spears. The weapons may have been primitive, but there was no denying the results when they were in the hands of their masters.

The beast was not willing to go down easily. It gave a rumbling roar, lashing out with its undamaged limbs to knock those nearest to it for at least five feet. One of the Skaal, a smaller woman, had actually soared nearly eight before she impacted one of the petrified trees that stood to the north. Inigo rushed to her side, pulling her to shelter behind the trunk. Once he had made sure she was out of harm’s way, he ran back to the fight, slashing like one possessed. Gaeolin closed the distance between himself and the creature. He slid to a stop about twelve feet from it, drawing in his breath.

“Iiz!” His shout was stronger than before. It caused the air to rippled and grow cold. When the word hit the Netch, it began to freeze solid in an instant. The ice clad animal fell to the earth with a shatter. The Skaal cheered as they approached the carcass. They were not, however completely reckless. The youngest stopped at spear range to prod the body. Once satisfied that the beast was slain, the Nords began cleaning the carcass in earnest. Their leader approached Gaeolin again, a look of sorrow was in his eyes.

“The beast was not the only one who fell this day.” he looked to the tree, the body of the young woman now laying on her back with her hood pulled closed. “Aeta was a good huntress. She will be missed. Wwe knew the risks, and were all prepared to take them. More of us might have died without your help. May the All-Maker welcome our sister with open arms.”

Gaeolin bowed his head. “I am sorry for the loss of your friend. Is there any way we can help you care for her body?”

He shook his head with a grunt of gratitude. “Thank you, but we will carry her home ourselves. It is our way. Storn will give her the ancient rights. safe journey, Skaal friend.” He left them to join his hunters in their work. Gaeolin led the others away, their hearts a little heavier than they had hoped for.

The ground began to slope upward. The ash started to blend with a thin layer of snow. It formed an unpleasant brown slurry underfoot. The wind came down off the mountains with a bite of cold that made them think of their homes back in Skyrim. Gaeolin unrolled his cloak, wrapping it tightly around himself. Auroth, knowing that they would need something to get their fire going, began passively picking up any and all sticks and deadwood he could find.

The light began to die down just as they were passing the steps that led away toward Miraak’s temple. There was an overhanging shelf that gave some shelter from the wind. Gaeolin set down his bag. lt was as good a place as any for them

to make camp. He set to work, gathering the stones to build the pit. Inigo helped him with a little more energy than the others thought was normal. He was singing his composition, ‘Silly Spider’, whilst miming crushing an arachnid with each stone he placed. “Come friends! You all need to lighten up. We are together again, and it is good to be on the roads with good company.”

“I take it your time on your own didn’t prove to be the most enjoyable?” Faendal sent a sad expression.

“After spending as much time alone as I have, you no longer enjoy yourself when isolated. The entire time I was without all of you, I felt as though nothing in this world could cheer me up.”

“It was lonesome without you as well, Inigo.” Gaeolin prodded the wood with a poker. “Although, I am sure you were far happier not dealing with Miraak’s temple. There were almost as many undead there as there were cultists.”

The Khajiit shrugged. “Perhaps, but it would have been better to face such fear and danger with you. i forgot to tell you, but I did have to go through a nordic barrow while we were apart. Thankfully, Meridia’s sword was able to make quick work of the undead fiends.”

Auroth withdrew his pipe. He packed the bowl with less elves ears than he would have liked, but he knew he would need to ration his smoke. Solstheim was not known for its affordable Ripe weed. And he would rather die than stuff I his pipe with Scathecraw leaves. “Wish I had at least one of you with me while I had been working with Neloth. That man was intolerable.”

“Really? I rather thought you two were going to get along rather well.” Faendal inspected his arrows. He grimaced at a particularly frayed fletch. How they had gotten wet in this place, he may never know.

“I’ll admit, the man has a lot of knowledge, and may even have been a good conversationalist when he was three hundred years younger… But he is simply too rude to bother with now.” The Altmer lit his pipe, missing Gaeolin’s stifled chuckle at the irony of the statement.

 “Are you better now though? I know that you never have been okay on your own, Inigo. I was surprised when you didn’t object to our going separate ways.”

“It would have lessened our chances at finding a solution quickly. I was not prepared to make our task take any longer than needed. You were already out of sorts. Anyway. I am feeling much better about my life, and its direction. My soul feels cleaner somehow, as if the bandits we fight are little pieces of my misspent past washing away.” He wore a smile as he stared into the flames. “I sometimes wonder if there are any worth saving though. There must be a few I guess.”

“Don’t I count?” Auroth grunted. The smoke escaping his lips swirled angrily.

“Of course you do!” Inigo raised his hands in apology. “What I mean to say, is not everyone who is in that situation wants to be brought out of it. It is unfair, but if you choose to live that way, you have to accept the consequences.”

Auroth nodded in agreement. Faendal sent a sad look to Inigo. “You obviously have your regrets.”

His ears went back. His smile faltered as he spoke. “Yes. I know that in this world at least, killing is a part of living. We all do it to survive, for gold, or to put food in our bellies. But, taking pleasure in the death of the guiltless is wrong. Some dirt,” he looked down at the snow, “never washes off…”

Gaeolin could feel the bile in the back of his throat too. “I try to do what is right. Even with that, I have my regrets as well.”

“It is a complicated world and it is hard so get by without putting a foot wrong.” Inigo looked up to the conversation. “Do you mind if I ask what it is you regret?”

Gasolin couldn’t give a single example. He had so many… Things that went as far back as Cyrodiil, and others as recent as his time cursed with Vampirism. He shut his eyes, willing her face to stay away. “Lets just say I have made some very bad choices, and leave it at that.”

Inigo must have guessed at his thoughts. “I may not know much, but I’ll tell you this. The person who gave me a reason to go on, cannot be a bad soul. Whoever you were when you made these mistakes, l think you left that individual behind.” His face was warm, sending distilled kindness. “It is one thing to be given a second chance, but to create your own? That takes more strength than I can imagine.”

Gaeolin again questioned how he had ever managed to get through anything without the cat before. Inigo was such a good soul. How anyone could have seen him as an ill omen was beyond him. “You are probably right, of course. But still, I worry for the future. I worry that I will not be strong enough for the tasks ahead of us.”

Inigo laughed. “I do not know what the future holds, but I believe in your ability. If anyone can succeed, it is you. There are many ways in which someone can be strong. Above all else, it is willpower and spirit that tend to win through. “

The bosmer’s cheeks began to take color. “There are limits to my strength, Inigo.”

“That may be true, but your adaptability is unsurpassed. As a result, your limits are dwindling.”

Auroth grunted in agreement. “I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone who can claim half of the victories you do. You are a force of nature, he sat back with an uncommon grin, “and an annoyingly positive one at that.”

“There is nothing you cannot handle,” Inigo continued, “count on it.”

“What if I fail?” Gaeolin countered.

“Ifs, buts, and maybes, my friend. They often kill success before it has had a chance. Fail or win, none of your doubts will matter in the long run. All you can do is try. As long as you do that, there is hope.”

Their conversation was cut short by a change in the wind. The air battered their fire, putting it out with an unnatural haste. As they dodged the rolling embers, the group suddenly caught the smell of something foul. Gaeolin motioned for his friends to ready their weapons. It was the smell of blood, of death. He took on a determined face, setting off against the wind to find the trouble they had managed to rest so close to.

They drew closer to the foothills of the mountains. Just beyond his range of sight stood some manner of stone construction. It was not a home, nor any kind of nordic ruin he had seen. Instead, it resembéked a makeshift altar to some vile demon. The scent was coming from the stones. It was the fresh corpse of an Imperial woman. Why she was out here so far from civilization, alone, was any man’s guess. Gaeolin inspected her body, seeing vicious scars all down her chest and shoulders. There were marks that could have only been made from teeth. The teeth of a human. Or possibly, something that had once been human. He stood, turning to his friends. “We need to investigate this.”

“I would have been shocked if you had suggested otherwise.” Auroth raised his hand, golden light falling over the body. “She has some organs missing. From the looks of things, whoever took them didn’t care if they were damaged or not. Half of her heart is still there, and one of her kidneys. I suspect we are looking at the work of witches, of worshipers of Molag Bal.”

“Correct me if I am wrong,” Gaeolin began, “but doesn’t the latter seem unlikely on an island inhabited by mostly Dunmer?”

“I would normally agree, but there are nords, and other races here too. And there are Dark Elves who have no issue prostrating to one of the Daedra who their people normally would shun. It is not unheard of for Molag Bal cultists to be ferociously powerful. The Plane Meld proved that well enough.”

“Whoever is responsible, they must be dealt with. This close to the location mentioned on the notice can’t be coincidence. “These cultists might be just as responsible for the missing people and shipments as the Rieklings.” Gaeolin, looked into the nearby cave. “Come on. Let’s see what they have waiting for us.”