Tirdas, 26^th Last Seed, 4E 201

& Middas, 27^th Last Seed 4E 201

Rigmor and I had just finished breaking our fast when a loud chirping noise interrupted our conversation about the song I sang last night.

I walked over to the Welkorith and saw it was Mai, my steward of Lakeview Manor, who wanted to talk.

I accepted the connection.

“Mai, have you finished Lakeview Manor?”

“Yes, Wulf, but that is not why I need to speak to you.  A bandit gang has taken control of Pinewatch Bridge. It seems they are willing to abduct and not just demand a toll. Trader Hedlla saw Trader Fa’hur and his entourage being forced at sword point to what she assumes would be the bandits’ camp. She immediately came to me, knowing I could contact you. Nobody can pass along that road safely.”

“We shall rescue Fa’hur and his people.”

“We think a cottage next to Lakeview Manor is an entrance to the bandit’s hideout.”

“We shall clear the bridge first so people can travel freely. Then we shall eliminate the rest of the gang.”

“Okay.”

I turned to Rigmor.

“What is that thing?” she asked.

“The others call it a CORB, for Communication Orb. I gave it the Ayleidoon name ‘Welkorith’, which means ‘Speaking Light Orb.’ It allows us to talk to each other over any distance, as long as we are on the same plane. They were gifts from the Psijic Order.”

“How far away is Pinewatch Bridge?”

“Not far.”

“I am coming with you!”

“I am taking a full squad of Dragonguard. That should be sufficient. You should continue to rest.”

“I said that I am coming with you, and unless you intend to immobilise me or lock me up, that is what will happen.”

“Why do you want to come, Rigmor? It will just be blood and guts and maybe a few pleas for mercy.”

“I want to see what Wulf and the Dragonguard do. I want to better understand you and your friends. I want to contribute.”

“Okay.”

“That was easy!”

“I can tell you were working up to other devious methods of persuasion. Batting of eyelids and pouting were inevitable.”

“You forgot hands on hips and my stare.”

“The Sigunn Stare!”

“Haha, yeah, that is who I learnt it from.”

“Are you prepared to kill people who are not Thalmor?”

“They are praying on innocents while the civil war stops patrols. So yeah, I am ready to kill them.”

I summoned Vayu and his squad and told them of our task.

I then summoned Celestine.

“There is a slight change of plans, Celestine.”

“I can guess that by Vayu and his squad being here.”

“Some bandits have taken over Pinewatch Bridge and demand tolls or, in this instance, kidnap traders.”

“And you cannot let this continue.”

“No, I cannot. Rigmor is coming with us. You are to wait here till we return.”

“What about Angi’s and Fort Black?”

“I can always fly to Angi’s and summon Rigmor.”

“Alright.”

Vayu said, “I promise not to get skewered by a bandit!”

Celestine hugged him, and then we headed out.

I told the squad, “We shall exit via the portal. That road leads to the bridge. We shall walk slower than usual so Rigmor can keep up without exhausting herself.”

I was not in the mood for any dissension, and wisely, there was not any.

We made our way to the portal at a speed Rigmor seemed comfortable to maintain.

I cast an incantation that allowed Rigmor to use the portal; otherwise, I would have to summon her, and she is not used to that.

I turned and told Rigmor, “If, at any time, you are struggling, say so. If I see you are struggling and you have not admitted it, I will rescue Rose and recover your father’s sword without you.”

Rigmor did not reply, but I doubt she thought it was an empty threat.

When we exited the portal, a Minotaur was attacking a lone warrior who had no chance of surviving.

Two of the squad ran to take their positions. We had agreed that this was to be standard procedure when facing the giant, very powerful opponents. However, by the time they drew their bows, I had cut the Minotaur down.

The warrior asked, “Are you Lord Welkynd?”

I noticed a group of travellers in the distance and replied, “Yes, I am Lord Welkynd. Are you scouting ahead for those travellers?”

“Yes, Lord Welkynd. Was that a Minotaur?”

“It was, and it is important to understand that most Minotaur have remained in hiding and are a peaceful people. Some, like this one, are angry and looking for revenge for what happened to their people.”

“We are not responsible for what happened so long ago.”

“Their anger is deep-rooted, and logic and compassion are meaningless to them. Some Minotaur are members of the Dragonguard and, therefore, trusted by me.”

“Then, as you say, not all of them are a danger.”

“Bandits hold Pinewatch Bridge. You cannot go that way.”

“We are heading for Falkreath. Thank you for your intervention.”

The scout continued and turned left onto the road to Falkreath.

• Vayu: That was not an easy thing for you to do, Wulf.
• Wulf: Blame Molag Bal. He is the one occupying Mother and depriving the Minotaur of spiritual guidance.
• Rigmor: As I told you yesterday, Wulf. Vengeance only works when you are sure you have punished the guilty.
• Vayu: Granite is certain that Saint Alessia’s silence is only an excuse for the more radical Minotaur.
• Wulf: He is probably right. We shall tell Granite of this later. He will want to identify the Minotaur and burn the body as per their custom.

Another Minotaur saw us approaching, and his stance was unfriendly.

I called out, “Stel! Sa ne vara na Al-Esh. Rial el renim aran.”

The Minotaur bellowed and charged me.

I cut him down.

• Wulf: I hope that is the last Minotaur I have to kill!
• Rigmor: What did you say to him?
• Wulf: Halt! This is not the way of Al-Esh. Return to your people.
• Rigmor: Al-Esh is one of the names for Saint Alessia.
• Wulf: Yes, it is Aldmeri for ‘the high high.’
• Rigmor: You defeated both of them easily.
• Vayu: Wulf’s sword is not only the sharpest ever made, but he has placed dweomer on it.
• Wulf: The dweomer uses a lot of the wielder’s Magicka, so they are impractical to place on everybody’s weapons.
• Rigmor: What does the dweomer do?
• Wulf: It weakens my opponent by reducing their stamina, and if they are a mage, their Magicka. Sometimes flame damage will result in a powerful enough strike. I have placed the same dweomer on my bow.
• Rigmor: But it is arrows that strike the enemy, not the bow.
• Wulf: The dweomer transfers to the arrow. You will see it working when an arrow strikes an opponent.
• Vayu: Some opponents will have excellent protection against physical damage. Wulf’s dweomer ensures he can still fight them effectively. His Magicka reserve is many times the size of that of other Master Mages, so the dweomer is effective for more than one or two strikes or arrows.
• Rigmor: You did not threaten the Minotaur but appealed to his religious beliefs.
• Wulf: Your father led berserkers. He would have known that threatening or challenging a berserker would only increase their hostility.
• Vayu: When a Minotaur decides to fight, they nearly always go into a berserk state.
• Rigmor: I cannot imagine facing an army of them!
• Wulf: They decimated the armies of those who persecuted them, but their numbers were never large.
• Vayu: Sheer numbers overwhelmed them, Rigmor.
• Wulf: Let’s continue quietly. We are not far from the bridge.

The bridge came into view, and I used Zoom-Vision to get a closer look.

I told the group, “There are three sentries on the ground and one in each tower. It looks like they can drop rocks on people by pulling a lever. Let us have a chat, shall we? They will likely demand a toll. Keep weapons sheathed until I draw mine, or they prove to be hostile.”

We got fairly close before a Redguard yelled, “That is Lord Welkynd! Ain’t no toll going to be paid by him!”

The bandits attacked and died.

Rigmor laughed.

I asked, “What is so funny, Rigmor?”

“You lopped off the Orc’s head without cutting through his hood!”

“And that is funny?”

“DUH!”

I inspected the towers in case there was anything useful.

I turned to Rigmor and said, “You got one of them in the middle of their forehead. I think you can hit more than Mammoths at twenty paces.”

“Cool!”

“You also took down that Redguard with ease.”

“Yeah, it seems I can kill more than Thalmor.”

“I wish you didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to come with you.”

“I mean, in general, not just on this trip. A life without having to kill is what I desire for you.”

“And that is what I want for you.”

“For me, that is a very remote prospect.”

There was nothing useful on the towers, so I told the group, “I shall teleport us to Lakeside Manor. From there, we will make our way to a cottage that Mai believes is a front for their hideout.”

We emerged from the ether and entered the manor.

We found Mai in the dining room.

• Wulf: Mai, I would like you to meet Rigmor Ragnarsdottier.
• Mai: I am pleased to meet the infamous Rigmor of Bruma. Every merchant who stops by mentions you.
• Rigmor: How did you know that it was me? I look nothing like the wanted poster.
• Wulf: The CORBs are used for more than telling me about bandits.
• Vayu: They are the greatest gift to gossipers ever invented.
• Mai: The young girl that Wulf ethereally travelled to and Rigmor of Bruma are the same person. So, of course, we gossiped. Nothing sinister, just curiosity.
• Rigmor: Well, in that case, I like your dress!
• Mai: Most Akaviri dresses are colourful. Wulf has quite a collection, so perhaps he can show them to you?
• Rigmor: He also has a large collection of women’s underwear.
• Wulf: Okay, I admit it, I like to wear women’s clothing.
• Seiko: Can you imagine Wulf in a dress like that one?
• Vayu: His hairy tree-trunk legs stuffed into garters and stockings.
• Omoi: That sounds like some of the women Shouken has been involved with.
• Shouken: Please, I want to keep my bacon and eggs where they are.
• Wulf: We killed the bandits on the bridge. There is only one cottage close by, so we shall head there now.
• Mai: I hope you are in time to save Trader Fa’hur and his people.
• Rigmor: Why are you sure the cottage is a front for the bandits?
• Mai: Lakeview Manor’s guards patrol the perimeter, including the path to our jetty. They have seen many different people enter and leave the cottage, all armed and of different races.
• Wulf: Remember, Rigmor, they are Dragonguard and very good at what they do.

As Mai left to attend to her duties, I turned to Rigmor and asked, “How are you coping?”

“Easy so far. I might get a bit puffed in an extended fight.”

“That is when you stay back and use your bow. Just be sensible.”

“Okay.”

We made our way to the cottage, which was a short walk from Lakeview Manor.

I used Heat Vision.

• Wulf: There is one person downstairs.
• Rigmor: Ahh, how would you know that?
• Wulf: I have the eyesight of a dragon. That means I can see the heat of living, and recently killed, people and animals through walls and doors. For some reason, probably the Ningheim blessings, I can also see deceased people and animals.
• Vayu: Rigmor, have you ever used a spyglass?
• Rigmor: Yeah. I was fascinated with them, and Baa’Ren brought me one.
• Vayu: Wulf’s eyes also act as a spyglass. Dragons use what Wulf calls Zoom-Vision to spot prey from high above.
• Rigmor: So that is how he could tell us about the sentries when we were so far away. Zoom-Vision is not a very Ayleidoon name.
• Wulf: I do not use Ayleidoon for everything!
• Rigmor: So, this seeing live and dead people and animals is Heat-Vision?
• Wulf: Yes, that is perceptive of you.
• Rigmor: Tamrielic names make sense.
• Wulf: So do Ayleidoon names.

Rigmor laughed along with the other traitors.

The door was locked, so I picked the lock.

We entered, and a male said from below, “It’s about time I had some relief. I hope to go on a raid tonight.”

Omoi headed downstairs. The bandit realised we were not bandits, attacked and died.

There was nothing of interest upstairs, so we all headed downstairs.

On a table was a note that I read aloud,

“Rhorlak, we got the right cart this time! The note has been sent, and we’ll see how they respond.

In the meantime, we’ll keep breaking down this stuff while you sell off the wood to keep our front and man the toll gates. We should be set for a while if we can get a reasonable price for the silver mold.

We left some wine for you in a bucket behind the shelf. Consider it a bonus.

–Rigel Strong-Arm”

• Rigmor: I wonder if Rhorlak was one of the bandits at the bridge.
• Vayu: We do not intend to leave any alive, so if not, he will soon die.
• Rigmor: Even in your fancy armour, a bandit recognised you, Wulf.
• Wulf: I have not tried to conceal my face. I could use dweomer to disguise myself.
• Seiko: Wulf can also turn himself into another species, but he cannot change gender.
• Wulf: Indeed, I am usually in male Altmer form when wearing a dress and knickers.
• Rigmor: I cannot decide if you are weird or strange.
• Shouken: How about weirdly strange?
• Omoi: Strangely weird, perhaps.
• Wulf: I am perfectly normal, Rigmor. Just ask Birkit.
• Rigmor: Who is Birkit?
• Wulf: My six-foot-tall rabbit friend. Haven’t you said hello to him?
• Rigmor: I cannot see any six-foot-tall rabbit.
• Wulf: Of course not, he is invisible.
• Rigmor: Weird. Yep, Wulf is weird!

An obvious, not hidden, button was on the wall behind the table.

I asked, “Rigmor, what will happen when I push this button?”

“Dunno.”

“What is strange about the bookcase?”

“Umm…it has nothing in it.”

“The bookcase next to the button will swing open, revealing a super sneaky hidden door or passage.”

“Ahh, why have an obvious way to open what is supposed to be a secret door or passage?”

“We are not dealing with criminal masterminds. Most bandits are as thick as a brick!”

I pushed the button, and the bookshelf swung open to reveal a passageway.

There were two bandits. I Blinked to them and dispatched both.

Rigmor remarked, “You did it again. You chop people’s heads off without cutting through their hood or helmet!”

“My katana is a precision weapon, and I am an expert swordsman.”

“Nah, this is more gobbledegook!”

A bit further on, Heat-Vision revealed several dead bodies.

I told the group, “There are at least five deceased ahead. Most likely Trader Fa’hur and his people.”

The first body was that of an Altmer woman armed with a knife.

“She was part of Trader Fa’hur’s group. It seems she fought back and lost.”

We crouched down and snuck forward.

I eliminated two more bandits with my bow.

Then we found the bodies of Trader Fa’hur and the rest of his entourage.

I growled, “This is Trader Fa’hur and his wife, J’hila. The two in the pit are his sons. It looks like clean kills, but that does not decrease my anger. I warned you about my anger, Rigmor. Now you get to see it in action.”

I moved at a rapid pace, not bothering to warn the others of enemies. I killed with a speed and efficiency that must have seemed unnatural to Rigmor. The Dragonguard had witnessed it many times.

At one stage, I said, “Three of the arseholes are playing cards. Let us see how they like this.”

Fire spread across the room, and the bandits screamed.

A panicked Orsimer ran past me.

I turned, drew my katana and decapitated him.

The look in Rigmor’s eyes was one of distaste. She wanted to see us in action and learn more about me. Well, she was getting a lesson in reality.

Further on, I told the group, “It looks like this place was occupied by a few Draugr. I wonder how many bandits died clearing them?”

I cut off the head of another bandit. Then Rigmor said, “Wulf, I did the same in the Bruma embassy. Except there were innocents there. Cooks and other servants who did not deserve to die. You could never do that.”

“Not on purpose, no. But I so outclass most opponents, they might as well be unarmed.”

“But they are still bad people. So, I will not judge you. However, I am sad that a person full of compassion must kill.”

“It comes with my commitment to protect the innocent, Rigmor. I was too late to save Trader Fa’hur and his people, but I can prevent a repeat by killing those responsible. I will eventually kill Ulfric Stormcloak for the same reason.”

I continued the slaughter till we found the last survivor, the bandit leader.

I growled, “Draw your weapon, Rigel Strong-Arm. Let us see how you fare against a warrior and not an unarmed Khajiiti trader.”

Rigel attacked, and I parried her slow, two-handed hammer with ease while smiling. She became more desperate and started to tire.

I told Rigel, “I have faced many bandit chiefs. You have to be the most pathetic and stupid of them all!”

I then thrust my katana through her belly and out of her back.

I searched the still twitching body and recovered a key.

I told the group, “Let us see what amazing wealth this scum has accumulated.”

We found more Draugr. Dozens of bandits must have died fighting them if Rigel was their best warrior.

The key I retrieved from Rigel opened many doors. She was paranoid about protecting her hoard.

Pressure plates are obvious hazards, and none of us had any difficulty with them.

A swinging morning star was easily dodged.

We found Rigel’s hoard, and I laughed.

“At most, this adds up to a thousand septim. There is not much profit in kidnapping and murdering Khajiiti traders.”

We made our way outside and back to Lakeview Manor.

Rigmor asked, “Was somebody having a picnic here?”

“Mai and the guards told me this is a favourite picnic spot. The net tells me they like to fish as well.”

Mai was just about to chop some firewood when we approached.

• Wulf: They killed Fa’hur and his family.
• Mai: Bastards!
• Rigmor: Dead bastards. Wulf eliminated them.
• Wulf: I did not kill them all.
• Seiko: The rest of us killed maybe half a dozen. You killed dozens.
• Wulf: Mai, send one of the guards to inform Jarl Siddgeir that the bridge needs to be manned. If he refuses, the Legate in the longhouse will have it manned.
• Mai: I shall send an appropriate message and refrain from calling him an ass.
• Rigmor: Haha, a friend of mine calls him that!
• Wulf: Inform the next Khajiiti trader of Fa’hur’s demise. It is safe to retrieve their bodies.
• Mai: Okay.
• Wulf: This place looks amazing. You should be proud of your work here.
• Mai: You have not even looked at the sauna and pool!
• Wulf: I promise to visit soon, and you can give me a guided tour.
• Rigmor: You can give us a guided tour.
• Mai: Keep up the training, Rigmor. He will soon learn.
• Wulf: Have you been speaking to Celestine?
• Mai: Hello. CORB. Gossip. Remember?
• Vayu: Surrender now, Wulf, and avoid further pain and embarrassment.
• Wulf: Is that advice from my friend or the Dibellan Arts practitioner?
• Vayu: Both.
• Rigmor: Hang on. Are you trained in the Dibellan Arts?
• Vayu: Among other things, yes.
• Rigmor: Cool!
• Wulf: Get ready to teleport.

The group gathered close, and I teleported us to Aetheron’s main living area.

I told Vayu, “Please inform Granite of the two dead Minotaur.”

“What are you doing next?”

“Rigmor, Celestine, Meeko and I will visit the woman who rescued Rigmor when she first injured herself. Then Rigmor and I will investigate Fort Black.”

“By yourselves?”

“I can summon a squad if need be. But I would rather see how far we can get being sneaky.”

“Okay.”

I told the squad, “You all did well today, and we actually looked like a team.”

Th squad headed for the barracks and I summoned Celestine.

• Wulf: Rigmor did very well, but now she needs to sit and eat while I fly to Angi’s.
• Rigmor: I would not enter her property without me beside you. In fact, I should enter before you.
• Wulf: Is there somewhere I should stop and summon you?
• Rigmor: At the ‘Keep Out’ sign.
• Wulf: Okay.
• Rigmor: I have never been summoned before.
• Celestine: You will know it is Wulf summoning you and where he is. You mentally accept the summons, and it is just like the teleporting you have already done.
• Rigmor: So, I tell my mind to shut up about the cold and dark and that it is only for a split second and not to be a scaredy cat.
• Celestine: Whatever you need to do to accept the summons.
• Wulf: I will not rush getting there. I quite like the views and will take my time.
• Rigmor: At least you will not have to walk at a snail’s pace.
• Wulf: It is amazing how quickly you have recovered and how well you did this morning.
• Rigmor: Wulf, please do not think I was upset by how quickly and easily you killed those bandits.
• Wulf: I do not like killing, but I have ensured I am very good at it.
• Celestine: Come, Rigmor, the guards eat at these tables, so we shall have company soon. The more rest you have before continuing onto Fort Black, the better.

It took seconds for me to reach the portal. Even when Rigmor is at full strength, she has no hope of keeping up with me unless I slow to her pace.

I cast Silathalor and rose into the air.

The path to Angi’s was very steep, and Rigmor would have struggled. We may have ended up using this method anyway.

I find mountains majestic and always marvel at the forces that shaped them.

Footprints showed where travellers avoided the deeper snow by staying close to the mountainside.

I have yet to visit The Throat of the World. These mountains were less than half the height.

I arrived at the ‘Keep Out’ sign about thirty minutes after I left.

I waited another ten minutes before summoning the group.

• Wulf: There is nothing more inviting than a ‘Keep Out’ sign, bear traps and sharpened spikes.
• Rigmor: I am quite proud of that sign. And I managed to set the bear traps without trapping myself!
• Wulf: The sign should have been written in blood.
• Celestine: It definitely needs an exclamation mark.
• Meeko: Woof!
• Wulf: Yes, a skeleton hanging from some gallows would be a good addition.
• Rigmor: Angi likes to be left alone. It is designed to stop the busybodies and curious, not bandits and so on.
• Celestine: If you were serious, you would have buried the bear traps.
• Rigmor: Angi is all bluster. I doubt she could hurt somebody who did not deserve it.

The path to Angi’s was surprisingly long.

We came to another of Rigmor’s works of art.

I asked Rigmor, “Will we be greeted with hugs, milk and cookies?”

“I doubt it. Just give Angi a chance, Wulf. She is all heart.”

“We shall follow you, with healing spells prepared.”

“They will not be needed. I hope.”

We walked past Marksmanship targets. It seems like Angi is constantly practising, which she told Rigmor is vital if she wants to improve.

Angi watched us approach. She is a blond Nord in her early thirties, but might have been younger. Harsh living ages people prematurely.

We stopped with Rigmor to Angi’s left, and a dog between the huntress and me.

Angi said, in a very unwelcome tone, “Name’s Angi. I think you might be in the wrong place, friends, and if you try anything stupid, I won’t hesitate to put arrows in your heads!”

“Trying to arm your bow, knock an arrow and draw before I cut your head off, or Celestine gave you a Fireball enema, or Meeko tore your throat out would be stupid. There is no need for such a rude greeting or threat. We are here with Rigmor!”

“Nah! I don’t think so. Rigmor is under my protection, so don’t get any bright ideas!”

“Your protection was not enough to prevent Rigmor from reopening her wound and almost dying. Rigmor still lives thanks to our efforts.”

“Well, she is with me now!”

“Calm down, and we shall tell you what is going on. We are friends!”

 “Very well! Consider yourself warned, and keep your hands to yourself!”

“Angi, if Rigmor wants us to administer to her, we shall do so, and your permission will not be required!”

Rigmor had been watching with an amused smile. She said, “Angi, this is My Guardian, Celestine, and Meeko! They saved my life, and it’s okay. Relax!”

Angi turned and stomped away while grumbling, “Quiet solitude, one minute. A barbarian, a mage and a huge mangy mutt, the next.”

Meeko protested with a whine.

I told him, “You are not a mangy mutt! You are a purebred thingy!”

Rigmor walked towards a tent and said, “Come, we can talk in my tent, out of the cold.”

I told Celestine, “Keep warm. I might be some time.”

A cat walked past Meeko without a care in the world.

“Meeko, you are not to chase the cat!”

“Woof?”

“Because not all cats enjoy being chased, and Angi might get upset.”

Meeko settled into his guard position. The cat walked past him again.

I had to duck to enter Rigmor’s tent. She managed to clear the doorway by several inches. I must look like a giant to her.

Rigmor sat on her bed. I sat on a wooden chair and hoped it could take my weight.

“You should be proud of yourself, Rigmor. You were close to death, yet here we are at Angi’s after fighting bandits all morning.”

“I mostly watched you in awe.”

“I like that title you have given me.”

“My Guardian is accurate, although you should tell her your name.”

“Angi did a terrific job in patching you up.”

“Yeah, it was rather rude of me to stuff it up again.”

“I am a good judge of character. It is one of those intuitive things I do. I can tell Angi is full of compassion and empathy.”

“She sat and nursed me through days of fever. She treats me like I am her daughter.”

“Intuition also tells me that Angi does not live way up here on the off chance she can save a fugitive from Bruma.”

“Perhaps. Maybe Angi will tell you why she lives here when you get to know her better. Do not be put off by her abruptness.”

“I found it both endearing and amusing.”

“I do not think she expected you to suggest you would cut her head off.”

“It is my standard reply when somebody threatens to put an arrow through my head.”

“Mention to her about those practice targets near the ‘Keep Out’ sign. Discussing archery will help break the ice. It might even give her a chance to get rid of that damn bow she is always on about.”

“I will, after you have settled down for a nap.”

“Earlier. You said you would eventually kill Ulfric Stormcloak.”

“I have not involved myself in the civil war, as I have a better chance of helping every citizen if I remain neutral. If dragons attacked Windhelm, the civilians should not suffer because Ulfric is hostile to me.”

“So, Ulfric must wait till Alduin is defeated.”

“That is the most likely scenario. We shall see.”

“Has the war killed many?”

“Too many, but the casualties will increase dramatically once the fighting starts in earnest. At the moment, they are maneuvering around each other. Both sides are afraid of committing to the first major battle. The morale after a win or loss could determine the war’s outcome. However, the lack of patrols means bandits are getting bold and making travel hazardous.”

“Is there any other weirdness I should know about your Ningheim and Dragonborn blessings?”

“Mmm…maybe. Why did you shave your hair?”

“Haha, a diplomatic change of subject. When I came of age and left Elsweyr, I first wanted to take revenge on the Thalmor who had kept us as hostages. Shaving my head was a symbol of renewal.”

“I want you to sleep for at least an hour before we head for Fort Black.”

“We will run out of daylight!”

“I can see in the dark.”

“Oh, of course you can. Silly me!”

“I would rather approach a fort swarming with Thalmor in the dark, wouldn’t you?”

“Well, I am rather pooped.”

“You will be surprised how much better you will feel even after an hour of sleep.”

“Okay, underling, you have my permission to remove your stench from my presence.”

“You are so generous. Oh, what are the dog and cat called?”

“The dog is called Hunter. The cat is called Smokey. She is spoilt rotten.”

“We must be careful. Smokey could kill Meeko!”

“Sure, and how would little Smokey kill that giant, slobbering, fleabag?”

“She could get stuck in his throat!”

“Guess what, Dragonbum?”

“Weird?”

“Very. Do not forget to look at my map.”

Rigmor lay down, and she was so tired, she didn’t even bother to remove her sword and scabbard. I stayed for a minute. That is all the time it took for her to fall asleep.

I knocked on the doorframe of Angi’s hut. She did not have a door to knock on!

In a friendlier voice than before, Angi said, “Come in.”

Angi was stirring some stew when I entered.

She then sat before a roaring fire, and I felt a bit guilty towering over her.

“Hello, my name is Wulf.”

“As I said, the name’s Angi, and I’ve been living out here for a couple of years now.”

“Rigmor tells me you are pretty good with a bow.”

“I’ve been hunting and fishing in these parts for years. There’s enough for everyone if you aren’t greedy.”

“I noticed the targets. What are they for?”

“I set up those targets a long time ago. I shoot at them from time to time. I don’t want to get rusty with my bow. Do you know how to use one?”

“Yes, but there is always room for improvement.”

“Well, let me know if you ever want to practice.”

“I would like that, but first, you must know what happened to Rigmor.”

“I’m listening.”

“Rigmor was on her way to Riften when a Thalmor hunting party ambushed her. She leapt off a cliff and into the canopy of a large tree to escape them. Branches broke her fall, but she almost died as the wound you had attended to reopened. I have seen the work of many untrained physicians, Angi, and I must compliment you on the treatment you provided Rigmor.”

“I tried my best.”

“The ambush happened very near Riverwood. A huntress called Rose found Rigmor and asked me to help. I asked Celestine to help, as she is one of the best Restoration Mages on Nirn. I inspected Rigmor using magic and then healed her using magic. However, Rigmor was still very weak and remained unconscious. We took Rigmor to Rose’s camp, where she and Celestine attended to her while I gathered supplies and killed some snitches who had aided the Thalmor.”

“That is uncannily like my experience with her.”

“Yes, it is very similar. The Thalmor have captured Rose, and we are going to rescue her. We will head for Fort Black after Rigmor has had a bit of a rest.”

“Just you and Rigmor?”

“We can do it, I am sure. There is a fifteen-thousand septim bounty for capturing Rigmor, dead or alive. There will be many bounty hunters after her. For that reason, Celestine will set up camp nearby to protect the path to your cabin. Meeko will also remain here to protect you.”

“Do you think that is necessary?”

“No matter how good you are with a bow, Angi, you could not prevail against a platoon of Thalmor or a large group of bounty hunters. On the other hand, they would be slaughtered by Celestine’s Destruction spells and Meeko. Not only that, she can call upon others to attend immediately to aid in your defence.”

“Is Meeko a good guard dog?”

“The best, and he does not need sleep.”

“All dogs need sleep. Hunter needs at least twelve hours a day. Smokey needs eighteen!”

“Have you ever seen a dog as large as Meeko?”

“No.”

“Meeko is hundreds, if not thousands, of years old. He has fought beside me and guarded me for many years, and I guarantee, he does not need sleep.”

“Then Celestine can use one of my spare beds or sleep in Rigmor’s tent. There is a spare bedroll in there.”

“Celestine will sleep in Rigmor’s tent, in case I have to speak to her. That way, your rest will not be interrupted.”

“Fair enough.”

“Can you leave your stew and give me some Marksmanship training?”

“Yes, of course, follow me.”

“I will only be a minute. I promised Rigmor I would look at her map.”

Rigmor’s map was, to be polite, different. The depiction of the Jerall Mountains was artistic and very squiggly.

Rigmor’s depiction of a troll was cute, in an abstract, hideous way.

Next to the map was a note written in Aldmeris. I doubt Rigmor knows the language or the content of the note. What follows is my translation.

“To Justiciar Milen, New Order of Alinor.

The Order requests that the Daedric artefacts be moved to Fort Black immediately. High Justiciar Joror has now been assigned to replicate the weapon and amulet.

Too much time has been spent duplicating the items, and although a breakthrough has been made in fusing Daedric relics with advanced metallurgy, four years for only one of each item is not acceptable.

High Justiciar Joror believes he can quadruple production output to furnish our military personnel as soon as possible. Ensure both the originals and duplicates are dispatched. Too much time has already been wasted.

General Tilar Aedriath.”

I suspect Rigmor found the note in the Bruma embassy. Is her father’s sword the Daedric weapon they are trying to duplicate?

The New Order of Alinor is unknown to me. Perhaps it is some religious sect within The Dominion. Perhaps our visit to Fort Black will tell us who or what it is.

The Justiciar I confronted in Riverwood was High Justiciar Joror. He did not tell me his full title, which was wise, as that would have ensured his arrest. High Justiciars do not hunt fugitives and should be reporting to Elenwen.

I was busy speculating when I did not have enough information. That is a habit I despise and generally avoid.

I hurried to catch up with Angi, who told me, “You can use your bow, but must use the practice arrows. Otherwise, this might be too easy.”

When we reached the practice platform, I picked up a quiver of practice arrows. They were heavily fletched and weighed more than the ones I normally use. I will have to compensate by aiming higher.

Angi started demonstrating techniques. She explained, “My father was rarely home, so my mother taught me how to use a bow. She always said composure was the key to a successful archer. Your arrow will likely find its target if you remain calm, even amid the chaos.”

After Angi’s demonstration, I was required to hit the three closest targets without any time limit. I had been watching the trajectory of the practice arrows. The heavy fletching increased accuracy, but made them dip quicker than the ones I use. Angi’s bow had nowhere near the draw of mine. I did not think the arrows would dip as much when shot from my bow.

I was correct in my assumption and did not aim much higher than normal to hit the targets without missing once.

Angi’s second lesson was about speed while maintaining accuracy. As she demonstrated, she said, “My older brother took me out hunting a lot when I was little. It was difficult to keep food on the table then, let alone have enough left to sell at the market. So, whenever we encountered more than one deer in a single location, we needed to kill as many as possible.”

My test was to hit all three targets in eight seconds or less. I did that. I think Angi was surprised I had yet to miss a target.

Angi’s third lesson was about precision. She consistently hit the furthest target while explaining, “We’ve talked about speed and composure. Now we’ll go over precision. Often, you won’t be able to get as close to your prey as you’d like, and you’ll have to settle for a long shot. However, with such a long shot, it’s more than likely that’s the only shot you’ll be able to take before your prey runs off.”

My test was to hit the furthest target. I had to aim slightly higher to compensate for the practice arrow, but I hit it on the first try.

Angi’s eyebrows raised a bit at that feat.

Angi then challenged me to hit all four targets in ten seconds. She was surprised when I accomplished that on my first try and exclaimed, “You did it! All four targets in ten seconds. Nice job. And you never missed a target once!”

“Thanks for the lessons, Angi.”

“I think you already knew all I tried to teach you. You are a far better marksman than I am. That is scary when I think about it.”

“I have to shoot people trying to kill me in the head quite often. When your life is at stake, accuracy increases quickly.”

“Oh!”

“If you don’t mind, can you tell me why you live here alone?”

“I moved here from Helgen after my family was killed. At the time, I couldn’t stand to be around anyone. They all felt sorry for me, and I didn’t want them to. It was my problem, not theirs.”

Angi did not want sympathy, so I did not give her any.

I asked, “How did your family die?”

“Two Imperial drunks who thought they were above the law.”

“Were they ever brought to justice?”

“You could say that. That is part of the reason I’m living out here now.”

I could see why she would bond with Rigmor. Both of them have killed others to avenge their families.

I growled, “They were a disgrace to the uniform they wore!”

Angi nodded her head, then said, “It is not often I get visitors out here. Let alone pleasant ones. I know it isn’t much, but here, take this bow. It was given to me by my family. It is special to me, but it brings back too many painful memories.”

I took the bow, and it was of superb quality. I replied, “This is a most precious gift, Angi. It will be used and not locked in a cupboard somewhere.”

“I had better get back to my stew.”

I changed the binding and restrung Angi’s bow. It has slightly more draw than the one I gave Rigmor, so I will ask if she wants to swap.

I entered Rigmor’s tent and sat next to her while she napped.

When the hour was up, I gently shook her awake.

She arose, stretched, yawned and then warmed my heart with a smile.

“How are you feeling?”

“Surprisingly refreshed. Did you look at my map?”

“You did that map all by yourself?”

“Yeah, it’s something, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is something. The mystery is, what is that something?”

“You will see how accurate it is!”

“The letter in Aldmeri. Did you find that in their embassy?”

“Yeah, it was with Dad’s sword.”

“Fill up, empty, and we are ready to go.”

“Huh?”

“Eat and then go to the privy. Or the other way around, but not both at the same time.”

“Weird.”

As Rigmor prepared for travel, I asked Meeko, “Are you and Smokey getting on?”

“Woof!”

“Oh, she thinks she is far superior to a slobbering dog and refuses to lower herself to your standards. Well, at least she is honest. But I doubt she said that, unless she is a cat that is not a cat.”

“Woof.”

“Is it all in her body language? I think you are not used to being ignored.”

“Woof.”

“Well, at least Hunter said hello. And yes, he does follow Angi around. Many dogs follow their master wherever they go, even to the privy.”

“Woof!”

“Yes, I am lucky you are not a dog. But so are you, following me to the privy could be deadly.”

“Woof!”

“It is more than likely that enemies would approach up that long path, but they could also have climbers as we had in Akavir. It was a good tactic to use them and surprise the enemy in their mountain holdouts.”

“Woof!”

“Use your charms, and Angi will soon be patting you and giving ear scratches.”

“Woof?”

“No, she will not try to put an arrow in your head. However, if she tried, it would bounce off your thick skull. If it did penetrate, there is nothing vital in there.”

“Woof?”

“I am glad I found Rigmor as well. But we will have to wait and see how things turn out.”

Rigmor returned with a rabbit sandwich, which she took very unladylike bites from.

I told Celestine, “There is much more going on than Thalmor hunting Rigmor. Here, read this note.”

I handed Celestine the note. She can read, write and speak Aldmeri.

Celestine returned the note and said, “It seems a visit to Fort Black might do more than save Rose.”

“It confirms my suspicions, these Thalmor are a bit odd.”

“I have never heard of the New Order of Alinor.”

“Neither have I. Let’s hope there is more information about them in Fort Black.”

Rigmor mumbled something.

“What was that, Lady Ramsbottom? I cannot understand you when your mouth contains half a rabbit.”

Celestine suggested, “Perhaps Lady Ramsbottom does not know what the letter says?”

I translated the letter for Rigmor while she demolished the rest of her sandwich. A satisfied belch told us she had finished.

• Rigmor: So, your intuition was right once more.
• Wulf: It was logic that deduced the strange behaviour of these Thalmor.
• Rigmor: Okay, but if I am somehow important to whatever plans the New Order has, then your intuition was right.
• Celestine: Rigmor, Wulf would rather you were not involved in some sinister plot.
• Rigmor: As he has told me several times. But the hurt he expressed in his song last night needs to be addressed. The tension amongst the Dragonguard needs to cease.
• Wulf: I do not want apologies, Rigmor.
• Rigmor: I know that. However, you want the Dragonguard to trust your judgment. Together, we can handle any plot that might endanger me.
• Celestine: That is an unselfish perspective.
• Wulf: Okay, it is time to halt the speculation and gather some facts.
• Rigmor: And it was not half a rabbit but more like a quarter.
• Celestine: Angi gave the rabbit offal to Meeko.
• Rigmor: So, he is no longer a mangy mutt.
• Celestine: Apparently not. Anyway, I am to join Angi for lunch, if Lady Ramsbottom has not gobbled it all up!
• Rigmor: There was more than one rabbit!
• Wulf: Come, milady. Your presence is required elsewhere.
• Rigmor: Lead on, lower-class menial servant type person.

We stopped not far along the path so I could cast a Mark.

Rigmor asked, “What was that spell?”

“If I know a place well enough, I can teleport there whenever I want. I do not know Angi’s camp well enough, so I cast a Mark. When I want to teleport here, I cast a Return.”

“Why cast it this far from Angi’s place?”

“Angi is of a nervous disposition. Some people are disturbed when people appear out of the ether.”

“You have done well, peasant.”

“Did you do all of Angi’s Marksmanship lessons?”

“Yeah, it took a lot of practice arrows, but I eventually did them all.”

“To Angi’s surprise, I did them all without missing a single target. As I explained to her, when people are determined to kill you, your aim quickly improves.”

“Did she give you her family bow?”

“Yes, and I repaired and restrung it. It is a bit better than the one I made, so if you want, you can swap them.”

“I would love to use Angi’s bow!”

We swapped bows. I then sent my childhood bow to Cethnelor, my four-dimensional chest.

We then continued our trek to Fort Black.

When we got to a steep section, Rigmor asked, “Why are we not using horses?”

“We shall be travelling through a mine and fort where horses and unicorns cannot go. Also, I feel more confident in detecting danger while on foot. We can rest if you get tired.”

“Time for me to use some intuition.”

“Oh. What does Lady Ramsbottom’s intuition tell her?”

“My good-for-nothing batman wants to walk because he wants to enjoy my company for longer.”

“Perhaps.”

“Our connection calms us both. It is worth a few sore muscles.”

“Our connection sounds so awkward.”

“I suppose you have some weird Ayleidoon name for it.”

“Our Quiet is a better Tamrielic term for the calm we feel. I call it Tirnetha, which means ‘Entwined Souls’”

“That is a pretty word.”

“Much of Ayleidoon is poetic and descriptive. The existence of entwined souls I call Tirnethaeth. They are not guaranteed ever to meet, or if they do, the outcome might not be ideal. Even disastrous for one or both entwined souls.”

“So, we feel Tirnetha but are in a state of Tirnethaeth?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have a word for when Tirnethaeth proves beneficial to both souls?”

“Let’s just call it, ‘Happily ever after.’”

“Idiot!”

“I am your idiot, Lady Ramsbottom.”

There were many sidetracks, but we stuck to the most used, as that is likely where Thalmor boots have trodden.

We travelled in silence as Rigmor concentrated on breathing and taking one step at a time.

A while later, I stopped and asked, “This is a long and steep climb. Will you be okay?”

“Yes, Wulf.”

“I have never been to this part of the Jerall Mountains.”

“It is pretty.”

“I shall take you to see other parts of Skyrim, Rigmor.”

“I hope to see it before Alduin and his scaly friends burn it all to the ground.”

“Oh, thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“You are welcome.”

As we neared some ancient buildings, I groaned and held my head.

Rigmor rushed to me and asked, “Wulf, I sense confusion. What is happening?”

“This place is called The Eye of Cyrodiil and is a bit of a mystery. Nobody has been able to enter it since The Oblivion Crisis, and its purpose is unknown.”

“In other words, it is exactly the type of place you would love to explore.”

“Well, my museum won’t be very exciting without artifacts, will it? But I haven’t had much chance to explore for the fun of it lately.”

“So, why the confusion?”

“There is something wrong with time. If I can detect it this far from the ruins, I dread getting any closer.”

“What do you mean by wrong?”

“I cannot explain it any clearer without getting closer and studying the ‘wrongness.’”

“I understand you have an affinity for time, due to your dragon soul. So, I will accept that you detect something strange and do not want you to investigate further. It could be dangerous.”

“That is wise, Lady Ramsbottom. Let us continue our merry journey.”

“Weirder and weirder.”

We turned a corner, and wooden stairs could be seen.

I used Zoom-Vision to inspect somebody who seemed to be on sentry duty.

I turned to Rigmor and asked, “Where is the mine?”

“Up the top of the steps. Duh!”

“I didn’t see steps marked on that wonderful map of yours. You were probably too busy doing the squiggly mountains and forgot.”

“We are here, aren’t we? There is nothing wrong with my map!”

“I didn’t say there was. It is a beautiful abstract rendition of something. I might hang it up in my museum.”

“No way!”

“Why not? The privy walls are looking a bit bare.”

“I will bite you in a minute.”

“On the second landing, there is somebody who might be a sentry. He is not Thalmor, so we shall approach with weapons sheathed.”

“Do you always wait to see if people are hostile?”

“Yes, if I am unsure as to their intentions. I am not a murderer, Rigmor. He could be a miner or simple traveller.”

When approaching the sentry, I whispered to Rigmor, “Others are watching us higher up from ideal bow platforms.”

The sentry was a Nord armed with a greatsword.

He said, “Alright, that is far enough! What can I do for you, friends?”

“You can step aside and let us pass.”

“We are in control of this mine. You know how it works. The toll here is one hundred septims.”

I smiled, which was not interpreted as friendly by our extortioner, who looked worried, and I replied, “Maybe you have heard of me. I am Lord Wulf Welkynd. My newly discovered friend, you have two choices. You can stand aside, live, and not get the toll, or you can die and not get the toll. What will it be?”

“Ahh…I thought you looked familiar. Nice armour. Umm… okay, you can go through to the mine. I think it is time I found another way to make a living.”

As our ‘friend’ turned and walked away, Rigmor whispered, “If you were a mindless killer, his head would be rolling. Now get moving if you want to reach Fort Black before I die of old age!”

I stood in front of the sentry and asked, “What is your name?”

“Rokkir.”

“Have you had any interactions with Thalmor recently?”

“Ahh, one of them, a very nice fellow, gave us permission to remain here as long as we stopped undesirables from entering the mine.”

“Is there anybody in the mine?”

“We have been forbidden from entering, but we used to speak to the miners quite often and retrieved some unused wood to create scaffolding. We have not seen them for several days.”

“The Thalmor do not own the mine and have no jurisdiction over it, or the surrounding area. We believe they are inhabiting, illegally, a nearby Imperial fort. You do not need their permission to stay here, and they cannot deny you access to the mine. However, I suggest you all find somewhere else to live. You are only alive as long as you are useful to the Thalmor.”

“Oh.”

“Good luck, Rokkir.”

We encountered a dead Sabertooth and its cub. Another badly injured cub charged at us.

Rigmor cut it down.

I told her, “Kyne’s Peace is in effect. Normally, that cub would not have attacked. Its injuries made it disregard the dweomer.”

“What is Kyne’s Peace?”

“It is a blessing given to me by Lady Kynareth. Most wild animals, including wolves, bears and even trolls, will not attack me or those with me. Sometimes they may come to my aid if I am in a fight.”

“But the cub was aggressive because of its injuries.”

“Yes, that is the case. Can you hear the troll?”

“Yeah, Angi said there was one near the mine.”

“She must be a very good sneak to get this far!”

“Angi is a very good hunter, so I suppose being sneaky is needed for that. She did not see Fort Black, but did see Thalmor enter the mine.”

“That troll killed the mother and cub. It will want the deer, not the big cats, for supper.”

“She would have fought for her cubs.”

“Sometimes a Sabre Tooth will win, sometimes a troll will win. Trying to protect her cubs likely put her at a disadvantage. Come on, it will be dark soon. The mountains will block the sun.”

The troll was not aggressive, so I let it be.

At the mine entrance I asked Rigmor, “Can you hear that?”

“Yeah, it sounds like miners in the distance.”

“Miners that are outside, not in this mine.”

“Angi did not get that far, and we only know where Fort Black is because it was marked on several maps. However, without Angi’s aid, I would not have known which trails to take to the mine.”

We entered the mine and were instantly assaulted by a familiar but unwelcome odour. Another smell spelled trouble.

Rigmor gagged and asked, “What is that stench?”

“Burnt bodies. There is also a miasma in the air. I think it will enrage any animals we encounter.”

“You can tell that by its pong?”

“Mother spent many months teaching me alchemy. I became adept at determining a potion or ingredient by smell. Part of my mage training was recognising gases and chemicals used as weapons.”

“So, any animal we encounter will likely be hostile.”

“Yep.”

I willed a light into existence that emanated from my body.

“That is so cool. You do not have to carry a torch or wear a noisy lantern.”

“Yeah, and if we need a brighter light, I just drop my trousers and bend over!”

“Guess what?”

“Weird?”

“Hugely!”

I enabled Heat-Vision, and we continued further into the mine.

I warned Rigmor, “There are dozens of Skeever ahead. Keep behind me, as I will use Chain Lightning to kill them if they attack.”

“I thought I was kinda immune to electricity in this armour.”

“You are, up to a point. My spells are far more powerful than most mages. Therefore, even with the dweomer on your armour, it would not tickle if I accidentally hit you with lightning. I would hate for milady to say naughty words, so stay behind me.”

Electricity crackled in the palms of my hands.

“Cool!” was Rigmor’s reaction.

We moved forward slowly.

As soon as the Skeevers saw us, they charged. Lightning jumped from one rodent to the next, killing them instantly. I had to cast the spell a couple of times to eliminate the dozens that tried to overwhelm us.

“I have never had a Skeever attack me, never alone a swarm of them!”

“Imagine getting nibbled to death!”

“I would rather not.”

A burnt smell came from the zapped Skeevers, but the odour we detected on entry was that of burnt people.

I turned to Rigmor, who asked, “What has happened here?”

“Torture and murder, which are hobbies of our Dominion friends. A weak Destruction mage used a Flames spell to kill the miners. It looks like one of them got special treatment and was crucified.”

“Why would anyone do this?”

“The Thalmor don’t need an excuse. But at a guess, the miners posed a security risk, and this was the economic solution.”

“Bastards!”

“Yep.”

“They need to be eliminated!”

“Yep.”

“I am glad you warned our ‘friend.’ If the Thalmor thought they entered the mine and saw this atrocity, they would be killed.”

“Thalmor working under Elenwen would not flaunt the law and the White Gold Concordat, this brazenly. Intuition told me this lot is capable of such atrocities. Now, please be quiet while I recite Arkay’s Rights.”

Rigmor watched, fascinated, as I lifted my face upwards, held my arms wide and performed Arkay’s Rights.

When I finished, she asked, “Are you a Priest of Arkay?”

“I did not train to be one, but as Champion of The Divines, I am qualified to perform certain rituals.”

“Why did you need to do Arkay’s Rights?”

“It might have been for nothing, but I was not willing to risk leaving lost souls to wander this mine. When a person dies a terrible death, their soul can sometimes lose its way. Lord Arkay will gather any lost souls and guide them to their afterlives. He relies on mortals to inform him of possible lost souls.”

“Are lost souls what we call ghosts?”

“Some can manifest in various forms of spectre or ghost. Some remain invisible but make their presence known via sound or the moving of objects. Very rarely, a lost soul can become bitter and a danger to the living.”

“I can hear a troll in the distance.”

“They are so noisy, it is strange that prey walk to where they are.”

We continued upwards and came to a door.

I warned Rigmor, “More Skeever are through the door.”

I pushed the door open and quickly eliminated the first wave of Skeever. Then Rigmor ran ahead.

She sliced and diced her way through many Skeever, then yelled, “Ouch!” when I zapped some more.

A troll charged, and she yelled, “Leave ugly to me!”

I had already cast my spell, so the troll was frozen in place after being surrounded by an electric charge, when a mighty swing by Rigmor carved it in two.

I let her deal with the last couple of Skeever since she was enjoying herself.

I asked, “Was that worth the shock?”

“Yeah, did you see what I did to that troll?”

“He was frozen in place, so an easy kill.”

“I carved him in two, Dragonbum!”

“I can do that one-handed.”

“Next troll is mine. You can watch and learn why nobody messes with Rigmor of Bruma.”

“I heard she has a passing resemblance to you, milady.”

“Then she must be exceedingly beautiful.”

“Indeed, she is.”

We continued to another door, and there was no need to use Heat-Vision. A troll on the other side was making a terrible racket.

I remarked, “You probably just carved up its mate.”

“She, or he, should have warned them not to mess with me.”

“How would they have known it was you approaching?”

“Wulf, stop messing up things with logic.”

I chuckled as I pushed the door open and watched Rigmor’s lesson.

She charged with both hands on her sword and ducked under a wild swing by the troll.

Rigmor rolled to her left, stood and charged once more.

Rigmor then knelt and sliced the troll in half with a one-handed, backward swing.

The bottom half landed near my feet.

Rigmor cleaned her sword on the fur of the top half and sheathed her sword.

I told her, “That was superb sword work, equal to any I have seen.”

Rigmor beamed as we approached a door.

A cold breeze blew underneath the door, and a strong wind could be heard.

I said, “This is the exit. Use caution, as we do not know what is on the other side.”

What was on the other side was a narrow ledge, slick with snow and ice. I braced myself, and Rigmor walked into me.

“Ahh, take it easy, the next step is a bit dodgy.”

Rigmor sighed and exclaimed, “Smell that fresh air, Dragonbum!”

“Be careful and try not to plummet to your death. The Thalmor would cry.”

“Well, they should not be so shoddy in their upkeep!”

“When we find them, you can formally complain before I chop their heads off.”

We climbed a few levels, and then I stood transfixed. I used Zoom-Vision and could hardly see it through the low cloud. Everything was muted, and I could not make out much detail. But there was The Imperial City, lit brightly, and in its middle, The White Gold Tower.

Rigmor squinted and asked, “Can you see the Imperial City with your dragon eyes?”

“I have normal mortal eyes, Rigmor. But yes, Zoom-Vision lets me see the lights of the city.”

“Right now, we have two choices. Head straight for Fort Black, or go to the summit and look at Skyrim from there.”

“You want to climb these rickety steps while the wind tries to blow us to our deaths?”

“The view, Wulf. Think of the view!”

“It is pitch black, Rigmor.”

“All the better to see the lights of Skyrim.”

“Will you pout and sook if I say no?”

“Yes. I might even throw myself on the ground and throw a tantrum.”

“Lady Kynareth, please remember I am your mortal champion and do not blow me off the mountain.”

“What about me?”

“And I would be upset if Rigmor plunged to her death.”

The random gusts of wind did not cease. I hope Rigmor knows that The Nine cannot directly intervene, no matter how much you pray.

When we reached the summit, Rigmor was disappointed. The snow and fog were so heavy that we could not see the lights of Skyrim.

“I am sorry, Rigmor.”

“At least we tried, Wulf.”

A satchel was attached to a fence. Inside it was a journal which I read aloud,

“A Mountaineer’s Journal.

We made it!

By the gods, who would have believed it? This surely must be the highest peak in the Jerall Mountains. After everything we have been through, the months of planning the attempt at the summit, setting up the base camp below the no longer abandoned mine, and building the frame, here we are.

That view!

Cyrodiil to the South, Skyrim to the North, Hammerfell to the West. We will never forget this moment. This is undoubtedly a view to die for. The sun is setting, and we are about to descend before we freeze to death on the mountaintop. That shouldn’t be a problem. We used a lot of timber from the mine to build our way up here. So, it will be easy to make our way down. Without those resources, it would have been impossible.

Rokkir was right about the South face being too dangerous. The wind would have blown us all to our deaths. He was wise to abandon that attempt and build our frame up the west face. It is a pity the other three were not here to see this. A Thalmor Justiciar came to see us, a lovely, friendly chap. He informed us that our missing companions had been tragically killed when part of the rotten wood edifice collapsed on the east face. That old mining frame should be avoided! Poor Vidngar, Vigdten, and their little girl, Sorella. The child insisted on going with her parents.

We have decided to stay at the base camp for now. There are ample ore deposits, and as long as we avoid the Sabre Cats and that stupid, dumb troll, we can start a new life as ordinary citizens.

We have kept them unharmed to deter the new gold prospectors from muscling in on our patch. We have been told we can trade the ore in Falkreath, and the Jarl has decided to overlook our bandit status as we are Nords! As long as we don’t cause trouble or rob the locals, and as long as we remember to pay him a small tribute.

It’s so good to drink the local mead, and we are planning on building ourselves real homes soon, and Frikka is with child. I love her so much. One day, I might make a respectable woman of her and ask her to marry me.

Oh well! The others are calling, and it is time to go.

To you reading this journal, I say you are well met!

We are the first, and not the last, to conquer this peak, may it be written so:

Jakkob of Windhelm, Frikka Kjannsen, Siggi Kjannsen, Rokkir of Riften and Inga Argeldssen.”

I placed the journal back inside the satchel.

Tears ran down Rigmor’s cheeks, and she started to sniffle.

I asked, “Are you upset about the little girl?”

“Yes.”

“Use my handkerchief before your snot turns into snoticles.”

I handed Rigmor my expensive, silk handkerchief.

She wiped her eyes and blew into it, long and hard. She held it out for me, and I said, “Nah…you can keep that one.”

Rigmor laughed and tucked it into her gauntlet.

“You must think me a big baby, crying over strangers like that?”

“No, Rigmor. It shows you have copious compassion, something that others who have survived enslavement might have lost.”

“They sound like decent people, so why demand a toll?”

“Who knows, perhaps they are finding it tough going? Not everybody can survive off the land like Rose and Angi, and perhaps the ore does not earn them much. I offered Rokkir a chance to step away, and he took it. If he didn’t, I have no doubt we would have had to kill them all.”

“Including the pregnant one! Oh, Wulf, I would have needed ten handkerchiefs if that happened.”

“But it did not happen. Now, be careful on the way down.”

I stopped and looked at the first people we saw.

I then explained to Rigmor, “We can hear a lot of miners, but there are other people armed and armoured. It is hard to make a profit if your guard-to-miner ratio is too high.”

“Unless the miners are not working for a wage.”

“They could be interred, not enslaved, but that makes little difference. Let us hope we can avoid bloodshed.”

It became apparent that the ratio of guard-to-miner was way too high.

An elderly man in Empire light armour stood in front of us, hands on his hips.

He demanded, “Where do you think you are going? This area is off-limits to citizens. Turn around and go back the way you came.”

“I am Atajar Doom-Beard, the famous and stinking rich, bounty hunter. High Justiciar Joror is expecting me. I am to deliver some very valuable cargo.”

“Yeah. What kind of cargo?”

“My prisoner, Rigmor of Bruma.”

“Haha, she ain’t Rigmor of Bruma.”

“It was a long ride here, so I have tarted her up. Otherwise, every other bounty hunter would have tried to take her from me. I could have lopped her head off and delivered that, but brutality of that kind is not expected from a gentleman of my standing.”

“Miss, are you Rigmor of Bruma?”

“I am afraid she cannot talk as I have ensorceled her. I had to because she yapped on and on and on and…”

“I get the picture. My wife used to be like that, till she had a little accident. Ahh…the peace.”

“What is your name so I can tell High Justiciar Joror of your excellent service?”

“Ahh… Kurn the Smiler.”

“Keep up the good work, Kurn.”

We walked past Kurn and started the long journey down. It was a large mine!

Rigmor whispered, “You could have told me about your little ruse.”

“It was spontaneous and more convincing as I mixed in some truths with the lies.”

“Such as?”

“Tarting you up. How you go on and on and on and…”

“Wulf, I am quite capable of turning your balls into mush!”

“You are so easy to hook. I wish fish were as compliant.”

“So, I am a fish now?”

“That is not what I meant. I think I had better quit while I am ahead.”

“You had better quit while you still have a head!”

When we reached the bottom, Rigmor remarked, “All those miners, working in the dark and never together. They were deliberately separated.”

“Escape plans are hard to make if you cannot coordinate with fellow prisoners. However, I think the guards are in the same predicament as the miners. I do not think any of them are pleased about being here.”

“There were no smiles. No friendly banter. They all looked miserable.”

“Precisely. But this is speculation, Fort Black will tell us the reality.”

We knew we had to walk for some time before turning left. So, we continued our journey.

A large wolf pack made their presence known with a chorus of howls.

Heat-Vision showed there were about a dozen of them.

Rigmor asked, “Will Kyne’s Peace stop them from attacking?”

“Yes, unless they are ensorceled. Since we are in the open, I doubt any miasma will affect them.”

The wolves showed no sign of aggression, although they watched our every step.

Rigmor remarked, “Look at their beady, yellow eyes. Evil creatures!”

“Wolves are not evil, Rigmor.”

“Of course they are! They eat people!”

“You ate a rabbit earlier. Does that make you evil? Was Angi evil when she snared them and broke their necks?”

“Well, to Missus Rabbit, who witnessed what happened to Mister Rabbit, Angi and I might seem evil.”

“Perspective does not make a fact.”

“Huh!”

“Wolves hunt and kill for food, not entertainment or vengeance or other base need. We breed and hunt animals for the same reason. A father who loses a child to a wolf pack might hunt them down in anger and seek vengeance. The wolves would have no concept of why this angry two-legged beast is trying to kill them.”

“But any bitches in the pack will defend their cubs with all the strength they have!”

“They would not know the father is seeking retribution for the loss of a cub. If the mother Sabre Tooth had survived her encounter with the troll, but one or both cubs died, she would not seek vengeance. She would not seek and kill other trolls.”

“So, is the father wrong to hunt and kill the pack?”

“Once they have killed a person, the pack regards us as part of the food chain. They are a danger to others. Killing them to protect others is different from being motivated by hatred and a desire for retribution. Rose was hunting a wolf pack when she found you. While attending to you, an Alpha wolf stalked her. If we had not arrived at that moment, Rose would have been killed. She did not blame the wolf but herself for being distracted.”

“This is not just about wolves, is it?”

“No, it is not. To understand me, you must understand my opinion of Daedric Princes. I do not regard Molag Bal or others as evil. Their nature was determined at the start of the kalpa. Their actions are not evil. However, mortals who align themselves with a Daedric Prince and commit murder and atrocities on their behalf are evil. They chose to behave that way.”

“I will have to think about this, Wulf. I can see it is important that I understand the nuances.”

“Alduin’s return has weakened the Liminal Barrier. I suspect that Daedric Princes will try to take advantage of that fact. I may have to deal with some Dark Lords, considered evil by most people, with respect and understanding. I do not want you thinking less of me if and when I do.”

“Wulf, Tirnetha lets me know your motivation. I am sure I would know evil if it ever appeared, which I cannot envision happening. EVER!”

“Lady Ramsbottom used Ayleidoon! She truly is of the upper class!”

Not far past the wolves, we turned left as Rigmor’s map suggested. Fort Black came into view minutes later.

I told Rigmor, “There are a few sentries. There may be more hiding behind walls to avoid this damn wind. We shall know more when closer.”

Access to Fort Black was via a winding path.

When closer, we halted while I made a plan.

“There are about six sentries. As I said earlier, some may be behind thick walls and hidden from Heat-Vision.”

“How will we deal with them?”

“This winding path is the only way to reach the entrance. That means it is the only way for them to reach us.”

“So, we call them names, perhaps stick our tongues out and do raspberries, then wait for them to charge and fill them full of arrows!”

“Yeah, we could, but the burnt miners suggest a more fitting end to these murderers.”

“Oh, do tell.”

“If I send a couple of Fireballs their way, they will know where we are. They will rush down the narrow pathway and…”

“You roast them.”

I sent a couple of Fireballs, and the sentries gathered and turned to look in our direction.

Then, as predicted, they started running down the path.

A single fireball engulfed them. Their screams echoed but did not last long.

“Most of them are dead or dying. A couple are hiding behind ramparts. My bow will take them out.”

Rigmor and I crept forward. Walking up slopes is difficult; crabbing up them and stairs can be murder on the thighs.

Some of the burnt Thalmor were moaning. I did not show mercy and left them to their earned fate.

Two arrows later, all the sentries were dead.

I announced, “That is one thousand two hundred and twenty-seven.”

“What?”

“That is how many people I can remember killing. Of course, the number is much higher because I cannot recall all those killed by Fireballs or other spells.”

“You know how many people you have killed?”

“Yes, the ones who die by sword or bow. I remember where and why and, if I saw them close enough, their faces.”

“Why would you want to do that?”

“It is a self-imposed curse, Rigmor. I do not want to end up another Pelinal Whitestrake.”

“The name is familiar, but I cannot recall his story.”

“He was a demi-god, and The Divines sent him to aid Mother and her rebellion.  He wasn’t insane until his lover, a male spearman, was killed in battle. That personal loss triggered his insanity and a deep hatred for Mer. He killed many innocents, which saddened The Divines and Mother. However, Pelinal was crucial to Saint Alessia’s slave revolt, so they reluctantly accepted the collateral damage resulting from his insanity. I never want to be like Pelinal Whitestrake. If I did become like that, I hope I would be struck down and not allowed to rampage as he did.”

“And remembering those you killed might prevent that?”

“Yes, and it also makes me think before I kill. If I used my Thu’um, one Shout would have killed these sentries. I could wipe out entire armies if they were assembled in attack formation. I have the potential to kill in numbers no mortal has ever done before.”

“Oh, Wulf, that is a terrible burden.”

“Only after I committed to being Champion of The Divines did my potential become apparent. Father only used his Thu’um in one battle, and it was strong enough to destroy walls. That is where he earned the title ‘Stormcrown.’ My Thu’um will eventually be stronger. The Greybeards, if they coordinated their Shouts, could destroy Nirn. The Voice is far more powerful than any spell.”

“Then how does Alduin stand a chance?”

“The dragons also use the Thu’um, and Alduin’s is very powerful. Also, he can only be harmed if grounded. If Alduin remains airborne, he is invulnerable. I do not know how we can force him to land. That is something I hope the ancient Tongues have documented. There are several places we shall look for that information.”

“Why is that information unknown?”

“The method the Tongues used to banish Alduin may have erased that knowledge from knowing.”

“Huh?”

“We do not know how Alduin was banished. However, we do know that whatever happened has interfered with the Primary Timeline, the one in which we exist. If the Tongues knew how they did it, I would know because Silah asked them in Sovngarde. They could not recall how they did it.”

“Major gobbledegook!”

“The gobbledegookest!”

“Is that a real word?”

“It is now!”

 “Haha, you are learning, peasant.”

We stood before Fort Black’s main entrance. I used a less bright version of my light spell, in case it could be seen under the door.

I explained, “There is another door beyond this. I see nobody in the lobby, but I need to get closer to see if there is anybody beyond the second door.”

We entered the lobby and approached the next door. I heard somebody rudely demand another drink in Aldmeri.

I whispered, “There are six people. I think two of them are barmaids or similar. Three of them are sitting. There is one standing on a balcony above what I think is a bar. Let’s try not to kill the innocents.”

We drew our weapons and barged into the room.

Seconds later, four Thalmor lay dead. The barkeep and barmaid clapped.

I asked in Aldmeris, “Can you speak Tamrielic?”

The male replied, “Yes, we have spent time in Cyrodiil.”

“Then please speak Tamrielic so my companion can understand.”

• Wulf: What are your names?
• Ruliion: I am Ruliion Larenhus.
• Nerulia: I am Nerulia, his wife.
• Rigmor: You seem pleased with the demise of this Thalmor scum.
• Ruliion: There is some honour in being chosen to serve the Thalmor, even if you detest what they represent.
• Nerulia: However, this breakaway group have made us indentured servants. They lured us from our small tavern in Anvil. We had spent years building trust with the locals and had made many friends.
• Wulf: What do you know of the New Order of Alion?
• Nerulia: Nothing. They talk of defeating The Empire and so forth, but we have not seen any sign of an army.
• Rigmor: You thought you would be servants for the Thalmor.
• Ruliion: Yes, and earning a good wage and some prestige back home. But we do not get paid, and others who have tried to leave their service are made examples of.
• Rigmor: Killed?
• Ruliion: Tortured and killed. My wife and I are the last of those who came to this place.
• Nerulia: We only know we are in Skyrim because I saw a map when cleaning High Justiciar Joror’s room.
• Wulf: Do you have family in Skyrim?
• Ruliion: Yes, my brother is a trader living in Solitude.

I handed Ruliion a bag of 100 septim.

• Wulf: Do you know where the mine is?
• Ruliion: We follow the winding path, then turn right.
• Wulf: Are the miners under Thalmor control?
• Ruliion: They were told they would be allowed to live, but all ore will be handed over to the Thalmor.
• Nerulia: Like us, they are indentured.
• Rigmor: Are some of the guards being paid by the Thalmor?
• Nerulia: Some. Most of the miners and guards would likely rebel if told the Thalmor are gone.
• Wulf: The Thalmor will be gone, Nerulia, but I do not know if we can return this way.
• Ruliion: We shall take the chance and inform the miners. Then we shall make our way to Solitude.
• Wulf: How many Thalmor garrison this fort?
• Ruliion: There are not as many as when we first arrived. I would say there are only about two dozen at the moment.
• Wulf: Do you know where the others are?
• Ruliion: Sorry, we only know what those who drink in here talk about.
• Nerulia: We tried to make our eavesdropping discreet. If we showed too much interest, we would be dead by now.
• Wulf: I hope you make it home.
• Ruliion: May I ask your names?
• Wulf: I am well known in Skyrim. I am Lord Wulf Welkynd.
• Rigmor: And these New Order morons are hunting me. I am Rigmor Ragnarsdottier of Bruma.
• Nerulia: Ah, the lady on the wanted poster. I will not say what some of those lying dead planned for you.
• Rigmor: Yet I live while their corpses still twitch. By the way, all the outside guards are also dead. Some of them are quite crispy.
• Wulf: Okay, Rigmor. Let’s keep moving while we have the advantage of surprise.
• Nerulia: The key on the table will open many doors. However, High Justiciar Joror carries a master key for the dungeons.
• Wulf: Thank you for your assistance.
• Nerulia: Thank you for returning our freedom.

I took the key from the table.

I taught Rigmor the hand signal for all clear, and we continued as quietly as possible.

At the first door, I gave the signal, then unlocked it.

The same with the second door.

At the third door, I whispered, “There are four of them. One right, one left, and another leaning over a table. I think that is a Justiciar with another guard behind him. I will unlock the door, and they will think it is one of them. Step back and let them charge us once they realise it isn’t.”

As soon as I saw the Justiciar was Joror, I ignored the others who found Rigmor more than a handful. He squealed, “You!”

I replied, “Yes, and look who is with me. Do I get the fifteen thousand gold pieces now?”

I beat Joror to death with my shield. Sometimes I must let my dragon half express itself.

Rigmor had disposed of two of them. I lopped the head off the last one.

I said to Rigmor, “Slicing their legs off is a bit rude.”

“Only ever one. It is amusing when they topple over. Anyway, that is not as rude as beating somebody to death.”

“Sometimes my dragon half gets the better of me.”

I searched Joror and retrieved another key.

“What did you say to him before killing him?”

“I asked if I would get the reward. After all, I did bring you to him.”

“You do have a sense of humour. However, it is rather dark and sometimes weird.”

“My dragon friends would laugh.”

“They must be so much fun at a party.”

“High Justiciar Joron Joror led the hunting party that chased you near Riverwood and captured Rose.”

“Then you were too quick in dispatching him.”

We stepped into the room, and I was immediately drawn to a map on a table.

I swore and then said, “Come, look at this!”

Rigmor stood on the other side of the table and exclaimed, “They are planning an invasion of Skyrim and Cyrodiil!”

“After years of warfare, the Third Aldmeri Dominion failed to conquer us. If the New Order is a splinter group, then this makes no sense. Where would they get the required troop numbers? Let’s search the room and hope they are stupid enough to tell us their plans.”

“You had better take the map.”

I folded the map and placed it into my invisible journal case.

“Where did it go?” asked Rigmor.

“My invisible journal case.”

“Ah, why is it invisible?”

“Because I can never get one to match my armour.”

“Wulf!”

“I write in my journal every day. There are three months of entries in each one, and they are stored in Cethnelor, my four-dimensional chest.”

“Where my armour is.”

“Yes, and if I were to fall in battle or some other way, I would hope my friends would retrieve my last journal. If the journal case is invisible, there is a greater chance of it not being looted.”

“That makes sense.”

“I will check the bookshelves on this side. You can look in the chest and so forth on your side.”

They had a good selection of books. But I doubt they were scholars, as cobwebs and dust covered most. They were likely left by the last Imperials who garrisoned Fort Black. The only clean book was small, and it had Joror’s name on it.

I read it, and then decided Rigmor needed some good news.

I approached her and said, “I found Joror’s journal. I like it when idiots tell us their plans in journals, letters, and notes.”

“Well, Dragonbum. Read it for me.”

“Lucky for you, I can translate Aldmeri without having to write it down.”

“Yeah, yeah, you are a smartarse.”

“Journal of High Justiciar Jovon Joror, Seer and Mage to General Tilar Aedriath.

10^th Last Seed, 4E 201

I arrived at Fort Black and immediately set about my tasks. Even though the originals were stolen when that Nordling girl sacked the Bruma Embassy, the experiments have gone well. I managed to replicate the advanced forging on the duplicates we had made. This merging of Daedric relics could also be used on armour to ensure our troops have optimal protection and their weapons are superior to any underlings they encounter in battle. I have sent word to The Order for more gold to start production.

17^th Last Seed, 4E 201

Those pesky miners have been busy again. They were seen at the forest edge this time, and our guards had to warn them off. I sent a couple of scouts to find out what they were doing. They found gold ore deposits at the mountain’s base and built an elaborate wooden frame to transport it.

We can’t have them around the vicinity. The activities here at the Fort must be kept an absolute secret and can only result in dire consequences for the New Order if The Empire or Dominion find out. I’ll send word to General Aedriath to inform him of this pesky nuisance.

19^th Last Seed, 4E 201

General Aedriath has instructed me to dispose of the miners. He doesn’t want to risk our operations being snooped on. I went to the mine with some guards using the same framework they built. It was imperative to find out if they knew anything.

I had the foreman crucified and tortured, and the others…I incinerated myself. They begged us to let them live…fools, if only they had kept their inquisitive noses out of our business. They didn’t know anything about our operations after all. Oh well…

20^th Last Seed, 4E 201

Some bandits have been hanging around that old mine and were very busy extending the framework to the summit. Three were seen snooping in the forest, captured, and brought here. If they knew of anything, they would have talked. They had a child with them. Maybe a clean, quick death would be the best thing to do for her. The other bandits have been quiet. We told them their friends had been tragically killed in an accident due to the rotting framework and told them to stay on the Skyrim border side.

I suggested to them that they should deter other nosy trespassers.

22nd Last Seed, 4E 201

Gold prospectors have arrived and are occupying the framework. I had intended to put them all to death, but only more would eventually come. So, I have relented and negotiated a percentage and have appointed trusted supervisors to oversee the work. They seemed a little reluctant at first, but as death was the only alternative, they soon saw the immediate benefits of a mutual agreement. The deposits will help fund our work here at Fort Black.

23rd Last Seed, 4E 201

The Nordling girl was spotted near Falkreath by that unscrupulous scoundrel Morion. I must think of an excellent way to dispatch him. We caught up to her on the outskirts of Riverwood, then apprehended and disarmed her, retrieving the original sword. Alas, she managed to escape.

Morion later told us that a local huntress called Rose, an immense armoured Nord and a small Breton mage, had placed Rigmor in a boat and rowed her somewhere unknown.

Morion also informed us that the barbarian called Wulf had dropped off Rigmor’s armour for repair in Riverwood. He embarrassed me, so I look forward to teaching him a few lessons.

24^th Last Seed, 4E 201

We hid in the trees along the road from Rose’s camp to Riverwood. I had eight seasoned soldiers with me and felt confident they would be enough to subdue the barbarian.

We waited, but it was Rose, not the barbarian, that appeared.

I was disappointed but did not want to waste the opportunity, so we apprehended her. However, she proved most unhelpful in our investigations. Therefore, she has been brought to Fort Black for a friendly chat. I will deal with her tomorrow once I have rested.

25^th Last Seed, 4E 201

Rose has gone! She promised one of our torturers a special favour for extra rations. Once he opened the cell, she broke his neck and escaped through the outlet.

General Aedriath arrived and briefed me on the next phase of the plan. It shouldn’t be long before the Citadel is again in Mer hands. He has instructed me to continue the research and has sent some bounty hunters. Supposedly, they are some of the best available. All I see is filthy Orc scum. Their leader informed us that a woman matching Rose’s description was seen crossing the border into Cyrodiil. I have given them wanted posters of the Nordling girl with specific instructions to bring her to me so I can have her impaled on a spit and personally…very slowly, roast her alive.”

Rigmor growled, “That lying piece of shit! They never captured me!”

“It is pretty sad when you lie in your journal. It must have a hard choice to drop your father’s sword.”

“Yeah, that was a difficult decision.”

“So was leaping off a cliff.”

“Survival instinct, huh?”

“Yes, you certainly have plenty of that!”

“Rose has escaped, so his bullshit doesn’t matter. Even that crap about roasting me alive. I feel like kicking his corpse and asking who is still breathing!”

“Justiciar Corpse said he was a seer! Well, he didn’t see us coming, did he?”

“I never got a chance to thank Rose. It’s good to know she is okay, at least for now. So, what about you? How are you feeling?”

“Rose had plans, and I gave her some gems that would have allowed her to realise them. But she can still head for the Gold Coast as planned, and perhaps things will turn out for her. Maybe one day you will meet her again and be able to thank her. I am sure she will think about the young woman she helped rescue from certain death.”

“Did you like her…yanno?”

“Like her how?”

“Yanno!”

“Oh, yanno. Well, we had planned a threesome with Celestine, but then Rose got captured.”

“What?”

“What does Tirnetha tell you?”

“Oh, you are fibbing, and angry.”

“Rose is a compassionate and caring woman, and I admire her for that. But I never thought of her romantically, and I would never bed a woman I just met!”

“No…I…ah…well, some men do!”

“Some of us don’t! I do not pursue meaningless sexual encounters!”

“I apologise.”

“This is a sensitive subject for me, Rigmor. Abstinence is regarded as odd by most people.”

“Is this another aspect of what you have said about me that has caused you grief?”

“One among many.”

“So, you are a forty-two-year-old…”

“Twenty-two!”

“It must be hard for you!”

Rigmor started giggling, and I did not mind. It was funny.

When she calmed down, I asked, “Did you find anything?”

“Yes, I found this letter, but I can’t read it. Some words are familiar. Wasn’t Tamrielic derived from Altmeri, the early form of Aldmeris?”

“Yes, and you must have read a lot to learn that fact!”

“Baa’Ren-Dar knew I loved to read and would bring back books from his journeys. Can you interpret it?”

I quickly read the letter to myself, then told Rigmor my interpretation,

“To High Justiciar Joror, New Order of Alinor.

The Order is waiting to hear of your progress concerning the three targets. They must be eliminated to move to the second phase of the plan, and I do not have to impress on you the importance of the task. Once the seeds of discord are sewn, that fat Emperor will have no option but to move his army north to crush the Stormcloaks. Then we can take control of the situation here on the Isle and complete the third phase.

Can I assume you will employ only the best bounty hunters and assassins to accomplish this task? Expense is not an issue. They must be eliminated at all costs!

You must march on Solitude yourself if you want to keep the last target alive as your plaything. Do with her what you will.

I will be relying on you, Joror, to keep that army occupied as soon as it becomes apparent it was a ruse. We can then take what belongs to us by right of birth. Failure is not an option.

Long Live New Alinor!

General Tilar Aedriath.”

I laughed and said, “They are so arrogant, they don’t even use code! I don’t mind, as it will be their undoing.”

“So, what do you think?”

“I think there is a danger to The Empire, and His Imperial Majesty needs to know as soon as possible.”

“It mentions three targets but not who they are. What in Talos’ name is going on?”

“The Dominion did not win after four years of The Great War. They might have if they kept going, but they didn’t, as provinces of The Dominion were threatening to rebel. This New Order of Alinor wants to sow discord and then invade. Two of the targets should be easy to guess.”

“By the gods! Do you think…The Queen?”

“She is the possible Queen, Rigmor. Elisif hasn’t been chosen by the moot, which won’t happen until the civil war ends. Pro-Empire citizens regard her as the natural successor to her husband, and yes, she would be one of the three targets.”

“And one of the other targets would be General Tullius.”

“Yes, that is the most obvious conclusion. We would need more information to figure out the third.”

“How would they get away with it?”

“They would frame Ulfric Stormcloak. But that is such an obvious ruse that I doubt Mede would fall for it in the first place. They expect him to realise at some stage. However, the citizens might believe the ruse and demand that he take action. Pressure from The Elder Council, who always side with the populist view, would force Mede’s hand.”

“But why go to all this trouble? Why not just invade and be done with it?”

“They wouldn’t have the numbers. The Empire resisted the entire Dominion for four years. Think about it, Rigmor. This General Tilar Aedriath has spelled it out in his letter. Why do they want Mede to move his army north?”

“They hope the Northern invasion force will keep Mede’s army in Skyrim, and Cyrodiil will be unprotected.”

“It is a stupid plan. Mede would use a few Legions at the most and leave far more behind to defend Cyrodiil. Legions would pour down from High Rock. They think that simply capturing the White-Gold Tower would win the war. It was captured during The Great War, and The Empire kept fighting! Plus, you can’t just march into The Imperial Capital. A single Legion could hold off a force many times bigger for months. There must be more to it. Something that we are unaware of that bolsters their chances.”

“We had better get back to Angi’s.”

“Not until we have searched the rest of Fort Black. There may be prisoners I will not leave behind, plus your father’s sword is here and should be in your hands, not theirs! Let’s see if this key I found gets us into the dungeons.”

The key I retrieved from the Justiciar unlocked the other exit from the room and another door along a short corridor.

We made our way to a cage door.

Jovor’s key unlocked the cage door and one behind it.

I told Rigmor, “There are enemies not far ahead.”

Rigmor mumbled, “I got a bad feeling about this.”

An Alik’r warrior had been tortured to death. They didn’t even bother removing his armour.

I signalled to Rigmor that the enemy was in the next room.

I rushed into the room, killing a Thalmor soldier. A nearly naked Imperial mage prepared to cast a spell before Rigmor chopped him to pieces.

Another torture victim lay on a table.

“I get the impression these are not very nice people.”

“DUH!”

“Oh, look, a rack. I have heard that they are good for back pain. I might have to get one.”

“Weird as weird can get.”

At the next door, I whispered, “There were more people in this room before. It seems we have reached the cells and they are now in there.”

Let me try an illusion.”

“What kind of illusion?”

“I will make a sound at the far end of the corridor. Hopefully, they will turn in that direction.”

“Oh, and then we attack from behind!”

I opened the door and cast the Illusion spell. I can do the same using The Voice more quickly. I look forward to using that instead of slower spell casting.

The two enemies in the corridor looked the other way.

Two Fireballs eliminated them.

 And another Thalmor who ran towards us was roasted.

Rigmor barged into a cell and eliminated a Thalmor Wizard.

All was quiet. However, I could see a small heat signature at the end of the corridor. I kept quiet in case it wasn’t who I hoped it was.

I picked up Ragnar’s sword and the ‘Daedric’ Talos Amulet.

Rigmor found a replica of Ragnar’s sword under the dead wizard.

I searched a chest and recovered nothing of use except the bag of gems I had given Rose.

Rigmor handed me a note she found on the wizard.

I translated it for her,

“Dungeon Master’s Notes (Fort Black)

The prisoners, as I suspected, knew nothing of our operations here at Fort Black. Malik set about his work with skilful zeal, and if the bandit miners knew of anything, they would have talked.

Even the Alik’r fool who appeared at the gate looking for some Redguard woman proved not to be a spy.

The replica artifacts are now locked away, and work on them has ceased altogether.

We will move to a new secret location very soon, as a newfound commodity is proving much more valuable to our efforts to strengthen military hardware.

Sadly, the huntress, Rose, has disappeared. I placed the loot we took from her in the chest with the heirlooms.

Even though it pains me, Joror has ordered the disposal of the orphaned girl. I will make sure Severus gives her a quick and clean death. It’s the kindest thing I can do.”

Rigmor’s rage was instantaneous. We have that in common!

“They killed a little girl after torturing and murdering her parents. What kind of fucking deprived animals are they?”

“The type that whips a fourteen-year-old every night and gets angry when she does not beg for mercy.”

“But Thalmor do not have this reputation. They use torture, but so does The Empire. You do not hear about it being used on random civilians.”

“I agree, Rigmor. This behaviour is not normal procedure. But your ordeal was four years ago, so it is a stretch to think it was the New Order back then.”

I inspected Ragnar’s sword. It had been made using Akaviri Steel-Folding techniques. That made the steel more robust than average. That is why I can block much heavier weapons with my katana without my sword breaking or shattering. A Daedric dweomer kept Ragnar’s sword sharp, but it could still do with some honing. It was a fine weapon, but I had no idea why the Thalmor thought it remarkable.

I would guess the steel was folded about ten times. That produces two to the power of ten layers, which is 1024. My katana’s steel was folded twenty times, the most of any I have heard of.  That resulted in over one million layers!

Rigmor handed me the replica, which was not bad, but any first-year Akaviri blacksmith apprentice could have made a better one.

I handed Ragnar’s sword to Rigmor and said, “A master Sparksmith made your father’s sword, but it is no better than a good Akaviri weapon. It has some minor Daedric dweomer to keep it sharp, but it is far inferior to the sword I gave you. If I hone it, it will be almost as good as Mother’s. I shall do that for you so you can wield it again.”

Rigmor handed over Mother’s sword, which I sent to Cethnelor. She smiled as she sheathed her father’s sword. They belonged together.

I inspected the amulet and said, “The Amulet of Talos is beautiful but has no special properties. It has some minor dweomer, a fraction of the strength of what I placed on the armour you are wearing. But I would wear it proudly if I were you, as it meant something to your father. However, it needs a new chain. I will repair it for you while I work on your father’s sword.”

“The Thalmor made up that story about the amulet being Daedric to discredit my father and Talos!”

I explained, “Daedric, when applied to weapons and armour, signifies the metal used to make them and nothing sinister. Daedric ore can only be mined in Oblivion and, as far as I know, can only be smelted there. So, your father’s sword is Daedric, as is this amulet. It does not mean they were made by Daedra or their owner worships Daedra.”

“What about the copy of the sword?”

“I will keep it for my collection. It has no place in my museum.”

I sent it to Cethnelor.

“What else did you get out of that chest?”

“The bag of gems I gave Rose. I will keep them, hoping to return them to Rose one day.”

“What specifically did she want to do?”

“She wanted to stop being a huntress and run a tavern on the Gold Coast. So, I gave her the gems for a deposit on a tavern.”

“You are a big softy.”

“If they have spent years trying to replicate these items, the New Order are stupider than I thought possible. The Akaviri produce thousands of similar weapons each week. A Master of Alteration can enchant the weapons with similar properties of perpetual sharpness as I have on my sword and had placed on Mother’s. Steel-Folding is also obsolete if you heat steel to a high enough temperature to remove imperfections. Two hundred years ago, it was the best steel. Today it is not. The Akaviri still do Steel-Folding out of tradition. Also, their ores are not as good as those on this continent. The technique does not apply to armour, so I have no idea what these morons were trying to achieve. The Akaviri have armour stronger than most steel armour made from wood! I have plenty of suits of such armour. The New Order would have been better off spending coin on ebony.”

“I do not want to see the dead girl, but can you check the cells and confirm what they did?”

“Okay. Wait here.”

The first cell I checked had the bodies of Vidngar and Vigdten and an almost naked Imperial, who I assume was the torturer and killed by the fireballs.

Why he was only in his underwear leads to speculation that I decided not to pursue further.

I looked where I had seen the small heat signature and said to Rigmor, “I think the girl is in the far cell, alive.”

Rigmor rushed down the corridor, and I ran to catch up.

“There she is!”

“Calm down, Rigmor. She is alive, and we don’t want to frighten her.”

The lock was a bit stubborn, and I had to jiggle the key a few times.

“Please, get her out! Hurry up!”

I knew what memories the scene invoked in Rigmor as it did in me. A little girl was locked in a cell, alone in the dark.

The lock clicked open, and the hinges squealed as I opened the cell’s door.

The girl stood and faced me, her fear evident and heart-rending.

With a quiver, she pleaded, “Please, have mercy, I beg you!”

My heart lurched. My hatred for The Thalmor increased, which I thought was impossible. A child should never have to beg for mercy!

“Oh, little one, you have nothing to fear from us. We are not going to hurt you.”

“You promise?”

“I swear on The Divines. Is your name Sorella?”

“Yes.”

“That is a pretty name. I am Wulf, and the lady is Rigmor.”

“Have you seen my parents? The bad guys brought us here.”

“The bad guys killed your parents, Sorella.”

“I thought so. Ma and Pa used to shout really loudly and tell me to be brave. Then they stopped doing that.”

“You are probably very sad, but we need you to be brave like your parents wanted, and come with us. Can you do that?”

“Okay.”

I turned to Rigmor and whispered, “Angi wouldn’t turn away an orphan, would she?”

“Never. We’ll take Sorella there. And how did you know her name?”

“The mountaineer’s journal. They thought Sorella and her parents died in an accident.”

“Yeah, I remember now.”

“I found her parents in a cell with an Imperial torturer.”

“That is so sad.”

I turned back to Sorella.

“Hey, Sorella.”

“Yes?”

“We are going to take you with us to Angi’s. She is one of the good guys.”

“I know her. She is a crazy lady!”

“Angi only pretends to be crazy to keep away nosy people. But she is nice and will take good care of you till we sort things out. Okay?”

“Okay. But what about the bad guys?”

“Rigmor and I got rid of them. They won’t bother you again.”

“Good!”

“We need to go. Are you ready?”

“Yes, I think so. The bad guys use a nearby tunnel, and I saw a lady in prison rags using it too. So, I think we can use it to get out of here.”

“That lady is called Rose, and she got away.”

“Good!”

“Come on then, Sorella, lead the way, but don’t run too fast for us old people!”

Sorella sprinted past us. They might have intended to kill her, but they kept her healthy.

We exited to a long, narrow valley.

I turned to Sorella and said, “You must stay near Rigmor. If there are any bad guys, I will deal with them, and Rigmor will guard you.”

“Okay.”

Sorella breathed in deeply and sighed.

I asked, “Is it good to smell fresh air again, Sorella?”

“Yeah, it was a bit pongy in there.”

“I don’t think bad guys have baths or even change their undergarments.”

“Yuck!”

A bit further along, I whispered, “Everybody, stop and be very quiet.”

A camp had come into view. I used Zoom-Vision and Heat-Vision to see who it was.

Rigmor asked, “Who are they?”

“Orsimer Bounty Hunters. I assume they are the ones mentioned in the Justiciar’s journal.”

“I wonder what they are doing out here?”

“Waiting for their fifteen thousand septim bounty to make an appearance. The Orsimer probably guessed you would visit Fort Black but come from the Cyrodiil side.”

“Oh. Well, what are we going to do?”

“You are going to stay here and keep Sorella safe. I will give our friends a visit. It will not turn out well for them if they are hostile.”

“How many are there?”

“Seven.”

“You can’t take on seven Orsimer by yourself!”

“Rigmor, if I were sure they were bad guys, I would kill them from here in seconds. Instead, I will approach while invisible and kill them in seconds if they are hunting you. The odds are not in their favour.”

“Nobody can fight an invisible opponent.”

“I will stop being invisible before attacking. Enemies must have a chance to defend themselves.”

“Yeah. Of course. What was I thinking?”

I told Sorella, “Stay here with Rigmor. They might be more bad guys down there.”

“Okay.”

“And watch my magic trick.”

I cast Shroudwalk and vanished.

Rigmor said, “Cool!”

Sorella replied, “I am quite warm in this dress.”

I will not record verbatim what the Orsimer said. I will summarise and say it was a discussion about taking Rigmor alive or dead, and raping her, and what they will do with the reward.

I was enraged and killed several before remembering to dismiss Shroudwalk.

I searched the Orsimer leader’s corpse. He had a wanted poster.

I ran back to Sorella and Rigmor and handed Rigmor the wanted poster.

“As expected, it was you they were after.”

“Well, that’s no surprise.”

“We were fortunate and saw them before they saw us. There will be many bands of bounty hunters like them.”

“Well, you are My Guardian, right?”

“We won’t always be lucky, and I won’t always be able to take them on alone.”

“Whatever!”

“Don’t get overconfident, and don’t underestimate the enemy we face.”

“Do I look bothered to you? I can take care of myself!”

“Is that right? So, you didn’t need Baa’Ren-Dar to rescue you? And you didn’t need Angi to find you and spend weeks caring for you. Tell me you didn’t need Rose, Celestine, and me to rescue you and get you healthy. You have been doing a poor job of caring for yourself, but others have done that for you. They will do it even if you want to spit in their faces and show zero respect for their efforts!”

“Wulf…I…”

“This bitterness is not you, Rigmor. I have pushed you too far, and it is fatigue speaking.”

“I…I’m sorry!”

“Let’s get Sorella away from here.”

I was tempted to summon my airship, but decided the walk to Angi’s would give Rigmor and me time to think about what we have learned.

I told Sorella, “There are no more bad guys in the way. We will walk along a few mountain trails in Cyrodiil, another country, before returning to Skyrim. If you get tired, let us know. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Knowing another way to approach Fort Black would have been helpful. It was a bit longer walk, but not too strenuous.

Rigmor did not say a word as we travelled.

I chatted with Sorella but had to watch for danger at the same time.

Sorella was eight years of age and had never lived in a home. She was always on the move with her parents and living in tents.

What I needed to do was figure out my next step. What do I do with the information we gathered?

Hours later, Rigmor moved ahead as we had arrived at Angi’s.

When we entered the camp, Sorella spotted Meeko and exclaimed, “Wow! That is a big dog!”

“His name is Meeko, and he loves children.”

“For supper?”

“No, to play with and cuddle. Meeko is the smartest dog ever and a great listener. So, talk to him if you ever feel sad, mad, or glad. He will understand.”

“Really?”

“He was my dog when I was your age. I mean every word I said.”

“He is cute!’

“Angi will help care for you for now. You will be safe here, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Why don’t you introduce yourself to Angi when she comes outside? She isn’t crazy, I promise.”

“Okay.”

I knocked on Angi’s doorframe and waited for her permission to enter.

When I did, she was busy making another stew.

Angi asked, “Is Rigmor okay?”

“Yes, she is back safe and sound. We rescued a little girl called Sorella from the Thalmor. She is eight years of age and newly orphaned. We wondered if she could stay here until we can find her a home?”

“Yes, of course.”

“She is waiting to say hello.”

Angi followed me outside, and as soon as she saw Sorella, her heart melted.

“Hi, Angi. I’m Sorella.”

“Oh, hi! Oh, you’re sweet…um!”

“This place looks cool, like a real home.”

“How can I argue with that? Don’t worry, Sorella. I’ll take good care of you. Let me show you around.”

As Angi gave Sorella a tour, I walked over to Rigmor and Celestine.

• Wulf: Did you see the look on Angi’s face when she saw Sorella?
• Rigmor: Yeah, she cracked a smile. Looking after that little girl will do her good.
• Wulf: Perhaps Sorella can be a nice, polite replacement daughter. After all, the older one tends to scratch and bite.
• Rigmor: Ha de haha.
• Wulf: Celestine, Sorella is newly orphaned. There is a lot to discuss concerning the New Order and its plans.
• Celestine: Rigmor, Wulf attracts orphans like a lodestone attracts metal.
• Rigmor: There is an imminent danger of invasion.
• Celestine: What?

I handed Celestine the map, the journal, and the letters. Being a mage, it did not take her long to read them, understand the implications and hand them back.

• Celestine: You kept saying there was more than just the embassy massacre behind the bounty for Rigmor.
• Wulf: We do not know where Rigmor fits in all of this.
• Celestine: Wulf, if you approach General Tullius, Jarl Elisif or any other senior official, you will get dragged into the military or political side and lose all freedom of movement. You could not help Rigmor if she had other leads about her mother.
• Wulf: They could not force me to do anything, but it is best to leave diplomatic work to diplomats.
• Rigmor: Baa’Ren might know what to do. And Celestine, I do not like the term massacre, even though it was.
• Celestine: Sorry, Rigmor.
• Rigmor: Did Wulf tell you about Baa’Ren?
• Celestine: Yes. Baa’Ren-Dar is well respected in diplomatic circles and the ideal person to deal with Tullius and others.
• Rigmor: Baa’Ren is staying at the Bee and Barb, one of Riften’s taverns. He said I should enter through the south gate when I arrive, as he has paid off those guards.
• Wulf: Paid them off?
• Rigmor: Didn’t you know that Khajiiti aren’t usually allowed in the cities? They can set up camps outside, though.
• Wulf: Is that so?
• Rigmor: Baa’Ren also mentioned they have been shaking people down as they arrive.
• Wulf: How terrible!
• Rigmor: Riften is not like a normal city. The place is a den of thieves, so watch your purse. Baa’Ren knows a lot of people. It goes with his job as an emissary.
• Celestine: Wulf!
• Wulf: What?
• Celestine: Rigmor, Wulf has been to Riften many times and owns a house there.
• Wulf: What you just said, Rigmor, is a load of bollocks.
• Rigmor: Bollocks?
• Wulf: Bull’s testicles. It means bullshit.
• Rigmor: Well, why not just say bullshit?
• Celestine: The only city that actively prevents Khajiiti from entering is Windhelm. Riften has many Khajiiti residents.
• Rigmor: Oh!
• Celestine: As for shakedowns, they stopped after Wulf’s first visit. He put the tip of his katana on a guard’s throat and asked him to repeat his request for an entrance toll.
• Rigmor: Oh!
• Wulf: Baa’Ren-Dar might have paid guards not to snitch about his arrival. As an emissary, he would be up to his waist in diplomatic bullshit and espionage.
• Rigmor: Yeah, you said that’s why he did not come here and tell me about Mum’s ring.
• Wulf: Baa’Ren risked much when he rescued you, but staying in that den of thieves is another level of bravery.
• Rigmor: Haha. I can see why you found my naivety amusing, but you are an arsehole.
• Wulf: Guilty as charged.
• Celestine: There is no possibility, zero, that the Thalmor do not know everything about this ‘New Order.’ They have the most extensive intelligence network on Nirn!
• Wulf: The Thalmor will sit back, see what damage The New Order do, and either deny they knew about them or take advantage of any success. Plausible Denial is the term used.
• Rigmor: Wulf does not think their plan has a hope of being successful.
• Celestine: The plan can’t work! Not without something to add to the forces they might land. Mede would only have to commit a fraction of available troops to crush the Stormcloaks even if he fell for their ruse. The only reason he hasn’t done that so far is to maintain stability in some areas. The bigger the New Order’s armies, the more likely Thalmor leaders are to know about them. They would have to field a colossal army even to siege the Imperial City.
• Wulf: We don’t know what makes them so confident, and that will be a priority for others to find out. One thing we know for sure is that the threat to Elisif and Tullius is real. Something has to be done quickly to ensure their safety. We shall hand the materials to Baa’Ren-Dar. That will wash our hands of the problem for now, and I can help Rigmor. Hopefully, the emissary has the contacts to get things done quickly.
• Celestine: I agree. That seems the logical step.
• Wulf: Rigmor, you are pooped. You will sleep for eight hours before we head for Riften.
• Rigmor: But what about Tullius and Elisif?
• Wulf: They are both surrounded by guards. We shall have to trust that it is sufficient for now.
• Celestine: Rigmor, I agree with Wulf. You need to sleep.
• Wulf: I have other resources, Rigmor, who can try and gather information on the New Order. When it is time to visit Riften, I will teleport us there.
• Rigmor: Will you sit next to me?
• Wulf: Of course, after I have spoken to a few people and honed your father’s sword.
• Rigmor: Okay.

Rigmor handed me the sword and then headed for her tent.

I summoned the three Dragonguard shaman. Angi and Sorella were fascinated by the strange-looking visitors and by their appearance from thin air.

• Wulf: I have some information I gathered from Fort Black.
• Celestine: A Thalmor group called the New Order of Alinor is planning to invade Cyrodiil and Skyrim.
• Wulf: Have any of you heard of them?
• Vayu: No, and we had extensive knowledge of Dominion families, splinter groups and so forth during The Great War.
• Raikou: I have never heard of them. However, the New Order would have to be of substantial size to even attempt an invasion. That suggests they have been around for a long time.
• Cian: Never heard of them.
• Wulf: Look at this map, journal and documents.

The shamans handed the articles around and quickly discussed them. Ten minutes later, they handed them back.

• Wulf: Does anybody have an opinion?
• Raikou: It is the dumbest idea ever and has no hope of succeeding.
• Vayu: They assume His Imperial Majesty and advisors are morons.
• Cian: However, the public might fall for the ruse and demand Mede take action.
• Vayu: Even then, only a fraction of available forces would need to cross the border to crush the Stormcloaks.
• Cian: Yes, a far bigger force would be left to guard the Imperial City.
• Raikou: There must be more to this than we know. I assume the leaders of the New Order are somewhat intelligent.
• Vayu: I agree. There is another element not mentioned in the intelligence gathered so far.
• Cian: Is there anything special about Rigmor’s father’s sword?
• Wulf: It is a greatsword of folded Daedric steel with a permanent sharpness dweomer. You all carry katanas that are far superior.
• Raikou: The documentation suggests they have another way of improving their weapons and armour.
• Vayu: But there is no clue as to what that may be.
• Wulf: Celestine and I reached the same conclusions. We need to find out as much as we can about the New Order. Auryen in the museum and Master Urag gro-Shub of The College of Winterhold are good places to start.
• Vayu: What about the three high-priority targets?
• Celestine: Do you all agree that Jarl Elisef and General Tullius are two of them?
• Vayu: Yes, that was the consensus. There is not enough information to name the third.
• Wulf: We need someone to speak to the highest levels of the military and nobility. Later today, I will speak with Emissary Baa’Ren-Dar of Pelletine to see if he is aware of them and is interested in serving as our liaison on this matter.
• Raikou: Another outsider? Why trust this person?
• Wulf: I am not telling him our secrets, Raikou. I am asking for help with a level of diplomacy nobody in the Dragonguard is qualified to attempt.
• Celestine: Emissary Baa’Ren-Dar is the Khajiiti who rescued Rigmor from the Thalmor. He is waiting to speak to Rigmor about other matters in Riften.
• Vayu: Emissary Baa’Ren-Dar is highly regarded in diplomatic circles. He is a perfect choice for our liaison.
• Raikou: Are these Rigmor-related matters going to interfere with our mission, Wulf?
• Wulf: I will prioritise according to circumstances, as I have always done. Rigmor has not altered anything, except for making some of you feel pangs of guilt.
• Cian: I am the junior one here, but your questioning of Wulf borders on insult, Raikou.
• Wulf: It is okay, Cian. Raikou is doing his part as the senior shaman. However, I have given my answer, and any questions about my sincerity are insults. Make no mistake: I will respond appropriately to remove dissension.
• Raikou: How should we proceed?
• Wulf: Return to Aetheron, speak amongst yourselves and decide. I do not need to know the details, just the results.
• Raikou: Okay.
• Wulf: Celestine, you will return to Aetheron as well. Come back in about eight hours, as that is when I will rouse Rigmor and proceed to Riften.
• Vayu: Can’t somebody else take Celestine’s place?
• Celestine: Angi is comfortable with me, Vayu. I do not mind roughing it, but a good bath would be nice.
• Wulf: If we are done, I have things I need to do before sitting next to Rigmor. We saw stuff that would give any sane person nightmares.
• Vayu: Did you have to kill many, Wulf?
• Wulf: I have added several dozen to my tally after eliminating the Pinewatch bandits and Fort Black’s Thalmor.

My friends vanished into the ether, and Sorella said, “Wow!” Angi was halfway through a sailor’s curse before she quickly covered her mouth.

I walked over to the young girl.

• Wulf: They are very close friends of mine, Sorella.
• Sorella: One of them had three eyes!
• Wulf: That is Raikou. He is Kamal from the land of Akavir.
• Sorella: I thought camels have humps, not three eyes.
• Wulf: Kamal with a ‘k’, not a ‘c.’
• Sorella: Oh. I liked the elven man’s tattoos!
• Wulf: They are all over his body.
• Sorella: Everywhere?
• Wulf: Every inch.
• Angi: I hope you are not going to vanish and appear as they did!
• Wulf: I have been doing so out of sight of you, Angi.
• Angi: Good.
• Sorella: I did not understand most of what was being said. Are there more bad guys?
• Wulf: Yes, and my friends, and one of Rigmor’s friends, are going to help bring them to justice.
• Sorella: What does that mean?
• Wulf: They are going to help punish the bad guys.
• Sorella: Good!

I heard Rigmor stirring, so I said, “Excuse me. I must sit next to Rigmor.”

Sorella asked, “Why?”

“When I am next to her, she does not have scary dreams. She was once in a dark, horrible cell like the one you were in. She was only fourteen, which seems old, but she was a young girl like you, all alone in the dark and hoping somebody would help her.”

“I cried a lot and had given up hope. I could not be brave like my parents asked.”

“I think you have been very brave, Sorella. All of this has happened very quickly, yet you have not complained once.”

“I think I am very angry, and that stops me from being very sad.”

“Angi and Rigmor can help with the anger, and then help with the sadness.”

“And Meeko!”

“Yes, and Meeko.”

“Angi wants me to wear more suitable clothes. But this dress was a present from Ma and Pa.”

“I will find some nice leather clothes that you will not mind getting dirty. Angi can put your dress somewhere safe.”

“Okay.”

Before heading for Rigmor’s tent, I looked at Angi, who smiled and silently said, “Thank you!”

Rigmor calmed as I approached the tent. The honing of Ragnar’s sword will have to wait.

I stared at her and knew, without reservation, that I would do anything to make her happy and safe.

I sat and wrote some journal entries. Then I stared into infinity as I contemplated all that had happened.