Dragonborn Rising Ch. 25

Chapter 25 - Restoring Honour

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"Found yourselves in many of these ruins before, Ragnar?" Farkas asked as we turned onto the road that would take us to the ruin.

"Once or twice."

He gave me a sideways glance. "Uh-huh."

"Don't want to sound overly arrogant. But I've dealt with draugr and other monsters before. Nothing we face will come as a surprise."

"You haven't mentioned much about your past except you fought with the Fighter's Guild. What did you do between your arrival in Skyrim and joining us?"

I remained silent, thinking of the best way to be honest without saying what I actually did. "The best way I can put it is that joining the Companions will help restore my honour as a warrior."

"You were a criminal?" Looking at him in surprise, he simply returned my glance with a smirk. "You're not the first, Ragnar, and you won't be the last. Half of the reason Kodlak doesn't ask many questions is that he sees the Companions precisely like you do. Restore your own sense of worth, give you purpose, and prove you have honour in battle, protect your colleagues and friends, and you will find glories in the Great Hall in the end."

"I don't regret what I did. I was bloody good at what I did. But I always knew I would end up with my head on a chopping block if I was caught. I can only thank the dragon for saving me from my fate. If I'd lost my head then and there, I wouldn't have ended up in Sovngarde."

"Where would you have ended up?"

Shrugging, I admitted I wasn't exactly sure. I didn't want to go into too much detail, and we fell silent until we were walking the rise towards the old ruin, a set of stair leading down to the door itself. Suggesting we didn't particularly need to go over what was required once inside, the only thing needed agreeing was, that as this was my trial, I would take the lead. I preferred being in front anyway. People sometimes got in the way.

The first chamber was empty of enemy. A couple of dead draugr, but tools that suggested others might be further in. "Looks like someone'd been digging here. And recently. Tread lightly. Be careful around the burial stones. I don't want to haul you back to Jorrvaskr on my back."

"Give me a little credit, Farkas."

"I give the same advice to any whelp, Ragnar. No offence meant."

We descended deeper into the ruin, the usual signs that this was an ancient Nordic ruin, rather well built, as most were, though slowly crumbling as the centuries passed. Torches had been lit, lighting our way, the air still and rather humid, with the usual smell of decay. It didn't bother either myself or Farkas as we ended up walking down stairs into a larger chamber. Still no sign of draugr or anyone else, but our progress was halted by a gate.

I found a lever in another room and pulled it without a second thought. I should have known better, as a gate locked me in where I was. Farkas laughed at my predicament, assuring me it was fine.

It wasn't, as at least a half dozen mercenaries appeared from the now open gate. I had no idea who they were. Farkas didn't seem all that concerned, not even bothering to unsheathe his enormous great-sword. The mercenaries issued a bunch of threats towards Farkas, one or two then looking past him at me, and threatening to kill me next. I flipped the bird as the mercenaries walked towards Farkas.

What happened next... Well, at the time, I was gobsmacked, as it revealed quite the secret about the Companions. You see, Farkas turned into a werewolf, and his armour was obviously designed for it, as it simply dropped to the ground. And the blood flowed, body parts flung around the chamber, as the werewolf tore the mercenaries to shreds. It was horrifying, but I didn't turn away. I had no idea who the mercenaries were, but a large part of me thought they got what they deserved.

The werewolf, or Farkas, though I wasn't sure how much of him remained, then looked at me, before disappearing. The gate opened a couple of minutes later and Farkas reappeared, as naked as the day he was born. He said little as he assembled himself in armour, studiously ignoring my look of surprise. Or that's what I was sure I looked like.

"Sooo... Are you going to explain that or not?"

"Some consider it a blessing, to be like wild beasts."

"Are all Companions werewolves?" Because if they were, it would be one hell of a secret, as I don't think anyone in Whiterun had a clue otherwise.

"Oh, no. Only the Circle have the beast-blood. Prove your honour to be a Companion. 'Eyes on the prey, not the horizon.' We should keep moving. Still the draugr to worry about."

Gesturing at the dismembered bodies, I asked, "And who were these clowns?"

"We know them as the Silver Hand. Bad people who don't like werewolves. So they don't like us either."

Farkas explained things simply. As he liked to repeat, he got Ysgramor's strength while his twin, Vilkas, got his brains. Plenty of those joked about Farkas and his simplicity, though most were not brave enough to do it to his face. There was no doubting his bravery as a warrior, though.

Knowing that Silver Hand were present, we now had to fight them and any draugr that decided to wake up. What I found interesting with each group of Silver Hand we killed was what they carried. Most carried weapons made of silver, and also carried potion bottles, a quick sniff suggesting it would cure disease. Farkas shrugged when I suggested that, mentioning that the Silver Hand likely believed that was what infected the Companions. I didn't know enough to suggest anything otherwise.

In addition to Silver Hand and draugr, the ruin was infested with skeevers and spiders. Skeevers I could handle; they were just giant rats. But I hated spiders. Most people hated them. Eight legged freaks. Farkas decided running into their nest was the smartest move. I stayed back and summoned magic for once, using flames to burn the fuckers. Farkas noticeably shuddered at the same time, glancing in my direction and using the same language to describe them.

Passing through what I called 'hallways of the dead', as there were numerous draugr that we no doubt both hoped didn't wake up as we walked by, more Silver Hand laid in wait, while the occasional draugr did wake up. Even when swarming us, Farkas and I worked well together, using my shield to keep us both protected, and his great-sword help cut the enemy down. It helped the Silver Hand were only dressed in leathers, making them quite easy targets, while draugr attacked without any thought of self-preservation. Almost stupidly aggressive and easy to lead into traps.

I'd been in enough of these ruins to know we'd eventually end up in a final large chamber, and that's precisely what happened again. I gestured for Farkas to stop and looked to either side. "See all the sarcophagi? Bet you we'll do something to wake them all up."

"Best we're cautious then."

There was also a word wall ahead, and I'd seen enough by now that I didn't make a big deal of the chanting or the highlighted word I couldn't read. I approached it to learn the word. "Just so you know, Farkas, this word right here says Yol."

"You can read that?"

"No. Just this one word here. It's a long story."

"Any idea what the word means?"

"None whatsoever." On the table near the word wall lay pieces of Wuuthrad. Farkas made to grab them but I grabbed his wrist. "I think they'll wake up when you grab them."

"How do you know?"

"Let's just call it a sixth sense when dealing with things like this."

Making sure we were both armed and ready for a fight, I swiped the pieces of Wuuthrad, quickly putting those in my pack, just as the lids of some sarcophagi dropped to the ground. The usual growls were followed by weapons being unsheathed. More than half a dozen draugr ran towards us, weapons raised high, ready to strike. Farkas took one side of the table, I stood on the other, and we allowed the draugr to come towards us, hoping to filter them so they'd have to fight us one at a time. Each time we killed one, we heard another lid drop to the ground.

"Hell of a trial!" I yelled out, driving my sword into the chest of the nearest draugr.

"Their numbers are thinning out. We'll be fine."

He was right, and I was surprised at how easily I was able to slip back into 'warrior mode'. A couple of the draugr were tougher than the rest, those usually dressed in ancient armour, the toughest being those wearing helmets. But while the undead didn't bleed, we could still lop off an arm or a leg, and if timed right, a decapitation.

Farkas let me have the honour of killing the last one, and after a quick check of the urns dotted around the large chamber, we wasted no further time locating the exit, finding a secret passage that eventually led us back to the very first chamber we had entered. It was still light as we walked outside, Farkas figuring it was early afternoon, so we'd only spent a couple of hours in the ruin at most.

Heading straight back to Whiterun, the guards offered a friendly greeting as nearly all Companions were recognised by the guards. In the past week, one or two had noticed I was now with the guild and suggested I was also on an honourable path. Walking into Jorrvaskr, Kodlak and the rest had been waiting for our return, and asked Farkas and I to join them outside.

I had a general idea of what was going to happen as Kodlak stood in the middle, flanked the twins, Vilkas and Farkas, to his left, Aela and Skjor to his right, the rest of the Companions standing in a group behind me.

"Brothers and sisters of the Circle, and our fellow Companions, today we welcome a new soul into our mortal fold. This man has endured, has challenged, and has shown his valour. Who will speak for him?"

"I stand witness to the courage of the soul before us," Farkas replied.

"Would you raise your shield in his defence?"

"I would stand at his back, that the world might never overtake us."

"And would you raise your sword in his honour?"

"It stands ready to meet the blood of his foes."

"And would you raise a mug in his name?"

"I would lead the song of triumph as our mead hall revelled in his stories."

Kodlak nodded along before looking at me, a small grin, before he continued. "Then the judgment of this Circle is complete. His heart beats with fury and courage that have united the Companions since the days of the distant green summers. Let it beat with ours, that the mountains may echo and our enemies may tremble at the call."

"It shall be so," the entire group stated as one.

And that was it. I was a Companion. Kodlak stepped forward, offering his hand. "Well, boy, you're one of us now. I trust you won't disappoint."

"I'll do my best, Harbinger. I'm sure Farkas will exaggerate what happened." I paused, waiting until we were alone, before I added, "But I think I learned something about the Circle I perhaps shouldn't have."

He nodded, understanding immediately. "I see you've been allowed to know some secrets before your appointed time. No matter. Yes, it's true. Not every Companion, though. Only members of the Circle all share the blood of the beast. Some take to it more than others." He paused before adding, "Don't worry about it for now though, Ragnar. We can discuss it later. First thing, go speak to Eorlund about getting a new weapon. I'm sure you'd rather something a little better than whatever is at your hip right now. Then I think your new colleagues would like a night of revelry and celebration."

"Sounds good, Harbinger."

Eorlund had been informed of me coming, as he already had a line of weapons ready for me to check. I had managed to replace the iron sword I'd taken from Helgen with a regular steel sword, but the Skyforge steel sword Eorlund gave me just looked so much better, and that was before I'd used it in a fight. He told me what he could about the Skyforge, and promised me that I would definitely prefer his steel compared to any other.

Satisfied with the weapon, I headed back into Jorrvaskr, where I was given a seat in the middle of everyone, platters of food already in place, and the alcohol was soon flowing freely, everyone sharing stories of recent contracts. As I guessed, Farkas exaggerated everything about Dustman's Cairn, though I didn't do too much to stop him.

Only realising it was dark when I needed to head outside for a piss, I staggered back inside and suggested to whoever was sat next to me that I might need a little company that evening. I was now seated next to Aela, who suddenly became very interested in what I had to say. Most had heard about my past, knew I was a widow, but also knew I'd had my fair share of partners.

"What sort of company?" she asked.

I took a sip of another tankard of ale before replying, "What sort do you think?"

"Well, I've heard rumours about what you've been up to around the city."

I met her eyes and smiled. "I've heard rumours about yourself in return, Aela." A gentle retort, but she would have heard the same rumours.

She simply smirked. "Do you believe everything you hear?"

"No, but I am wondering if you would give credence to the them."

The smirk remained as she said, "I don't care about rumours. People can say what they want, though I would prefer they just ask me straight instead of whispering in the dark."

"I have no problem with bluntness. Are you with Skjor?"

She took a sip of her cup before looking at me with a smile. "That's none of your damn business, Ragnar." I couldn't help laugh as she added, "But at least you had the balls to ask."

She didn't say no. She didn't say yes. So I was just left confused. And I didn't end up leaving that night, eventually taking one of the empty beds, collapsing however many hours later, having drunk far too much. But it had been a fun evening, certainly one of the best I could remember, at least in recent times.

We all woke with hangovers the next day. The best thing for it, apart from a hearty breakfast, was to sweat it out, so we all headed outside for sparring in the morning sun. We were all sweating within minutes as we paired up. Vilkas and Farkas both wanted to give me a good spar, going as far to admit that they could learn a thing or two from myself. Even Kodlak, who was probably the only one without a hangover, headed out to join us, and despite his advanced age, you could still see the skill in his technique and footwork.

It was clear I'd now been well and truly accepted, and as I was now one of them, I started to find myself given better contracts, that would pay me more coin but also be a test of my abilities. But while I was enjoying my time with the Companions, I hadn't been back to Riften in all that time. Around a fortnight after I'd been made a Companion, I sat down with Kodlak and explained what I wanted to do. "Jarl Balgruuf wants me to stay around in case a dragon makes an appearance, but there are people I would like to see in Riften. And my house in there too."

"Then go, Ragnar. If the jarl sends his guards, we'll explain the situation. How long will you be gone for?"

"Only a couple of days. I wouldn't mind picking up my old armour, and there are perhaps one or two other things I need. And if I do end up staying her for the foreseeable future, there are people I would like to see farewell to."

The old man didn't need to ask about 'people', and I left early the next morning. I'd made enough coin to purchase a new horse, as I had no idea where my old one was now located. Perhaps still in the stables around Solitude, but I figured probably adopted by someone else. I still had no idea how long I'd been in the cell for.

Though I hadn't missed Riften itself, I did feel a sense of returning home once I'd stabled my horse and walked through the city gates. The usual sounds of the market and the smell of the stagnant river of water below were the first things I noticed. Immediately turning right, I headed straight to the Bunkhouse. It wasn't too late, the front door was open, so I wasted little time walking in.

Haelga was busy placing plates on the dinner table, ready for the return of the workers who lived there. She turned upon heading me enter and the trio of plates still in her hand smashed on the ground as she ran towards me, near enough knocking me over as I stumbled back into the wall. No surprise she was already crying as I held onto her tightly in return. "I thought you were dead!" she cried.

"I came very bloody close," I confessed.

"I would ask what happened, but I don't care. I'm just glad you're here." Then she leaned back and gave me an almighty slap. Normally that would have earned my ire, but I understood the reason, particularly as she kissed me hard straight away, the sort of kiss that would normally have led to us heading upstairs. But I think we both just enjoyed kissing and hugging each other. The only thing that stopped us kissing was the entrance of Svana.

"You're alive?" she asked quietly, and to my surprise, she joined in to make it a group hug.

"When did you get back?" Haelga asked.

"I came here straight after stabling my horse."

They both let me go and I could see Haelga was in two minds. Part of her would have wanted to head straight upstairs. I wouldn't have complained. Instead, she suggested the three of us head to the Bee and Barb for a drink and catch up. That was a fine idea, and my return didn't go unnoticed. Ingun walked in about half an hour later and I was pulled to my feet to give her a very long hug. Sapphire wandered in not long later, looked in my direction, then disappeared back out the door. "We're about to have some visitors," I warned Haelga and Svana.

I was right, as Brynjolf, Karliah, Delvin and Vex all walked in. The men received a handshake, the women a hug. "Thought you were dead, lad. You've been gone months."

"Heard about Astrid," Delvin added sadly, "It all went pear shaped in the end, eh?"

"You could say that. Heard any news otherwise?"

He shook his head. "I've sent a contact to check the ruins. No sign of anyone. No idea where any survivors would have headed." I did, but I wasn't about to share. I was hoping they simply thought I was dead and that would be it.

We joined a couple of tables together, gathering some chairs around, ordered some more tankards. Haelga sat as close to me as possible, and wouldn't let go of my hand. I didn't mind. I received plenty of questions of what happened and where I'd been. I skirted the real truth about my arrest, but admitted to spending time in a cell, staring death in the eyes as I was nearly executed before Helgen was then destroyed, then told them what I'd been up to since.

"You're living in Whiterun now?" Haelga asked, and I could hear the disappointment in her tone.

"For the time being. I'm now a Companion. An honourable path." I met Brynjolf's eyes. "We'll need to talk tomorrow."

"Aye, lad. No problem." I looked at Karliah, and she nodded too.

"Are you going to stay there permanently?" she did wonder.

Shrugging, I could only admit, "I'm not sure. I enjoy what I'm doing at the moment. Made some friends. Earning coin. And I'm rediscovering the thrill of battle." Leaning forward, arms folded on the table, I added, "I've nearly been executed. I don't particularly want to stare in the headsman's eyes again as he's about to lower the axe. Once is enough."

I could sense Haelga wanted to ask what I'd done. I squeezed her hand and assured her that I wouldn't be that close again. "What I was involved in, those days are behind me. Working with the Companions is helping restore a lost sense of pride and honour. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed what I was doing while living here, at least before I met Astrid. And I'm still glad I met her. But..."

"You've had enough and want a new start," Brynjolf finished for me.

"I don't want to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life. And, like I said, I'm enjoying what I'm doing."