Dragonborn Rising Ch. 31

Chapter 31 -- Restoration

*****

Vilkas and I left the next morning. The previous night had... It wasn't quite the worst night of my life, but it was close. Aela was beside herself with grief, and after she'd barely eaten dinner, I took her upstairs to the bedroom, where we cuddled together all night, barely able to share a word.

She was in no state to join Vilkas and I, Lydia already up and waiting as I headed downstairs, offering me breakfast, before letting me know she would look in on Aela, and convince her to at least stay at home that day. I thanked her for the help before heading out.

Vilkas was waiting for me at the stables, already mounted on his horse and rather impatient for me to mount mine. As soon as my arse hit the saddle, he urged his horse on. I caught up in a couple of minutes and simply fell in alongside him. I figured he knew where we were going. I was just going along to kill a lot of people.

Heading east first then north, the further we rode, the more I thought about where we were heading. Vilkas looked at me occasionally and finally offered some explanation. "You might have seen it after attacking Fort Fellhammer. The fort where we are heading is north of that."

"And what's your idea? Apart from retrieving the fragments?"

He cast me with a curious eye. "What do you want, Dragonborn?"

"Tear them all apart with my Thu'um."

"None of them will live after today. This isn't just vengeance. This will be a warning to any and all who dare think or believe they can usurp us." He paused before adding, "I wish you and Aela had approached the rest of us. I understand why you felt secrecy was necessary, but..."

"Trust me, Vilkas, this guilt will take a long time to go away."

"No, my words were harsh, Ragnar. The old man had you doing something that will not only help him, but would eventually help us all. I know my brother has concerns, and we spoke to the old man about it. And we both knew he wanted a cure." He looked my way again. "You have nothing to feel guilty about. The old man trusted you."

I did feel a sense of relief at his words, though the guilt would still remain for some time. He had been right in a way. I hadn't been there to help defend Jorrvaskr. Not only was I a Companion. I was Dragonborn. And I knew just my Thu'um could have turned the tide of battle.

Turning off the main road, we headed through the snowbound landscape towards the once abandoned fort known as Driftshade Refuge, passing by Fort Fellhammer on the way, noticing a couple of the bodies still lying in the snow, unclaimed and unburied since Aela and I had attacked it. The sun still shone though it was dipping by the time we dismounted and approached the target. I used my bow to take out the sentries, needing no more than one arrow for each of them.

At the entrance, we unsheathed swords. Vilkas looked at me. "For Kodlak, Ragnar."

"For Kodlak, Vilkas. None shall live beyond this day."

What happened over the next couple of hours was nothing short of blood-letting. Many of the Silver Hand did stand and fight, though they had no chance of victory, particularly when I unleashed my Thu'um. One or two tried to surrender, but we cut them down where they stood or kneeled. No mercy. No prisoners. They would all die.

The abandoned, crumbling fort was far larger than I imagined, most of it built underground. No room was empty, filled with Silver Hand ready to fight us. More than once Vilkas and I found ourselves outnumbered, but even when we'd taken wounds, we simply fought with renewed ferocity. If we died, so be it, but we would make sure to take most of the bastards with us before the end.

The Silver Hand were, in many ways, prepared for us. They had plenty of warriors, ready to fight and die for their cause. They had wild beasts and a number of traps waiting for the unwary. But in addition to that, they had also captured more werewolves. Vilkas knew none of them, and after releasing one, which attacked us immediately, we had to put the rest down. It was probably the most humane thing to do, rather than leaving them caged up to slowly starve to death.

After leaving a trail of dead bodies behind us, there was always the sense that you were approaching the end. We'd found evidence that one or two of those already dead had been commanders. It appeared the Silver Hand had pulled back to this fort entirely, so we were well and truly wiping them out. Walking up another stairway, Vilkas grabbed my shoulder.

"I think this is it, Ragnar. Through here is the end."

I sensed the same thing. "What do you think?"

"Kill them all, get the fragments, go home. Those are the only things that matter."

I opened the door and strolled in, counting one, two, three... six warriors, all of them armoured, ready and waiting for us. I felt Vilkas follow close behind, no doubt holding his great-sword high, ready to strike. Then I met the eyes of the warrior in middle. Tall. Broad. And anyone else would have found him intimidating. I knew him immediately, as much as he knew me.

"Arnbjorn," I growled.

"You know him?" Vilkas wondered.

"Aye. And what I don't understand is that he was a werewolf."

"No longer," Arnbjorn retorted, "I was found by the Vigilants of Stendarr, who sensed a strength inside me that wasn't the beast-blood. They helped cure me, and I have since spent many months cleansing Skyrim of your filth. But if you're wondering about all this?" He grinned, I guess trying to be menacing. "This was all about you, Ragnar. You took everything from me."

"You chose the blood over your own wife, you fucking idiot. Then you got cured?!"

"I had no choice! I was a dead man otherwise!" he roared, "If she hadn't met you, she would still be with me. And she wouldn't be buried under a few feet of dirt."

That took me aback. "You know?"

He nodded, still glaring. "I have my sources. Everything is your fault, Ragnar. Ever since you killed for that wife of yours. If you'd just stayed out of it, I would still have a wife..."

"Who you couldn't satisfy," I stated, unable to stop the smirk, "She needed me for that. You weren't enough of a man to fulfil all her needs. And trust me on this, Arnbjorn, I definitely made her happy during our time together." That did the job, as he wasted little time releasing a war cry and striding forward. I used my Thu'um, of course. I doubt he knew I was Dragonborn, but I sent five of the six of them flying. "Vilkas, the rest are yours. Arnbjorn is mine."

A couple of the warriors were already wounded from being blown into the walls, so Vilkas wouldn't have too much of a problem. I let Arnbjorn get to his feet, his eyes only for me, as much as mine were only for him. I would like to say it was a long battle, each of us gaining an upper hand at one moment, barely surviving the next, and it ended with an honourable death.

But it was nothing like that. He threw down his sword, and I knew what he wanted. "You carrying any other blade?" I wondered.

"I'm going to kill you with my bare hands, cunt."

I dropped my sword and shield, and undid my chest armour, dropping that to the ground, watching as he did the same. We were both covered in scars. Then we closed the gap between us. It all happened very quickly. Punches. Elbows. Knees. Kicks. There were no rules. The only thing that mattered was winning. I put my head into his nose, causing it to break and bleed, and that gave me the upper hand. A heel into his knee put him down, and a knee into his jaw put him on his back. He'd got a few hits in on me, but he never thought straight the entire fight, far too angry to make the right decisions.

Leaping on him, I left a couple of punches in his face before wrapping my hands around his neck. As he struggled for breath, I just leaned down close to his face. "Just remember she chose the better man," I whispered. It angered him, of course, and he almost kicked me off, but I put a knee into his groin, and that took most of the fight out of him.

I watched life drain from his eyes before his head lolled to the side. I kept my hands tight until I was absolutely sure. "He's dead, Ragnar," Vilkas said quietly.

"Just making sure he's dead," I said, slamming his head into the ground for good measure.

"He's dead," he repeated, feeling a hand on my shoulder, "Let him go. At least leave with a little honour intact." I released him, sitting back on my knees. It was only when I opened my eyes, looking at his body, did I remember that I'd kept my word to Astrid. It was her final request. Kill Arnbjorn. "Take it that was personal?"

Rising to my feet, I met his eyes. "I just remembered that I've kept a promise to someone I loved."

"She's dead?"

"Aye. It was her final request. Kill him," I said, gesturing to the body.

After I'd picked up my armour and weapons, Vilkas gathered up the fragments, we had a search for anything else, finding a few coin and jewels, and I found a diary that definitely belonged to Arnbjorn. I put that in my small pack, wanting to read his thoughts at a later date.

It was dark upon leaving the crumbling fort, but we agreed that we'd head straight back to Whiterun. Two warriors on horseback would draw attention, but no-one would be dumb enough to attack us. It was still dark by the time we rode into Whiterun, both of us still wide awake, no doubt running on the adrenaline of battle. Coming to a stop outside my home, Vilkas offered his hand.

"Thank you, Dragonborn."

"It was for Kodlak, Vilkas."

"Aye. I'll give the fragments to Eorlund in the morning. No doubt we'll have the funeral for Kodlak tonight or tomorrow at the latest."

"I'll come up to Jorrvaskr later, or Aela can at least fill me in when I wake up."

Heading upstairs once inside, I managed to undress quietly, wiping myself down with a towel as I figured I'd have a little blood on me. Sliding under the covers, Aela turned towards me, and I guess I did surprise her, as she did wake up, turning to give her a kiss when I noticed her eyes open.

"Is it done?"

"We got the fragments back."

"And the Silver Hand?"

"Eliminated, but it's a long story. I'll tell you when I wake up later."

"Want to make love?"

I couldn't help chuckle. "Though that sounds like a nice way to end the day, I'm beat."

"In the morning then."

I kissed her forehead as she snuggled into me and pretty much fell asleep straight away. I still felt a little adrenaline, so needed to feel myself calm down, my mind going at a million miles an hour. I couldn't help smile to myself at the thought that I'd managed to keep my promise to Astrid. I cared little that I'd fulfilled the contract, as I didn't give the Brotherhood a second thought. But from time to time I did think about Astrid, as much as I still thought about my wife, as much as I tried not to.

Finally managing to drift off, I'm sure I didn't actually get that much sleep, feeling I'd barely had a couple of hours before I was gently shaken awake by Aela. Opening my eyes, she smiled down at me as she said it was getting near the middle of the day. I grabbed her hand before she could leave and dragged her under the covers with me. As I was only wearing underwear, it was only a matter of getting her clothes off before I could slide my cock inside her.

We didn't really share many words over the next few minutes. Only words such as 'harder', 'faster', 'yes', and 'I love you'. It was only when we had both enjoyed a climax that we lay together naked, Aela pressed against me as always, enjoying the warmth of my body, as I enjoyed the feeling of her soft skin against mine.

"Their leader was someone I knew," I confessed, "His name was Arnbjorn. He was the estranged husband of Astrid." I paused before adding, "Everything is my fault. Taking Astrid from him led him down this road. Everything led to Kodlak..."

"Yet from what you told me about your relationship with her, he chose the blood. I thought he was a werewolf?"

"He didn't share the whole story, but he said he'd been cured. Whether he actually was or not, I guess I'll never know. But he made sure to blame me for everything, basically saying I ruined his life."

"Due to his choices."

"Astrid chose me in the end. That's the only thing I know."

She kissed my cheek. "I can understand why," she whispered in my ear, before turning my head to face her, "And never, never, believe you are responsible for what happened to Kodlak. We all loved that man. None of us failed him. The responsibility lies with the Silver Hand. They started the conflict. You and Vilkas just ended it."

Though her words did make feel a little better, I still felt guilt. Probably always would, though at least I had avenged his death and kept my word to Astrid. That did make me think briefly of the survivors, wondering if they had made it to Dawnstar. I figured they would surely be aware of my capture, but wouldn't have a clue if they were aware of my survival. I figured I might get a knock on my door one day. But I wasn't going to worry about it.

After dressing, we headed downstairs, where food had been left in a pot to keep warm, and I sated my hunger, Aela informing me that, after the funeral that evening, there would be plenty of food and drink as we both mourned the loss but celebrated the life of Kodlak Whitemane.

We did nothing the rest of the day, both of us eventually heading back upstairs to lie together on the bed, both of us quite happy to sit back with a book, though sitting close together, occasionally stopping to have a cuddle. She was still very upset, as though she would never admit it to anyone else, Kodlak had been a father figure to her, and she regretted deeply that some of their last words had been tinged with anger. Like many, she wished their last words had been one of the respect they had for the other, but life was not like that.

Once the sun started to set, we heated some water over the fire so we could wash before dressing in our finest armour, spending a few minutes polishing steel and leather, doing the same with our weapons, as they would also be sheathed and carried to the funeral. Dressed as the finest warrior, the last thing Aela did was paint her face as always, though she had to re-apply it more than once as the tears began again. Each time she needed a hug from the Dragonborn, chuckling to herself that she would be worse during the service itself.

The sun having disappeared over the horizon; we knew it was time to head to Jorrvaskr. Heading outside, the first thing we both noticed was the near silence. The marketplace was already empty, all the stores empty of traders and buyers. Walking up the stairs to the Gildergreen, that too was empty. I shared a glance with Aela, who could only shrug her shoulders.

Heading inside Jorrvaskr, the rest of the Companions were already gathered around the firepit. Food was already cooking on the spit, though no-one dared touch any food nor drink yet. Aela and I shook hands with our friends, and I could feel the sadness emanate from near everyone. I'd never seen Jorrvaskr as sombre, though it was understandable.

The twins took the lead as we headed out of Jorrvaskr and up the steps to the Skyforge. I was surprised to see Jarl Balgruuf and his entourage waiting for us, stepping forward to take each of us by the hand, his other hand on our shoulder, as he offered his condolences. "The Harbinger was a great man. His presence in my city will be missed."

"You knew him well?" I asked.

"I considered Kodlak a close friend. And I, like everyone, am deeply saddened by his loss. It is a wound to the heart that will take time to heal."

"Wise words as always, lord."

Gathering in a couple of lines around the Skyforge, the Jarl asked us to look over the city before the service began. Once we had, he whispered something to Irileth. She stepped forward and yelled, "Extinguish flames!"

Whiterun was surprisingly well lit of an evening, but we watched in silence as every other fire across the city disappeared, until the only light was provided by the Skyforge and the few torches carried by the Companions and the invited guests. I know we were all left in shock as small little fires then started to appear, and the people of Whiterun appeared from everywhere. I couldn't pick out too many faces, but the torches suggested close to a hundred if not more gathered by the Underforge, all ready to pay their respects. I felt my hand grabbed briefly by Aela. I figured she would be weeping again, gently pulling her closer and wrapping an arm around her.

Turning back to the Skyforge, the Companions lined up to pay their last respect to the Harbinger. Those not of the Circle passed by first before the four remaining Circle members passed by. I wasn't sure in what order we should pass, and I was surprised when the twins went first, followed by Aela, allowing me the last word. Aela openly wept again as she said her goodbyes, giving her another hug before she left me alone with Kodlak.

Resting a hand on his forearm, I wasn't exactly sure what I should say. "I failed you," I finally whispered, "I should have been at your side when they attacked. But I have the heads. I'm not sure how we'll do it, but I'll make damn sure your soul is sent to Sovngarde. If that in any way makes up for the fact I failed otherwise, then perhaps you may find it in yourself to forgive me if we ever meet again. My only other regret is that we had so few opportunities to really speak. You had decades of wisdom that I could have used considering who I am now. I have many regrets in my life, but that is one I will carry for the rest of mine."

Standing in line again, the Circle members at the fore, we all shared a glance. "Who should start?" I asked.

Aela nodded. "I'll do it," she said, taking a deep breath before adding, "Before the ancient flame..."

"We grieve," all the Companions stated in unison.

"At this loss," Eorlund stated.

"We weep," the Companions, the Jarl and his entourage, and all of Whiterun echoed below us.

"For the fallen," Vilkas added.

Eyes fell on me as I walked forward and used my Thu'um to light the pyre. "We shout!" everyone present cried after I'd done the same.

"And for ourselves," Farkas stated.

"We take our leave," everyone finished.

The Companions gathered together, where Aela said the Circle would meet in the Underforge before we would all gather in Jorrvaskr for the wake. The civilians slowly started to filter away, though Jarl Balgruuf would remain as an invited guest. Heading to the Underforge, I didn't quite know what to expect, but I never thought it would descend into the bitter argument between Aela and the twins over the matter of the beast-blood. I knew the pair had their reservations, but I had a feeling their minds were made up.

Vilkas sighed as the argument went around in circles. "Look, Aela, the old man had one wish before he died. And he didn't get it. It's as simple as that."

"Being moon-born is not so much of a curse as you might think, Vilkas."

"That's fine for you, and maybe for Ragnar, but he wanted to be clean," Vilkas explained, "He wanted to meet Ysgramor and know the glories of Sovngarde. But all that was taken from him."

"And you and Ragnar avenged him," Aela retorted.

"Kodlak did not care for vengeance," Farkas added, and I couldn't help nod in agreement. Aela's and I quest for vengeance over the death of Skjor had started us down this sorry road in the first place.

"No, Farkas, he didn't," Vilkas said, "And that's not what this is about. We should be honouring Kodlak, no matter our own thoughts on the blood."

Aela finally relented. I didn't blame her as her love for Kodlak would over-ride anything else. "You're right. It's what he wanted, and he deserved to have it."

"Kodlak used to speak of a way to cleanse his soul, even in death. You know the legends of the Tomb of Ysgramor?" Vilkas wondered.