Chapter 11
Location:- Outside Broken Tower
Redoubt.
Date:- 2E 581 First Seed Tirdas 17th
Kavak and the Oathsworn of the
Shatter-Shield clan had a busy time with clearing the old fort of the
cultists that had made it their home. He and his men had found some
of the cultists trying to dig through a fresh cave in deep in the old
dungeons. Once the fighting had died down and he was happy enough
with the security of the old fort he sent teams out to do a final
sweep and to kill any cultists they found along the way.
He sat down heavily on the stone steps
leading up to the main door by the roadside and looked up at the
clear blue sky as the sun rose to its zenith for the day. The air was
filled with bird song as they flitted about the cliff face and bushes
that clung to the old rocks for survival. The search for the lord
Volk had been for naught as there had been no sign of him or
Left-Paw-Alight and he began to wonder if they were trapped on the
other side of the cave in which was why the cultists were digging
there to try and get to them.
Kavak pulled his two handed sword out
and rested it on his lap and inspected the blade. The blade of the
sword had notches from the fight at the clan hold and from the battle
that had taken place in the fort, he lovingly stroked it with a
calloused hand and a smile. The weapon had served him for most of his
adult life and now like him it was starting to loose its edge far to
quickly in battle.
Lightning split the sky and a vortex of
clouds swirled above the grass plains, Kavak looked up as a flight of
birds frightened by the sudden sound took to the air and sighed.
“One more battle for us both by the
looks of it.” he said to the blade as he stood up and went back
inside the old fort to bellow out a command “Oathsworn to me, we
have more daedra to kill.” His voice boomed throughout the old fort
and the sound of running feet clad in metal and leather could be
heard as his unit of elite warriors started to gather to him.
The portal from Coldharbour opened up
ten yards above the grass plain and evicted three figures that hit
the ground below. With a crack like thunder the portal closed behind
them. From where Kavak stood with the Oathsworn he could see the
figures laying on the ground was an argonian and two humans one male
and one female. The figures didn't move for a while and then started
to rouse trying to stand up onto their feet. Kavak gave the order to
raise the shield wall and approach the three figures before they
could gain their bearings and attack them.
Volk rolled over onto his back as he
tried to catch his breath. Gresla laid next to him looking up at the
clear blue sky and started to laugh and breath in deeply the clear
mountain air of Skyrim. Left-Paw-Alight sat bolt up right and looked
around in a daze.
“Oh look Kavak is here to greet us.”
he said as his brain tried to process the sight around him “That's
nice, I wonder how he knew where to find us.” Left-Paw-Alight then
held his head in his hands and started to make a strange croaking
sound a sob left him as he realised what had happened “Oh gods we
left Delte behind.”
“I know.” Volk said as he rose to
his feet with the help of his wife who was overjoyed at being freed
“How are we going to break the news to Veldam?”
Volk walked over to Left-Paw-Alight and
helped him to his feet “Come on Paws.”
“I will send Veldam a letter once we
get back to your hold.” Left-Paw-Alight said as he rose to his
feet.
“She will not be forgotten Paws,
while my clan still lives in these hills and my family hold still
stands her name will live on in our sagas.” came the reply from
Volk.
Kavak stopped halfway to the three
figures and gave the order to lower the shield wall, he watched as
the three figures got to their feet and a smile spread across his
face as he recognised the human male and argonian to be Volk and
Left-Paw-Alight, the female he assumed was Volk's wife Gresla. He
started to laugh and moved forward to greet them all, the Oathsworn
broke rank and followed their leader.
“It is good to see you my lord Volk.”
Kavak said as he greeted him with a warriors handshake.
“Good to see you as well old man.”
Volk responded with a grin as he looked around at the Oathsworn and
added “Where is Brom?”
“There are many things we need to
discuss on the way home.” Kavak answered his tone dropping to a
more serious note. Volk's heart leapt into his throat and his mouth
went dry as he tried to swallow.
“Is Brom well?” he asked the old
nord fearing the worse.
“Yes Brom is fine.” Kavak said with
a grin spreading across his face “And so is your son Fraki.”
At hearing this new Gresla gave a sigh
of relief “Thank the gods.” she put her arm around Volk and
rested her head on his shoulder.
“What are you not telling us though?”
Left-Paw-Alight spoke up as he listened in on the conversation.
“Best that comes from Brom.” Kavak
said as he looked at each of them.
“I'll tell him if you wont.” Gresla
said in a defiant tone “Your father Volk lead the......”
“Shut it woman.” Kavak raised his
hand to strike Gresla “You maybe Volk's wife but it is not …..”
“It's ok Kavak let her speak.” Volk
interrupted him and then lowered his voice to a growl and added “She
is my wife and I do not want you to speak to her in such a way again.
You shall treat her with the same respect as you would me.”
“Forgive me my lord.” Kavak
apologised and bowed low to Volk “Forgive me my lady.”
“Apology accepted.” Gresla said
looking at Kavak, she then turned to Volk and continued “Your
father Volk lead the attack on our farm and took Fraki from me after
he killed Michael in cold blood.”
Volk staggered backwards away from her
the shock of the news was like a physical blow to him as he looked
between Gresla and Kavak shaking his head in disbelief. “This is
some sort of cruel joke it has to be.” he said wiping away the
tears.
“I wish it were.” Kavak said as he
held onto Volk to steady him “Brom challenged your father when his
crimes became known. He won and sent us to find you.”
“I have regained my wife and new
born, only to loose a battle sister and my father. The gods certainly
know how to make fun of us.” Volk shook off Kavak and went to his
wife and held her close.
Kavak turned to look at Left-Paw-Alight
in his ruined robes “Good to see you as well Paws old friend.” he
frowned at the argonian looking him up and down “New look in robes
I see?”
“No it is not.” snapped
Left-Paw-Alight “They are ruined Delte she cut...them..” he
stopped his rant and looked at Kavak “Delte is the name of the
battle sister Volk spoke of. If not for her we would not of been able
to escape Coldharbour.”
“Let us go home I wish to see my
son.” Volk said.
Location:- Shatter-Shield clan hold.
Date:- 2E 581 First Seed Fredas 20th
Brom sat in the clan longhall the blood
and bodies from the fight with the cultists and his father had been
removed. New fur rugs had been placed around the hall and servants
scurried about cleaning, some of the militia stood guard inside the
hall. Shouts were heard outside as the rest of the militia went
through their drills and training. A large fire gave the longhall a
much needed warmth, spread out in front of it was a fur rug where
Fraki lay giggling as Hreira played with him and her new born
daughter. The mood around the settlement had improved greatly and a
new sense of hope seemed to of fallen over the people who lived and
worked within. As the winters snow had retreated the flowers were
starting to come out of their winter hibernation. Children ran about
outside playing games of hide and seek or seeing how far they could
roll a wooden hoop with a small stick down the roads.
One of the militia sergeants entered
the longhall, his long chainmail coat glittered in the shafts of
sunlight that spilled down from the roof and windows. He walked
briskly up to where Brom sat and bowed low. “My lord I have news.”
he said with a barley contained smile and waited for the signal to
continue.
Brom waved a hand at the sergeant “Go
on sergeant Balfhe .”
“Your brother approaches with Kavak
and the Oathsworn my lord.” sergeant Balfhe said then stepped to
one side.
Brom shot to his feet and started to
half walk and half run out of the longhall to greet his brother. He
stopped at the doorway and shouted over to Hreira “Volk is on his
way get Fraki ready to meet his father.”
The approach to the longhall was lined
with family members of the Shatter-Shield clan as well as the militia
and local farmers who tended the lands around the hold. The cheering
was overwhelming, Brom stood at the doors to the longhall beaming
from ear to ear, his long hair braided with coloured beads and cloth.
He wore a red woollen tunic and leather britches with leather boots
that came up to his knees. Around his neck was a golden torc that
glittered in the sunlight his arms also had golden torcs to show his
status as a warrior lord. He looked over at Hreira who was holding
Fraki and said to her “Stay out of sight with Fraki, I wish to
surprise Volk.”
Left-Paw-Alight looked over at Volk as
they made their way through the crowd towards the longhall. During
their journey through Coldharbour and back to the clan hold he had
noticed grey streaks of hair had appeared in Volk's hair and beard.
His own glorious plumage of coloured feathers had fallen out and now
it was being replaced with a crown of horns. The words that Delte had
said echoed in his mind about travelling through Oblivion will always
take a toll on those mortals that dare enter. Gresla and Volk had
been inseparable throughout the whole journey from Rorikstead.
They all dismounted their horses a few
steps away from the longhall, Volk helped Gresla off her horse and
walked hand in hand up to the main doors where Brom stood waiting
with a huge grin on his face. The two brothers embraced each other as
only brothers can, and then Brom turned to Gresla and gave her the
same welcome.
“Is it true about the Old Bear?”
Volk asked breaking the silence between them looking at Brom.
Tears welled up in Brom's eyes as he
nodded his head, Volk embraced him again and said “It should never
of been you to do this task, forgive me brother.”
“Well there is some good news I have
for you and Gresla.” Brom said as he waved Hreira out from her
hiding spot with Fraki “We saved him before our father could
sacrifice him to Molag Bal.”
Hreira stepped out of the longhall with
Fraki in her arms and presented him to Volk and his wife. Gresla gave
a gasp of joy at seeing her baby and gently took him from Hreira,
Volk looked down at the face of his surviving son and placed his
index finger into the palm of the young boy. Fraki gripped hold tight
on his fathers finger as Volk tried to shake it free with a smile.
“He has a good grip, he will make a
fine warrior.” Volk said he then looked at Hreira and said to her
“You lass come here.”
Hreira walked up to Volk and gave a
small curtsey “My lord ?”
“Are you the wet nurse Kavak told me
about?” he asked her his tone now more serious and stern.
“Yes my lord.” she replied with her
head still bowed.
“Look at me when I want to thank you
for taking the time to look after my boy and offer you anything
within my power to give you as reward.” Volk said to the young
mother
Hreira looked up into Volk's steel blue
eyes framed with his black hair and said “I only wish for my
daughter to grow up healthy and be given an education.” she said in
all honesty.
“Then it shall be so, move your
family up to the longhall.” Volk said resolute “I think a feast
is in order to celebrate our return and reunion.” he said as he
placed an arm around Gresla and Brom as they wall walked into the
longhall.
The feast lasted for three days and
three nights in celebration of Volk's return and his reunion with
Gresla his wife along with his son. On the last day of the feast a
clan skald stood on a large oak table with a drum and sang a new saga
of Volk's adventures in Cyrodiil and Coldharbour. Once he was
finished the skald quietened down the crowd in the hall and spoke to
his audience.
“Although she was a dunmer her skin
ashen grey with violet eyes she had the heart and soul of a daughter
of Skyrim, and this saga is for her.”
He then started to beat his drum once
more and sang a second saga about Delte and her sacrifice to save
Volk and Gresla from Coldharbour.
Epilogue
Left-Paw-Alight kept to his word and
sent a letter to general Veldam giving him the bad news of Delte's
demise and how it had occurred.
Veldam didn't take the news well and
entered into a spiral of self destruction over the next year. The
bottle became his only companion and love for a while until he lost
his commission for general after a large defeat in a siege at one of
the keeps that littered Cyrodiil. It was shortly after this event he
managed to pull himself out of the bottle and work towards getting
his rank of general back. His natural charisma brought others like
him together to form a small unit of highly trained men and women.
They took on the jobs deep behind the enemy lines in disrupting
supplies of the enemy alliances. Rumours surrounded the unit about
all those that serve in it are looking for death and they were tired
of life due to the high risk missions they took. The enemy soldiers
gave Veldam's new unit the name Hellequin which would garner ghost
stories around the campfires at night.
Left-Paw-Alight said his farewells to
the Shatter-Shield family and went on to the college in Winterhold
city. When he arrived at the college he was well received by the
other mages who studied and lived there. He gave the council his own
accounts of what he had seen and done in Coldharbour, along with the
strange contraptions he had seen being made. Left-Paw-Alight left out
the part about Delte due to a promise he had made to Volk that he
would find a way to free her soul or get her home if she still lived
some how.
Left-Paw-Alight was given the honour of
being able to hand pick his own students that would help him research
more on the daedra and the events in Coldharbour. Over the next
couple of years he kept in touch with the Shatter-Shield clan and
sent letters to Veldam, although he never got any back from the
general.
In the year that followed Volk's return
home his wife Gresla gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Gresla and
Volk overjoyed with this blessing gave their new addition to the
family the name of Delte in honour of his missing friend. Fraki and
Delte Shatter-Shield was given every care and attention that could be
afforded. Brom and Serena the breton healer from Rorikstead started
courting and after a year and a half they tied the knot at the shrine
of Mara to become husband and wife. Volk still taunts his brother
about not marrying a nord, but soon found that Serena to be a perfect
match for his brother. Gresla and Serena became good friends and
would often spend time together while the two brothers were away on
business.
True to his word Volk accepted Hreira
and her daughter along with her husband into the clan and gave them
the same attention as he would his own flesh and blood.
Kavak decided to retire and hang up his
sword once and for all, as he stepped down as the clans housecarl his
nephew and husband to Hreira took up the title. The ranks of the
oathsworn swelled as some of the displaced people from Rorikstead
came to the clan hold and pledged themselves to the clan. With this
came new problems as the jarls Morthal and Solitude demanded to know
what Volk's intentions were to be with such a fighting force on their
southern boarders.
On the pillars that held up the roof of
the longhall a new saga was carved into the wood of Volk's adventures
with his two friends but it was never finished until the fate of
Delte could be determined.
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