WARNING: ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM SPOILERS!
Strength in Numbers
Our adventures continued as more people asked for help retrieving items from caves and I personally searched for more Words of Power. One stop was High Gate Ruins where we temporarily joined forces with a woman named Anska.
She was searching for a scroll deep in the ruins and seeing as we both needed to reach the same place to find our treasures, we were happy to work together.
It was a good thing too. Both the Word Wall and the scroll were guardrd by a powerful Dragon Priest called Vokun.
We fought hard and defeated him. I added his mask to my growing collection and we parted ways with Anska. But not before she rewarded me with the ability to conjure a flaming explosive familiar. Much fun!
Our journeys continued. We made our way to a place that supposedly would help cure the Companions of their werewolfism. We were to bring back a Hags Head. I collected four.
Too late for it to be of any help we found the body of Isabelle Rolaine, the woman that the late Ranmir had asked that we find for him.
On return to Whiterun, we approached Jorrvaskr to find it had been recently attacked by the Silver Hand.
We also discovered that Kodlak Whitemane, the man who wished for the cure before his death had been killed in the battle.
Vilkas demanded revenge and enlisted my help to get it. Together, we all marched on the Silver Hands headquarters and retrieve the stolen shards of Wuuthrad. For some reason he didn’t want Kharjo to come…
A dog and cat thing maybe?
Our mission was a huge success. We slaughtered the Silver Hand to a man and secured the broken pieces of Ysgramors Axe.
On our return it was time to attend Kodlaks funeral.
After the ceremony Eorlund told me to retrieve a final piece of Wiithrad from Kodlaks chamber. While there I found Kodlaks personal diary. I somehow felt compelled to read it and found it full of praise for me and suggestions that I may make a good leader for the Companions.
In the Underforge Vilkas, Farkas and Aela discussed how it was still possible for Kodlaks soul to be sent to Sovngard instead of the hunting grounds.
One of the Hags heads would have to be used. Eorlund Gray-Mane presented me with the reforged Wuuthrad to wield on the quest to save Kodlaks soul.
We charged the entire way to Ysgramors Tomb.
Passing Louis Letrush who was still playing with magic..
We ran on…
On arrival, we had to prove our worth by fighting countless ghosts of fallen Companions before we could reach the chamber where the ghost of Kodlak waited. A bit irritating to be honest, when we were trying to be helpful.
After a brief battle with his wolf spirit, Kodlak was free to pass on to Sovngard, leaving me to take his place among the Companions.
I decided that it would be a good time now to go and reunite with Kharjo. Of course on the way, we made a number of stops.
One of which was a cave where we defeated the most powerful animal guardian spirit. The troll.
We went back to Riften, where I hoped to find Kharjo, but seeing as his caravan travelled all over the country, it so happened that he was not there at that time.
Instead I decided to allow Mjoll the Lioness to join us, seeing as she was so keen to.
It was however a little awkward what with having both her and her rival Mercer in tow, fighting together.
We travelled on together, Mjoll very much enjoying the experiences.
One such experience was a Frostbite spider that continued to spray a stream of web even after death.
She was also there to assist when we met another Dragon Priest named Volsung, who seemed to have the most useful of the magical masks so far.
Later the time came for me to say farewell to Mjoll while I recieved some training among the Companions. Oddly, it seemed as though her friend Aerin had been stalking us the entire time.
No sooner had I said farewell and asked her to carry a few things back, that he appeared to escort her back to Riften.
My next stop in Riften did reunite us with Kharjo who was happy to rejoin us.
We set off, searching for more adventure. I rode upon Snowberry, my trusty steed.
It wasn’t long before we were set upon by Forsworn bandits. Unfortunately we had stumbled upon a Forsworn raid on a travelling merchant.
We rode in to assist. It may have been seeing another horse in trouble that caused it, but Snowberry for some reason joined the fight rather than staying away like usual.
It was a sad end. Both the merchant and her horse were killed, and worst of all, my dear Snowberry.
I may be no closer to deciding whether I support the Stormcloaks or the Empire in the War, but I certainly now know that the Forsworn are an enemy.
Our group travelled on until we found Valthume, where I had been informed that a Word of Power could be found.
Inside, we also found a ghost named Valdar, who told us that the tomb was the resting place of the Dragon Priest Hevnoraak.
He wanted our help to contain him, before he grew too powerful and unleashed his evil on the world.
This sounded reasonable.
We got what we came for and in the meantime defeated the priest. Barbas did most of the work, though I stood back with my bow and offered support.
With another mask in my collection, it was time to move on again.
We passed through Dawnstar, where I felt reminded that one of the Dark Brotherhood targets could be found.
I decided to judge for myself and searched for the woman in question: Beitild.
I spoke with her and it seemed that as well as being a grumpy, self centered individual, she was likely enough to murder her husband.
I reasoned that someone must have good cause to want her removed, so I obliged.
I had no definitive proof of her ill-doings, which weighs on my conscience, but I can only assume she deserved it.
I returned to the Dark Brotherhood with the news, to find that a jester named Cicero had arrived with the Night Mother.
I was given a new target. Or at least a lead on one. I was to speak to a woman in Markarth called Muiri who had completed the Black Sacrament.
I was in no rush to complete more work for the Brotherhood, so I went back to Honeyside to make attempt at improving my armour and weaponry.
On arrival, we were attacked by a dragon.
I’m a little concerned if the dragons now know where I live..
Perhaps my newly found Dragon helmet will serve as warning to them.
I returned to the stables and found myself a new steed. I call her Snowberry II.
My next stop was to be Whiterun. I believed that I had left some amount of smithing equipment at Breezehome and wished to retrieve it.
On the way, we were assaulted by two dragons at the same time. It seemed they were getting desperate!
We killed one, and the other fled.
Without further trouble, I got to smithing and after much work, I managed to piece together some new armour.
Ready for battle in my new gear with my new horse, we rode for Markarth.
On the way I discovered that Snowberry II had an interesting power.
Muiri asked that I kill her ex-lover Alain Dufont and for a bonus reward Nilsine Shatter-Shield.
I asked her reasons. Dufont was a bandit, so the hit on him was justified, but her desire to see and end to Nilsine was petty in my mind so I decided against it.
My band found Dufont and killed him for Muiri before accepting our reward.
I returned to the Brotherhood again where Astrid told me she was concerned that Cicero was harbouring a spy.
She told me to hide in the Night Mothers coffin and eavesdrop.
It turned out that Cicero was merely speaking to the Night Mother and wishing she would respond.
The weird thing was though, that she did respond… to me..
According to her, I was the new Listener and had a part to play in the Brotherhood. The night mother wished that I find a man Amaund Motierre in Volunruud.
Astrid was not pleased at the news, feeling her authority was being undermined.
Part 8 ‘Pestilence, Plague, Poison and Power’ Here
Chapter List Here
