The Ballad of the Dragonborn Four: Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The Secret of the Circle
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Morning came to Skyrim and the Dragonborn were still in bed. Well, save for one. Renee woke up as the dawn struck her face and looking out a nearby window, she could see the mountain that she and her new friends have to climb: the Throat of the World. It had been a couple of days since she helped restore the Gildergreen and with doing nothing but odd jobs at Jorrvaskr, Renee decided it was time for her and the three men down below to venture to the lonely monastery of High Hrothgar and answer the summons of the Greybeards.

After getting dressed in her armor and equipping her sword as well as grabbing her shield, Renee quietly walked down the stairs so as not to wake the Mage, the Thief, and the Rider sleeping in bedrolls below. The extensions to Breezehome began the day after her 'excursion' to the Eldergleam Sanctuary and this was the day they would be finished. The trio of men were getting sick of lying down on bedrolls every night and were looking forward to warm beds. So Renee was going to wait until the next day to leave, since it would be a while before they would sleep in another bed again.

Wanting the meal to be quick, Renee grabbed a sweet roll and headed out the door and headed to Jorrvaskr. She had finished the roll upon her arrival when Aela walked up to her and spoke.

"Hey, young blood. Skjor was just looking for you."

This confounded Renee.

"What does he want?"

Aela just shrugged her shoulders.

"He didn't say, but you'd better move fast. There's probably something I could find for you to do, but best to check with him."

As Aela left, Renee wondered what the older Companion wanted with her. Hopefully it was something short. She found Skjor outside, barking orders at other rookies who had joined earlier that year. She hailed him and he dismissed the now-grateful rookies.

"Ah, there you are."

"You wanted to see me?" Renee asked.

Skjor nodded with a serious look on his face…well, more serious than the young Warrior had seen in her short time in the Companions.

"I did. Your time, it seems, has come."

The words were cryptic to Renee, so she folded her arms and spoke.

"What do you mean?"

Again, Skjor answered.

"Last week, a scholar came to us. He said he knew where we could find another fragment of Wuuthrad. He seemed a fool to me, but if he's right, the honor of the Companions demands that we seek it out."

Renee was confused.

"What is Wuuthrad and what does this have to do with me?"

Skjor answered her.

"It is the battle-axe of Ysgramor. It is a symbol of the Companions. As for what it has to do with you, this is a simple errand, but the time is right for it to be your Trial. Carry yourself with honor, and you'll become a true Companion. Farkas will be your Shield-Sibling on this venture, whelp. He'll answer any questions you have. Try not to disappoint. Or to get him killed."

With that, Skjor left to perform other errands, leaving a frustrated Renee behind.

"And I was hoping to leave today."

She looked around for Farkas, finding him out in the training yard. Hailing him, Renee spoke.

"Farkas. Skjor says you're going to be my Shield-Brother?"

Placing his sword into his scabbard, Farkas spoke.

"So I'm told. Let's see if you impress. I'll meet you at Dustman's Cairn when you're ready."

Nodding, Renee parted ways and returned to Breezehome to let her new friends know they would be delayed for a while longer. Upon reaching the house, she saw Hiccup standing outside the door, stretching while Toothless yawned in his sleep.

She hailed the rider.

"Morning, Hiccup."

Seeing Renee, Hiccup spoke.

"Morning. Where are you off to?"

She told him.

"I haven't been able to ask anyone if I could have some time off yet. By the time I was about to ask, I was loaded with some sort of Trial. I have to go to a cairn with one of the Companions to fetch a piece of a battleax that belonged to the Companions' founder."

Hiccup shook his head as he looked towards the main gate.

"I hope we get going soon. I'd like to find out more about this power we have. There's nothing in our Viking legends that could equal to what we have experienced at the watchtower and I'm still learning to read the local language. And, to be honest, when I absorbed that dragon's soul, I can't help but fell…"

He paused for a moment before he finished.

"…that it's happened to me before. But that can't be right."

He fed Toothless the basket of fish he bought the other day and looked back to the Warrior.

"In the meantime, I might as well work on some projects I was thinking about."

Renee raised her eyebrow.

"Projects?"

Hiccup started to count off his projects with his fingers as he explains.

"Well, since I lost the shield I made during the storm shortly before our arrest and near-death experience in Helgen, I need to make a new one at the forge. Adrianne said I can use it if I bring or buy my own materials."

"But I could've bought you a shield yesterday." Renee responded, placing her sword hand on her hip out of habit.

"The shield I made has a few modifications of my own design, such as a grappling hook."

Now Renee understood.

"Alright. That's one with an explanation."

Hiccup then began to saddle Toothless.

"I also need to make a few upgrades to Toothless' gear. If we are going to travel together, I figure I should make the saddle seated for four instead of two. The one I fly on is the one from when I was 15 and only seats two."

"Any other projects?" Renee asked.

Hiccup lifted his metal leg while leaning on Toothless.

"I've been thinking about what J'Kiir said at Bleak Falls Barrow and after what we've been though the other day, I need to make a new leg that can be more silent and efficient."

Renee once again raised her eyebrow.

"The other day?"

Hiccup froze, remembering that J'Kiir had asked that they would not tell Renee and Rahm-Ku about getting involved with Daedric Princes and decided to keep the subject of his leg going.

"Doesn't matter. What does matter is that I'm due to an upgrade on my leg myself."

Deciding to let the other day go, Renee placed her hand under her chin, her elbow supported by her shield arm.

"Mind if I have a look and give suggestions?"

Hiccup wondered what Renee was thinking about, but complied as he sat down on a crate and removed his artificial leg. After obtaining the leg, Renee carefully examined it and spoke after a few minutes.

"It is a good leg if you are a walking civilian. But if you want to sneak better, among other things, I'd say you need to make maybe one or three new legs."

She then returned the leg to Hiccup as she continued.

"For metal, I would highly recommend either Orichalcum or refined Malachite. Both are green in color, so in grassy or forested areas, it can be easily hidden. The difference would be that Orichalcum is a heavier metal than malachite, so you would have to make the rest of your leg a bit stronger in order to lift it. For snowy regions and deserts, I would say refined moonstone and Corundum respectively. You can even use Dwemer metal if you can find some. But even if you chose one of those metal, you would still have to do something about the noise. I would say the use of leather or a strong cloth as a sort of a cushion. Of course, if you talk to Farengar, I'm sure he can enchant the leg with a muffle enchantment, but that may be a bit pricy. For the design, I would say make it look more like a foot, but if you remember the feet of those dragons, you can use your leg as a weapon as well. Any questions?"

Hiccup's mouth just hung open in shock and amazement. He had never expected Renee to know so much about smithing, even if he didn't know what the metals were or the subject of enchantments.

"How did you…"

His words trailed off, but Renee laughed at his confusion.

"You know, I keep forgetting you're not from Tamriel. Orcs are among the best blacksmiths on the entire continent. So I picked up a few things growing up in the Fangs."

Seeing the sun getting higher, Renee waved to her friend.

"I better go. I'm wasting daylight. See you later, Hiccup! And tell the others I said hi."

Hiccup just waved as the young woman left for the cairn.

He looked Toothless asked, "Did I just get shown up by a girl?"
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Renee…

The cairn was only two miles from Whiterun, so Renee took the time to enjoy the walk, knowing that Farkas would be at the cairn. She still had her supplies from her Eldergleam expedition, so she didn't need to go shopping. But as she walked down the cobblestone path, she couldn't help but set her gaze at the watchtower and the four sets of dragon bones surrounding it. The memory of what happened was still fresh in her mind and even now, she could still sense the fire on the watchtower, the sound of the dragons' roars, and the smell of blood on the battlefield.

Seeing the site made Renee want to go to High Hrothgar more than ever. If she and her friends really do have a power that once belonged to the emperor Tiber Septim, Talos himself, then what is in store for the four of them? All Renee wanted was some answers to this mystery as did the others.

"If I hurry and get that piece with Farkas, then I may be able to get that time off."

It only took a half an hour before she reached the cairn, Farkas awaiting her at the opening of the tomb.

"About time you got here, young blood. Ready to go?"

Renee nodded.

"Let's find that axe piece."

Upon entering the cairn, the stench of the dead entered Renee's nostrils and with her past experiences, she kept her sword and shield drawn. Which proved to be a good thing as both Shield-Siblings noticed something about the first chamber. Long-dead Drauger laid about on the stone floor, lit lanterns, and supplies for what seemed to be an expedition.

"Looks like someone's been digging here. And recently. Tread lightly." Said Farkas.

"Got it." Renee muttered.

The two of them passed the first chamber and after walking down a tunnel leading to the next room, Farkas spoke again.

"Be careful around the burial stones. I don't want to haul you back to Jorrvaskr on my back."

Renee shook her head as she looked on.

"Don't worry about it. I've dealt with Draugr before."

Farkas gave a half-laugh.

"Is that so, lass? When was that?"

Renee gave him an answer in a whisper.

"Bleak Falls Barrow. On the same day I joined the Companions."

Just as she said that, the familiar sound of walking corpses filled the air. The two Shield-Siblings wasted no time in taking them out. Renee provided Farkas with a shield while he took on multiple opponents with his greatsword. She also dealt a few with her sword, careful so as not to get herself in a bind. Little did she know that while she fought, she was being evaluated by Farkas, who was by far slightly impressed.

Once the last of the Draugr was once again dead, the two continued onward toward a third chamber. I was about as large as the main hall of Jorrvaskr, and like in the first chamber, this one showed signs of habitation.

"Let's split up and see what we can find in this room." Farkas replied bluntly as he began to look around.

But something didn't feel right to Renee.

It was too quiet.

There should at least be some Draugr lurking in the room.

As she looked around, she came across a small annex of the chamber with a lever at the other side. Curious, she pulled the leaver, only to release her grip as the sound of metal came from behind her. She turned and cursed under her breath. There was an iron gate keeping her in the annex. Hearing the sound earlier, Farkas approached the cell as Renee tried to pull the leaver again.

"Damn these crypts to Oblivion!"

Farkas shook his head as he saw, too, that the leaver was stuck.

"Now look what you've gotten yourself into. No worries. Just sit tight. I'll find the release."

This was defiantly going into Renee's mental book of personal embarrassments as she cursed again. But just as she was about ready to kick the gate out of frustration, several figures came from the opening just next to her cell. They looked like bandits to Renee, but they carried silver weapons. But why?

"It's time to die, dog."

One of the bandits spoke as Farkas readied his sword.

"We knew you'd be coming here."

A second spoke as they begin to gang up on Farkas.

"Your mistake, Companion!" Said a third.

Two of the bandits spoke to each other in a whisper.

"Which one is that?"

"It doesn't matter. He wears that armor, he dies."

Renee didn't even notice a difference between her armor and Farkas'. But as he grew close, she could see that it was indeed different from what she was used to. Was it made by Eorland?

Then, the last bandit spoke.

"Killing you would make an excellent story."

To Renee's surprise, Farkas was rather calm about the situation. What he said next made Renee's stomach flip.

"None of you will be alive to tell it."

Then, it happened.

Just as Renee was about to think of something, Farkas dropped his sword and began to shake. She was ready to worry for him when suddenly every spot on his skin began to grow thick fur, his body growing three times his original size, and his face changing into something animal-like with a tail to match. Renee was between shock and horrified as she realized what Farkas was.

Farkas…was a werewolf.

Renee could only watch from the safety of her cell as the werewolf attacked the bandits. His sudden transformation startled them, but they managed to start fighting. Unfortunately, the werewolf was too quick as it slashed the bandits in the vitals and bit the necks on the remainder, some of the blood splatter ending up on Renee a few times. A couple managed to cleave the beast's flesh, but it wasn't enough as they died in their own blood once the werewolf was finished with them.

Once the last of the bandits were dead, the werewolf dashed off into the next room. Renee waited in torturous silence until the gate slide back up. Keeping her blade at the ready, she waited for the werewolf to come back. He did, only in his human form, much to Renee's relief.

"I hope I didn't scare you." Farkas spoke.

Renee managed to kick the words she wanted to say out of her mouth.

"What in Oblivion was that?"

Farkas answered her, somehow expecting the strain in Renee's voice.

"It's a blessing given to some of us. We can be like wild beasts. Fearsome."

Renee gulped.

"Then…does that mean you're going to turn me into a werewolf?"

Farkas shook his head.

"Oh, no. Only the Circle have the beastblood. Prove your honor to be a Companion. 'Eyes on the prey, not the horizon.'"

He then looked down the tunnel where he freed her.

"We should keep moving. Still the Draugr to worry about."

Renee nodded, almost forgetting about the Draugr for the moment. She had never expected this from the Companions. She thought they were a Warrior's Guild like the Sabre Fangs. But an entire group of people as werewolves?

What had she gotten herself into?
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Hiccup…

By the time Renee discovered the secret of the Companions, Hiccup was ready for flight. He had spent a good portion of the morning not making a new leg, but getting drilled by J'Kiir. After hearing about what J'Kiir was attempting, without knowledge of Daedric influences, Rahm-Ku agree to help. Unfortunately, with the extensions of their Whiterun home and the furnishings that went with it, Rahm-Ku had to go to work again. This time, he was planning on purchasing spell books to help a beginning mage.

Thankfully, Hiccup had the time to make a new shield. It was of similar size, but no design. He was planning on doing that later once his training was over. The training consisted mostly on the Khajiit's kind of exercises, including how to work a bow. J'Kiir took the time while Hiccup worked at the forge to create a simple bow that was up to Hiccup's current strength. With the additional purchase of some iron arrows, he worked on teaching Hiccup how to use a bow.

Needless to say, Hiccup ended up with a large bruise on his left arm thanks to the bowstring. So when Rahm-Ku called in J'Kiir to help make some more money, the Viking was relieved and decided to celebrate with a flight around the hold of Whiterun. The jarl had informed Hiccup the last time he was in Dragonsreach that he sent messengers to every town in and around the hold, so Hiccup was free to fly.

After saddling up Toothless, the pair took off. As they flew, Hiccup couldn't help but be amazed at the size of Skyrim. And it was only one province in Tamriel! From his vantage point, he could see much of the north-northeastern parts of the land covered in snow. There were mountains that overlooked Whiterun from the north while concealing another hold. He wanted to go higher see more, but with the vicious dragons about, he had to be careful.

Hiccup flew for what seemed to be an hour when he came across a land of mountains. He looked at his map and saw that they were nearing a part of Skyrim.

"That must be the Reach." He told his dragon.

As they circled northward once they made it to the boarder, Toothless sensed something coming from the Reach. Suddenly, he turned direction, towards the strange feeling while Hiccup was trying to maintain control.

"What the-? What's going on, bud?"

He tried to make his dragon turn, but Toothless wouldn't obey. This worried the Viking a bit, as he never wanted to experience what happened with that storm again. As they flew, Hiccup caught something in his sights and it wasn't good. It was another one of those 'word walls' like the one he and his friends found in Bleak Falls Barrow. But the bad thing was that there was a dragon sitting on top of the word wall. And it spotted them.

"For crying out loud!" Hiccup cursed as the dragon flew up and sped towards them.

Thankfully, Toothless managed to snap out of his trance and followed Hiccup's maneuvering to a 'T'. Thankfully, Hiccup remembered what he did at the watchtower.

"Come on, Toothless! Let's show him how we defeated his friend!"

Toothless didn't need to be told twice as he flew straight into the sky, the dragon following, then diving toward the ground before making the shot.

Unfortunately, the enemy dragon dodged it.

"Oh, come on!" Hiccup complained as he steered Toothless away from the ground.

The dragon didn't let up either in his pursuit. As they flew, Hiccup spoke to Toothless again.

"Looks like we have to come up with a new tactic."

As they dodged the dragon left and right, Hiccup looked to the environment for a plan. Nothing but mountains and stone. His eyes widened with realization.

"Stone… That's it!"

Under Hiccup's instruction, the pair flew off towards an area that was away from a village Hiccup saw nearby and once he spotted the exact spot where he was looking for, Hiccup placed Toothless into a hover.

"Get ready, bud."

The dragon was yards away until Hiccup called out.

"Now, Toothless! Plasma blast!"

Toothless fired at the side of the mountain that Hiccup directed him to and flew out of the way just in time as a massive rockslide fell onto the enemy dragon. The dragon tried to regain flight, but was overwhelmed by the boulders that came down. Swiftly, he struck the ground, boulders and stone piling on top of him. Hiccup flew close to see what damage was done when the ethereal threads he had seen before soared straight to him, allowing Hiccup to, as the jarl and the guards had put it, absorbed the dragon's soul.

Once the threads faded, Hiccup spoke.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

He then steered Toothless back to the location Hiccup found on his map called "Dragontooth Crater" and landed in front of the Word Wall. Dismounting Toothless, Hiccup approached the wall and, like at the barrow, a single word shone brightly. Hiccup didn't even have time to debate whether or not he should get the others when the word imprinted itself in Hiccup's mind.

"Su!"

Like with the watchtower, the dragon soul Hiccup absorbed unlocked the word's power, allowing Hiccup to test it. "

Su!"

At the sound of the word, Hiccup felt a sensation in his arms. Remembering that the bow and quiver were still strapped to his back, he reached for them, only to drawing them in a split second, which was unusual to Hiccup. He figured after a few tries that the new word allows him to use weapons more quickly than normally.

"I wonder what other words are out there." He spoke aloud.

With the new word, Hiccup noticed that Toothless was looking at something above the crater. Hiccup looked up and saw some sort of faint smoke come from the ledge above.

"What in the world?" He asked as he mounted Toothless again.

After taking off, the duo landed on the ledge, where, to their surprise, a brown-furred Khajiit in tattered clothing and a hood tend to an alchemy table much like the one in Breezehome. There was also a large pot set in front of a tree and some sort of stone structure.

Just then, the Khajiit spoke.

"Ah, a wanderer, yes? No? Pilgrim, perhaps? Have you come to commune with Peryite, Taskmaster and blighted Lord?"

Hiccup raised his eyebrow at the strange Khajiit.

"Peryite?"

Sensing that the teen didn't know, the Khajiit explained to him, not minding the dragon behind the boy.

"The Prince of Pestilence. He is the pus in the wound. Oh, proper ones curl their noses, but it's pus that drinks foul humors and restores the blood. I worship Peryite, yes, because sometimes the world can only be cleansed by disease."

The description disgusted Hiccup, but turned his attention to Toothless, who was sniffing the vat before gesturing his head to the vat. Now Hiccup was even more confused.

"What is it, Toothless?" T

he Khajiit looked up at the pair and figured it out.

"Peryite wishes to commune with you, young one."

Hiccup turned to the Khajiit and spoke.

"How can you be certain?"

The Khajiit answered him.

"Last time Kesh communed with Him, he said to watch out for certain signs. You bear those signs."

Hiccup wondered if Kesh was telling the truth or not. One thing for certain, even he was wondering about the Prince of Pestilence. Deciding to take the risk, Hiccup spoke.

"How exactly do I commune with Peryite?"

Kesh answered again.

"Not everyone has the stomach required to entreat my Lord. But Kesh likes you, friend. There is a way Peryite may speak to us who will take Him in. Kesh can prepare an incense that will do the job. But Kesh needs four things."

"And those things are?" Hiccup asked.

"A pinch of Vampire Dust, a flawless ruby, the shavings of an ingot of silver, and a Deathbell flower."

Remembering that he and J'Kiir had yet unpacked what they looted at Sebastian Lort's cave, Hiccup dug around in the saddlebags until he found each item, the flower J'Kiir had showed him when they were looting was still there. He handed the items to Kesh, who then prepared the incense.

Once that was done, Kesh poured the incense into the vat and spoke.

"All that is left is to inhale the fumes."

Hiccup was hesitant, but it was clear that Toothless wasn't going anyplace until his rider had spoken with the Prince. Swiftly, Hiccup inhaled the fumes.

Once he did, his vision dimmed and as he looked between the stone and the tree, he saw a pack of ethereal skeevers and heard a voice come from them.

"Breath deep, mortal. I would have you hear me well, so let these vapors fill your lungs."

Hiccup made the connection.

The pack of skeevers was Peryite.

"What do you want me to do to cause my dragon to take me here?"

Peryite spoke.

"I have watched you for some time, you know. Even before you left your island. The decisions you've made intrigued me, and I wonder if you are the proper agent for a task of mine."

Hiccup gulped, unknowingly inhaling more vapors.

"What task is that?"

The Prince of Pestilence answered.

"I sent a blessing to Mundus, the realm in which you reside. A wasting plague that infected a scattering of Breton villages. One of my monks, the elf Orchendor, was sent to gather these Afflicted. He shepherded them into Bthardamz for me, but has since lost his way."

The Prince then spoke with anger.

"I will not stand for betrayal. I want you to go to Bthardamz and kill Orchendor, in my name."

Now Hiccup was hesitant. He had never killed another man before. Dragons, yes. But this was not only his first act of killing a man, be it elf or human, but he had only Toothless for help with Renee at Dustman's Cairn and Rahm-Ku working with J'Kiir to make a profit. He wanted to refuse outright. But he also remembered what he learned in Falkreath. There was no way he can refuse a Daedric Prince outright without suffering some sort of consequence. And since Peryite was the Prince of Diseases, no doubt that he may afflict him with some sort of illness that could be torture to the Viking until death claimed him.

In the end, there was no other choice

"I've heard your request. Release me."

Peryite spoke again, satisfied.

"So you have, mortal. Go now. Kill Orchendor."

Hearing this, Hiccup back away and allowed his body to expel the vapors. Once that was done and he could no longer see Peryite, he turned his gaze to Kesh and spoke.

"Peryite has asked me to kill an elf name Orchendor in a place called 'Bthardamz.'"

Hearing this, Kesh spoke.

"Ah, yes. Kesh knows of the Bosmer called Orchendor and of Bthardamz. It is a Dwemer ruin towards the east. It is not far from the shrine. Maybe a fifteen minute walk. But careful of whatever's inside."

Once Kesh marked Bthardamz on his map, Hiccup mounted Toothless and headed off to kill Orchendor.