User:Reignfource/The Dark Hunter

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Part One 4th Era 206

Five years after Alduin's attack on Helgen and the escape of Ulfric Stormcloak, Skyrim is at peace under his reign as high king. With the war hero and fellow Nord Ralgrif (Rall-grif) "Stormblade" known to most as the Dragonborn at the forefront Skyrim has survived the Dragon Crisis. During this time, Ulfric recruited another gifted individual, Mellidia (Mel-lydia), the former Listener of the Dark Brotherhood. The beautiful Nord betrayed the Dark Brotherhood in order to save others close to her and wiped out most of the Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim single handed and destroyed the remains of the Night Mother. The rest of the brotherhood was wiped out or arrested by Stormcloak soldiers and bounty hunters. Ralgrif and Mellidia gained much public attention and also served as a cloak of concealment for another elite group of warriors in service to the High King.

Once this group was nothing more than a number of hunters who lived off the land. Their poaching caused little to no disturbances so they were never bothered by the law. They also served to regulate the populations of animals and kill off the ones infected by disease. This all changed after a series of werewolf attacks, infuriated by the death of loved ones and desiring revenge these hunters joined together and sought to hunt down any and all beasts spawned by Lycapnthrophy. Known only as the Poachers Guild, a name that hides their true purpose, this elite and shadowy group has been stalking the wilderness hunting their foes becoming the envy of other werewolf hunters such as the Silver Hand. To join this group of elite hunters is to join the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild at once. Hunters and Huntresses must first attract the attention of the the Poachers Guild and then have to prove that they are worthy of a place among their ranks. Mistaken for Stormcloak Rangers, Poachers Guild members walk in plain sight and nobody is the wiser of their presence.

It is 4PM on Morndas, the 6th of Mid Year. Three members of the Poachers Guild walk through Riften to Mistveil Keep where outside they find a coup for messenger birds. In the center of the three is a man named Rornak (Roar-nack), his father is a master weapons smith and armorer and his mother is a master Restoration Mage. He left his home outside of Ivarstead when he was sixteen and hasn't returned home since though he often writes to his parents and younger sister. He has not told them of his service as a Stormcloak Ranger during the war or that he is a member of the Poachers Guild. He cannot be sure how they will take such news so to spare them possible heart break Rornak keeps such things to himself. Furthermore he does not wish to give werewolves a target for retaliation.

Rornak reads over the message before he starts informing his companions of their new assignment, "a number of werewolves have been spotted south of Windhelm. As of this message being dispatched there have been no reported werewolf attacks, the Grand Master wants us to keep it this way. Nothing that three veteran Nords cannot see to," Rornak places the message in a pouch on his belt. His companions smile and chuckle at the thought of a new mission to hunt down werewolves. Rornak bares his teeth behind his mask while hate and anger flow through his muscles. "Though we are not sure what exact number to expect, there is no less than six beasts to this gathering. We are to put each and every beast down without mercy, if they are any bit of a threat to us they are to die! Let them join their daedric master in death." Beast is a name Poachers Guild members use to describe those that they hunt, applying it to anyone with lycanthropy indiscriminately. Race gender are completely irrelevant to the Poachers Guild, a beast is a beast at all times in their mind and only deserves death. "It took five years to get the werewolf threat back under control. We are to ensure that it stays like this."

Following a prayer at the shrine of Talos in the city the trio leaves Riften and travel north to find where their foes are hiding and then exterminate them. Rornak especially wants to succeed because he has spent the last five years trying to protect Skyrim during the war and afterwards from werewolves after the Silver Hand were destroyed. A personal vendetta has kept him out in the wilderness hunting everything that contained lycanthropy but his lust for revenge is not sated not even a bit. 8PM, the men are outside a cave watching three lookouts in their natural form as they wait for a hunting party to return. They may be outnumbered two to one based on first impressions but numbers are not going to be enough to defeat three seasoned Poachers Guild members. They can smell the scent of a werewolf whether they are in their natural form or if they have transformed. Four more normal appearing men and women return with freshly killed game. Once the hunting party is out of earshot, the three prepare to make their assault.

One man whispers to Rornak, "Rornak, you take out the lookout on our left, I will see to the center one, Grimbor (Grim-bore) you shall take care of the right side lookout." This man's name is Harbin (Har-bin) a six foot four two hundred and twenty pound Nord. Compared to his fellow Nords, Rornak and Grimbor who both are six feet tall and weigh in close to Harbin, he is an intimidating tower of physical size and strength. He is a Deep Woods Poacher, the Poachers Guild's version of an officer and an elite very skilled Poacher. Though his accomplices are Deep Woods Poachers as well, Harbin is the highest ranking of them so he makes the decisions. Rornak draws back the bow string on his ranged weapon, a Poacher Bow, while Grimbor and Harbin pull back handles to prime their Poacher Crossbows. Poacher weapons and armors are are made out of whatever material a Poacher desires but they do not use normal leather. They use leather specially made from the hide of beasts such as werewolves and werebears which is twice as strong as normal leather. Poacher weapons also have purpose driven designs meant for effectiveness and stealth. "Wait for my command, then fire," Rornak steps out from his cover and uses a special power to become near invisible. In a single volley fired on Harbin's command, Harbin and Grimbor emerge from cover and the trio of Nords fire their ranged projectiles at the lookouts.

The lone arrow and duo of bolts fly through the air, making a quiet whispering noise as they pass. The lookouts have not a second to react, they only realize the projectiles coming for them too late to move out of the way and as a result, they are struck down. They die within seconds as the three Nords approach the cave listening for any noises coming their direction. In silence they wait until not one of them hears anything for several minutes and then they enter, Rornak swaps from his bow to a sword in his right hand and a mace in his left. Harbin and Grimbor reload their crossbows before they too change to melee weapons. Harbin carries with him a battleaxe while Grimbor draws a custom Poacher's Sword, a one-handed estoc with sharpened edges. Inside the cave they can see not with their eyes but their ears and the touch of their hands on the walls of stone until the come to a corner where the light of a strong fire illuminates the area.

"There are at least four beasts around this corner gentlemen," Harbin says with his axe in hand. "Maybe more so if we want to back out, now is the time. What say you two?" Grimbor doesn't protest, he has faced many werewolves on his own, this will be no test of his skills. A mere refreshing training exercise at most. Rornak says that he is ready, "I should have known that you would say that. Just don't let your emotions get the better of you, let's do this" Harbin has been with the guild for as long as Rornak has and watched from a distance as Rornak has conducted his revenge. Fitting with his desires, Rornak abandons stealth and charges headlong into the werewolves dragging Harbin and Grimbor behind him. They discover not four but eight werewolves, some of whom transform into the mighty beast while those who don't pick up their weapons and fight back using pickaxes and iron swords. Seeing a duo of werewolves open for combat, Harbin uses yet another special power known only to the members of the Poachers Guild. He leaps through the air as a surge of adrenaline floods his body making Harbin strike quicker and harder with his axe. This special power and the one Rornak used earlier are known as Spirits, abilities that are the Shouts of the Poachers Guild. They grant various abilities and added perks which give Poachers an advantage against Lycanthropes. Similar to the various Schools of Magic, Spirits are broken up into groups. Each Poacher can have three Spirits and only the three Spirits from one group, Poachers don't choose their Spirits, the Spirits choose them. Changing which Spirit is in use can be done mid-battle but is not ideal as it takes time and prevents the Poacher from using any Spirit.

While his companions have two Spirits to use, Rornak only has one, Stalk, which makes him invisible and gives him infinite dark colored non reflective bound arrows in the place of a real one regardless if he has knocked an arrow or if not. Stalk is only good for ranged attacks, lasting for a few seconds, so Rornak has only his two hands and the weapons they hold to rely on. As of this point it is all that he needs, his training and experience far outclasses the werewolves in their bestial forms and they only wear hide armor in their natural forms where Rornak wears Deep Woods Hunter Armor, a strong light armor. Their weapons would hardly scratch his armor while Rornak, with hate and anger cuts, through the hides that protect his foes and drives the edge of his weapons deep into their flesh. He dodges the paw of one werewolf, and with his sword cuts the forearm it is attached to off below the elbow! Before the werewolf can react, Rornak buries his mace into the werewolf's skull to kill it then he turns his attention to the next werewolf. As the disturbance from the fight continues on, more werewolves come up from deeper in the cave to join the fight. Even in their Beast Form these additional foes to the Poachers are not enough to win this fight and Rornak knows this. Once he finishes off the second werewolf facing him with a sword thrust into it's heart, he goes for the newly arrived and transformed ones.

"So there are more beasts eh," in his mind Rornak only knows one thing and that is to kill every last werewolf in this cave. It does not matter what shape they take. "Well then that makes my job a bit easier knowing that they are all in one place and have no other way out! Once these beasts are dealt with we can proceed deeper into the cave and wipe out anymore that remain. In one move we shall wipe out an entire pack," Rornak brings the head of his mace down into the shoulder of a werewolf. Crippled, the werewolf stands no chance against Rornak as his sword is raised to take its head. It is the last foe standing in this first room of the cave, "I call that a success against our foe but it is not justice for what they have done."

"Our foes were corrupted by foulness Rornak, they have been punished for their crime," Grimbor says in authoritative and official voice and posture. "To punish a crime is justice regardless of your views. Stendarr's command is for us to proceed deeper into the cave until we have complete holy insurance that not one of these blasphemies is left alive. With divine zeal we shall obey without question and bring with us righteous fury!"

"The hardcore Vigilant of Stendarr is as ever the bearer of holy light," Rornak comments picking up a torch off the wall and handing it to his fellow Poacher. "I think this torch is fitting of you, if you would kindly let your holy light guide me to the rest of our enemies. I will in turn slay them to your liking, without mercy of course." Grimbor takes the torch from Rornak and leads their decent into the deeper parts of the cave. What Rornak said was a joke about his strong devotion to holiness and history as a Vigilant of Stendarr, Grimbor knows it is just a joke. If anything it is a compliment as to how strong his character is as Grimbor has faced more trials than most Vigilants and yet is as solid as ever. Deeper in the cave they travel and with each step Rornak builds up a fury though not the holy fury Grimbor was speaking of. When they come across more werewolves, Grimbor tosses the torch at one and its fur catches fire on impact.

Against superior numbers the three men commit to the fight and attack the remaining werewolves without remorse. Claws swing and jaws bite at the Poachers while axes chop and swords slice at the beasts in return. Fast and nimble, Rornak dodges bites and claws while inflicting wounds on this opponents until they fall or yield and if they yield, Rornak delivers a finishing blow to their head. He sees no point in prolonging their pain our using fancy finishing moves, these things are not efficient enough for Rornak. Grimbor, facing off against three werewolves unveils his Spirit,Inquisition, a force that radiates out in all directions and knocks any foe back. After casting his Spirit Grimbor's strike also have a higher chance of doing critical damage to foes. Using this he strikes down one of the three werewolves and Rornak comes to his aid. From behind Rornak strikes with both weapons at once as hard as he can in the back of the beast. It falls to the ground crippled and fatally wounded.

"Your unholy prince has abandoned you beasts, as Stendarr's instrument, I send your soul to damnation," easily blocking lighter attacks from the remaining werewolf Grimbor waits until he sees a chance to land a blow. While the werewolf he faces raises its arm for a stronger attack Grimbor thrusts the tip of his sword into its chest staggering the beast. Staggered, the beasts is vulnerable and Gimbor thrusts his sword past the lower jaw of the beast and into its skull. Nearby Grimbor, Harbin is engaged with two werewolves. Using his Spirit, Hurricane Jump, Harbin goes into an adrenaline surge again but resists the powerful leap so he remains where he stands, a trick which takes time to learn how to do. Hurricane Jump is meant to be used to cross distances and improve combat performances but with some practice Poachers can learn how to use it without launching themselves forward. With well timed foot work, talent that Harbin has developed over his years as a Poacher, Harbin prepares and lands well timed attacks. Repeatedly buring the edge of his two-handed axe into the flesh of the werewolves. The first blow finds its mark striking the base of the neck of one Werewolf. Freeing his axe, Harbin prepares another heavy attack and this one finds the skull of a second werewolf. He took some scrapes from this second werewolf to land this blow but he will be fine after a bit of Restoration Magic. In turn, the head of his axe has split the beast's skull in two, slaying it in an instant as its edge cut through the flesh and bone!

As Harbin and Grimbor deal the death blows to their last opponents, Rornak is outnumbered four to one by werewolves but these ones are not as threatening as the others. Their numbers are not enough to make up for their lack of size and strength and because these werewolves are equal to his height, Rornak can land and chain his strikes on there heads with ease. They strike at him, and Rornak dodges and then follows up with an attack of his own to either kill or incapacite this werewolf. He then moves again to avoid an attack from another werewolf and repeats the process time and time again. Even as he takes some hits, Rornak brings his foes down faster than they can kill him! Before his companions can come to help him, Rornak has slayed all four of these smaller werewolves. There is a bit of unease in him and Grimbor, being a man of holy work, must address it.

"Rornak, those werewolves were not as big as the other ones," looking at their size and comparing the werewolves Rornak killed to the full sized ones Grimbor tries but fails to put an age on them. A full sized werewolf is taller than a normal man. Though Rornak is a tall man at six feet tall, these werewolves are still not full sized ones. "It must be so that they were not fully grown. Are they kills in the name of revenge and importantly are they legal?"

"You know the rules Grimbor as good as I," Rornak responds to his fellow Poacher. "If we are attacked by werewolves of any kind we are allowed to defend ourselves with lethal force. You are saying that you would have let them live? Werewolves who transformed before we got a look at them in their normal form?" In terms of the rules Poachers abide by Rornak is in every right to have killed these smaller werewolves. They came to fight and so they became fair kills, still most Poachers try to avoid fights with younger werewolves because a teenager will appear as the size of a full grown man when they transform into a werewolf. At first the Poachers Guild tried to avoid killing non-adult werewolves but as the werewolf attackers and their victims became younger in age, this rule was abandoned for the current rule which permits Rornak's actions. In order to either to protect another person, yourself, or stop a werewolf attack a Poacher is allowed to use lethal force on any werewolf. The only limitation is that if a werewolf is under the age of 16, a Poacher cannot instigate a problem which would permit a violence. They also cannot use lethal force until the werewolf has transformed into the beast and/or has of its own will decided to attack. Most Poachers will also try to at least leave an avenue for the younger werewolves to escape without transforming. "What happened to your holy fury?"

"My fury has no reason to exist now so it dissipated Rornak after my last foe was slain," Grimbor answers maintaining an authoritative voice but staying calm as the two converse. "And yes if I could have spared the younger ones who perhaps are no more than mere little children I would. My yet unanswered question is your motives, perhaps the reasons please our rules but I suspect that the rules are not the motivation for your actions." Rornak looks at Grimbor in the eye and Grimbor looks at Rornak in the same way. "It is your anger and hatred for the Lycanthropes that justifies there killing the moment you know that a being harbors the cursed disease isn't it. Whether they are a threat to those who do not engage in the dark deeds of daedra is not of concern to you. What happened to reason in your eyes, are the days gone that you only kill if a threat is posed or possible? To protect others who cannot protect themselves? Or do you simply kill because your emotions deem it right?"

"You're one to talk," Rornak responds to Grimbor, "you've been attacked by smaller werewolves before and have killed them without a second thought. As you said you are driven by fury, divine or not, it is still fury. You just have a different reason than me for that fury. All three of us know how this works, werewolves are predators who attack whatever they can find for food and work in packs. To werewolves, age is non existent because food is food. How many times have you sworn and thus slayed numerous werewolves out of vengeance for a family that was attacked and killed?" Grimbor submits that he has been motivated by anger and hatred on many occasions but he states that he doesn't hold onto what is then a settled matter. "There is your problem, you are satisfied when the small situations are dealt with while I'm concerned with the grand picture!"

"That is enough gentlemen, we are not yet sure that this cave is clear of our enemies," Harbin enters into the conversation with a stirn and commanding voice. Intent on ending this discussion, "we still have a bit of this cave to search and until then we must keep our guard up! We proceed further in and finish what we started starting now." Picking up the torch that Grimbor threw and returning it to him, Harbin leads the way deeper into the cave still. It is only a short distance and there the trio finds something strange but all the same amazing. A pedestal surrounded by coffins and on that pedestal is a black stone carved into the shape of a dragon skull. "A dragon skull carved out of black stone with flawless rubies for eyes, that is something I normally see after I have emptied my tankard of mead."

"I know what this is, I've encountered a skull like this before in my days traveling Skyrim over the last five years," Rornak explains to Harbin. "The draugr in the coffins will awake when one of us takes that carved skull from the pedestal but it is important that we take it. I know what must be done with it so it is fair that I be the one to take it. Be ready to face the draugr." Once sure that his companions are ready for the draugr, Rornak walks up to the pedestal and removes the skull. Once he takes it the coffins open up and restless draugr awake to attack the three. "That is funny, normally it is much tougher draugr that guard the pedestal. Do not waste this good fortune!"

"Waste it I won't," Harbin's axe, sharp and sturdy quickly cuts through three draugr on its own. Grimbor and Rornak handle the other three slaying them swiftly. This is nothing but a mere delay, a bump in the road for three veteran Poachers so the incident is short. "If this is an unusual ease what draugr do you face when you have found other skulls like this?"

"Their wights are usually what I have faced when I have encountered skulls like this before. It matters not, our job is done thus we can leave," Rornak doesn't say anything more about his experience with skulls like this one. Together the trio turns back sure that they have wiped out every werewolf in this cave. In the first area now littered with the dead, Grimbor places his torch into the dwindling fire. He turns away from the flame, intent on leaving and making for Windhelm but a sudden noise from the entrance sets the three on high alert and they draw their weapons! When the source of the noise appears, the trio is quick to recognize three of these four unexpected appearances. "Well now who do we have before us now? Aela the Huntress, Mellidia 'Nightblade', and Ralgrif 'Stormblade' all together with one last werewolf."

"It never ceases to amaze me that three Poachers can wipe out an entire pack. Perhaps next time we should send the Poachers word that we are attempting to negotiate with a pack so they don't end up slaughtering it while we are away," Mellidia says as she places her palm on her forehead. Mellidia and her company learned of this pack of werewolves and to spare bloodshed hoped to negotiate with it. To try to keep them from causing trouble for the citizens of Eastmarch while letting the pack live in peace in the wilderness. "My apologies Halda (Hale-da), you worked hard to get this pack to negotiate with us and now it has been for nothing."

"There is no negotiating with beasts Mellidia, there is only hunting them," Rornak states seeing her idea of negotiating as nothing but a waste of time and the wrong way to handle a werewolf problem. "Werewolves see you and I as their food so in return I see them for what they truly are, mindless creatures only to be slaughtered. The only thing worse than a feral werewolf is one that isn't feral and can be just as comfortable feeding on us, for example such as the one beside you."

"You wiped out an entire pack and you have no remorse? If you were real men you would not cower so pathetically before such masters of the hunt and perhaps then you could maybe join us," Aela looks at the three men but her main focus is on Rornak. Her anger burns hot but as tough and confident as she may be Rornak does trouble Aela. "The gift which is the blood of the wolf grants great power and those who are willing to feed can grow stronger. You don't know what this can become, you could rise to become one of us who are the best of all hunters while those who don't cower before us."

"I know what comes from a werewolf Aela and you should consider yourself lucky to have the friends that you do," Rornak comments referring to Mellidia and Ralgrif beside Aela. "Your actions in Gallows Rock five years ago set in motion a wave of deaths to werewolves because without the Silver Hand to keep the beasts in check several packs of werewolves were free to roam and kill as they please. You have more murders to answer for than any other criminal I've arrested or werewolf that I have hunted." Harbin stays close to Rornak and is watching for any sign that he might rush Aela and try to harm her.

"Rornak the many deaths to werewolves are tragic, but what the Companions did that night was not in any way against the law and there was no telling what could happen," as Harbinger Ralgrif is responsible for the Companions. Though he was still new to the circle at the time he had a hand in the events of that night as well. "We attacked the Silver Hand in Gallows Rock yes, but we had no intention of setting off a wave of werewolf attacks and we are not directly responsible for those deaths. We did not directly cause the werewolves to attack either, though as Harbinger I admit that we didn't consider the ramifications of our actions even if the Silver Hand were, by law, outlaws." Regardless of the outcome of the death of many Silver Hands Aela and Ralgrif are not directly responsible for the deaths to werewolves that followed and were not involved in any of them so they are clear of any crimes. Silver Hands were by law criminals even if their cause was just, the only legal werewolf hunters in Skyrim in 201 were the Vigillants of Stendarr. The Poachers Guild was shortly thereafter given this position of legality following a deal with then Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak and then the Dawnguard eventually took on the role as they were able to.

Regardless of whether they are guilty of murder or not Rornak places the blame directly at the feet of the Companions, "you have no less blood on your hands than Aela does Ralgrif the only reason I consider you above her is because you purged yourself of beast blood. But that does not exempt you from your crimes." Standing just beside Aela, Halda is looking at Rornak as he and Ralgrif converse. Rornak had no obvious issues with Mellidia. Yet when he speaks to Aela or Ralgrif and assuming her, if she talks to him, Rornak is clearly angry at them. Halda wants to know why Rornak is so angry and what was it is about the Companions attack on Gallows Rock and the Silver Hand which has Rornak blaming Ralgrif and Aela for the following wave of werewolf attacks.

She speaks up using the only name she knows Rornak by, "Dark Hunter, I ask you to tell me why you carry such anger and hatred in your eyes. We don't have to fight like this, we can live together in peace. No man or woman harbors such hate as yours without a very specific and powerful reason. I wish to know what that reason is so maybe we can make amends and move past the hunting and the killing." The name Dark Hunter or Hunter for short was given to Rornak by werewolves because he often used the dark of night to hunt, is very stealthy, and isn't afraid to do whatever needs to get done to keep Skyrim safe. All these traits came together once when Rornak saved two daughters of a high social ranking family from being eaten at a grand feast. He left nine werewolves dead by silent means of killing, set fire to their supplies, and stole five thousand septims before using the dark of night to escape with the daughters. The only reason the pack survived is because Rornak let the younger members of the pack live and not every member was present at the time. All Poachers are feared but few are as feared and equally revered by werewolves as Rornak and there is only one person who tops him and all others like him, the Huntress of Death.

Harbin and Grimbor are about to laugh at the idea that Rornak would ever tell Halda why he is so hateful but he does tell a little bit, "I fought with the two men beside me from the beginning through the ranks of the guild. It took us two years to reach the rank of Deep Woods Poacher but only a month after receiving such a promotion it was stripped away from me because of werewolves. I have spent the last five years clawing my way back and sure I was restored to Deep Woods Poacher status but because of what your beast kin did I am the lowest ranking of us all. What you did to me, that is why I wish to see every werewolf slain and sent to Oblivion," Rornak says no more to Halda. Grimbor convinces Ralgrif to let him and fellow Poachers leave and they start traveling west-northwest towards Windhelm.

"That was not a complete answer but it was a start to one," Halda says to herself looking over the dead in the cave. Rornak is hiding something and she knows it, his eyes gave it away to her. "Five years ago, I know what it is that Rornak was talking about but it is stuck on my tongue. Ugh this is going to torture me all night until I figure out what...Ralgrif what is the Dark Hunters' actual name?" Standing to the side to give Halda space, Ralgrif tells her Rornaks' name. "Rornak...Rornak," she says knowing that she has heard of this name somewhere before. "It can wait, the dead should be buried properly. I'll be up all night doing the digging."

"I'll help you out," Aela steps forward holding a shovel and handing one to Halda. "Harbinger I would like to stay and help Halda bury the dead. I will return home as soon as I am done perhaps a day later than you."

"Then I will see you when you return, do be careful Aela for you are a far ways' away from help," Ralgrif and Mellidia turn and leave the cave and the two werewolves get started soon after. Aela lights a lantern to illuminate an area outside the cave and they start digging. One grave at a time they dig into the ground and then place the body of a pack member into their grave. A tragedy for werewolves and a clear example of what High King Ulfric has enabled the Poachers Guild to do. They're able to work with few limitations and they can draw the line just about wherever they need it. At the end of the day it is about keeping people safe from Lycanthropes and if you achieve that then that is all that matters. When the hard work of burying the dead is done, Halda takes Aela back into the cave to give her something for her help.

"It isn't much but this will help you hunt better than your current armor and keep you safer," from a chest Halda pulls out what looks to be some sort of light armor. "I normally wear armor like this but since I was seeing the High King himself I switched to a more finer outfit you see me in now. This is called Pack Armor, it is a light armor that we craft out of leather, steel, corundum, and certain animal pelts depending on the piece of the set. It is slightly heavier than scaled armor but protects you better than scaled armor. The fur on the outside covers the steel and corundum so you are less visible and adds some flair to the armor. If it doesn't fit you don't have to keep it I just wanted to thank you for helping me dig the graves." One piece of armor at a time, Aela swaps her current set of armor for the one Halda has presented as a gift. After she finishes changing, Aela tries moving around in the set of Pack Armor to see how it feels on her and after some testing she determines that it fits her well. Aela accepts this gift happily, "I'm glad that you are satisfied with the armor Aela. If you would, I need to ask a favor of you."

Aela gladly offers to help Halda asking, "what do you need from me?"

"There is a pack in Falkreath, I need to speak to them but I also have to deliver a message back to my own pack," Halda explains giving a letter to Aela. "This information about a Wild Hunt needs to get to the Falkreath packs' new leader and soon. If you will take it to them for me, it would help me greatly and I'm sure you will be rewarded." When Aela asks who gave this message to Halda, she responds that it came from Hircine himself. Undaunted Aela agrees to take the letter and she leaves for Falkreath. After Aela leaves, Halda is suddenly struck with overwhelming pain as the beast within her tears at her until Halda submits to the urge to transform into a werewolf. Half feral, Halda leaves the cave off to hunt wild creatures. While she is hunting, the three Poachers are sitting before a chimney fire in Harbins' house in the Grey Quarter.

"I see that you put yourself to work during the spring to fix up this house," Grimbor comments about the repair job Harbin conducted on his first house. Unlike other buildings in the Grey Quarter this house is in great shape following Harbins' hard work to fix it up. He had the money to do so and the abilities so Harbin fixed his house up and made it look like the houses on the other side of the city like Hjerim. "What all did you have to repair to make this house look so well?"

"I had to fix near everything from top to bottom of this house," Harbin says holding his tankard. "The structure of the property had to go, not that removing a half collapsed structure created much challenge. Once I dug out the bottom half of the wooden structure that holds the walls up I pulled up the floor and cleaned off the stone of the foundation. From there it was a lot of replacing wooden structure beams and floorboards." Harbins' biggest challenge was putting in the stone blocks for the wall, he hired some Dark Elves to help him out and paid them properly. "Once I had the roof on, walls up, and the chimney built I sat down for the first drink in my first house."

"I do say that you did a fine job, perhaps you could fix up more of this rotten and old slum," Rornak comments. "At least fix up the Dark Elf tavern so it looks half decent and maybe it would have better business. Still at least a few Nords are nice enough to come and help run the establishment as charity work."

"Do you?" Harbin asks Rornak.

"I might if I had the time," Rornak responds to Harbin. "I try to give them business when I'm in the area. They make some good tarts and they bring in this great beverage from Solstheim so there is reason to go there."

"Do you stay in places like my house often Rornak," Harbin asks? "Since you joined the Stormcloaks and were out and about looking to restore yourself to Deep Woods Poacher we've hardly seen you."

The Nord responds, "I either am sleeping outside or in the guard barracks. Occasionally I sleep at an Inn. I haven't slept in a proper house or the like in years since I last set foot in Iron Oak Lodge five years ago."

"You haven't been home in all this time," Grimbor asks Rornak? "You only write to your parents and sister? You don't tell them about your service to Skyrim or your membership in the Poachers Guild. It is only fair that they at least get to see you. Perhaps you should pay them a visit, just don't show up in wares that would indicate your service as a Stormcloak Ranger or as a Deep Woods Poacher." Rornak admits that he has thought about going home many times. During the war while ensuring that werewolves would not harm the Stormcloaks or occasionally stealing potions to cure diseases Rornak wondered about home. After the war ended however Skyrim had yet further need of Rornak and the guild was now a legalized group. At the time, then Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak had great need of their services. Rornak made sure to write often during the war and after the war he sometimes wondered if he should just go back to his home. His parents sometimes write back every now and then, they don't worry much about Rornak as he is twenty three and has plenty of skills to stay employed. He can take care of himself. "Rornak, as your friend and not a superior Poacher I strongly push you to go spend time with your family. It would help you out greatly to remind you that only certain members of the guild turned their foul words and insults on you."

"If they found out how terribly I failed five long years ago they wouldn't want to see me," Rornak responds to Grimbor.

"That is what you think but that may not be the truth Rornak," Harbin states after a sip of milk. "A true father or mother never gives up on their child until they know for certain that there is no hope for that child. You my friend have more good things working in your favor than most."

"That is true but I still cannot help but worry," Rornak says setting down his tankard and picking up a bowel as a stew finishes cooking over the fire. "That one werewolf Mellidia mentioned, Halda, did she seem familiar to anyone else? When I think of her I cannot help but believe that I have seen her once before."

"I have not laid my eyes on the corrupted woman that accompanied Ralgrif tonight before sad to say," Grimbor states before he takes a drink.

"Only once," Harbin says to Rornak. "It was three years ago, the last time you and I worked together until this day. You had tracked a pack of werewolves to the south of Dawnstar but it was too big for you to handle on your own. So together we struck at the pack while it was in small groups until it was weakened to a point where we could finish it off. Not all of the werewolves that remained died when we and a patrol of soldiers from Dawnstar attacked their camp," Harbin starts pouring out the stew as he tells his story. "Halda escaped with young children taking them to somewhere safe further south likely into Whiterun Hold. We tried to give chase to her but several adult werewolves blocked our path."

"Ah I do remember that now, strange enough I do recall her having no control of when or where she transformed into a werewolf. She is a true example of what beast lies within them," Rornak sets his bowl of stew down to talk. "A creature with no control and that only seeks to feast on flesh and blood. Strangely enough we found proof that Halda was one of a select few werewolves Hircine uses to deliver messages to his followers. She was to take one of the young children away to learn new magic of some kind alongside Halda if I am remembering the message accurately. A werewolf wizard, now that is something to worry about but in all my travels I have yet to encounter one. Either they remain in hiding or the idea of such a creature failed." Thinking about a werewolf that uses magic, Rornak remembers that he is a master in the School of Restoration and has ward spells to combat magic. It would help him in a battle with a foe of the threat that a werewolf wielding magic would pose but still he isn't sure how to approach such a possible situation if he cannot use stealth to silently strike and kill such a foe. Before he goes to sleep, sitting alone in a chair, Rornak remembers what he was hiding from Halda. Something sad and terrible which now is the only needed fuel to keep his fire burning and it won't be put out unless Skyrim is purged of the beasts spawned by lycanthropy or something else is strong enough to extinguish the flames of hate.


Part Two 4th Era 202


"That is the last of the Chaurus eggs in this area we should move forward, maybe we aren't too late," Rornak says to Mellidia and Ralgrif. After arriving at Frostflow Lighthouse to escape a snowstorm and finding the lighthouse trashed the three have ventured down into an ice cave to find the missing family that owns the house. The wife of the family and her children are already dead but the husband is still missing. Perhaps out of hope or perhaps because he cannot yet accept that the husband is dead without a body Rornak keeps the trio moving forward. Not that he wants to fight beside a werewolf but what choice does he have? On the bright side, Mellidia has been able to gather great amounts of Chaurus eggs and glowing mushrooms along with falmer ears. In a large room the trio spots two Chaurus standing beside a much larger one. On the pincers of the large Chaurus Rornak can see blood, blood that no doubt belonged to missing husband.

"A Chaurus Reaper," Ralgrif says as he transforms into a werewolf. "Don't let his size scare you it is nothing that I cannot handle." Mellidia draws back her bow string as the three Chaurus start moving towards the trio but Rornak will not let anyone but him face the Chaurus Reaper.

"The only reaper in here," Rornak says twitching in rage, "is me!" Flying forward as if he is a mighty gust of wind Rornak plows into the Chaurus Reaper and knocks it back into the wall on the opposite side of the large room. Ralgrif and Mellidia are quick to dispatch the two smaller Chaurus but when they see how Rornak is fairing they witness brutality incarnate. With his mace alone Rornak beats the Chaurus Reaper, crushing first the pincers around its mouth and then its jaw before proceeding to the beast's head. When he is done and the beast is dead, the head of the Chaurus Reaper has been smashed into pieces. The bodily fluids of the Chaurus Reaper drip from his gauntlets and then he draws his sword to cut it open and take any Chaurus eggs inside it. "Let this be a lesson on how to treat these monsters, they will show no mercy so give them nothing but absolute ruthlessness in return!"

"Seriously Rornak that is overkill if I have ever seen it," Mellidia says searching the Chaurus for eggs. "I get it that you are angry but still you just beat that thing to death and from the sounds it made it wasn't a painless death. You serve your home and have saved many lives, take some time to rest. Let these emotions simmer down," rest would do Rornak well and since the three are trapped here until the snow storm lets up they may as well relax. Mellidia knows that Rornak's quest for revenge is affecting how he reacts to other things around him, even after they ensure no threat will ever rise from this cave and return to the lighthouse Rornak is still looking for a fight. After she puts the remains of the husband in the lighthouse fire, Mellida comes down and joins the two men in the center of the light house. For now they will sleep here tonight knowing that they have wiped out every creature in the ice cave bellow. When the weather breaks up and the sun shines down the next morning, the trio leaves and informs the nearest authorities. They will properly dispose of the bodies.


4th Era 206


One step at a time going up the snow covered stairs on the mountainside, Rornak ascends to a shrine near the summit of a mountain south east of Helgen. Dressed in Deep Woods Trapper Armor, a suit of dull green and brown painted grey plated armor identical in protection to Nordic Carved Armor with some fur aesthetics, Rornak approaches a stone table and places the dragon skull on the table.

"I'm not even trying to find these and I've now found three of the four skulls," Rornak says looking at the skull. "Are you purposefully directing me to these skulls without my knowledge Almura (Al-mura)?"

"I have done no such thing Rornak, you found the skulls as you traveled," Almura responds as a voice on the wind. If he wasn't alone, some would think Rornak is talking to things that aren't there but Almura is very much here hiding in plain sight. "This is the third skull your brought me, so I honor the next portion of the reward I promised you." The skull begins to float in the air then the top of the stone table splits in two and opens up. Inside is a white and blue fire, some of that fire jumps up from the inside of the table and wraps around Rornak's hands. In a short few seconds the fire around Rornak's hands disappears and the table closes and the skull floats down to the table again. "It is said that once you have all four of the dragon skulls you can ignite the Drakeforge." Rornak picks up the dragon skull in his hand and walking it over to a stone ring with two empty slots and two more dragon skulls already placed into slots in the top of the stone ring. He sets the skull into a slot "Tell me Rornak, do you feel stronger?"

"Aye I do, I can feel the knowledge of fighting with two-handed weapons in every muscle of my body," closing his fist Rornak can feel his reward in his very flesh. "If only I had a second weapon to carry and a chance to test out this knowledge I have been given. Perhaps there are some werewolves nearby I can give a good thrashing," Almura is impressed by Rornak's enthusiasm but she doesn't want him to leave just yet.

"Rornak come over to me, I wish to show you a bit of the power you already possess," Almura says to the Poacher and he comes back to a space several feet before the stone table. He stands in a circle of stone pieces that when looked at from above depict a dragon, "focus on your Spirits, you have unlocked the ability to use all three Spirits but you let your anger create a conflict in your heart. You must flush the conflict from you heart if you wish to wield the two remaining Spirits you have at your use." From the stone picture of a dragon ashes rise and take shape as an outline of an adult size dragon, Almura. She wraps the ash outline of her wings around Rornak, "reach deep within yourself Rornak and find the Spirits within you. Your hatred and anger keeps them interlocked and renders them impossible to use, release your anger and you can separate and utilize the power you have held long before you came to me."

With closed eyes as the mountain winds blow around him Rornak puts his hands together as if to meditate. He can feel the power of Almura swirling around him giving him a form of peace and stability. In him he can see not just Stalk but two other Spirits in the form of lights against endless darkness tangled up on each other and conflicting. Separate from the two conflicting Spirits is the Spirit Stalk but around it appear five groups of three lights like stars. With care Rornak reaches out to his Spirits and manages to grab hold of one. Gently he pulls to free it but as he does Rornak can hear a voice crying out in fear and in pain. Almura can hear it too and she is rightly worried that this will throw off Rornak's concentration by stoking his anger but the Nord maintains his focus. He breathes deeply and slowly, mentally digging as deep as he can to block out the cries, until finally he pulls the Spirit free and the two are no longer entangled with each other. A sudden surge of power spooks Rornak and he opens his eyes quickly, but Rornak's work is done.

"Ah the Willpower Spirit, a Spirit that has saved many lives and turned the tide of fights for many Poachers," Almura unwraps Rornak as he collects himself. "What does this feel like to you young man? What does this well earned Spirit mean to you?"

"Strength to keep going, a will to push through even the hardest struggle," Rornak answers to Almura but this is what the Spirit Willpower gives to him not what it means to him.

"That is nothing but a lie Rornak, Willpower isn't that to you," Almura states pushing Rornak to give her the real answer to her question. "What does this Spirit mean to you?"

"It means," Rornak pauses searching for the words in his answer, "it means hope that I'm strong enough to never let that terrible failure of mine happen again. It means that I'm not weak and that I can protect what is close to me. It means that which was said about me was a lie, but still what I thought wouldn't happen did. She placed her hopes in me and had so much happiness yet I wasn't what I was meant to be," Rornak steps out of the circle and walks forward placing his hands on the stone table. He seems as if on the verge of tears speaking of the past. "I need that third Spirit, I must see that Skyrim is purged of Werewolves. It is the only way to repay to her the debt I owe. To make sure that nobody ever has to suffer like that again!"

"Rornak I can fully understand how you feel but you must remember that there is much more to your life than revenge," Almura takes two steps forward and puts her head beside Rornak's left shoulder. She speaks, "I was just like you long ago when that which I thought was mine was apparently stolen from me. I disappeared and some even forgot that I even existed while I plotted revenge on those who I thought robbed me of what I thought was my birth right. I only looked at the world with eyes filled by hate plotting revenge until the Oblivion Crisis. Something about my followers wishing to fight and save those they loved changed my heart and that change of heart had great impact," looking at Rornak, Almura can see in him what once consumed her. "I don't want you to waste the life you have consumed by revenge when you have much potential. Yes you failed but that cannot be changed even if you killed every werewolf in Skyrim. If you desire the power of your Spirits for simply revenge then you cannot find the hope you seek and the next time you fail will only worsen how much your loss hurts you. Provided that is if you survive it."

"You want me to just throw out revenge?" Rornak asks sharply.

"I wish for you to step back and look again at what everything around you means to you and importantly what your friendship with that girl meant to you," Almura answers pushing for Rornak to reevaluate parts of his life. She knows that Rornak's failure and his lust for revenge and the death of werewolves combined can easily destroy him, she's seen it before! "What would she want from you?"

"I'm not sure how to answer that Almura," an eagle cries out from above and lands on the stone table before Rornak. It contains a message bearing a marking that emphasizes urgent action in the form of a strong response. "Citizens of Whiterun have been kidnapped, Jarl Vignar Gray-Mane is calling upon the Poachers Guild to help find them because they've all disapeared outside the city in the rural area. This was written today on the 9th of Mid Year, meaning he must have wrote this request early this morning for it to reach me so soon after one Poacher has already responded. I won't keep this poacher or the Jarl waiting," Rornak places a marking on the message to signal that he is responding to this request for help then sends the eagle off. "Grimbor is supposed to be heading to Whiterun but I do not know if he will arrive in time for this urgent mission. I am surely closer so I must be off."

"Before you go, take this with you," at Almura's command via some invisible means, the stone table opens up and a halberd rises up from the flames for Rornak to take. "A properly made and refined halberd made of dragon bone and ebony, it may not appear anything like other dragonbone weapons with a smooth rounding head design but it functions just as good as the normal design you commonly see for this weapon. It is your reward for the third skull, you shall need it as- I did not expect you to show yourself Azura." Whether by talking to Rornak or because the Daedric Prince approached silently Almura didn't notice the arrival of Azura who has manifested as a beautiful young woman for her own reasons. Why she chose this form is beyond Almura and Rornak. However she has overheard the request of Whiterun's jarl and it just so happens to align with her goals rather well.

"Almura, old friend, I see that you have become a companion to the Dark Hunter," addressing him by this title, Azura brings a small bit of joy to Rornak. He enjoys knowing that even a Daedric Prince acknowledges him as a threat to where they address him by his title. "I would like to acquire his service in the completion of my replacement to the star that was stolen from me." Azura calmly approaches Rornak and presents to him a small but powerful item that he can carry in one hand without trouble. A five point star inside a ring, it is made of light blue crystals and a smooth pure white material that Rornak cannot quite be sure as to what it is. "This is a creation I am actually glad to have never thought of until recently as it would be a greater loss to have this stolen by Mellidia and turned black. You hold the Constellation of Moonshadow and unlike my original star this small item can hold many souls, grants its user the ability to feed souls into their enchantments with only their will, and traps the souls of your kills should you will it."

"So what kind of souls can this little gem hold?" Rornak asks Azura as he inspects the star.

"Just like my original star it can only hold white souls but it can hold many at a single time. Each point on this star can hold either one grand soul, two greater souls, three common souls, four lesser souls, or five petty souls," by revealing the capacity of the Constellation of Moonshadow, Azura has Rornaks' attention. "At least it will once its complete, the star needs to be finished before it can do anything that I have said and that is where you come in. If you can find a way to free some souls from their bodies my star can consume their energy to complete itself and then send the souls on their way. If you complete my star Rornak, you can keep it and pass it on to your descendants for as long as time persists. It isn't going ever return to my realm of oblivion unless given to me or I decide that it needs to return to me," Rornak's interest grows at this statement. However there is a catch, "note that you can also use this star to destroy souls if you capture them inside this and use them to fuel your enchantments. It will double the energy you get but if you destroy the soul of a being, then they are...gone from existence!"

"May I ask why you allow this star to do such a thing?" Rornak asks Azura. "That seems to me as a bit too much power in this one little item."

"A security measure to ensure that if my star is hijacked like it was by Maylen Varen, I can simply purge that being without sending a soul inside to have to banish him first. It sounds like a dark prospect but it has its merits," Azura assures Rornak. "I wouldn't go to such lengths if there wasn't a great reason to." Rornak places the star into an empty pouch on his belt before he inspects his halberd. It is enchanted as he can tell but Rornak is unsure what enchantments are on this weapon. Azura is able to recognize them nonetheless, "It would appear that whoever previously owned this halberd wanted to ensure that they could remain in the fight for as long as possible. This halberd is enchanted to restore your health and stamina by stealing that of your opponents'. Very useful."

"A good point to note, now I must be off however if the chance presents itself I will see what I can do about completing your star. Until the next time we meet," Rornak starts his way down the steps and back to the road on route to Whiterun. He passes through Riverwood and comes to a point where he can see Whiterun. Looking at the city Rornak wonders about who was kidnapped and who is the criminal responsible for this crime. As he approaches a farm outside the city, Rornak crosses paths with a familiar friend that he hasn't had the pleasure of working with in a good while.

"Hello Rornak, are you here to play too," a Khajiit Poacher asks Rornak when their two roads become one. Her name is Kalek (Kay-leek), she isn't yet a Deep Woods Poacher but she is surely soon to be promoted despite her playful attitude. It sometimes gets her into a bit of a rough situation but Kalek, like Rornak before her, has what it takes to get out of these situations alive. She has a strange split personality disorder, but at no point during the many times he's worked with Kalek has Rorank ever found this to be of concern. The most noticeable factor is she refers to assignments differently. "If you are, today we are playing tag. The rules are simple find the Falmer that ruined what could have been a great game of hide and seek by kidnapping people, and you tag them by removing their heads in whatever way you choose. Though knowing you, you'll just find the most efficient and quickest way to kill them which works too."

"A game of tag, that is putting this a bit light," Rornak says chuckling. "Still chasing someone with the intent to kill them is in a way a game of tag. A very extreme game of tag. So do we know where to start?" Rornak asks and Kalek responds that she was inside Whiterun searching for information and she did come up with something useful. The guards found tracks that match the boots of Falmer at the locations where they found the tracks of those who are missing and there is a known Falmer cave not far from Whiterun. They don't know for sure if the Falmer are responsible for the kidnappings, but they are the most likely canadit right now. "A Falmer attack, this now makes three in one month that I have responded to. Shimmering Cave is not far from here, we should get a move on. Falmer are not creatures that we should leave our people with for too long if we wish to have them back alive."

"Not to mention they need to learn to play by the rules, it's not their turn so they don't get to play," Kalek says as she and Rornak start heading north towards Shimmering Cave. Kalek is an odd one among the Poachers Guild as she is a destruction mage, magic users have been members of the Poachers Guild before. However they used magic to give them an extra weapon or defense rather than being dedicated to the use of magic. No known members of the Poachers Guild before Kalek were dedicated mages and the guild had to adapt to Kalek's fighting style. This was made easier by being turned into a legal group in service to the High King as staying unnoticed was not as required. The challenge came from teaching Kalek to use a bow and teach her stealth tactics which she had none of. At first many were skeptical but Kalek soon started gaining the trust and confidence of the guild. Despite constantly turning everything into some sort of fun game, Kalek is very similar to the rest of the guild members and is a very good addition. She has a very positive nature and strong morale that rubs off on even the gloomiest of Poachers.

In battle when stealth is no longer an option, Kalek brings all three elements of the School of Destruction into play casting frost, fire, and shock spells at her opponents. Her preferred being the fire based spells. Going into a tight cave, she is a great ally to have along as her spells should cut through the Falmer without much resistance and Kalek herself is a very tough ally. She wears a suit of daedric armor that looks less like daedric armor and more like a suit of ebony armor and is enchanted to suit Kaleks' needs. Along with the muffle enchantment on her boots and waterbreathing enchantment on her helmet, Kalek has had enchantments placed on her gear to allow her to sneak better, resist magic damage, improve her damage done with a bow, and reduce the amount of magicka needed to cast her spells.

On arrival to the cave entrance Kalek says to Rornak, "if we find yarn in this cave can I keep it?"

"I seriously doubt that will happen but sure if you find it and the yarn is clean go ahead and keep it. I just need to acquire the souls of the slain," Rornak says to Kalek. "Save a few for me okay?"

"Sure, take as many souls a you like, especially if it gets rid of this ominous energy that surrounds this cave," neither Kalek nor Rornak can make out why this energy is here. They've seen their share of strange events but nothing like this. Protected by a full suit of the Poachers Guild version of Nordic Carved Armor, Rornak is prepared physically to face whatever lies inside but mentally he is nervous. "It is as if you can hear the cries of the dead calling out to us for help. After this, I think I'm going to deserve a fish dinner alongside a jug of milk."

"I'll do you one better mortal," a ball of light appears before the cave entrance to speak to the two. "I am Meridia, Lady of Light, and within this cave lies a source of the Undead. False life has no place and must be burned away. Go in and find the source of this false life and put an end to it with my light to guide you. Succeed mortal and you will be given a bow that suits your destructive magic."

"You are offering me a new toy, well then stand aside and watch me turn the dead to ash," Kalek says excited at the prospect of a new bow.

"Your orders do not entice me Meridia but I will humor you as your wish aligns with my task," to this Meridia responds to Rornak that her commands do not need to line up with what Rornak is tasked with. Her commands are, in her eyes, the only thing that matters now. The ball of light disappears and Rornak is the first to enter with Kalek behind him. Passing over an earth bridge all seems fine as the two Poachers sneak deeper into the cave. Passing a disarmed trip wire Rornak notices above him is a trap that could have seriously harmed either of the two. The disturbing materials used in this trap which would have swung down if the trip wire was armed reminds Rornak that he is inside a falmer cave. The cave ceiling is dotted with blue glowing earth which provides some light which the Poachers use to see in this dark cave. As part of his way to deal the the Falmer, Rornak seeks out and ensures that all Chaurus eggs are located and destroyed to make caves like this just a little bit safer. Kalek locates tracks that lead further into the cave and no Falmer have been found, a bad sign and the ominous energy that is present is getting stronger as the two go deeper in the cave. Kalek destroys several Chaurus egg sacks before they proceed and enter an area where they should be finding at least a few falmer but all they find is a chest made of bones and Chaurus Chitins and a path that leads further down.

"Go further mortal, the dead lie further bellow the ground," Meridia says to Kalek after she takes some of the contents from the chest. Kalek takes two flawless rubies and some gold before going into the passage that leads further down into the cave system. "Strange isn't it? The falmer should be guarding this whole place and so far you have not found a single one. I sense a powerful presence somewhere ahead of you. Do not turn back mortal, my light will protect you against the false life if it should come to that."

"Thanks for the help and I still haven't found any yarn," Kalek whispers back to Meridia. "Hold up and keep watch Rornak I see an egg sack. Lets burn it!" Rornak stops and keeps watch as Kalek uses the destruction spell Flames to destroy a Chaurus egg sack. Further ahead they find more eggsacks and Kalek destroys them too. "So Meridia would you answer a couple questions for me?"

"I can perhaps answer your questions mortal," Meridia responds.

"Since I have plenty of friends to play tag, hide and seek, ball, and other games I don't know what it is like to have zero friends. Can you enlighten me on what it is like?" Rornak keeps a straight face as he stands watch, something that isn't easy after what Kalek just said to Meridia. "I always assumed that someone like you has no care for others and thus everyone else doesn't care about you but that is an assumption. Is that true or am I assuming the wrong thing?"

"Please stop mortal," Meridia says to Kalek and her voice has signs that the Kahjiit is right and Meridia doesn't like that fact.

"Is it lonely with no friends," Kalek asks Meridia? "Does it feel bad to you? I bet it would to me if I didn't have all the friends that I do."

"Shut up," Meridia shouts and after she says this Kalek can hear the first signs of Meridia staring to tear up in her eyes. Heading back the way the two Poachers came are the sounds of footsteps and the sobbing of a woman.

"What was wrong with that I was only attempting to have a friendly conversation with Meridia," Kalek says completely confused as to why Meridia just ran off. "Did I say something mean or hurtful to her?"

"I don't think so," Rornak says laughing as quietly as he can by covering his mouth. "Come on, maybe that yarn you want is waiting for us further in this cave."

"True, yarn is more important right now." Kalek's roast of Meridia was completely unintended which makes it all the more funnier to Rornak. "If she needs us, I'm sure that she'll come back."

In the distance behind them the two Poachers can hear Meridia's response, "I hate you so much!"

"Come on Kalek that is more than enough we should get on the move and see what is going on in this cave," Rornak pulls the mission back on track and the two Poachers pass through two Chaurus dens and come to a room with Dwemer architecture. "Dwarf ruins in this falmer cave so close to Whiterun? This is a surprise and a wonderful find, who knows what kind of ruins lie beneath us. Shall we see what else is down here ahead of us," Rornak asks before Kalek jumps off a short ledge. Ahead of them is a dwarf door that is shut but to their left is another door that is open to a flight of stairs. Looking at the stairs it is clear that there was activity here recently. The two start approaching silently to the stairs and without warning a Falmer layered in heavy armor comes up the stairs and spots them. He shouts down the stairs before retreating with the two Poachers following after him. At the bottom of the flight of stairs the Poachers encounter two additional Falmer. "So much for doing this quietly, start killing Kalek."

"Oh boy new toys," the Kahjiit responds her magic at the ready and a smile on her face beneath her helmet. She takes on a Falmer mage head to head while Rornak engages two Falmer warriors beside her. Falmer weapons are known to be poisoned and could be deadly even if the two Poachers are heavily armored themselves. Strange enough as it is the two Poachers strike their foes harder than they expected to. Kalek's spells easily over power the Falmer mages' wards and with two follow up blasts of destruction magic, one being ice and the other being shock, she kills the hostile mage. Up against two warriors with axes and shields, Rornak attacks with vertical chops completely shattering the Falmer shields and their arm holding it. Crippled and their defense open Rornak strikes with a wide swing of the axe head and slays the two Falmer. Both of the Poachers feel as if this fight was too easy so much that if they tried to right about it any reader would think the same. Kalek is a powerful destruction mage but even she has never felt that her spells could hit this hard. Granted that she can easily one shot most wards such as the Greater Ward spell used by the Falmer mage. Rornak felt as if he was too strong for normal circumstances as well. His blows hit hard but not that hard that he can shatter a shield so easily.

"This fight was too easy we should have faced greater resistance. Expect a stronger foe to be waiting ahead Kalek so save your strongest spells for the coming fight," the strange and clear strength in battle is a thought for later. Rornaks' concern is that of the mission. He knows that he must find those who were kidnapped from Whiterun and his gut is telling him that they're close. Further down a straight hall the two Poachers find not just the captive citizens of Whiterun but a ritual of red energy swirling around an alter. They are in a room lit by red energy and torches, and there is more blue glowing earth in the ceiling above. Falmer mages are conducting a ritual of some kind on a weapon with a long blade and a cross guard mounted on a pole. On the edges of the room are cages with the kidnapped people of Whiterun and more. They are weak, their strength being stolen by the ritual. "What in all of Oblivion in this ritual? We've seen some stuff over the years as Poachers but this is new."

"Sorry I needed to collect myself for a moment back there. Molag Bal is trying to create a new artifact to achieve unknown goals," Meridia says through the thoughts of Rornak and Kalek. "This weapon is to become a new extension of his power through a ritual fueled by the souls of the captives and others. Some of his own power is being poured into this weapon and the strength of these victims must be fueling the ritual to turn it into a Daedric artifact." Looking at this ritual Rornak knows that he cannot let this weapon be turned into a Daedric artifact. He must find a way to stop the ritual and save the captives. Meridia likely heard these thoughts of his so she tells what to do and what he wants to hear. "Go forward, my light will disrupt the ritual. The Falmer you see in this chamber are the living dead that I spoke of. Burn away the false life and earn your rewards." Protecting the Falmer mages are several Falmer warriors and three vampire lords. A challenge but one that the two Poachers will face to save the captives and because Kalek knows she has the backing of a Daedric Prince, she jumps in head first! Not that she needs Meridia at her back to jump in head first, but having her on her side is all the better.

"It's playtime everyone," she shouts and her Spirit is unleashed on the vampire lords in a fiery explosion. This is the Spirit Calamity, a much more powerful form of the Destruction spell Firestorm. It takes some time to recharge or charge up as the Poachers say, similar to a Shout, and it has a smaller blast radius (10 ft radius), but that is a reasonable price to pay for more damage 250-150 fire damage) and it can knock a victim off their feet. Kalek has made Calamity even stronger thanks to her studies in the Destruction School (Augmented Flames 2/2, 375-225 fire damage). The vampire lords stand no chance against this powerful and fiery blast, they are enveloped in the flames which spells their doom. As the vampire lords burn to death, Rornak digs his halberd into the Falmer guards, he spins around 360 degrees counter clockwise twice and sweeps the axe head of his halberd across two different sets of Falmer Skulkers. "Look at that, our mere presence is enough to interrupt the ritual and Molag Bal is sending more playmates. Come on out my new toys, we're playing tag and the rules are as follows. I'm always it and when you get tagged, you die!" Underneath her custom daedric helmet, the khajiit is smiling at the prospect of having all the toys to play with that she could want. Rornak is smiling that she is on his side and not his enemy because Kalek is horrible at not breaking her toys.

"Go on and break them all my friend, serves Molag Bal right for stealing your fun. Keep in mind that they are poor quality toys so they'll break pretty easily." As Falmer come through red portals around the room, Rornak takes their souls and starts the completion of the Constellation of Moonshadow. The blows from his halberd are aimed carefully, his first blow is from its axehead, which takes off the head of a Falmer soldier. His second blow then thrusts his halberd's spearhead into the center of the chest of the next Falmer to challenge him. Piercing the Falmer's heart, causing near instant death and securing its soul. The energy from the soul of this and more Falmer is captured and then the souls are released, the energy is used to empower the artifact and complete it, Rornak doesn't understand how this works but he doesn't care as long as Azura delivers on her end of the deal. Soul by soul he completes this artifact and the enchantments on his halberd keep his strength up. The extra stamina and health Rornak gets from each of his coldly efficent and highly deadly blow allows him to stay on the move, dodging or dodge rolling to avoid taking hits and then strike back with powerful strikes of his own. A few cases require him to instead take off limbs instead of landing fatal blows, however the weakened Falmer are now exposed to his fatal blows and Rornak doesn't hesitate to finish them off. No more energy than needed is used, no fancy technique is used either, only what is needed to finish the Falmer foe that he faces at the moment is what Rornak uses. His mind stays calm and calculated, a skill he has developed over years of polishing his skills as a poacher and finding his prefered fighting style that revolves around maximizing effiecncy and results.

When frostbite spiders and skeevers come through the portal, Rornak laughs at his weak foes. "This is a joke Molag Bal, send me a real challenge!" His halberd easily sweeps aside the skeevers, chopping them in two and splits the heads of frostbite spiders with ease. Several vampires arrive through the portal but their light armor is not enough to stand up to Rornaks' power in battle. With quick strikes to the body Rornak dispatches the vampires spilling their Undead blood onto the floor as his armor glimmers in the red light of the ritual. A few years ago, Rornak had the opportunity to test a dragonbone battleaxe against light vampire armor and the results proved it to be a great material for vampire hunting. "Azura, how long will this artifact take to complete, my enchantments won't last forever." In his thoughts Rornak wishes that he asked Azura exactly how many souls he needed to collect. He needs to recharge his enchantments eventually and currently he has no way to know if the Constellation of Moonshadow is complete. However he is not alone and Azura answers his question quickly, suspecting that would start to wonder this as his echantments needed recharging.

"A few more then you will have my Constellation to use at your discloser," the Daedric Prince responds to the Poacher. "Molag Bal is raising plenty of Falmer to fight for him so you will have a nice supply of souls." As the ritual continues to weaken, Molag Bal sends stronger Falmer to fight the two Poachers as he cannot afford to lose here so close to completion of his artifact. Once he slays two new Falmer Skulkers Rornak completes the Constellation of Moonshadow. "Molag Bal is forcing the souls of dead Falmer into old flesh as well as commanding living ones. I cannot say what his goals are but they must not come to pass, do not let up Dark Hunter. The Constellation is complete, you should be able to feed souls to your enchantments with nothing more than a short burst of your subconscious will. It will soul trap everything you kill unless your commands stop it."

"Good to know," Rornak says to Azura as he blocks a falmer sword before he strikes back. As the Falmer start to surround him Rornak utilizes his Spirit Willpower to give him a boost. When triggered a force radiates in all directions from him and knocks back the Falmer, "you came for a battle I'll give you a war!" As well as giving Rornak some space, Willpower gives him additional temporary health that will slowly go away over time. It isn't much but it has been the deciding factor before. Willpower also has the ability to revive those nearby who are on the verge of death and put them back in the fight. With three Falmer in front of him, Rornak uses a wide swiping attack to hit all three of them in one movement. Two are killed and the third is mortally wounded, unable to fight so Rornak doesn't waste time finishing it off. A Falmer Warmonger exits a portal and turns to his left to face Rornak. This Falmer doesn't have a shield but carries two swords. Being a lone target, Rornak uses a thrusting attack to take down this Falmer when it charges at him by thrusting the spearhead of his halberd into the head of the Falmer Warmonger. Its hardened helm doesn't stop the spearhead and Rornak feels next to no resistance from the helm. Sure its not as tough as the Falmer Heavy Armor but it should have put up more resistance than it did.

Yet more food for thought afterwards as the ritual is further disrupted and starts to fall apart. As long as Meridias' light keeps disrupting the ritual the two Poachers have a good chance to succeed. To control the flow of foes into the room, Kalek places down the spell Wall of Flames to block off one portal and the spell Wall of Storms to block of a second portal. When the servants of Molag Bal come through these portals, they are met by near instant death and seeing his servants die so foolishly irritates Molag Bal.

"What are you doing, worthless and blind fools, do not let them break the ritual or suffer at my hands. Beat these two into submission," Molag Bal shouts to the Falmer. "Every last one of you must be entering through the portals and fighting or You will all pay for your inaction." Across the room from Rornak, Kalek is using some lesser known destruction magic, Flame Claws, to take on vampires sent by Molag Bal. She swings her hands fast and the claws of fire rip through the flesh of the vampires with ease. This feels so natural to Kalek, using claws in battle, and it is rather effective as her foes don't understand how to fight her. Kalek dodges the weapons that these vampires carry or simply lets them bounce off her custom daedric armor while she gets in close and sinks her fiery claws into her victims.

"Fight on all that you want mortals, I have enough servants to overwhelm you," Molag Bal says to Kalek and Rornak. "I have broken heroes like you before, everyone who as dared to stand against me has fallen and been enchained. Soon you will serve me in Oblivion." Once these vampires are dealt with, Kalek turns around and hurls powerful thunderbolts at Chaurus Reapers behind her. The noise from the impacts of her spells fills the room. Bodies begin to cover the floor as the two Poachers hold back the waves of Molag Bal's minions. He sends vampires and Falmer after them continuously, growing ever impatient as Rornak and Kalek survive and slay his minions.

"Is this all that you have to throw at us Molag Bal," Kalek asks the Daedric Prince as she snaps the neck of a Chaurus Reaper in her left arm? In her right arm she has sunk her claws into the neck of lady Master Vampire. "If so then keep it coming it is fun being able to wipe the floor with the breakable minions of a Daedric Prince." Molag Bal grumbles and several vampires in their Vampire Lord form enter the room. Two get distracted with Rornak whose halberd makes quick work of them and Kalek incinerates the third vampire. Following more failed attempts to kill the intruders Molag Bal grows tired of his minions failing to stop the Poachers and decides to intervene himself. As Rornak sweeps out and cuts off the legs of two Falmer warriors Molag Bal speaks again.

"Foolish Mortals, you have proven that you are too much for these blind beasts and their pets but you are only delaying your inevitable failure," the voice of Molag Bal calls out to Rornak and Kalek. Rornak knows that they have angered the Daedric Prince and he makes sure to finish of the wounded Falmer by chopping off their heads. In the opposite corner as Rornak finishes off the Falmer, before his partner Kalek, a strange huminoid bestial warrior layered in heavy armor and standing over seven feet tall appears. It is some sort of Avatar of Molag Bal, "I have been challenged before by many brave heroes in the past and I have broken them all." With but one swing of a mace held in his left hand the Avatar of Molag Bal knocks Kalek away to the other side of the chamber. "You shall be no different, I may not have a champion to face you but I am more than able to fight my own battles."

This blow has put Kalek in great danger as her Spirit Calamity comes with a passive ability and several perks. What is putting her in danger is the passive ability of the Spirit Calamity, when Kalek is struck or uses a magic, she generates an overcharge which will boost up how much damage she does in melee but if it gets too high the overcharge will explode out from her body and seriously injure Kalek. It will take some time for the overcharge to go down and this is time Kalek doesn't have! Seeing her across the room in trouble, Rornak remembers the details of the failure he mentioned to Almura as he chokes a Falmer Warmonger mage with the handle of his axe for a moment then snaps its neck! A rare departure from his more efficent forms of attack as a result of his position regards to the Falmer Warmonger mage

"Your souls will make excellent additions to my ritual, these mortals from that pathetic city are not very powerful. You however are just the fuel I need to give my new artifact the punch I desire and envision it to have. With this weapon, I will be able to blacken out the sun and vampires will claim first Skyrim and then all of Tamriel for me." The Avatar of Molag Bal aproaches Kalek who is desperately trying to avoid him so her overcharge can bleed off but this beast takes bigger steps than her and can simply walk to out pace the Kahjiit Poacher. Rornak is well aware of her plight and knows that he has to do something, stall for time or somehow stop this avatar. He won't let his failure be repeated and within his heart, Rornak's fury burns hotter as the Avatar gets closer to his friend. As Rornak recharges the enchantments on his halberd an idea strikes him that could end this fight right now. "Now hold still mortal, I hereby claim your soul as mine to do as I please with!"

"Hey genius," Rornak calls out to the Avatar of Molag Bal and the avatar stops and looks at him! With one thought Rornak makes the Constellation of Twilight dump every soul it holds into the ritual which is very unstable as it is. With this great surge of power the ritual breaks up and in a great explosion the ritual lashes out at the Falmer Mages and the Avatar of Molag Bal. In a great scream the Avatar of Molag Bal is turned to ash along with the Falmer Mages and the present minions of the Daedric Prince. The weapon in the center of the ritual lies on the ground next to the alter and the portals close. "Nobody harms my friends and doesn't hear from me about it! Now lets see what this weapon is, I have my suspicions but a closer look cannot hurt." Rornak approaches the weapon and picks it up, "this is a sword staff as I suspected. I don't know how this was to blacken out the sun but maybe that is a good thing. We should take this with us and ensure it is kept under a good watch for a while. Molag Bal is beaten for now but I doubt he will stay away for long."

"As long as he stays away long enough for me to heal, I'm fine with that," Kalek says as she unlocks the cages of the captives. Rornak can see how much she is hurting from the blow she took from the Avatar of Molag Bal. "Let's see everyone out and then we can go about what we want to do with this sword staff. I call dibs on the chest of yarn!"

"Kalek hold still," Rornak casts the spell Healing Hands on Kalek to tend to her wound. Her armor is in acceptable condition but her body needs mending. She took the blow on the right side of her torso and suffers from at least broken ribs and serious bruising. "There that should have fixed up everything, just take it easy for a few hours." On the brighter side, all the captives are alive and well enough to reach Whiterun and by some luck Kalek has a whole chest filled with balls of yarn to carry back with her along with bags of catnip. There are even wooden balls with tiny bells inside them as well. All of her favorite toys in one mission, a very satisfying reward to the fun loving Kahjiit. "I cannot believe you were actually right and that we found some yarn down here."

"I always know where to find yarn my friend," Kalek responds to Rornak. "Nobody can hide my favorite playthings from me but I will admit there have been some good attempts at that. I'm surprised that you broke from your usual method of killing by first choking and then snapping a neck. Certainly different from when you and I ran into those servants of Hermaeus Mora in 204."

"Most impressive Mortal, that did quite the number on Molag Bal and as promised I will leave your reward with you once these citizens are away, we wouldn't want to scare them now would we," Meridia says to Kalek. Though neither Poacher can see Meridia they can hear her. "A stalhrim bow which will fire arrows of Destruction Magic that unleash a large explosion of Frost, Shock, or Fire depending on your choice and if your foes be the Undead it will make them flee. As long as you have magicka to cast spells you will never need to carry arrows for this bow for drawing back its bow string will create an arrow of the element of your choosing." Meridia now changes her attention to Rornak. "Even though you were not obedient of the commands I gave you Dark Hunter I shall in turn give you something for your time. A few spells to help you against the Undead and since your are a master in the School of Restoration, they shall serve you well." Rewarded with the spells Sun Fire, Stendarr's Aura, Vampire's Bane, Bane of the Undead, and Guardian Circle, Rornak is satisfied in terms of being rewarded for his work.

After leaving the cave Kalek and Rornak part ways and Rornak takes the sword staff with him, its in need of repairs and in this state it is no more than a walking stick. The insignia on the swordstaff indicates to Rornak that it it was made cheaper than swordstaffs of some weapon smiths so it is likely of a lower quality. The name of the smith escapes Rornak but he does know of a report that some weapons bearing this insignia were stolen from their maker. This means one weapon is now back within the bounds of the law. Latter on in the day Rornak encounters Grimbor who has not yet been informed of the kidnappings. They are north of Whiterun on the road to Windhelm.

"I see, well done Rornak, you have saved many lives this day," Grimbor congratulates his companion. He takes hold of the sword staff and inspects it. Though no power of Molag Bal remains, Grimbor is not willing to take a chance. "Leave the sword staff with me, I will see that it never again aids in any of Molag Bal's plans." For the time being the sword staff will remain with Grimbor as he stays in Whiterun for a few days. Rornak will stay as well, he doesn't know what Molag Bal will do but he wants to be there to stop it if needed. Todays' events came too close for his comfort to his failure long ago and now Rornak wants payback for it. If Molag Bal presents minions or himself for Rornak to strike down, he intends to do just that.

"Never again, I will not let that night repeat itself if I can help it," Rornak says with great hatred.


Part Three 4th Era 203


With their keeper dead, the Hall of the Vigilant destroyed, and a number of their members missing the Vigil of Stendarr are on the brink of collapse in Skyrim. Vampires are on the offensive against them and the Dawnguard cannot give aid with its limited members. The order needs a hero to turn the fight around and save the Vigil of Stendarr and that hero is already on the attack. With a few Vigilants to aid him Grimbor slays many vampires and their thralls under the full moon, his hatchet and falchion dripping with blood. One vampire barely lives as Grimbor approaches it.

"You may have destroyed our hall and murdered Keeper Carcette but the Vigil stands strong monster," with his hatchet Grimbor strikes down the vampire for good nearly cutting off its' head. "It would seem that my fathers' work has fallen to me, the Vigil of Stendarr calls me for aid in this holy crusade. To follow in my fathers' footsteps, so be it. To me fellow Vigilants, I know where several vampires sleep and we shall slit their throats!" Like his father Grimbor takes charge of the Vigilants of Stendarr and leads them forward into battle. His skills and powers as a Poacher are exactly what the Vigil needs to turn the tide of their war. The task before him is daunting, Grimbor must somehow protect the scattered remains of the Vigil of Stendarr and turn the tide back against the vampires. With countless lives hanging in the balance failure is by no means an option, the Vigil has to achieve a seemingly impossible victory. "If you are still with us father then I hope to see you soon, if you have passed then watch over me. I will do whatever I must to save Skyrim from this terrible plight whether it is a werewolf or vampire."

While Grimbor leads four other Vigilants towards a vampire hideout inside a cave, Rornak has diverted from his hunt for werewolves to do what he can to help. Freshly rested and fully equipped Rornak doesn't waste time shifting his attention to this new threat. Most vampires don't know of him or fear him for the werewolves he's killed. That is about to change! With a rookie Poacher by his side, Kalek, Rornak sets about leading his own counter-offensive against the vampires as countless lives hang in the balance.

"I hope that you are ready for a fight Kalek because we are in for one," Rornak tells his apprentice. "The Vigil of Stendarr is fighting to stay alive, the Dawnguard is stretched to its limits, and Skyrim's guards and soldiers are not suited to handle this threat. The Poachers Guild may be the only thing that stands between Skryim and something along the lines of the Oblivion Crisis!"

"Interesting," Kalek says to Rornak as they walk towards their targets. "My career with the Poachers Guild is off to quite a start to say the least. If you are ready Rornak, then lets bring down hellfire on these monsters. We need to buy our allies time and take pressure off of them so they can gather their strength and regroup," Kalek's expert analysis of the situation is impressive and Rornak is happy to know he has a very intelligent apprentice. Not that he doesn't like her playful side, it is just that right now he prefers her professional and high intelligent side.

"Oh we are about to, the vampire lair is just ahead," Rornak tells Kalek, "out of the frying pan into the fire. The Legion was a tough foe but this is going to be the ultimate test of Skyrim's armies and the Stormcloak Rangers. Make no mistake Kalek," Rornak says over his shoulder back at Kalek as they arrive at the vampire lair. From the pitch black of the lair's entrance, a vampire rushes out but Rornak stops it by bashing it with his shield and hits it across the head with his mace. Decapitating the vampire as a result, "we are at war!"


4th Era 206


Under the sunlight of the 14th of Midyear, Grimbor watches the newly married Saadia walk away from the wedding ceremony with her husband. Watching from the sideline Rornak, Grimbor, and Harbin are pleased to see a happy couple moving on to their new life together. Many of the citizens of Whiterun have been expecting this wedding for the last year and a half so most expect the love to last for a long time.

"It is a truly magnificent sight to see the fruits of our labor, to see the people live their lives unaware of the dangers outside these walls," Grimbor says to his fellow Poachers. The rewards of their life are not easily seen but they know that by keeping Whiterun safe from Werewolves and Molag Bal they made this possible. The man who married the two lovers this day is none other than Grimbor's own father Arbor (Are-bor). "My father for some reason loves this, to unite two in holy marriage. I do not understand how he can enjoy such a thing."

"That is because you don't see the whole picture of the one time your father was caught napping," Harbin says to Grimbor. What he is referring to is a day when Arbor was attacked at his home while Grimbor was young. He was caught by surprise but Arbor was able to save himself and his family. Young and inexperienced, Grimbor decided that it was his fathers' love that made him vulnerable. Today Grimbor knows better but still he doesn't let emotions cloud his mind and suppresses much of his desires even for simple things like food. "I know that you know better now, that it was not just your fathers' love for you and your mother but still you do whatever you must Grimbor to feel as little emotion as possible. I doubt that can be healthy for you."

"If it means that my guard does not fail and I live on then it is a sacrifice worth making," Grimbor responds to Harbin. Wearing Deep Woods Priest Armor, an armor worn by those among the Poachers Guild who seek to spread the will of the Divines, it is a bit ironic that Grimbor is down playing love. "The only safe emotion is my righteous fury, falling in love is not something I shall allow myself to do. However if you wish to settle down my friend then you have but to ask and I will personally make you a husband on the spot." Grimbor is one of the few Poachers alive who is licensed to perform a marriage ceremony.

"Harbin and Selana (Se-lana) settling down in Windhelm," Rornak says as he leans against a wooden post? "I can see that happening rather easily, a thought that I must say leaves me a bit jealous but not in a mean way."

"You must have some interest in your life Rornak," Harbin says to Rornak over his shoulder. "Surely in all your traveling during the last five years you met a nice lady or two."

"Aye I've met a few but beauty isn't what I am interested in," Rornak responds half remembering the faces of the beautiful women he has met over the years. "My interest died off five years ago and there isn't anything that can rekindle it. A sad truth that I have come to live with, it is all that I have come to live with so far." As the crowd disperses around them the three Poachers enter the temple of Kynareth to speak with Arbor about the sword staff Rornak and Kalek recovered from Shimmering Cave. The sword staff is almost beyond repair and only a few smiths in Skyrim would see enough value in repairing it over replacing the weapon to spend time fixing it. Destroying it now that Molag Bal has no influence over the staff would be the safest choice but Arbor sees a different path for this staff. He knows of a way to restore it without lifting a hammer or saw to fix it. With his son, Arbor can call upon Stendarr to bless this staff and then it can be wielded as a tool of his mercy.

Rornak has his reservations about this and speaks with caution, "is restoring this weapon the best choice of action? Molag Bal could perhaps reach out and use us as a tool to finish the ritual he started days ago. What should happen if he tries to interfere?"

"Molag Bal lost his influence over this sword staff when you broke the ritual and together my son and I can face him down with the light of Stendarr," Arbor answers his voice calm and hopeful. He carries a sense of light with him that grants courage to others around him while Arbors' veteran experience acts as a rallying point. "With hope and faith in Stendarr we shall overcome any threat the Daedric Prince can poss to us. Son, place the sword staff between us and let us begin." Grimbor stands still in thought before he places the staff between him and his father. They raise their hands and together call upon Stendarr to bless the sword staff. Watching the two as a ring of light surrounds both Vigilants of Stendarr, Rornak is in awe at what they can do and a part of him wonders what is the limit of their abilities. Perhaps becoming an agent of one of the Divines could grant him the power to destroy all werewolves in Skyrim and claim his revenge.

But what Divine should he serve, as Rornak watches the light overtake the sword staff he ponders what Divine could be right for him to serve and if he even wants to take on such a life. He has prayed to many of them such as Kynareth, Talos, Akatosh, Arkay, zenithar, and Jullianos. But no one Divine has a blessing that covers all the areas that Rornak would need it to. Rornak stops thinking about Divines for a moment as the two Vigilants complete the blessing and the sword staff is repaired by a light that bathes it and restores the sword staff to a great power.

"The sword staff is repaired and since you brought it to the light my son, You and your friends should decide who is the one to wield it," Arbor says as he picks up the sword staff. The cross guard at the base of the sword blade is covered in holy runes and the wooden staff is reinforced from the center up with a dull red leather. Runes are sown into the leather to symbolize mercy, justice, and righteous rule. The blade is long and sharp able to slash and thrust, reaching out for the Daedra and other blasphemes that a Vigilant of Stendarr hunts. Harbin has his own two-handed weapons of choice so he refuses the sword staff. Rornak, already armed with a dragonbone halberd, lets Grimbor keep the sword staff. It is fitting of him. "With this weapon my son you shall seek out and slay many evils but know that with it comes a responsibility. Stendarr granted us this weapon for the purpose of seeking out Daedra and other terrible abominations and to slay them. Unless you have no choice but to defend yourself refrain from using this weapon against anything else."

"I shall only hope to bring this blade down onto the skulls of our enemies and onto those who would do me harm. In my hands this sword staff shall bring light into this world," Arbor smiles seeing his son hold a weapon that may one day be a holy artifact. A warm light seems to come from the blade as light from the outside reflects off its shining steel. The warmth of the moment is interrupted as a pool of green liquid rises up between Arbor and his son with no explanation as to where it came from, through this pool a voice speaks.

"I hoped that it would not come to this but it is clear that I have no choice," the voice says through the pool of green liquid as its fumes rise into the air.

"How dare you rudely interupt us Peryite, leave this holy place of worship at once," Grimbor shouts at the pool connecting this pool of green liquid to an incense known to be used to contact Peryite.

"Do you think that I interrupted you without reason? That I decided to reach out, into a temple to Kynareth for no reason," Peryite asks Grimbor half angry with him and half desperate? "As humiliating as this is, if I must call upon my enemies for help is better for me overall than to lose what is mine! I require your aid in reclaiming several things that belong to me. In return I shall reward you and your father well, any followers who you need to complete this task shall be rewarded as well." Peryite is if anything right that it is a loss for him to ask the Vigil of Stendarr for help. A humiliation but if he is willing to take it and to reward the Vigilant for helping him then he is truly desperate or too angry to care. Arbor would rather not help Peryite even indirectly if he could avoid it but he must know what is so troublesome that the Daedric Prince has come to him and his son for help.

"Speak your reason Peryite, if it is worthy of our holy intervention then maybe I may just intervene to help you," Arbor says stout and ready to face the Daedric Prince of Pestilence. "Do not withhold any details or you have my upmost assurance that I will refuse you."

"Following the Dark Hunters' intervention Molag Bal has lost much of his power and is all but permanently crippled," Peryite informs Arbor growing impatient but he doesn't let this dictate the conversation. "Now the plains of Oblivion are in disarray and if that isn't taking up enough of my time a cult of Daedric worshipers has stolen several tomes from me that I can ill afford to be without in this current discord. If you would wipe out this cult for me and break their rituals so I can take back my tomes I shall in turn reward you well. I promise a payment that will help you against plague and poison as well as something special to help you remain organized."

"Father you certainly are not contemplating aiding a Daedric Prince," Grimbor says astonished that his father would let Peryite speak.

"If Peryite is willing to point us at a cult of Daedra worshipers then I am willing to make an acception," Arbor responds. "Mind you that Peryite wouldn't make a deal with us if he didn't have a good reason to. This instability in Oblivion could be more of a threat than we know and we should take this chance to strike first at a foe in our midst."

"You help me regain my tomes and I can restore order to the plains of Oblivion which will keep the followers of the other Daedric Princes from causing more trouble than they already have," Peryite says and with this Grimbor finally gives and is willing to help him. Arbor decides to stay in Whiterun and keep watch, if this cult is a threat he wants to ensure Whiterun isn't left unprotected. He has Grimbor, Harbin, and Rornak take on the task of uprooting and destroying this cult and retrieving Peryite's tomes. "Head west to a cave known as Dead Rest Cave, you will find the cult and my tomes there. Good hunting." With this the pool of green liquid disappears and the three Poachers set out for the cave.

Along the way, Grimbor vents his displeasure for this mission, "I cannot believe we are assisting a Daedric Prince. Our world has been turned on its head for sure. This had better not be a trap because we will then be in great trouble. Stendarr, watch over your humble servant." Grimbor's friends know how tough this is for him to do, help his sworn enemy, but if it means that Skyrim is kept safe from the chaos that has started in Oblivion then it is worth the risk. Harbin speaks hopefully to Grimbor to bring up his spirits and he is in a way half successful. Grimbors' rage builds up and his focus on killing this cult sharpens. He still hates the idea of doing work for Peryite however. On the way Harbin tries to lighten up the trio's situation as they travel west from Whiterun.

"It may not seem like a good idea but taking out a cult of Daedra worshiping fools in the process of helping Peryite will be good for Skyrim. So what we help him bring order to Oblivion by retrieving these tomes," considering what could happen if order isn't restored to Oblivion Harbin is the most willing to swallow his pride. Whatever is in those tomes is perhaps better left in Oblivion. "For our own sake we shall make this venture as quick as possible and whatever you do don't let yourself get distracted by any Daedric nonsense. This cult cannot be up to anything good if they steal from a Daedric Prince." Rornak doesn't say anything his mind using the time to think about his fight with the minions of Molag Bal that lead to this. He knows how hard he can hit with his halberd but Rornak could tell by the shear damage he could do in a single strike that something was affecting him. After some time thinking about it Rornak starts to think that he was blessed by something during that fight.

It could have been a sign of Talos calling out to him, maybe for Rornak to serve in a role similar to a Vigilant of Stendarr but then why did Kalek also feel the same affects? Furthermore why would Talos, if he did, reach out to Rornak then? Why not when he could have used such support five years ago? All questions, none of them have answers, and the trio is nearing the cave so Rornak clears his mind and prepares himself for battle. Whatever is going on, he hopes the three of them can put a stop to it. At the entrance to the cave the three men can feel the negative energy coming out of this cave. It may not be werewolves but all three Poachers have hunted Daedra before.

"This will be a tight space to work in, watch where you swing and where you shoot gentlemen," Harbin says at the entrance to the cave. He draws a battleaxe from his back for battle. If Harbin is afraid he doesn't show it. "Arbor won't be happy if we let the newly married couple get hurt by Daedra nor will leaving Daedra unchecked help all our work to bring down werewolf attacks in this hold."

"Your Fog Spirit is almost useless in this fight Harbin," Grimbor comments about Harbin's Spirit as he readies the sword staff. "That axe will have to serve you well this day if we are to succeed." Wearing the Deep Woods Ranger Armor Harbin can take and deliver blows in a melee fight but he isn't as tough in a fight as Rornak who is the most protected Poacher of the three. His companions both wear light armor. "Prepare yourselves, we do not know what fool abominations lie beyond inside this cave. If these are truly Daedra worshipers then expect them to have powers much different to that which we are familiar with and for them to fight to the death. Remain faithful in the light of Stendarrs' mercy and you will survive, of that I promise,"

Grimbor is the first to enter the cave followed by Harbin and then Rornak. The first ten steps Grimbor takes are easy as he can hear no sign of life ahead but then he comes around a corner in the cave's path and can hear voices chanting words that he cannot make out from where he stands. Further on the trio of Poachers can better make out the words they are hearing and the evil in each sentence gives them more desire to put a stop to whatever is going on in this cave. Pushing into the cave Harbin notices some magical runes drawn on the walls.

"These runes are meant to hide the Daedric rituals from the outside world," Harbin whispers as he analyzes the runes. Grimbor looks at them and these runes have some sort of connection to Vaermina, "Why would followers of Vaermina steal the tomes of Peryite? You know what I don't want to know. Lets find them and put a stop to this. The sooner we stop whatever they are up to the better, the gods only know what will happen if we don't and I wish to keep it that way." With his axe ready, Harbin follows Grimbor ready to fight beside him to the death. Harbin is in many ways like his father, a Companion who was as respected and looked up to as a member of the Circle even if he wasn't a part of the Circle. Providing guidance and various fighting styles were all things passed on to Harbin by his father. When he came to the Poachers Guild Harbin showed leadership skills that translated out of what his father taught him on giving others guidance. Since then he has been the leader of the trio and the results do not lie. Ahead of the three is an opening that leads into a large chamber where purple lights and torches illuminate the area. The voices now are at their clearest and darkest intention.

"These heretical fools are trying to summon something, we cannot allow this. We stay quiet no longer," Grimbor charges in using his Spirit Leap of Faith to dash forward in a similar manner to Whirlwind Sprint. Sword staff in hand the Vigilant starts sweeping through his foes breaking up their ritual. Based on the robes of this cult, the three Poacher confirm that these are followers of Vaermina. "I've seen this before but never where one cult uses the artifacts of another Daedra for their heretical summoning ritual."

Now realizing what this cult is attempting Harbin speaks in shock, "This is madness, they're trying to summon a creature from Quagmire. Arguably a worse place to summon Daedric creatures from than Mehrunes Dagon's Deadlands. Chop them to pieces, such a thing cannot come to pass."

"Stop yammering and let their blood flow," Rornak says as he activates his Spirit Willpower. The cultists are wearing robes meant for their rituals not for battle making them easy prey for the trio of Poachers. Sweeping attacks are perfect for this situation because the cultists are in close proximity to each other so one swing of a weapon can take out several. Even against the light armor of Harbin and Grimbor their magic attacks are weak. In stark contrast the blows of the three Poachers are hardly slowed by the robes of the cultists as they strike at them. The Poachers make short work of the cultists but as the cultists thin out, portals open and five nightmarish humanoid warriors appear in the center of the cave. "What in Oblivion does a group of Vaermina worshipers want from the tomes of Peryite? His power of pestilence is of no use to them." Rornak has the last of the cultists to himself, he can handle them and makes sort work of these Daedra worshipers. Though no death comes quick enough for his liking, Rornak does not want to know what they could have allowed to come to Skyrim.

More portals open and while Grimbor holds off the creatures that come through them, Harbin activates his Spirit Fog, "Just keep them busy Grimbor. I'll take care of this." Swapping to a crossbow, Harbin is completely invisible to the creatures of Quagmire and largely invisible to his allies. He fires bolts into the backs of the creatures picking them off while Grimbor distracts them and kills a few himself. Fog lasts for 10 seconds giving Harbin enough time to fire three bolts and kill three of these creatures. As long as he stays inside the area affected by his Spirit it will remain active and he stays unseen. Leave that area and the Spirit's affects are ended and Harbin becomes completely visible again. When Fog comes to an end Harbin leaves Grimbor to deal with the last two creatures. Their necks are exposed, and with one sweep of the sword staff Grimbor takes the heads of these creatures. "Is that every last one of our enemies? Please tell me that we slayed every last one of them and we don't have to deal with more creatures from Quagmire."

"That is all that there is to take care of," Peryite appears again this time as a wyrm as the three Poachers regroup. "My tomes are now back in my possession and with them I can properly put the ordering of Oblivion back together." The tomes of Peryite are on pedestals that were surrounded by the cultists. All three tomes become enveloped in Peryite's magic and then disappear back to The Pits. "Now in return for your help I grant you three and the Vigilant still in Whiterun immunity to all forms of toxins, poisons, and diseases without exception including that of Daedric origin. Additionally I give you three a tome that will allow you to store your extra supplies without them weighing you down and to keep them organized." As mundane as the immunity provided by Peryite sounds it gives the three Nords a great advantage in their line of work. Werewolf claws can be contaminated by dirt and other things which can cause infection and death. Immunity to all three things is an advantage that will surely come in handy for all three of them. These tomes will also serve the Poachers well as they can pack extra supplies in them and if needed different gear such as weapons and armor.

"To the Vigilant in the room," Peryite says speaking to Grimbor. "These tomes are not Daedric, I just happen to have them. A few mages in Skyrim know the enchantments needed to create a tome like this. I hope you realize just how much you have done for your world by assisting me," Peryite says to the three Poachers. "A lot of trouble and work that would have fallen on you has been averted because you struck first and struck quickly. I will see to putting an end to the disorder in Oblivion but do keep a steady watch for a time. Who can say what will happen in this period of disorder." The wyrm disappears and the three men take a moment to organize their thoughts after putting down this cult and the creatures they summoned. Looking around at the cave and waiting to see if anything else will come through a portal, the three Poachers hear a terrified moan and Rornak is first to spot where it comes from. A young girl maybe six years old at most is locked up in a cage laying on her side. Rornak can see the werewolf that this girl is but he isn't going to leave her here to starve and die.

He hears what Almura said to him again, "What would she want from you?" With this, he makes his choice knowing what his friend would want him to do. Rornak goes over to the cage and picks the lock, and it turns out to be a rather pathetic lock that any novice can figure out.

"Are you here to hurt me Dark Hunter," the girl asks recognizing Rornak?

"I may hunt werewolves to see them all destroyed but I don't hunt children. What hunter has so little honor and love of the hunt to do that?" Rornak responds to the little girl. He opens the door and she walks out of the cage in her dirty clothes, "let's get you home child. Just tell us where you need to go and we will find our way from there."

"North, our camp is to the north," the little girl says timidly before they leave the main chamber of the cave. Outside in the daylight Harbin leads the group as they make north to find this little girl's home and return her to her pack. Along the way this little girl stays beside Rornak because she is more afraid of his companions. Though Rornak can't tell what makes him the least scary of them. She gives them some directions and with these directions the three Poachers adjust their heading. Getting close to the location the three Poachers suspect to be this little girl's home, the little girl asks Rornak, "Dark Hunter do you believe there can ever be peace between werewolves and non-werewolf?"

"The beast blood that creates werewolves fills many werewolves with a constant lust for blood which leads to terrible things," Rornak responds refusing to expose her to any more death than what she saw in that cave. "Unless that bloodlust can be cured so terrible things don't happen, werewolves and those of us who are not werewolves cannot truly live in peace. Those who have tried to bring true peace regardless of what side of this fight they are on end up suffering those terrible things. I know that too well," Rornak looks down at the little girl and he can see in her a pure heart that would never do evil on her own but the blood of the werewolf that flows in her veins can turn her into a killing machine and destroy all that. Rornak thinks, I hope this child is raised by kind parents who teach her right and wrong and that she should only turn into a werewolf in dire situations.

Along the way to the girl's camp she asks Rornak, "Dark Hunter, what is the best way to make money?"

Rornak responds, "find something you like doing and that pays well, work hard at your job, and limit your spending on items that you want but don't necessarily need. If you can make it work, having two forms of work is always good. I am lucky and have two nowadays and could have three easily. Try alchemy, it would be a great benefit to have a good alchemist around if someone gets sick. That way you have medicine for diseases and poisons," Rornak's advice to the child is all in good heart. She reminds him of himself when he was younger, just a child helping his parents where and when he could. Harbin doesn't see anything wrong with giving this little girl advice, the chances of it coming back to haunt any Poacher are slim to none and even if it does it will likely be years from now. Grimbor, still unhappy that he had to help a Daedra even if it meant killing creatures from Oblivion, would rather that Rornak stop telling her any and all advice but he keeps his mouth shut. Again, Rornak hopes that this child's parents will raise her well and teach her right and wrong. To use her werewolf blood only when needed.

Those hopes are dashed when the three Poachers find this little girl's home! The camp is in ruins, tents torn apart, various items scattered about, and the bodies of the camp residents are laying around the camp. The girl rushes away from Rornak and she finds her mother first among the bodies. The little girl tries to wake up her mom and Rornak takes on the grim prospect and burden of pronouncing the mother dead. He has no problem with killing and death but Rornak hates having to tell young children that their parents are dead. There is no easy way to do it and it always hurts emotionally, made worse by his failure no less. Even Grimbor is sad and Harbin wishes that there was something he could do for the little girl. Rornak walks up beside the girl and he places his hand on the mother's neck.

He is shocked at what he finds, "Divines be praised she's still alive." In a single second he remembers his friend, and again what she would want him to do. "Step back kid I don't want my spells to catch onto you instead of your mother." Rornak doesn't know how much he can do but he is willing to try to save this mother's life. If I cannot spare myself from suffering then I'm going to try to spare this child from it.Using Healing Hands and Heal Other at the same time on this little girl's mother, she starts to move as the life in her is restored. She has more injuries than most people can take and still be alive after suffering a large amount of blood loss. She hangs on to life with a slim grasp, hanging over the endless pit of death. Yet Rornak doesn't let this scare him and he keeps casting his magic to bring her back. Come on, come back to your daughter, he thinks, come on! Using up more of his magicka than he has in a while, Rornak brings this girl's mother back from the brink of death. She wakes up and is able to hold her daughter when the little girl rushes over to and hugs her mother. To himself Rornak thinks, what the heck happened to this place? This isn't the work of any Poacher, we don't do this, quiet and/or controlled that is always how we did it even Kalek doesn't do this. I've left some nasty scenes behind myself but this makes me look like a saint. As the mother and daughter hold each other the three Poachers say nothing as they are studying their surroundings. It is four in the afternoon, vampires are not likely to come out at this time and do something like this and there isn't any visible sign of Daedra. In the distance is the noise of boots as something runs towards the camp. The three Poachers turn around to see Kalek.

"I considered trying to stop them but they are too many," Kalek says exhausted from her run. "Falmer, a lot of Falmer are coming our way."

"Could the Falmer be responsible for this attack?" Grimbor asks Harbin as he prepares his crossbow.

"They could be but in this mess I'm having trouble making out tracks and determining whose are whose," Harbin responds. Kalek uses some of the healing magic she knows to restore her stamina while she has a moment and then she prepares her bow, her reward from Meridia. She prepares her magicka for use and then Kalek and Rornak step forward to the southern facing edge of the camp. They cannot believe what they are seeing, numerous Falmer armed for battle in broad daylight on the attack! The camp is surrounded, Harbin and Grimbor watch the west and east while Rornak and Kalek hold the south. Using the power in her bow to thin the heard, Kalek sets fire to groups of Falmer with each shot and Rornak picks of the stragglers. As the Falmer come closer to the camp, Harbin and Grimbor struggle to reload their crossbows fast enough to keep firing off bolts. On their own both Poachers reduce the number of Falmer on each side of the camp with their crossbows but neither Grimbor nor Harbin can thin out the ranks of the Falmer in the way Kalek and Rornak do. "Drop the bows, we'll have to make do with axes and swords. Talos be with us."

"Help your friends Rornak, these fools are child's play for me now that we thinned them out," Rornak leaves Kalek to help his friends with the Falmer on their sides of the camp by her request. She can hold off the remaining Falmer coming from the south on her own using the spells Ice Spike and Chain Lightning to slow down the Falmer and injure multiple targets at once. Before the Falmer can get close to her, Kalek will have slain most of them with her magic. Facing west with Harbin, Rornak and the leader of their trio hold off the Falmer thanks to the power that the Spirit Willpower gives to Rornak. The Spirit Willpower is meant to give a Poacher the edge against multiple opponents and the passive abilities and perks it gives suit this. Two perks in particular stand out in this moment, Net Trap and Steel Snare. The Net Trap perk empowers Rornak for every nearby foe giving him a boost in his striking power. At the maximum boost with five foes around him even if they are not fighting Rornak, he can deliver blows with 25 percent more striking power. Steel Snare is a perk that gives Rornak an increase in his resistance to injuries for a few seconds every time he strikes multiple opponents in one swing of his weapon.

Simple as it is; Steel Snare lends Poachers using the Spirit Willpower, especially ones wearing heavy armor, the durability to hold their ground in situations like this one. It makes up for Harbin's Spirit Fog which is suited to do many things well but does not excel in any specific area and has a focuse on ranged combat. One perk of Fog titled Going Gets Tough will increase the damage of Harbin's melee weapon as he gets lower on ammunition (plus 5 percent melee damage for every 20 percent ammunition used) and since he has spent some of his bolts Harbin has triggered the first level of this perk to get a small but welcome 5 percent damage buff.

"That's it, make me proud, slay them all," Ronrak shouts as he triggers Willpower. "Kill for this old Poacher," Rornak first cuts down a Falmer with a downward left to right strike and takes out the leg of another in the process. He finishes the crippled Falmer first, then japs another in the side of their knee with the bottom of his halberd's shaft. When his foe goes down, Rornak takes their head off! When two more Falmer approach him, Rornak hops back to avoid their blows and then goes forward slightly and in a single strike takes both of their heads off. Behind Harbin and Rornak, Grimbor is on his own against a number of Falmer using the sword staff to great effect. Normally Grimbor would struggle to hold off five different foes at once but Leap of Faith combined with his sword staff change that. With each foe slain, Grimbor receives a temporary boost in his striking power for melee weapons and his ranged weapons (5 percent per foe, max 20 percent) thanks to the passive ability his Spirit provides. Since he has slain a number of foes already Grimbor deals out much more damage with each blow as he sweeps his sword staff and strikes multiple Falmer Gloomlurkers. With the unique enchantment of the sword staff on top of his passive ability's boost Grimbor litters his side of the camp with blood and Falmer limbs. To the disbelief of the mother a Poacher is standing up for her and her child, for her whole life she never believed this to be possible. Grimbor normally won't do this but this time he will make an exception, an exception that the Falmer are on the receiving end of.

"Foul ground dwelling abominations, die by my blinding light," Grimbor shouts at the Falmer as the mother covers the eyes and ears of her child. "My anger is held back no longer and you are just the first who will feel my wrath for this here destruction! This is not your world to live in and I cast you out of it. Return to the dark crevices which you came from, creatures of darkness and decay!" Bringing the blade of his sword staff across at neck level Grimbor takes the heads of two Falmer Shadowmasters clean off. Following this Grimbor thrusts the tip of the sword into the chest of a Falmer Skulker. Once he frees his weapon, Grimbor slashes the chest of a Falmer Night Prowler and spins around to do a back slash on a Falmer Gloomlurker that tried to sneak up behind him. The last Falmer stands before Grimbor in shock so he finishes it off with a thrust of his sword staff putting all the strength he can into the motion. With so many Falmer on Grimbor's side of the camp taken out only those on Rornak's side remain a threat but the two Poachers can handle them. If the Falmer didn't know the reputation that earned Rorank the name the Dark Hunter before they do now after what he has done to their numbers. More interesting to Grimbor is how Kalek is mopping up the remaining few Falmer who survived her spells.

"Don't worry," the Kahjiit says in the near distance, "your hands will grow back. Or is it finger nails? I can never remember which it is for some reason in times like these. Eh, I'll remember later." For whatever reason that is only known to her at the moment Kalek wanted to get up close and personal with the Falmer. Perhaps because she doesn't have a chance to get even with Molag Bal and so she is taking it out on the race of creature that no longer serves him. "Stop your whining, spines are overrated you'll be fine!" As Rornak and Harbin join Grimbor in watching Kalek mop up, Grimbor turns to Rornak with one question.

"Was she like this when you were training her?" Grimbor asks stunned to see her claws dig so deep that they damage spines. Damage that immediately makes it impossible for her vicitms to walk.

"It is just her current personality," Rornak responds. He smiles, "Though if you're wondering, this is the first time she has clawed spines so bad they may as well be ripped out in years that I know of. When her current personality and I ran into vampires back when she was my apprentice, that happened a lot." Grimbor doesn't say another word about Kalek. Once the last Falmer falls to Kalek when she kicks its head and decapitates it as a result, the fight is over.

"Thanks for the help guys, I hope I didn't bring a bunch of Falmer down on top of your investigation, you seemed to be very interested in why this camp was torn a part." Grimbor asks Kalek where she found this many Falmer in broad daylight. "They were just wandering the plains, strange indeed, I thought it was just a few new toys to play with. I only realized that there were more after I had their attention. Well, I have a new soccer ball to go play with so good luck to the three of you with your endeavor. Bye," and with that Kalek walks away without one single care in the world. She dribbles the Falmer head as she heads to whatever comes next for her.

"So she brought the Falmer to us and looking at what tracks weren't trampled on we can say that this wasn't a Falmer attack," Harbin says to his fellow Poachers. "What in Tamriel did this?"

"Daedra my acquaintances Daedra," Halda says as she and some of the pack return. "We were chasing a small number of them north and managed to pin them down and destroy them but it looks like some sneaked past us and retaliated. I know you don't like the sight of werewolves but know that we are greatful for what you've done for us today. It goes to show that even the Dark Hunter and Poacher Priest have hearts just like us." Halda can see how much the Poachers want to cut her and her following down but the Poachers resist. The three Poachers start to leave when the little girl they rescued walks away from her mother and she gets Rornaks' attention.

"Dark Hunter, thank you for bringing me home and saving my mommy, I know this isn't much but I want you to have this." The little girl gives a seed to Rornak and he looks at it.

"I know just the person who is going to love this flower once it blooms, thank you," Rornak responds to the little girl and with that the three Poachers leave for Whiterun. As he holds onto the seed Rornak remembers a face from the past. He misses her and wishes so much that the little girls' mother wasn't the only person he has brought back from the brink of death. On the 16th of Midyear Rornak is keeping watch of the market for thieves when he sees a familiar face and that face sees him.

"You looked surprised to see me Hunter," Halda says to the Poacher after she buys some supplies. "What did you end up doing with that seed the little girl gave you?"

"I sent it on to someone who will love the flower it grows," Rornak responds to Halda. "I thought your kind lived off the land."

"We do but some things we cannot make ourselves so easily such as medicine. We have not seen any sign of Daedra since we tracked down and destroyed the Daedra we believe to have attacked the camp. Have you seen anything," Rornak responds that he hasn't seen anything since. Between Poacher and werewolf the Daedra roaming Whiterun Hold have been slain. Put in a watered down statement, they sat down to play a game with Kalek. "All good news to hear. Hunter I want to ask something of you, what is the full story behind why you hate werewolves so much? You have spoken both to me and the little girl hints of it but never the whole story. I want to know so maybe we can live in peace, werewolf and non-werewolf." Rornak looks at Halda and she seems to have good intentions but he wouldn't even trust her with his real name let alone the full story why he hates werewolves so much.

He responds, "you already know someone who can answer that. I can tell by your sent." Rornak says before his eyes get drawn to a suspicious character in the market. To some he seems normal but Rornak he can tell this character is a thief and Arbor sees him too. The thief successfully pickpockets Ysolda but Arbor catches him through a professional tackle. "If you will excuse me." This thief will not be picking any pockets for some time now as Arbor and Rornak take him up to the jail of Whiterun. Halda takes her leave and delivers the supplies to the pack as they repair their camp. After that Halda turns back East and goes north around Whiterun and returns to her home pack. They live in the southern edges of East March

On return Halda is greeted by her mother, "My child returns to me after pleasing Hircine. Welcome home Halda I've missed you."

"Thanks mother, it only took making Hircine happy for you to be happy to see me." Halda and her mother have a very poor relationship and always have. Her mother Braeda (Bray-da) only wants what she believes will be the best life for her daughter while Halda thinks her mother sees her more as a tool for Hircine than her own child.

"I was just mentioning what you were doing I never said that if you don't make Hircine happy I don't love you Halda." Braeda and Halda look at each other and they rarely put these problems to the side.

"Well you don't have a problem mentioning him when I leave or return," Halda says to her mother. "Though you will completely refuse to believe this, I have a hunch that your actions have not always lead to the best results." Halda walks away from her mother and neither lady is happy with the situation. They both want to be a family but they both have their own terms that keep them apart. While separate from her mother Halda thinks to herself, "If she would have not focused so much on making me into this grand mage of Hircine from an early age I would have had control over my transformations before I was ten."

"Why does that girl always fight with me," Braeda thinks to herself? "I just want the best for her and I so much say anything to her she gets angry at me." Braeda has been a werewolf most of her life, it was Hircine that sent werewolves to her when she lost everything and was made an orphan. As a child making Hircine happy came with rewards and often was a result of things she found to be fun. Those who served Hircine like Braeda and Halda do often become the nobles and wealthy elites of the werewolves. It is a life that Braeda wants for her daughter because she knows it will let her live well. However her constant pushing of Halda to serve Hirince has lead to more trouble than results including Halda's uncontrolled and dangerous transformations that would leave her half feral until she transformed back. Thus Halda sees her mothers' constant pushing for her to please Hircine as notion that she is more a tool than anything else and she ends up taking what her mother says the wrong way. "Every parent is happy when their children do well on their work and that was all I was trying to say."

Some of their pack wonder if Halda and Braeda will ever consistently see eye to eye and maybe they will but that will take a drastic change or a powerful force acting upon them. If Halda's father was still with them maybe he could anchor the family and sort this mess out. He was the force of calm that could end a dispute in seconds and solve problems but he hasn't been seen in two decades.


Part Four 4th Era 201


Sharpening the edge of his sword, Rornak is preparing to set out when the Grand Master of the Poachers Guild approaches him. They are both dressed in Deep Woods Hunter Armor using the shade of trees to stay out of the sunlight. Both men are only a short ways away from the hidden path to Iron Oak Hall.

The Grand Master speaks with sympathy to Rornak, "Rornak I know full well how you feel I was demoted myself though not from Deep Woods Poacher back to the normal ranks of Poachers. This is a part of life and it could help you in the long run." Rornak turns his eyes to the Grand Master and in his eyes is a hatred and desire for revenge. "Son I didn't make the decision because I thought you deserved to be punished for your failure, I did it so you aren't having to bear more responsibility than you are able to at this time. You have the potential and capability to be a Deep Woods Poacher it is just that perhaps you are not ready to handle all that such a promotion comes from." Rornak doesn't say a word as he sheathes his sword. The look he gives to his Grand Master explains much to his leader.

"The men and women I thought were my companions are doing nothing but laughing at me and throwing insults at me! As if what I have gone through in the last few days hasn't been painful enough," Rornak states to his Grand Master. Desiring revenge Rornak turns away from his Grand Master to seek out werewolves, "I will prove them wrong, no werewolf will be spared. Once I have sent every werewolf to Oblivion, my debt will be repaid!"

"Rornak you have no idea what all happened that night," the Grand Master says to his Poacher who has become set on revenge.

"Not yet but I have a good idea where to start looking in order to find out," Rornak responds to his leader.

"Remember Rornak that this quest of yours for revenge isn't all that your life is meant to be. Keep in touch with me, I still have a great need for someone with your talents," Rornak sets off to find the answers he seeks. Once he has them, Rornak will track down those responsible for the events that have lead to him being demoted and make them pay for what they took from him both in rankings and friends. Packs of werewolves have become more active now and it is no coincidence, something has happened to cause this so it is now up to the Poachers Guild to stop this before it gets out of hand. "That is the very same hate she used to have at one point in time."


4th Era 206


It is the 30th of Last Seed, the evening air is happy and joyful as the strongest pack of werewolves in Falkreath is taking final count of the items needed for tomorrows' event. This pack recently had a change in leadership when its last leader past away and so a new one emerged in Mid Year. While she was delivering a message for Halda, Aela met this new leader, Skjor, re-embodied and sent to lead this pack by Hircine himself. As time passed and Aela did work in Falkreath she started to feel new love for him and Skjor felt the same about her so now they are to be married tomorrow. As Harbinger Ralgrif had his concerns but if Aela believes it is time to settle down then he doesn't have any reservations against this. Ralgrif did nevertheless warn Aela that being with Skjor would put her dangerously close to the reach of Poachers. Mellidia was flat out against the idea for this reason and told Aela that it was too dangerous but in the end the choice was Aela's not hers.

"If word of this wedding gets to the Poachers Guild, they will find it hard to resist taking out such a strong pack of werewolves while their guard is down," Mellidia says to Rornak as she prepares her bow. She is filling in for Aela until she returns after her honeymoon. As a former assassin herself and almost killing Vittoria Vici on her wedding day before she betrayed the Dark Brotherhood, Mellidia has experience to back up her fears. "Would Rornak put aside his lust for revenge because Aela was getting married or is married to this pack's leader?"

"Knowing Rornak, I find it hard to see him giving up this opportunity by his own will," Ralgrif says in response. He looks over at Mellidia, "If I lost you the way he lost her, then I know I would be just like Rornak hunting down and killing every werewolf in my way until I had my revenge. Besides, even if he for some reason doesn't want to, it is such a good opportunity." Mellidia lets out a sigh, "you don't need to say it honey."

"You know what is going to happen, don't you," Mellida states. "Why didn't you stop her?

"I am the Dragonborn but I cannot overpower love," Ralgrif answers. "My warning was not enough to sway her and when she decided against you too, I knew what that meant. Sadly Aela has unintentionally brought a dark shadow to this pack." Halda, Braeda, and Aela are together in Aela's tent helping her get ready for tomorrow mentally and physically. Emotionally Aela is fine and with the two ladies helping her out she will be fit for tomorrow with a beautiful dress. As the noise outside of children starts to die down Aela is checking over her dress one more time and Braeda looks over at her daughter.

"Halda that is your finest work yet," Braeda and Halda seldom see eye to eye but every now and then they do. Observing the dress that Halda has made, Braeda is about as proud as a parent can be for her daughter made the perfect dress for Aela to wear on her wedding day. She also did a good job on the fine cloths Skjor will be wearing for the event too. "All this work to make the bride and groom look just right and you pulled it off. I hate to say it, but you've out done me on this one fair and square, and truthfully I couldn't be prouder."

"I had a good teacher," Halda responds with a smile. As Halda finishes saying the word 'teacher' she hears a great disturbance outside! An arrow hits someone just outside the tent and a dead pack member, who is still in their natural form, falls through the entrance of the tent! The disturbance turns into chaos and Halda bravely looks out to see Rornak taking on a fully grown werewolf by himself. Normal men and women would never imagine themselves doing such a thing, Rornak considers it a fair fight because of his abilities. He ducks under the attack of this werewolf, and then thrusts his sword into the bottom of their skull. Pulling his sword free and then avoiding the collapsing corpse, Rornak spots another werewolf and then runs his sword through its back and into its heart. Harbin, Grimbor, and another Poacher are close by and fighting with their own opponents. Harbin takes off a werewolf's leg at the knee to bring it down and then with a single downward slash he cuts off the werewolf's head! The sight that Halda witnesses is terrible as the Poachers kill every werewolf in their way, one by one her fellow werewolves are slain and some suffer worse deaths than others. Visible to Halda are five dead pack members who were killed by arrows and bolts, and more that have been slain by melee weapons. The crying of terrified children coming from their tents can be heard over the fighting as Braeda bravely looks at the fighting with her daughter. Eventually Aela too looks out as Rornak slays a werewolf by first slashing its chest with his sword and then striking its knee with his mace! Bringing the werewolf down to where he can strike its head, Rornak buries the head of his mace into the back of the werewolf's head.

To Aela's horror and heartbreak, Grimbor brings his hatchet and falchion down on Skjor and strikes the base of his neck. Grimbor is a Poacher first and a Vigilant of Stendarr second but he intermixes the two roles well. Because of his service as a Vigilant of Stendar, Grimbor has access to Earth Bound, a power that captures a soul when a being is dealt a fatal blow and traps it in the Earth where it is consumed by the natural world. Like the Constellation of Moonshadow, this power destroys a soul. The Vigil of Stendarr created this power to ensure nothing the likes of the return of Umaril or worse could happen again and Grimbor feels that now was the time to use it. As Skjor falls, there are only a few adult werewolves left and the fighting is almost over. Halda ventures out of the tent to face Rornak as the last members of the pack engaged with Poachers perish. She can still hear the voices of the terrified children of the pack which is something good at least. Braeda and Aela stay behind Halda, unsure what to do after this pack has been wiped out by at least four Poachers and there could be more. However since they have not taken up arms or transformed, they are safe because of the rules of the Poachers guild.

"With this Aela, we are even," Rornak says to Aela who is already heartbroken that she lost the man she was supposed to marry tomorrow. The feeling of heartbreak is worsened by how Rornak saw this as an opportunity to take out a pack of werewolves and took it as a chance to get revenge on her.

"I cannot believe this Dark Hunter, you actually see this as settling a score between you and Aela," Halda says calmly while trying to make sense of what is going on. She can understand the Poachers Guild sending members to take out this pack while its guard was down but Rornak considering it a part of his revenge does not fit in. "Why are you like this Rornak, why are you so hateful of us that you will take a wedding as an opportunity to strike back for something that happened years ago? You don't even tell us what happened. We don't have to fight like this, we can live in peace together if people like you put the past aside and tried to see more than just a monster in us. We have our faults yes but so do those who are not werewolves. Yet you hunt us like animals and seek to protect everyone else," as the Poachers regroup, Braeda counts six Poachers including Rornak, Harbin, Grimbor, Kalek, and two more, one being a Wood Elf and another being an Imperial. Four guards from Falkreath are also present.

"We've done enough my friends," Rornak says to the Poachers and the guards with him. "Leave these three for now to watch over the young ones. This pack is done for." The ten strong group leaves and once they are gone Aela runs over to Skjor's body and collapses, crying before it.

"They took him from me," Aela picks up Skjor's lifeless body and holds it against her own. "Those cowards, they are so afraid of our prowess and of this gift that they will kill someone the night before their wedding. The Poachers will pay for this, I will feed on them and anyone who dares to defend them or gets in my way! When I am done the whelps will fear us so much that wouldn't dare think to so much as offend us."

"Are you really surprised by his?" Braeda asks. Halda shakes her head,"I figured as much. In truth whether he wanted revenge or not, this is how it would have ended."

In the distance Rornak can just hear Aela crying, "was using Earth Bound on Skjor intentional Grimbor?" Everyone except the guards knew that Rornak would take this as an opportunity to take revenge, they aren't surprised at all by this. "That seems like overkill in my opinion. Now to be clear given that this question is likely on everyone's mind, the only reason that I took this as a chance for payback because it was going to be whether I took it as that or not."

"Yes, if Hircine can re-embody his servants then we must destroy them completely," Grimbor answers. He has no reservations placed on werewolves, "beasts only show sympathy for other beasts. Now they have a taste of what good men and women go through when they do us harm. I can surely use a rest nevertheless, Earth Bound drains me as a price to use it (100 Magicka, 100 Stamina) and its price cannot be reduced. My stamina (300) will hold but my Magicka reserves (150) are nothing like yours (500) or Kalek's(600)." The following two days for Halda, Braeda, and Aela are grim and dark as they bury the dead and try to comfort the orphaned children who now will surely grow up hating the Poachers and likely one day striking back, continuing the cycle of bloodshed. On the second of Hearthfire Halda goes into Falkreath to get much needed medicine for a young child who has grown sick. As she stops at Dead Man's Drink to get something to eat and to rest, Halda spots Rornak sitting alone in the corner.

Bravely Halda approaches him and sits down beside him, "Rornak what will it take for you to tell me what I want to know and yes, Ralgrif told my your real name."

"I assume your mother didn't know or you didn't ask her?" Rornak responds.

"My mother spent a full day searching her journals before telling me she couldn't figure how she was involved." Rornak drinks some of the milk in his tankard before saying that his story wouldn't bother a werewolf. "I may be a werewolf but I still have a heart Rornak, many of us do. Sure some of us go feral but that doesn't represent every werewolf. Instead of calling us beasts and seeing only monsters inside us, why don't you try to see the person inside a werewolf. If you are willing to accompany me on a task I will show you that person. Trust me, I wouldn't ask for a Poacher's help if I didn't feel that I need it."

"So then I can safely assume that you don't have a partner to accompany you already?" Rornak asks.

"My mother has to tend to the children and is exhausted from it," Halda answers. "This isn't a task for Hircine, though I am sure he will be watching. What I need your help with involves a secret that dates back a long time perhaps before the Poachers Guild. This secret lies in Falkreath Hold to the north," when Halda finishes her sentance Rornak sets down his tankard. He tells Halda that he would never take the shame that helping a werewolf, his sworn enemy, would bring. Further more he doubts Halda's abilities to fight. "I may not be a Poacher Rornak but I can hold my own in a fight and you're the Dark Hunter. I think we can handle this task."

"Even if doing this task helps Falkreath, I have no interest in helping a beast who serves the direct orders of Hircine." Knowing that she needs assistance on this mission Halda resorts to something that she believes Rornak cannot refuse. She would have given him this one way or another but now she has to hope it convinces him.

"If you help me complete my task Rornak, then I'll tell you where you can find the thieves who stole from you," with this Halda has Rornak's attention. He turns to her and now he is willing to consider helping her, but first he has to think on it for a few seconds. Recently a precious artifact of the Poachers Guild was stolen as it was being transported. It was initially found after months of research and treasure hunting. Getting it back before it is damaged, destroyed, or sold to someone who will refuse to return it is of great importance to the Poachers Guild. "What do you say to that?"

"Fine, I shall help you in this task but only because what was stolen from us is worth your weight in gold on the market and three times as much to the guild," Rornak begrudgingly responds. There is just one more detail, Halda will not be able to complete this task until later in the day meaning that Rornak is going out into the forest during the night. "So be it, if I can find the thieves that stole from the Poachers Guild then it will be worth it." The two establish a meeting point, and then Halda has to quickly finish her milk and go. "Please don't be late." For the rest of the day Rornak prepares himself for what he is about to. Knowing that he is going to help his enemy, Rornak takes much of the remaining daylight to relax and settle in with this fact. Rornak is furious that he has to help a werewolf, but this may be the only chance to reclaim what has been stolen so he has both a defense of his actions and reason to help Halda. Yet he is also unsure of how he feels about her.

"You made the right choice Rornak my friend," Almura says to Rornak as her ash outline lays down next to Rornak. "On top of that, I think that you want to believe that Halda is good at heart but cannot see past the blood that flows beneath her skin."

Rornak sighs and then says in response, "Halda is a beautiful woman with strength and wisdom. Why did she have to be born to the beasts that I need to see destroyed? How does such a great thing get wasted like that," Rornak confides in Almura as he is confused on how he sees Halda. Part of him wants to spare her but her sent reminds him of his failure. "She almost reminds me of the friend I lost five years ago. If I want to repay the debt I owe her then I must destroy Halda and the world loses some sort of good woman." Looking over at the ash outline of Almura Rornak asks, "is there another way Almura? Kodlak Whitemane was cleansed and so was Ralgrif along with other members of The Companions, could there be a way to cleanse others?"

"Does it matter to you Rornak?" Almura asks back to the Poacher. "Because unless it matters to you, your hatred won't let there be another way. Not unless forced to and I don't think you would like that. I believe though that it does matter to you and that you may have an idea already, you're just afraid to try it because you don't know how you feel about it anymore." In the dark of night several hours later, Halda finds Rornak waiting where the two agreed to meet up and then she leads the way northwest. In her Pack Armor Halda looks rather similar to Rornak, Pack Armor and Deep Woods Hunter Armor are alike with their fur esthetics and colors meant to blend into nature. At first all is normal as the two quietly move through the forest getting closer to their goal.

"My goal," Halda explains while whispering, "is to retrieve something important from a very secret and secure location that has not been opened in a long time." Closing in on this secret location, nothing is out of the ordinary but Rornak stops Halda and makes her take cover with him. In silence they wait with weapons ready listening. In the distance they can hear every few seconds a quiet but heavy thud moving from the west to the east likely to pass them by just a short distance ahead of them. After twenty seconds a monster passes by the two, searching for something but it doesn't detect them. "I know what this is," she whispers. "That was a Werewolf Lich. A rare kind of werewolf that is created by dabbling in necromancy. We need to reach our destination with even more urgency with such a monster roaming the forest." Feeling the magical power coming off the Werewolf Lich, Rornak would rather hunt it down first but he needs the information Halda possesses so he does what she says. Along the way to her goal, Rornak detects this monster several more times and the two have to hide and wait for it to pass by. It is clearly looking for something and Halda does not want it to find what she is here for. When they finally reach their destination, Halda is desperate to get what she is here to retrieve and go.

"That Werewolf Lich is either looking for something that keeps crossing our path or worse," Rornak states while he is keeping watch while Halda casts a simple spell to remove a magic barrier that has hid this location for a very long time. He doesn't know where the Lich came from but he will gladly kill it if given a chance. "Halda that werewolf is too dangerous for either of us to leave alone. We have to do something about it. You and I both know that it is not likely to be a coincidence that it is here."

"Another time Rornak, this is far more important to secure," Halda removes the barrier and reveals a vault door. Using a key given to her by her mother, Halda lets the two of them into the vault then she shuts the door which reinstates the barrier. Torches light themselves and the two go into the vault and find a lone chamber with a single bed in the center of the room. "This is what I came to get, this girl and this vault predates the birth of Tiber Septim. She has great power, but it came at a price and she was born half man and half wolf. Her body was not fit for such a power to be awake at birth, and only in her sleep was she able to maintain her full natural form. Darker eyes sought her, so we built this vault to protect her until this girl's body grew, could handle it, and thus her power wouldn't turn her into a monster." Carved into the walls are trees that glow green and werewolves that glow white like spirits watching over this girl. "Nobody knows who they were or why those beings with dark eyes sought this girl. Was it for her power? Was it out of hate or spite? Was it for another reason? We simply don't know," Halda approaches the bed and beneath a sheet the girl sleeps. "However at long last the magic we used to nuture and keep on eye on her has shown that this girl is ready to wake up and walk the world."

"It is nice to see her be able to wake up but what you said about those who sought her, that isn't true," Rornak says to Halda as he looks at the carvings. "It is known why they sought her, just not by you and other werewolves. She was sought out by those who knew what she was born to be. Though interestingly I don't know why these books are here. Do you know what is in these books before me?" On a stone bench before Rornak are several books. Behind them is a lone werewolf carved into the wall and it is the biggest one of them all.

"I have never been here before but before I was born, my mother sat in that chair beside you and read every book to the then unborn me from front to back," Halda responds pointing to a wooden chair. "It is not uncommon for mothers to come here to check on this girl, and there are some interesting stories in those books. Though some books contain reportedly special powers meant for werewolves. Though do tell, what do you know about those who sought her?"

"This girl's mother wasn't a werewolf but the father was," Rornak starts off. "Little did it matter that her mother was not a beast for her father's blood corrupted the daughter entirely. He wanted to sire the first werewolf to use a magic fueled by lycanthropy because he could not finish his work before his time was up. He did though find a way to secure the work he had completed in these books and others reportedly though that is unconfirmed. Five hunters sought her out to stop such a terrible vision!" Rornak looks down at the books as he speaks, "they were not mindless killers, they hunted by rules and choose to take this girl away and slay her father. That way her power would not bring destruction and her father's nightmarish desire wouldn't come to pass. They had learned what I learned during the war, to do what is right sometimes requires that you do something that is wrong. It meant separating her from her parents but to keep her safe and her father's evil dreams from coming true it would have been worth it. However werewolves hid her here before the hunters could get to her. All they managed to achieve was slaying her father. Tread carefully if you study her powers, there are things that are better if they are left untouched." Rornak has nothing more to say so Halda prepares to undo a spell that has kept this girl asleep for hundreds of years. Just as she is ready to awaken this girl, the girl starts to moan in pain and her powers go wild and lash out, knocking Halda back from her.

There is a loud thump at the door to the vault as something tries to break it down. After three hard thumps against the vault door, a werewolf howls outside and portals open up inside the vault and werewolves are teleported into the vault! These werewolves become hostile to Rornak and Halda forcing, the two to defend themselves with lethal force. As the two fight the werewolves inside the vault, something continues to thump against the vault door. By slaying the werewolves inside the vault, Rornak feels a little bit better about coming along. At the very least he is slaying some werewolves to make up for helping Halda. Since werewolves posses white souls, Rornak can trap them in the Constellation of Moonshadow. After seeing that Hircine can reembody werewolves like Skjor, Rornak is willing to use its power to destroy a soul in order to prevent this but he does so begrudgingly.The first werewolf that challenges Rornak gets too close and he easily moves into its blindspot and strikes it first in the back of the knee. Then with a second blow aimed at the head, he finishes it off.

Rornak uses a mace and sword combo when he suits up as a Deep Woods Hunter, primarily utilizing sweeping style attacks with the sword and primarily downward attacks with his mace. Like the Deep Woods Hunter Armor, this pair of weapons is deceptively good in the right hands. Halda is using a bone sword in her right hand and a shield that goes with her Pack Armor. In the split second glimpses he gets of her fighting style out of the corner of his vision, Rornak sees that Halda has been training under a very experienced teacher for a good amount of time. When the werewolves that face Rornak die, their souls are captured in the Constellation of Moonshadow, and as soon as Halda and Rorank eliminate one pair, another pair of werewolves is teleported into the vault. So Rornak engages his next foe and the ones that follow with the following waves. Using his sword, Rornak strikes various points of the werewolves to cripple them such as kidnies or the spine. A few lose an arm to him as well, and Halda takes off several limbs herself with her sword. Then Rornak uses his mace primarily to finish them off, though the sixth werewolf Rornak slays dies when he takes its head off with his sword. After defeating six waves of two werewolves, the two finally get a moment to catch their breath. Bodies of dead werewolves and their severed limbs litter the vault. The floor is turning red from the blood that escapes the corpses. To Rornak's surprise, Halda is still standing and finishing off these werewolves in good time. Her stamina appears to also be keeping up with him as well, though her blows are not as efficent at killing the werewolves so she takes longer.

"You are pretty good at fighting with a sword and shield against your own kind Halda," Rornak says as they wait for the next wave of werewolves the creature outside continues to thump against the vault door.

"Thanks, you're very good with your two weapons yourself," Halda responds. "Being truthful with you I'd never expect the outfit your wearing to hold up so well. What is it made of?"

"I cannot tell you what my armor is made of but I can say that it is stronger than it looks," Rornak responds. He turns to look at the moaning girl Halda is here to awake and retrieve, "What does that thing outside want with this girl? That has to be what it is after, what I presume is a werewolf."

"I think this girl and whatever that is out there are connected somehow, that is the only reason I can think of to explain this." The sound of stone rubbing against stone draws Halda's attention to the door as something forcefully opens the vault door. With two werewolves behind it, the Werewolf Lich enters the vault. "That stench, has this thing been rotting in direct sunlight?" The girl's moaning turns to pained screaming! The two werewolves split up and attack Rornak and Halda distracting them as the Werewolf Lich approaches the girl and casts some sort of magic on her. Worsening the pain she is in as Rornak dodges first the swipe of a left paw and then an upward swipe of a right paw. He lands several quick strikes in response, then dodges two more attacks, and while avoiding the third attack Rornak uses his mace to cripple the werewolf. Striking its knee to bring it down. Listening to the screams, Rornak is momentarily taken back in time as he slays this werewolf that is tasked with distracting him. The head of the werewolf beings to fall to the ground as Rornak's sword passes through its neck, blood from the beast starts pouring out onto the floor. His memories boil the blood in his veins as he turns towards the Werewolf Lich, and like a gust of wind Rornak launches forward at speed and knocks the Werewolf Lich away from the girl and stops his spell! Causing the girl to stop screaming and go back to moaning.

Halda is caught completely by surprise when the Werewolf Lich flies through the air in front of her and disorientates her foe. With a speedy thrust of the tip of her sword, Halda defeats her foe by piercing the heart. So much happened so fast that Halda doesn't realize at first that she has stabbed and killed her opponent. Her body moved too fast for her mind to comprehend it. Before she can do anything else Rornak stabs the Werewolf Lich in the chest.

"This world isn't for monsters like you and your time in it is over," Rornak pulls his sword from the beast and with a single swing of his sword decapitates the Werewolf Lich! "Nobody will die like that again under my watch if I can help it. Never again!" Rornak turns to the girl, utilizing a Master level Restoration Spell he himself made to analyze the young girl's condition. "Medicine cannot heal what this monster's spell did to her, she needs to see a Restoration Mage to survive the spell that was cast on her." Frozen at first for a moment by the shear hatred Rornak put into his blows, Halda asks if Rornak can help the girl. "I was about to get to that, patiences Halda," Rornak says rather calmly though still obviously adjitated. "I have no intention of leaving before I fixed this. I just need to pick the appropriate spell or spells for this." Sheathing his weapons, Rornak approaches the girl and he casts Grand Healing and Heal Other in tandom. His Restoration Magic is strong enough to give the girl before him a massive wave of healing to repair the physical damage the Werewolf Lich's spell caused. "There now, that is a lot better. Give her a minute to wake up and she'll be fine. Now, where can I find the thieves who stole from us?"

"At an old ruin to the west of us, I can show you on your map if you have one otherwise you can take the one I brought just in case." Halda again approaches the girl and she seems this time to be alright, but the emotions that she watched Rornak show to the Werewolf Lich are still on her mind and she cannot focus until she asks a question that she is desperate for an answer to. "Rornak I ask yet again what is it that makes you so hateful and so angry towards werewolves? How many times do I have to ask for you to simply tell me what I want to know? You speak of whatever happened to you five years ago in hints but never fully disclose why you wanted to ruin Aela's wedding to settle some sort of debt or why you send a Werewolf Lich flying across the room with great hatred." With nothing but good intentions Halda places her hopes once again on Rornak answering her. She doesn't want him to suffer and it is now clear beyond doubt that something from five years ago is still bothering him so much it fills the Poacher before her with an unholy desire to slay werewolves. "Please Rornak, let me help you if I can."

"You really want to know? Fine then I'll tell you why I seek to purge Skyrim of werewolves," Rornak answers angrily! "Five years ago the Poachers Guild was paid a visit by a fine woman. She sought us out not as the result of an order given to her, she came to us with the intent to do good not just for the guild but for others. Her name was Adria (Ah-dree-a), the first and oldest friend I ever had but what separated her and me is that she was a pure-blood werewolf. Like her mother she wanted to live in peace with others who were not werewolves and believed that there was a way for that to happen. Back then so did I," Rornak details as he pushes through the pain to tell this story. "Adria was one to rarely frown and she had the drive, positive attitude, and hope to find a way to bring peace. She knew that lycanthropy could not be tamed but was sure there was a way to cure it. She was a strong mage and had a great teacher who is unknown to me, Adria was certain that she could create a spell strong enough to cure lycanthropy. After spending some time around us, Adria had to leave because she had been away from home for over a year between us and many other reasons and wanted to see her mother. I was tasked with seeing her home, and for this Adria was overjoyed."

Rornak takes a moment to take a deep breath to remain calm, "Adria had no worry in the world as we walked back to her home and I had little reason to be worried myself. Werewolf activity was low and I knew the route like the back of my hand. We were getting close to her home when we were attacked." In Rornak's eyes, Halda can see the fear that he had on that fateful night. "Adria refused to transform into a werewolf not because she couldn't control herself but to show that lycanthropy can be beaten. I felled werewolves as fast as I could but a whole pack descended on us. When there was a momentary period where we weren't being attacked we made a run for it but we couldn't out run the pack. There were only two left after we stopped and I faced them, I was sure I could keep the rest of them busy long enough for her to escape so she used Heal Other to restore my stamina for the third time and then went to hide." Rornak's fists tighten, "I slayed the two werewolves and then I heard Adria scream so I ran for her but I was too late." He takes a moment before he speaks again, "your mother had murdered her and would have eaten Adria's heart if I had been but a few seconds slower. Your mother ran like the coward she is when two more werewolves came to protect her. After I killed her protectors, I went to Adria thinking maybe there was something I could do but she was gone. That is the only time I have ever cried like that. When the final few members of the pack appeared, I killed every last one of them but not quickly, I crippled them all and left them to bleed to death! To suffer as she had suffered and to be the first of many who would feel my wrath!"

"Rornak, I am so sorry," Halda tries to put her hand on Rornak's shoulder to act as a comforting factor to him but he pushes her hand aside.

"There is no apologizing for what your heartless monster of a mother has done to me," Rornak responds. "The insults, the demotion, and the mother who will never get to see her daughter again because beasts like you obey your master without a single thought and have no remorse. Orders given because Hircine doesn't like the idea that someone has a mind of their own or wishes to be free of him and live a normal life. I have had to live with that all to this day because of that night. A night that wouldn't have happened if Aela and the Companions had left the Silver Hand alone and not taken pressure off of a pack to support the monster you call a mother. If you ask me, Aela recieved what she deserved and should be kissing my boot over the fact that I haven't yet had the opportunity to legally put an arrow through her heart! Adria put her trust in me that she would be safe and now she's dead, her best friend couldn't protect her! The debt I owe Adria for failing her so miserably, I swore then and I swear again here into your eyes that I will purge Skyrim of werewolves. No matter what it takes or how long!"

Halda is slow to respond, "I knew you were not a monster within Rornak. You're just a man who has been hurt in a way nobody should be. I don't ask you to forgive my mother, I only ask you to think again on what Adria would want you to do. Take this map and go find what is yours." Rornak takes the map from Halda then starts on his way out, "what you have done here tonight won't be for nothing Rornak. This girl will know what you have done for her and I will do everything I can to ensure that she never hurts anyone. Good luck hunting those thieves."

Hesitantly and without any negative emotion, Rornak responds politely, "thanks...and good luck with her. Get yourself and your mother out of Skyrim Halda, you'll be safe then. I'll never have the courage to finish Adria's lycanthropy curing spell so you'll only ever be on the reciving end of my bow." Rornak leaves the vault and he disappears into the night. Halda doesn't know that he has destroyed the souls of many werewolves including the Werewolf Lich but she wouldn't be surprised. When the girl who brought them both here wakes up, Halda is gentle and caring. When she was a baby this girl was placed on this bed and put to sleep. Now she is a fourteen year old girl. She wears clothing made of leaves. These clothes have grown with her as the years passed.

The girl asks Halda about the books on the table, "leave them, I'll collect them later once we get you to safety. Additionally, I think that there are things in a few of those books that are better if they were left behind." The two walk through the night to where Skjor's pack made camp and there Braeda is sitting outside taking in the moonlight. Seeing that Halda has brought the girl from the vault is a warming sight. Halda finds a tent for the girl to use for the night, tucks her into bed, then leaves and sits beside her mother. "I konw that this isn't what either of us planned for tonight but I have to ask. Mother, why did you kill that woman five years ago shortly after the Silver Hand in Gallows Rock were wiped out?" Halda looks to her mother for an answer as Braeda tries to figure out how to respond.

"Hirince promised me that you would never know sadness or discomfort in life if I did this for him, it ensured you a bright future but that doesn't mean I liked what I did." Braeda then dmits to lying to her daughter about not knowing. She believed that Halda would never feel safe around her if she knew that her mother was the one responsible for bringing the Dark Hunter upon them. "Lord Hirince refuses to fail on his end of the deal, he just doesn't feel satisfied that he has found the right place for you to live because he isn't sure you will be happy. You and I are his best servants Halda, the last thing that our lord wants is to lose us."

"It won't matter what Hircine does for us if the Dark Hunter is still hunting us, he won't stop until the debt he feels he owes is repaid or he finds peace. I don't know if it is possible to bring peace to someone with such hatred and anger. I don't believe that he's a monster regardless of what others would say. However that doesn't change the fact he is dangerous to us." Halda looks to the darkness sure that Rornak is watching her. Braeda places her hand on Halda's hand, "what is it mother?"

"If you can get through to him to learn this Halda, you may be able to bring the Dark Hunter peace," Braeda looks directly at her daughter and can guess what she is thinking. "If you don't try Halda then you will never be sure. I turned him into the Dark Hunter, you may be able to turn him back into the man he once was." Before the two grown women go to bed for the night they check on the girl and make sure that she is okay. After assuring themselves of her health they leave and go to sleep. Within the edges of The Reach at an old ruin in the mountains the following night, a band of Forsworn is taking count of their new arsenal that they intend to use to strengthen their grip on The Reach. As the leader of the band inspects an Orcish sword, his fellow Forsworn are cut down without warning by arrows. In seconds all of the Forsworn under him are killed and several warriors appear.

"Forsworn with orcish weapons, now isn't that interesting," Rornak says to the lone Forsworn while he is standing beside the Grand Master of the Poachers Guild. "I believe you have or know where to find something of ours. If you tell us the truth now, we don't have to use the 'bargaining chips' we have at our disposal."


Part Five 4th Era 206


Arriving in full Nightingale Armor Brynjolf, Karliah, and the Thieves Guild Master have come to the Twilight Sepulchur. Summoned in haste by Nocturnal, the three Nightingales find that the skeleton key is still in its place in Nocturnal's portal but the trained thieves quickly notice that something is missing. On further inspection they realize that someone has made off with an artifact from a secure room only accessible through a portal in the circular room that houses Nocturnal's portal.

"Karliah," Byrnjolf asks with upmost confusion, "how can anyone other than us access this place?"

"I don't know Brynjolf," Karliah responds in worried confusion. "This secure room within the Sepulcher is one of the most secure places in Skyrim." She picks up a note left on a pedestal in the place of another object. "We should be the only ones to have access to this place. We can figure out how this happenedlater on, right now we need to find a missing artifact. What is missing from this pedestal is a hooded mask of great power worn by a long dead Nightingale. This mask may not seem significant but it can be dangerous in the wrong hands." Thankfully for Skyrim's sake there are few better hands to have this mask. Walking north, wearing Deep Woods Priest Armor, Grimbor has this mask and intends to keep it until what was stolen from the Poachers Guild is returned. By a stroke of good luck, he was still in Falkreath Hold when he received orders to steal something important from the Twilight Sepulcher. A bargining chip to use against the Thieves Guild who bought the artifact from the Forsworn thieves.

"This is the mask that was worn by a Nightingale mage that devoted their life to serving the will of Nocturnal, a disgrace to all magic users," Grimbor keeps the mask wrapped tight in a cloth protected by a ward. The mask stays wrapped up in a way so he cannot actually see it. "If we did not need this so desperately I would burn it until it was nothing but ashes." With the mask secured to him, Grimbor knows he is a target for Nocturnal's gaze. Armed with his sword staff, Grimbor is ready for a fight and at the border of Falkreath Hold and The Reach, spirits of beings that served Nocturnal in life come for him. "I see, Nocturnal sends for the heretical foul spirits of fools. Come forward sinners, it is your turn at judgement!" Over the course of several minutes, Grimbor fights off spiritual servants of Nocturnal, taking advantage of his sword staff's enchantment to use Earth Bound on each foe. The enchantment absorbs some of the health, stamina, and magicka of his foes (15 each) with each blow. Using the sword staff's enchantment and a ring enchanted to fortify his stamina and magicka regeneration (62 percent each), Grimbor maintains a steady supply of magicka and destroys the souls of each spirit. Taking ques from Rornak, Grimbor finishes off two foes with decapitations. With the base of his swor staff's handle, Grimbor strikes the side of the last spirit's knee to cripple it. Then with a swift horizontal slash, takes off its head. "Five more Daedra worshiping heretics have been purged. I retract my doubts on the usefulness of this enchanted ring."

Grimbor thusly resumes his trek and enters The Reach. Inside The Reach, high up in the southern reaches of the hold near Bard's Leap Summit, Grimbor arrives at the last source of competition for the Black-Briar Meadery in Skyrim, Raven Wallow Brewery. Once a criminal organization that made its money by selling illegal alcoholic drinks, the Ravens are now a fully functional legitiment brewery and a source of ex-thieves to ask to legally retrieve a stolen item for a price. Among their ranks is Mellidia who is there to greet Grimbor at the entrance of the walled property. Her black hair is covered by her hood and the lower half of her face is covered by her raven black cowl. The moon shines down between a small gap in the overcast skies tonight.

"This is the mask that I was sent to retrieve as an item for trading," Grimbor takes the wrapped up mask off of his body and presents it to Mellidia as they stand in the moonlight and light from inside. She takes it, "I do hope that you know to not use this heretical artifact under any circumstances. That would be problematic."

"We want to destroy this mask as much as you do Grimbor if not more," Mellidia responds as she holds the wrapped up mask. "Oh, I want to burn this so much right now and stick it to our Thieves Guild and Nightingale rivals. It may seem like just a hood with a fabric mask but the power this artifact grants is dangerous. It allows the wearer to absorb a third of the magic from each spell that hits them, makes a pickpocket harder to detect, and grants access to a special summoning spell that will summon a very powerful Daedra from Evergloam. Its maker also humiliated us many times," looking at the wrapping around the mask Mellidia bears her teeth in rage. "I will see that this is kept locked away for the time being. Our vaults are equipped with strong locks and protected by strong wards and seals. If we must, we will trade it for this artifact of yours. Hopefully that won't happen and this mask can be destroyed and I really want to be the one to set it alight. That would be a glorious treat." Mellidia walks away, taking the mask with her to the protected vault that the Ravens have been using for centuries to seal away the trophies they have stolen from the Thieves Guild and the Nightingales.

The next day, the fifth of Hearthfire, Grimbor walks out into the bright sunlight and finds that Rornak and the Grand Master of the Poachers Guild are taking some time to practice on the Raven's training range.

"Master Hawken, I haven't seen you in a while, you look well," Grimbor says approaching the Grand Master.

"You are kind Grimbor, I hear that your hunt for the mask went well," Hawken responds inquiring about Grimbor's mission. "Is that true or did you have to abandon it to save your own life?"

"Despite the spirits of heretics who chose to get in my way, I retrieved the mask. With this new ring of mine to bolster my magicka regeneration I used Earth Bound to destroy them all. Has there been any word from the Ravens or the Poacher we have working alongside them about finding our artifact?" Knowing the artifact of the Poachers Guild and its value, Grimbor is interested in finding out any information about its whereabouts. Grand Master Hawken responds that no reports have arrived and they are still waiting on a response from High King Ulfric for permission to raid the Rat Way and shut the Thieves Guild down. "It pains me to wait like this. Having to quickly raid a Daedric temple on short notice is doable and was actually rather fun, there was so many Nightingale spirits to strike down with Earth Bound and I had them all to myself! Yet having to wait is infuriating." Grimbor turns his head and takes notice of what Rornak is doing. "What is this? Do I see Rornak wielding his crossbow once again?"

"Don't get used to it, I am practicing so I don't lose the skill I have with crossbows and nothing more," Rornak responds then he fires a bolt at a small target on the far side of the range. He still manages to hit the target almost dead center despite the quality of the crossbow and the size of the target. "This isn't the crossbow I made, it isn't fine tuned and it doesn't have the armor piercing abilities mine does. I cannot bare to pick up that crossbow after letting Adria fall by the torturous claws of werewolves."

"That crossbow is your finest work Rornak, it is a waste to not use it," Grimbor says to Rornak as the Poacher continues to practice with his crossbow.

"Rornak has to heal in his own way Grimbor and part of that is learning to pick up and use his crossbow in combat again on his own terms," Hawken looks at Grimbor with sympathy knowing that he hates to see Ronrak like this. "Taking a demotion is not easy and when you try to take it one piece at a time, it is very time consuming and slow. I hated it because to regain the promotion I lost, it took a long time and that time starts to get to you a lot faster than it does when you are trying to earn something for the first time. He also lost a good friend as well, things like that make healing even harder."

"On the subject of my crossbow, it is a good weapon but the bow I carry with me does just fine on its own," Rornak says to Grimbor. "I've taken down many mighty were-creatures with it. I do love the panic that my bow causes werewolves to experience and seeing them fearful because they have no idea where I am. All they know is that an arrow has just slain their friend on its own and came out of the darkness from nowhere. Be it the time I ambushed werewolves after they were driven away from Dark Elf refuges in 201, ambushed them as they tried to take a drink from a river in The Reach in 202, or ambushed them by a grave in Falkreeth. Oh, I love seeing such a predator afraid right before I put an arrow through their skull! My bow has even sundered six primitive and monstrous marriages as the two beasts were wed. Using my bow instead of my crossbow had no negative affects on me and since it is enchanted, the arguement can be made that it is the better weapon."

"If that is so then keep it up Rornak, every unholy unity destroyed makes the world that much safer," Grimbor's approval of Rornak's dark desire for revenge isn't something that the grand master likes. It doesn't help Rornak in any way, it only reinforce his desire for revenge.

An idea comes to Grand Master Hawken. "Since I have the two of you here, how about an assignment to pass the time while you wait for the Ravens to inform us on their progress. To the west is a ruin of some kind here in the Druadach Mountains that is the believed location of a treasure. Based on my study of the sight, it is near Dead Crone Rock. Why don't the two of you go on a treasure hunt and see what you can find. It is better than waiting here," Hawken suggests and so Grimbor and Rornak take their leave interested in a little treasure hunt. Shortly after leaving Raven Wallow Brewery, it becomes clear to the two men that something is not right. As they make their way over the rough pathways they start to feel as if they are getting closer to something negative but they don't know what that is.

A shadow that is hanging over their heads on the tips of the rocks around them. Grimbor suspects this to be daedric in origin given his mission last night. Rornak thinks that it is something else entirely. All the two Poachers can do is to keep their wits sharp and be ready for anything that may come their way. Following directions from their Grand Master, Rornak and Grimbor find their way to an old tower and climb up to its roof. Looking out over the mountains and The Reach in the distance, they are in awe at the view. Underneath blue skies and rolling clouds with eagles flying in the distance the scene is worthy of a painting. Surveying the landscape further west the Poachers spot the ruin but they still feel as if something else is nearby. The stonework of the ruins in the distance is blurry because of how far they still have to travel. It is surely old enough to house an ancient Nordic treasure.

"We don't get enough chances to enjoy a view like this," Rornak comments to Grimbor.

"It is good to be able to see the holy world we fight to preserve from this view," Grimbor says in response. "Did you come to The Reach over the last five years to hunt the beasts of Hircine? You certainly traveled Skyrim in that time."

"Not very much, a few times but that is it," Rornak responds. "High King Ulfric assigned me to keeping Forsworn away from shipments and such." Rornak cracks a smile, "of course the only time Jarl Thongvor ever smiles is when money is flowing into Markarth." Grimbor chuckles at this because after the civil war, the Silver-Bloods lost a lot of what they owned. Thonar's use of the Forsworn as a means to stomp out competition, exposed by Ralgrif and Mellidia, crippled the family's public relationship and new investors seeking to take advantage of that cost them some of their property. Though losing property was better than spending their lives in prison. "After losing the sources of income that they did, he loves knowing that the flow of money into Markarth is safe because that means his family is still rich." A few seconds of chuckling later, Grimbor silences himself and Rornak. When they hear voices below them, Grimbor immediately recognizes Harbin and after looking over the edge of the tower he realizes that Harbin and his dad have come up behind him and Rornak.

Harbin spots Grimbor out of the corner of his eye, "Well isn't this a fine stroke of luck," Harbin says looking up at the two Poachers, "get down here and lets have a chat." Grimbor and Rornak come down from the top of the tower. Once face to face on equal ground, Harbin tells Rornak and Grimbor what he and his dad are up to. "We're on route to the sight of ancient ruins and boy is this a trip you two want to be a part of. Inside the ruins is a treasure Ancient Nords took from the Snow Elves long ago. Though details are few and somewhat inconsistent we know this treasure was a very powerful item. Come, let's find this treasure together," and Harbin leads the way with his father behind him. "This will surely give us a story to tell for a while."

"Have the two of you seen anything strange," Grimbor asks Harbin and Harbin's father, Vikrin (Vick-rin), responds that they have had a peaceful walk aside from the terrain. "Then either Rornak and I are sharing a false paranoia or something is hiding among us that only we can sense."

"That reminds me since we are talking about hidden things, what did you do with that skull we found Rornak?" Harbin asks his fellow Poacher.

"I took it to an old shrine where I've placed two other skulls," Rornak responds. "A friend I met who lives there tells me that the skulls are tied to this Drakeforge which as far as I have found in research is a forge of legend and nobody knows what it can do or if it is even real. Needless to say, I'd know if my friend was here and trust me she isn't." A half hour later, the four reach the edge of the Nordic ruins and quickly notice movement among the old structures. From where they are currently, the four cannot see into the ruins and make out the objects they are seeing. Their only idea as to what they are up against comes from Grimbor who's attuned himself to detecting the servants of Daedra.

"Nightingales," Grimbor says with certainty, "I can feel the influence of Nocturnal radiating off them. They are here for something, perhaps the treasure. We must not let them get away with stealing another priceless and irreplaceable artifact. We must stop them at once," determined to stop the Nightingales, Grimbor moves quickly and silently toward the ruins. Everyone else follows behind him as they enter the ruins. Passing through some old dome structures, housing of some kind, Rornak and Grimbor both can feel a negative presence but they are not the same. Grimbor is picking up on what he claims is the influence of Nocturnal, Rornak senses something much darker. He wants this treasure if it is a weapon that can be used to further his quest for revenge. But he cannot deny that something is giving off an evil energy. Though not much is known about these ruins, Rornak recognizes them from the various books that he has read over the last five years. A secret bastion of Nords from which they did things lost to the passing of time. It is believed that these ruins predate the dragon war. Without warning, there is a sudden blast that shakes the ground. "Damn thieves what have they done now?"

"Something just released a whole lot of magicka, I can feel it," Rornak says to the group, "we need to find them now. We all know what happened when the Thalmor messed with the Eye of Magnus." Rornak doesn't know a lot about what happened with the Eye of Magnus when the Thalmor messed with it but he knows that it was a bad situation. One that could have gone horribly wrong if not for the efforts of a few to stop them. Following the surge of magicka with help from Rornak's ability to sense it, the four men find the source and a Khajiit Nightingale. Two more Nightingales are lying on the ground before a pedestal with a glowing star like object. Neither of them are moving, Rornak quickly concludes that they were too close to the star like object when the magicka was suddenly released and it killed them. "We found our treasure but what is it?"

"Is it safe or is it dangerous to get close to that thing ," Vikrin asks Rornak while concerned about their safety? "You're the magic expert of you three according to my son."

"Aye, the decision is yours to make Rornak, not mine," Harbin states.

"Give it a moment to release some more power, we are safe as long as we don't get within a few feet of whatever that is," Rornak responds. "I could put a ward around it, let it soak up some of the magicka for us. However I don't see that being worth the effort given that it will only shorten this by a second or two most likely." Over the last five years, Rornak has spent periods of time at the College of Winterhold to hone his talents in Restoration. Prior to these studies he had learned a great deal from his mother. Though his focus was on the healing spells Rornak also learned some of the Turn Undead and Ward Spells so he would have them just in case the situation arose. At times he tried to finish Adria's work, but never made much progress. While the two men talk the Khajiit Nightingale stands up and looks at his companions close to the treasure. "For Nightingales, and I assume that you three are experienced thieves, you royally messed this up. Next time you thieves try to steal something at least try to not ignite a situation you cannot control."

"We did not do anything to this treasure," the Khajiit responds. "My companions went up close to lift it off the pedestal but a burst of power erupted before they could touch it." Every Poacher and Vikrin is as suspicious as one can be about this statement and with good reason since this is a thief they are talking to. As far as they can tell, nobody else other than the Nightingales has been here before them.

"If that is true then what did trigger the burst of power?" Grimbor asks. "Speak thief before I cut off your tail!" Grimbor is answered by the moaning of corpses raised by necromancy and the two other Nightingales stand back up under the control of an unknown necromancer. Around the group, crypts open up in and out of their sight which means that Draugr are coming for them as well. A shriek chills the air and a black hooded figure appears from a coffin a short distance away. Immediately, it is clear that this is a dragon priest of some kind and he is wearing some kind of mask. "It would seem that we have a dragon priest to put to rest. Watch your back, it may be one of the Undead but a dragon priest and their minions are not to be underestimated."

"We've been surrounded by draugr," Vikrin says as the group turns to face the foes that are all around them. A various assortment of draugr has awoken to support the dragon priest. "This brings back memories, good times...good times. Harbin and I can handle the Undead on this side." Vikrin raises his battleaxe as the draugr move forward towards him and Harbin. Being no stranger to facing draugr, Vikrin has little trouble fighting them off. Wielding a double-bitted axe, Vikrin dismembers the draugr faster than new ones can leave their coffins. The former Companion relies on horizontal slashing techniques to hit multiple draugr at once. His blows stun the undead creatures until he deals out enough injury to put them back in the ground. "I'm not impressed by these Draugr, I'm also not happy to see fellow Nords be manipulated as puppets like this. Set these poor souls free, it is only fair that we do them this kindness since they cannot resist this necromancy." Harbin has twin hammers with him today and he benefits from letting his father take on the worst of the draugr. As his father takes on the tougher Draugr Deathlords, Harbin handles the weaker Draugr Thralls. Some of his blows knock off rotting flesh from the Draugr bodies. The air becomes fouled by this horrible smell as a result. Grimbor takes on the dragon priest and the two possessed Nightingales as Rornak and the Khajiit Nightingale hold back several Restless Draugr to protect him. In the middle of a fight with a draugr, Rornak hears the dragon priest speak.

In an ancient Nordic language the dragon priest says to Grimbor, "what you see is just a taste of the vengeance I will bring upon the Snow Elves. They destroyed my family and friends, burning my home to the ground. With my army I will march on their last stronghold and burn it to the ground in return. The map reveals the Snow Elves to me, they can never hide from my gaze. Soon there shall be no beating hearts in the bodies of Snow Elves, only their rotting flesh. You can either join me alive, or in death, but either way your resistance is futile." Rornak learned this ancient language of the Nords from Almura but he never guessed that he would need it. One thing he is glad she taught him is the basics of dual wielding weapons in combat which allows him to tear down the numerous draugr to provide protection for Grimbor. "Once the Snow Elves are slain then the Altmer will perish and the heretics who turned against our dragon lords." Slashing across the chest of a draugr, Rornak breaks the power that has raised it from death and the draugr falls to the ground motionless. When a Hulking Draugr attempts to bring the head of an ebony battleaxe down on Rornak's skull, the Poahcer dodges to the right and runs the draugr through with his sword then crushes its skull with his mace. Out of this left eye Rornak can see Grimbor using Earth Bound on one of the Nightingales, a woman based on her physical appearance. Seeing Grimbor thrust the tip of his sword staff through her heart and then pull it free, Rornak gets an uneasy feeling in his chest.

He thinks as he fights the next draugr to face him, This dragon priest is after revenge and as a result he has become one of the Undead and has lost his humanity after festering on this idea for an unknown amount of time. Even in death he still pursues his revenge and has gained control of a number of draugr to serve him. Smashing the skull of another Hulking Draugr, Rornak cannot stop himself from thinking about what will happen to him if he keeps pursuing revenge. No matter how much I want to purge Skyrim of Werewolves, I will not do anything if it puts my mental well-being at risk. After a short time Grimbor's magicka reserve refill to a point where he can use Earth Bound again so he uses it on the second Nightingale. He blocks the Nightingale's sword with his swordstaff then kicks the Nightingale in the stomach. Its guard down, Grimbor decapitates the Nightingale and utilizes Earth Bound to destroy its soul. Once the second Nightingale is slain, Grimbor cuts down two Draugr Thralls and goes to for the final blow on the dragon priest. In a heated duel Grimbor and the dragon priest fight with nearly the exact skill and strength. This duel remains an even contest until the last of the draugr serving the dragon priest are defeated and Grimbor gets a lucky blow past the defense of the dragon priest. With one strike to the shoulder, Grimbor cripples the dragon priest's right arm. Grimbor quickly follows up with a blow to the chest that finishes the priest off. He spares it from Earth Bound because he doesn't see the creature as worthy of such a fate.

"Now that we have dealt with the dragon priest and whatever treasure he presided over has calmed down, we can decide what to do with the last of our Nightingale friends," Grimbor says turning to the Khajiit. Remarkably the Khajiit doesn't try to run or get himself out of this mess with bribery. In order to save his skin, the Khajiit offers a trade, the artifact of the Poachers Guild for the amnesty needed to start over in Skyrim. "You wish to start over? Even if I could grant you amnesty why should I believe you cat? You've stolen from countless innocent people. You cannot know any other way other than stealing for yourself." The draugr and the dragon priest may be dead but Rornak's head is in the clouds at the moment. The conversation with the Khajiit does not need his involvement so he focuses on what has his attention at the moment.

Should I risk turning out as the dragon priest to pursue revenge or not? I don't know what I would do with himself if I gave up on revenge, but will continuing to seek it be worth the cost? I don't want to turn into the dragon priest Grimbor slayed because that is not a life at all. Still, I feel as if I have to repay Adria somehow for failing to protect her.

"I may be the leader of the Thieves Guild but I, do have a morale code," the Khajiit responds to Grimbor. "You do not know who I am but that is by no fault of your own so perhaps it is time you know who I really am, my name is Gresha (Grey-sha), a Khajiit who fled Elsweyr because of the Thalmor and his criminal past only to return to his old ways here in Skyrim. However this time was different, I sought to bring a balance between the peoples of this land. I steal things yes but I also give to the Khajiit who struggle to make an honest living within the law and the beggars who can be found throughout this Province. Maybe my methods of stopping my kin and the beggars from turning to crime are not right but I do my best to make some good out of my actions. That is why I not only offer you what is yours but something more in exchange for amnesty. In addition to your artifact, I'll help you undermine the allies of the Thieves Guild and if possible the Thieves Guild itself." While Grimbor talks with the Khajiit, Rornak looks around the area and he uncovers a surprising and welcome find, the fourth skull that Almura spoke of.

Rornak thinks, Why is the last skull here? As well, every skull has had draugr around it that I've had to deal with. There has to be a reason He returns to the group as Grimbor and Gresha come to an uneasy deal. If the Khajiit can point the Poachers Guild to who is supporting the Thieves Guild and returns their artifact, then Grimbor will vouch for him before High King Ulfric. It will be up to him if Gresha gets the amnesty he wants, either way the Poachers Guild should win in this deal.

"If we are done here then we should grab this treasure and the dragon priest's mask then go," Harbin states as Rornak returns. "So what is this treasure that we came all the way to find?"

"A supposed ancient map of some kind but I've never heard of a map having that level of power before," Rornak responds picking up the mask of the dragon priest. "I heard what that dragon priest said in an ancient Nordic language and it called this thing a map but looking at it I wouldn't call a star shaped object a map." Looking at the treasure, nobody can quite be sure what this item is but they know that it should not be left here unguarded. The group splits up, Harbin and Vikrin take the Khajiit away and Grimbor takes the treasure back to Raven Wallow Brewery with Rornak. Showing the treasure to Mellidia, the two men get some answers as to what they have found.

"Well now, I almost owed my mother a drink, the Map of Auriel does exist," Mellidia says taking the treasure with both hands. "The release of magicka you felt was all the power that the dragon priest put into the map to try and control it. He looked through the map through force, not a good idea. Rather strange because this map is not hard to use," Mellidia places her left hand on top of the star and turns the top piece to the right one full rotation. The star then projects a light and the light creates a map before her and the Poachers. "What I know about the map is that it works via thoughts and desires. Based on what the map is showing, using my thoughts and desires to get it to show me what the dragon priest wanted, it would appear that there is a small group of Snow Elves left in the world that have not devolved into Falmer."

"Sounds like the start of a short but fun adventure," Rornak says to Grimbor thinking about the possibilities that could await them if they find these Snow Elves. "Who knows what they could teach us about their culture and about the dwarfs."

"I also have some good news, your artifact has been found and is in the hands of a Deep Woods Poacher," Mellidia states to the two Poachers. This is welcome news to both Poachers. "I wish I could tag along with you on this search for the Snow Elves. I haven't had a very fun or interesting trip in a long time. Nothing comes close to my first heist back when I was sixteen. Thanks to our amnesty I get to gloat all about it too." With a happy smile Mellidia asks the two men, "interested in some of my exploits?"

"What harm could it do?" Rornak says happy to hear some of Mellidia's exploits. Grimbor has no reaction.

"I'm sure you know that the Black-Briar Meadery produces quite a lot of mead and that Maven Black-Briar doesn't share very well," Mellidia starts off. "Back then, I was sick of being cooped up in the brewery all the time and constantly training but not actually stealing. This was the first time my mother let me join in on the fun and I was happy because I was sick of this place and when your sixteen you want to break some rules and rebel. In order to reduce the competition a bit and give Maven a taste of karma for all of her misdoings, which we knew about since we were frequently hired to retrieve items stolen by the Thieves Guild, my mother planned a heist and I was brought along. In the dead of night we rowed up to the meadery and broke in. Let's just say that we can legally buy better locks on a tight budget than she can with all her spare wealth. With the thieving skills I inherited from my parents and I learned from training, sneaking out several bottles of Black-Briar Mead at a time was simple." With a smile on her face Mellidia says, "that meadery reeks of hard labor and unfair treatment, you could smell it in the air and that is a fact. Perhaps that is why Black-Briar Mead is so bad, it is contaminated with sweat and blood of overworked laborers. I have to say that it felt good to finally get out into the world and start stealing instead of training. After awhile it gets boring spending all your time training and training and training. Sneaking in and out with dozens of septims worth of Black-Briar Mead in bottles was fun because I was giving Maven a taste of karma and doing something bad and rebellious. However the real fun was that we not only made off with cases and kegs of mead but we forged the Meadery's business ledger to portray our loot as legally sold merchandise." Mellidia cannot stop herself from giggling.

She continues, "That was my idea, stole it from the Thieves Guild because it was an idea that worked, I put too much time into training to forge ledgers to not do so. Maven Black-Briar must have been so furious when she realized that she couldn't do anything in response when she found out she was robbed. Her face was so red she looked like a tomato and I had the luxury to see it. As a result of my forgery, she couldn't do anything to prove it wasn't sold legally meaning she was out roughly ten thousand septims and that is a lot of mead that isn't going into the market. She was made even more angry when our product filled the void we created."

"Well I am not a thief so I don't know what makes a heist fun but I'm sure ripping off a competitor is always a joyful experience," Rornak comments. "I never was one to be rebellious back then so I don't know how that would be fun."

"You aren't a thief Rornak, you wouldn't understand but that is okay," Mellidia says to Rornak. "Still," Mellidia stops smiling, "I wasn't happy because mother refused to let me sell any of the mead we stole even months after the fact. I reached a point where I wanted to run my own show so I set out on my own, stealing as I needed and making sure nobody knew who it was or anything was traced back to the Ravens. However that is how I met Aventius Arentino and joined the Dark Brotherhood. It was a unique experience for the time it lasted," Mellidia is happy to be back with her mother and the Ravens after spending time with the Dark Brotherhood. Even though she thought that they might be the group she'd enjoy being a part of at first, Mellidia did not want to be the Listener and would rather betray the Dark Brotherhood and save the Ravens in a deal with Ulfric Stormcloak. "I don't regret killing them, the Dark Brotherhood needed to go, but I do miss Astrid."

"Do you still keep that black soul gem safe even now, years after the fact," Grimbor asks Mellidia?

"Safer than you'd think," Mellidia responds visibly sad that Astrid, her BFF, is stuck inside that soul gem. "At least she isn't stuck in the Void or the Soul Cairn."

"You did the right thing Mellidia," Rornak says to his twenty one year old friend. "I would love to stay but I need to deal with this dragon skull I found among the ruins."

"Do you mind if I join you Rornak," Grimbor asks with what seems to be honest curiosity but Rornak can see through him.

"Do not try to hide your motives from me Grimbor I know why you want to see what this skull holds," Rornak says to Grimbor. "If you think that I would make a deal that would give you reason to be concerned then your a fool. Follow me if you will, but don't cause me any trouble." At this moment the Grand Master of the guild approaches the two. He has a task for Rornak after speaking with Mellidia and learning that the artifact has been retrieved. He wants Rornak to acompany another Poacher on a mission to scout the revealed location on the map and see if these Snow Elves do exist. "Which Poacher will I be accompanying sir?"

"Aurwen (Aur as in aura-when)," Master Hawken responds and Rornak sighs in unhappiness. Grimbor pats Rornak on the back in sympathy with a similar expression.

"Can I go with Grimbor or any other Poacher sir," Rornak asks his Grand Master? He is absolutely driven away from the task at the mention of working beside this Aurwen.

"Rornak I know you don't like working with her and most Poachers agree with you but Aurwen is the kind of Poacher we need scouting those ruins and your the best Deep Woods Poacher available," Hawken tells Rornak. "Do what you can to keep her from getting under your skin and you will be fine. Oh and leave that mask here, the mask of a dragon priest is not something to be played with." Rornak hands over the mask then heads east towards The Rift. Along the way he stops at the shrine where the previous three skulls Rornak found rest.

"That is the last skull," Almura says hiding from sight and speaking as a voice on the wind. "Place it in the slot and lets see what happens then." Rornak places the skull into the slot and then he watches a fire spawn out of thin air in the middle of the stone ring. The flames take shape and create the outline of an object that leaves Rornak confused. "What do you see Rornak?"

"A new mystery, I should have known that it would never so easy to find this Drakeforge," Rornak responds to Almura who is not surprised about what he has found. "This shows something pertaining to the Drakeforge, something you knew about surely. Now how do I start figuring out this new riddle?"

"Yes I did know what would happen when you found the last dragon skull," Almura says to Rornak. "Look closer at the stone ring. You speak the ancient Nordic language carved into the stone of that ring. What does it say?" Looking at the inscriptions on the stone ring, something that Rornak never understood how it played into his search for the Drakeforge since the beginning, he realizes that if he can solve this riddle he can find the Drakeforge.

"A fire unmatched by Man or Mer granted only to those who enforce the rules of war. From the cauldron comes the flames of the Drakeforge." Rornak isn't sure exactly what the riddle means or what exactly the outline he is looking at as he reads the engraving in the stone aloud. This stone ring isn't the Drakeforge but he knows that he is looking at it or something related to the Drakeforge when considering the object outlined by the flames. He will have to wait to figure out what it is he is looking at with a new task on his hands. "I know you're there Grimbor, are you even trying to hide from me?"

"Not really I don't see a need to hide from you," Grimbor responds approaching the stone table and then the stone ring. "I don't understand everything that is going on here but I can tell someone wants to help you and maybe the rest of us. Regarding what this Drakeforge is, I've never heard of anything like it. I've heard of the Skyforge and I've heard of the Aetherium Forge but the Drakeforge, now that is something new. It is tied to the Ancient Nords that much is clear from the stone work around us but beyond that I cannot imagine what other knowledge can be here for us to find." Grimbor walks over to Rornak to take a look himself at the flaming outline, the two men are staring at an object that rises from a wide base narrowing towards the top but the top of the object is missing. Instead there are jagged points and it looks like there is a hole in the top of the object. "An object with an opening at the top and jagged points, any number of things could be depicted here."

"Well now you must be Grimbor based on that Deep Woods Investigator Armor," Almura says as she rises from the stone picture of a dragon. Grimbor is surprised to see her, particularly because Almura is an ash outline of a dragon. "I've heard quite a lot about you and Harbin from Rornak and I must say you are a very determined man. Yet you are still not as strong as you could be," Almura looks directly at Grimbor and she sees straight into him. She can see what he doesn't want anyone to see. "What a shame that you bind yourself to an almost emotionless life, the emptiness inside you Grimbor, there is no way you can hide it for much longer or it will drive you mad."

"What are you talking about there is no emptiness inside my righteous soul," Grimbor counters but he cannot win this debate. Almura can see through his words and eventually gets him to admit to her that he does feel empty inside. Grimbor defends his emptiness with, "as long as my emotions cannot interfere with my decisions then no corruption can reach me. I can stamp out the Daedra worshipers whose evil degrades and threatens this world without any risk to my health."

"Grimbor you will never access your third Spirit if you maintain this course. Change your heading now while it isn't too late," Almura says to Grimbor with honest intentions. "Seek out the Breton you desire and you shall find the strength to accept the truth and then you will be much stronger than you are now. Go Grimbor, there is a great need for you in the north west. Something dark is at work and it reeks of Daedra. Your Deep Woods Investigator Armor and the Spirit Inquisition will be your best weapons." Grimbor stares at Almura for several seconds before he leaves trusting his instincts to reveal any traps to him. "Rornak, I can see a chance in your heart. Something has stirred your mind to reconsider your desire for revenge. What do you think about your path now?"

"To get the last skull I had to face off against a dragon priest and the priest had a desire for revenge that made him resort to turning into one of the Undead. His revenge has kept him alive for eras and drove him mad," Rornak says to Almura. He looks into the eyes of the dragon, "that is not a fate I want for myself but I have to keep going in order to repay Adria and avenge her death."

"Maybe, maybe not,"Almura states. "Just because you think you have to take a route, doesn't me that you do. Perhaps the reason you cannot see another option is because you won't let yourself see it." The stone table opens up, and the fire inside it wraps Rornak's arms, granting him new skills. "First a dragonbone bow, then a dragonbone sword, third a dragonbone halberd, and lastly a dragonbone mace. Take this new mace Rornak for the retrieval of the fourth skull then go east and find out what is going on in those mountains. I fear a new Daedric Prince has taken control of the Falmer and is pulling their strings and if they are not contained then Eastmarch and The Rift may be in serious danger. Slay as many as you can, you will have to show the skill that has made you the Dark Hunter. However you may also have to channel it in a way you're not used to, and by that I mean to spread hope instead of fear. You are healing more than you know as you open up about that terrible night and what you want because of it. This task could accelerate that healing if you can channel the abilities you have without using hate and anger as a fuel for them."

"I will try my best to do that but I have a question. What kind of a dragon are you Almura how do you know all this?" Rornak asks. "You can appear as an ash outline, control some sort of magic stone table, and have the ability to see things miles away and possibly underground. What kind of dragon has all these abilities," Rornak always knew that Almura was unique but now he is starting to question some of the details about her.

"One of a kind Rornak, one of a kind," she responds and Almura's ash outline breaks apart. She returns to the stone picture of a dragon and says nothing more to the Poacher. Rornak takes his leave now possessing greatly improved knowledge of how to use maces in combat. Traveling by horse he makes great time through The Rift but he cannot help but remember the horrible details of the night he failed to save Adria. If the Falmer are such a threat that Almura empathizes that Rornak brings his best, then trouble is surely coming. "Almura wouldn't say the things she said without a good reason! These Falmer are clearly a big threat if she is saying that it requires the effort that resulted in my title. I hope that I will have time to stop them," Rornak stops himself. "No, I will keep The Rift safe from the Falmer, whatever it takes in this fight! Adria wouldn't want me to fight with such darkness, she would want me to give people hope that they would be safe. She would believe in me, and I need to believe in myself!"


Part Six 4th Era 206


Rornak met up with Aurwen in Riften in the afternoon but it was too late in the day to try to find the Snow Elves or the Falmer that Almura warned Rornak of. On the Sixth of Hearthfire the two set out north for the location that the Map of Auriel revealed. Just outside Ivarsted, under a cloak as rain falls on the land, a woman stands before the grave of a loved one, Adria's mother. Coming to grips with the death of her daughter has not been easy but Adria's mother has managed to accept the fact that her daughter is gone. As the rain starts to let up she is joined by another mother.

"You look concerned about something Idela (I-D-la), is there something that I can help you with," Adria's mother asks Idela who has been a friend of her and her family for years?

"No, this is not something you cannot help with, I'm just worried about my son," Idela responds and Adria's mother knows when her friend is worried. Underneath he hood, Idela's dark purple tinted black hair stays dry as she talks to Adria's mother. "No matter how skilled he is my son is trying to achieve a goal that I dread to think of and could end up getting him killed. Rornak is strong, he is capable, and possesses many friends to support him but his quest for revenge is not healthy and puts him in great danger." Idela looks down at the headstone of Adria's grave and she wishes that she was still with her so Rornak wouldn't be on such a dark path.

"As much as a I miss my daughter I do worry far more for your son. Rornak is not himself. The boy I remember would never have gone to these lengths," Adria's mother comments looking down at the grave.

"He gets this rage from me. I lost my parents to werewolves when I was three and until my husband extended his love to me when I was eighteen I wanted nothing more than to see werewolves die. I'm sure you remember my exploits very well," Idela says to Adria's mother who indeed does remember what Idela has done in the past, she reminded by Idela's hair which is infamous and feared by all Lycanthropes. "You don't become the most feared Poacher for nothing. I've killed more Lycanthropes than any other Poacher, and few of the bodies were ever found thanks to my tricks to turn the bodies to ash. No amount of changing into a healer can erase the shadowy assassin I am. Every bit of the hatred I once had for werewolves has gone into him and now Rornak channels it so he may one day purge Skyrim of werewolves," Idela sighs and takes off her hood now that the rain has stopped. Idela and her husband Rovgrad (Rov-grod) know from letters from Grand Master Hawken about their son's service as a Stormcloak Ranger and that he hunts werewolves as a member of the Poachers Guild. Their only wish is for Rornak to remember that more than four werewolves aren't the beasts he sees them as and that behind every pair of wolf eyes is a person. Meanwhile, Rornak and Aurwen are at the northern edge of The Rift following a trail of dead Falmer towards the Velothi Mountains.

"Dead Falmer, we are getting close to something," Aurwen says to Rornak and she draws back her bow string an arrow knocked and ready to fire. "Don't blow our cover Rornak until I attack or give the order. Gods know that the Grand Master put you beside me to sharpen your skills and to keep you from screwing up horribly." Aurwen, a pure blood Bosmer, is the daughter of Bosmer nobles and like her parents is a proud supporter of the Thalmor and their ideas. She joined the Poachers Guild after the Civil War ended in a Stormcloak victory on the request of Ocarin (O-car-in) who was the Thalmor sent to handle all diplomatic affairs with Skyrim with his more subtle methods as the new Emissary. He is more suited to handle this new situation with Skyrim than Elenwen who wasn't a fan of the new rules that the Thalmor had to play by. Aurwen started from the bottom and in two years was promoted to the rank of Deep Woods Poacher. She sees herself as superior to everyone else who is not of her elite social status, not a Mer, and not at her perceived skill level. "Hold up, there is something up ahead, you have better be able to hear that or your deaf."

"Some of us don't have Wood Elf hearing Aurwen," Rornak responds to the last Poacher he wants to work with. He says in this thoughts, can I please have Halda back, at least she wasn't a stuck up self obsessed elitist? Some days I just wish that Aurwen would shut up. Rornak can hear something up ahead of them but he is unsure what it is. Aurwen slowly moves the two of them closer until they can smell the stench of Falmer and can determine that they are hearing the sounds of combat. Just ahead of the two Poachers, Aela and Halda are in the middle of a fight with some Falmer Skulkers. Aela was in the area on a mission to remove some Frostbite Spiders that were too close to Shor's Stone when she encountered Halda on a search for several missing children from a werewolf pack. Aurwen questions at first if she should help the two ladies or leave them to fend for themselves. She eventually decides to introduce herself after Aela finishes off the last Falmer. "For once I'm actually happy to see Halda," Rornak thinks to himself. "There is a first for every occasion."

"The Dark Hunter and another Poacher, this is actually a bit of luck," Halda says as she catches her breath after the fight. "Hunter, I need the two of you help us, I've tracked several missing young children into this cave but Aela and myself will not make on our own."

"Help a werewolf, are you insane why would we help you beast," Aurwen responds to Halda?

"Beast or not their still children and it wouldn't look good on us to abandon them," Rornak says to Aurwen. "We need to deal with the Falmer in these mountains and this is a good place to start so it only makes sense we help save a few lives on the side. If I can swallow my pride long enough to work beside two werewolves Aurwen then why cannot you? You talk like I'm inferior to you but I can do something so simple and so far you haven't proven to me that you can." Aurwen doesn't say a word, she wants to respond but she knows that it would be less complicated to work with two werewolves. With two Poachers backing her up as well as Aela Halda bravely enters the Falmer cave that rapidly descends down into the earth. Glowing mushrooms and blue earth illuminate the way. Amidst the smells of Falmer Halda picks up the scents of the children, they go deeper into the cave and the scent continues to go further down into the cave. Along the way through the cave they find some Falmer but they don't seem to be alarmed, a troubling sign for Halda who is under pressure from the werewolf pack to bring the children home alive.

For their safety, every Falmer that the group of four comes across is silently eliminated. They run into more Falmer architecture in one small area in this cave than in some other Falmer caves. The four come to a river with a stone bridge spanning its width, lined by Falmer walls, and Halda can still smell the scent trail of the children. It goes over the bridge and is still fresh enough to believe they could be alive. Given the calmness of sixteen now dead Falmer, Aurwen and Aela are not so sure.

"This is not looking good," Aela says to Halda as she scans the cave surrounding them. In the dark crevices she worries that a Falmer is hiding from them, waiting to spring a trap. "We've come a good ways and we still have not found the children. I'm starting to think that it may already be too late to save them." Fearing for her own safety Aela wants to leave the cave but Halda is not giving up not yet and she takes the group across the bridge and around a bend in the path that leads to a dwarven door. It is guarded by two Falmer, so Aela and Aurwen use their bows to silently take out the Falmer from a distance then the group approaches the door. The scent that Halda has been following is stronger, with this to go on she opens the door and the four enter a lost dwarf settlement beneath the mountains.

"Hush, do you all hear that," Aela asks listening to what she thinks she is hearing? "Is that a moan?"

"I think we found our lost children," Halda whispers excited to be able to get the children and leave. It will not be so easy. Northwest of Morthal, Grimbor has met up with an old friend of his. A Breton mage by the name of Amaria (A-mar-ia), a woman who spends most of her time trying to forget her criminal past in High Rock but has yet to ever open up to anyone or forgive herself. Grimbor found her like he intended in the marshes outside of Morthal but not in the way he wanted. Several Seekers have Amaria down on her hands in knees torturing her with their magic. He needs to kill all three of them quickly in order to save her. Grimbor takes several seconds to put himself into a trance used by Vigilants to gain an edge in battle. With a single movement Grimbor reveals himself to the Seekers and throws three throwing knives at the Seekers.

"That is right, go back to Apocrypha monsters, be contempt with your unholy tomes," Grimbor says walking up to Amaria. He extends his hand to her to help his friend stand back up. "I do not know what has happened but it seems that I arrived in time to stop this," Amaria takes Grimbor's hand and he helps her to her feet. "Amaria, I need to talk with you about something important to me."

"If this is about your feelings for me Grimbor then you should know by now I've been able to see it in you for years," Amaria responds to Grimbor with a soft and sad tone. She is gloomy and as per normal finds it hard to be around others. "Can we resume this conversation later at the Moorside Inn?"

"Why would we need to do that," Grimbor asks? "I haven't found any more sign of daedra other than the Seekers."

"I'd rather not talk about it Grimbor just take my word it would be safer if we didn't talk right now," Amaria says her eyes haunted by a guilty truth. "It is a complicated matter." Grimbor is silent for a moment thinking and looking into Amaria's eyes her hand still in his. As Grimbor rubs the skin of her hand he realizes something then lets go and takes a step back. "You... Amaria you serve Vaermina? No, this is a trick, who are you monster and what have you done with Amaria?" Instead of an answer from Amaria Grimbor gets the sounds of a Lurker and he dodges its surprise attack and runs his estoc through its back! Grimbor pulls his sword free then slashes the Lurker across its back damaging the spine of the creature. "Hermaeus Mora's minions, Amaria what did you do?"

"I told you Grimbor it is a complicated matter," Amaria responds as Grimbor kills a dog like daedra minion of Hermaeus Mora. He leaves his estoc buried in the flesh of this daedra, "why are you letting go of your sword?"

"Your magicka hasn't regenerated yet has it," Grimbor asks Amaria?

"Not yet I need a bit more time," she responds so Grimbor tells her to take his sword. "Grimbor I swore that I would never pick up an actual weapon again, I can only wield the bound weapons. I need just a bit longer for my magicka to recharge then I can hold my own." With the sounds of Hermaeus Mora's minions around them Grimbor has to get forceful with Amaria.

"Amaria pick up my sword and fight damn it," Grimbor says drawing his hatchet and falchion from his belt! Where his estoc is meant for thrusting and stabbing with some slashing because of its design as a Poacher's Weapon, Grimbor's Falchion is a slashing weapon due to its blade shape. Grimbor wouldn't give away a weapon like this but he needs Amaria alive and until her magicka reserves regenerate she needs a weapon. Begrudgingly she takes his sword and the two stand with their backs to each other surrounded by the minions of Hermaeus Mora. "This will not be easy but with you by my side we'll slay them all!" Several Lurkers attack first, two go for Grimbor while one attacks Amaria. Nimble and able to move quickly in the lightweight Deep Woods Investigator Armor Grimbor dodges the attacks of the two Lurkers as he looks for an opening to strike back. As he continues to dodge waiting for the right time to strike Grimbor hears a large thud. It is a Lurker hitting the ground dead! Amaria killed it swiftly but now dog like daedra in the service of Hermaeus Mora attack her. Swift but small these creatures are easy for Amaria to take on in groups by herself.

The bodily fluids of the daedra start running into the water around Grimbor and Amaria as they slay their foes one at a time. Though used to using the Bound Sword, Amaria has little trouble fending off the dog like Daedra. Along the edge of a small creak, Amaria slays an entire pack of dog like daedra and their corpses are almost in a line along the creaks' edge. While the dogs hit the ground with a small thump, each Lurker that is felled behind her by Grimbor hits with a much harder thud. Amaria is so far fairing well against the minions of Hermaeus Mora but Grimbor cannot get a break. As soon as he slays one Lurker another takes its place and he is back to where he was. Even with a powerful stamina restoring enchantment on his ring Grimbor cannot keep up his current pace of dodging and quick attacks forever. Already after killing three Lurkers his stamina is starting to run out. Grimbor lands a powerful killing blow onto one Lurker of the two trying to crush him and dodges the other Lurkers' attack in the nick of time. Before another replacement Lurker can come to join this one, the second Lurker is struck in the back with Thunderbolt and Icy Spear and falls over dead. Amaria's magicka has replenished to the point where she can rely on it to fight and she gives Grimbor the moment he needs to breath before finishing off one more Lurker.

He moves as swift as possible putting all the stamina he has left into distracting this Lurker long enough for Amaria to cast her spells again to kill it. When the Lurker hits the ground,Grimbor can stop and breathe. As Grimbor catches his breath he scans his surroundings while Amaria finishes off several daedra minions behind him, "I think that is it for the moment. We need to get away from here and hope that we can lose the attention of Hermaeus Mora's minions." While scanning for more daedra Grimbor hears Amaria talking to someone and he turns around to see her talking to herself it would seem but he knows better. "You cannot hide from me Vaermina, I do not care what your plan is release Amaria at once!"

Vaermina's voice reaches out to Grimbor, "you have no say in our bargain Vigilant of Stendarr. This is a deal struck between myself and Amaria and us alone. I help her with her nightmares and she serves me as an extension of my power until then." Vaermina reveals that she only has a little more need for Amaria and then the two will go their own ways but Grimbor isn't interested in waiting for Amaria to complete her side of a deal with a Daedric Prince. The situation isn't all bad for Grimbor so long as he can swallow his pride long enough. Vaermina wants a servant of Hermaeus Mora dead but if caught Amaria will be arrested for murder. Grimbor however has the authority to investigate and kill off this servant legally. "You slay the Imperial Turiel (Tour-i-el) and destroy his soul then the deal between me and Amaria is complete."

"Fine then Vaermina, I'll play your game," Grimbor responds to Vaermina. "That is if you can prove that I can trust you to keep your word."

"I had you figured to be too smart to simply trust me so easily," Vaermina says to Grimbor, "and by a stroke of luck I have something that will address this problem. Amaria give Grimbor the map you have drawn up, I told you that it would come in handy." Without question Amaria gives Grimbor a map with a location marked on it, "one of my priestess is being held captive by Boethiah and it just so happens she is a bit further beyond the servant of Hermaeus Mora I want destroyed. We trade, you get Amaria and my word that I hold up my end of our deal and I get to see a minion of my enemy destroyed and my priestess returned."

"Fine then, I'll free your priestess but only after this servant of Hermaeus Mora is dead." Grimbor leaves Amaria on his way to deal with his two new tasks with most haste and with a hateful wrath. Riding on horse back he reaches arrives in Dragon Bridge without stirring up much attention and goes to work seeking out the servant of Hermaeus Mora. Either his desire to help Amaria is making Grimbor's senses work overtime or his Righteous Fury towards the servants of daedra reveals the truth because Grimbor finds the Imperial named Turiel shortly after arriving. His target found, Grimbor begins his investigation using what evidence Amaria and Vaermina uncovered to get started. At the time of Grimbor arriving in Dragon Bridge, Aurwen, Rornak, Aela, and Halda are on the run with the missing children. By some miraculous stroke of luck all four children are unharmed if you don't take the fright they endured into account.

At first all seemed well and good after the four rescuers silently eliminated the Falmer guards from a distance. Then an alarm was sounded and now all the Falmer in the settlement are descending on the eight strong group! Entering a large space they run into several Falmer armed for a fight and the four grownups are forced to stop and take care of the Falmer to clear the way.

"This was your idea Rornak and look what it has gotten us," Aurwen says to Rornak as she shoots stolen Falmer arrows back the way she came into the dim light at moving black figures. Rornak runs a Falmer through with his sword then smashes its head with his mace. "This is why the Grand Master had you under my command because you are incapable of making choices with any resemblance of thought!"

"Not now you two we need to stick together and keep it together," Halda says as she snaps the neck of a Falmer. "Our path keeps going up so maybe we can find a way out and lose the Falmer in the hills." Aurwen fires another arrow at a target behind her then she and Rornak run away with the werewolves. They continue on a path that leads up, hopefully to the surface, stopping to engage the Falmer when needed. In the dark halls of this lost dwarf settlement, Rornak isn't afraid and happily enjoys killing every Falmer he can kill. When Chaurus Reaper appears from the dim light, Rornak pushes a Falmer Warmonger into the path of the creatures' bite then stabs the Chaurus Reaper in the neck. He leaves as the dying Falmer struggles to free itself from the pincers of the dying Chaurus Reaper. As the four adults and four children continue to climb in elevation they hear a scuffle and prepare for another fight. Aela and Halda round a corner with their shields and swords ready and they find a number of Falmer and the creatures that they live with but instead of fighting them the Falmer are fighting with other warriors. Rornak gets a few looks at these warriors and he eventually realizes that he has found the Snow Elves. They are wearing a light weight armor made of Chaurus Chitens and have weapons made of our Chaurus body parts as well.

"What is this, outsiders have managed to reach the upper levels of the city," one of the Snow Elves says after defeating a Falmer Skulker and spotting Rornak and company? "I do say you have either a real embodiment of luck or are warriors of the highest skill. Come with us, these ruins are not safe right now. We shall sort out names in a moment," guided by the Snow Elves once they slay their Falmer opponents Rornak and those with him come to a gateway protected by some sort of magic field. "Threat not, the ward only stops the Falmer from entering our homes, you shall pass through without trouble." The Snow Elves proceed to walk through the ward like it is nothing, encouraged by this Halda is the first to pass through the ward and the rest follow her. They walk out into an open landscape, immediately able to see a small city made of a mix of Dwemer and Snow Elf architecture that is as pristine and impressive as the day it was first constructed. Stone walls enclose the various buildings standing watch only a short distance from the cave entrance where the Falmer gather to fruitlessly try and get through the magical ward. Inside the walls Aurwen and Rornak get a chance to ask the captain of the Snow Elf guards some questions.

Aurwen asks first, questioning how the Snow Elves came to be here and why nobody has found this place before, "where most Dwemer sought to render our kind blind, the Dwemer who once lived in the mansions on higher ground and bellow the surface thought that we would be of better use to them if we maintained our sight. Their offer was simple and when compared to that given to other Snow Elves reasonable, we agree to serve them and not cause trouble and we could keep our sight and maintain our culture. Serving the Dwemer wasn't easy but we learned to live with them as our masters. We built ourselves new homes and temples and resumed our lifestyle." The captain stops for a moment, his face grim. "Auriel warned us of the coming doom of the Dwemer but the Dwemer did not believe use even though our two races of Mer had become friends by that point. It was only when the Battle of Red Mountain began and many of the Dwemer began to feel a strange magical sensation that they listened."

The captain explains to Aurwen, "Auriel was able to create a magical barrier to protect the Dwemer here from whatever was going on during that battle and preserve the race but at a cost. Many of the Dwemer became ill, some sort of magic was affecting them and in order to survive we had to place them in a death-like slumber to this day. I have not seen many of my friends since what you know as the First Era, Dwemer and Snow Elf marriage and interbreeding became permitted shortly before the battle and I had plans to marry the woman of my dreams. Now she sleeps, I hope through the grace of Auriel that she will one day awake so we can be together as we once intended. The barrier doesn't stop time you see, it just keeps time from affecting us which is why Snow Elves like me are alive today. As to why nobody else has come here before you, I can only imagine that the Falmer presence and the hidden nature of this place kept any adventures away."

Rornak now asks, "is there another way down the mountains? We should return and inform Skyrim of this discovery and the Falmer. Perhaps together we can drive them out and establish a diplomatic relationship."

"There is a way down to what you know as The Rift," the captain responds. "Before I show it to you please tell me, how did you find this place?"

"The Map of Auriel," Rornak responds and the captain's eyes open wide at the mention of the artifact. He asks how Rornak managed to get his hands on it and thus Rornak explains the event of how he found it with his friends.

"My, so that old Nord I heard of in stories continued to desire revenge for our misdoings and became one of the Undead because of it. A shame, I can only hope that he has found peace in death and is reunited with his loved ones. Revenge is a disease more dangerous than any other. Desiring it can drive one mad and eventually curse them to live a horrible existence." For a moment Rornak yet again thinks on whether he wants to continue to seek revenge for Adria's death. He only gets a moment and then an alarm bell sounds calling all Snow Elves to action! The ward that keeps the Falmer below ground begins to deteriorate and the Falmer pour through the gate towards the city.

"The Falmer didn't bring that ward down on their own something helped them," Rornak states. "Is that the only way out of the underground city?"

"There is another entrance and if the ward is no more here then it is surely no more at that entrance as well," the captain tells Rornak.

"Can you hold that entrance," Rornak asks the captain as Snow Elf archers begin firing at the advancing Falmer?

"I can, but that would require me to be there as well as here," the captain explains.

"Go, your soldiers need you, Aurwen and I will keep your soldiers on this wall alive," Rornak assures the captain. The captain leaves to join his soldiers at the other entrance. In this situation Rornak is the highest ranking Poacher as he is a Captain in the Stormcloak Rangers and has experience in siege warfare. "Aurwen, you have the Bow of Spriggan, use its poison enchantment to thin out the Chaurus if they show up along with any other beasts. Aela, you support Aurwen. Halda your with me, we will take care of the Falmer. Use your crossbow to take out the Falmer in heavy armor, I will dispose of the rest." Halda tells the four children she has rescued to go hide, seeing their terror Rornak says to them, "relax young ones. If they want to get to you, they have to get through me first!" A Snow Elf guard takes them away, to Rornak's surprise they seem hopeful now. Is that what Almura meant, instead of use my skills to give hope instead of inspire fear?. The four of them turn turn and rush to the wall in order to defend the city. Atop the Snow Elf walls the two Poachers and two werewolves engage the Falmer and the various creatures beside them. Among them are strange spiders that Aurwen has not seen since she came to Skyrim. They are Rotblood Spiders, creatures from Namira's realm in Oblivion and it is only by her command that they work beside the Falmer and their Chaurus.

"Namira has placed her rule on the Falmer, perhaps being drawn to their decayed and twisted state, and with her backing they now want to wipe out the Snow Elves," Aurwen explains. Aurwen would be intimidated by the hidious spiders but she has the bane of all animals and Lycanthropes. The Bow of Spriggan has a unique unlimited enchantment, it delivers an instant dose of poison damage (45) to all targets and does twice as much damage to animals and Lycanthropes. On top of this the Bow of Spriggan has an enchantment exclusive to Poachers that on this bow is also unlimited, Silver Tip, which in this case does damage which ignores armor (25). The bow is named after its maker, one of the original five hunters who founded the Poachers Guild. Her real name is a well kept secret among the guild, no one outside the guild knows her real name. A line of Snow Elf archers rains down arrows upon the Falmer and their war animals. From the top of the wall Aurwen begins releasing her arrows and picks off the various creatures the Falmer are bringing to the battlefield. Some of the Rotblood Spiders try to spit balls of poisonous webbing back at Aurwen but their shots fall short!

"My arrows reach further than any web you can spit at me spiders," Aurwen says loosing an arrow at a Giant Rotblood Spider. Her arrow strikes the spider's head, killing it instantly. Aurwen fires another arrow and kills a Rotblood Spider. "These spiders cannot be allowed to roam free, if they do, it will spell disaster," Aurwen looses an arrow at a Chaurus Hunter then she activates her Spirit. She creates three bound arrows and knocks them all at once. Once she draws back her bow string and assigns each arrow a target, Aurwen releases the volley of three arrows and they seek out their targets. This is the Spirit Hunter Killer, a volley of up to three bound arrows that will seek out three different targets. The arrows are guided by a tracking effect similar to that of the spell Candlelight. The result of this Spirit when Aurwen looses her arrows is three dead Giant Rotblood Spiders. Aela consecutively takes aim at the Chaurus and Chaurus Hunters that come from the cave entrance, killing them with one or two shots. With each kill, Aela's appetite grows a bit and she thus wants to put down her bow, unleash her werewolf form on the Falmer and feast on them. "I don't know why you have that hungry look in your eyes beast, but you'd best lose it. Otherwise you will have an arrow in your neck before you even know I drew one from my quiver." Aela is more than aware that Aurwen isn't joking and she tries to forget about her growing desire to feast but it doesn't go away. A short distance away Halda and Rornak are doing everything in their power to kill as many Falmer at range as they can. Halda fires bolts as quick as humanly possible trying to keep the Falmer in heavy armor from getting into melee range. Since they are few in number at any given time Halda manages to keep the heavily armored Falmer back.

Rornak and the Snow Elf archers loose arrows at the lightly and unarmored Falmer, keeping a consistent rain of projectiles flying through the sky at their enemy, slowing down the assault. His dragonbone bow is arguably more powerful than the Bow of Spriggan because of the enchantments placed on it. It pulsates a blood red color because of the Bleeding Damage enchantment (10 Bleeding damage for 6 seconds) and can inflict ridiculous amounts of elemental damage thanks to the Chaos Enchantment (50 percent chance to deal 124 Fire, Frost, and Shock Damage). But even with such a strong weapon that can rip through the Falmer warriors, Rornak cannot stop them from reaching the base of the wall and start climbing up it's face. After two minutes of firing arrows at the Falmer advance, the twisted and devolved creatures reaches the base of the wall. In all the cases that he has used his bow, Rornak has not fired this many arrows in such a short amount of time. Thanks to the enchantments on his bow, Rornak had to put little effort into arrow placement, so long as the arrow hits the target, his foe is dead or seriously wounded.

Before the wall, at least forty eight Falmer are lying dead as a result of arrow fire and the Falmer have only just reached the wall's base. This damage has bought precious time for the Snow Elves to set up their axe men on the wall. As the Falmer set up crude ladders, the Snow Elf archers retreat to give their warriors space before the Falmer reach the top of the wall while Rornak stays put and draws his melee weapons. Refusing to be shown up by Rornak, Aurwen draws a sword in her right hand and a dagger in her left. Halda in turn swaps to her sword and shield, ready to fight to the death to protect the children she came here for. The Falmer warriors climb to the top of the wall and Rornak greats them with the same mercy they will show him. In a fast flurry of motions Rornak lands continuous blows against the Falmer. The skills Almura gave him the day before reveal themselves as the dragonbone mace shatters Falmer armor and shields opening the way for Rornak's sword to inflict devastating cuts and stabs. When a Falmer climbs the wall and enters his reach, Rornak makes quick work of the horrible creature and sends its head flying away with a swift slash of hiss word and its body tumbles down the face of the wall to the ground. Snow Elf war axe warriors hold the top of the wall around Rornak and Halda as Rornak switches targets and decapitates a Falmer Warmonger. As he fights the horrible creatures, Rornak remembers scenes from a fight he took part in back in 202 following the Stormcloak capture of White Run. It was early in spring, he and several other Poachers who joined the Stormcloaks were scouting out campsite locations in The Reach, unaware that Ulfric's next target was Hjaalmarch. They came under attack by a pack of Forsworn and a fight ensued in which Rornak personally slayed eight Forsworn including a Briar-Heart. They were surrounded and outnumbered with no way out alive but to fight like oblivion. A Falmer Nightprowler attempts to strike Rornak with a mace and Rornak parries the Falmer, swipes his mace across its head, and finishes the Nightprowler off with a swift sword thrust to the chest through its light armor.

"I'll admit it Rornak, I'm impressed by what you are doing with your two weapons," Aurwen shouts over the fighting. "It is almost good enough for a poor and drunk Bosmer." Using her sword to block the weapons of the Falmer, Aurwen strikes with her dagger in between the pieces of the Falmer armor. She only takes on one Falmer at a time and through the use of speed and precision cuts a Falmer down every few seconds. A Falmer in hardened armor challenges Aurwen and swings an axe at her, She deflects it with her dagger and thrusts with her sword through a thinner point in its armor into the chest of the Falmer warrior. She frees her sword and kicks the Falmer over the edge of the wall. Though she is the better archer of the two, Aurwen is not as good in melee combat as Rornak. He has experience both in fighting on the battlefield and in skirmishes, this is reinforced by his superior time spent in melee combat training. He parries a Falmer Warmonger's axe, smashes its shield, and takes off its head with a swift sword slash. Due to her weapon choice and melee combat abilities, Aurwen cannot do that, she growls quietly as Rornak parries yet another Falmer Nightprowler and doesn't even slow down as he brings his mace across its head. He then kicks it over the outside edge of the wall, and then shifts to his next foe. He takes off their arm and then with his mace lands a single fatal blow to finish this Falmer off.

The blows he goes for are very much fitting for his title, they are meant to kill and to kill quickly, swiftly end a fight and give his opponent no chance to fight back. Using his word he stops a Falmer axe and moves it to the side and elbows his foe in the face. Then with a swift strike to the head with his mace, Rornak kills this Falmer in a single blow. The nextFalmer also has the unfortunate fate of being kicked by Rornak and the force of the kicks knocks the Falmer over the edge of the wall and it falls to its death. About this, Rornak comments that the Falmer deserves death for the things he knows their race has done referring to their attacks on the surface world and kidnappings. He may be considering giving up revenge, but he is still just as dark on the inside as ever with no forgiveness for what they have done. Meanwhile, Aurwen looks for her next opponent and spots it quickly, immediately slashing with her sword across the barely protected back of a Falmer Nightprowler. Aurwen then turns her blades around puts them beside her. She ducks to dodge a Falmer's attack while pointing her weapons backwards and she thrusts her sword and dagger into the torso of a Falmer Goomlurker without turning more than her head to face it. As this Falmer falls onto its back dying, Aurwen spots Aela and she is in trouble facing off against two Falmer Gloomlurkers.

Aurwen intervenes in the fight, "You cannot kill them all on your own beast. Next time you get into a sticky situation, let me know that you are in trouble so I can address the problem." She dispatches one Falmer to take the pressure off of Aela and then Aela finds an opening to strike back at her remaining enemy. "For a member of The Circle I'd expect you to do better than this. I don't consider Rornak that good of a Poacher for my reasons and he is doing more to impress me than you." Aurwen stabs a Falmer in it's kidney then ducks when it retaliates, and Aela follows up with a roundhouse kick to its unprotected head as Rornak smashes the head of a Falmer Gloomlurker into the edge of the wall and caves in the forward half of its skull! Casting some of her werewolf magic, Halda scares the Falmer into running and they jump off the wall to their deaths. "Didn't expect that to happen but dead Falmer are dead Falmer." Blocking with her shield and with limited room to move, Halda lets go of her sword, pulls out a bone dagger and thrusts it into the exposed neck of a Falmer in light armor then proceeds to kick the dying creature away from her into a Falmer Nightprowler. She quickly sheathes her dagger and picks up her sword.

Halda thrusts the tip of her sword through the Falmer she stabbed with her dagger and into the Falmer Nightprowler. Every warrior on this wall is fighting at least one Falmer at a time for several minutes on end as the Falmer continue to come out from the caves below. Elven axes in the hands of Snow Elves hack through the armor made of Chaurus Chiten, sending the Falmer behind said armor to the afterlife but for every dead Falmer, two more take its place. This is of little concern to Rornak because he trusts himself and his fellow warriors to hold out and he knows that even the Falmer can only stand for a certain amount of death. With enough causalities they will retreat and he intends to create those casualties even if he must use his fists to do so. He wishes to flush out his desire for revenge here so he can move on if he chooses to do so, and the Falmer are just the outlet for such a deed. More spiders and Chaurus come up from the depths below to join the battle.

Aurwen shouts, "This is madness, there are too many Falmer to fight off and they have the support of Namira. Her foul blessing has empowered the Falmer to where they are all but unstoppable. As if their warriors aren't enough, more Rotblood Spiders and Chaurus are emerging from the caves. How are we supposed to hold off all this?"

"Stop complaining and keep killing Aurwen we're either dying here and taking as many of these monsters with us or we hold them back," Rornak shouts to Aurwen as he sweeps his mace across several Falmer. This blow disorientates them and his sword follows to deliver a critical blow that takes three Falmer lives. Rornak can see the foul touch of Namira on the Falmer, the weapons of the blind creatures are tainted with a poison that only she is known to possess. Falmer Mages begin lobbing magic tainted with Namira's foul blessing up at the wall attempting to kill the defenders from a far. Their magic either falls just short or goes over the wall and hits nothing behind the wall. It is too close for comfort for Rornak nonetheless. Even still, despite the odds against him and the danger, Rornak and Halda fight on against the overwhelming odds killing more Falmer than both Aurwen and Aela. They hold back the assault on a small section of wall leaving nothing but death in their wake. Rornak even manages to slip in the use of Grand Healing between opponents. Elsewhere, on the wall that stands before the second entrance, a lone warrior in black armor is wiping the floor with the Falmer. His black shield stops everything the Falmer pit against him, and his double-edged straight sword leaves them dead in one to two strikes! This warrior in black dodges Falmer attacks like he has been doing it for years, by rolling, sidestepping, or even just taking a step back he avoids every Falmer weapon swung at him that he doesn't block.

When this warrior gets behind the Falmer, he thrusts his sword into their back and delivers a fatal blow. Whoever this is, he awes the Snow Elves with his abilities and strikes fear into the Falmer. One body at a time, this warrior covers the second wall with flesh and blood, more so than the snow elves around him. Its white stone turned red from the fighting here just like the first wall underneath Rornaks' boots. Following a successful kill on a Falmer Nightprowler, Aurwen finds a window of opportunity to take out the Rotblood Spiders and Chaurus so she switches back to her bow. She doesn't have many arrows left but she has enough to finish off this new wave of war animals.

"That's it Aurwen send them back to Oblivion," Rornak shouts to Aurwen as an effort to inspire her to keep fighting. Arrow after arrow Aurwen rids the world of the Chaurus and Rotblood Spiders. If she survives this, Aurwen will have earned a reputation for slaying so many of these creatures. The fighting wears on as more Falmer come up from the caves and a third wave of war animals. Fortunately some Falmer that make it to the top of the wall bring arrows that Aurwen can use to keep the Rotblood Spiders and Chaurus at bay. With Aela protecting her, Aurwen fires at the monsters before the wall and stops them before they can reach it. Saving herself and her allies from their deadly poisons. Yet the the fight continues on. After defeating an unknown number of Falmer and four waves of their war animals, the four outsiders hear an alarm bell and the Snow Elves become panicked and fearful as they fight the Falmer. The Snow Elves now fight even harder and try to kill quicker as a result of the alarm.

"I am going to assume that the alarm bell and the following terror in the Snow Elves means that there are more Falmer attacking from another direction, we need a miracle to turn this fight around," Aurwen says while she scans the landscape before the wall for more spiders and chaurus. Aurwen is switching weapons once again, taking arrows from a dead Falmer, when from the sky above she hears a female voice.

It says, "Grah...Fus Kest (Battle Force Tempest)," and a strange power blesses Rornak, Aurwen, Halda, Aela, and the Snow Elf warriors. Though it is not clear what is happening, with this power the four outsiders and the Snow Elves suddenly are too much for even the most dangerous of the Falmer. Suddenly the tide is turned in their favor and the poisonous blessing of Namira does nothing to counter this new power. They strike at speeds faster than the Falmer can keep up with. Using dual weapons, Rornak and Aurwen unleash a fury of nearly undeading attacks that could tear Falmer to ribbins if given enough time. In ninety seconds, this wall is almost free of Falmer. The Falmer which remain cannot keep up with the defenders and retreat from the top of the wall. They retreat and join yet another Wave of Rotblood Spiders, Chaurus Reapers, and Chaurus Hunters that emerges from the cave with at least twenty Falmer Warmongers. No amount of arrows and bolts can stop this wave from reaching the wall and it will be too much for the defenders to hold back with what remain of their numbers.

"We have a blessing of some sorts but it isn't enough to stop that," Rornak says looking out over the landscape as the wave of enemies approaches the wall. With the Falmer and the creatures among them half the distance from the wall Rornak, Halda, and Aela hear a dreaded sound they are very familiar with and could live without hearing. Rornak looks up to his left and says one word, "dragon!" From the west a dragon flies over the city and comes to a stop over the wall above Rornak and Halda. It unleashes its fire breath on the approaching Falmer and creatures scorching everything before the wall. The sound made by the dragon as it hurls a spout of fire is as unnerving now as it was the first time Rornak heard a dragon use its fire breath. A Dragon's fire breaths is very hot, but as a weapons and armor smith, Rornak knows that this dragon has a much hotter fire breath because the flames are white and not orange. No amount of armor can save the Falmer from this dragon's fire breath (235 fire damage per second), it burns through everything they wear. The dragon finishes off this wave of Falmer and then moves on to another location. If there are any Falmer left that could attack this wall they are far too afraid to face such a dragon with a fire breath that has left their kin as nothing more but black ash and charred bones. On the west side of the snow elf city this dragon shoots out a frost breath from its mouth, a very strange thing indeed for a dragon to do. "I don't know why that dragon is helping us with the Falmer but I'll take it."

"What kind of dragon is that," Aurwen asks as she joins Rornak on his side of the wall watching the dragon breath frost? "Is that a Frost Dragon?"

"No, Frost dragons have a white color to their scales, that one is a steel grey. Also it is worth pointing out that this dragon doesn't have the same scales as other dragons," Rornak explains to Aurwen who hasn't seen a dragon up close before. "If you ask me, it looks as if that dragon is wearing large pieces of steel armor in the place of scales. Based on what I know about dragons, that one is female. However I've never before heard of a dragon that can use a fire and a frost breath. Frost Dragons only can use a frost breath by the way, they cannot use a fire breath. For now, however, that doesn't matter because it seems to be only interested in the Falmer so lets leave this dragon alone. There is no point getting into more fights than we need to, that white hot flame will burn through just about everything and I have no idea how cold that frost breath is (235 frost damage per second) and I don't want to find out." The dragon will go on to end the Falmer attack, displaying fire and frost breath attacks. The dragon's breath attacks leave behind areas of charred and frozen ground littered with the remains of the Falmer then the dragon leaves as quickly as it came disappearing into the wind. With the Falmer defeated, the ward is eventually restored and the Snow Elves can feel safe once more. Rornak and company get on their way with the children back to The Rift. At the base of the mountains, the two parties will go their separate ways once again.

After parting ways with Aela and Halda, Rornak and Aurwen head straight for Riften, "I knew to be on the lookout for Daedra based on what you told me but not that," Aurwen says to Rornak as they travel towards Riften's North Gate. "The Daedric Prince Namira must be looking to expand her influence while she can with Molag Bal weakened."

"If that is the case then we cannot ignore the threat," Rornak concludes. "Once we are back in Riften, we report to the Jarl and then set up an armed watch around the entrance to the cave. Nothing can be allowed to leave and nothing will leave."

"Do the guards here have the spare manpower to do that?" Aurwen asks.

"We take all that we can get from the guard ranks and from there we seek out support from the Dawnguard, our own ranks, and the Vigil of Stendarr," Rornak responds. He has already begun to formulate his plan to end the threat posed by these Falmer. "With hard work and a bit of luck we can clear that dwarf settlement of the Falmer and end this threat to The Rift once and for all. We will surround the entrance and then push into the settlement and wipe out all the Falmer and their pets inside, no exceptions."

"Hold on Rornak so we are not containing the Falmer we are killing everything in that dwemer city?" Aurwen asks in shock. "I understand that those Falmer in that dwarf settlement are a big problem but going in there and killing everything inside is very extreme. There is surely another option to solve this problem."

"You're Thalmor Aurwen, since when do you care about extremes? The Thalmor have held many different purges," Rornak says to Aurwen and she is shocked that he knows this. "Did you really think you can keep acts like that a secret? Every realm in Tamriel knows they just don't tell the public to not stir up fear and to avoid them wanting to wage a war on the Aldimeri Dominion out of that fear. What happened to that talk about being so tough? I thought that Mer were supposed to be superior men and yet here I am ready and willing to do what has to be done and get my hands dirty while you are not!"

Aurwen responds, "not every Thalmor supports everything the Thalmor do. If being here means anything to me, it means that I am free to express my own feelings." She sighs, "I am willing to do it but I'm not a fan of purging a settlement like that. You are the Captain in the Stormcloak Rangers so I have to submit that this is likely your call but at least think about another way to deal with the Falmer for me."

To this Rornak says, "Aurwen, when you unsheathe your blade you are going to get blood and guts on it. That is the reality of what we do as we work out of the sight of the masses and other soldiers. The Deep Woods Poachers handle the darkest of missions so the world doesn't have to know anything other than the light of good. Now if you don't want to do that then you can step down from your position, just keep your mouth shut on what you know. It is kept secret for good reasons."

"There is no point to going back now, I have blood on my blade and hands, so I'm staying," Aurwen says to Rornak. "Just please try to find another solution." As the two Poachers walk towards Riften, Grimbor is in the worst predicament of his life. Trapped by the powers of Hermaeus Mora and so close to freeing Vaermina's priestess.

"A Vigilant of Stendarr, coming for the Priestess of Vaermina," before the restrained Grimbor is a mass of eyeballs and tentacles, Hermaeus Mora. "I must say that I am disappointed by you Grimbor. I expected that there would be something to learn about you. For many years I have wondered how no amount of horrors could ever break your spirit or drive you mad. Now, here in my reach I finally learn that it was never anything new or special which allowed you to resist. You are simply an empty mortal with nothing inside, a simple shell of a man like the many more I have seen try to defy me." A black and green tentacle rises up from the ground and its tip is pointed at Grimbor's heart. With his arms pulled away from him Grimbor is wide open to a fatal blow. "Perhaps there shall be a greater knowledge hidden away in the mind of Amaria worth recording. Goodbye Grimbor." Defiant Grimbor looks at the tentacle pointed at his heart with the most bitter of rage as it draws back to thrust into his heart. This is his end and nothing can change that. Hermaeus Mora watches straight on as the tentacle thrusts forward at Grimbor. It strikes its target dead on but something is wrong!

"You want to learn something from me monster," Grimbor asks Hermaeus Mora and he rips his arms from the tentacles holding them? Doing so he rips off the tips of the tentacles and then with two hands breaks off the tentacle that struck him but failed to pierce his armor, he doesn't know where this strenght is coming from but right now Grimbor doesn't care. "Come here and I shall gladly teach you a pain that you have never known before and will never know again! Nobody threatens the woman I love and any Daedra that dares to do her harm will suffer slowly for it in every way they fear!" Grimbor walks forward and two Lurkers appear before him. They try to crush Grimbor but he stops their attacks and for wanting a better word, silences them. Hermaeus Mora sends more Daedra against Grimbor before he disappears. Across Skyrim in Eastmarch, Ralgrif is helping a new member of the Companions with his assignment. They are walking past Hermir's forge when Ralgrif hear screaming that reminds Ralgrif of the sounds made by Lurkers.

"Harbinger do you hear something?" the young Companion asks Ralgrif.

"I do, it sounds like someone is giving a number of Lurkers the worst beating in recorded history," Ralgrif responds. "If that is the case it will be very well documented thanks to Hermaeus Mora. This must be a side-effect of my time in Hermaeus Mora's realm."

Outside of Morthal, Amaria hears this scream and she wonders if it is real or just her.

"Vaermina do you hear that awful screaming?" Amaria asks.

"I feel that Amaria and I don't like how it makes me feel physically," the Daedric Prince responds. "I've been keeping an eye on Grimbor and had to bail him out of trouble, giving him the strength and durability of nightmares. It seems that even with my gaze turned away to avoid what I knew would happen, we both can still hear his handy work. This sounds like it is almost on par with that one incident when the Dark Hunter left seven werewolves dead beside many severed limbs and heads. That was perhaps his coldest and most efficient killing of werewolves in his life." When the screaming stops and Grimbor's handy work is complete, one Lurker has been impaled through its torso on a tree stump. Another has lost all four of its limbs, and several others are better left unmentioned. Some time later, Grimbor returns to Amaria with the priestess, calm and relieved. Amaria asks him about the screaming she heard and he responds that a lot of Lurkers were found dead and terribly beaten. He could not find any trace of the one responsible. Even without what Vaermina told him Amaria knows Grimbor well and with his current smile, that he is lying like Oblivion. The deal now complete, Vaermina teleports her priestess away, honors her end of the bargain and relieves Amaria of her nightmares and then disappears. Amaria invites Grimbor into her home, Windstad Manor, so he can get some much needed rest and a much needed bath. It is the first time since he was young that Grimbor has felt emotions other than righteous fury and now he has the woman he loves to hold. He knows now that he can feel these emotions again confidently.


Part Seven 4th Era 202


It is early in autumn, the leaves are changing colors, the harvest is almost ready to be brought in, and the werewolves of Skyrim are on the prowl. The sky above is orange as the sun sets on Selana's family farm with werewolf corpses littering the area. Grimbor and Harbin fought desperately alongside Eastmarch Guards to save the farm from the attack. Werewolves are still a large problem even a year after their activity surged following the Companions' attack on Gallows Rock. Nobody is sure why there are still werewolves coming out of nowhere it seems now a year since the surge started. The civil war may be over and Skyrim is doing well in other areas but his problem hasn't gotten much better. Both of the Poachers are exhausted from today's fight and the work they have done recently. Grimbor sits down in a chair as soon as he finds an open one and rests too tired to talk to anyone. Harbin finds a bale of straw to lean against and he sits down with his back against the straw. As Harbin rests his aching feet and weak arms, the love of his life Selana sits down beside him.

"Thank you for saving my family's farm Harbin, it means a lot of us to know that men like you and your companion are out there aiding the people of Skyrim against this danger," Selana is a young woman with amethyst eyes and silk like blonde hair. Most men to have past through and seen her think she is too beautiful for the faded and dirty clothes she wears and the hard life on the farm she lives. Harbin met her in Windhelm shortly after the Stormcloak victory in the war and has seen her a lot lately as her family's farm has been surrounded by werewolf activity due to nearby roads to Windhelm and the exposed travelers on said roads. "If you need a place to stay for the night you are welcome here after all the work you have done to protect us and the travelers that have been on the road as of late."

"That won't be necessary Selana, Grimbor and I just a few minutes to rest our wherry bodies then it is off to Windhelm with us," Harbin responds to Selana.

"Still serving Skyrim as one of her rangers?" Selana asks Harbin.

"The Stormcloak Rangers were never an offical group in the Stormcloak Army Selana," Harbin explains to her aware of this misconception. "That is what the Imperials called us but they knew that we weren't officially Stormcloaks, we were mercenaries hired to keep the threat of the werewolves from damaging the war effort and to control criminals." Harbin had little to do with supporting the Stormcloaks, most of the work that he did would have been given to him regardless of being hired by the Stormcloaks.

"Aren't the Stormcloak Rangers proper soldiers now?" Selana asks Harbin.

"Aye they are now, some of us in the Poachers Guild are counted in their ranks but only a few." Selana's father calls for her and she leaves Harbin with a warm smile. Harbin knows that he loves Selana a little more each time he sees her and he wants to be with her. His line of work however is not suited for her and will put Selana in a danger that Harbin doesn't know if he can protect her from. His love for Selana cannot protect her, and not knowing if he can or can't protect Selana drives Harbin crazy. Even though Rornak has come into the area and is leaving werewolves dead and too terrified to sleep, they still are brave enough to come out and attack in open daylight and at any time they could strike and Selana could be killed. "I don't know where you are Rornak, but I hope you are giving these werewolves a reason to stay away from this place." Surrounded by a dozen dead werewolves hidden by the trees of Eastmarch, Rornak thinks to himself about where to go next in the Hold. He has so many opportunities to kill werewolves but also has to make sure he stops their attacks and prevents someone from suffering Adria's fate. Whatever the case, he intends to make sure every werewolf of Eastmarch knows one thing and one thing if anything, the Dark Hunter is coming for them and intends to take their lives

4th Era 206


The hour is late on the sixth of Hearthfire as Aela transforms back to her normal human form after spending a considerable amount of time as a werewolf. She is breathing heavily and sweat is running down her forehead. Aela immediately goes down onto her hands and knees tired out from being a werewolf for so long. Halda is standing nearby under the moonlight and she is concerned for Aela with reason to believe that something is out of the ordinary.

Halda says to her, "Aela this isn't normal for anyone to spend three hours in werewolf form and constantly feeding on whatever is available. I didn't count every kill but you have feed on wolves, deer, saber cats, bears, Chaurus, bandits, necromancers, and Falmer all in a three hour time span. A normal feast for a werewolf is eight feedings total, between the bandits and necromancers alone you have had fifteen. If I add in the other creatures you fed on then you are up to at least thirty feedings in a three hour time span." Aela doesn't respond to Halda. She takes some time to catch her breath before she does say something to Halda.

"I know, I was very hungry and I should have eaten a lot sooner than when I did," Aela says to Halda. "If I had done this around civilization it would have been bad and caused a lot of trouble."

"Yes I established that you were hungry but you are avoiding the problem of why you were so hungry," Halda says to Aela. "Not to mention the ferocity of your feedings and your desire to transform and feed in the middle of a battle. I think you know that I can tell something is wrong with you." Aela stands up and wipes the sweat off of her forehead with her arm. Again she avoids the problem by claiming that this is a result of her pursuit to grow her werewolf powers. It is a poor excuse, "I'm a fully grown and matured twenty two year old woman in the service of Hircine, there isn't a chance in Oblivion that I believes that because if it was true then Hircine would have directly informed me." Aela leaves Halda heading back to Jorrvaskr since she has dealt with the Frostbite Spiders near Shor's Stone. Halda returns to her pack and she finds her mom preparing medicine.

"Mother, I have a question about irregular feeding habits in werewolves," Halda asks Braeda.

"What is this about Halda," Braeda asks her daughter worried about her because she doesn't have the full context. She sets her freshly bottled medicine aside.

"Aela spent three hours in her werewolf form and over that time fed on at least thirty different creatures," Halda says to her mother. Braeda is a little confused and her face telegraphs this to Halda.

"Thirty feedings at least," Braeda asks? "Well...I know of few reasons for additional feedings. A growing werewolf around the age of thirteen through eighteen often needs the extra food to sustain their changing and growing bodies but not that much. If you are trying to gain new powers then you do need to feed. You know about both of these things from your experiences. Other than that I don't know for sure what else would be the cause of this strange number of feedings. I feel like I am forgetting a possible answer but I don't know for sure. This mystery has me beaten as of right now." Halda looks at her mother with the same look she had when Aela tried to avoid her question. "You don't seriously think I am hiding something from you?"

"You've lied to me once you'll do it again," Halda says to Braeda. "I want the truth and I think you know it."

"Halda I am only saying what I know for certain can cause a werewolf to feed more, I don't know for sure why Aela is so hungry." Braeda watches Halda turn around and walk away. "Halda I know I lied once but this isn't something I am going to lie about. I am very concerned that something is wrong here and I have about as much an answer as to what is going on as you do."

"Like how you are concerned that may father left us both without reason or warning when I was two days old," Halda says and she retires to her tent for the night. It isn't bad that Braeda didn't tell the truth about how she turned Rornak into the Dark Hunter, a parent will lie to protect their child and she felt it was better that Halda didn't know until recently.

"She is not trusting me because of my actions to protect her even when I'm is being honest." As easy as contacting Hirine is for her which would guarantee an answer quickly Braeda wants to do this on her own, to prove to her daughter that she does care about her more than the Daedra Prince she serves. "Think Braeda think," Braeda says as she looks down at a full bottle of medicine. "What would cause a werewolf to need to feed at least thirty times in three hours?" For five minutes Braeda cannot think of anything to cause Aela to be so hungry. She comes up with no answers, "Where are you Alfric (Al-fric) when I need you the most? You and I could figure out just about anything and well you never did get the son you wanted." Braeda's eyes open wide and she remembers what she couldn't think about when she was talking to her daughter. "Hircine watch over us, Aela is consumed by grief which makes her hunger for two all the more unpredictable and dangerous." Hearthfire and Frostfall come and go with little to mention as the Poachers Guild, Ravens, and the former Master of the Thieves Guild take the Thieves Guild apart piece by piece. Fences are arrested, thieves are killed or captured, and a number of stolen items are returned. One hold at a time the Poachers Guild and Ravens of Raven Wallow Brewery dismantle the Thieves Guild until it is eradicated from Skyrim. Supporters of the Thieves Guild are arrested and put on trial, only Mavin Black-Briar is not convicted but her reputation and that of her business is permanently damaged by the evidence that almost put her in jail. Sapphire leaves Skyrim and joins her father on the island of Solstheim where she would become an accomplished smith. She is the only member of the Thieves Guild in Skyrim not captured or killed.

As for the threat of the Falmer who Namira gave support to, Isran and the Vigil of Stendarr carefully cutoff and pushed into the dwarf settlement using various means to drive the Falmer away from the cave entrance. Progress has been slow and the two factions are still fighting the Falmer however it seems possible that all Falmer in the settlement will be eradicated. Aurwen has been helping them along with her new apprentice but she is still conflicted at heart about the eradication of the Falmer inside the dwarf settlement. On the first of Sun's Dusk, High King Ulfric is in Solitude for an important meeting with Ocarin. He is passing some extra time he has by handing out wine to the city's populous as a gift of charity. Ocarin was expected to arrive in the late morning but it is already mid-day. The Thalmor Emissary finally arrives at half past noon, two and a half hours late. From the look of the guards Ulfric can see that Ocarin ran into some trouble and he hopes that it won't hurt the relationship between Skyrim and the Aldimari Dominion. Inside the Blue Palace, he learns of what delayed Ocarin.

"Werewolves," Ulfric says to Ocarin, "how can that be possible I had the Poachers Guild searching up and down Haafingar for the Thieves Guild in Hearthfire. They are my first choice to handle such a threat. If there was a problem it should have been detected long ago."

"I don't think these werewolves have been here very long at all High King Ulfric," Ocarin says calmly and wisely to the king. "Elisif the Fair would have warned me if it was a known threat and I know from Aurwen that werewolves were of no concern to us or Haafingar. She is a huntress by birth High King Ulfric and she wasn't alone. Many experienced Poachers were with her during her time in the Hold. She reported all this to me before she departed to The Rift after they had searched the entire hold," Ocarin explains to both High King Ulfric and Elisif. "It can thus only be surmised that these werewolves arrived recently enough that the Poachers didn't find them and that Elisif is just now finding out about them."

"Then if you may excuse me for a moment I will see that Poachers are dispatched to Haafingar immediately," Ulfric says to Ocarin who responds that Ulfric should do so with haste. As he sends out a messenger bird Ulfric is thinking, "if werewolves are appearing out of thin air here then what of the rest of my kingdom? Skyrim must be kept safe as a whole."

"Ocarin, may I ask a question of you?" Elisif says with curiousity.

"What is your question Jarl Elisif," Ocarin responds?

"On your request to visit Icecap Lighthouse, why do you want to go there and take several Poachers with you," Elisif asks Ocarin?

"As good as my guards are they are not as elite as the Poachers," Ocarin responds to Elisif. "If my research is to be believed there is something in that lighthouse that its former occupants don't want found. I have looked over the designs for the lighthouse, the level of engineering that went into it makes no sense with the simple idea of being only a lighthouse. An otherwise pointless underground chamber beneath the lighthouse designed in layers with great care and meticulous thorough details. I doubt any water has leaked through that construction. On top the lighthouse tower is built to withstand a seaborne assault." Ocarin says this level of construction can only be explained by what his research has lead him to believe. "I want to know what is hiding down there, the lighthouse was locked up shortly after the Oblivion Crisis without reason. Perhaps I am being paranoid but I fear that maybe something evil is housed there and we shouldn't leave this unchecked. I also believe that the lighthouse is connected to something I have had less luck researching," Ocarin explains to Elisif.

"You have spent weeks in the archives of Skyrim Ocarin you cannot be saying what I think you are," Ulfric says to Ocarin returning from releasing the messenger bird.

"Sadly I am, I have tried to find evidence to support what we Thalmor claim about Talos but nothing has been solid enough to prove either side of the arguement," Ocarin responds to Ulfric. "A lighthouse in the Summerset Isles contained unusual information and it mentions something about Talos and serving a 'Lady' but it isn't conclusive. It actually created more questions. Icecap Lighthouse is mentioned as a key point, the final point, before some destination which is is not specified. However that is enough distraction I think, let us talk about the trade negotiations that we intended to discuss." The three political figures begin discussing the deal as Ulfric's messenger bird flies through the sky. Word of the trouble reaches Aurwen in Whiterun and she is deeply embarrassed and fearful that this will have consequences for her. Ocarin would send her a message revealing her of such worries shortly after his negotiations with the High King.

On the Third of Sun's Dusk, Amaria and Grimbor are searching through Hjaalmarch as the cold winds of the approaching winter weather roll through the Hold. Amaria is dressed in her own personal mage robes that she handcrafted and enchanted, Grimbor is wearing the gear of a Deep Woods Warden, a hybrid mix of Leather and Steel Plate Armor. He is hoping to get a chance to try out his third Spirit, a Spirit known as Silver Volley that manifests as a one handed bound crossbow that fires a cluster of bolts that can pierce all the way through most armors. The perks and passive ability of Silver Volley promote the use of ranged weapons and when used right don't require heavy hitting melee weapons. Thus Grimbor is using his estoc.

"These tracks are fresh, we are close to the beasts now," Grimbor says as he stands up from analyzing the prints of werewolves. "They are showing no sign of diverting from their course, due west towards Haafingar. However they are not far ahead of us so we must use caution."

"Listen my sweet, something is happening just ahead," Amaria says to Grimbor. Since she can cast her spells silently, Amaria uses Detect Life to see if there is anything of note just ahead of them.

"That is the quiet chatter of werewolves, they are just ahead and have no idea that we are here," Grimbor prepares his crossbow. "We should try to ambush them and maybe take out one or two before they have a chance to fight back."

There is a howl and then a great commotion begins, "I don't know what is going on but something just started a fight with the werewolves. I say that we should make sure they all lose." Amaria and Grimbor move closer to the commotion and find a group of werewolves battling Afflicted. There is no cure for the Afflicted since it is the 'blessing' of Peryite, only death can release them from it. Some have already perished at the hands of a pack of werewolves, the rest won't last much longer. "It is a shame that we can do nothing for the Afflicted, it seems cruel to let the werewolves have their way with them." Such sentiment is shared by Grimbor, when the last Afflicted dies the two warriors ambush the werewolf pack and get to work destroying it. Across Skyrim in Eastmarch, Harbin is traveling alongside Selana to Windhelm. She seems so happy and carefree to Harbin that he wonders if she knows that danger in the form of werewolves has returned to Eastmarch. He wonders if her family's farm will be attacked again and if he can protect her again.

In Windhelm Harbin meets up with Rornak, Ralgrif, Mellidia, and Vikrin before Candlehearth Hall, "gentlemen and lady, good to see you again. How has the hunt gone since we last spoke, Harbin asks?

"Tiring to say the least," Ralgrif answers, "the new comers to the Companions are doing well and have helped us collect many bounties but the thieves and bandits are still persistent. Not to mention the increase in werewolves recently which many of them are not ready to face."

"He speaks for both of us," Mellidia adds on, "we Ravens are tired out between retrieving stolen items and getting our product to the market now that Skyrim wants a new drink that isn't marred by crime and corruption."

"What about you Rornak, what have you been up to, I see that you are wearing your Deep Woods Trapper armor so you must have been expecting a fight," Harbin states as he looks Rornak over and the Dark Hunter seems alright. Rornak answers that he was supposed to be picking up information on Lycanthropes in the area when he ran into Vikrin. He suspects that a Werewolf Lich has surfaced in Eastmarch and Rornak was hoping that his information would confirm or deny this. Vikrin is about to say what he was here for but is cut off when Agmaer approaches the group. "Agmaer, I haven't seen you in nearly three years. How is your marriage going so far?"

"It is going well, thank you for asking, but I need your help," Agmaer responds visibly worried and visibly ready for a fight. "They attacked us, a group of werewolves attacked my wife and I while we were away from home. I drove them off but I couldn't find my wife. Serana hid like I told her to, I could handle two werewolves on my own but I've lost her trail and I have no idea where she is."

"Serana may not be a vampire anymore but she is one tough woman, she can handle herself Agmaer and is likely on her way here," Ralgrif stats but this doesn't comfort Agmaer.

"Her trail was heading towards Windhelm but then it turned away to the northwest," with this lastest information from Agmaer the group is now wondering what is going on. "It is too faint for me to track. I need your help to find her and if needed rescue her."

"I don't have anything better to do, what about you Ralgrif," Rornak asks?

"We'd be more dead weight than help to you Rornak, Mellidia and I need time to rest," Ralgrif responds to Rornak. "

"I'll go," Harbin says and his father says that he will come with as well. Without warning Selana also says that she will join the group. "It is too dangerous for you Selana werewolves are not something to be underestimated. You're sticking this one out and that is not up for discussion."

"Good Harbin because you won't tell me otherwise, I am coming with you," Selana is well aware of the danger of werewolves but they don't scare her. She is more worried about Rornak as he is the Dark Hunter. Furthermore Selana has some useful knowledge and talents that could be of use and at worst she brought two axes with her so the Nord farm girl can fight back. "These axes aren't just for chopping wood, they are my personal defense and I've taken down beasts bigger than me with them singlehanded." Standing at six foot two, this Nord farm girl's hot body has the muscle to lift over one hundred pounds. "I'll make any werewolf regret crossing my path and you know that."

"You're a civilian, by law we are not supposed to let you get into this kind of danger," Harbin counters. "I'm giving you a direct order Selana."

"None of you know how to handle a newborn baby or pregnant woman, I do, danger or not you need me," Selana responds to Harbin. "Now you can either keep trying to needlessly protect me or shut up and let us get going. We shouldn't assume that we have much time to find Serana."

"If it is all settled then we must be off, I don't want to leave Serana out there alone, not when she is so close to having our baby," Agmaer says as the group departs and Rornak curses in his mind. This isn't the first time he has had to save an expecting mother, and the last time he barely was able to protect the mother and child even with support from Aurwen and two Vigilants of Stendarr against Hagravens and werebears. Out in the wilderness, Harbin puts the job of tracking on Rornak but Vikrin picks up the trail where Agmaer left off first being a much more experienced tracker with many adventures under his belt. He thus takes on the role and in truth, Rornak prefered this from the start As the sky changes from clear to cloudy, the winds pick up.

"How far along is Serana?" Selana asks Agmaer happy to hear she is with a child.

"Serana is nine months and two weeks into her pregnancy," Agmaer responds to Selana. He tries to not think about the danger Serana could be in. To dose he talks to Selana about his relationship with his wife and how it came to be. When they first started spending time together, Agmaer could only imagine being with Serana for the rest of his life. Over time and missions to hunt vampires they came closer and now are married and expecting their first child. It is all he thinks about, keeping Serana safe because he doesn't want to lose her. While Selana asks Agmaer about his expecting wife Harbin cannot help but wonder if he can protect Selana? He knows that with his father, Rornak, and Agmaer around that Serana will be safe if they can find her alive but what about Selana? Can he keep her safe from the possible threats in the world? He wants to marry her but she will never stay with him if she isn't safe from all the danger his occupation can bring down on her. In his own thoughts as Vikrin tracks the trail of Serana, Rornak is thinking to himself about a conversation he had with Almura yesterday.

"Letting go of your desire to purge Skyrim of werewolves and achieve revenge is good for you Rornak and I am happy for you," Almura says to Rornak as he studies the image in the stone ring created by the four dragon skulls. "I understand that you feel empty inside because you don't know what to do now but that will pass. Didn't you once have other dreams Rornak?"

"I did, thought I may one day become a smith myself at one point in time, at another a healer like my mother," Rornak answers Almura. "I don't know though if I want to do those things because I feel alone. Not like I have no friends, they are plentiful and I hope that never changes. Grimbor has Amaria, sooner or later Harbin will have Selana, and my sister is sixteen now which means she is recognized as a legal adult and will be looking for love soon enough. She has the sweetest personality and is every bit as caring and loving as my mother and then some. Since when does the younger sibling find love sooner than the older sibling?" Almura tells Rornak that there is nothing wrong with finding love later than his sister but Rornak still thinks on the subject.

"Your loyalty to Adria is noteworthy Rornak, she would likely want you to have found someone new by now. I can think of a few women who would not only be overjoyed to have a man as loyal as you but who can also return that loyalty," Almura's words make Rornak feel better that he wouldn't have to worry about finding a loyal lover. "It is okay to feel left out as your close friends find their love. That is how love works, nobody ever said it was perfect. Don't let that bring you down nonetheless, let it inspire you to keep going. Replace your desire for revenge with a desir to find a lover." In the present, Almura is secretly watching Rornak from a distance. She isn't alone and has brought a friend of hers, "Agmaer has no idea that the werewolves he ran into are just a few under the command of the Werewolf Lich in Eastmarch."

"Of course," Almura's friend says with a sense of urgency, "they have to all be on a rescue mission at the worst time. As much as you want to keep Rornak on the right path, he needs to be hunting that Werewolf Lich not chasing after a missing person." Her hands reach for a sword on the belt round her armor. "It should just be one Poacher and maybe Vikrin helping Agmaer not all of them. My lady, I ask that you let me help them indirectly and take care of the werewolves still wandering the center of Eastmarch before they cause more trouble."

"Don't delay, they looked like they were heading towards Selana's family farm," Almura says to her friend. "Dragonhide Armor is light and strong, you are skilled with your sword and shield. Those werewolves won't stand a chance against you, my knight which I have trained for years." The woman Almura calls a friend leaves and Almura stays where she is, watching Rornak and his group disappear from sight. They travel further away from Windhelm and Serana's tracks become fresher. A dead werewolf lies across them but there is no blood from anything other than the beast.

"That is beast blood alright," Rornak says looking at the blood, "it doesn't look like it touched Serana. The claws and jaws are clean and show no sign of blood. She wasn't wounded based on the evidence on this beast and the tracks go on. They aren't old, she may have killed this beast perhaps while you were talking to us in Windhelm Agmaer." Rornak takes the lead with his halberd ready to strike down anything in his way. I'll be damned if I let anything happen to Serana that I can prevent, Rornak thinks as the group picks up its pace. They approach the Forsaken Cave, the trail turns back east leading to an old Nordic ruin known as Yorgrim Overlook. On approach the five find the freshest tracks Serana left behind thus far and there isn't anywhere else to go. If she is going to be anywhere it has to be the ruin. Out of desperation and fear Agmaer runs past everyone up to the ruin.

On arrival the other four in the group let out a sigh of relief, "we found her, that is a relief," Harbin says while Agmaer helps Serana stand up. Her feet are sore and slaying the werewolf took a lot of her energy. Serana needs a place that is safe to rest and warm. "Nightgate Inn is just west of us, if you're cold gentlemen, you will just have to suck it up for a bit longer so we can get this blessed couple to safety. Don't let your guard down either, there likely is still some danger lurking in this area that Serana didn't finish off. Rornak you watch the back, my father and I will lead the way with Agmaer and Serana between us and Selana."

"A warm inn sounds nice, I didn't know which way it was and I was so tired that I had to stop and rest," Serana says as Agmaer holds her hand. They walk out of the ruin and start down the path towards Nightgate Inn. Along the way Rornak falls to the back of the group and he looks over his shoulder. At the inn he remains outside looking at the pond when he is approached by a woman, his mother Idela. Grand Master Hawken told Rornak about his parents history in the Poachers Guild. He isn't surprised in a bad way, Rornak always knew that he inherited the skills of his parents, they mentioned it to him from a young age. His only surprise is that he learned where their skills came from so recently and he never thought about the possibility of his parents being Poachers.

"I see you still watch over me every now and then. Would you have ever told me about the Poachers Guild," Rornak asks his mother as she steps up beside him?

"Not unless you wanted me to, to be honest with you Rornak I wasn't sure what you would end up doing but based on what Grand Master Hawken has told me in his letters you've turned out to be a great Poacher," Idela says to her son with a smile. "Your sister is turning into quiet the Flower Maiden, her spear work is impressive and she's learned everything I could teach her. Say that reminds me, did I ever show you my spells dear son of mine?"

"A few of them," Rornak responds to his mother. "You also showed me some of the ways to improve my Restoration spells. I spent some time at the college in Winterhold to study the school and I picked up a few things. Mostly healing spells but I learned some Ward and Turn Undead spells."

"I have a few spells then that I should show you, spells for stopping poisons and diseases. You may like the master level spells I've created," Idela says to Rornak. He laughs and asks if they are actually worth the effort, a joke that his mother made up about how many of the master level spells aren't that good. "Trust me these will be worth the time. However I've been out in this cold long enough, lets go inside." the two walk back to the inn and go in side. Shortly after entering Selana approaches them.

"Rornak on the off chance is this woman a healer," she asks and Idela giggles taking off her coat. "I take that as a yes?"

"I have a spell for just about everything and I carry a few things for aiding those who need my help," Idela hangs up her coat on a hook mounted to the wall. "We can resume our conversation later my son, now miss what can I do to assist?" Outside the sun sets in the west and the sky grows dark, in the fading light Rornak can make out shapes moving within the frame of the window!

"Serana, something is wrong with her, it is a magic of some kind," Selana shows Idela to the room where Serana is staying. She is lying on a bed and is visibly ill. "I...I don't know what is happening."

"This is the result of an unknown magic, I think that it is it is trying to steal the life and soul out of her baby and Serana's body is fighting back," Idela says after looking carefully at the expecting mother. She begins casting a spell with both hands, "nice try monster I'll be nice and give you that but you'll have to do better than this," Idela casts one of her master level spells and creates a ward that cuts off the room from the outside world magic wise. "That did it, she's coming back around to normal, I'll stay here and keep an eye on her." Selana steps out of the room for a moment, she pulls Harbin aside to speak with him.

"Harbin we need to talk, I know that you love me and you know that I love you," she starts, "I am well aware of the dangers that Poachers face and that those around them could face due to their association with a Poacher. However you don't need to be so worried about it. You've protected me in the past, you will protect me in the present and future." Harbin asks in response how Selana knows this, "have you not seen what you have done Harbin? What you can do? How many times have you gone up against multiple werewolves and came out victorious? Based on what you have done the chance of you not being able to protect me from the dangers that you may bring my way is very low." Harbin looks at Selana unsure how to respond to her. "Your father told me about how you felt some time ago, so I asked if he would train me to protect myself and he did. If you cannot protect me, then I'll protect myself so you don't have to worry about me."

"Selana, I need to borrow Harbin, we have to take care of a problem," Rornak says and he tries to pull Harbin away politely.

"One moment please," Selana says to Rornak then she turns back to Harbin, "you don't need to know that you can protect me in the future Harbin, all you need to do is to believe in yourself. Believe in yourself and I may never have to touch my axes in my own defense," Selana lets Rornak pull Harbin away and he takes him and Vikrin outside into the darkening wilderness. The wind is picking up and snow is starting to fall but they go outside with their weapons ready. Idela calls for Selana, "coming." She returns to Idela, "what do you need mam?"

"Please, call me Idela," Idela says to Selana pleased to see she has good manners. "Serana has gone into labor and the baby is coming quickly. It is thankfully completely natural and not caused by the magic my ward is blocking out. Do you know much about delivering a child?"

"Now that whatever magic that was is dealt with yes," Selana says comfortably. She is visibly nervous nonetheless. "I've helped to deliver two babies. You have to learn a lot and grow up quickly on a farm. What do you need from me?"

"Just be there just in case I need something," Idela says to Selana. "Don't be so nervous, I've delivered thirty one babies with little to no help. I also have high level Restoration Magic at my disposial so if something goes wrong, I cand handle it. When this is over, remind me to teach you a thing or two, it will be helpful in case you have to deliver a child on your own," Idela says then she thinks to herself. If I count my own children who I bore unassisted then that brings that number up to thirty three depending on how you look at it. She casts her Restoration Magic, "I don't know if I'll be needed outside so we need to speed up the progresion of your labor. Don't worry, this first spell will do such safely as it has with every baby I've ever delivered. The spell I'm going to use after it will greatly reduce the pain you experience throughout all of this. The third and final spell will make it easier to bring this baby into the world." Outside Rornak, Harbin, and Vikrin draw their weapons and listen to howling werewolves who are drawn to the sent of werewolf blood on Serana.

"How many do you think there are?" Vikrin asks as he raises his battleaxe for battle.

"Hard to say with the magic of a Werewolf Lich supporting them," Rornak responds to Vikrin thinking on his last encounter with a Werewolf Lich. "Chances are, we have an entire pack to deal with and that can range in size from five to twelve and maybe more. If the lich appears, kill it quickly. These things are dangerous, I don't know if it teleports werewolves from point to point or summons them but it can bring in plenty of reinforcements. I have no idea how."

"I do, it can teleport werewolves a short ways as long as they are alive or recently deceased. The lich also summons werewolves from my lord's domain," Braeda says to Rornak as she approaches the inn. "I know what you all may be thinking but let me explain while we have the chance to. These monsters are not caused or created by Hircine and he is actively sending me and other servants to hunt them down. We're not entirely sure where they come from so I won't speak on that matter. Though we should know for soon shortly. You are not wrong about Werewolf Liches, they are very dangerous. The magic that every Werewolf Lich uses is unfinished and dangerous for everyone near these creatures. How these werewolves learned necromancy and summoning arts is unclear but it is too late for that. The best thing that can be done is to wipe out each Werewolf Lich," Braeda draws her sword and shield as werewolves begin to surround the inn. "If you will have me, I will assist you in this battle." There is no sign of disapproval from the trio of men. "I'll take your silence as a yes that you do want my help. The lich will appear if we can kill enough of his pack, I know that I am a werewolf and you are Poachers but we must work together to stop this threat. Slay them all and send that lich to my lord Hircine."

"Leave punishing the lich to me mam," Rornak says to Braeda, "I can do one better. In addition to that I can leave its head on a stake as a warning, like that one alpha male werewolf I killed in Markarth back in the summer of 202. Now if you want to see Hircine however I'll gladly send you to him Braeda."

"It is good to see you too Rornak," Braeda responds and werewolves begin descending on Nightgate Inn. With four warriors in their group, the defenders of the inn stop the werewolves in their tracks remarkably well. The initial attack forces the four to take a few steps back but once they gain their composure, they push the werewolves back. Instead of attacking all at once the werewolves come in waves which fight a little easier. Braeda and Rornak slash, chop, and thrust at the werewolves coming from the east while Harbin and Vikrin stop the werewolves attacking them from the west. All the werewolves are aiming solely for the front door allowing the four to stay close together and watch each other's back. Just like the last Lich Rornak is using this as an opportunity to capture and destroy werewolf souls. He comfortable with using this power but he still uses it begrudgingly.

One werewolf at a time, Rornak takes and destroys their soul in order to fuel his enchanted halberd. Each time he does destroy a werewolf soul, Rornak feels a bit strange, he wants to stop seeking revenge and at the same time wants to continue seeking it. For the moment this conflict isn't an issue but Rornak makes sure that he doesn't let it damage his focus. Else his doom is assured. The three men take a few hits here and there from the werewolves but between their heavy armor and Spirits these blows aren't enough to do note worthy harm. Vikrin brought some powerful healing potions with him, if any note worthy harm is inflicted on one of the four, he has something to treat it if Rornak cannot use his Restoration Magic. In between the second and third wave of werewolves, Rornak asks Braeda what she means by summoning and she explains further.

"The lich can summon the soul of a werewolf and reanimate it into new flesh or into its original flesh if it died recently," Braeda tells Rornak. "Sooner or later the lich won't be able to summon more werewolves but that isn't a very helpful advantage. The problem with all this is stopping them from summoning more werewolves from the Hunting Grounds and ending their defiling of my lord Hircine. In theory they can summon infinite werewolves or keep summoning and reanimating the same ones. Now that I say that I wish Halda was here to help us out."

"Did your daughter run off on you," Rornak asks Braeda?

"She is in Whiterun Hold helping the pack there, the same pack you helped," Braeda answers Rornak. The next wave of werewolves comes and the four get back to fighting, with his new confidence after having the talk with Selana Harbin has unlocked this own third and final Spirit; Challenger which when activated gives him a short time of increased resistance to physical damage (20 percent) and draws in whatever enemy he wants to fight. It can get him overwhelmed if misused but Vikrin can bail Harbin out of trouble and Rornak is using Willpower. Challenger is a Spirit that is often described as high risk high reward but more often than not is going to be rewarding. Challenger is as valuable in this situation as it is dangerous when misused. Harbin can stop a werewolf from passing by the defenders and going for the inn door if he must. Sinking his axe into the skull of a werewolf Harbin watches a werewolf pass between him and his father so he triggers his new Spirit.

"Come at me beast I can take you," Harbin shouts and he engages this werewolf after freeing his axe from the now deceased werewolf. Challenger is like some of the spells in the School of Illusion but way more powerful. Nothing can resist its call and that will spell doom for this Werewolf Skinwalker. Harbin and the Werewolf Skinwalker trade some blows but thanks to his armor's protection, it is Harbin who survives and the beast is slain. As Harbin pulls his axe free from the body of the now slain werewolf, another swats him aside, striking him in the back. The damage was thankfully absorbed by the passive ability of Challenger which will negate one physical attack every half minute with near instant healing even if it is a fatal blow. Harbin stands back up and blocks another swipe from this young Werewolf Beastmaster with his shield then retaliates with a swift strike to its lower torso. Three more patiently timed blows later the young werewolf is all but dead as his arms have been severed from his body. "No good, send the next beast in I'll take him." With one more blow to the body of the werewolf, Harbin finishes this one off as another arrives to take its place. "I see that this Werewolf Lich has a good sized pack of followers and tough ones too. It is a good thing that three of us can take a few hits."

Harbin continues to impress as he takes on werewolf after werewolf. Between his damage negating passive ability and the damage resistance perks Harbin is the toughest warrior of the four even though he is wearing the lightweight Deep Woods Ranger Armor. His father is wearing Skyforge Steel Wolf Armor which and he still doesn't match the protection Harbin has. Rornak cuts off the leg of a Werewolf Vargr, it falls over, then he takes its head off with his halberd and captures its soul. It was a tough beast that took several blows from his halberd before Rornak landed the fateful blow that cut off its leg, the health and stamina absorbing enchantments didn't faze it. Rornak destroys its soul to recharge his halberd then engages a Werewolf Brute which goes down a bit quicker than the Vargr. Braeda slays the last werewolf in the wave and it is teleported away and is revived.

"I assume that is the Werewolf Lich's doing," Harbin says as the werewolves prepare to send in another wave. "How many more do we have to kill for that Lich to show up?"

"I'm not sure, I am honestly not paying attention to how many we've killed," Braeda admits. "My mind is a bit of mess between this mission and family issues. I've been dealing with tension between me and my daughter."

"Is she upset about something," Vikrin asks?

"I never told her about what happened between me and Rornak, when she asked me I didn't tell her the truth because I wasn't sure it would be good for her to know," Braeda responds to Vikrin. "I only wanted to keep her safe and it wouldn't be fair to her to have to be afraid for her life because her mom created the Dark Hunter."

"She's young and I believe more than just that is causing tension in the family," Vikrin says to Braeda. "In time she'll understand that as a parent you'll do whatever you must to protect your children. You did it so she can sleep at night, I think that is perfectly acceptable."

"It is a complicated relationship between us to say the least," Braeda tells the group. "I can only hope that Halda is doing well on her mission." As the next wave of werewolves descends upon the group, Halda is in Whiterun tending to the Companions who helped the guards turn back a bandit raid. She picked up some basic healing spells after Rornak healed the girl she brought back from the vault so she is kindly giving the Companions much needed healing and they kept her safe on an emergency run to Whiterun for medicine to help the pack she is aiding. Aela left the day before on an Animal Extermination mission so she isn't present. She wouldn't explain why, but she wanted to be alone for a while to sort out a personal matter. One beast at a time the four defenders of Nightgate Inn slay each werewolf in this wave but every other beast that dies is teleported way and revived. Braeda notices this and then starts to see that every werewolf Rornak kills doesn't come back. "Rornak, is there something your doing that is stopping the Werewolf Lich from reviving the werewolves you kill?"

"It seems that using soul trap and putting the soul of the werewolves into soul gems is stopping the Werewolf Lich from reviving the werewolves," Rornak responds. "I happen to have something to help me with such a thing but I don't believe it can help you lot as well."

"Oh really? I don't know what you possess but if it seems to be working then keep it up," Braeda says to Rornak. "Perhaps we should let you kill the werewolves, I could use a few spells to cripple the werewolves and then you can finish them off."

"Can you paralyze these werewolves," Rornak asks Braeda?

"No, but I can hinder their ability to attack in order for you to get an opening to strike them," Braeda responds. She places her shield on her back and begins charging a spell fueled by lycanthrophy, then she casts it upon the first werewolf of the next wave. "Werebeast's Grasp makes whoever it is cast on attack slower (50 percent slower) and they move slower (30 percent slower). I'd use Werebeast's Hunger to kill it but your the one with the soul trapping ability so this one is going to be yours Rornak. I'll distract its friends but you only have sixty seconds before the effect of Werebeast's Grasp wears off."

"That is plenty of time for what I need to do," Rornak tells Braeda as he strikes the back of his werewolf opponent's knee to destabilize them. With a swift swing of his halberd Rornak kills this werewolf then he turns and thrusts the spear of his halberd into the werewolf Braeda is distraction. "What kind of magic is that?"

"Werebeast Magic," Braeda responds, "certain howls let us use the corresponding ability in werewolf form and this magic is meant to expand on that and let us use it in our natural form. As long as I'm a werewolf I can use these spells all I want regardless of what form I take but they do take a bit to recharge between uses. I have a spell for many situations. Fortunately Werebeast's Grasp doesn't take very long to recharge, I'll be able to cast it soon."

"I'll keep that in mind," Rornak says as he engages another werewolf. Behind him Harbin and his father are drawing as many werewolves away from the inn door and towards them as possible. The werewolves keep on coming and no matter how many the two men kill the Werewolf Lich simply revives them or summons more. Vikrin is starting to worry that the four will be overwhelmed without additional support but Harbin is not. No matter how many werewolves he has to kill, Harbin intends to protect Selana and the inn from this pack. Finally a chance to turn this fight in their favor appears for the four defenders. At last the Werewolf Lich decides to enter the battle and it comes from Harbin's side. Alone against the Werewolf Lich as more members of its pack follow it into battle, Harbin stands his ground and fights with the monster, summoning all his remaining strength. Seeing the Werewolf Lich go into battle, a lone warrior in black armor joins the fight and engages the werewolf pack directly east of the inn. His double-edged black straight sword blends in with the darkening night sky. Like the Falmer, the werewolves can do little against him and fall to his blade. With the Werewolf Lich distracted, there is no resurrection for those who fall to this warrior!

"You shall not get past me beast, this is where you shall fall," Harbin blocks a swipe of the werewolf Lich's paw with his shield then swings his axe at it. The werewolf dodges his attack and then tries to hit him again. This time Harbin backs away and avoids the swipe of its paw then proceeds to try and strike the arm of the werewolf. He get the left arm of the Werewolf Lich a bit but the beast avoids his follow up attack and uses its magic to heal itself. "How do you kill this thing if it can heal itself?"

"It can heal itself every now and again but not all the time," Braeda says to Harbin as she uses more of her magic on werewolves. She casts Werebeast's Hunger on a werewolf to do damage to it while she draws its attention. "Strike him down and this will be over." Weakened by her spell, when the werewolf gets in close to attack Braeda runs her sword up into its chest! With the fight hanging in the balance Harbin continues to trade and dodge blows with the Werewolf Lich. As the werewolf prepares casts its magic at Harbin, the Poacher realizes that it has a short but exploitable charge time before the spell is ready. Just as the werewolf is about to finish charging its spell Harbin rushes it and slips an axe strike in before the werewolf can cast and interrupts the spell. With a moment of opportunity Harbin strikes again with all the force he can put behind his axe aiming the edge of his weapon for the chest. The blow lands where he wants it to but the wound isn't enough to kill the beast which proceeds to swat Harbin away. On his back and his weapon and shield knocked from his hands Harbin is exposed but Vikrin isn't occupied. The former Companion brings the head of his axe to his right side, faces north and the Werewolf Lich, and then swings it across to his left as he comes within striking range of the Werewolf Lich and deals the mosnter a death blow!

"That is the end of you monster," Vikrin pulls his axe head out of the body of the werewolf and its pack retreats. With their leader dead, they have no reason or will to stay here. "There is no telling how many kills we all have accumulated, and who knows how many werewolves were actually killed." A few younger werewolves can be seen in the dark as their black figures flee from the fight. Come morning, the victims of the man in black armor will be found. In total he leaves eight werewolves dead.

"That is the end of this mission for my master," Braeda says as the surviving pack members flee. "The inn should be safe for now and I'll make sure that the remaining werewolves of this pack don't cause anymore trouble." Vikrin and Harbin begin talking with each other and Braeda turns to ask a question of Rornak.

"How exactly did you manage to trap the souls of the werewolves?" she asks and Rornak explains to her the gift he was given by Azura. He describes its power to hold multiple souls as a boon but he doesn't approve of its ability to destroy a soul. "I see, well you did what you had to do. I don't have any grudge against you Rornak for using that power and I think your view of it shows that you are a very kind and caring person. With all the death you leave behind you and for all the fear you instill nobody would believe that you are still a good man at heart if they didn't see it. I'm glad that I and my daughter have been able to see your kindness."

"For a beast who will kill another werewolf I must say you are a seemingly well mannered woman," Rornak says to Braeda. "I say that we've equally surprised each other tonight."

"For most of my life I've served Hircine but I still have the heart of a human," Braeda says to Rornak with sympathy for him. "If you wish to bear a grudge, focus on me, and leave my daughter Halda out of it. The choice I made was hard and I only killed Adria because Hircine promised me that Halda would live a life so good that I couldn't pass it up. It is a terrible boon to have but if you ever have your own children, you'll realize how far you're willing to go to protect them and ensure the best for them."

"Maybe you should have thought about it a little more," Rornak says to Braeda. She can tell that he clearly has had enough of her, so she leaves. Braeda gets straight to work tracking down the remaining werewolves and bring them into a pack loyal to Hircine. It will reduce the chance of Poachers like Rornak having a reason to hunt them down. Inside the inn, Idela and Selana are enjoying the fruits of their work. Serana has given birth to a healthy baby girl and is yet another example of Idela's Master level Restoration Magic and what it can do. The way she and Agmaer smile as their daughter rests in Serana's grasp makes Idela feel warm inside, it never ceases to bring her joy to see parents hold their new child for the first time. In the coming years Idela will have the privilege to deliver the son and second daughter of Serana and Agmaer. It will then as it does now bring her great happiness to see the couple so happy with their child. Idela also suspects that Selana and Harbin are deeply in love and are going to be married one day. Indeed the two will leave Nightgate Inn tomorrow morning hand in hand. As the cold wind blows around him Rornak is both happy for Harbin and lonely. Grimbor and Harbin have the women of their dreams but he is alone.

"Grimbor and now Harbin have formed a couple with the women they love," Rornak says to himself as he looks out into the night. "There has to be someone out there for me. However I only ever wanted to be with Adria, she was and is still the only woman who has ever made me feel the way she has." Rornak turns back to the inn door, "well I guess I'll never find out if there is someone out there for me if I just stand out here in the cold. Nor will I find something new to work towards. I've moved on from my desire for revenge and found love once before, I can and will do it again." Rornak reenters the inn and the atmosphere inside is warm and loving. He stands off to the side by the fire to warm up and his mother sits down beside him. "Do you mind showing me some of your new spells?"

"Not now inside the inn but tomorrow when we find a safer place to practice," Idela responds with a smile. "I think you will find my Sun damage spell, Wards, and disease/poison curing Spells to be the most useful but I have a few more if you would like to try them out."

"The more the merrier," Rornak tells his mother.


Part Eight 4th Era 201


Lying on a bed underneath a sheet, a woman opens her eyes after she closed them expecting to die. She is weak, her head is the only part of her body that doesn't have a bandage on it. From her hips up and over her shoulders, bandages cover up her skin. Her arms are on fire from the pain caused by her wounds and the aching of her legs isn't much better. The woman makes some quick observations by looking at the room which is illuminated by a dim magic light mounted to the ceiling. She realizes that she is inside a stone structure of some kind and it is dark out so it is either past sunset or before sunrise. She hears a noise and turns to her left, there is a door and someone is turning its handle to come in.

A young strong lady with light grey hair enters, "well now I didn't expect you to wake up so soon. Tell me do you remember your name?"

"Who is asking," the woman in bed asks?

"Your new friend, I have to say I wasn't sure if you would survive long enough to get here even with my help or if I'd be able to patch you up," the lady with grey hair responds to the woman she has rescued. "Healing isn't exactly my specialty, or perhaps Mara decided to pitch in and help. Either way, it doesn't seem to matter because you're still with us."

"Well if you saved my life I guess you're a friend. My name is Adria," the woman in the bed responds. "May I ask what is going on?"

The grey haired woman shuts the door and approaches Adria, "I wish that I could tell you why Hircine sent werewolves to kill you Adria but I don't know. Rornak made it out alive and killed many of your attackers but that isn't the end of this. Something has been set in motion that could go down many different paths. For the time being, it is better the world thinks your dead. Don't worry, this Aedra is the only one you have to fear and I prefer to have you as an ally and friend." The woman identifies herself as Aresia (A-ree-sia), sometimes called Lady Aresia by her followers.

"If your an Aedra, why does nobody know of you?"

"That is a story that will take time to tell you but since you are stuck for the most part in bed resting, I suppose you can know," Aresia answers Adria. She pulls up a wooden chair and sits down next to the bed to tell her story to Adria.


4th Era 206


On the open seas, on the fifteenth of Sun's Dusk heading towards Solstheim, Ocarin takes in the view of the calm waters as the warship heads for Icecap Lighthouse. He is calm and happy to finally be able to see what is at this lighthouse and to hopefully get the answers he seeks. On the journey with him is a young Thalmor Soldier assigned as Ocarin's personal bodyguard. Two High Elves on a ship filled with Nords, his bodyguard is uneasy and despises the Nords for their belief in Talos, Ocarin sees them as company for the trip. Rornak, Harbin, Grimbor, and Grand Master Hawken are along for the trip as an added safety precaution with Ralgrif and Mellidia coming along by request of High King Ulfric.

"What do you think you will find at this lighthouse Ocarin," Hawken asks the Thalmor Emissary without any knowledge as to why he wants to come to this lighthouse?

"I don't really know and that scares me more than you may realize," Ocarin responds.

"Why does that scare you," Hawken asks?

Ocarin looks out at the sea, "I returned home after The Great War to the Summerset Isles on a warship. Never had I longed to gaze at the endless ocean waters, it made me feel safe again. In the final days of the conflict, I was part of a force sent to occupy and hold a fortress in Cyrodill. We assumed everything was safe even though we didn't know what to expect. It seemed okay to me back then, no news was still good news. Then we became surrounded by legionaries who besieged us for two full weeks. The only weapons we had to fight back against their siege engines were two ballista against twelve or thirteen catapults." Ocarin recalls that there was five hundred Thalmor Soldiers holding the fortress when the siege began. When the siege was over, less than fifty were still alive but only twenty were fit for battle. "I was one of the lucky ones to get out unharmed. I've never slept very well since if there is an unknown factor involved unless I smoke my pipe." Ocarin always has a wooden pipe and pipe herbs with him wherever he goes, it releases stress and helps him not be afraid.

"Do you use it often," Hawken asks Ocarin?

"Not really, too much pipe herb and you start getting a bit tipsy," Ocarin responds citing his own experiences. "Also the feeling you get from having only a regulated amount every now and then is much better than just blowing it all at once. Trust me, I've friends who've tried that and they didn't enjoy it as much as if they just used a normal amount of herbs." Icecap Lighthouse comes into view and at first nothing seems wrong in the darkening light but then Ocarin spots something out of place. There's a Thalmor ship docked at the lighthouse, a ship that isn't supposed to be there. No Thalmor other than him and his bodyguard are permitted to set foot on Icecap Lighthouse unless there was an emergency. On top of this, if this ship was intending to dock at the lighthouse on official Thalmor business Ocarin should have been informed.

"Captain get us to that lighthouse, I need to see what is going on with that ship, no Thalmor other than my guard and I should be here," Ocarin says to the captain who is at the helm of the ship. He maintains his course and the ship's crew prepares to dock. At the lighthouse the crew quickly ties the ship off so Ocarin can disembark. The dock of the lighthouse leads to an archway in a wall that still can take a pounding from a seaborne assault despite its apparent age. At the thick wooden door of the lighthouse Ocarin and his bodyguard find a number of Thalmor soldiers lying dead on the ground. "What in Oblivion happened here?" Someone coughs to the Emissary's left, "we have a survivor here." One woman rested against the stone wall is alive at the moment but she is weak. "Look at me mam, stay awake and look at me," Ocarin isn't trained to provide medical aid but he doesn't have to be. Rornak places a Healing Rune on the wall beside the Thalmor soldier which somewhat revitalizes her.

"That rune will stabilize her for now but this requires more attention than we can provide," using what little knowledge he can get from his surroundings, Rornak guesses that this Thalmor was hit by a powerful magical blast. "Because I'm assigned to protect you sir I cannot handle this, she shouldn't even be alive as it is. We need a miracle to get her back to Skyrim and another to save her life."

"Then allow me to be of some assistance," Ocarin, Rornak, and others turn to their left as an old man with a white beard approaches them. He has a large wooden staff that holds a crystal the color of Sun Magic at its top, it appears to double as a tool and as a walking stick. "My lady told me that you would be coming so I went to fetch something to prepare for dinner. It would seem that in my absence someone broke in and removed the outer wards. That is quite rude, I left a note stating when I would return so they should have waited for me to let them in. Especially because they thus triggered the security measures. Allow me to let you in and if you find whoever broke into my home please politely see them out. This unfortunate soldier won't be hard for this old wizard to take care of," The old wizard walks up to the lighthouse door and unlocks it with his key. The setting sun reflects off the lighthouse windows and onto his white robes.

"Feel free to enjoy the drink and pipe herbs stocked up in the basement," the old wizard says as Ocarin and others enter the lighthouse. "There is plenty for everyone."

"What a nice man," Ocarin states while walking into the main room on the ground floor of the lighthouse. "Odd, the walls are decorated with a sky blue, dull blue, and cream white paints. With various depictions of Men and I think Mer worshiping a steel grey dragon. This is strangely similar to the reports I've read about the lighthouse in the Summerset Isles." After his observations are made, Ocarin spots a door leading to a staircase left wide open and proceeds to walk down the stairs, he assumes it leads to the underground chamber. "What would an old wizard be doing in a place like this? There are no records of Icecap Lighthouse being occupied but if that man is its very new owner then I think this establishment is in good hands." From the chamber ahead, Ocarin and his bodyguard can hear noises of some sort. Likely the result of some form of magic. The stairs lead into a large room and Ocarin can see below him the source of the noise, Thalmor agents are messing with a strange black and red object centered at the bottom of the chamber. Without second thought he rushes down two floors to reach the bottom level of the underground chamber and confront the Thalmor who are dangerously threatening relationships with Skyrim by being here without permission. "Erandiris (Eran-dir-is), what are you doing here? As representatives of the Thalmor we cannot be here on almost any matter including whatever it is you are doing without permission! Cease this ritual at once before you get more of our own killed and do something to permenantly damage our fragile relationship with Skyrim."

"Ocarin," Erandiris says to his fellow Thalmor while several Thalmor Wizards cast their magic at the black object in the center of the chamber. "I apologies that you were not informed of this matter but it had to remain secret. We are simply safeguarding the Aldimari Dominion by attempting to understand this device before it is relocated to our shores."

"You are daring to steal from this place?" Ocarin asks. "Are you insane Erandiris we don't know what this thing you are foolishly messing with is. The last time a strange object was messed with by a Thalmor, Ancano nearly destroyed the world and left damage that took nearly five years to fix. Furthermore this place and anything in it is property fully registered under Skyrim's borders. You can tell whoever thought that this was a good idea that I will be personally seeing to their removal from office for this."

"You would remove yourself?" Erandiris asks.

"What, you are here on my orders? I retracted those orders the moment I realized that this lighthouse was not an independently owned piece of land and personally signed fifteen different letters to be sent out from the Embasssy to stop this. Even if I didn't send one by accident I specifically stated that this lighthouse was to be scouted at a distance and nothing else. Ceases this ritual Erandiris, I'm not going to ask again," Ocarin is very much angry and especially at Erandiris who he knows was one of the first to receive his retraction of the order to explore the lighthouse. Ocarin is waiting for Erandiris to do what he as ordered and the Thalmor Wizards are still conducting their ritual several seconds later. Ocarin is ready to use force to stop this ritual because Erandiris is just standing before him doing nothing. Then without warning, an eruption of magic radiates out from the black and red object and kills Erandiris and his group. With Erandriris out of his way Ocarin gets a better look at this object. It a giant black compass with red writing and symbols of sorts on a flat table with a crystal mounted in the center in a small spire on which a needle rotates around the circular table.

"Well that is the end of that," Ralgrif says as he and the rest of the group step forward after waiting behind Ocarin and his bodyguard. "So does anyone know what this thing is?"

"It looks like a giant compass," Hawken says as he studies the object.

"Rornak, be ready to place a ward on it in case there are signs of another surge of magic," Harbin states as an order.

"It is dangerous as we have witnessed, these Thalmor were playing with something that is radiating with Daedric energy," Grimbor states looking at this object. "We need to be careful, this is likely why the lighthouse may have been sealed up. Whoever owned this at the end of the Oblivion Crisis knew that it was dangerous and did their part to help protect the world."

"Idiots," a female voice screams but it is coming from thin air! "Do you Thalmor ever, for once, stop and think about your actions? You have absolutely no idea what you have done! Oh who am I kidding we all know that the answer to that question, even if rhetorical, is no." The black object's crystal starts to glow red and the needle starts turning around and around over the table. As the red glow intensifies magic starts swirling around the crystal in ribbons. The Poachers, Thalmor, Ralgrif, and Mellidia still don't know exactly what they are dealing with but Rornak voices his opinion and unknowingly guesses correctly!

"Akatosh help us that's an Oblivion Gate," Rornak says loudly and several seconds later, several Dremora travel teleport into the space around the Oblivion Gate.

"Well this trip just went on a completely different direction," Harbin comments as he prepares to fight. "Arms up everyone, this is about to get messy."

"Relax everyone, I think I can handle this," Ocarin says to the group. He takes a miniature bottle of rum off of the bar counter to his right. "Listen Daedra, I know that you just came here but I have to ask you to leave. If you would like I'd more than happily pour you a few drinks for the road."

"I hope you don't mind average beer then because this isn't something to write home about," Mellidia says standing behind the bar counter reading the label on one of many bottles of beer. "I cannot be too hard on the old man, I mean he does live out in the middle of the sea so I guess that getting top quality beer isn't very easy or cheap. I doubt this is the best time to start pouring drinks but the old man did say we could help ourselves, assuming we were responsible that is."

"He does know that Dremora aren't going to go back to Oblivion just by asking them right?" Rornak asks Hawken, Grimbor, and Harbin as he pours whiskey for all four of them? "Also are you sure Harbin that having a quick drink right now of all times is a good idea?"

"First Rornak, just enjoy the drink and that is an order. Second, there can't be any harm in trying right Grimbor?" Harbin asks.

"I do not know, this is the first time I have heard of such a thing," Grimbor answers and he picks up his glass. "Why he even is asking is a mystery to me. To be honest I almost wonder if someone had slipped me a few shots of whiskey because of what I am seeing."

"Since you three are asking, I'm in a very reasonable mood because I smoked a fat purse of Hearthfire Spice pipe herbs through my brand new pipe over the course of the last few days," Ocarin responds to Grimbor. "Best pipe herb you can get in the Summerset Isles."

"I thought you only smoked a regulated amount?" Hawken asks Ocarin.

"Correct, I usually take three months to go through the same amount. However I hadn't had any for over two months while I was waiting on a new wood pipe so I indulged myself," Ocarin responds. The Dremora do not react to this.

"Do you have any vodka back there?" Ocarin's bodyguard asks Mellidia.

"You want us to leave this world mortal?" a Dremora says to Ocarin. "Never, I shall honor my lord by destroying you."

"I do," Mellidia responds to the bodyguard.

"Three shots in one glass please and thank you," with a glass in hand the bodyguard is ready to drink. A bit confused, Mellidia shoots him a cautionary look but pours the requested drink.

"I have to commend him for trying," Rornak and his group now drink their whiskey knowing they are about to enter a fight. "Not the best whiskey that I've had in my life but it is not the worst. This seems like your ideal balanced price and quality concious whiskey to me."

"It is a little weak compared to what we usually get to drink at Iron Oak Hall," Harbin comments.

"At least the wine is above average," Mellidia says as Ralgrif pops open a bottle of beer.

"Cheers," and Ralgrif taps Mellidia's wine glass.

"Are you sure?" Ocarin asks the Dremora as he opens a bottle of rum. "We have to have something to send you off with, make it up to you that you came only to turn right back around."

"Hang tight mortals, the bard needs to make sure their instrument is properly tuned," the female voice says and she can be heard checking the tuning of an instrument. It isn't a lute, but it is a stringed instrument. She sighs in disapointment, "if this is going to be tavern brawl because of the Thalmor idiocracy, there may as well be music." They hear two more strings get checked, "okay it's tuned and ready to go."

"Prepare to die mortal," the Dremora says to Ocarin! "Enough of your stalling."

"Really?" Ocarin drinks the entire bottle of rum in one go over several seconds, "well that actually isn't bad. Fine then Daedra lets do this!" Ocarin tosses his empty rum bottle at the closest Dremora! It shatters on impact with his face, causing the dremora to stumble back and fall to the ground and a tavern brawl begins and strange but to the delight of Rornak and his companions, entertaining music starts to play out of thin air. As everyone takes on the other dremora, Ocarin runs up as the shattered glass cripples the dremora and with his left foot, kicks the dremora square in the head!

"Keep'em busy, I need time to reinstate the wards on the Oblivion Dial," the female voice says to Ocarin and company. With daggers in hand Ocarin rushes straight at the Dremora he hit with the rum bottle. His bodyguard takes on the next closest one. Grand Master Hawken, Ralgrif, and Mellidia each pick out a Dremora to the left of Ocarin while Rornak, Grimbor, and Harbin take on the Dremora to Ocarin's right. As the wards begin to reform on the Oblivion Dial Rornak disarms a Dremora then picks it up and smashes its sternum into his knee. Since he is wearing his Deep Woods Trapper Armor, Rornak's knee is covered by a thick plate of hardened Quicksilver which results in a blow that shatters the sternum of the Dremora even through the daedric armor. Rornak proceeds by then throwing the Dremora into a reinforced stone pillar roughly eighteen inches thick. A few feet away, dawning Deep Woods Armadillo Armor, the toughest Deep Woods Armor, Harbin uses Challenger to draw a Dremora over to him. With only his fists Harbin fights with the Dremora delivering blow after blow. His Dremora oponent throws a wide haymaker punch and Harbin blocks it with his left arm then punches the Dremora in his exposed chest. Harbin then breaks the Dremora's arm and tosses it to the ground and kicks the Dremora in the head to finish it off.

With a beaten up and broken wooden chair in his grasp, Grimbor brings the object down with all his strength onto the skull of a Dremora Lord! The old wood splinters on impact with the monsters' head and Grimbor kicks it back into two other Dremora. He activates his Spirit, Silver Volley, and fires a cluster of bound bolts that rip through all three Dremora and kill them. A Dremora attempts to tackle Grimbor but does so very poorly, Grimbor takes a step forward as a result of the impact, beinds forward, and flips the Dremora straight over him. Using the forward momentum of the Dremora, Grimbor pile-drives its' head into the ground. On the other side of the Oblivion Dial, Ralgrif and Mellidia easily dispatch the Dremora they are facing. Ralgrif picks up his Dremora foe and brings its' neck down onto his knee which is protected by armor! Mellidia snaps her opponents' neck after she wrestles it to the ground. Grand Master Hawken slays a Dremora Lord by tripping at it charges him, and striking the Dremora Lord in its' face with the heel of his boot as it goes past him via a reverse crossing kick. Ocarin and his bodyguard finish off the last Dremora together, his bodyguard picks the Dremora up, and Ocarin jumps up and forward to smash an empty barrel on its head.

"That is the last of the Dremora," Grimbor says behind the helmet of his Deep Woods Warden Armor. "That dial is still spinning and the gateway to Oblivion is still open. Steel yourselves, there yet may be more to come from the gateway." The Oblivion Dial keeps spinning and nothing seems to be coming from the gateway. The group steps away from the object and prepares for the next wave of Dremora. The wards are not yet fully reinstated so the eight suspect there to be at least one more wave of Daedra to face. Sure enough they are right, a number of skeevers come through the Oblivion Dial perhaps from The Pits. These are easily dispatched, then a few large spiders come through the Oblivion Dial. Drawing his sword Grimbor prepares to dispose of the spiders, "spiders, perhaps these were sent by Namira seeking revenge for their defeat against the Snow Elves."

"Wouldn't surprise me," Rornak says to Grimbor as he brings his halberd down on the skull of a spider. "I just hope the wards keep the worst of Oblivion's horrors from entering our world." After the spiders are slain, Bonemen come through the Oblivion Dial. "Bonemen, could be worse, could be better." As the eight warriors finish off the first wave of Bonemen a second one arrives, they destroy this wave in less than a minute. When the Bonemen are all destroyed, there is a short pauses before several Lurkers come through the portal followed by two Seekers and the voice of Hermaeus Mora.

"My champion Ralgrif has cleared the Dremora from this ancient collection of Knowledge," Hermaeus Mora speaks slowly and calmly as if he expected this event to happen like this. "Well done my champion, just as the Skaal inevitably surrendered their secrets to me as I knew they one day would, so too shall this knowledge be added to my collection. I shall now collect this knowledge and the Oblivion Dial. Everything has happened as I have foreseen it and now I shall play the final part."

"You shall take nothing from this sacred place monster of the abyss," the group turns around and the old wizard is standing behind them with his staff in his left hand. A bright white light radiates from the crystal mounted at its peak, "Return to the cursed plain of which you came, spawn of corruption and deceit! With Aresia as my witness I cast you out," the light gets brighter and then there is a flash. When the flash goes away the Lurkers and Seekers are turned to ashes and Hermaeus Mora is gone, the wards are replaced on the Oblivion Dial and it is shut down. "I hope that I managed to stop him in time from stealing this knowledge that has been painstakingly gathered and recorded."

"If Hermaeus Mora believed that he could have stolen the secrets in these tomes Hemlok (Hem-Lock), then he is nothing but a complete fool," the female voice says to the wizard. "You underestimate yourself against him old friend. The tomes here have many safeguards that Hermaeus Mora can do nothing against. Provided he would have any strength left after he pushed his way past you. Now, to address our guests. With any form of a claim on the Dragonborn now erased, Hermaeus Mora is without a champion and the Men-at-Arms are seeing to the trouble that a few werebears are causing on Solstheim so things are in an upswing. Yet that is just the beginning of what I have to say to you. I have tasks for several of you, meet me outside the lighthouse entrance." The voice disappears.

"I think we found something but I wish I knew what it is that we found," Ocarin states as he and the group start heading up the stairs. Along the way, Hemlok hands them each a bottle of drink of their choosing out of generosity. "Still, aside from the Daedra this has been a remarkable experience. I hope I can get more time to study this place, it is a nice lighthouse and I would love to learn its history. However I have more questions than answers yet again, this place is supposed to be the final point in a journey to somewhere but where? Who is embarking on this journey and why? What is the voice that has spoken to us and how does it play music from thin air?"

"You're asking the wrong people Ocarin," Rornak comments. "The likely destination you are seeking is Solstheim," Rornak states. "The only other possibility is an island to the north of here but it's a very pointless place to be. The island is called Obsidian Island, it is little more than a beach, some land, and a less than active volcano. Nobody knows if it ever erupted for sure but some speculate that it has, basing their claim on the jagged points around the opening at the top of the volcano. Still, you still may be in the running to get a little of whatever it is your looking for."

"Then I'll put that island to the side for the moment," Ocarin places his bottle of rum into a coat pocket as he walks up the stairs. Once outside the lighthouse again, it becomes clear to the group that there was more going on while they were fighting the Dremora and creatures below in the chamber. By asking one of the sailors that were still on the ship during the fight, they learn that several Dremora warships are spread out around the lighthouse and they've been turned to floating pyres, the flames illuminate the area and are visible for miles around against the night sky. "Something really hates the creatures of Oblivion, of that I am sure based on how those ships are blazing so much that it illuminates the sky like daylight."

"Not all creatures from Oblivion, just some," a female dragon says as she lands on the wall above the arch. "Just those who break the rules of war and who serve the wrong Daedra. I am Aresia, Aedric Goddess of War, ally and companion god to Reymon Ebonarm, and I have a task for several of you. All but Rornak, Harbin, Grimbor, and Ocarin are to return to your ship right now without question. What I have to say is not important to you." So the four men are left alone to speak to this dragon claiming to be an Aedra, the same dragon that Rornak realizes as the one that came to help Rornak and company against the Falmer in the defense of the Snow Elves. The steel grey color of this dragon is fitting for its claim to be the goddess of war, it looks as if it is wearing armor. "First the elf, the Thalmor have caused more trouble than you're worth and violated many rules of war. Waging war in order to expand or destroy a religion is strictly forbidden and because of your damn treaty, you dragged the Empire down with you. I've been too nice for too long such as a minor blessing for the Imperials, and this talk we're having is the last of my kindness which the Thalmor shall recieve from me! Before you question my involvement think on this Ocarin, you had the Imperial City in your hands and then lost it to an enemy you thought was defeated. My blessing on the Legionaries was intentionally light and hard to notice but it was there. It was also no coincidence that the Stormcloaks won the war for Skyrim either, I gave them my blessing because they were fighting those who broke the rules I've painstakingly worked to develop. Now the Thalmor are plotting behind your back to launch another war Ocarin. At the approaching summit of the Thalmor in your embassy, confront your superiors and give them this message. Either they stop attempting to stamp out the worship of Talos, who is really my puppet as punishment for his actions while everything he supposedly grants comes from me, abandon their war plans, and treat Men with respect or they shall know the fate of the Ayleids. This time I will not hold back on the blessing I grant to Men if you dare defy me! Your soldiers will be cut down like wheat and my servant Aldurin (All-dur-in) will not just eliminate war criminals as he did in the last war. Have I made myself clear?"

"What do I tell them, that a dragon claiming to be an Aedra is telling them to stop?" Ocarin is baffled to say the least. He has no idea how to do this because he cannot prove this dragon to be a true Aedra. "I need evidence to support what I say, even with that I don't know if I will be spared from being executed as a hieratic. You may as well ask me to push the ship across the water back to Skyrim myself."

"Then don't make your life harder by complaining and wasting energy! You have your evidence on your desk in the embassy Ocarin," Aresia responds with a stern voice. "All you have to do is do a little bit of reading which shouldn't be hard considering all that you have done up to this point. I'm not Boethiah the Soft, Ocarin, I build up everyone where she kills off the weak because someone is stronger than others and she is lazy. I keep going until you get where I want you to be! If it requires that I crush your bones to flour in order to make you, then hold still Ocarin because we don't have all day! You have the rules of war and the evidence you need within the book sitting on your desk. Once you start cross referencing this information with what you already know from following my followers and military reports, that will give you everything you need, and now you too are to go to the ship. I have nothing more to say to you." Ocarin walks towards the ship, under the archway and the dragon. "Let's get the hardest one of you three remaining out of the way first, Grimbor. You can see Daedra and their servants with ease but I need you to be able to discern good and evil within the Daedra. It is not easy especially because you are mortal, the standards of the immortal Aedra and Daedra are often hard to put into your mortal perspective but you must do this nonetheless. Find the khajiit who once lead the Thieves Guild and there you will learn to see the various shades of Daedra. The balance in Oblivion is once again threatened, you are to ensure that balance remains and strengthens to prevent needless suffering in your mortal world. Succeed and you shall be rewarded with a sword more powerful than any you have wielded in your life. I know that I ask a lot of you, but you're attuned enough to the Aedra to know that my statements are truths and not claims. You know that I issue you orders, not requests and if you need assistance, hold still! If you do not, then leave us as I have spoken my piece to you," Grimbor thusly nods and walks towards the ship without saying a word. He doesn't like this assignment but it comes from an Aedra and he cannot deny the will of an Aedra.

"Now for the morst feared. Rornak, you've come a long way from the Dark Hunter I knew of months ago. Your thirst for revenge has been quelled rather well in such a short time. It is time to take the final steps to putting down your quest for revenge which will help clear your name of the incidents you've had that came damn near to breaking the rules. You have more potential to tap into and taping that will open up many doors of opportunity for you not just to clear your name, but also to go further. To become something better than another killer bent on revenge, you can become hope. Start off with a first step that is well in your skill set, in The Pale is a group of werewolf children who have been taken prisoner. Imprisoning children and using them as a means of warfare is one of the greatest violations of the rules of war, and you are to deliver to these criminals the punishment of death. You are to also put your knowledge in Restoration to work and finish what Adria started. Her dream of a cure for Lycanthropy through magic. I will know when you have succeeded, I have plenty of eyes and ears to keep watch. Now it is time for you to leave us Dark Hunter," Rornak leaves with no opinions on his task. He doesn't hear what Harbin is told by Aresia but Harbin will later tell him that she wants to know if Harbin can follow orders as well as he can give them. As their ship departs, Rornak looks out a window and he can see a figure standing in the light of the lighthouse fire. He doesn't stare too long at the figure, figuring that it is the wizard he turns his attention away and decides to rest. Standing in the light of the lighthouse fire, Adria looks at the ship as it departs and she sheds a tear for Rornak is still unaware that she is alive and they are still kept apart.

As a human lady, Aresia approaches Adria, "I know you want this game of hide and seek to end Adria and that is why I've tasked Rornak with this. He'll become a Man-at-Arms very soon and the only reason I don't want the two of you together now is because Rornak needs the idea that you are dead as an added motivation."

"I know, it is just so hard to be seperated like this," Adria says to the Aedra who commands her. Struggling to not break down in tears, "It has been almost five and a half years since we were ripped apart for a reason we still don't even know."

"But it won't make it to six years," Aresia responds with a smile and she holds Adria to comfort her. "I'm the Aedric Goddess of Get Good and Rornak is getting good with each step he takes towards changing his path." As Rornak's ship docks in Windhelm, Aela is in her werewolf form cutting a swath of devastation through a number of trolls, feasting on their flesh between fights. Her powers as a werewolf have grown, while transformed Aela has access to the spell Ebony Fur to gain armor (200 Armor for 60 seconds) the spell Ursa which summons a powerful spirit bear that can either assist Aela in killing or act as a damage sponge. She can also cast the spell Vulture which steals the health of Undead and Daedra (15 per second for 4 seconds) or Leach which steals health from anything except Undead and Daedra (15 per second for 4 seconds). Other spells include summoning an albino Doe that heals her (Call Doe), a breath attack (Werebeast's Howl)that does some immediate damage and causes bleeding damage (40 damage, 4 bleeding damage for 5 seconds), and a spell that allows werewolves including Aela to paralyze a target in a position where she can easily eat their heart and instantly kill her prey (Werebeast's Feast). Shortly after finishing off the trolls and feeding on their hearts and flesh, Aela transforms back to her natural form. She is finally feeling full in her belly but she isn't alone and Aela knows this because shortly after she transforms back to her natural form, the razor sharp edge of a dagger is right at her throat.

"Did you miss me Aela?" Idela asks in a hushed soft voice. "We've not seen each other since you were a little girl, aside from the face paint you are still that nice little child I spared twenty four years ago when I was seventeen." Aela inherited her werewolf blood from both of her parents but when she was four and alone, Aela stumbled onto a dead werewolf which she recognized as her mother from her scent. As Aela was about to cry for her mother, Idela scared her by saying 'boo' into her ear. Aela was terrified and the dark purple tinted black hair of Idela remains with her to this day as an object of pure terror. Idela spared Aela on one condition, she tells every werewolf she meets for the next ten years what she has seen and that if they cause harm to anyone that Idela would strike them down without them ever knowing she was there. That nobody would find the bodies. Aela agreed and smartly kept her word even though Idela wouldn't dare harm her if she didn't. She would not break the guild's rules. "You've been pretty hungry lately Aela. May I ask why?" Aela knows Idela well and her reputation of being a werewolf killing machine. She is nervous in her situation and rightly so.

"I...I," scared, Aela cannot get her sentence out of her mouth.

"Oh don't worry Aela I'm just messing around with you," Idela takes her dagger away from Aela's throat. Idela's sense of humor is not the easiest humor to enjoy in Aela's current situation. "You don't have to be afraid of others knowing Aela least of all me, who else could be the mother of the Dark Hunter?" Aela looks into the eyes of Idela who has dawned her Deep Woods Flower Maiden Armor and is joined by another younger Poacher in identical armor. "Nor do you need to fear my daughter Reeva (Reeve-a)."

"So how is your daughter doing now that she is following in your footsteps?" Aela asks Idela starting a simple conversation with an old 'friend'.

"Reeva has been everything a mother could ask for, the only thing she has left to finish studying is Restoration magic," Idela comments smiling behind her cowl. "However we can converse on the bundle of joy and pride that Reeva is later. Right now we should focus on you and getting you ready. A solitary life as a huntress, that is how you spend most of your time. That show's me just how unprepared and incapable you are to face your coming fate. Take my word for it Aela, you need my help if you wish to have any happiness as a mother."

"How did you know?" Aela asks Idela sad to admit her secret. "I've told nobody about this...that I accidentally became pregnant."

"Aela, I've counseled plenty of families and single mothers and I'm a mother of two myself," Idela places her hand on Aela's shoulder. "I know a woman who is four months along when I see her thanks to that wisdom and my Restoration Magic. Plus, the feeding pattern is a dead giveaway when it comes to werewolves. Don't worry about the fact you're going to be a mother, I was young too when I put down my dark robes and created my son. The problem here is that you are a solitary huntress who is used to hunting in the wilderness on her own in silence. It isn't impossible to raise a child and live that kind of life but I know you Aela better than you think and I'll tell you now that you will be hard pressed to live this way in a few months at this rate."

"Then what do I do because if I give up on this child I never even meant to have, I'll be chased out of Jorrvaskr for sure," Aela says and she starts to cry. As she cries, Aela feels Idela put her arms around her and holds her to comfort the huntress.

"Don't worry Aela, I came to help you but first I need you to help me and my daughter." Idela explains to Aela that she has to answer the call for help from a very valuable asset in the fight against the Forsworn. A Forsworn woman who has been secretly giving information to The Reach is in danger and she cannot fight off the entire group of Forsworn she is a part of. Thus the they are to relocate this woman and her family to the safety of Raven Wallow Brewery. Once Aela calms down, the three women set off on a rescue mission. On the following Morndas, the eleventh, Rornak is traveling the edges of The Pale looking for a cave entrance. He remembers Aresia's words and since he had time to pass on the ship and knew Adria's work by heart, Rornak finally completed a working prototype of a lycanthropy curing spell for the School of Restoration. He hasn't tested it on a person with Lyncanthropy yet but Rornak has cast it and so far the spell works without a hitch. His prior work and skill as a Master in the School of Restoration made finishing the prototype rather straight forward, and Rornak has chosen to name the spell Wolf Ender. He suspects that won't be using it for awhile and thus sent his work off to someone he believes may get that chance and can critique his work. Idela is a Master Restoration Mage herself and is on the forefront of new Restoration magic. If anyone can help Rornak ensure Wolf Ender is ready and maybe even test it on a Lycanthrope, he believes that it is her and Idela has already received her son's work thanks to a messenger hawk and learned prototype herself.

At the same time outside a dwarven ruin, Harbin is joining an Imperial historian on the path to possibly crack the secret of creating Dwarven metal. The Imperial is joined by a Dwemer tonal architect from the Snow Elf city that was discovered using the Map of Auriel. They will descend into the earth to find the secrets of the Dwemer so if the Dwemer do go extinct their secrets won't be lost. Harbin is at the command of the Dwemer tonal architect. It has been a long time sine he has not been the one leading the team so this will be difficult for him but he is confident nonetheless.

"Do not touch or handle anything I do not tell you to," the historian says to Harbin who simply nods in acknowledgement. "What we could be handling are priceless piecs of knowledge that we cannot afford to so much as look at the wrong way. I know you're here to protect me and I'm thankful for that, but do everything you can to limit any potential damage if you need to fight something."

"Unless they're present in great numbers, I should be able to clear away the Falmer without disturbing a fly," Harbin responds. "If you require help with handling anything, let me know and I'll do all that I can for me." Concurrently Grimbor is paying a visit to Rornak's father Rovgrad with the former Master of the Thieves Guild Gresha and the angel-like Meridia. Grimbor wasn't expecting to run into her when he found Gresha, however he understands why she needs more protection than Gresha can provide on his own.

"I will be honest with you sir I've seen broken blades in better shape than this but I think it is plenty repairable with time and patience," Rovgrad says to Grimbor looking at the shards of Dawnbreaker. "You're in luck that I have spare ebony to work with in addition to this. I'll get started but know that this will take some time. Molag Bal did a fair share of damage on this sword and you cannot just put the pieces together, forging doesn't work like that, but you can melt them down and reforge the sword from scratch. I recycle a lot of steel doing that and make a killing as a result." He begins setting up for the task, "Eorlund Gray-Mane is the best Smith when working with the common materials such iron, steel, Elven, and Nordic along with Ancient Nordic I'll give him that. Everything else however especially the rare stuff like Ebony, Daedric, and Dragon he has a lot to improve on."

"Then set about what you need to do," Grimbor says to Rovgrad. He hears noises nearby, "I'll deal with our less than welcome following." Grimbor wore his Deep Woods Warden Armor for this reason, he suspected that trouble wouldn't be far behind him so he came armored for a fight. Grimbor draws out his estoc, "these threats are the Daedric servants of Molag Bal, I know it.

"I wish you well mortals," Meridia says to Grimbor, Rovgrad, and Gresha as she looks for a place to hide out of sight. Her powers are broken and she is all but defenseless. Unlike previous encounters with mortals Meridia is surprisingly light in tone and fair, polite and gentle when speaking. The reason for this is that she is afraid that no one will take her seriously if she shows this personality, her real personality.

Gresha draws his twin dragonbone katanas, "I shall water this ground with crimson red blood from these Daedra. My ancestors shall be honored and shall know that I will earn my redemption under the banner of the gods." Grimbor asks if there is any ancestor in particular, "my parents. They wanted better for me than my career as a theif. I owe it to them to show them they didn't fail in their mission to raise me to be better."

"If you need a hand in this fight, just let me know, I'll even the odds in a heartbeat," Rovgrad says to the two men as he begins work on Dawnbreaker. A tough battle between Grimbor and his allies, and the servants of Molag Bal will follow shortly. Though it will be hairy for much of the fight Grimbor and Gresha will drive off the Daedra. Concurrently, Harbin is clearing out Falmer while showing that he can indeed take orders from someone else. The historian and tonal architect tell him what they need done and Harbin does it. Whether it is clear out a room or bring something over to the historian, he only pauses to make sure that he knows what to do and how he is supposed to do it. Facing the cave entrance, Rornak takes in a deep breath and prepares himself to enter a cave from which he can smell something terrible. It is like somebody combined the scents of wet dog, human bodily waste, and mixed them together before leaving it to rot in the sun. However before he goes into the cave, Rornak hears something. Wings flap overhead and a green dragon lands behind Rornak, Peryite. It is a strange thing for Peryite to appear directly like this and Rornak takes this meeting with great caution.

"The Dark Hunter, you'll do just fine for this task," Peryite says to Rornak. "I require your talents of bringing death in order to resolve a situation. Within this cave is a ritual that is destroying the natural order of life. The creatures the mages within create are too dangerous to be let out into the world and too many have escaped, ruining natural order as it is meant to be. Go down into that cave and slay every last mage you find and rid the cave of abominations. You won't regret working with me again," Peryite and Rornak look at each other for several seconds studying each other. "Trust me when I say this Dark Hunter, several of us Daedric Princes' know what it means to cross Aresia. I will have a reward worth you while waiting for you upon your return." Rornak continues to think on Peryite's offer and decides to take Peryite up on his word and then enters the cave. Before long as he descends into the cave Rornak encounters a familiar face.

"We need to stop meeting like this Dark Hunter," Halda says to Rornak as he approaches her and the ledge she is hiding behind. "Are you here for the noble's children?"

"I was sent for your pups but it looks like I have to sideline them if there are children of noble birth on the line," Rornak whispers back to Halda. "I hate these kinds of missions, having to pick between two answers and being wrong either way. What is going on down there," Rornak is not looking forward to this mission but he dares not think about turning back. "There is no way out of this mission for me so I want to go into this mess knowing what to encounter at the very least."

Looking down at a ritual as three mages prepare a spell Halda responds, "a monstrosity. Those mages are creating fully grown werewolves through rituals which they are trying to enthrall using their magic and their ritual uses the blood from the children I am here to save. The process is similar to how a Werewolf Lich summons werewolves from my lord's domain. However the werewolves the mages specifically create have no disciplining or for that matter knowledge of anything except hunting and violence. The children I am here for, the pups as you said, have been almost bled dry. Another ritual or two and they'll be done for." Halda explains that she believes this is how the recent werewolf activity spike happened and it would explain how werewolf attacks spiked without warning in 201. "These mages create werewolves and somehow they get loose which leads to werewolf related problems."

"Then let's not waste more time and go get the children quietly," Rornak suggests. "We take them out of the cave first and then we halt the production of werewolves by mages. It will be good for everyone."

"There is no quiet way Rornak I would have saved the children by now on my own if there was," Halda says to the Dark Hunter. "We need to slay all of these mages and the werewolves they have enslaved in order to get to the children. I'll leave that to you since werewolf killing is your passion, I assume that this is where the Werewolf Lichs are coming from in addition to normal werewolves so it is better that we kill them all and put an end to this. Just don't get carried away with the violence. I don't wish to scar the children any further than they already have been. I will go for the kids, you hold off the mages and anything they try to send at you. Once I secure the children I'll transform into a werewolf and carve us a path out of here."

"Are you able to control yourself in that form," Rornak asks Halda? She answers yes so Rornak takes her word and draws his weapons. He has taken Peryite on his word twice now and trusted a dragon god so Halda's word in nothing. Worst case senario is that he has to take her down as well and though he has thrown out his desire for revenge, Rornak won't have any problems with that. With his weapons drawn Rornak descends into the area below and distracts the mages just after they finish preparing the magic of their ritual. In a bloody ordeal he slays three mages while two run off as Halda carefully navigates around the fighting to reach the children. As she quietly moves through the cave Rornak makes as loud of a disturbance as he can to attract the attention of every werewolf and mage in the cave. With his trusty sword, mace, and Deep Woods Hunter Armor Rornak faces each werewolf head on and traps their souls inside the Constellation of Moonshadow and proceeds to destroy the souls. "Come on you smelly pieces of crap, help me make my living, I'll take you on! I'll slay each and every one of you until you're all dead!"

The Dark Hunter is in his element and as dark as ever, Halda thinks to herself as Rornak moves deeper into the cave drawing in more werewolves, Rornak finds himself relying on his weapon enchantments in order to keep his stamina up. He dodges an attack from overhead swipes by pushing off his front foot to go backwards and then rushes in to punish his opponent. Once this werewolf is dead Rornak immediately moves onto the next one in his way. As he engages this werewolf he can hear another one coming from behind so Rornak presses into his current opponent until he gets the werewolf off balance and strikes. Once his mace is free from the werewolf's skull Rornak moves forward and finds an open area in the cave which he can stand his ground against this next werewolf. Rornak turns around and the werewolf catches up to him. Because of enchantments on his armor, Rornak lets this werewolf swing at him for a little bit before he retaliates with almost all of his stamina now recovered. He hits the werewolf in the knee with his mace to cripple it then thrusts his sword into the chest of the werewolf. Striking its heart, he kills it almost instantly.

"These mages summoned a number of werewolves alright, if I didn't know better I'd say this was the work of a Werewolf Lich," Rornak pulls his sword from the body of the dead werewolf. He turns away from the entrance and starts going further into the cave. At this point with all the chaos he's caused Rornak can only hope that Halda has reached the children in time to save them. Walking silently, Rornak presses on into the cave unsure how far it goes. He stops when he finds a lone mage waiting for him and uses a throwing knife to kill the mage quietly then Rornak moves on. As he unknowingly gets closer to the children, Halda waits in the final chamber of the cave with the children behind her. A Werewolf Lich is standing in the way and she isn't able to fight a Werewolf Lich and two other werewolves on her own even if she transforms. So she has to wait for Rornak to show up and distract the monster before she can make a move.

As each second passes by since the fighting died down, Halda becomes increasingly worried that Rornak is dead because she cannot hear any noises that indicate fighting. All she can hear is just werewolves searching the cave. So far the Werewolf Lich and its minions don't know she's here but that will not last forever. A few of the werewolf children she came to rescue peek out to see around her and their timing, though accidental, couldn't be worse! Just after the children peek their heads out, a bound arrow from nowhere strikes the Werewolf Lich delivering an almost instant death. Rornak then becomes visible again and fires two more arrows into the two werewolves who were standing on either side of the lich.

"I'd say that is the end of that," Rornak comments as he stands up. "Hopefully I managed to get all of the mages so this madness is put to rest. You know I heard of this kind of activity, mages being involved in the werewolf problem, but until know I had no idea it was true. I thought it was just public paranoia."

"I'm glad to see you made it here alive," Halda leads the children out of a small room in this chamber of the cave that was used to house the children. They are all in need of a bath and food. "Yes, we heard those stories too but we didn't know what was happening either, this is the first instance in which I've seen proof of the stories being true. Anyways, let's get out of here and be done with this mission. I found your noble children with he ones I was here to get so we can leave at your discretion."

"I don't think I can allow that," a mage says as he enters the chamber with two other mages and a werewolf lich. "You two have caused quite the load of trouble for just a duo of lowly humans. Though you have been the more anoying of the two Dark Hunter, all the werewolves you've had killed and many more lost a lot of sleep fearing that you were stalking them and waiting to pounce. Especially when every now and then, that either was correct or your struck the second they left camp and let their guard."

"Elison (El-i-son)," Rornak turns around to face the High Elf mage, "the Thalmor mage who went rogue to the delight of the Thalmor who no longer had to deal with your extremism. Why am I not surprised that at the grand reveal of what caused these years of werewolf problems that you are involved in all this? I thought that you would have taken the hint to never show your face again after we almost put an arrow in your chest on several occasions. Or when I left half a pack of werewolves on display along the cost north of Morthal when you were in that area in late 202. I see I was wrong about that assumption."

"They call me a rogue, but I say in response that I was the only one willing to do whatever was necessary to eradicate Talos," Elison respond to Rornak. "We once walked beside the gods until Lorkan tricked us and turned us into this. For wanting to return to that state it seems that I and my followers are the only ones with the guts to do what is necessary to achieve this goal. Tell me Poacher, since when does the Poachers Guild join forces with the Daedra let alone Hircine and his beasts?"

"It would seem even in hiding uninformed opinions still reached you Elison," Rornak responds to the High Elf. Halda transforms into her bestial form expecting an impending battle. "The Poachers Guild has no quarrel with Hircine, it is the creatures of lycanthropy that we have a quarrel with. To give you the truth, I believe only a few Poachers in the Guilds history ever sought to go beyond that and sought to go after the Daedric Princes. Now you, you are a different story entirely. The damage you have done extends beyond just that of unleashing feral werewolves on Skyrim. Many lives have been lost because of you, many souls were tormented by your actions. I have met my fair share of evil folk in my day. From drunkards to thieves, murderers to kidnappers, but you Elison you are the worst of them all!"

"If you want my head Poacher, then come for me, see if you can get even close to me before you die," Elison steps back as the two mages summon two werewolves and the Werewolf Lich steps forward and summons two more with its unholy magic. Rornak and Halda clash with the summoned werewolves, with each blow of his weapons Rornak steals the life and stamina from the Lyncanthropes and traps their souls one by one. Halda uses various kinds of Werebeast Magic such as Werebeast's Hunger and Call Doe to give herself a better chance in this fight. The healing affect of Call Doe only affects the Werewolf that uses the spell so Halda doesn't have to worry about healing her enemies and can keep on swinging and biting. When an opportunity appears she uses a howl to summon two spectral werewolves to back her up as the two mages and werewolf lich continue to summon werewolves. Rornak wants this to be over, the werewolf pups are meaningless to him because as a soldier of Skyrim he is bound by duty to protect the noble children first and foremost. However he knows it is a foolish idea to challenge a god's orders. He also has to take Elison out for good on top of all this. It is a position he doesn't want to be in, forced to juggle both his duties as a soldier and the mission Aresia gave him with his desire to eliminate such a threat to Skyrim and possibly more lands.

Worse is how close he is to Elison, if he had just a few seconds Rornak could put an arrow through his head. With each werewolf he takes down and soul traps, Rornak does prevent the mages and the lich from reviving the same werewolf over and over again but they don't seem to stop coming. The only thing that can perhaps stop them in running out of magicka for a short time. A moment that Rornak knows will come, but it feels like it is days away as the continues to kill werewolves seemingly endlessly. Finally Rornak gets his moment as the mages run out of magicka and either they've already used their Highborn Ability or they are not thinking about it in the heat of the moment. Using Stalk, Rornak turns invisible and then he aims his first shot at Elison. He releases his arrow and the bound projectile flies at the High Elf. At such short range the entire force behind the arrow impacts into Elison as the arrow head goes into his forehead. Rornak's second shot goes into the Werewolf Lich, the third arrow goes into one mage, and the last goes into the second mage's chest.

"Damn it that elf was more trouble than he was worth," Rornak says as the last werewolves die by Halda's hand. "Elison and these followers of his are dead, the children rescued, and the threat of these Werewolf Liches and their packs should be over with once we hunt down the remaining ones. Lets get the heck out of here, I've had enough of this cave." Rornak leads the way up to the surface. He has effectively achieved three goals at once, both groups of children are saved and the threat that Elison posed is ended. Outside the cave, Rornak passes the noble children off to a patrol of soldiers from the Hold who are heading up to Dawnstar. The werewolf children will be able to find there way home on their own and Halda likes this because she wants to talk with Rornak.

"Rornak, I just want say thanks for helping me down there," Halda says alone with Rornak. "I couldn't have saved those children without you."

"I'm just glad that is over with, I hate having to be in such a tough spot," Rornak comments. "Juggling three arguably four tasks if you count clearing out this cave is extremely hard and frustrating. At least I can report that we should see the end of these werewolf liches to the rest of the guild and that that the children are safe."

"Are you serious Rornak, that is your main reason you are glad this was a successful rescue," Halda asks? "That you killed off a number of werewolves and their masters?"

"Not my main reason but I it is icing on the Sweet Roll," Rornak responds to Halda.

"Just when I thought you may actually be changing your colors you still are the bloody thirsty monster that is the Dark Hunter," Halda says to Rornak.

"I've given up on my quest for revenge and did so months ago," Rornak responds. "I was sent to get the pups out of that situation same as you. I am a Poacher, killing Lycanthropes is what I do you shouldn't be surprised. If you are upset about the kids witnessing that level of violence I'm sorry but there is nothing that could have prevented that."

"You don't seem like you have given up on your quest for revenge," Halda says to Rornak with an angry tone of voice. "Sure you spare them now but the second those children are of age and they make so much as any mistake or cross your path, I'll bet that you will slay them without second thought. You only see us as monsters, refusing to even admit that there is a possibility that there are good werewolves out there." Rornak looks at Halda and he responds, telling her that he knows of four werewolves who he sees as good werewolves. Three of which are alive at this very moment he adds.

"Adria and her family were great people and great friends," Rornak tells Halda, "the pains they went to in order to control their blood lust are not to be discredited. Answer me this Halda, if I wanted my revenge still don't you think I would have sunk my halberd into your mother's flesh when I had the chance when I met her at Nightgate Inn?"

"I was surprised that you didn't," Halda answers. "For five years you have been hunting us done and seeing us as beasts meant to be slaughtered. You have left so much death and suffering in your wake, when she told me that you two worked together I hardly believed it at first. Men like you don't change so suddenly, you want revenge still even if you say otherwise, maybe you just think you have given up but deep down the Dark Hunter still is there waiting for his next target to enter his sight. If you really want revenge on my mother for what she did, you should take away her lycanthropy. It has been a part of her life since she was a little girl so you cannot get better than that. I would love that especially for how much she pushed me to be this great servant of Hircine. Until we meet again Dark Hunter," Halda walks away and she is visibly angry.

What the hell happened between you and your mother Halda, did she really screw up that badly, Rornak asks himself in his mind? Damn I did not choose my words right in that situation. He changes his track of thought when Peryite approaches him from where he was hiding. "Are you satisfied with the task completed?"

"I am very much satisfied," Peryite responds to Rornak, "hiring you was a good idea two times in a row now. Those werewolves are more dangerous than you know, because you stopped them, their full potential for doing damage will never realized. I intend to keep it that way for many reasons some of which we share. The Natural Order is as it should be," Peryite says and the green dragon's eyes glow. "Here is some of my knowledge of plague, the poison spells of the Restoration School are now yours. I also grant you my knowledge on how to maximize their prowess. In order to ensure this doesn't get out of hand, I grant you the spells Cleanse Disease and Cleanse Poison, they shall help you ensure the art of poison doesn't get out of hand if you use it."

"Thank you Peryite," Rornak says to the Daedric Prince. "This could come in handy in a pinch. If you find more Werewolf Liches, as long as you offer payment and deliver on your word I and a few other Poachers will be willing to help you."

"I don't know of another Werewolf Lich that yet lives but I shall inform you or your friends if I find one," Peryite says to Rornak. "You and your friends are if anything, reliable and capable. Good day to you Dark Hunter, until we meet again." Peryite takes off and flies away and Rornak watches until he detects a new presence. His well tuned ears hearing only a slight sound as hooves walk over the snow, Rornak spins around, drawing back his bow string and a knocked arrow!

"Well would you believe this, Hircine decided to pay me a visit!" Standing before Rornak in the form of a buck is the Daedric Prince Hircine and the prince isn't afraid of the Poacher's knocked arrow only inches from his face. "Do you want to know something funny, I told Elison that only a few Poachers in our history had a grudge with the princes, I'm one of them!"

"That is no surprise to me Dark Hunter I would be surprised if you were not one of them," the Daedric Prince says to Rornak. "I come to give you an explanation as to why Adria was hunted down."

"And murdered in cold blood," Rornak says adding on to Hircine's sentence.

"Let me explain Dark Hunter, if it were that simple as you make it out to be I would not be here," Hirince says to Rornak. "Adria sought to control her transformations because she didn't want to hunt. She wanted to live among others and that is fine, I told her that she could learn to control her urges to transform and hunt if she embraced that which she was. However this was not satisfying to her and she decided that if I wouldn't give her the control she wanted, she would find a way to get rid of her Lycanthropy herself. I must know, did she ever tell you how far she went to find a cure for Lycanthropy," Hircine asks Rornak?

"Studying the tomes written by werewolves of the past and all that the Glenmoril witches have to offer," Rornak answers his arrow still pointed between the eyes of the buck.

"Yes, I told her that she was not permitted to do so but she continued to study, I must admit she was a determined woman," Hircine says to Rornak. "Those books contain dangerous power, unfinished power, and you know how dangerous that kind of power is. It became clear to me that she was not going to stop and had plans to do more than just cure herself, I could handle her curing herself and her family. But at the cost of letting her risk something far worse that could have lead to a disaster? No, that had to be stopped, so I sent Brada to hunt her down and bring her to me. I wanted her brought before me alive but I was equally willing to see her die."

"All because you couldn't lose a few puppets," Rornak says to Hircine. "Because she wanted to be free and she wanted to free her family, if you tell me that you didn't know that then you are even less a hunter than I thought. Anyone can hunt the creatures below them but I and the Poachers Guild, we hunt the creatures above us. We do not hunt as predators we hunt as prey, only the best can be the prey and still hunt and kill their foes! You're not a good hunter Hircine and you know it because you can never be prey like we can!"

"This has nothing to do with puppets and master Dark Hunter," Hircine responds. "The power she gained should have turned her into a mindless monster that would have caused great harm. She should have turned long before what happened that night and I knew it was only a matter of time before she would. I made the decision to do something about it, and if you think I'm happy with it your wrong. Look what it has cost me to stop a disaster, albeit due to unfortunate timeing with Elison's scheme, packs of werewolves have been wiped out. Only now can I approach you to finally tell you the truth about what happened and why to put this to rest without immediately getting an arrow in the face. As you walk away today know that for all that you lost, I lost twice as much. I would strike you down right now, but there is now sport in that!" Hircine thus turns around and leaves the Poacher. Rornak sets out on his own and is some ways away from the cave preparing his horse when he is visited unexpectedly by a friend. "I'm curious, were you ever going to tell that you were a god Almura? Or should I say Aresia because it is not a wise idea to offend a god?"

Aresia, in her dragon form, approaches Rornak, "either name works. If you are going to ask about that ash outline, it was nothing more than a simple spell to allow me to communicate with others from a distance. Tell me Rornak, what gave the truth away? I'm curious."

"Your voice did, I had time to think on the boat ride back and I realized that they were the same," Rornak answers the goddess of war. "What is the next task that you wish for me to do? It is never that easy, just save a few werewolf children and finish a spell? There is always more to any trial than that." Rornak waits for Aresia to say something but she smiles. "What is it Aresia?"

"You are a wise man Rornak and you're right you're not in the clear but one step closer," the Aedra's eyes both stare through him and warm him with their gaze. "Before I give you your next task, I want to speak with you about where you stand so far. You were smart to ask your mother for aid in completing Adria's work. It would have been much harder if you chose to do it on your own and it increases the chances of the spell being tested since Halda would have never let you use it on her or the children. Now, before I send you off on your next task, I want you to think about something important once again. Think about what you know about the Drakeforge, what did the stone ring say and what did you see?"

"It said on the stone ring, 'a fire unmatched by Man or Mer granted only to those who enforce the rules of war. From the cauldron comes the flames of the Drakeforge'," Rornak says to Aresia. "The flaming outline showed something that had a wide base and seemed to have a hole in the top of something with jagged points ringing the hole at the top of whatever the outline was showing. The only fire that is unmatched by Man and Mer is dragon fire, and maybe some natural forms of fire. If you are the Aedric Goddess of War then it makes sense how the rules of war and you are involved. By the way, if you have been using Talos as your puppet then what did you mean when you brought up the Oblivion Crisis months ago when we were talking with each other?"

"For a long time Rornak, I thought the sunlight, which Auriel is in charge of, was mine to rule. I did not know that War was my domain and so I ran from Aetherius and hid here in Tamriel. I wanted to steal power from my fellow Aedra but as I sat and watched mortals wage war, I realized someone had to set down rules or the violence of warfare would get out control," Aresia says to Rornak. "From the shadows I slowly implemented rules which all wars were to follow and thought of ways to enforce them as I studied on my own how to use my powers as an Aedra. That is how my followers, the Men-at-Arms, became a reality as I recruited those of a similar mind, and as means to punish those who broke the rules! Watching the Ayleids in particular though and being unable to act was painful, they had time to change their ways and it wouldn't have been a difficult change but my patience was eventually rewarded. During peacetime I help Stendarr with his domain but when war begins it is solely my domain unless Akatosh has to intervene which happened only once so far during the Oblivion Crisis. For the things they did with their slaves, I made sure the rebellion would succeed and the Ayleids would be punished. It wasn't perfect partially due to Pellinal Whitestrake and his bad behavior, another puppet of mine who serves me as his punishment. However the Ayleid punishment was completed, they aren't extinct, just locked up and serving their time." Aresia explains to Rornak that she maintains a private slice of Aetherius where she keeps the Ayleid elves locked up. A prison where they are punished and it is not a place anyone wants to end up. Few have ever been permitted to leave it for any period of time. "Yet I didn't realize what I really was meant to be until the Oblivion Crisis. Then I learned that the sun was never mine to control, I was the one to set down the rules of war and it was during the Oblivion Crisis that I finally let go of my desire for revenge. It was also then that I let my Men-at-Arms play a more active role in the world. They don't just enforce the rules of war anymore, in peacetime they work to prevent war in secret. The lighthouse, a beacon of light to guide the way is also a symbol of the Men-at-Arms that we are always watchful to prevent war as possible and to make sure that war follows the provided rules."

"What happens to those Ayleids in your prison Aresia?" Rornak asks.

"We should continue on this subject another time Rornak because I want you to focus on the Drakeforge," Aresia says to Rornak. She has noticed that they went off the original topic. "You know that the fires of the Drakeforge come from the cauldron and they are flames unmatched by Men or Mer. What does that tell you?"

"The part about a cauldron could mean some sort of smelter or container but then how does it provide the fire used in the Drakeforge?" Rornak says as he thinks on the subject. "Now that I think about it, it cannot be dragon fire because it comes from a cauldron of some sort. I just cannot understand how this cauldron is perhaps the source of this fire. A cauldron, a cauldron," Rornak repeats aloud as he thinks to himself. "A cauldron holds liquids, and so then these liquids must be the source of the flames of the Drakeforge. The only thing that burns that hot and would fit the description is lava but the only place on Tamriel with accessible lava right now is Red Mountain," Rornak says as he thinks about sources of lava. He then gets a bolt from the blue and he knows exactly what the outline is depicting. Rornak starts clapping for he is humored by how he missed the answer back at the lighthouse, "well played Aresia this has been a fine game of riddles you've put me through. Oh my, I cannot believe I didn't think of this before. I said the answer back at Icecap Lighthouse and didn't even realize it. That is what Ocarin is searching for, your followers and where they go on a journey, I assume to join your Men-at-Arms. That is why Icecap Lighthouse is the final stop as he said, from there you can go north west to Obsidian Island! The lighthouse guides new arrivals in, and the stock of supplies is so they can wait out bad weather if needed or resupply their ship, and then they can use the lighthouse to get a bearing and head to the island! I cannot believe I missed that but I'm glad that I figured this out nonetheless."

"Well done Rornak, well done," Aresia says to the Poacher with a smile and glowing orange eyes. "Now, lets put your stealth skills to a better use than stalking werewolves in the dead of night intent on instilling as much fear in them as possible. It is a simple task, hunting down a few bandits, but it is important that it gets done because so far nobody is taking the bounty on it. I want you to take care of this before the lack of attention their bounty is getting emboldens these bandits." To this, Rornak nods and then once Aresia gives him the location, heads out on his horse to go take care of these bandits.


Part Nine


4th Era 201


As a winter snow storm covers the hold in snow, Rornak and Grand Master Hawken are walking the streets of Whiterun. With the signing of a deal between the Poachers Guild and the Stormcloaks, they are now effectively bounty hunters hired to fill in for the guards of the hold as much of the holds' man power is being taken up be the war. They are not officially Stormcloaks, and for the safety of the guild the only written documentation is a contract signed by Ulfric Stormcloak, Galmar Stone-fist, and Grand Master Hawken. The two Stormcloak signatures on the document authenticate the statement in this document that the Poachers Guild is not in any way counted as a Stormcloak supporter or responsible for any Stormcloak action. The contract also states that any Poacher who joins the Stormcloak rebellion is acting solely of their own intent and not on behalf of the Guild.

"I will say this city is a mess," Rornak says to Grand Master Hawken. "Damaged buildings, debris everywhere, and the smell is just foul! What is the point of us policing Whiterun Hold if the city itself is a slum?"

"The Stormcloaks are strong warriors but they are not as orderly as the Legionaries," Hawken responds to Rornak. "This is why I laid out the terms of our abilities in the contract the way I did so we can fix up a mess like this without a second thought." Hawken looks over to his right at two Stormcloak soldiers standing by the door of Arcadia's Cauldron, they are having a chat with Arcadia herself and the way they are talking is not something that sits well with either Poacher. "I'll let you do your thing Rornak, in the meantime, I'm going to start formulating a plan to repair this city and get it back on its feet." Rornak and Grand Master Hawken split up, the Grand Master of the Poachers Guild makes for Dragonsreach while Rornak, an officer in the Stormcloak Rebellion, takes care of the two Stormcloak Soldiers who are having a conversation with Arcadia. The topics of there conversation are that Arcadia is selling poisoned tonics and that she is an Imperial Spy. Both things Rornak knows are untrue between his past visits to Whiterun and that another Poacher who joined the Stormcloaks with him captured a spy and extracted information that all but confirms that Arcadia isn't a spy. Rornak sends the soldiers away and makes it a point that they bathe before the day is over.

"Thank you sir for dealing with those two," Arcadia says to Rornak, "You must be one of those new guards that were contracted in to police the city and the Hold."

"I am, don't worry about them giving you grief, they know that I won' tolerate harassment. Good Day," Rornak takes his leave and will eventually head up to Dragonsreach as the snow storm builds in strength. There he talks with Grand Master Hawken. "I am not so sure about the whole situation with Honningbrew Meadery. We have a record of there being a bit of a skeaver problem in the past but there are no reported issues as a result that we know of, not just in Whiterun Hold but all of Skyrim. Cauis did suffer from symptoms that are associated with poisoning and not unsanitary conditions , based on the report we have from the Temple of Kynareth, the potions used were supposed to have cleansed any sickness he would have picked up from contamination due to unsanitary conditions. They had no affect and the former commander would have died had it not been for Danica's last throw of the dice to use an anti-poison potion."

"Agreed, that is odd to say the least," Grand Master Hawken responds. "I have Grimbor and Harbin working in Riften, they're keeping an eye on the Black-Briars and helping to combat the thieves in the city. We are also seeing a rise in theft here in Whiterun and in Falkreath. Hunting down Arn has been been a pain in the ass but we managed to track him down and put an arrow in his back. The forgery doesn't indicate who is responsible but it is evidence of conspiracy." Hawken stops talking to think on all these strange events that seem to coincide with each other. He comes to the thought of, "I believe someone or something has given the Thieves Guild a boost that they are using to restore themselves to their former glory. If we want to stop these thieves, many of which are a cut above the rest, we need thieves of our own who can match them. I think I know who we should look to for help, in the meantime as we continue to investigate these anomalies, I want you to continue working towards curving the werewolf problem that started earlier this year. You are the best Poacher I have to spare Rornak, this Hold is counting on you. Don't let your demotion bring you do, you'll be back up there in time."

"Do you really believe that Grand Master Hawken," Rornak asks his leader?

"Without a doubt in my mind Rornak, you have the talent and determination in you. Once the storm over your head has passed and you work out a few things, you'll be back to your Deep Woods Poacher status." Once the weather breaks up over the course of the next day, Rornak leaves the city and continues to hunt werewolves seeking revenge for the death of Adria. He has an understanding of what is happening to cause this uptick in werewolf activity but not why or who is behind it.

At the moment, Rornak only knows that someone attacked the werewolf hunting group known as The Silver Hand at their base in Gallows Rock, and killed many of their members in Eastern Skyrim in the process. The resulting lack of security has allowed a greater freedom to the werewolf packs in Eastern Skyrim and the trend is continuing in the west of the Province. With a war raging and most of its manpower occupied fulfilling the contract between the Poachers Guild and the Stormcloaks, controlling this rise in werewolf activity that has already taken a number of innocent lives is proving difficult. The Poachers Guild is actively looking for fresh recruits to bolster their ranks but most candidates are more interested in the war between the Stormcloaks and the Empire. All that can be done at this point is for the Poachers Guild to keep at the situation as best they can, for Rornak, that means killing a number of werewolves but he doesn't object to this. He wants to be the reason they are dead, and indeed he will be before the year is over. Little did Rornak know at this time that he would destroy three packs worth of werewolves in Whiterun Hold alone, and the survivors would form the sole surviving pack in the Hold that he would protect years later. For now however, his hatred and thirst for revenge will be the only thing that matters to Rornak as he prowls the Hold searching for revenge and more evidence to what happened months ago when Adria was killed under his protection.


4th Era 206


On the twenty third of Suns' Dusk, Farkas and Vilkas are locked in battle along with Aela, Idela, Reeva, and the Ravens of Raven Wallow Brewery against a Forsworn attack. They are coming after the woman Idela's trio rescued and her daughters. The Forsworn are strong warriors but they are not capable of going up against almost the entire Circle and more! Farkas strikes a Forsworn Pillager in their left side just above their hip, causing them to lean to their left. In a quick single movement Farkas brings his two-handed sword up and around over the Forsworns' head, then brings its' blade down at a diagonal angle to decapitate the Forsworn! Vilkas blocks a Forsworn Axe with his shield and thrusts his Skyforge Steel Sword up and under the rib cage of a Forsworn Looter. Two Forsworn archers are taken out by a strike from the shadows, a Poacher who used her Spirit to become invisible and sneak up behind them. It is Aurwen, she has just unlocked the Spirit Twilight Blade, her third, and used it very well for not having any experience with it outside of training. Aurwen changes weapons from her sword and dagger to her bow, and starts picking of other Forsworn achers as Idela and Reeva run their spears through the chests of Forsworn Briarhearts. Mellidia and her mother cut down two Forsworn Foragers as other Ravens engage and kill normal Forsorn warriors.

Aela is hanging back from the melee fight to use her bow, shooting her arrows at Forsworn in the distance as her fellow members of The Circle fight to protect her and the Forsworn woman she helped Idela rescue. It is ironic in that on a mission to secure a critical asset needed for peace, there has to be fighting. Even when there are those on both sides who want peace, there is still going to be bloodshed and someone is going to die! Someone loses a sibling, parent, or child. A few arrows and confirmed kills later, Aela watches as the surviving Forsorn retreat from the fight and the night air becomes silent. It feels like a weight has been lifted from Aelas' shoulders now that the Forsworn are gone. She has know idea what she would have been subjected to if captured and considering how a woman captured by the Forsworn was found in 201, she doesn't want to know. At Raven Wallow Brewery Farkas pulls Aela aside to speak to her.

"Aela, I know that this is difficult for you, so no matter what you choose to do, I'll back you up," Farkas says to Aela. He smiles, "I know that woman from the Poachers Guild believes your not up for it yet, but personally, I think you're going to be a great mother." Farkas leaves Aela and walks away and into the main hall of Raven Wallow Brewery. Aela takes a moment to think, standing outside the brewery and looking up at the stars. Once she has had her fill of the night sky she goes inside and takes part in a fine dinner. Among those attending this dinner is the Forsworn woman and her quintuplet daughters. The dinner is a fine one, it is filling and hearty with turkey, steamed vegtables, noodles, ground beef to go on the noodles, and fresh juices made by the Ravens. Most eyes are fixed to their own plate and nobody notices much more than their food and themselves. Idela is the exception to this, she looks at Aela and notices how much she eats. The huntress of the Companions has some of everything to eat, consuming more than anyone else at the table. Idela likes that Aela is eating plenty of food, she is after all eating for herself and her growing unborn baby.

After dinner, Aela makes the choice to bathe after being outdoors for days on end. As she undresses, Aela leaves her affections in a square cabinet in the ladies' changing room which separates the rest of the property from the ladies' group shower. To her left she finds Idela and her daughter Reeva, Reeva has yet to have anything other than a smile on her face that Aela has seen. She loves her mother and is almost a complete copy of her mother. Idela looks at her daughter and smiles as Reeva hugs her mother, showing her the love she has for her mother. There two lean and strong bodies almost meld into one for Aela and she wonders about her future as a mother. She doesn't have a husband to support her, no home other than Jorrvaskr and it isn't a place for children in her mind. Inside the group shower, Aela sits down on a tile bench and looks down in thought, fearful that she cannot be a good mother, and then Idela walks over to her.

"Aela you're over thinking this," Idela says to Aela with her arms crossed and a blank face. "What is on your mind now?"

"It wouldn't be right to raise a child in Jorrvaskr and I don't have the money for a proper home," Aela says to Idela. "I also don't have a husband to help me when I need him to. How am I supposed to raise a child when I have nothing and I am alone? I don't want to give up on my child, the only one I may ever have, but it seems like I have no other option."

"Aela calm down you don't need to go that length," Idela says to Aela. "One of my lady friends is a single mother herself, she found a good house despite having limited money and joined the Poachers Guild all between months three and eight of her pregnancy. There is an old shack and cave in The Rift that nobody is going to care if you settle down in. All it needs is some work to fix it up. You'll love it I promise," Idela says to Aela. "If you need to leave your baby, Reeva would be glad to help and we're not far from that old shake."

"Did someone say they need a babysitter?" Reeva asks with a smile.

"My point is proven," Idela says to Aela. "The only real thing that you need to worry about is the werewolf blood you and your baby share. I know how much you like being a werewolf but you need to believe me that it isn't healthy for you or your baby. It needs to go, I'm all too aware of the complications it causes for expecting mothers, from a baby that moves around a lot to...terrible pain! I'll assume the best and say that your mother was blessed to have no complications while carrying you." Idela's facial expression worries Aela and she knows that she has to make a choice, and she choices very quickly to cleanse herself. "I didn't expect you to choose so quickly but as it happens I can help with that. Hold still," in her right hand Idela prepares a spell then she casts it on Aela, "there, your cured of Lycanthropy."

"That is it?" Aela asks Idela.

"Yes, I have Adria and my son to thank for this spell, though I didn't expect to use it so soon," Idela remarks. "Adria was a good student of mine and Rornak is a master Restoration Mage himself so it comes to me as no surprise that they figured this spell out. Normally it is a projectile spell but it can be cast upon someone as well. Now, you should wash up, proper hygiene is very important to you because you are in a compromised state of immunity being pregnant even if you and your body are used to being outdoors and being exposed to less than ideal conditions of cleanliness." Aela asks Idela how she knows this, "I learned a lot about health related matters when I was learning Restoration Magic and making my own spells meant to help deliver children. If you're wondering why I chose that route, the answer is because I of all people couldn't stand the thought of being able to do nothing to stop mothers from dying in childbirth."

"Idela I have a question to ask," Aela states. "Can you tell me what child I will have? I'm okay with a son, I likely will have a son knowing my recent luck but I want to be sure. That way I can prepare for my child as much as possible."

"Reeva, you're up," Idela says to her daughter as she turns on the shower head and sets it to warm water. She then sits down on the tile bench underneath it.

Reeva approaches Aela, "hold still I need to maintain this spell on your womb for a little bit." Reeva casts her spell with her right hand then places her right hand on Aela's belly. She doesn't say anything at first and looks at her hand as she works. After ten seconds, Reeva speaks, "I have a good heartbeat, everything up to this point has developed properly, and the baby is at a good weight."

"That is all well and good to hear," Aela says to Reeva. "I'm going to guess and say that I'm carrying the son of Skjor inside my womb."

Reeva finishes up her work and removes her hand from Aela's belly, she smiles, "how far along are you again Aela?"

"As of the tenth of Sun's Dusk, four months," Aela tells Reeva. "I didn't intend this, I just slept in the same bed as Skjor once because there wasn't a spare bed and his had just enough room for the two of us. We also were overjoyed and our love clouded our judgement to a point."

"Once is all it takes, I should know," Idela says to Aela as she sits down on the bench to Aela's right. Reeva sits down in her mother's lap. "I've heard of it being the cause of a child from many a parent who've come to me for help."

"Well, I accept my responsibility," Aela says as she stands up to turn on her shower head. "I wish I could have a daughter like yours. Ever loving and a child at heart, and you just eat it up and handle it perfectly. I envy you Idela. Knowing my luck, my son won't be anything like Reeva and will put me through the ringer like Rornak must have done to you these last few years."

"I'm the Huntress of Death Aela," Idela says with a very disappointed facial expression, "you of all living people think that what he did put me through the ringer? He doesn't come close to matching my feared reputation among Lycanthropes. He leaves bodies where I don't if I can help it."

"I should have thought of that," Aela responds as she sits back down. She also catches the irony in how Idela said 'living people'.

"Well, we've waited long enough to be surprised Reeva," Idela says to her daughter. "What is the answer?"

"I'm expecting Aela to deliver after the tenth of Rain's Hand," Reeva answers her mother. "Keep this up Aela because your child is healthy and strong."

"So I'm carrying Skjor's son," Aela says. "I hope I can be the mother he deserves and needs to grow in so he can become as strong as his father. I'll carry him as long as I must so he can come into this world healthy and ready to follow in his father's steps. Having a daughter would be easier on me as I know what it is like to be a woman but I'll manage with a son. I have enough men around me to ask for advice as I need it."

Reeva giggles, "You cut me off before I was finished Aela. As I am nearly an exact copy of my mother in appearance, your daughter should be almost an exact copy of you Aela. The daughter of Aela the Huntress is the most promising unborn child I've seen with this new spell of mine thus far." Aela is speechless, her expectations are shattered and her wish has been granted by a stroke of luck. She is carrying a daughter, Aela washes her face paint off with the warm water and looks at herself in a mirror above the handle that turns on her showerhead. She starts to cry a bit as positive emotions overwhelm her.

Aela places her hand on her womb and thinks to herself, take as long as you need my child, I'll carry you to the end of the world if I must. At this time, the woman Aela helped recuse and her five daughters join them in the shower. Looking at the fully grown quintuplets of the Forsworm woman Aela sees just why these five daughters, according to their mother, were sought after by the men in the Forsworn as wives. They are beautiful and strong women but sweet and soft as well. Aela can only hope that her own daughter will turn out the same way and yet, somehow Aela knows that her daughter will. Aela has a smile on her face for the rest of the night and goes to sleep happier than she has been in a long time.

At her shrine, Rorank meets with Aresia who has asked him to come here directly for a new assignment. It is the first of Evening Star, Rornak has completed the spell Adria started and produced several tomes so others in the Poachers Guild with the magical talent can use this Master Level Restoration Spell. Thanks to his mother, Rornak also has an example of the spell working properly. Within the stone ring, a fire burns strong as the snow falls from the night sky above and Aresia stands beside it in her human form.

"When I first met you Rornak in 202, I wondered when the day would come that you would put down revenge and go back to being the man I knew you were," Aresia says to Rornak. "To finally see it is something special for both of us and others around you. You are beyond doubt able to be counted among the ranks of my Men-at-Arms, so it is time that you start your last test. You need no training other than to learn my rules of war but that is something you will learn in time. For now, I have a task for you to act as the last test to see if you deserve a place among us. I have picked out a very special Man-at-Arms to observe you, and without me even trying to plan this, she has arrived right on que." Aresia points past Rornak and he turns around. To his surprise and her own surprise, Rornak and Adria are looking straight at each other with only a few feet between them. For a few moments they stand there in shock looking at each other, questioning if what is happening is real or not. Eventually Rornak and Adria embrace each other, Rornak is very controlled while Adria is in tears because she been waiting for this day for five and a half years. What a beautiful sight, Aresia thinks to herself while smiling at the happy couple. She will give them an assignment to rescue more werewolf pups but they will do it together with Rornak handling the worst of the work as his last test.

Aresia will also send Amaria and Grimbor off on a mission, they will be working alongside Vigilants of Stendarr to resolve an issue pertaining to something unnatural. Harbin and Selana are tasked with investigating a disturbing report of strange activity revolving around Falmer. On the fourth of Evening Star at the Thalmor Embassy, Ocarin is sitting in his office as he prepares to speak to his superiors on his discovery of Aresia. Convincing them to believe him will be tough, and convincing them to stop seeking to stamp out Talos worship will be even harder. In his office is a younger Thalmor, a Wood Elf named Morblin (More-blin), who has been learning from Ocarin and helping him with his research.

"Tonight is the night, I thought it wouldn't come so quickly," Morblin says to to Ocarin. "We've double checked our research and read the book Aresia said to read. We have all the information we need, it will now be up to our colleagues to believe this. If they don't, Aresia will be very angry most likely and all Thalmor will be in for a horrible fate. Whatever happens tonight sir, I just want to thank you for all that you've done for me, you turned an eighteen year old prince who was immature into a soldier."

Ocarin stands up, "everyone has a chance in them, sometimes they just need a good teacher to help them along. I honestly feel bad for you, it shouldn't have taken this long for you to get that teacher. There is no point waiting any longer," Morblin stands up as well, "lets get this show on the road and hope for the best." The two men go out into the main party area of the embassy and here in this room, they can spot many of the highest ranking Thalmor in all of Tamriel. Ocarin gets their attention as Morblin stands off to the side, "good evening everyone. I would like to start off by saying it is good see many faces I have not seen in almost five years. It was made clear to me that some are expecting to here what I have done in my efforts to research and find proof that Talos is not the god Men think he is. I have much news to say on this front," Ocarin takes a moment to take in a deep breath. "Talos is, as my research has finally concluded, not a god at all," many of the Thalmor cheer and all are smiling. "However this research has uncovered some very," Ocarin pauses and his visibly disturbed, "troubling information I never dreamed of finding. There is in fact a ninth divine, a dragon who goes by the name Aresia." There is audible interest and confusion in the audience. "Aresia is the Goddess of War and her main presiding is the rules of war, rules that we have broken." The confusion starts to turn to a bit of disinterest and some take this as offensive.

Elenwen speaks up, "Ocarin what are you talking about? This is why we were not interested in your endeavor because it only has filled your head with lies."

"I thought the exact same thing when I looked at Aresia with my own eyes," Ocarin respond to Elenwen. "What changed my mind is this," Ocarin presents the book Aresia told him to read, "there is one passage that you must hear. It reads as 'He said this to me, 'had I known what using Numidium would entail and what my actions would do to me I would have destroyed that machine on sight and never touched the neutral royal families' and on his face I could see in the resurrected Tiber Septim that he was regretful and that Aresia's word was true. Breaking her rules will result in great torment as she uses you as her puppet bound to her will'," Ocarin concludes. He has everyone's undivided attention, "Talos never existed, everything that has been credited to him is really the work of Aresia and as part of his punishment, explained if I were to read you more, she gets the glory and worship while he does whatever he is told to do."

"If she has Tiber Septim as her puppet, then why doesn't this supposed goddess make them worship her by name," Elenwen asks Ocarin not taking in what Ocarin just said. "This information you are presenting is false because it is full of holes and lies."

"If you won't listen to him then listen to me," a woman's voice says in response to Elenwen. She is young, could be of High Elf descent, and has a bodyguard dressed in black armor and has a double-edged black straight sword and a black shield. This young woman is wearing common clothes covered by a cloak that wraps around her shoulders. Her strength seems to already be spent as she is leaning on a wall, "Aresia is not a goddess to trifle with and she was generous to let Ocarin give you a warning."

"Very generous actually," the bodyguard corrects.

"Who are you young lady and who are you to tell us what to think on this matter?" Elenwen asks the young lady. She is rightly suspicious as this woman and her guard appeared out of thin air and she doesn't look have any proof of what she is saying.

"The Ayleid daughter who is the descendant of a couple who broke the rules of war and the one who continues to pay off their debt," the young woman says to the entire group. "Aresia felt that you weren't listening so she let me come talk to you. She is a goddess who isn't afraid of being harsh and does so, my ancestors who created this debt were forced to work in her prison and they did so until their death but the debt doesn't end with death. No, Aresia will hold the debt until it is paid and doesn't care if she forces descendants to pick up where their parents left off. Dare to resist and the debt will only grow and she will inflict not death but pain and suffering on you," the young Ayleid says knowing from stories handed down to her. "My companion here, Aldurin (All-dur-in), knows this too only instead of prison he's been forced to do her bidding on the battlefield for the war crimes he committed against the Snow Elves. Aresia knows what you are planning and will not stand for it, you've broken her rules plenty enough for Aresia to enslave half of the Thalmor for generations to come. Wage more war, and she burn the Aldmeri Dominion to the ground. I beg you if not for yourselves then for your families and children and their children, spare them this terrible fate because if you don't they will suffer and the suffering will be passed on to their children. You don't know how lucky you are that you weren't born into this life, born because the debt wasn't yet paid and someone needed to pick up where their parents left off."

"Don't ask which is worse, her prison or forced to fight for her," Aldurin grimly remarks. "I've been forced into doing this for lifetimes and I still don't even know."

The Ayleid concludes, "heed what Ocarin tells you now, because you won't get another chance to. We are your last warning before war consumes your lives," magic swirls around the young lady and her bodyguard and then they disappear. The Thalmor are silent and take a bit of time to let this sink in. They don't talk about this for the rest of the night and the coming days. When some of the Thalmor do bring it up, they are very cautious to make sure nobody hears them.

"I don't like the sound of what that young lady was telling us, it was her eyes that caught my attention," a High Elf general says to Ocarin and Morblin. Two other generals are part of this group, "if she is telling the truth, and those eyes suggest so, then we are heading for some unknown and great peril. She was so weak that she had to lean on the wall to remain standing and was deathly afraid of something, most of us know what genuine fear is save for Morblin who is too young to have experienced fighting in a war."

"Based on the stories Ocarin has told me," Morblin chimes in, "I'm happy for that. I've been helping Ocarin in his research and I've double checked everything I could, he hasn't told a lie yet intentionally, I've only found errors in the form of small mistakes. I didn't get a chance to say this but I too have seen Aresia but she appeared as a human lady before me, she was no less an overpowering figure than if she appeared in her true dragon form. Beautiful hair, skin, tall, and probably strong enough to easily carry me in her arms," Morblin describes to the group. "I asked her to prove herself to be a goddess, she summoned Alduin before me with a snap of her fingures but he was bound to her will by ethereal chains wrapping his body and breathed because she allowed him to." These five Thalmor will continue to talk among each other about Aresia trying to make sense of what has happened. On the seventh of Evening Star Grimbor is with his father, Amaria, and several Vigilants of Stendarr. They have arrived in The Reach outside Purewater Run to find one male Imperial Vampire guarding three female vampires, one being a Dark Elf, another a Wood Elf, and the third being a Nord. Dressed in his Deep Woods Investigator Armor and armed with the newly reforged Dawnbreaker, Grimbor cuts through a host of vampires and death hounds for the Imperial Vampire until not one is left. For the safety of the vampire, Grimbor had him stand back from the fight because of Dawnbreakers' new and ever more powerful enchantment that is deadly to the Undead.

"It would seem that we've cleared out the vampires that were sent to hunt down these other vampires who contacted us for help," Grimbor says as he sheathes Dawnbreaker after the fight, its new appearance gives it a much more reveered status and is fitting of its new and more powerful enchantment. "I never thought I'd do this in my life. Vampires do not seek help from non-vampires for no reason, so do tell us sir what is the nature of your situation that was so dire?" Grimbor asks the male vampire.

The male vampire responds, "I will not speak of what was done to the women behind me because all you need to know is it must be put an end to. Find the Master Vampire at Hag Rock Redoubt, slay him and his small clan of vampires," the vampire tells Grimbor. "If you fail more will suffer at his hands and the hands of the others in his clan. They are sick and twisted, beyond what normal Hold Guards can handle both in a fight and mentally. I can protect these three here but not treat the trauma they have suffered."

Grimbor makes a split second decision, "Father, Amaria, you two will come with me, everyone else stays here just in case more danger arrives. Let Lamae take care of the three women, she has a mind for trauma and stress related treatments." Grimbor takes his father and Amaria away and leaves four experienced and well equipped Vigilants behind to keep watch over the vampires. The only woman among the Vigilants sees to attempting to mend the mental wounds of the three female vampires. "How funny, the first vampire was named Lamae and now a Vigilant named Lamae is tending to vampires. This mission brings back some memories alright, memories of ripping vampires apart in the dead of night to the sounds of their horrified screams! Oh 203 you were a good year for me indeed." Under the sunlight, Grimbor and his company walk towards their target destination expecting resistance along the way and a vicious fight once they arrive. Across Skyrim in the region of Winterhold, inside a warm room with a skylight that lets in the sunlight, a Kahjiit with bright fire orange fur is happily relaxing.

She says, "a little bit of sunbathing in the middle of winter after a long week of hard work is one of the best ideas that I've had in a while. Nothing helps you loosen up than a hot steam bath and a fine bristle brush while lying in the light of the sun. It feels great to have the chance to simply relax to a nice warm sun and plenty of steam and nothing to disturb-," the Kahjiit stops her sentence as her ears can hear a faint disturbance. "Now what is that," she walks over to the door that leads to the rest of her house, "there is nothing going on outside this room or inside the house that I can see through the lens." The Kahjiit listens to the noises she is hearing and realizes they are coming from outside her house entirely. This displeases her, "just when I get comfortable and lie down for a bit of time in my all inclusive spa, something has to start a fight! I cannot ignore this, just what I needed right when the steam was starting to form," the Kahjiit retrieves her black bath robe and puts it on.

Outside the house, Gresha, Rornak, and Adria are locked into a thick fight with the pack members of a Werewolf Lich. Despite the Poachers Guild's best efforts to track down and end Elison's followers over the years, who they know now are the ones unleashing these werewolves, a few are still at large and causing trouble. Rornak however is more than ready to handle himself in a fight like this with brand new Deep Woods Forest Knight Armor made by his father Rovgrad. It may look far from normal Daedric Armor but Rornak is still just as protected protected and still able to utilize stealth. With his sword and mace in hand, and his well known crossbow on his back, Rornak is quickly cutting through the werewolves with Gresha. The two of them are trying to take on the brunt of the pack while Adria keeps the pups the trio is here to save protected. With the sunlight beaming down on him, Rornak strikes his foes in the name of preserving and enforcing the rules of war. He doesn't seek to be feared by werewolves anymore nor does he seek revenge against them.

Gresha came here on his own mission tracking down a group of bandits and seeing werewolves attacking is something he cannot ignore in his quest for redemption. With his dragonbone chokutos, the Kahjiit thief turned samurai warrior hacks and cuts the foul smelling werewolves into pieces. The sharp and strong edges of his katanas hold up against and cleanly cut the hide of the werewolves.

"I must admit to the fact that these werewolves are persistant," Gresha says during a fight with two Werewolf Brutes. "They do not give up and their leader keeps them alive so they have room to make mistakes where we do not!"

"They are not innumerable Gresha," Rornak says to his Kahjiit ally. "Sooner or later the Werewolf Lich will enter into combat, they cannot resist the allure of a fight forever and their magicka pool takes longer to regenerate than yours or mine. He will run out of magicka soon if you keep up your pace. No one knows why the Lich enters combat and the theories range from pride to aggression, lack of magicka regeneration, and having to maintain face in the pack. However it really doesn't matter so long as it is dead." Regardless of the actual reason, Rornak doesn't care because the sooner the Werewolf Lich enters melee, the sooner Rornak and Gresha can kill it. Once the Lich dies, the pack will most likely run away because their strongest member has been slain. If not then the two will have to finish the pack off. "There he is, that is the Werewolf Lich," Rornak says happily knowing the end is now in sight. The Werewolf Lich stands back at the moment with five other werewolves, sizing up Rornak and Gresha. "Do you want him or should I kill it," Rornak asks Gresha?

Before Gresha can answer, a ball of fire flies in at speed and kills the Werewolf Lich and the five werewolves standing around him, setting their bodies on fire! The fireball hits one target and phases through its target and starts flying to the next and this is what allows this strange ball of fire to take out six werewolves. Seeing their leader die and the other five strongest werewolves perish, the pack of werewolves runs away as expected and the three warriors start looking around for where the ball of fire came from. Rornak knows what he saw, the Spirit known as Seeking Comet which uses the multi-targeting aspect of the spell Chain lightning combined with the tracking aspect of Candlelight to find and hit multiple foes. Eventually he finds the one who unleashed this fireball, Kalek, who is standing in a black strapless dress on a hill off to the east.

"I didn't expect to run into you today Kalek," Rornak says with a laugh, "I see that you are back to your normal self as you say."

"Quite and I call this my normal self because this is who I really am," Kalek says with a very knowledgeable and calm voice. "The side of me that you are thinking of is much different, very free flowing and easy going where I am serious and down to business. It isn't all bad however to change things up from time to time. Staying one way for to long becomes quite mundane I must say. I was wondering who was causing such a fuss when I was trying to quietly relax via my steam bath instead of relax through playing. I see that I have found the answer to my question."

"Is that the Kahjiit Poacher who turns everything into a game?" Adria asks Rornak. "I thought you said that she was playful. This seems more like a high level scholar and philosopher rather than a playful being."

"Rornak has thus, based on your uninformed ques, neglected to teach you that I have a split personality that can lead to very interesting and peculiar results," Kalek says to Adria as she comes down from the hill. "Now as far as evidence can tell, the change in personality is under my control and not triggered by anything. If I don't want that side of me to come forth it won't. From what I know there are no other cases of this peculiar phenomenon where a person has a split personality but they control their personality changes. As for your statement that I appear to be a very knowledgeable scholar, you are correct on that part, I am a very well educated woman and proud of my academic and magical success. As for a philosopher, I am not such because a Philosopher is one who studies thought and I don't see a point to spending the time and money to learn something that I won't need." Kalek turns her head to her right, "werewolf pups, based on their pale skin I feel confident saying that they have been used by one of Elison's mages. Between the cold, low blood supply, and possibly poor nourishment they won't last long outdoors. Without the wind it is cold enough (6 degrees Fahrenheit), looking at the clouds coming towards us we are in for a winter storm and the winds already pull down the temperature (-3 degrees Fahrenheit). The odds of that coming storm bringing down the temperature even further are very high. Bring the pups to my home, it is the closet place we can get to that is warm. I will have to whip up some of my blood elixir to replace the blood they've lost."

"If I may ask, how aren't you cold in such a light strapless dress," Gresha asks Kalek as they start walking towards her house which is just out of sight to the east. Kalek dress is plain black and subtly but smoothly shows her shallow curves. It also doesn't hide that she is well-endowed though Gresha hardly notices Kalek's body, a boon he's had all his life and was reinforced by his time as a thief.

"I have spent years studying Fire magic Gresha, and yes I know exactly who you are," Kalek says over her right shoulder. "Your name has made its rounds in the Poachers Guild like the news about Elison's mages. I have been using magic to keep myself warm and dry during the winter for years now, I do it without even thinking and it no longer uses some of my magicka in the process." Kalek looks at Gresha's eyes and he is looking forward in his direction of travel but she doesn't trust him. He's wrong if he thinks that I don't suspect him to be drawn to my phsyical beauty like others have been. At Kalek's estate, Adria helps the werewolf pups get warmed up as Kalek makes her blood elixir which will replace the blood they have lost temporarily and give their bodies time to generate fresh natural blood. The process of getting the pups to take the medicine is easier said than done because they don't have good speech, grammar, or vocabulary as Kalek points out when she spots it. "Their intellect is under-developed for their age, no basic math and horrible communication. Their parents should be a shamed," she is visibly angry at their inadequate education which is not where it should be for the ages of these children based on standards she and others use. "I understand that education is often handed down from parent to child but still I cannot excuses this problem because it will come back to haunt them if not corrected." In her mind Kalek thinks, at least this will serve as more proof that a proper school system must be established in Skyrim. Kalek documents these findings for herself and a group of scholars she is a part of. In Skyrim as a whole, the level of education of the general public is on the decline as it is but these pups are below even that average. Once the pups have taken their medicine, which takes stern verbal orders, they are given a bath to help them warm up and so they can bathe for the first time in at least a week. As Adria helps the werewolf pups with their bath, Kalek is cooking dinner and she can sense that Gresha is nearby. "You have an eye for the ladies don't you Gresha," she surprises Gresha who didn't know that she knew he was there. Gresha was actually just walking by, going from one part of the estate to another.

"How did you know that I was here?" Gresha asks and Kalek can hear his surprise. "I wasn't making any more noise than the kids in the bath." Kalek has two rooms for bathing, a spa where she was relaxing before she caught on to the fight and a normal one that the pups are using now.

"Oh I know when a being is coming closer," Kalek smiles as she speaks about the sensory skills she is proud of. "I have learned to separate out sounds in order to know when there is a Kahjiit behind me. A Kahjiit who cannot pry his eyes off of me because of my body and when his desire is thus seeping through his skin."

Gresha knows what Kalek is saying but he also senses something else is wrong, "I admit you are the most beautiful Kahjiit I have met in my many travels. But my eyes don't land on you if they don't have to and that has only been when we are talking to each other. Most Kahjiit would say something like 'what do you expect with a dress like that' but I know better than most. Part of the reason I turned the Thieves Guild around was because I was smart and could keep my mind clear. Never let any lady distract you at any time, I tried to tell Delvin that but he refused to listen. He ended up getting himself killed, soul trapped, and sent to the Soul Cairn back in Frostfall." Gresha returns to the subject, "Around the children you were calm and collected when you came to our aid, your knowledge filled mind was processing everything at speeds that far out pace the rest of us. The aura around you was that of a well versed scholar and who knew what she was talking about. However this is different, I know enough about women to know when their body language suggests unease and distrust. I also know fear from my studies, and something has you spooked." Gresha has been studying ancient warrior ways and among them was psychological warfare used to cripple an opponent mentally so they can be finished off with a swift blow. He can tell though that Kalek has as well, her tone and questions, use of information against him, she knows it by heart. "You're already going through the motions of using psychological warfare on me with how you tried to not only catch me off guard but use my own embarrasment and the confusion you intended to create with your initial comment. I can imagine that whatever it was that spooked you runs deep!"

"So in the recent months you have been studying the history of various ancient warrior groups," Kalek turns towards Gresha as dinner doesn't need her attention right now. "Well then, Grimbor owes me a pie. I told him that you were telling the truth when you announced that you would take up old ways to become something better than a thief." Though Gresha doesn't know, Kalek is aware that Rornak is nearby and can hear her. This is very reminiscent of his own experience. Aurwen made a bet with Kalek that Rornak wouldn't change and would stay a vengeful Poacher, Kalek plans to enjoy that pie tonight for desert. "He looked at you but didn't analyze the various ques and hints that told me you were telling the truth and that you would change. Your eyes were the biggest giveaway that you were serious, but your voice and body language was quite reaffirming. Tell me Gresha, what do you know about me?"

"Little more than that your a Poacher, mage, and scholar," Gresha responds as he thinks. "That little more is that you have a very aggressive form of defense around what seems to be any man. Possibly any male from any race because something about the eyes of a male landing on you or being near you bothers you. I'm curious, why is that? Would I be right in guessing it ties into a traumatic event?"

Kaleks' emerald green eyes light up, "are you making a guess based on evidence?"

"Not really as I don't have much that can be considered evidence, at best I have possible clues," Gresha answers. "What guides my guess to a traumatic event is that you are clearly ready to fight mentally and physically. A state of mind brought on by the thought of me being drawn to your physical beauty like lesser men who don't have the abilities that I do. If I may say this, I find it to be pathetic that a well-endowed lady can mess with the heads of grown adults. Teens, I'm okay with that, but adults...I'm embarrassed to be a man by that fact some days. So you for example have slightly larger breasts than another woman or her outfit, like yours, shows the top of her breasts. Neither of those things matter, personality and capabilities are what matter. I have to say this and I mean no offense, it isn't even like your that much more endowed than most women I've seen across Skryim. It is just enough that being tall and having a non-slender body with only shallow curves doesn't make your bust look small." Gresha reallizes he's getting emotional about this. "Sorry I...get passionate about this subject."

"Well now, you are a very smart Gresha and you have a good eye for making out what is evidence and what is not," Kalek responds. She likes that Gresha has picked up on the ques she is giving off and putting them together, determining what is evidence and what isn't. "I like smart men and find intelligence attractive." Kalek opens up, "You are right, it was a traumatic event but not one that I experienced, it was one that my mother experienced. She wasn't one to have much money but she was gifted with beauty that she passed on to me as my grandmother passed it on to her. That is something that I don't like but have come to live with. It isn't her fault that I'm like this either on top of being beautiful, she didn't know what the plant was let alone what being around it at that age would do to her. Heck,like almost everyone who is exposed to it, she didn't know it was even there."

"A plant?"

Kalek scholary tone of voice immediately emerges, "A rare form of nirnroot called Ghost Nirnroot due to its ghostly white color and how it doesn't make any noise. It is even more rare when it grows above ground at the cost of a shortened lifespan. Being exposed to it at the right time in your life causes your body to grow more than it would naturall resulting in being taller, having more muscle, and for a woman like me being more endowed. Now men obviously don't have breasts, but they are affected too in the exact same way. I know from a friend who studies this special nirnroot that at least both genders share the increased risk of cancer. Though she hasn't heavily studied the effects in men at this time so what I know about men in this situation is very limited. Now, people who naturally are going to be tall hardly gain any additional height if at all, the same goes those who naturally are going to have more muscle or larger busts. For example, my grandmother is 6ft tall and both my mother and I are a centimeter taller. My mother and I aren't much if any stronger than my grandmother who could match many of the men she worked with in strength. Finally, my grandmother was a DD where my mother and I are DDD. Back on the original top," Kalek says. "I know that the kind of men I fear are rare so I have little to fear in the grand scheme of things. Still I've seen them and even if I didn't wear a light dress that reveals the top of my chest, those men always see right through my clothes and get drawn to my physical beauty. I saw them lusting over me, unable to put me out of their mind because their desires were so powerful and so uncontrolled. One went mad over me in fact due to some sort of serious mental health problem and had to be arrested," Kalek describes. "Another told me that they were willing to commit crimes to have me as their lover. I honestly find them to be scarier than even Rornak and though he doesn't leave a horrible and evil mess behind, I've seen his cold and efficient killings! Mother, the physical beauty she had was a curse on her and that curse eventually resulted in one fateful night. I won't say anything more than this, she had no say in me. That is why she ended up here in Skyrim, a place too cold for most but she didn't care because it was this cold that made her feel safe again."

"I'm sorry, nobody deserves your fate or your mother's. What ever did happen to your father?" Gresha asks Kalek as his anger begins to build up. Such an act pisses me off as a male Kahjiit.

"I don't know, I know his name and face as he is a well known criminal but neither my mother or I know what exactly happened to him," Kalek answers. "I wish I did know so I could ensure my own safety and my mother's because he is a monster, he is a thief and killer for hire. Leaving nothing but heartache and suffering in his wake. I remember when I was young, this memory burned into my mind forever, of my mother crying when I was five years old. Do you want to know what she said to me," Gresha nods yes, "she said "I'm sorry my child that you inherited my beauty and more because it is going to put you in danger you don't deserve to have to face" before picking me up and sitting me in her lap. That is why I am a master in the School of Destruction. Why I have studied the School of Alteration and why over the eyars I had Rornak teach me Restoration magic. So I can protect myself from this curse. If physical beauty will only bring me suffering then I don't want it but it is part of who I am so I keep it. In turn I prepare myself to make sure that anyone who dares to wrong me like how my mother was wronged suffers a slow and painful death!"

"Do you think your father is in Skyrim?" Gresha asks.

"He is indeed, but beyond that and where he is specifically I do not know," Kalek explains. "I'd have killed him myself if I knew where he was and claimed his bounty. Alas I don't have the time to chase him down. All I know is that he came here for whatever reason and acquired a bounty for several crimes and since then my father has been a ghost. If you want his head and the money that goes with it, I won't stop you," Kalek states. "I couldn't care less what happens to him. He deserves to die and needs to die because he is a threat to everyone." There is a knock on the door to Kaleks' house. "Now who is coming here at this time during a winter storm?" Kalek walks past Gresha, who draws one of his dragonbone katanas, and goes to the door ready in case someone tries to break in. She checks to see who is at her door through a lens then opens the door to a woman. "Hello, you look lost, do you need directions?"

"No I need help, my children, they were kidnapped and taken away by some sort of hideous creature, several of them," the mother says to Kalek in a state of shock and fear. Kalek has the woman step inside so she can shut the door. "I watched them go north east before I couldn't see them through the snow being blown around by the wind. This was the first place I could make out where there was people so I came here." Kalek asks the mother if she can give some details about the creatures who kidnapped her children. "They didn't speak any language and had a bit of a hunched stance and smelled foul. They were wearing a darker colored armor but it was lighter in color than ebony. This is a key clue and answers who is responsible for this foul deed."

"That is Falmer activity if I've ever heard of it," Rornak says dressed and ready to go out into the weather. His sudden appearance scares the mother because she is a werewolf and knows the reputation of the Dark Hunter but Rornak maintains his cool. "Do not threat, I'll have your children brought back to you alive if the Falmer don't kill them before I can track them down. This storm doesn't bother me, I've lived in Skyrim all my life and learned from the best in surviving the elements. The Falmer never learn to not get my attention, perhaps I should leave a few of them alive to spread the word. Actually this is the Falmer we are talking about, they don't learn," Rornak comments sure that even if he let Falmer live to tell the tale, nothing would change. He slips out the front door and follows the mother's tracks back to where her children were taken and the tracks are near impossible to miss. He quickly starts following the tracks uphill, he knows of one place in the area that the Falmer are likely to come from, Stillborn Cave. There are two entrances to the cave and he expects the tracks to lead to the entrance that is further uphill of the two.

At Kalek's estate, Adria shows the mother to the werewolf pups they rescued earlier and she is happy to help her with their care. It will take her mind off of her own children and Adria knows that these pups need a seasoned mother to look after them. They are in fact orphans, this mother doesn't know who killed their parents but these children have been living with a pack in the region of Winterhold and went missing a month ago. They are lucky to be alive and she cannot help but find it ironic that the Dark Hunter of all beings, a Poacher who is greatly feared by werewolves, was one of those who saved them. Gresha isn't intending to stay for dinner, he has already eaten the food he packed for his dinner tonight and is ready to hit the road again. Kalek asks him before he leaves as to why he wants to get out on the road in such miserable weather.

"Kalek, I think I know where your father is if the Kahjiit I am thinking of is indeed your father," Gresha says with deep sympathy for her and her mother. They have endured a lot and are still having to live with the fact that her father is out there and could threaten their safety again. "Tell me, is this his face?" Gresha shows Kalek a picture on a wanted poster and she immediately confirms that it is her father on this poster. "I have run into my fair share of scum in Skyrim as both a thief and a warrior but your father now he is someone so horrible that I cannot let it go unpunished or wait. As well, it wouldn't be right of a good man didn't take him down." Kalek asks if he will be okay in the cold. "I always carry with me an amulet that I purchased from a friend at the College of Winterhold. It will keep me safe from the weather," Gresha responds. He puts his helmet on and prepares to brave the night. "Look after yourself and the pups, I do not know what your father is up to but I won't be surprised if he sees your home and thinks that he can find easy money in here. If I find him, do you have any requests of me?" Kalek asks one thing of Gresha. That he brings the Kahjiit he is after back to her alive. She wants to see his face in the flesh in order to be sure that is him. "Then I will drag him through the snow if I must. He will be alive and face you and know what he did. No matter if we end up being right or wrong about him, the Kahjiit I am thinking of and have been tracking needs to be stopped."

"Good...luck then," Kalek says and Gresha leaves and ventures into the night to catch a Kahjiit Bandit Lord that is long overdue to be stopped. He wants to personally catch Kaleks' father because what he did is beyond unforgivable by Greshas' standards and by the standards of many other Kahjiit he knows. If he could, he would kill this Kahjiit where he stands when he finds him but Gresha will give Kalek the chance to look at this Kahjiit and determine for sure if it is her father or not. "I'm surprised he didn't ask how I knew my fathers' face, maybe Gresha realized that I don't want to talk about it." Along the way Gresha gets some help from an unlikely source, J'zargo of the College of Winterhold who is also pursing the Khajiit Bandit Lord to fund his continued magical education. At the highest entrance to Stillborn Cave, Rornak stands and listens to the sounds of Falmer coming from within the cave. He descends slowly and sneaks into the cave listening for signs of the children. As he gets closer to the Falmer, Rornak can hear the sounds of children, young children and this makes his blood boil. He takes out his crossbow and gets into the first proper space of the cave where he finds Falmer. From a ledge, three Falmer Warmongers are standing and looking down at a display and from bellow these Falmer, Rornak can hear the children he is after.

Crossbow ready, Rornak takes aim at these three Falmer. Bellow, staring a Chaurus Reaper in the face, the eldest of the children is doing everything a fourteen year old can to calm her siblings. She has her younger brother and sister pressed against her, her hands covering their eyes. She tells them to be brave, that they will be okay even though that is obviously not true. As the Chaurus Reaper starts walking towards the three children, they hear a violent and bloody noise before three bodies fall before the children from the ledge above. The Falmer Warmongers found out the hard way why Rornak's crossbow is so good, one bolt pierced all the way through the head of the first Falmer and its heavy helm and then all the way through the second Falmer's unprotected head and finally stopped in the head of the third after going through its heavy healm! The first two heads were decapitated by the bolt and the third head was broken free of the spine! Seconds later, Rornak casts a master level Poison Spell on the Chaurus Reaper and sends it to the afterlife.

"Oh Silver Tip (25 damage that ignores armor) you are a beautiful enchantment and you mix so well with the Bear Loads enchantment (plus 25 percent projectile speed, minus 15 percent projectile drop, plus 15 projectile damage)." Rornak jumps down from the ledge and lands in front of the three children, the two youngest still have their eyes covered but the eldest knows exactly who she is looking at. Rornak expected this so he carefully talks her down using the calmest voice he can. His heart rate is raised due to the intensity of the situation and how quickly he had to make a decision on what to do. Eventually he does calm the eldest of the three children down. "Don't worry, I am here to get you back to your mother. Just stay quiet and don't panic, we should be out of this cave and safe in a matter of minutes." Without warning a loud noise gets Rornak's attention, it is a Falmer war cry. "So much for leaving quietly, stay behind me and whatever you do don't panic. I can handle this." Rornak quickly places a dual cast poison rune some distance away from him to catch the Falmer as they come closer. As he draws his mace and sword, several Falmer come around a corner in the path that leads deeper into the cave and set off his rune. It explodes and poisons the Falmer, killing them in seconds. Two Chaurus Reapers follow shortly but a new figure joins the fight and with his staff he casts two bolts of magic and takes out the two Chaurus Reapers. Rornak looks up at the ledge to see who has come to join this fight. "You are that wizard from Icecap lighthouse if I am not mistaken correct?"

"Yes Rornak, I am the wizard Hemlok (hem-lock). Aresia sent me to lend you aid in this matter, we need to get outside though, this cave is too small to fight in, we have no room to work with," The wizard says to Rornak. Rornak leads the way with the children between him and the wizard. Outside the cave entrance, Rornak spots the incoming Falmer but they are not many and he knows that the wizard beside him is powerful enough to balance out the difference in numbers. Joining them is a man in black armor with a black double-edged straight sword and shield and the Dragonborn Ralgrif. "Between the four of us these Falmer don't stand a chance. Do not fear them my friends because the Falmer are nothing to those who do not fear them!"

Looking at the Falmer, Aldurin says, "why does she torrment me like this? I have slain enough of the Snow Elves as it is, why do I have to do this again?"

"If these were Snow Elves they would be better than this in every way my friend," the wizard Hemlok says to comfort Alduring. "You did not do this to them, all you do now is end their suffering. Steel yourself, and help me send them to the afterlife where they will be at peace." The wizard then uses a shout, "Grah...Fus Kest (Battle Force Tempest)," and it empowers the four warriors and the children. When the Falmer meet them for combat the four men immediately engage them and stop them in their tracks. The shout used by the wizard and by Aresia months ago is meant to speed up how fast the four warriors can swing their weapons whether they are enchanted or not. If the first two words are used it only affects the one shouting, but it will act like the shout Battle Fury if all three words are used, affecting everyone around the person shouting as well. It does not enchant a weapon so it can be used with enchanted weapons. This shout, known as Dragon Strike, generally is considered the best of the three shouts that increase a warriors striking speed because of its utility. Rornak can now strike faster than he already could with his two weapons and have the benefit of enchanted weapons at the same time. Against the four warriors are the most common and simple of Falmer who are wearing little to no armor and bring only simple Falmer Swords to the fight.

Outnumbering the warriors makes little difference in the Falmer's chances against them. With his speed enhanced, Rornak is landing multiple strikes on the Falmer at speed and killing his opponents in the blink of an eye. Since his mace and sword combo is meant to be used in a sweeping style of fighting for multiple foes rather than a single opponent, Rornak focuses on two on one fights. In one instance he is challenged by two Falmer, they advance on him and Rornak steps back but utilizes his motion of stepping back to go into a spin as he backs up, allowing for enough time to complete the action and for the Falmer to come into the strike area of his weapons before they can hit him. From right to left, Rornak sweeps his two weapons across and lands a powerful strike that hits and kills both Falmer. Seconds after this well timed strike, Rornak is challenged by another Falmer, this time it has a shield. Instead of backing up, Rornak places his weapons to block against melee strikes and waits for the Falmer to make the first move. Though he can smash the Falmers' shield to pieces, Rornak has a different idea in mind for this duel. The Falmer goes for a big and powerful strike but as it winds up the strike, Rornak bashes the Falmer and disorientates it leaving it open for him to follow up on. To follow up this blow, Rornak makes sure his weapons are touching then slashes down with both of them in an outward X shape that hits the Falmers' chest and almost rips it open!

Armed with a Daedric Warhammer, Rornak smashes the Falmer into defeat, going for bone breaking blows or areas where his strikes have a high chance of causing death to his opponent. Two Falmer come close to Ralgrif but he thinks quickly and uses Unrelenting Force to send the two Falmer flying through the air.

"They won't be coming back from that fall," Ralgrif comments as he watches the two Falmer fly through the sky and start falling to the ground some distance away. He swings his warhammer and smashes its head into the arm of a Falmer, breaking the arm. Ralgrif quickly adjusts his warhammer then swings upward and strikes the lower chest of his current opponent, "I see Chaurus coming up the mountain towards us," Ralgrif calls out to the group. "Who wants to take them? Preferably through the use of ranged combat and before they can spit their poison at us."

"Leave them to me, I shall return them to the soil," Hemlok responds and he runs his sword through a Falmer. Using his staff, the wizard casts three bolts of magic. Each bolt is targeted at a different Chaurus and when they impact with the creatures in the head, these bolts do away with the Chaurus with ease. "Nothing can withstand the hallowed light of my staff, its bolts will dispel all foes and cleanse the land of all Daedric influence that is negative." Hemlok frees his sword from the chest of Falmer he slew before using his staff. "Come forward cursed ones, your end is at hand for the Men-at-Arms have come to end this horror." Rornak casts the spell Grand Healing to heal the minor wounds the four warriors have suffered thus far and restore their stamina. The next wave of Falmer reaches them and the four men engage their foes with renewed strength and health. With the cold wind blowing snow all around them, the four men kill their attackers one by one and stand their ground. As bolts of magic fly, swords slice into flesh, and blood and flesh splatters across the ground the three children smell something very familiar. Because they are behind the fight and up wind of it, they are able to detect this smell without the interference of the nasty smell that the Falmer give off or the smell of death.

Rornak parries a Falmer that almost struck him with an axe, opening up its guard. He thrusts his sword into the chest of the Falmer. After a one second delay, Rornak pulls his sword free and the Falmer drops backwards and dies. He scans his surroundings to see where the next Falmer he should engage is but he realizes that all of the remaining Falmer are being dealt with by his allies. Rornak turns to check on the children and he sees that they are still okay but a new face has appeared. With her arms interlaced across her torso tightly, as if trying to hold something inside her body, Halda slowly approaches Rornak and it is clear she is in pain and when she tries to raise a hand to reach out to him, he determines that she has come to seek help but is in so much pain that asking for it is a challenge! She is beside the three children, off to Rornak's right. Before either Rornak or Halda can say anything, Alduring spots her as well and immediately shouts at her!

"Gol... Hah Dov," and with his shout he puts Halda under his control. Thinking quickly, he turns to Rornak with an idea, "her werewolf powers appear as if they are out of control. If you have completed the spell to cleanse Lycanthropy that Aresia has spoken of Dark Hunter, use it on her now before Bend Will wears off!" Rornak doesn't hesitate and immediately drops his weapons and dual casts his spell. Once the spell is ready for use, Rornak fires a bolt of white light at Halda that hits her squarely in the center of her torso and the spell has a visible affect on her. She lets out a breath of relief and her arms fall to her sides, but both he and Aldurin can tell that it is not the desired affect. "Damn it, something appears to have dampened your spell's effect. Rornak, get this woman and the children to safety. We'll finish up here and make sure that the Falmer won't cause us any more trouble." Rornak obeys this order from Aldurin, he picks up his weapons and then leads the four werewolves to Kalek's estate. Unsure what to expect as Kalek lets them all in, Rornak is warmed by the sight of the mother embracing her children when he brings them to her. He is at a loss for words to descibe what he sees in terms of the love and happiness. However, he isn't the slightest bit unhappy about that. Come morning light on the eighth of Evening Star, the mother and her children set off and Kalek gets to work studying Halda under the protection of a sealing ward to keep her werewolf powers from causing trouble.

"Now this is an interesting case," Kalek says as she reviews a book on magical complications. "What we are seeing here is known as Unbounded Magic. When magic or a power of some kind no longer obeys the being that possess them and behaves in very unpredictable ways. It is an incredably rare phenominon, this will be joining perhaps at most ten other known cases in the written record. I suspected as much last night that this would be the culperate, but now that we have confirmed my suspicions," Kalek closes her book, "We can start work on fixing the problem. However the diagnosis was the easy part in this whole process, fixing this is the hard part."

"Fortunately we have plenty of time to work between my ward and the effect Wolf Ender is having on Halda," Rornak says as he looks through a book of his own. "We also have more time because you have this here book which discusses the very topic of Unbounded Magic. Based on what I can derive from this book, this may be the result of Halda consuming too many hearts too close together in the effort to boost her powers as a werewolf. It isn't the first time this has happened as the case I'm reading about is very identical to her's, and now that I think of it this may have been a reason why Hircine wanted Adria dead and I can see why. He did mention to me that there was something he called a disaster that he wanted to avoid. Heavens know what it was but at this point it doesn't matter so long as we can prevent this one." Halda sits still in a chair as the two Poachers talk about what she is dealing with before her. As she listens to what Rornak and Kalek say to each other, Halda becomes increasingly worried that Hircine will have her hunted down and killed because her power is a danger to everyone around her. As she is deep in thought Rornak asks Halda, "Halda, since I last spoke to you what have you done? To start have you consumed a large amount of hearts in a short span of time."

"Oh...well...I started finding everyone and everything I could feed on without attracting the attention of the Poachers Guild," Halda says to start answering the question. "A few bandits, Falmer, Chaurus, and other creatures. I figured that sooner or later the Dark Hunter and I would end up in a fight to the death and I know how deadly he is, he rivals the Huntress of Death in how feared he is. I did manage to make myself stronger and gained access to several perks that would help me while I am in my natural human form. One perk was for increased stamina regeneration (62 percent) and another perk was to improve how fast I heal from my injuries (plus 30 percent health regeneration) which didn't cause any problems. I unlocked a third perk that boosted up some of my Lycanthropy powered spells and I was fine afterwards. Then there were some spells that I learned from my mother for use in my natural form and again I was one hundred percent fine. I don't see how this could be related to overfeeding somehow. From what I can tell I didn't start having complications until I," Halda stops to make sure that she is about to say her sentence in a way that the Poachers will understand. "I was reading some books to gain more powers that dated back some time and sometime after doing so but before I encountered you I quickly started feeling like there was a beast trying to tear its way out of my body!"

"How old were those books?" Rornak asks. "Were they from the time frame of that girl we saved from the vault?"

"Give or take a few years here or there, yes they were," Halda responds to Rornak. "They obviously weren't the same books as the ones in the vault but they come from around the same time."

Rornak sighs, "well the heart theory is officially out the window and we now have our confirmed source of the problem. Halda why in the world would you think that was a remotelygood idea for any reason? Those books contain unfinished and unstable powers that are not safe to be used. It was the power which is in those books, although she got it from her father, that turned that girl onto the path which placed her in that vault for so many life times. I didn't think that I had to tell you that they were incredably dangerous to get you to not touch them. I thought your mother already did that in fact. Maybe that was what Hircine feared, Adria resorting to reading those books and looking into such magic."

"But I finished them, they should have been perfectly safe to use," Halda responds. "I am not a novice when it comes to such magical powers."

"You improved them yes, but nothing can save those powers except rebuilding them from scratch," Kalek says with a deep understanding of magic. "Reading the books is safe for even newborns, but trying to use the power is dangerous to all. The werewolf that penned such powers had good ideas but the way that power is laid out is hopelessly flawed beyond repair. To be brief, there is no foundation to the powers whether they be spell or perk. In depth, the way the 'workings' of the powers are 'organized' is horribly done and the workings themselves are horrible and hardly function at all. It is why only masters of a specific magic should make new spells for it because only we know what we're getting into let alone doing. The workings themselves are beyond doubt the root cause of all of this but the horrible organization alone is able to cause what you are experiencing as well. I hate to say this because you won't like it but you need to lose everything you took from those books. Otherwise this is how your life is going to be until you die and maybe beyond," Kalek describes. "If we can find the books, you should be able to reverse the process on your own however that requires that Rornak removes his ward and we cannot rely solely on Wolf Ender to keep your powers under control for very long."

"If that is what has to be done then that is what has to happen," Halda responds and she stands up. "I have rested and recovered enough to do this and I know where to find the books. I'll deal with this on my own, I don't have to go far, it is merrely a simple trip to the west here in Skyrim and I am at the books' location."

"You shouldn't go alone Halda," Kalek counters with great reason to be concerned. "Without that ward you may only have a few hours at most to get to the books and get rid of your powers. Assuming you even have that much time."

"I don't have far to go Kalek, I should need an hour if I walk in order to get where I need to go," Halda explains. She starts putting on her Pack Armor. "If you won't let me go alone then you can send Rornak with me. He is the one who placed the ward and has that spell which can suppress my powers before they get out of hand. He can keep the situation under control long enough for this to work."

"It is your call Rornak, what do you want to do?" Kalek asks her friend. She has no control over what Rornak does, so Kalek hopes that he chooses the right answer which she thinks is to not remove the ward and to have someone with Halda at all times. She would prefer to send several people.

"I'll go with her. Adria, do you want to tag along?" Rornak asks. "Two is better than one esepcially when dealing with Unbounded Magic."

"I should, besides the orphans are not going to need much attention from Kalek other than food every few hours so we could be back by the time she has to feed them again," Adria says to Rornak. With this the decision is made and the two suit up in their respective armor. The trio sets out into the snow laden wilderness and turns west and makes for their destination. All seems peaceful and the sun is shinning on the world, not a creature is stirring with a blanket of snow and the cold keeping every creature both big and small hunkering down in shelter. Forty five minutes into their trip the trio spot tracks, not big tracks, but a lot of them all going in the same direction. Rornak stops to inspect the tracks and he is able to quickly make out some details that are important to determining who made said tracks.

"The group that made these tracks is numerous, there are too many tracks and they overlap so I cannot determine the size of the group," Rornak says to the two women behind him. "The boots come to some sort of point at the toe. The creatures that left these tracks also had to weigh a good amount because the prints are deep, maybe deeper than mine and though my Daedric Armor isn't stylized like normal, it isn't much in terms of saving weight."

"I don't like the looks of these tracks," Halda says to Adria. "Nor do I like what Rornak is describing. If this is the tracks of what I am thinking then something is definitely wrong. I hope it isn't what I am thinking it is but the evidence isn't looking good. If it isn't the worst case senario though, maybe we will be alright."

"I don't know what will happen but we should keep our eyes peeled," Rornak says after inspecting the tracks. "Falmer in hardened or heavy armor in great number passed through here and are heading into The Pale by the looks of it or maybe Hjaalmarch. Either way we don't look to be catching up to these Falmer soon so lets get to those books and get out of here." The group starts walking again, "I hope that Harbin and Selana are okay. I recall them stating that they were supposed be in Hjaallmarch as of these last few days"

"That one's MINE," Harbin shouts as he leaps forward into the air and brings his twin hammers down on the head of a Falmer Warmonger! Adorned in his Deep Woods Berserker Armor, Harbin moves quickly and doesn't slow down his pace as he strikes the Falmer at speed and in rapid succession. Nearby, Selana is carving her way through lesser Falmer. Because they have less armor than Harbins' foes these Falmer die quicker and with less effort than the Falmer Warmongers. "Come on you hunched over goblins give me a real fight. Are you even real Falmer Warmongers or are you just wearing their armor? I must say this is leaving me very disappointed I came prepared to fight to the death and looking for a very tough fight and this is what I get. At least give me a challenge so I can impress my lady."

"I am having plenty of fun as it is Harbin," Selana says to her boyfriend. "If you want to, challenge yourself, kill as many Falmer as you can. If you can keep up with me that is," Selana says as a joke. She is killing Falmer at such a rate that Harbin is struggling to stay ahead of her in kills. "We will make Hjaalmarch safe again soon enough no matter what. What I want to know is why the Falmer have been so active over the last several months. It seems like something keeps stirring them up into attacking the surface world."

"We will find out soon enough or we'll kill enough to stop whatever it is," Harbin says as he smashes the skull of his current opponent. Fifteen minutes of walking later, as Harbin and Selana are totaling up their kills to see who has more, Rornak and company arrive at the location of the books Halda used to gain more power. The books are protected in a stone case at the far end of a flat area atop this mountain.

"This is it, okay Rornak, remove the ward so we can get this over with," Halda says as she mentally prepares to give all her strength to getting rid of her powers. It is not an easy process, but it has to be done and she intends to see this through. Rornak removes his ward and then she approaches the stone case. Halda places her hands on the stone case to open it, and the instant she does the very magic she is trying to get rid of erupts from the case and overpowers the effect of Wolf Ender on Halda. A field of green magic surrounds Halda and the stone case, creating a protective barrier.

"Something is wrong, I think there is more than just bad power in those books," Rornak says as he taps his hand on the barrier to get a feel for its strength and to see how it reacts. "I think there are the spirits of werewolves trapped in there!"

"They must be trying to possess Halda and take over her body," Adria determines as she studies the situation and how Halda appears to be stuck to the stone case. "That is probably why Wolf Ender didn't work, its ability to cure Lycanthropy was blocked or dampened by spirits who managed to get inside of her body. Who knows what their competition for control over her is doing to Halda. We need to get a lid placed on top of this situation and do right now!"

"How? I've tried using Wolf Ender on Halda once and even dual cast it just calmed the situation down. If two people dual cast it and hit her at the same time maybe it would work but you don't know Wolf Ender yet," Rornak points out. "My Restoration Magic studies allow me to know that the barrier around Halda is weak and thus easy to get past. It is harmless and if you hit it hard enough you can get through but it won't matter if we cannot stop this." As Rornak and Adria try to figure out what to do in a hurry, a new voice intervenes in the situation. Braeda arrives with a man layered in some sort of fur armor, likely awarded to him by Hircine.

"It looks like all the tracking that I've done as of late to find my daughter has paid off and not a moment too soon. I warned her that this may happen, and it seems whatever she did to make these powers usable didn't work. If either one of you can get me through that barrier then I can create a window for you to stop this with whatever you believe you have to fix this situation," Braeda says to Rornak and Adria. "Can you do that?"

"Easily," Rornak responds. "I just hope you know what your doing."

"It isn't the idea I want as this will not be painless for me but it is all I know that will work. When I tell you to use everything you have, do it," Braeda explains. "Do what you have to do to get us through that barrier and do it fast."

Rornak places his hands on Braeda's shoulders, "brace yourself," Rornak waits for Braeda to brace herself then he uses his third and final Spirit, Thunder Struck, to jet forward at speed and he forces himself and Braeda through the barrier with ease. "Oh it is great that I no longer use this Spirit at random and can use it when I need to." Using this Spirit used to require a focus that only happened when his rage was not conflicting with his Spirits such as during his battle with the Chaurus Reaper and in the vault. Rornak however now can use Thunder Struck whenever he needs to in order to make a quick escape or force his way through multiple foes. He lets go of Braeda, "do what you need to do and hurry!" Braeda rushes over to her daughter and puts her arms around her daughter. Countering the magic and the spirits that have taken over her daughter with her own magic, Braeda rips Halda away from the stone case which pulls the werewolf spirits out of her body leaving only the dangerous power in Halda. She turns to her left and makes the left side of herself and her daughter visible to Rornak.

"It's now or never Dark Hunter, show me what you can do," Braeda shouts. "Hit us with everything you have!" Rornak charges up Wolf Ender, dual casting it and he takes his aim at Halda. Once the spell is ready and his aim true, he sends a ball of white light speeding towards Halda. It strikes her dead on and in that moment the green barrier disappears and everything calms down. Feeling a wave of relief overtake her, Braeda lays her daughter down on the snow, "that did it, she's okay. That magic won't trouble us anymore" The man in the strange fur armor walks over to Braeda, "Thank you Alfric for helping me track her down. I know how difficult this is for you to come back to a life you wanted to leave behind but it means the world to me." Looking at the mother, Rornak is again at a loss for words though this time to describe her relief.

"I should have never left, I let my fear for what lycanthropy fueled magic could bring down upon werewolves cloud my judgement and this is what happened," Alfric responds to his wife with guilty sadness. "Is she just sleeping or is she injured?"

"She's just asleep for the moment, Halda's most likely feeling a bit drained but she'll wake up when she's ready. Let's give her a minute or two." Everything around the scene is quiet except for the wind. Rornak and Adria stand back to let the once broken family settle in to being together for the moment.

"Rornak," Aresia says to him telepathically, "I couldn't be more proud of what you have done. You have gone from being the most vengeful mortal alive that I knew of to a protector of the forests and enforcer of order. You have beyond doubt passed your last test, the era of the Dark Hunter ends today on the eight of Evening Star, on this day the White Wolf begins his era," Aresia declares. For several moments, Rornak feels a surge of power inside of him, then he hears the chanting of multiple beings in an ancient language. He doesn't fully understand what this means, but he suspects that it is a gift from Aresia.

After a full minute of silence, Strange spiritual noises start filling the area around the group, "what is going on now?" Braeda asks just wishing for this to be over. "Hasn't my family been put through enough as of late?"

"It seems those spirits didn't get the message," Adria says turning around with Rornak as green spiritual werewolves appear behind the group, cutting them off from escape. Alfric stands up and joins the two, drawing his greatsword from off his back. "We need to keep these thugs busy, buy Braeda some time to tend to her daughter."

"By chance can you still transform miss?" Alfric asks Adria.

"Not into a werewolf but I have something better if you two can buy me a few seconds," Adria responds to Alfric.

"Aresia?" Rornak says in his thoughts.

"Since when do you need my permission to kill werewolves in self-defense Rornak?" Aresia responds to Rornak with audible humor and perhaps a smile. "The shout Dragon Strike is all yours to use!"

"Perfect," Rornak says aloud and he shouts, "Grah...Fus Kest," this causes the werewolf spirits to initiate a fight and so Alfric and Rornak go forward to buy Adria time. She only has a few seconds to transform but that is all Adria needs and she transforms into a powerful werewolf like creature. Unlike a proper werewolf, Adria's armor transforms with her and adjusts to fit her different form. "Adria, mind explaining to me what the heck this little trick you learned is?" Rornak asks as he knees a werewolf in the stomach then thrusts his sword through its chest.

Adria joins the fight taking on werewolf spirits that appear behind the trio, "I traded lycanthropy and being werewolf for something better. Being a warwolf is like being a werewolf but you can rest easily and wear armor when you transform!" With powerful claws, Adria tears her way though the werewolf spirits, protecting Halda and Braeda. In front of her, Rornak continues to hold up the spirits alongside Alfric. Slaying the werewolves and using the Constellation of Moonshadow to trap their souls and then destroy their souls. He has never had absolutely no reservations against using its power to destroy souls before now but these spirits clearly are too dangerous to leave unchecked. The power raditating off of every single one of them is unstable and clearly destructive. Each one than he can trap and destroy is one less possible future problem.

"How are you holding up Alfric?" Rornak asks his partner in this fight.

"Couldn't be better," Alfric responds. "Been a while since I had a good fight to take part in. What about you?

"Just grand, I'm starting to wonder if the werewolf who made these powers used these spirits in the creation of the spells he developed in some way," Rornak shouts to Alfric over the wind.

"Actually they were trapped inside the stone chest because they went mad by trying to use the powers inside the books," Alfric responds to Rornak. "We had to kill them and trap them in that case to keep them from causing trouble. Though it looks like that idea isn't without its flaws."

"It still makes sense," Rornak says as they finish of the currently visible spirits. "It looks like we are starting to thin them out between the three of us. It helps to have a powerful woman on your side," Rornak says as he slays a spirit. Each spirit that is defeated and not trapped returns to the stone case and remains there. "This case and any others that exist cannot be left unguarded, someone has to be keeping watch on them. That, or we need to find a way to make these spirits safe to set free. " Alfric responds that the only thing that they can do is either keep watch or to have Rornak destroy the spirits. "I see, then I may as well do what I can now to make room in the case." In a short time, the werewolf spirits give up on the fight and stay in the stone case. When they do, Adria transforms back to her natural form. Rornak manages to slay eight spirits and trap their souls which he proceeded to destroy. "Hopefully nobody will touch this stone case for a long time. For now that is surely the last of these spirits since they have stopped apeparing. I doubt this is the last time someone will have to deal with them though."

"Hopefully we will have time to see to Halda between now and then. Here is to hoping that she doesn't need medical attention," Adria says to Rornak.

"She won't," Braeda says to the trio behind her as she helps Halda stand up. "Alfric and I can and will take care of her from here on out. Until we meet again," Alfric and Braeda take Halda away to the nearest pack of werewolves for her to recover. On the way there Halda asks her mother if she is okay after holding her when Rornak cast his spell on Halda. "I'm fine Halda, I lived without lycanthropy before, I'll do it again."

"You lost your lycanthropy mother?" Halda asks.

"Both of us did, but it doesn't matter, because you are okay," Braeda responds with a smile. "It is a very small price to pay to be able to keep my daughter. Just don't go messing with powers like that again okay?"


Part Ten


4th Era 207


Despite being some distance into the Sea of Ghosts, Obsidion Island is rather warm for this time of year with winter in full swing on the third of Morning Star. Hidden from the shoreline by the rows of trees on the island is Aresia's temple Valhalla where her followers journey to in order to study her teachings and where her Men-at-Arms have their primary headquarters. As is fitting with the goddess of war, her temple is a fortress with thick and tall reinforced stone wall and towers. Siege engines stand ready to fire burning projectiles at any enemy that dares come within their range and at a moments' notice portals to Aresias' slice of Aetherius can be opened to bring in reinforcements and supplies. Inside her temple which is built against the wall of the volcano, Rornak, Grimbor, and Harbin are taking in the interior of Valhalla. They split up to explore different parts of the fortress temple. Grimbor goes to the actual temple part of Valhalla. He enters through the decorated wooden door and walks into the temple passing under the balcony. He walks to the front where he finds a wooden altar which stands before nine different shrines to the Divines. The shrines sit on pedestals before decorated stain glass windows depicting the associated Divine.

"This is rather impressive for a hidden place on a desolate sea," Grimbor says to himself as he looks at the windows. The priest who runs this temple approaches him.

"It is very much impressive son," this man is old enough to be Grimbors' grandfather. "Here any and all can worship their gods and goddesses in peace and equality. The gods in their truest form are found here, Kynareth the Goddess of Nature and Aresia the Goddess of War are the two most studied Gods here. If an elf wishes to honor, lets say Auriel, their shrines are nearby but we see few elves so the section devoted to their gods is smaller in size. Tell me my son, who do you wish study?"

"I don't know where to begin," Grimbor says to the priest. "Perhaps I should start with Aresia since she has welcomed me into her Men-at-Arms. Then Kynareth who is as you say one of the most studied. I'm curious however, what is Kynareths' full domain?"

"She dominates the weather hence why some call her the Sky goddess, Kynareth determines if the sky is clear or overcast, if it snows or rains. She also watches over nature," the priest says to Grimbor. "In times of great need she will take flight in her true eagle forms and come to the aid of nature or those who need her. Now where do you wish to start studying my son?"

"At the beginning of the lore of Aresia," Grimbor responds to the priest. In another part of Valhalla, Harbin is sitting back and enjoying the mead hall of the temple, sharing drinks and stories with men such as Hemlok, Tiber Septim, and Pellinal Whitestrake along with several woman including one he has heard of through mysteries as the Unknown Heroine but she doesn't drink. She hides her face behind a mask pulled up over her nose and grey face paint. She says nothing around the group but applauds in approval of Harbin as he tell his stories.

Rornak goes deep into the fortress and passes through the tunnels in the mountain to the very heart of the island, the volcanos' center which has been dubbed The Cauldron. Here Rornak finds the very thing he has been searching for over the recent years and it is a forge of great awe. Empowered by Aresia's ancient Thu'um, this lava solidifies into coals and generates a heat that changes to suit the material used by the one who uses the forge. It also heats the metal evenly to ensure structural quality.

"This forge has everything a smith can want," Rornak says looking at the Drakeforge. Here two smiths can work at the same time and forge the best weapons in this world. "Surprisingly it is a really nice temperature for a smith to work despite being in the heart of a volcano. I assume that is a result of the Frost Dragon statues," Rornak asks Aresia who is behind him in her human form. She says yes, "you thought of everything over the years. A forge, two anvils, two smelters, grinding stones that don't require manual power to turn, and tools a plenty." Aresia tells him more about the Drakeforge, "the forge generates the precise temperature and conditions needed for each material to produce the best quality weapons? My have you thought of every way to make this forge produce the best weapons. I be that I can even work with materials such as Aetherium in this forge." Once more Aresia nods yes. "With the means in this forge I can making weapons and armor with castings, I can use canisters, do san-mai, and multiple forms of damascus."

"Well Rornak, you have worked hard for this so it is only fair that you are able to forge something with this great forge," Aresia says to Rornak. "As you requested, I brought your mother and father here to see this. I agree with the idea that parents should witness their children's success."

"I must say you spent your time well," Rovgrad says to Aresia as he and his wife enter the cauldron. "Rornak is right when he says that there is no shortage of everything a smith can want to be found in this smithy. Since two people can work this forge at once, if I may I would like to use it to forge a shield for my son," Rovgrad says to Aresia. "I didn't quite get around to that before I sent his new armor off."

"Help yourself to the Drakeforge," Aresia says to Rovgrad, "your son followed in the foot steps of my followers to earn his way here so it is open to him or those near him who are worthy of using this. The best Daedric and Ebony Smith in Skyrim should have the honor to use this mighty forge." Idela walks up to Rornak and gives him the werewolf leather he needs to make a Poacher Weapon and Rornak's choice of weapon is a new longsword. Over the recent years, Rornak has perfected the art of smithing with dragon bones and dragon scales. Rornak is arguably the best Dragon Smith in Skyrim with the amount of experience he has with these materials. To his Amazement, Rornak shapes the blade of the sword with just a hammer and with greater ease than ever before thanks to the fires of the Drakeforge. Rorank creates a guard by splitting off parts of the bone near the handle end of his sword and bending them up and away from the end of the bone towards the blade. At the thirty five minute mark Rornak is finished with all the shaping work on the blade and the tang. He then adds the best fuller he's ever done in his life to his blade and refines the integral guard to his liking in shape, performance, and appearance. Once this is all done, Rornak heats up the blade and does two rounds of thermal cycling before he proceeds to harden and then temper the blade.

When the process of tempering is completed, Rornak uses the werewolf leather to make a stacked leather handle and then attaches a pommel to the end of the handle. Using epoxy, Rornak secures his handle material and pommel to the sword and peens over the end of the tang to further secure them to the handle. From there he simply refines the leather handle until it is a comfortable handle. At the time of the handle's completion, his father finishes the Daedric Shield and the two masterfully made pieces are ready to be enchanted. Aresia has a master enchanter place two enchantments on each item. As the enchanter does his work Aresia asks Rornak a question.

"Tell me Rornak, what do you think of the Drakeforge," Aresia looks directly at Rornak, "Do you think it was worth your time to get this far?"

"I have worked with some very impressive forges over the years but this one takes the cake for being the most hassle free and producing the best work," Rornak responds to Aresia. "Having no fear that the fire was too hot or cold and being sure that it was heating the dragon bone evenly takes a lot of stress out of the work. I've made hard and strong blades in the past but nothing was as strong as this sword. Nor have I made a blade that could flex quite like this and return to its original shape. I assume that has something to do with the Drakeforge as well."

"Ah you did notice that affect of the Drakeforge," Aresia states, "yes, it not only has environmental controls and flame temperature controls but the Drakeforge creates the strongest blades. Drakeforge made weapons can take quite the number of blows and not suffer any edge damage like edge deflection or chipping. That sword will cut through light armor without resistance and you can do it with the comfort of not having to fear that your blade will be at risk for damage. It will flex to survive the blows you inflict with it as well."

"Why did you have me find the four skulls Aresia," Rornak asks Aresia? "What purpose did that serve either of us?"

"It was to test you Rornak, to have you start your way into the Men-at-Arms and so I could gauge your skills," Aresia responds to Rornak. "Not just anyone could have retrieved those skulls and I admit that the last two were a bit easier than I would have liked but beggars cannot be choosers. It did introduce me to two new worthy additions however and you did hold your own in both fights so regardless of how challenging the test was I got what I was looking for. Not to mention having you hunt down those skulls took your mind off revenge which was something you very much needed help with." Rornak smiles to Aresia, "I take care of my own Rornak, you cannot just break someone down and build them up, you have to break and build responsibly. Lets just say Boethiah doesn't know about working smarter not harder."

"No she does not," Rornak says to Aresia.

"My lady, it is done," the enchanter says and he brings the two enchanted pieces of equipment over to Aresia. He manages to carry them both at once and passes them off to his goddess.

"I am not one for big events, I believe in the simple things," Aresia says to Rornak. "Rornak, Son of Rovgrad and Idela, I the Goddess of War hereby welcome you into the Men-at-Arms. Take these tokens as a badge of membership and remember that you are now part of something greater that transcends any one nation. You are among an elite group of men and women who will protect the peoples of Tamriel from those who would dare break the rules of war and commit the most evil of crimes." Rornak first takes the shield from Aresia and places it on his back for travel and then he takes the sword. Behind Rornak, Idela is almost crying tears of joy because she is happy to see where her son has gone in his life and is so happy to see him be accepted into Aresia's Men-at-Arms. Over the next two days, Arbor and his wife along with Vikrin and Harbins' mother arrive to see their sons welcomed into the Men-at-Arms and as a token of friendship, Rornak crafts a dragonbone hatchet and falchion for Grimbor and a pair dragonbone war axes for Harbin.

Out of respect for his parents, Rornak uses the Drakeforge and crafts a new dragonscale shield for his mother and a dragonbone Longbow for his father. For his sister, Rornak brings home a dragonscale shield and dragonbone spear for her. As the snow falls outside and a fire burns hot in her homes' chimney on the fourteenth of Morning Star, Aela sits back in her chair relaxing after a long day hunting and stockpiling food. Outside the moon rises, Aela is waiting for her soup to finish cooking. She moved in shortly after leaving Raven Wallow Brewery in Sun's Dusk and found that the shack that Idela mentioned was actually a small house. With some work the walls were patched up and sealed tightly to keep the cold out and warmth in, the floors were replaced, the furniture was replaced, and the house was repainted inside and out. The really nice part however is the cave that lies underneath the house where Aela can safely keep her weapons and armor, store almost a year's worth of previsions at once, and where she can store her trophies from her hunts and pray to Hircine. On its own the cave is a beautiful place and is very relaxing with a small stream running through it that Aela avoids disturbing with a walkway built over the stream.

Now six months pregnant, Aela intends to spend most of her time in the coming months relaxing and preparing for her child. While she eats her soup for dinner, Aela thinks about how and when she will teach her daughter about herself, her father, and more. Aela wants to make sure that everything her daughter experiences is as controlled as possible to ensure the best experience and development for her daughter. Aela suspects that Reeva will be dead on with her prediction because her body has changed noticeably to accompany her daughter as she grows inside her mother's womb. Based on the information provided to her by Idela, Aela's daughter is likely above the average size for a unborn baby at this point in the pregnancy and will be an above average size baby at birth. One thing that Aela has had to learn to manage is that her daughter seems to move around like she is having a nightmare. As far as Idela knows this is entirely unique to Aela but it may have something to do with the fact that for a time her and her daughter were werewolves. What Aela has discovered over the last two months is that when this happens, placing one or both of her hands on her womb for a bit calms her daughter back down. The causes of her daughter's nightmares is clear to Aela and Idela has been able to offer advice on this front.

The cause is that Aela's baby picks up on her mothers' various feelings like a sense of intensity or seriousness for example. Idela has emphasized that Aela try her best to shut off the part of her mind that leads to these feelings, and though it is a work in progress Aela has managed this and it is working. She doesn't have to calm her daughter down nearly as much as she had to.

"With that, dinner should be ready," Aela says and she pours herself a bowl of soup. Ten minutes later while sipping the last of the broth from her soup bowl, Aela's daughter starts moving because something spooked her. Aela smiles and sets her soup bowl down next to her on a book stand then places her hands on her belly. "It is okay honey mommy is right here, you're okay, you're okay," Aela says softly and this calms her daughter back down. "I was just hungry that is all." Normally Aela sleeps in a bed but tonight she decides to sleep in her chair. She goes to bed early after a bath and lays back in her chair to sleep. As part of her current routine to ensure she gets enough sleep, Aela goes to sleep with her hands on her belly so her daughter remains calm throughout the night. That way she doesn't wake her up in the middle of the night because of a nightmare she is having. Friends visit Aela to make sure she is doing fine and to help her where they can. Halda and Braeda stop by several times to check up on Aela and make sure she and her baby are healthy and Idela does this as well. Come Rain's Hand Aela is indeed due to deliver as her baby has grown to a good size inside her womb. To ensure her safety and the safety of her baby, Aela decides to travel a short ways to Idela's home where Aela knows that she can stay and deliver her daughter in safety. Aela knows the risk associated with having a daughter, she could very much die in the process or her daughter may not survive but death doesn't scare her.

On the twelfth of Rain's Hand, Aela arrives in the mid-afternoon escorted by Halda and Braeda. As a gift they cover the costs for Aela to say under Idela's care. They decide to stick around since trouble has surfaced nearby and to give Aela any support she may need. At one in the morning on the thirteenth trouble arrives in the form of necromancers and spellswords. They are what survived and regenerated of a coven that Aela and Ralgrif attacked years ago to get their hands on a Totum of Hircine. They are outnumbered but Halda and Braeda will not back down! If the coven wants to get to Aela then they have to go through them. Before the spellswords can say something about this, an arrow and two bolts strike the leader and his lieutenants. This triggers a confused and messy fight but the two women have handled worse together. Joining them is Rornak, Grimbor, and Harbin who have been tracking this coven intending to destroy it. Alfric also joins in on the fight, he came here looking for a bear that was killing innocent people in The Rift so he is up for a fight. Rovgrad is awoken by the fighting, he quickly gears up and rushes out with his warhammer and starts crushing skulls.

"Nobody but nobody threatens my wife as she is trying to work," Rovgrad shouts as he smashes his warhammer into the chest of a spellsword and then lifts it up to bring the hammer head down on the spellsword, crushing his head. Rovgrad is wearing his Deep Woods Trapper Armor and is using the Spirit Willpower to maximize his damage per blow. Dressed in his Deep Woods Preacher Armor, Grimbor runs Dawnbreaker through a spellsword when he spots one that manages to slip past the mother and daughter duo.

He gives chase using Leap of Faith shouting, "It is time to repent sinner!" With the speed of his attacks increased by Leap of Faith Grimbor quickly cuts down this spellsword and then several summoned skeletons and raised corpses! "My righteous fury is all I need to stay fighting heretics, I'll bury every last one of you! Face the light of dawn," with a swift swing of Dawnbreaker Grimbor kills a raised corpse and an explosion erupts that destroys the undead around Grimbor!

"Oi wimp, over here," Grimbor shouts using Challenger to draw a necromancer into his melee range so he can strike her down. With a swift swing of his axe, Harbin decapitates this necromancer which kills the undead she has summoned. He moves on to a spellsword next and takes the spellsword down by bashing him with his shield followed by a strike with his axe to the spellswords' head. "They don't stop easily that is for sure, how are you holding up Rornak?"

"I'm feeling good," Rornak responds to Harbin, "come witness the White Wolf necromancer fools and face your punishment!" Using his longsword, Rornak cuts his way through the spellswords and their less than adequate armor. Stone flesh helps improve the strength of their leather armor but it is not going to withstand such a weapon and because he is wearing Deep Woods Hunter Armor, Rornak moves quickly and lands devastating blows outside of the guard of his opponents. Inside one of the guest houses where Idela keeps those under her care, Idela and Reeva are working with Aela who is in the middle of giving birth. Like Serana, many other mothers, and even herself Idela has applied her Restoration Magic so this baby is going to come into the world in a matter of minutes. They can hear the fighting outside and it has Reeva's attention. She maintains her poise however and serves as emotional support for Aela by holding her hand and wiping the sweat off of her forehead. One by one, the seven warriors kill off the members of the coven knowing that they have no other option than success. Nothing is held back and Grimbor is the one who uses the shout Dragon Strike to strengthen his allies. "This would be easier if these necromancers would stop summoning the dead. We'd have finished this coven off if it were not for them!"

"Oh come on where is the fun in that," Alfric says as he enjoys himself while cutting down the undead. "Besides, their magicka is going to run out eventually and then they will be ours."

"Or we simply push our way through to them," Rovgrad says as he and Rornak sweep aside several skeletons! More skeletons are summoned from the ground but Rornak takes these skeletons on while his father goes for the necromancers. It is his warhammer against their leather armor and daggers, using Willpower to stagger two necromancers Rovgrad finds the first killing blow on them then he turns his attention to the second necromacer as he recovers himself. This necromancer is trained to summon the dead and only knows enough melee skills for emergencies, he has no idea how to handle Rovgrad. The necromancer tries to rush Rovgrad but the range provided by Rovgrads' warhammer makes this rush the last mistake of this necromancer. With two necromancers dead, the undead now become a much smaller problem and Rovgrad is in a position to finish off the remaining necromancers. He swaps to his crossbow and starts shooting bolts at the necromancers, avoiding melee conflict and letting Rornak and his friends protect him. Rovgrad misses a few shots when the necromancers sidestep or move unexpectedly but he finds his mark eventually and kills all of the remaining necromancers. Once the necromancers are dealt with the fight becomes much easier and the remaining spellswords are slowly taken out.

"They're weakened without the necromancers, push forward and don't let them escape," Rornak shouts to his allies. "We cannot let this coven survive this fight!" The warriors make one last push to surround and cut down the remaining spellswords. Following this push and the resulting individual fights none of the spellswords manage to escape this fight alive. Based on what he knows, Grimbor is confident when he declares the trios' mission complete and the coven destroyed. "That is it, the coven is destroyed and Aela is safe now so we seven warriors can rest for now and catch our breath."

Braeda pulls Alfric aside to talk to him, "Alfric, I know you are used to being out in the world traveling but I want us to be together again. I want to be your wife again," she shows him her hand, "I know it may not seem like much but I still wear this ring you gave me. It never was much but it always made me feel better knowing I had your love. Please Alfric I will do whatever I must to be with you again I just want our family put back together for us and our daughter."

Alfric smiles, "we may have been separated by place but we are as married now as we ever were," and Alfric kisses Braeda on her cheek. Unknown to her parents, Halda is watching and she feels a warmness inside because she has her parents back. Her family is whole again and she will experience plenty of happy moments as she travels with her parents on hunts and work. Eventually the family will settle down in a cave that used to belong to the Glenmoril Witches in Skyrim after Halda and Braeda recieve a new strain of Lycanthropy which will be much easier to live with and less dangerous. Alfric was given this strain long ago by Hircine to test it and it has proven to be much safer and easier to control. Halda and her family will move into the cave in late 207 and early in 208 Braeda will give birth to her son, Halda's little brother. However as her parents kiss before her now that the fighting around Rornaks' home is over, Halda can only guess at what is coming her way. Inside the guest house, Aela is holding her baby girl and will be ready to go home in a matter of days. She intends to rest for several days and enjoy the precious first moments of her daughter's life.

"She's a good size daughter alright and is healthy," Idela says as Aela holds her daughter in her arms. "She doesn't appear to want to wake up from her nap though."

Aela laughs, "no kidding, she's gone right back to sleep after being born. If there is nothing to worry about Idela you can go be with your family. I think that I can take care of myself from here." Idela double checks everything she has done then she leaves with Reeva and lets Aela be alone with her new baby. When the baby starts crying, Aela brings her daughter closer to her head so she can kiss her baby. "Shh it is okay mommy is right here. You are okay my child, you are okay, and I'm so happy that I can finally see you with my own eyes and hold you in my arms." Outside in the morning darkness, Rornak looks at the stars above.

He rests the tip of his sword in the ground and places his hands on the pommel, "It is hard to believe that I'm closing in on a year since I found that third dragon skull and everything changed. Now that I can look back, I am left to wonder what will come next. Ocarin has shaken up the Thalmor and who knows where that will lead. If the Thalmor want to keep breaking rules, then I'll make sure that they are punished for it. Nobody wants another war but we may get one, I will see where these events lead eventually. For now though, I've a wife to take care of," Rornak says and then he goes to bed. He is the first to wake up and then leaves for Windhelm. He returns home to the Stone Quarter and uses his key to enter the house he purchased a few months ago. Waiting for him inside is Adria who is already working on dinner for two.


Epilogue 4th Era 207

On the Third of Morning Star, Kalek is happily enjoying her spa's steam bath and her mother has come to visit her. Aware of the hard work that her mother does for a living, Kalek lets her mother lay down and relax and she gives her mother a back massage. The two women are wearing black thick strap two-piece swimsuits as they enjoy the spa's steam bath.

"Oh Kalek, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me," Valek (Vay-leek) says to her daughter. "You've over came the poverty that has plagued our family for generations, kept your hands clean where I had to steal before coming here to Skyrim, and made a great warrior and teacher out of yourself. I am happy to hear that your father was captured and killed. He needed to go for our sake and the sake of others." Valek moves her arms from out from under her head and stretches them out in front of her. "Some may say it is bitter sweet or a hollow victory, I say that justice is better than no justice. Sometimes it comes later than you like but better late than never."

"I am happy that Gresha was able to capture him alive," Kalek says to her mother as she rubs her mothers' shoulder blades. "I knew for sure that it was him and this way he could face the headsmans' axe."

"You seem to like Gresha," Valek says to her daughter.

"I must admit that he has grown on me," Kalek tells her mother, "it was a shame that he had to spend a good amount of his life so far as a thief. Gresha is a good man at heart and continues to do his best to be the best man he can. I think he likes me but because of who I am as a being and not my physical beauty. Based on what Gresha said to me in the past, I can say that he likes that because he developed an extremely precise and focused process for stealing and remaining undetected which has influenced his personality. His skills were exactly what the Thieves Guild needed and what revitalized them. However Gresha's desire to live a legit life and his ability to realize a deal when he saw it is what finally lead to their destruction in Skyrim and his escape from the life of crime."

"He sounds so far like a man I will come to like," Valek says and she motions for her daughter to lie down next to her. Kalek does what her mother wants, "that should be all the massaging I need. What about you? Do you need a massage from your mother?"

"No thanks," Kalek says lying next to her mother. If you were to look at Valek and Kalek right now, you would hardly be able to tell them apart. The difference is that Valek has black stripes in her bright fire orange fur where Kalek takes after her grandmother by having no stripes. If you don't know this then it is likely you will not know who is who because the women in their family don't age. When Rornak first met Valek in 204, if he didn't know Kalek as well as he did he'd never know that Valek was Kaleks' mother. Side by side they look like twin sisters. "Mother, I don't know if I've ever said this but thanks for putting your heart and soul into me even though you didn't have a say in me."

Valek smiles and places her hand on the back of her daughter, "as bad of an experience that was for me, I always found happiness and still find happiness in the fact that I am a mother and that you turned out so well. My one and only child, speaking of children I actually have a question to ask you. Don't worry you'll like it." Gresha will come to Kaleks' estate later today and have the chance to meet Valek. She comes to approve of him and if he wants to marry her daughter, something that Valek knows will happen even though her daughter and Gresha don't, Valek is perfectly happy with Gresha marrying her daughter. On the thirteenth of Morning Star, Rornak and Adria are waiting in their finest clothes. It is a very happy moment for them because Harbin and Selana are finally being properly married and neither Harbin or Selana is expecting the surprise that is waiting for them.

"I like the venue of choice here in the Grey Quarter since it has been getting a lot of repair work in the past months," Adria says to Rornak as they look around at the new Temple of Mara that was built in Windhelm as part of an effort to improve the Gray Quarter. "Do you think Harbin is expecting this?"

"Not a bit," Rornak says with a smile. "How do I look," he asks Adria?

"In that uniform," She asks Rornak referring to the fine clothes worn by Stormcloak officers? "You look stunningly hansom and tough. It was nice to hear from Aresia that the Wood Elf Morblin finally met his eleven year old daughter for the first time. From the sound of it, Morblin is among the Thalmor who are going to listen to what Aresia is telling them and that is good news for him. I'm sure the mother of his daughter is also happy to see how much he has changed, based on what you've said, she was scared of him back when he was eighteen when their daughter was conceived."

"From what I know of Morblin, he was young and reckless at the time like a lot of young men are at his age. Ocarin was a very good influence on him and Morblin knows it," Rornak says to Adria. "Ocarin is as single as they come so for the time being Morblin is the closest thing he has to a son and he raised him up well."

"Looks like the ceremony is starting," Adria says and the two look over their shoulders as the doors into the wedding hall open. Selana is in a beautiful white dress and Harbin is dressed to the nines in his officers' uniform. As the two walk in, they are surprised when Grimbor walks out onto the stand in the fine robes of a priest of the divines.

"Today before us in this hall of love we give witness to the joining of two lovers into one," Grimbor says as Harbin and Selana approach him. "From Mara's grace we are blessed with the gift of love and today we shall see it unite these two before us now and beyond death." Harbin is struggling to keep a straight face as he never expected Grimbor to the be one to conduct the ceremony. It is well within his ability though since he did say some time ago that he would marry the two on the spot. Because of their front row seats Rornak and Adria get to see Harbin struggle to no laugh at the fact that Grimbor is indeed going to be the one to marry them. As Grimbor moves through the ceremony it becomes increasingly clear just how serious he was about marrying the couple before him on the spot months ago. He knows every single thing he needs to say by heart and doesn't stumble. Finally he comes to the end of the ceremony, "do you Selana, takes this man beside you to be your husband, now and forever?"

Selana responds, "I do."

Grimbor turns to Harbin, "and do you Harbin, take this woman beside you as your bride, now and forever?"

"I do," Harbin responds to Grimbor.

"Then it is done," Grimbor says to the couple, "by the power bested in me by Lady Mara, I pronounce this couple to be married and this ceremony is complete. May their love continue to burn now and long into the afterlife." With this the ceremony concludes and Rornak and Adria walk out of the main hall behind the new couple while applauding and watch as Harbin and Selana leave via carraige to go on their honeymoon.

"It is nice to see all of your friends now married, I'm surprised that Harbin is still unaware that Grimbor and Amaria are offically married. But they did have a family only venue so I can understand," Adria says to Rornak. "Where do you think the road leads to now?"

"Who can say," Rornak responds to Adria. "I'm just glad I have you to walk it with me."

"Oh Rornak, you know just how to make me blush," Adria says and the happy couple kisses for a short time before they turn to head home and instead of relaxing they go out of the city. Outside the city of Windhelm, in Deep Wood Hunter Armor and Men-at-Arms Light Archer Armor, Rornak the White Wolf and Adria the Grey Wolf prepare to hunt their new prey. Those that have made the fatal mistake of violating the rules of war.