Skyrim II: The Dragonborn Comes.

Part Four: Tidings of War.

  "So you say that Kodlak's spirit is haunting the halls of Ysgramor's Tomb?" Vilkas asks. 
We stand together in the Underforge. Vilkas, Aela, Farkas, Sinding, Eorlund Greymane and I. 
I nod, "That's what I was told in a dream by the Daedric Prince Hircine." 
"How much trust can we put into a Daedric Prince visiting dreams?" Farkas says, narrowing his eyes. 
"More than you realize." Eorlund says. His rough voice matches his huge build. He leaves his long, gray hair swept across his shoulders.  "I am no expert, but I know others who have been kissed by a Daedric Prince's curse." He raises his eyebrows at the five of us. 
"No kidding." I scoff, "Other than us, who have you met that are pawns of the Daedra?" 
Eorlund smirks. "You would be surprised. There is a castle to the in North. Its an very old castle, and it belonged to an old, royal family many, many years ago. Rumors were that the lord of the castle was a devout worshipper of the Daedric Prince, Molag Bal." 
My stomach churns. "Molag Bal? The Prince of Domination and Enslavement of mortals?" 
   "That's quite a tale, Eorlund." Vilkas remarks.  
"A tale? Or history?" Eorlund says. "Also, the Thieves Guild, were once devout worshipers of the Daedric Prince Nocturnal. Her cult was the Nightingales. What I am saying is that the Daedra worship is real. And often praised more in Cyrodiil. Dreams from them isn't uncommon."   
Aela meets my eyes.  "Eorlund is right. And since that is so, Hircine really does have his grip on Kodlak's soul." She says. I know its hard for her to mention this. She was the only member of the Circle who still worshiped Hircine, but she knew what the old man wanted. "So what we need to do is make a journey to the Tomb of Ysgramor." Farkas says, crossing his arms.
Eorlund nods. "I won't be able to make this journey, regrettably. My place is here, working steel with the Underforge." I tilt my head in slight confusion. "War is coming to Whiterun. And we need to be prepared." Eorlund says silently. 
"What do you mean?" Sinding asks, breaking his silence. Eorlund looks at us all. "Ulfric Stormcloak has offered his axe to Balgruuf in a treaty of alliance."
"Did he accept it?" Vilkas asked. 
"No." 
I feel my body tense up like a coil. "No? But surely by doing that-"
"He declared his side of the war." Eorlund says, "Balgruuf is a good man....but he is weak." 
"Eorlund, how can you say that?" Aela says, her voice raising. "That's almost treasonous-"
"Treasonous, Aela?" Eorlund said. "He is no king. We are in war. Just remember what side you are on when it comes to that." 
I look at Aela, "Eorlund....the Companions are not allowed to have an opinion on the war-" I try to say. 
"Don't be daft, Taniiaae. You know full well that Kodlak even had his thoughts on the war." 
He looks at Vilkas, "You now lead them. When the time comes, you have to decide where the Companions stand." 
  Before Vilkas could speak up, Eorlund left the Underforge. The room was silent. 
"If Eorlund sides with the Stormcloaks...." Farkas begins. 
"That could bring a war on our hands within the city." Aela finished softly.
"We should tell the Jarl." Farkas says, suddenly. 
"No, wait!" I say, suddenly. Everyone stares at me as I swallow. "I might be able to keep this war on Whiterun at a standstill....." I say quietly. 
Sinding tilts his head, "What do you mean, my love?" 
"I know the Dragonrend shout. A shout that can bring a dragon on his knees to me. Despite being in the midst of a civil war. We also have a problem with a dragon who wants to bring the end of the world.  I need to find him and stop him." 
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Malborn and Lydia stayed behind to watch Lucia. It was dusk when the Circle left Whiterun. We had to make it Ysgramor's Tomb. So much was happening right now, but first thing was first, and that was to release Kodlak's spirit to Sovengard. I said nothing as we made the long journey to the north. It got colder. The cold didn't bother us though, we were all werewolves...but I wondered. Now that Farkas had brought the Glenmoril Witch heads with us, if I had the choice, would I purify my blood? I know I wanted to before. But I thought about how much strength it gave me to be a wolf.  
I knew where my husband stood. He wanted to be pure.  And a part of me also wanted to be. 

When we arrived at the tomb, it was covered in snow. Aela lit a torch and we climbed down into the crypt. Farkas pushes the doors in and it rumbles as it slowly opens the rest of the way on its own. Vilkas steps in front of us all. He looks back at every one of us and says, "We do this for Kodlak." I nod. "For Kodlak."
  As we enter into the darkness, I could smell the damp and dirt clinging to the walls around me. As my eyes adjusted to dark, I saw the silhouette of a statue standing tall before us. When I drew closer, I could see letters carved onto the stand by its feet. 
"Here lies Ysgramor, the bearer of Wuuthraad." 
Vilkas hmphfs. "Its an insult, his hands are empty of Wuuthraad." I move past the status quickly, ready to move on through the cave. "Whoa, whoa, where do you think your going?" Aela's hand clasps around my arm hard. I turn around to face her. "I'm going down there. I need to do this." 
"You don't have to alone." Sinding says softly. I meet his eyes. They look hopeful. 
Aela nods, "Yes. We can do this. Together."
  We walk down into the crypt. I look around as the room becomes spacious and filled with high ceilings of old tombs. In the middle of room, I see a brazier. Its burning with a blue flame and I stop short. Before it, in the form of a phantom, I see Kodlak standing there watching the flames.
"Harbinger?" Farkas whispers. Kodlak looks up and I can see traces of what is a smile. "Hello, Farkas." He acknowledges us all. "It is good to see you all again." 
He looks at me, "Taniiaae. I can tell alot has changed in you....I can feel it." 
I feel my eyes well with tears, "I'm sorry, Master. I'm sorry I couldn't help you." 
Kodlak's look soften, "Nothing was your fault. Know that." 
Farkas removes his satchel, and holds it out to Kodlak. "The heads of the Glenmoril witches' coven. We can  set you free." 
  "How many are there?" Aela asks.  Vilkas opens it up and to his horror he looks up at me, and then Sinding, then Farkas.  "Four." 
Aela raises a brow. "Four, while is that a problem, I don't choose to change." 
Vilkas shakes his head, "No, but there are five who do. What will we do-"
"I'll give mine up." Sinding says silently. I look at him in surprise. I see that his hands are trembling but he gives me a smile. "I rather have you free then I know I took your chance." he says, only to me. I shake my head, "No, Sinding. I want you to take mine. I know how you feel about the beast inside of you. I want you to be free." 
He starts to argue when I quickly rush over and press my lips to his. The kiss is hard, but full of yearning. I release it, "Do it. For me. For you." I whisper. He nods, tears in  his eyes. I pull away as I open the satchel and pull out one of the severed heads. Dried blood from where her head was cut was sticky on my hands. I look at Kodlak. "What should I expect when I throw it into the flames?" 
"Hircine will be angry. The souls of the wolves that bind us will attack you, but you have to be ready. They will only attack the one who feeds the head into the fire." Kodlak says quietly. I nod and without hesitation, I throw the head into the fire and say, "I release thee, Kodlak, from Hircine's grasp."
Kodlak gasps and falls to his knees as a wolf springs from him. I pull my knife out of its sheath and lunge it into its neck. The wolf spirit turns to dust as Kodlak's spirit glows. He looks at me and I can see a smile. "Thank you, Taniiaae. I always knew you were special. From the moment you entered into my life....daughter."  Before I can say more, he fades away. I look around but I see now that he is gone.  
"He went to Sovengarde." Vilkas says quietly. "He's with the ancestors themselves now."
  I nod. I feel a great relief wash over me. I was happy that I was able to free him of this realm, and from Hircine. I look at the others. "Who wants to go next?"
Farkas nodded at Sinding. "I believe its your beloved's turn."
Sinding slowly walks forward and hands me another severed head. "Are you sure you don't want to do this? Be rid of your wolf spirit?" He asks me silently. 
I nod, "I want this for you. I want you to be free. You deserve to be free." Before he could protest I threw the head into the blue fire and spoke. "I release thee, Sinding, from Hircine's grasp."  The soul of Sinding's wolf lunged at me. He fell to his knee, clutching his chest. I could feel the anger in this spirit as plunged my knife into its eye. It fades with a whimper. I look at Sinding, he is still breathing hard.  Vilkas kneels by him. "Are you alright, brother?"  Sinding looks up at him, and then at me. He seems.....smaller almost. "I-I haven't felt like this for a long time." I see tears in his eyes as he slowly gets up. He takes my hands and places them on his heart. "It's gone. The animal...its gone." Tears trickle down and he holds my face in his hands as he kisses my head. I hold back a shuddering breath. I can hear my own wolf inside me howl in anger. I didn't care. I pushed it down.  
  "Ok," I say in a soft voice. "Vilkas, Farkas....are you ready?"

After the rituals were completed, we all walked out of the tomb, one by one. First Vilkas, then Farkas, then Aela, and then Sinding and I. I kept my head down. I felt exhausted and emotional. Kodlak was finally free, and Vilkas was now the Harbinger. I hoped that perhaps there was another way to free myself from Hircine, but Kodlak was free, and so was Sinding. That's all that mattered to me. And the way Sinding reacted to the burden being lifted from his shoulders, was worth the price of my own. When we came out into the open, I hear Vilkas sigh. "I wonder how much more time Whiterun has until the attack."
Aela steps forward. "With what Eorlund was saying, I have a feeling we don't have much time" 
"I need to speak with Balgruuf." I say, quietly. "But I also have to make a detour to Riften first."  "Riften? Why?" Farkas asks. I meet his gaze. "I have to help someone find a friend. And then I can go to Balgruuf and ask him.....ask him to help me catch a dragon."