Skyrim IV: The Ghost of Hamvir's Rest

Chapter Six: The Headless Horseman

  "So, Karliah told me months ago that she wasn't done with me yet." I said as Sinding, Serana and I were walking home from Whiterun. The town we still bustling even during the late hours.  We had decided to walk home since I wanted to get my bearing. I had no desire to go into Jorrvasker, as I was still angry with Aela and thought it was better if we didn't talk. Sinding takes ahold of my hand as we exit the town gates and walk towards are home in the distance. "I remembered when he hurt you, but I never thought that Vulono-" Sinding says in a low voice. 
"Oh that?" I ask, gripping his hand back. "That was a while ago, and I had to get Arodil to understand."  Sinding stops and turns to me, his hand brushes against my cheek. Serana smiles and says, "I'll keep heading home, give you two a little 'privacy'." She laughs and moves past off, heading the our lighted manor in the distance. 
   "Why are you so driven to make him understand how evil Vulono is?" Sinding asks, his voice cracking with emotion.  I swallow. "Because, Sinding, other than you, and our little family-" I brush away a stray tear with the back of my palm. "I don't have any family left. No mother, certainly no father, and the man who raised me is in Soverngarde. Maybe...maybe...." I brush another tear and whisper, "I'm sorry." 
   Sinding leans my head against my chest and holds me to him as I sob. "I.....I want to save him, Sinding, and I don't know why. But I feel like I have to." 
   Sinding shushes me and says, "He's your brother, your true blood brother, of course you want to save him."
  I sniffle, "And I'm so worried about the baby." 
 Sinding nods, " I knew that was part of it." 
   "And, I don't know, this is different than with Lucia, it's so natural with her, but what if, what if I'm a horrible mother to our baby-"
   The sounds of hoofbeats caused me to stop and we both stop and turn as a rider comes upon us. The horse was a large horse, but it could only be seen against the moon lit sky. It was transparent, being able to see the landscapes through it. It's rider was  large man with a large war axe strapped to his back. The axe had a purple hue in it's center, where the blade was. And the large rider, was without it's head. The horse slowed down a few feet from us and the Headless Horseman turns towards us, as if he was looking at us. In a echoey, hollow voice, the specter says, "Beware of the Men who will take the God-Cleaver."  With that, he moves his horse until a gallop and fades away as he rides towards Rorikstead.
  I use the back of my sleeve to wipe off the rest of my tears as I say, "That just made this a whole lot harder than we thought."
   
    "So, we have to find this Dunmer elf in order to get our hands on The God-Cleaver?" Aela asks as she sits in front of the fire in The Mead Hall. 
  After Sinding and I had seen The Headless Horseman, we had returned to Jorrvasker to let the others in the Circle know we have seen, and have found out from talking to Arodil. 
  Vilkas listened quietly by the fire, as Farkas stood behind his brother, his arms crossed. Aela, still healing, was sitting across from the brothers. I had pulled a chair from the table and sat in it, with Sinding leaning against it behind me.  
 "It would seem so, but I remember she told me in the past, that our paths would cross again." I say, looking at my hands. 
"But how do you know it's not just a lie, sister?" Aela asks, leans forward in her seat. I look up at her and say, "I do not know if it is a lie or not, but considering who she lead me to, I'd like to think she was telling the truth." My voice was edgy.  And I was finding her doubt in me really annoying. 
   "But how can you even get ahold of this Karliah?" Aela asks, leaning back in her seat. Farkas looks over at me, but Vilkas keeps his eyes on the flames.  
 "I don't know." I admit. 
"Oh really? I'm surprised you haven't thought that far ahead." Aela says. 
 I snap my head up and feel Sinding's hand squeeze my shoulder, a secret meaning for me not to fight back, but I was getting angry. 
  "Why do you keep goading her, Aela?" Farkas breaks the silence. "You jealous or something because she is Dragonborn and you are not?" 
  Aela looks up at Farkas and says, "Jealous? Ha! Why would I be jealous of her?" 
Ouch.
  "It's not like she is all knowing? Or maybe she is, and she can stop this foolish Civil War, she was able to kill a dragon, not to mention fight vampires and old magicians." Aela says, her voice bitter.  
   I get to my feet and Sinding backs up quickly, "Tanii." he says when I look back at the others, "You all have a good night. And if you need me, you know where to find me. For now, find the elf and get your hands on the axe yourself." I brush past Sinding and exit Jorrvasker. I could hear Farkas start a fight with Aela from inside.  Sinding is right behind me when the doors of the Mead Hall open and Vilkas strides over towards us. 
 I slow down my pace a little bit, but continue to walk as both Sinding and Vilkas catch us. "I apologize for leaving so abruptly, Vilkas." I say, my hands clenched into fists. "But it is better if I don't get into an argument with Aela."
   "That's what I was hoping to talk to you about, Taniiaae." Vilkas says as he side steps in front of me, making me stop. I look at him and see how exhausted he looks, dark circles under his eyes. He rubs his face and says, "Don't take it personally with Aela-"
"She's making it hard not to." I say, crossing my arms. 
 "What's gotten into her anyways, Vilkas?" Sinding says, coming up besides me. "Aela has always been a tough woman, but she is being more aggressive than usual."
Vilkas sighs and says, "She would kill me for telling you this, but remember when I told you that she is trying to convene with the Totems of Hircine to speak to Skjor?" 
  "Yeah?" I say. 
"She's not just trying to speak to him, she's trying to bring him back." Vilkas says. 
 My mouth drops open and Sinding speaks. "How can she bring back the dead?"
Vilkas closes his eyes and shakes his head. 
  "We had Skjor's body cremated, almost a year ago." I say, "There is no body for him to return back to."
 Vilkas nods, "I know. I know. Aela is beyond reason, she has found one of the Totems of Hircine and has made an agreement with Hircine, to release Skjor from the Hunting Ground of his realm to spend the rest of their lives together, as long as she sells her soul to him in return."
   "I think we knew she always planned to chose going to Hircine's realm over Sovergarde, but after this, I think we know what she wants." I say, exhaling. "So.....she is trying to sell her soul, that is already Hircine's due to her beast blood, to him again, to exchange her soul to bring back Skjor's, so they could both be together in this realm, but to both go back when they die? Is there something I'm not understanding?" I ask. 
   Vilkas gives a tired laugh, "That's all that she revealed to me, Farkas doesn't even know. I have a feeling that the Daedric Prince has more he is willing to take from her in order to get what he wants." 
  "So, why is she angry at me?" I ask. 
"She's jealous of you, Taniiaae." Vilkas says simply. 
  "But why? I wouldn't even be jealous of me." I say, thinking of all that has happened to me in the last several months and the danger I've put myself and family in.  
 "You are the Dragonborn." Vilkas says, lifting my chin up. "You are Thane to Jarl Balgruuf's court. You saved your husband's life-"
"Many times, in fact." Sinding offers, taking my hand in his and giving it a squeeze. Vilkas nods. "You released Kodlak's soul, you can consume the souls of dragons, you have been to Soverngard and Solstheim, fought the World-Eater and the First Dragonborn, not to mention ending the Vampiric War before it started. Aela is jealous because you are strong, and your life is full. You give without taking for yourself.  Despite the pain you have had, you don't live in anger. You live in love." 
 I feel touched by his kind words, "I didn't know you thought that about me." I say.
Vilkas nods, "Kodlak would be so proud of you and how far you have come." My mouth opens a little and before I can say anything, Vilkas looks up at the sky and says. "It's late. I'm sure you need to get home." He gently touches the top of my head and says, "You were always such the little sister to us." He moves past me before clapping Sinding on the back and saying goodnight as he heads off into the darkness. 

   Serana had only reached a few feet of the homestead before stopping when she heard a sharp whizz go by her ear. The woman turned at the sound of hoofbeats coming up the pathway by the homestead. Serana's breath caught when she saw a spectral rider with no head gallop by the stables and disappear in the distance. Turning to look behind her, there was an arrow lodged into the earth. Serana picked it up and took the parchment off of the arrow and read it. All it said was,  
       
          "I know that the Dragonborn is wanting to speak to me. We can talk meet in Bloated Man's Grotto, I'm sure you know where that is. 
                                                                                                                                                        K"

Serana looked up towards the rooftops and thought she saw a glint of deep, purple eyes. And as quickly as she saw them, they disappeared. Serana looked down at the note again and entered the house before being stopped by a sword to her throat. She sucks in a breath and croaks, "Lydia? What on earth are you doing?" 
 Lydia backs up, looking shocked and lowers her blade down and Serana slides into the house, closing the door behind her. "I'm sorry, Lady Serana, I thought I had heard something on the roof and didn't know who was trying to break in." 
   She rubs her face and asks, "Where is Thane Taniiaae and Sinding?"  
Serana sets the note on the table and slumps down in a chair. "They were supposedly having a talk with each other but that was a while ago. I'm surprised neither of them caught up to me."  
  Lydia nods and says. "I think with the arrival of the elf, things have changed. I can feel it." 
"I saw the headless horseman before I entered inside." Serana says. "I have a feeling so did Tanii and Sinding."  She shakes her head, "In regards to the elf, it has brought some.....hostility in this city."   
  "You haven't been in Whiterun for long, Lady Serana. It's a good town, but it is always on edge. Ever since the death of the Harbinger, Kodlak Whitemane and the attack of Alduin, this city seems to always look for things that are wrong. It's never at peace."
   Serana rubbed her eyes, and sighed. "So, I received another letter today from House Ravenwatch from the Courier."
  Lydia leaned forward in her seat, "From your mother? Is everything-"
"Yes, everything is fine. My mother and Fennorian seemed to work well together, this one was from Ronthil though."
  "The Bosmer Vampire?" Lydia asks. 
Serana nods, "It seems that is planning on leaving House Ravenwatch and wants to meet me. He said...that he had undergone....the cure for Vampirism." 
  Lydia smiles in relief, "Oh, that's a good thing! Isn't that a good thing? I mean, you did." 
Serana nods, "It is, and Fennorian has been generous, offering Ronthil a place to stay. But the elf says he feels lost where he is, and he keeps having....memories of a past he doesn't remember. He is returning to Skyrim and hopes to stay with us while he figures out what path he wants."
  "I'm sure Thane Taniiaae and Sinding would let him stay." Lydia says. 
Serana smiles, "I'm sure, but it would be polite to mention it." 
  Lydia nods, "Of course. When should we expect him?" 
Serana looks up. "He said he would take the first ship out of High Rock towards Skyrim at the beginning of the new week." 
  She slides her chair back and says, "I'll speak to Taniiaae and Sinding in the morning." She steps back from the table before she stops down at the note that was attached to the arrow shaft. She points at it. "We need to give this to Taniiaae. I think it was meant for her."