The Wolf Queen Awakens

Chapter 6

Elisif hadn't stopped running, using Whirlwind Sprint and her own stamina before finally she exhausted both and had to stop. And promptly realised she was lost, with no idea where she was or what direction she was heading in. Only that there was no one around and it was dark and late and... Elisif shivered in the cold and decided to press on. As long as she kept moving.

She finally found a road and followed it and before long it led to a town. A fishing village by the sea, with a ruined tower overlooking the place. Dawnstar. She'd just walked right into a Stormcloak town.

Fortunately, it seemed word hadn't got out this far yet, because the guards barely spared her a second glance. Elisif glanced down at once-shiny but now bloodstained and battered armour, realising she now looked nothing like a queen and everything like the mercenary she'd claimed to be at first. Time to be Maia again and hope this worked.

The first inkling she got that something was up was one of the guards warning her about nightmares. The second hint were the terrified miners in the inn pleading with a priest of Mara to help them. Huh. Mara. Once Elisif's favourite of the Eight as she'd prayed for a handsome prince to sweep her off her feet as a girl, and then she'd grown up and it had happened.

Then Ulfric Stormcloak had killed him and while she'd made offerings to the Eight after he died, she wasn't sure she could ever really bring herself to believe in Mara again. So she ordered a drink and some food and listened.

"But it's the same dream every night! How can that be natural?"

"Patience, my daughter. Just have faith in Lady Mara and she will protect you all."

Faith? Elisif had had faith once, but Torygg was still dead. Where had Lady Mara been then, hmm?

The miners seemed reassured and left, and the priest sat down at the table next to her. Elisif risked a look over at him. Now that the townsfolk had gone, his confidence seemed to have evaporated. In fact, he looked terrified and a little guilty. Elisif felt a little bit sorry for him and began to realise priests were human like anyone else (or mer in this man's case), they just had to sound confident in their gods to reassure everyone else. Just like a Queen or Jarl had to sound like they knew what they were doing too. Well, she could certainly empathise there.

"Excuse me," she began. "I couldn't help but overhear you talking with those townsfolk. Is everything all right?"

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"He's deceiving you. When the ritual is complete, Erandur will take the Skull for himself and turn on you. Kill him. Kill him and the Skull is yours!"

Elisif silently tightened her grip on her greatsword. Did the Daedra really think she was born yesterday? If Erandur did turn on her, one Shout would stagger him and her greatsword would probably make short work of him, but until he attacked her, she wasn't going to listen to otherworldly voices, thank you very much.

So she watched and waited, and Mara's power turned the Skull of Corruption into ash. Erandur lowered his hands and Elisif finally sheathed her blade. That had been an adventure and a half, and without Erandur's magic backing her up, she was sure she'd not have made it. As it was, it had been close on a number of occasions, and then there had been that terrifying Dreamstride. On the other hand, she now had a big collection of unusual alchemy ingredients to play with.

"Is that it?" she asked. "It's all over?"

Erandur nodded, but he didn't look happy considering they'd just saved Dawnstar.

"Yes, Maia my friend, it's done. Dawnstar will be safe now."

"You don't look pleased. Are you all right?" Elisif asked, concerned. Erandur smiled sadly, glancing at Theren and Vorek's bodies.