Chapter 16
He was reading the new alchemy book which Ce’vale had bought for him. It had more complex recipes for healing potions and poisons. Ciel’nn found himself thrilled about all this information even though some of the ingredients were hard to come by. He’d have to make a trip to Vvardenfell, where he hadn’t been yet.
It would provide the time to get away from Maltrys, though he was worried about his mother. Maltrys had started experimenting with soul gems as of late and it made Ciel’nn restless.
“We finally found you, Skawulf.” snarled the Thalmor agent, Moramen. “We’ve been looking for you across the Rift, and yet here you are – in the shadows of Forelhost.” He gestured at the area with his hand. Moramen’s gaze turned to the Dunmer. “You…”
The older man pushed past Ciel’nn and the young warrior. “You will have no victory here, Thalmor!” he shouted in anger and raised his sword to attack the stalking party.
“Cinrar, Athantar and Aldoril! Take care of them! The Nord must be a Talos worshipper,” Moramen addressed his soldiers and they drew their weapons out. The Thalmor agent prepared to deal with the crazed Nord by himself.
Ciel’nn made a quick roll away and drew his blades out. “N’wah.” he hissed as he prepared to put down the Thalmor soldier who was casting him a vicious look. He’d make sure this one would suffer, a lot.
Rangalen had his sword already out, when the old Nord had barked “Thalmor”. He had turned around while he made sure Ciel’nn was alright. Now, Rangalen had his eyes fixed on the two soldiers. The training with Sinmir came alive in his mind as he brought his sword up and he took a stride towards the altmer soldiers and slashed at them.
The battle was perilous with Skawulf fighting Moramen, and two friends against the soldiers.
Ciel’nn had rolled away from Cinrar who pressed on him. The altmer soldier had gotten various wounds and yet he had avoided the Dunmer’s poisoned dagger. He would have to think of another tactic – maybe provoking the mer into a rage would work. A smirk spread on Ciel’nn’s lips. “Does Talos whisper into your ear, too?” he winked while he looked directly into the mer’s eyes.
“Shut up!” Cinrar hissed and raised his mace up to smash it on the Dunmer, but Ciel’nn was quick to roll to the side and he got stabbed deeply on his side. A scream of pain escaped his lips when Cinrar crumbled to his knees holding his side.
“You’ll die soon enough.” Ciel’nn said with a smirk. “I hope we meet in Oblivion so I can stab you again.” Oblivion or Aetherius – it didn’t matter after all that he had been through. Oblivion seemed to be the only place because he was tainted by the Daedra. The Dunmer didn’t know if he wanted to be united with his ancestors either. In his heart Ciel’nn knew he didn’t have a place to go after he died. Thinking about this all, he watched Cinrar dying in front of him. It brought a little comfort to him.
The Thalmor soldier Aldoril fell down, dead and Rangalen had the other, Athantar, in his sights. They circled around each other like a prowling pair of wolves. He held his sword firmly and he made sure the shield was also firmly in his hand. The Altmer soldier slashed at him furiously and the young warrior was ready to counter it with a shield bash then his sword slashed horizontally. It made a gash on Athantar’s throat. Rangalen bashed the elf once more with his shield and he gave him a quick death once the soldier was down. He glanced around for Ciel’nn who was nearby watching the other dead soldier – he didn’t seem have any injuries, but who could really tell before the fight was over.
The Thalmor agent sneered at the old Nord – he had managed to wound him a few times before the man had backed off. Feeling triumphant, Moramen approached the Nord, but he suddenly cast a shock spell on the young warrior who shouted in pain and struggled to stay on his feet. “I’ll have you all!” the agent gloated.
Ciel’nn saw his friend being rendered almost defenseless – it made him feel rage almost instantly. The older Nord was also down to one knee. Without thinking, Ciel’nn renewed his grip on his blades and dashed straight toward the throat of Moramen. His first series of slashed were avoided, but he kept at it – waiting until the agent would make a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes sooner or later. The hisses the agent let out were a signal to the Dunmer that the other was losing his patience and neither of them could get a real hit on each other.
Being tired Moramen backed away and he looked more than mildly furious. How he could he not scored a single hit on the Dunmer? It was infuriating! Then it struck him – this Dunmer was the reason why so many of their Thalmor Patrols went missing or were found dead later. Moramen licked his lips as they had gone dry. He’d finish this Dunmer here and now. The agent prepared to cast a spell – he had calculated he’d have the time for it, but his eyes went wide as a plate as Ciel’nn had struck him through his chest with his dagger. He stared at the Dunmer’s eyes as they stared back, but not in hate – it was something else. A cold satisfaction was all that he could see before he gurgled and grabbed at the Dunmer’s clothes. Moramen gasped as if he was going to say something but collapsed on the dirt, his hands slipping off from Ciel’nn’s clothes. “We bow to no none, Thalmor!” he heard the Dunmer snarling at him before he died.
“You’re quite a fighter.” the old Nord breathed out as he stood up. He had a bleeding wound on his arm but it didn’t seem to bother him. “I am Skawulf. Now, by Talos, what do you two want here?” he asked in a neutral tone. “No one come and seeks Skawulf out.” he added as he eyed the Dunmer who was helping the younger warrior up.
“I’m no fighter, but he is and seeks your guidance for training.” Ciel’nn said as he looked at Rangalen’s face as if to determine if the shock spell left any visible injury. “Are you alright?” he asked as his finger stroked the young warrior’s cheek.
“I’m shaken, but I’ll be alright, Ciel’nn.” Rangalen replied in a rough tone. “You had me scared to death when you went for the Thalmor. Seems you gave him a cruel painful death.” he added smiling. “Remind me not to anger you.”
Ciel’nn laughed, paused and he looked at Rangalen again. He laughed heartily. “Angry? At you? I can’t…” How can I? He brought his hand up to brush the stray hair behind his ear. The Dunmer was glad that the young warrior wasn’t badly injured. They turned towards the old Nord who had been observing them a little while now. “I’m Ciel’nn, and this is Rangalen Mistgaze.” he said to the older Nord.
Skawulf looked closely at the younger Nord, and gasped. “By Shor! I wasn’t… I wasn’t prepared for this. Not yet.” he began to mumble and then he turned away. “By Shor… he has the look...”
The Dunmer and the young warrior exchanged their glances. Ciel’nn was as puzzled as Rangalen, and he wasn’t sure if the older Nord was as utterly insane as the folk claimed him to be, or did he just go crazy just now – just by having seen Rangalen?
“Excuse me, Skawulf?” Rangalen tried to reach for the old warrior. “I’m only seeking training for combat if you have the time.” He waited but Skawulf still had his back to them and mumbling about Shor and other things the young warrior couldn’t hear so well.
Ciel’nn rolled his eyes and he took an apple from his backpack. “This could take a while. We can leave tomorrow if the situation hasn’t changed.” he said before walking over to a tree and leaned against it. All the fighting had made him hungry. Dodging and lunging at the enemy consumed energy and that Thalmor agent had dodged like a fox or something.
“Training! Young Shor seeks training!” Skawulf whispered suddenly. “I’ll train you myself! It is meant to be so! Have a seat, rest and eat!” the old Nord gestured wildly around his camp.
Rangalen frowned while Ciel’nn just raised his dark brow up. The young warrior wasn’t sure how to take this treatment as ‘Young Shor’. Maybe the old Nord had gone mad after all. Skawulf had looked at him as if he was a special person. He didn’t feel like one though.
They sat and ate with Skawulf who told them about how he had fought against the fifteen Thalmor soldiers alone and just barely won. He still suffered some of his old wounds. His gaze at the young warrior stayed respectively short before he fell quiet. Ciel’nn was nibbling his bread and wondered about the whole thing of the Shor and Rangalen connection. Whatever it may be they better focus on the training.
“Fifteen Thalmor soldiers. That’s a lot for a man to fight alone.” Rangalen said thoughtfully before he took a chug of his mead bottle. Things were strange with this old Nord. He couldn’t say if the man was half crazy or just have been isolated for too long. His eyes shifted towards the Dunmer who was also in his own thoughts. “You alright, Ciel’nn?”
“Yeah. Just a lot to think about.” Ciel’nn replied as he glanced at the young nord. He looked at Skawulf, “Do you know about riddles?” he asked and told the old Nord the puzzling warning. The reaction he received from Skawulf told Ciel’nn the man knew something.
“So it’s true!” Skawulf gasped as he was staring at the fire. “The legends are indeed coming to us! And, dark times are upon us soon. We must be prepared!” He looked at the younger Nord warrior, “We must begin your training tomorrow morning!” Skawulf seemed to be in anxious about the puzzling warning. “Soon…”
“But, who are the legends?” Ciel’nn asked in a rough tone. His throat hurt whenever it was cold, and they didn’t have honey with them. Damn it. Thankfully the camp is at a windless place.
“No one knows the legends until first one shows themselves in a great way.” the old Nord replied in a mysterious tone. “Get some rest, lads.”
Ciel’nn moved his bedroll closer to Rangalen’s and settled down next to the young warrior. Hopefully he could get a night’s rest without nightmares. He felt the Nord’s hand stroking his hair like he always did to help him sleep.
“It’s strange that you travel with this elf.” Skawulf spoke in a lower tone. “Aren’t you a Stormcloak, young one? Your war tattoo…”
“Yes, but I don’t follow Jarl Ulfric’s ideals. Ciel’nn’s is my friend.”
We’d be more than friends if I’d allow it. But I prefer to stay close friends.
“I see. It’s interesting. Times are getting interesting even though darker, too.”
He listened to their quiet talking before he fell asleep. He felt safe being close to the Nord and he wondered who had sent the Thalmor party to their deaths. Would it be Ancano? Or Elewen? Or perhaps both? Someone else? Ciel’nn decided to worry about it later, and focus on tomorrow’s plan.
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Comments
And so they would sort of like to be together. I wonder what's stopping them?
*blinks dumbly as I do every time I hear about deities*