- 30th of Frostfall, 4E 202 -
Today was bittersweet.
After hiring the services of a local swordsman, I headed back to the ruins to confront the ghost. But only halfway there a dragon appeared overhead and we were forced into a fight. My hired sword had a bow, and put it to use right away, while I used my shout of force and mace whenever I could.
Finally we coaxed the beast into a fight on the ground, and I went in for the kill while it's attention was on Stenvar, my new companion. Over and over I struck the beast's neck, looking for a weak point. It was dangerous business. At any moment the dragon could turn and bite me in half if I wasn't paying attention.
I was feeling pain all over, so when the dragon suddenly rose back into the air I was grateful. We could use the trees as cover for a minute while we recovered and the dragon came back for a second round. But as the dragon's wings carried it upward I caught something in my peripheral vision.
Turning my attention back to the ground I just barely had time to raise my shield as a giant sabre cat pounced on me. So much for recovering. I tried to get Stenvar's help but he was fixated on the dragon and I was left to fend for myself, bleeding and weak, against the nastiest feline I've ever done battle with.
My fear and surprise quickly turned to anger and I gave the sabre cat a beating unlike any other. This not only left the cat dead, but also helped me recover since my mace can magically absorb the life force of my enemies.
The dragon returned, just as I finished my business with the cat. My anger was still peaking as I rushed in haphazardly and began given the dragon a beating as well. Stenvar went to work on it with his sword as well, and after some time we felled the creature.
As much as I wanted to continue and finish the task I had set out for, I wasn't about to leave the dragon's valuable bones and scales for someone else to collect and sell. But I would need my horse to make this an easier trip back to Windhelm. Only I couldn't find her anywhere.
I looked in the trees, across the road, up the hill. Nothing. I couldn't hear her anywhere either. My earlier anger now turned to frustration. The day was slowly passing and I had paid five hundred good coins for Stenvar's service and I didn't want to have to pay him for a second day. I needed to find Dawn and get the bones and scales back to Windhelm right away.
So I continued looking for her. Obviously the dragon had scared her off, and it was just a matter of doing a methodical search of the area to find out where she had found a safe refuge. But as I came around a cluster of boulders I wasn't prepared for what I saw.
Dawn was dead. I couldn't tell if it was the dragon or the sabre cat that had brought her fate, but she was dead either way. My frustration turned back to anger, as I had just lost a great companion, and would need to part with another thousand coin at least to replace her. And that's even if I could find a horse for sale. This day was going quite poorly.
Despite it all, we made our way back to Windhelm with what we could carry, and I sold it off. I then checked with the stable master and purchased a new horse, which I have refused to name. We saddled him up and headed back to where we had left the dragon. And not surprisingly, someone else had come along and stripped the remaining scales and bone away, so we just continued to the ruins.
Inside we found the ghost, pacing in the room where I had left him. I had use a bit of my remaining gold to purchase a bow so we could at least try and attack the foul thing from a distance. The bow was enchanted, and I had purchased it because I remember my grandfather always talked about how ghosts were not affected by regular weapons. This one would hopefully burn the ghost and keep us alive.
My first arrow flew and my mouth was open even before it hit. This time I was going to get the first strike in, and the first shout. My arrow struck and my voice lifted the ghost into the air and flung him backwards. I was somewhat surprised that my voice worked against the thing. I hadn't expected it too.
Stenvar broke with the plan to use bows and charged in with his sword instead. Such is working with mercenaries. I continued to strike with arrows while Stenvar did his best with his sword. The ghost was very powerful, though, and within a short time Stenvar was on his knees and near death. So I ran in with my mace flying to draw the shade's attention away.
It worked, and I began retreating. I was trying to evade and block blows from the ghost's deadly axe, while trying to find my voice as well. Just as I found it Stenvar made his way back into the fight, and my shout send both him and the ghost flying. Imbecile.
Just when I needed his help the most, Stenvar was back on the ground coughing up blood. So I continued my dance with the ghost. Evade a blow. Block a blow. Bash back. Strike with my mace. Feel the sting of the ghost's axe. Step away. Evade again. Block again. Get hit again. Strike back again.
Finally Stenvar made it back into the fight, as I was once again looking for the opportunity to use my voice. The two of us were hurting badly and we had reached a critical point. It was time to either end the fight or flee. The only alternative was death for both of us.
I was contemplating a retreat just as the ghost took a blow from my mace and Stenvar's sword simultaneously, and he staggered backwards. I sensed the weakness, and sensed our opportunity, and decided to push the fight at the risk of my own life. We renewed our efforts, and pushed against the shade harder than ever. We were now landing more blows than he was returning.
Finally, he fell to our hands. I nearly collapsed from exhaustion.
The ghost, it turns out, was the ghost of Ynogr himself .. the nord lost at sea in the book I had read earlier. His skeleton was still resting in the throne I had seen, and a magnificent helmet adorned his skull.
I took the helmet and found it fit well. I also found it was a better construction than my orcish helmet, and was enchanted as well. In addition to my nord-born resistance to frost magic, this helmet would provide me additional protection against those arts.
We finished exploring the tombs but found nothing else. I left happy to have found such a nice helmet, but disappointed that I had found a word wall. I'm realizing now that not all of these old nord ruins may have word walls. Some are just tombs or other structures. I'm just going to have to keep at it.
I bid Stenvar farewell, and let him keep the leather helmet I had purchased him the day before. He had helped me kill a dragon and very powerful shade, and it seemed a tip was in order. Tomorrow I plan to head to Dawnstar .. and from there to a ruin I discovered a while ago along the coast.
