Vilkas and Aela - now the most senior of the Circle, argued over Kodlak's final wishes in the confines of the Underforge. Vilkas insists that the old Harbinger was close to finding a cure to the werewolf curse, and wanted to continue the search. But Aela - who had always seen her werewolf form as a blessing - thinks otherwise.
The argument grew hot, but it was finally settled by Eorlund. The old smith entered the cave with the completed Wuuthrad - Kodlak had apparently hid the remaining piece of the axe in his room!
With the axe completed, the way into Ysgramor's tomb is open - Vilkas suggested that the Circle head to the burial grounds, where the truth about the werewolf blood can be judged by the spirits of first Companions themselves.
We braved the biting cold of Winterhold to reach the tomb of Ysgramor at the base of the cliffs facing the northern sea, near Winterhold. The difficult terrain and sheer respect to the August leader of the Nords (and perhaps the fear of the spirits that guard him still) had kept the tomb in good condition for millenia.
Within the mound, I returned the axe to Ysgramor's statue, unlocking the door that led the way into the depths. In these silent halls rested many of the original Companions - Ysgramor’s honour guards - and they would expect their successors to fight them for the right of entry. The fights with the many spirits that linger in the tomb takes a toll on all of us, but eventually Aela and myself reached the final hall.
Kodlak’s spirit is here - he explained that his suspicions were right - that the werewolf taint had prevented the Companion spirits from entering Sovngarde. He is delighted to hear that I had dealt with the hargravens like he asked, and bade me place one of the heads on the pyre. I did as he asked, but the taint would not go without a fight.
A wolf spirit welled from Kodlak's spectral form and we had to fight it off. As the spirit faded, Kodlak thanked me for freeing his spirit, and said that he would find a way to free the rest of the Companions from the taint. As he never had the chance to name a successor, Kodlak's last act is to name me the new Harbinger in the presence of the Circle.
His choice was less controversial than I thought, for Vilkas, Farkas, and even Aela accepted my leadership after these recent events. Before we leave the tomb, I decided to cleanse my own wolf-curse as well.
-
No comments:
Post a Comment