No.24- The Bastard Silver Hands Retaliate! (Dragon 9)

Dragon in Riverwood

After finishing off the Glenmoril Coven, we hoofed it back towards Whiterun.  Approaching  Riverwood, that rousing "lets fight" Skyrim Combat music started!
I looked around expecting bandits, but then I heard that familiar whoosh over heard and shouted, "It's clobber'n time!" as my team spread out. So far when you've seen one dragon fight you've seen them all. Lydia, Sparky (my fire atronach), and I battled the beast until it crashed down on the finger of land in the river by the mill. A crowd came out to gawk and pat us on the back. I was happy Delphine was not there to ask us why I was not in Solitude. Such is the life of a multi-tasking mage in Skyrim.

Jorvaskr Onlookers

After absorbing the accolades, we departed Riverwood and followed the river north to Whiterun arriving there after sundown. Normally by this time at night, the sidewalks are rolled up in this little hamlet, but there was a crowd on the street gathered in front of Jorrvaskr, the Companion Guild. The Silver Hands had finally reacted to getting their butts kicked across Skyrim and had struck home while I was away collecting witch heads from unwilling witches.

Aela, Watch Your Furriness

A body, belonging to a Silver Hand laid on Jorrvaskr's steps with Aela the Huntress standing over it, sword drawn, ready for more! Glancing back at the crowd, passing her I whispered "Watch your furriness". The magnitude of this attack became apparent when I walked into Jorrvaskr's front door and among the casualties, there lay Kodlak White-Mane dead and the fragments of the legendary Wuuthrad had been taken!

Companions Aftermath

I knew that Kodlak had wanted to be rid of the curse and that we needed to reforge Wuuthrad to gain access to a tomb and some witch heads to perform a ritual. Patting my squishy bag, I had just cornered the market on witch heads and knew I had done good! While not understanding what the Silver Hand wanted with the fragments of Wuuthrad, (maybe to perform their own ritual), we weren't exactly on speaking terms with them and needed the fragments back. There was no time to ponder as Vilkas recruited me to finish this conflict and seek vengeance for Kodlak. Vengeance is not normally my thing, but I was honor bound to comply. Unfortunately Lydia had to sit this one out. With a hug and pat on her posterior, she took it stoically, retiring to Dragonsreach until I returned.

Driftshade Refuge

Just north of Ft. Fellhammer lies Driftshade Refuge, another not-so-secret, Silver Hand hideout. Killing two sentries outside, in we burst making quick work of the remaining Silver Hands and retrieving the fragments.

Captured Werewolf in Driftshade

Had To Kill It

One disturbing encounter in Driftshade was when we freed a captured Werewolf apparently unable to understand who we were, went berserker and had to be destroyed.

Reminding myself not to get too cocky, also reminded me that having a husband could be fulfilling, however Vilkas was not my type. Of note, for story flexibility, my role-playing character in Skyrim swings both ways in relationships, but if it's going to be a guy, he's got to be a real beef cake, hansom, an intellect, and overall fun to be with (how I wish I was in RL :)). So far, with the help of an appearance mod, the babes out number the hunks in Skyrim, but generally speaking beautiful people are in short supply around here.

Kodlak's Funeral Pyre

Returning to Whiterun, I turned the Wuuthrad blade fragments over to Eorulund, the Companions blacksmith and attended Kodlaks funeral, a somber occasion. 

Underforge Conference

At a hasty Underforge meeting The Circle formulated a plan. I was shocked, but pleased when Vilkas expressed his doubts about the "gift or curse" and where it had led the Companions. Yeah, getting furry was a rush, but I hesitated to use it and it also interfered with my sleep, tossing and turning dreaming of chasing deer every night gets old. Kodlak had wanted to be cleansed and there was a possibility that we could scrub his soul posthumously, but Wuuthrad, the Blade, was required to open the ancient tomb of Ysgramor to conduct a ritual. (Ysgramor's Blade, Ysgramor's Tomb, if you wondering who exactly is Ysgramor, see this link.)

I suppressed an urge to cheer when Eorulund walked into the Underforge with Wuuthrad reforged in all it's glory. It was one mean looking blade. It was two-handed, not my preference, but they made me carry all 24 pounds of it. (I like one hand free for spells.) For Kodlak, we would use Wuuthrad to open the tomb  of Ysgramor and perform some soul scrubbing. Would it cleanse all of us? Unknown at this time.