The Equine Scrolls: SkyFiM

by FireOfTheNorth

Chapter 19: Warriors Old and New

After leaving Chilled Hearth Barrow, Steadfast and I traveled around the Crest of the World to Whitetrot. My intention was to resupply, rest up, and head back out. Chilled Hearth Barrow was just the first of the Draugr ruins I intended to explore, but I wouldn’t be able to find more alone. If anypony knew where to find the resting places of the Draugr, Faniar would.

That was my plan, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to enact it immediately.

As I entered the town my concentration was broken by a deafening roar. In the setting sun I could make out the silhouette of a rapidly approaching dragon. When it reached the town, it landed atop Dragonsreach and let out a roar of challenge.

All my plans were put on hold as I rushed toward the keep. Whitetrot’s guards were shooting arrows at the dragon already, but most were bouncing uselessly off its thick hide. With a blast of fire, it roasted the nearest guards, forcing the others to retreat.

<<<FUS~RO~DAH!!!>>> I Shouted when I was close enough.

The dragon flinched back as my Shout hit it, nearly losing its grip on the roof. It turned toward me with anger in its eyes and blew a stream of fire at me. As I jumped out of the way, landing in one of the shallow pools leading down the hill from Dragonsreach, the dragon flapped back up into the sky.

I crawled from the pool dripping wet and headed down the hill, trying to get a better view of the dragon as it climbed. I pulled out my bow and fired a few arrows up at the dragon, but it was impossible to tell if they hit or not.

The dragon suddenly reached the top of its climb and went rocketing down. I continued to fire arrows at the dragon as it came, striking it several times. At the last moment it propped its wings open and landed in the upper town square, smashing the tree in the center into splinters. The townsponies that had left their homes to see what was going on quickly returned to them, hoping they would be safe.

<FO!> the dragon Shouted, sending out a stream of ice that froze everything it touched.

I shot fire at the blast as it neared me, but the Shout was just too powerful and it began to creep around my improvised defense. I felt my body temperature drop and frost began to form in my mane. The ice was suddenly cut off and my fire made it through. Steadfast had smashed the dragon’s tail with his warhammer and was continuing his charge, slamming his weapon into the dragon’s side.

It snapped at him as he ran past, but the dragon’s jaws failed to close upon my friend. As he ran past me I distracted the dragon, shooting lightning into its eyes. It turned away from Steadfast and back towards me.

<<WULD~NAH!!>> I Shouted, quickly closing the gap with the great lizard.

Grabbing what I assumed was its ear, I swung myself up onto its head, holding on with all my might. It thrashed around and I could feel my grip slipping, but I held on until it gave up. Well, it gave up on shaking me off at least; it didn’t give up on getting rid of me.

My stomach lurched as the dragon suddenly lifted off the ground, flapping up into the sky. When it seemed satisfied with the height it was at, it suddenly flipped over, leaving me suspended over Whitetrot. Using my magic, I blasted the dragon’s wings with fire, seriously damaging them and hoping the dragon would be forced to land. Instead, it stubbornly stayed in the air and gave a quick whip of its neck, throwing me toward the town below.

I may have screamed as I fell through the air, watching Whitetrot grow closer to me at an alarming rate. I had nearly fallen all the way to the square when suddenly my direction changed. I was hit by a pony who launched herself from the nearby temple and glided me down to the ground as best she could on her stubby wings.

“Thanks for the rescue,” I told Darkfeather when our roll came to a stop.

“Don’t mention it,” she said, “But I have to say, you’re all kinds of crazy for not letting go sooner.”

“Where’s the dragon at?” I asked.

No sooner had I said that than the great lizard smashed into the temple, the tattered remains of its wings still smoking. Smashing through what remained of the building, it came toward me, anger burning in its eyes. I readied Calcion’s Cleaver as it came, prepared to end this before Whitetrot took even more damage.

As it ran toward me, knocking everything in its path out of the way, I ran toward it. It opened its mouth to spew fire at me, but its jaw was suddenly snapped shut as Steadfast brought his warhammer down on the dragon’s nose. As its jaw slammed into the ground, I took advantage of the opportunity and jumped into the air, stabbing my sword into the dragon’s brain. Lightning arced over is forehead, lighting up the night as the beast died.

I was still trying to pull my blade out when the dragon combusted and the memories flooded into my mind. Foremost among them were thoughts of Pyne, and how the very mention of her in the dragon tongue could calm the fiercest of wild animals. I saw through the dragon’s eyes how I could control nature itself and subject the wildlife to my will.

<PAAN!> I Shouted, and all the nearby animals - chickens and a few rabbits - turned to look at me, settling into a state of calm.

“Another one,” Darkfeather commented, trotting up, “How many does that make for you now?”

“Five,” I answered.

“Well, I’m sure the Jarl will want to know his champion has returned, and saved the hold from another dragon at that. We should get up to Dragonsreach.”

Steadfast and I followed the dappled pegasus up the hill and past the burnt corpses of the guards, which were being brought away to the Hall of the Dead. Pushing the grand doors open, we entered the keep. Jarl Valor’s Blade was standing near his throne, giving orders to his guard as we approached.

“Round up every stallion and mare fit to bear arms,” he ordered, “We have to stop this menace from destroying the town.”

“No need milord,” Darkfeather said as we approached the Jarl, “The dragon lies dead, and though the Temple of Pyne lies in ruin, we are victorious.”

“There will be casualties in any battle,” Valor’s Blade commented, “But I am glad today’s were not too severe to heal from. It appears you have returned to our city just in time Sapphire. My choice in making you Thane was justified; of this I have no doubt.”

“Thank you Jarl,” I answered.

“Now, I think you had best see Faniar,” he said, “He’s been awaiting your return for days now.”

I followed the Jarl’s advice and trotted over to Faniar’s study. Apparently, his research had stretched into the night, as he was still there even though the sun had set.

“Sapphire, Steadfast,” he said as we entered, looking up momentarily from his notes, “So glad you made it back. Any news from the Greymanes on this dragon threat?”

“No,” I answered, “I don’t think they care much about what goes on outside of their monastery to be honest, which is one of the reasons I left.”

“That’s a pity. I thought for sure out of everypony in the Northlands, they’d have some clue as to what was going on.”

“Me too, but it they do, they’re not sharing it. Basically, my plan now is to search Draugr ruins for Words of Power and clues as to how Alduin was defeated in the first place. Do you know where any are?”

“Well, you’ve certainly come to the right place,” Faniar answered, “I’ve been working on cataloguing every Draugr ruin in Horizon. Now I finally have a reason to use it.”

Levitating his papers out of the way, he shuffled through the books buried beneath them on his desk until he found the one he was looking for. He paged through a rough, leather-bound journal until he was satisfied with his page choice.

“Here’s one that looks promising,” he said, marking the location on my map, “Ironhoof Barrow. It’s on the east edge of the Pale, near the north coast.”

“Thanks Faniar,” I said.

“Have you seen that Blade we met again since the dragon barrow?” Faniar asked as I began to leave.

“No, have you?”

“Not yet,” he said, shaking his head, “But I got to thinking, and I think I recognized her. You know how I sent you into Blank Flanks Barrow because I had a reliable source that told me it could be found there?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I think that was Scarlet Shores. Of course, she went by a different name and she looked a bit different, but I’m almost certain it was her.”

“Makes sense, I guess,” Steadfast said, “She was looking into the dragons just like us.”

“But why all the secrecy, I wonder,” I said, “Something tells me there’s more to that mare than she wants us to know.”

“Whatever it is,” Faniar said, “I’m sure she won’t reveal it until she chooses to. Right now, you should focus on Ironhoof Barrow. And be sure to let me know what you find there.”

After promising Faniar that I would, Steadfast and I left Dragonsreach and headed down to Breezehome for the night. Ironhoof Barrow could wait until the morning.

Faniar’s mark on my map of Horizon guided us right to the barrow. Up a set of aged steps, the entrance to Ironhoof Barrow was built right into the side of the steep hills of the coast. An abandoned cookfire and tent near the entrance told us we weren’t the only living ponies to come here. I was hoping it wasn’t bandits, but I didn’t have high hopes for what we’d find within the ruin.

The entrance was through the gaping stone mouth of a dragon’s head whose nose had fallen off ages ago. I still got a shiver as I passed through, though. It just didn’t seem right to be walking into a dragon’s mouth. Of course, that was probably the effect whoever had built this place had wanted it to have on intruders. I pressed on, keeping alert for Draugr.

This ruin was unlike any other I had been in. It was obviously set up to be a fortress first and a tomb second, unlike the previous ones I’d been in. The closest resemblance had been Blank Flanks Barrow, but even that had a significant portion of it devoted to preserving the dead. This was a palace in comparison, a later construction by a more powerful Draugr lord than Calcion.

The first corridor provided all the explanation needed for the building’s purpose. All carvings on the walls were focused on the subject of the destruction of the pegasi. Looking back, I could see even the doorway centered around it, the dragon’s head facing north toward the pegasi homeland in the distance. From what I’d seen in Windhorn, Jarl Stormcloud would be comfortable here.

Past the entry hallway was a grand hall with tables and chairs carved from stone. A twin staircase led down into the room, and other hallways led off deeper into Ironhoof Barrow.

“Where are all the Draugr?” Steadfast asked, “I’m getting a little anxious not seeing them.”

“I know what you mean,” I said, lowering my sword, “Maybe they’re staying down in the crypt.”

As we walked through the great hall, I heard a rustling coming from the passageways leading off. It looked like the Draugr weren’t content to stay down in the depths of the ruin after all.

<FO!> I Shouted at the first one that approached me, freezing its front half solid.

Five more remained, two on one side and three on the other. Jumping over the stone table, I swung my sword at one with a war axe. It quickly brought the axe up to block me and sparks flew as the blades met. I swung my sword back around to the other side of its head where it once again blocked me. Pulling out my Axe of Whitetrot, I swung it around at the Draugr’s legs. Cutting it off at the knees with my axe, I finished it off with a sword strike to the head.

I brought my axe up to block as another Draugr swung a sword at me. It was suddenly knocked to the side as another Draugr slammed into it, thrown through the air by Steadfast’s warhammer strike. I glanced over as he continued to spin around, pushing back another Draugr with his weapon.

My helmet rang as I missed the swing by the Draugr with the sword that had gotten back up. It hissed at me as I pushed it back with my own sword, nicking its side as I did. My war axe sliced through its foreleg as I swung it around, enraging the zombie further. It jumped toward me, the sword held in its mouth. I swung Calcion’s Cleaver around as hard as I could, actually shattering the Draugr’s blade as it impacted. A war axe to its neck finished it off.

The sound of shattering ice reached my ears, and I saw the Draugr I had partially frozen had broken free, though bits of ice still clung to its rotten flesh in places. Past where it stood, still shaking off the cold, I could see Steadfast was desperately trying to push back a Draugr with a greatsword.

<<<FUS~RO~DAH!!!>>> I Shouted, sending the frozen Draugr flying across the room and knocking the other away from Steadfast.

I jumped over the tables as the corpses both rose to their hooves, injured but still alive. As they strode toward Steadfast, my friend swung his warhammer around, smashing the first Draugr into the second and crushing the life from them both.

“Happy?” I asked him.

“Eh,” he said, giving a shrug, “At least they’re not just waiting to jump out at us anymore.”

“Come on,” I said, “Let’s see if we can get to the bottom of this place without too much trouble.”

Deeper into Ironhoof Barrow we delved, passing through the throne room and chambers of whatever pony had reigned here. A few Draugr wandered the hallways, but they were easily dealt with. Eventually, we reached the crypt far below the fortress.

Opening the heavy iron door, I found myself looking down a passage filled with Draugr mumbling in their ancient tongue. Thinking quickly, I shot a brief blast of fire at the ropes securing jugs of oil to the ceiling. The oil was sent plummeting into the crowd of walking corpses, igniting them in seconds. I slammed the door shut both to block out their screams of agony and to keep them from charging into the room Steadfast and I were in.
When the screams died down, I opened the door and stepped gingerly over the burnt corpses. The corridor was literally packed before, and navigating through the maze was not easy. Finally, I made it through and passed through the door at the end.

I found myself standing on a bridge carved from ancient stone stretching over a chasm carved out of the mountain. Looking down the chasm, I could see an elaborately carved door at the end and a line of brightly burning braziers lighting the way down. The chasm was also occupied, patrolled by Draugr guarding the remains of their master.

Pulling out my bow, I started shooting arrows down into the Draugr, picking them off wherever I could. I turned around and looked down the chasm behind me as I heard a Draugr hiss out its last breath. Steadfast had made his way down below and was smashing down the Draugr as he went. I continued to use my bow, picking off the zombies whenever they got too close for my friend to handle them, until the floor was mostly cleared.

Stowing my bow, I headed down to help Steadfast take out the last few personally. One with a mace came running toward me, and I blocked its swing with my war axe. As it maneuvered its mace to try to hit me again, I blasted it with fire. My war axe sliced up into the Draugr’s chest and through its armor, ending its life.

Another fell to Steadfast’s warhammer, and yet another to my sword as we charged toward the door. At the end, three Draugr with pikes charged us, their weapons lowered and ready to spear us through.

<<<FUS~RO~DAH!!!>>> I Shouted, sending all of them flying into the door, dead in an instant.

Pushing them aside, Steadfast and I swung the heavy doors open. The hallway beyond was decorated on either side by matching carvings, leading down to a door made of concentric rings at the end, just like in Blank Flanks Barrow.

As I walked down the passage, I observed the carvings in the flickering light of the multiple braziers. The first few centered around an earth pony stallion who was obviously a natural born leader and commander. I followed his journey as he fought in many battles, eventually becoming wounded and losing an eye. Further down the passage he was depicted as defeating even a dragon, and imprisoning it in his fortress, which I recognized as Dragonsreach. Eventually, he seized the kingship for his own, before his death and burial here.

When I reached the end of the room, I saw an elderly pegasus stallion lying dead near the door, a shattered lute near him. A bard scholar if I ever saw one. He had been felled by a Draugr blade when they had awoken, but I was curious as to why a bard would be down here in the first place.

A journal was tucked haphazardly into his cloak, and I carefully pulled it out, searching for a clue. Flipping through it, I turned to the last page with writing on it.

9th of Frostfall, 201 4E

I’ve found it at last! Buried deep in Ironhoof Barrow were the lost verses detailing King Oman One-Eye’s reign. Even in death, the tyrant couldn’t let the truth be known about him, entrapping the bard who dared detail it in his tomb, along with the verses he despised. But now I’ve finally got it, and the full story will be known. Everything, including how Razorak’s lies corrupted the king, turned him into the tyrant he was, and granted him his godlike powers, will be laid bare. Oh, Headmistress Concerto will be so pleased to hear this, she may even push up the Burning of King Oman Festival so we can celebrate with this corrected piece of history.

10th of Frostfall, 201 4E

King Oman’s defenders, they’re alive! I tried to get to the surface, but they pushed me back. I was able to heal myself up best I could, and I’ve hidden in the lower catacombs, but I fear they’ll find me soon. Oh, this verse has gotten me in just as much trouble as the bard who wrote it. I’ve hidden it in this journal, hopefully so someday, somepony else will find it. I’ve also resealed the lowest crypt, keeping King Oman himself contained. The Silver Claw I’ll keep on my person as well, so the Draugr can’t let him free. I hear them banging on the door now. Will this be my last day?

By the looks of things, the Draugr had made it through and killed this bard. I flipped to the next page of the journal, where a few aged sheets of lyrics fell out. Carefully, I tucked them back in and stowed the journal in my saddlebags. If they were important enough that this pony gave his life for them, I intended to protect them as well.

Digging into his robes, I finally managed to locate the Silver Claw he spoke of in the journal. It looked almost exactly like Calciar’s Golden Claw except it was, well, silver. I levitated it over to the nearby doorway and fitted the claws into their slots, pressing the central panel in.

Surprisingly, nothing happened. I scratched my head in confusion as I tried to remember how Yorl had opened the door in Blank Flanks Barrow. Spinning around the claw with my magic, I caught a glimpse of runes on the palm. Looking closely, I could see they were three pictures of animals, corresponding to the three rings around the door. Rotating the rings until they matched up with the pictures on the claw, I tried to open the door again.

With the grinding of ancient stone, the door slid down into the floor. Beyond the opening was a throne room identical to the one above. However, while the one above was empty, a Draugr sat still and lifeless in the throne at the end of this one. Pulling out my bow, I fired an arrow into the corpse.

Giving a growl, the Draugr stood up, blue fire burning in one of its eyes. Judging by the crown on its head and the one good eye, this was King Oman One-Eye we were facing. From beside his throne he lifted a double-sided battleaxe and cantered down the room at us.

<<<FUS~RO~DAH!!!>>> I Shouted, throwing the Draugr king back.

Hissing with anger, he got back up and came at us again, undeterred. Steadfast rushed forward, meeting battleaxe with warhammer. Again and again the two weapons clashed, until Steadfast got a hit on the Draugr king, caving in the armor on his chest. Oman continued to fight, however, taking the momentary disadvantage Steadfast was at to swing his battleaxe around, slicing through the back of his hindleg.

I threw my earth pony friend a healing potion as he staggered back and rushed forward to stop Oman’s next swing with my sword. Two Draugr weapons met, and the ancient king turned his head to face me. With a kick, he knocked me back, but I kept a firm magical grasp on Calcion’s Cleaver.

The undead earth pony charged toward me, his battleaxe raised. As he swung at me, I jumped out of the way, slicing into his side with my sword. He halted his charge, swinging back around to face me. His battleaxe came with, striking me in the side of the head. My helmet took most of the damage, but I felt blood run down the side of my face where the metal had broken through.

My vision swam for a moment, but I fought through it and raised my sword to block Oman’s next strike. Steadfast, now fully healed, ran up and smashed his warhammer into the zombie’s hindleg, cracking the fragile bone. Oman quickly tossed his battleaxe up in the air.

<<<FUS~RO~DAH!!!>>> he Shouted, sending me flying back.

As I stood, I saw him catch his battleaxe and swing it around at Steadfast. Taken off guard, he barely managed to block the swing. Oman continued to swing at Steadfast, forcing him back. I galloped as fast as I could toward the king, focusing on a Shout in my mind.

<FO!> I Shouted, my breath freezing the Draugr’s hindlegs to the floor.

Unable to advance any farther, he was forced to use his battleaxe to block as Steadfast went on the offensive. He struggled against the ice, but it would hold for another minute at least, enough time to finish him off. I jumped into the air, my sword ready to slice through the Draugr’s neck, when I was suddenly hit by the backswing of Oman’s battleaxe.

I went sliding across the floor, my armor maimed where he had hit it, my coat quickly growing wet with blood. I had no time to heal myself up as I saw Oman pull one of his hindlegs free of the ice and lurch forward, catching Steadfast by surprise, and nicking his cheek.

Staggering to my hooves, I rushed forward, intent on reaching Oman before he killed my friend. Pushing Steadfast back, he turned to look at me as I jumped over him again.

<<<FUS~RO~DAH!!!>>> I Shouted, knocking his head against the ground.

There was no resistance as I brought my sword down on his neck. Calcion’s Cleaver seemed to squeal in delight as it sliced into the ancient flesh, killing the undead king for good. I dropped my sword, dripping with thick Draugr blood, and tended to my injuries. A healing spell reset my side, but a bandage would have to do for my head. I found I was dangerously low on healing potions.

“That was a close one,” Steadfast said, bandaging up his own wounds.

“Yeah,” I said, “We really need to start avoiding life-threatening situations.”

“Oh, where’s the fun in that?” Steadfast laughed.

“It makes life an adventure at least,” I admitted as I cleaned my blade and trotted over to Oman’s throne.

The throne wasn’t really what interested me; it was what was behind it that held my attention. An inscription in draconic was carved into the wall behind the throne. As I approached, one of the words began to stand out to me.

With blue fire it burned, and knowledge rushed into my mind. I soon learned everything there was to know about spirits and the realm they inhabited. I experienced the life of a pony whose soul was bound to this world, unable to depart into the afterlife. I understood what it meant to be a spirit and learned more and more until the word was burned into my mind.

~ZII~

When the word finally faded from my mind and was left bubbling in the depths, I headed over to the nearby doorway. Up a flight of stairs was a crude stone door that slid aside with a press of a button set into the wall. The cold wind of Horizon blew in, and the sound of swordfighting drifted in with it. Stepping outside, I could see several dozen ponies down below engaged in combat to the death.

“The Stormclouds and Imperials,” Steadfast commented, looking down on the clashing armies, “Looks like General Cuirass is making a push for Winterhorn.”

“We should go,” I said, “This isn’t our fight.”

“Maybe not today,” Steadfast said as we crept down the mountain, “But some day this war will affect us all.”

Trekking south from Ironhoof Barrow, Steadfast and I returned to the city of Whitetrot well before dark. After selling the Silver Claw for a heavy coin purse of gold, and then using it to buy more potions, we headed up to the keep. Faniar, though busy, was eager to hear about our adventure.

“Oman One-Eye? Really?” he asked after we told him whose tomb it was.

“Yeah, or what was left of him,” Steadfast said.

“I knew it was the fortress of a powerful Draugr lord, but Jarl Valor’s Blade’s great ancestor? I’m sure he’ll want to send his own expedition to explore it, now that it’s clear of Draugr. He was maybe one of the most well known of Horizon’s kings, and not just because he managed to capture and contain a dragon here.”

“He may want to be careful,” Steadfast warned, “The Pale is hot territory right now. We almost ran right into an Imperial-Stormcloud battle.”

“Right, there is that,” Faniar replied, “But, I suppose you’re looking for another Draugr ruin?”

“Yes,” I said, “One near Seclusion, if possible. We found a dead bard in the Barrow, and he had some things on him the Bard College would be interested in having back.”

“Seclusion, huh,” Faniar said, pulling out his journal of Draugr ruins, “Let’s see what we have in Hoofingar.”

“Ah, yes. This is perfect,” he said, marking a location on my map, “Volsteed is built in the mountains to the west of Seclusion, and it’s recorded as a fairly extensive ruin.”

“Thanks Faniar,” I said, turning to go, “We’ll tell you all about it when we get back.”

As we left Dragonsreach, I took a look at the sun’s position in the sky. We probably wouldn’t be able to make it all the way to Seclusion before nightfall, but we might be able to make it to Dawnstar or Marethal. As we trotted down the stairs to the keep, a courier dashed up them before stopping before us.

“I have a letter for a Mistress Sapphire,” the courier announced, producing a letter from her saddlebags.

“That’s me,” I said, taking the letter curiously.

After delivering the message, the courier trotted off without a word, no doubt ready to deliver the rest of Whitetrot’s mail. Curiously, I slit the letter open and read it.

To Thane Sapphire and Companion Steadfast,

I have been observing the two of you closely both before and after our meeting at the Mino-Zulft Foothills Barrow. I believe we are both after the same things, and working together would be to the benefit of us all. If you are interested in learning how the dragons have managed to return and want to help put a stop to it, meet me at the Sleeping Bison Inn in Riverwood. Ask the barkeep for the attic room and we can work together to save the Northlands.

-Scarlet Shores

“So, what’s it say?” Steadfast asked when I finished reading the message.

“That Blade wants to meet up again,” I told him, passing the letter over, “What do you think?”

“I say we do it,” he replied, “Or at least hear what she has to say. It can’t hurt, and maybe she has a better idea than we do of what’s going on.”

“All right,” I said, “I guess we’re going to Riverwood.”

After a short trot where nothing happened except a few wolf attacks, we made it to Riverwood. It was easy to find the Sleeping Bison Inn, right next to the Riverwood Trader, and one of the few non-residences in town. It felt odd to ask for a room when it was only late afternoon, but the letter had said to, so I did it.

“Excuse me,” I asked the barkeep who looked up grumpily, “Could I rent the attic room?”

“Sure thing,” he replied, cocking an eyebrow, but passing a key over the bar, “The stairway’s just back through the door behind me.”

I took the key and trotted around behind the counter. I was sure something was going on here. He had given us the key to an attic room, but the Sleeping Bison Inn only had one floor. As I passed into the back room, I could see just what was going on.

Another door greeted me, one that I was able to unlock with the key given me. Opening it revealed a staircase leading down instead of up. Steadfast and I stepped down into the inn’s basement, listening for Scarlet Shores.

“Glad you received my message,” she said as we entered the room built beneath the inn.

Down here, she had an entire armory. Weapon racks lined the walls as well as shelves filled with potions. In the center of the room was a table with a map of the Northlands, tiny flags stuck all over it. Scarlet Shores stood behind the table, her strange armor on a mannequin instead of on her.

“Are you ready to get to the bottom of this dragon menace, and stop it for good?” she asked.

“Sure,” I replied, “But how?”

“Are you familiar with the Blackwings?” she asked.

“You could say that,” Steadfast said, smiling at me.

“I think they’re behind the dragons coming back, or if not, at least they know something about it.”

“What makes you think that?” Steadfast asked.

“They’ve been sending agents into Draugr ruins for the past few months. What other purpose could they have?”

“No offense, but maybe they’re just doing the same thing as us,” Steadfast commented, “Trying to figure out what the hay’s going on.”

“The Blackwings never do anything without an ulterior motive,” Scarlet Shores insisted, “They justify their presence here in Horizon as policing Talhooves worship, but their true purpose is to wipe out the rest of the Blades. Plus, they started investigating the ruins weeks before the dragons showed up. It’s much more than simple curiosity that drives them.”

“All right,” I said, “Maybe the Blackwings are behind the dragon attacks after all. What’s your plan to find out?”

“You’re going to sneak into their embassy,” Scarlet Shores announced, a mischievous gleam in her eye.