Dýrfinna
The snow crunched beneath a foot wrapped in the pelt of a wolf. The sound, soft as it should have been, echoed through the mountains and down into the mist far below them that caressed the harsh stone sides. The silence lay heavy on the snow, broken only by the footsteps made by the wolf pelt boots. The owner of these boots came into view, a tall woman, a young face with a long braid of sun coloured hair falling down her back. Her sky blue eyes looked from one peak to another. A smaller and slightly younger male version of the woman came up behind her, breathless, and knelt to examine a partially melted print in the snow "He didn't come this way long ago, we are closing on his cave." he said softly to his elder sister, who smiled at him and nodded "We continue." she said and started off down the hill. The boy groaned and followed her down the hill, walking alongside his sister he glanced at her "Dýrfinna?" he said meekly "Do you think this is a good idea? With the reports from the cities..." Finnvald trailed off and looked around nervously. Dýrfinna glanced down at her brother, "The cities are far away brother, civil war and rumors will not harm us. We are far from any politics, the Imperials have their reasons and the children of Skyrim have theirs. We do not need to trouble ourselves with city troubles." Dýrfinna said softly. Finnvlad took a deep breath in and his shoullders lost their tension, he nodded, his worries lifted.
The siblings walked until they were a few steps from the mist, once reaching the edge Dýrfinna knelt to examine a more defined print in the snow. As she stood Dýrfinna said to her brother, "The bear is close. His cave is near, and once we reach it you must travel swiftly to alert the other groups" Dýrfinna fixed her brother with a stare, he nodded and stood tall, proud. Bears were sacred, hunting them was more a ritual than a task. Signalling the other scouts to aid them was a crucial job, and if it failed the numbers to take the bear down decreased and it's life would be tainted to have fallen to a lesser group or it's death could have been made slower and more painful. Either outcome would mean dishonour to the signaler, to have tainted a pure and sacred life, even to cause any pain or suffering to any creature, was unthinkable. Finnvlad took steps into the swirling mist with Dýrfinna close behind him.
The siblings slowed to a walk, sensing they were close to the tree line. The dense, cold air filled their lungs. Finnvlad opened his mouth to speak, when a rough roar twisted with pain cut through the thick mist. The siblings started, and without a word spoken, they ran down through the mist, their steps muffled by the solid air. Reaching the first line of trees, the siblings slowed and crouched low. The roars grew louder, now acompanied by cheeful shouts and jeers, barks of dogs and rattling of chains. The sibling's eyes widened with horror as a scene of brutality unfolded. Outside a deep warm cave, was a bear chained to the floor by thick iron links frosted with cold, the iron collar rubbing the skin raw beneth it. Surrounding the bear were rugged dogs, chained themselves, scars and fresh wounds covered their back and around them were three men throwing rocks at dogs and bear alike holding mugs of alchohol and falling about drunkenly, brandishing thick leather whips and laughing with joy. Dýrfinna watched the men, their faces contorted into a grin seemed surreal. Horrified she turned away, biting her lip to fight back the tears "Why would they do this? Those creatures, how could they treat them like that" she whispered to her brother. Dýrfinna looked at her brother, his face twisted with rage and pain "No Finnvlad, I know what you are thinking and you can not. These men have no respect for life, do not lower yourself to their level by commiting their atrocity. We defend life, we are a part of life and we respect it." she reached out to put a hand on his shoulder but he moved away, "Imperials" he spat "They are Imperials. Look, their uniforms. They are doing this for fun Dýrfinna! They should suffer as they have caused suffering" Finnvlad cursed and drew his axe, Dýrfinna's eyes grew wide with fear. She reached out to him straining to catch his arm, to stop him. But her fingers brushed the frosted air.
Finnvlad gripped his weapon and broke though the trees at a run, startled the Imperials fumbled for their weapons. one was too late, and Finnvlad embedded his wood axe into his shoulder. There was a soft crunch as the head of the axe passed though bone, lung and heart. There was a stifled yell and the body crumpled, Finnvlad freed his axe with a grunt and turned to the bear, yanking the chain the bear pulled free of the collar and ran. Finnvlad turned to the dogs, only to block a wavering swing made by a drunk Imperial. Finnvlad held his block until another Imperial kicked his side with force enough to bring Finvlad to one knee. The Imperial behind them raised his sword, the tip against Finnvlads neck. The sword however did not fall, instead the man had frozen. Dýrfinna appeared behind the man with a dagger pressed against his back, she flashed a smile "Please give my brother your weapons" she said softly, but with ice in her tone that made the man infront of her wince. The imperial dropped his arms and cursed giving Finnvlad his sword. Dýrfinna hit her hostage over the head with the hilt of her bear bone dagger and he fell to the floor with a heavy thud. The last Imperial looked at the siblings, his face twisted with contempt "You will die for this Nord" he spat to which Finnvlad laughed and turned to the dogs leaving Dýrfinna to guard the Imperial. The dogs growled deeply at him, but speaking softly to them he released each one and they ran into the mist.
Breathing a sigh of relief Finnvlad stood, only to see many Imperials in full armour standing close to the camp. Turning he yelled for Dýrfinna to run, and snatched up his axe from his side only to see Dýrfinna and the Imperial grappling for her dagger. An arrow flew by striking a tree inches from Dýrfinna, who looked up to see Finnvlad running towards a group of Imperials, she tried to yell to warn him, to tell him to run, but the Imperial grabbed her hair and wrenched back tearing fibres from her head, she yelled and twisted around hooking her leg around his and brought him down to the ground. Catching her breath she looked up from where she lay, her heart jumping as she saw blood bubbeling in this mouth, and could hear it in his throat, a spike for use on the bear sticking out of his chest. Dýrfinna shook her head and cursed, looking for her brother she spotted him, his back against a tree, many arrows embedded in the trunk behind him. Dýrfinna started to rise but he smiled and shook his head, "Run" he said softly "It is one of us or none" Dýrfinna shook her head "No, we get out of this together or we don't at all" Dýrfinna started to rise but Finnvlad span from out of the cover of the tree and sprinted towards the Imperials. Dýrfinna called after him, scrambeling up to stop him. but Finnvlad ignored her, arrows flying past him he closed in on the imperials, he was struck once, Dýrfinna screamed at him to come back again, but he reached the first line and swung his axe, its head landing into the face of an archer, he was struck a second time. Staggering, Finnvlad managed to swing again catching the captains arm, and to Dýrfinna, time slowed. She could hear her heart beating hard in her chest, as she scrambled to her brother, slipping on the snow, she watched the Imperial captain's face twisted in pain and anger. She watched men hold her brother down and she watched them drive their Imperial forged steel through her brothers chest. Dark blood dripped on the snow, staining it red, Dýrfinna fell to her knees her eyes would not move from that stained snow, now melting, mixing together.
The Captin, Cartrus Senynan, sneered at the Nord body on the floor. "pitiful," he scoffed and turned to look at the Nord woman. She was an even lesser creature than the male, on her knees she had an expression of a stupid disbelief, such a pitiful race, she did not even struggle when his men brought her to her feet and pulled her arms behind her back clamping them in irons. Cartrus turned to a man, rubbing the back of his head, "Explain yourself Birus" he barked, and Birus leapt to attention and quickly said "They attacked us from the woods, they freed our dogs and the bear we captured". Cartrus nodded sharply, primitive scum he thought, as bad as the animals they worship. We are above all. Turning to look at the woman he said "Take the female, she will die for what she has done here" he waved his hand at her dismissivly and turned to leave
"Sir, she should not pay for his crimes. The woman did not kill-"
"The female will pay for the male's crime, Birus. It is a mistake of the species not the individual. They are all the same. If you feel differently then you may take her place"
"N-no. I am mistaken, sir" Birus turned his gaze to the floor and turned, refusing to look at the woman.
As the warm light settled on the very tips of the mountains, the white specks began to glitter gold and a bear called, the long mornful sound echoing and lingering in the cold twilight air.
Dýrfinna.
Written by Imeera
Edited by Merlinpig
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