The Last Witch Hunters: Chapter Eight

  • Shawk sat in silence; he hadn’t spoken a word for the last thirty minutes, since Seden had told him what had happened with Duncan, his mind was working in overtime, why had Duncan only saved Seden, the obvious answer was that he didn’t have the strength to pull two people to safety but why hadn’t he gone back for him or reached out to him after discovering he was alive and where had he gone, neither Seden nor Shawk had received any word from Duncan in thirty years; it was as if he’d vanished from the face of Nirn.

    Shawk slowly lifted his gaze to meet Seden’s, “So I’ve found you, now we just have to go to ‘where the end began’, wherever in oblivion that might be.” Seden stared at Shawk for a moment, blinking in disbelief at Shawk.

    “You mean you don’t know, it’s obvious.” Seden began, “The ice near Winterhold, where the end of the Witch Hunters began.”

    “So he’s just going to be stood on the ice, waiting for us, that’s ridiculous Viper.” Seden smiled at the mention of his old nick-name.

    “No, remember the rocky island we spent the night on before the attack, I’d bet he’s built himself a nice home out there.” Seden exclaimed.

    Shawk thought this over in his head, “So we need to get a carriage to Winterhold and then continue on foot.” He paused a moment then rose from his chair, “We’d best get going before…”

    Seden quickly cut him off, “Going?” He cried out, “By the eight Shawk I can’t just pack up and leave with a single word, is that what you did to get here?”

    “Of course…” Shawk started, then decided to not anger his friend, “…Not.” he finished.

    “Then why on Nirn would I just leave, I have a ship. A crew. Friends. A life… I can’t just leave all that behind.”

    Shawk let out a low growl; he was beginning to lose his calm with Seden, how could he be so selfish, Duncan needed help, Shawk wanted to find out what had happened all those years ago and he’d travelled for miles to find him, “For fuck sake Viper, you’re a bloody Witch Hunter. You always have been so stop pretending you’re this ‘normal’ person that has built himself a life. How many of your friends know what you use to be… What you are now.”

    Seden stared up at Shawk, “You’ve changed.” He said tensely, the anger building up, “This little crusade you set out on against vampires, it changed you. I saw the way you treated the stable master outside, I ignored it then but now… this.” Seden paused for a moment breathing slowly, “Just because you’ve ignored society for thirty years doesn’t mean I have too, one of my closest friends died today and I will be attending their funeral, I also own a ship and have a crew that relies on me, I can’t just run off chasing some stupid letter on your say so… even if I wanted too!”

    Shawk looked blankly at Seden, before turning and walking towards the door, the thud of his heavy footsteps echoing through the silent room, he stopped at the door his leather gloved palm resting on the wood before turning to look at Seden, “You were wrong you know, it wasn’t the vampires that changed me.” He stopped and looked back towards the door, “It was you… I thought you were dead.” With that he forced open the door and stormed out into the evening snow.

    Shawk walked out from under the shelter of the stables and looked up at the dying light, he slipped a hand into his pouch and slid out a vial of blood before uncorking it and downing the potion, his anger calmed and he looked towards the carriage, there was a loud happy bark from nearby and Shawk looked towards a pile of hay were the sound seemed to originate from, after a second a shaggy brown head poked out from the hay and flapped it’s ears from side shaking strands of hay everywhere, when the dog beady eyes rested upon Shawk its floppy ears pricked up and its muscular fur body wriggled free of the hay pile; into the last light of day. After shaking its body furiously and covering the stables in hay Roach bounded over towards Shawk and leapt upwards planting two paws on each of the Witch Hunter shoulders and slapping the large S shaped scar on his face with his wet tongue leaving a soaking wet trail of slobber down Shawk’s cheek.

    “In all that’s happened I’d forgotten all about you Roach.” Shawk smiled, momentarily forgetting about Viper, “Looks like it’s just you and me going to Winterhold then boy, let’s go find Duncan aye, see if we can make a Witch Hunter out of you.” With that Shawk set off towards the carriage, Roach at his side. Seden left behind still silently hunched over a table in the musky stable, staring blankly at the flimsy table blinking back tears.

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1 Comment
  • Soneca the Exiled
    Soneca the Exiled   ·  January 5, 2014
    Nice save with the dog, looks like Shawk forgot about him too