» Sat Feb 19, 2011 9:56 am The shaman of the Skaal is (despite his youth) another father-figure for Athlain, but one who is more "approachable" (in Athlain's mind) than Trey. And he clearly senses something in my bumbling boy (part of which is revealed below).
Magic is so central to the ES world that I wanted to explore the impact it has, especially on those who use it frequently and/or who have great skill. For example, although I do not intend to take it up here, consider the "eccentricity" of the Telvanni- and their extensive exposure to magic. Which is cause and which effect? And then there is the more specific question of Necromancy- deemed evil by the ancestor-worshipping Dunmer and outlawed by the Mages Guild. But is it not, in some way, the ultimate goal of Restoration? Perhaps it is the results (zombies, skeletons, etc.) that are distasteful, rather than the goals.
As to the role of the wise-woman or shaman (or witch) in the community, I very much wanted to convey the idea of being "part of and yet not part of," and of being a "balancer" of forces and between worlds- the focus and "expediter," in some cases.
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There seemed to be little more to say- Korst’s advice was good, especially the part about letting Gaea Artoria know that I still lived. But as I made to rise, the shaman stopped me, saying,
“There is no need to rush off without some sort of a plan. Although you must finish the entire Test before Heart-Fang will speak what he knows, each part can be completed in its own time.”
He gestured for me to unroll the map showing the locations of the standing stones, and leaned over it, pointing to two on the southern end of the island.
“Look you, the Sun Stone is near to your fort, and the Earth Stone only a bit north and west of the place where your Imperial brethren dig at the bones of Nirn itself. You must visit each Stone, but the order in which you do so does not matter. The Test of Loyalty is hard enough; careful planning will save you many a step.”
He paused then and looked at me seriously.
“One thing more- I would give you my blessing, if you will have it.”
Though I was still not terribly religious, I knew that only a fool refused help that was freely given. So I nodded my assent.
Korst Wind-Eye placed both hands upon my bowed head and intoned:
“All-Father, keep this man cradled in the palm of your hand. Though he carries the visage of an Imperial, the blood of Skyrim is in him, so you will know him as one of yours. He must follow a dangerous path, and no man can see its end. Therefore, guide his steps, strengthen his arm, sharpen his wits, make his eye see truly. By your will, may it be so.”
A long silence followed, and I felt? something? pass through my scalp and down into my body. Whatever it was seemed to fill a void I had not known was there. And I did not fail to notice the statement that I carried the “blood of Skyrim.” I have no more to say about it- only that some experiences defy description.
Perhaps some of the shaman’s wisdom had passed to me with his blessing- rather than walk from one end of Solstheim to the other, I cast a Divine Intervention spell, which transported me directly to the bailey of Fort Frostmoth. I stood quietly, waiting for the magicka-induced nausea to subside- and to make sure all of my component parts had arrived in their proper places. I took the opportunity to look around the damaged fort.
Some desultory efforts had been made to repair the tumbled walls, but they were more cosmetic than serious. That was not surprising- after the attack, no officer was going to divert enough soldiers from duty to make a real difference in reconstruction Besides that, it would take a company of Legion engineers and their equipment to raise the destroyed walls. Whether that would happen or not was an open question. Travelers who had visited the mainland said that most of the ancient Imperial forts were long abandoned, serving as lairs for bandits and worse. I wondered if the Empire was truly crumbling beneath my very feet. Then I considered the fact that an officer as junior as I had been sent- alone- to treat with the Skaal, and I feared I knew the answer.
But none of that mattered. Senior Trooper Carbo had taught me about my responsibilities:
“Even if you are the last one left, you are still a member of the Legion; you have the duty until you are relieved- or killed. That goes for every one of us, from a Knight of the Imperial Dragon down to rawest recruit- as long as you wear that uniform, you ARE the Empire, and you have the duty.”
With that thought, I entered the main quarters and located Gaea Artoria. Her lined face lit up at the sight of me, but when she saw that I was alone, it settled back into a frown. She spat a stream of hackle-lo juice into her a cup and said,
“Back again? So what news?”
I assumed the posture of a soldier giving a report- back straight, helmet in the crook of my arm, eyes focused somewhere past Agent Artoria’s left shoulder.
“My mission to the Skaal village was a partial success. I have gained their confidence, and believe that they will provide me with intelligence regarding the whereabouts of Captain Carius and the nature of the- creatures- that took him. However, before they will divulge that information, they require me to complete a- test. That test will take some time and will entail travelling over most of the island.”
She stared at me thoughtfully from beneath furrowed brows, taking in the furs that covered my armor, waiting with an expectant expression. But I knew better than to speak first- I had given my report; what happened now was up to her.
“You sure you haven’t gone native? The uniform isn’t starting to chafe is it? Or maybe some blue-eyed Skyrim sweetie has turned your head?”
I maintained my stance with difficulty, keeping my gaze on the wall behind her. The silence stretched and I finally said,
“With respect, Agent, my ‘sweetie’ is from Vvardenfell. And her eyes are lavender.”
The emphasis on her title was intentional- because I held the same rank. She grunted as if I had struck her, but then sighed and waved me to a chair.
“Dammit, Athlain, sit down and quit acting like a schoolboy reciting a lesson.”
She ran a hand through her iron-gray hair and continued,
“Look, I’m sorry. But it’s more than I can handle, trying to be in charge of a whole fort. That’s a job for a Knight. Do I look like anybody’s idea of a bloody damned Knight? And I don’t think the brass on the mainland is in any hurry to send a replacement. Their attitude seems to be: ‘You had a commander. It’s your bad luck that you misplaced him. Deal with it.’“
“You did fine, getting the Skaal to talk to you. Go on and do their test. They know more about the Cap’n than they’re saying, I can feel it. Get yourself something to eat and rest up; you look like you could use it. Then get back out there and find the Captain.”
I left the room and followed Gaea’s advice, at least as far as getting something to eat. Legion rations were designed to promote stamina and to “keep” for long periods of time. The first requirement was met by being almost impossible to eat if one was not already in top condition, especially as regarded one’s teeth. A standard Legion ration- dried meat, dried fruit, and biscuits that could serve double-duty as deadly projectiles at need. The usual practice in camp was to throw everything into a pot of warm water and let it soak for a while. That could include the biscuits, unless they were to be used as shot for the slingers. As I gulped my “camp stew,” I thought longingly of the fresh bread- and honey!- I had feasted upon at the Skaal village.
Thoughts of the Skaal inevitably reminded me of the Test of Loyalty. Korst had warned me that I should plan carefully; and I knew he was talking about more than just the order in which I visited the standing stones. I considered the tasks before me: find Louis Beauchamp’s airship- and the amulet he desired; deal once and for all with Carnius Magius; complete the Skaal test; find the Captain. And somewhere in there, find Athynae and make sure she never left me again, if I could. In the furtherance of that last, I wrote a letter to the wisest person I knew.
Here Ends Chapter 10
