Vilkas actually looked thoughtful as he digested all this. “You know, I never really thought about it like that before. You lot as a people, an organised one, your own little country. So used to thinking of you as dangerous marauders who just like killing.”
“Oh we still are,” Shevawna grinned, the words out before her brain could catch up with her mouth. Then she stopped, looking sheepishly at Vilkas. “But, er, we've got a cause? We've got a land to free? Just Madanach's been in prison and not able to give us really precise instructions or plan like he'd want to. But now he's free so who knows what will happen.”
“Are you going to join him?” Vilkas asked quietly. “He has to be building an army.”
“He has one,” Shevawna smirked. Then, seeing the genuine worry in Vilkas's eyes, she relented a little. She could reassure him on that point at least.
“I'm not going anywhere,” she told him. “Not yet. I think Jorrvaskr is where I need to be. Madanach has plenty of young Reachmen and women willing to fight and die for his cause. But not many willing to work with outsiders and keep the Reach safe in other ways.”
To her surprise, Vilkas actually smiled, which Shevawna had never seen him do before. The effect was disconcerting to say the least. It made him look younger. More boyish. Less grim and intimidating. Gentler.
She could get to like that smile. That really was frightening.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
More Silver Hand. A lot more Silver Hand. And Draugr. And Silver Hand and Draugr all attacking at once. Thank Sithis for Vilkas, Shevawna would never have made it on her own. As it was, they made a good team, Vilkas moving quickly and powerfully, carving into them with a greatsword that seemed to sing as it flew through the air, while Shevawna hung back, taking aim with her bow first, summoning Atronachs or raising corpses to help Vilkas out, then Destruction magic on people who got past Vilkas and were going for her, only switching to her Forsworn weapons when people got close up.
Then through into the locked part of the tomb after Shevawna found the key in a chest off to one side, and then skeevers, spiders and more Draugr. They finally ended up in a big chamber with a strange carved wall at the back... and on a table in front of it, a big chunk of iron with an elf's face on it.
“That's it,” Shevawna breathed, reaching out to take it. “Look, Vilkas, we did it, we got the – oh.”
As soon as she'd picked it up, the entrance door had slammed shut and locked itself, and one of the coffins smashed open, a Draugr stepping out, weapons raised.
There were an awful lot of coffins in this room, and if they all had Draugr... Shevawna looked at Vilkas, worried. He didn't look a lot happier.
“We fight them together, yes?” Vilkas asked, greatsword raised.
“Together,” Shevawna said, casting her armour and summoning an Atronach. If she died today, she would at least go out fighting.
~~~~~~~~~~~
At least the Draugr didn't all burst out at once, and if they had that would have been the end of both of them. Stupid Nords, if the Reachmen had built tombs like this, they'd have had all the bonewalkers rise at once to slaughter the intruders with cunning and power. But it was Nords who'd built this place, Nords with their ridiculous sense of fair play, and so the Draugr came out a few at a time. Which made life a lot easier, and so Vilkas's greatsword swung and Shevawna's magic flared and both would dance around each other to take down a foe the other had missed and really Shevawna was starting to enjoy this, just her and Vilkas against the world or twenty Draugr at least, moving in harmony, always aware of where the other was and not one spell hitting him or any stroke of the greatsword getting her, just seamless slaughtering.
And at last one Draugr fell burning at Shevawna's feet while another fell neatly cloven in two before Vilkas, and no one was moving but the two of them and Shevawna was breathless but ready for more. It was a shame there were no more opponents, Shevawna felt ready to take on more, and from the look in his eyes, so did Vilkas, only sheathing his sword with regret.
Re: The Witch of Jorrvaskr 6.8
“Oh we still are,” Shevawna grinned, the words out before her brain could catch up with her mouth. Then she stopped, looking sheepishly at Vilkas. “But, er, we've got a cause? We've got a land to free? Just Madanach's been in prison and not able to give us really precise instructions or plan like he'd want to. But now he's free so who knows what will happen.”
“Are you going to join him?” Vilkas asked quietly. “He has to be building an army.”
“He has one,” Shevawna smirked. Then, seeing the genuine worry in Vilkas's eyes, she relented a little. She could reassure him on that point at least.
“I'm not going anywhere,” she told him. “Not yet. I think Jorrvaskr is where I need to be. Madanach has plenty of young Reachmen and women willing to fight and die for his cause. But not many willing to work with outsiders and keep the Reach safe in other ways.”
To her surprise, Vilkas actually smiled, which Shevawna had never seen him do before. The effect was disconcerting to say the least. It made him look younger. More boyish. Less grim and intimidating. Gentler.
She could get to like that smile. That really was frightening.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
More Silver Hand. A lot more Silver Hand. And Draugr. And Silver Hand and Draugr all attacking at once. Thank Sithis for Vilkas, Shevawna would never have made it on her own. As it was, they made a good team, Vilkas moving quickly and powerfully, carving into them with a greatsword that seemed to sing as it flew through the air, while Shevawna hung back, taking aim with her bow first, summoning Atronachs or raising corpses to help Vilkas out, then Destruction magic on people who got past Vilkas and were going for her, only switching to her Forsworn weapons when people got close up.
Then through into the locked part of the tomb after Shevawna found the key in a chest off to one side, and then skeevers, spiders and more Draugr. They finally ended up in a big chamber with a strange carved wall at the back... and on a table in front of it, a big chunk of iron with an elf's face on it.
“That's it,” Shevawna breathed, reaching out to take it. “Look, Vilkas, we did it, we got the – oh.”
As soon as she'd picked it up, the entrance door had slammed shut and locked itself, and one of the coffins smashed open, a Draugr stepping out, weapons raised.
There were an awful lot of coffins in this room, and if they all had Draugr... Shevawna looked at Vilkas, worried. He didn't look a lot happier.
“We fight them together, yes?” Vilkas asked, greatsword raised.
“Together,” Shevawna said, casting her armour and summoning an Atronach. If she died today, she would at least go out fighting.
~~~~~~~~~~~
At least the Draugr didn't all burst out at once, and if they had that would have been the end of both of them. Stupid Nords, if the Reachmen had built tombs like this, they'd have had all the bonewalkers rise at once to slaughter the intruders with cunning and power. But it was Nords who'd built this place, Nords with their ridiculous sense of fair play, and so the Draugr came out a few at a time. Which made life a lot easier, and so Vilkas's greatsword swung and Shevawna's magic flared and both would dance around each other to take down a foe the other had missed and really Shevawna was starting to enjoy this, just her and Vilkas against the world or twenty Draugr at least, moving in harmony, always aware of where the other was and not one spell hitting him or any stroke of the greatsword getting her, just seamless slaughtering.
And at last one Draugr fell burning at Shevawna's feet while another fell neatly cloven in two before Vilkas, and no one was moving but the two of them and Shevawna was breathless but ready for more. It was a shame there were no more opponents, Shevawna felt ready to take on more, and from the look in his eyes, so did Vilkas, only sheathing his sword with regret.