"Esbern... I'm sorry..." I say, not knowing what else can be said.
If he can't move his right arm anymore, then his life as a warrior is over. I'm pretty sure that's what's going through his mind right now, judging by his expression.
He shakes his head, discarding the thought. "We should search this place, the necromancer might have something among his possessions that can give us further clues about this cult."
"Good idea" I answer him, wanting to keep his mind on other things than his arm.
Behind a pillar on the plateau we found a small tent. More likely shelter from the light the big bonfire provides, rather than weather, being inside the mine and all.
Here was also a smaller campfire, some cooking gear, and a bigger backpack.
"Hey Esbern, here's a backpack!" I say, bringing it in front of him.
"That asshole better have left something good for us..." Esbern says, giving his arm another glance.
I carefully pour the backpack's contents onto the ground, hoping to find more useful items.
The first object that catches our eyes is a huge soul gem.
"That's gotta be among the bigger ones, right?... Grand maybe?" Esbern asks.
"I think so..."
Esbern nods. "That could be worth—"
*Crash!*
I smash the soul gem against the rocky ground.
"What did you do that for?!" Esbern retorts.
We stare at the broken soul gem. Blue and white light is released from it, rising like smoke.
"It could be a human soul..." I say with a grim voice. "Grand or not, I'm not using someone's soul for an item."
"You're right..." Esbern agrees.
I had chased down Haldric, the first necromancer for a chance to go home, and then was forced to go to Rorikstead.
Up until now, I had done things because I had to. But a desire to chase this cult down and destroy it has started to burn within me.
The backpack also contained 2 books and 2 bags.
"Nightshade..." Esbern says while I open one of the bags. It was filled with the dark and purple flower, it had to be over 20 of them.
The next bag had gold in it, but it was light. It contained 10 coins, but upon further inspection, these were valuable coins!
"Esbern! 8 of these are worth 100 septims each!"
The other two were worth 10 each. Altogether, we walked away with 820 septims.
Enough for me to finally afford some better gear—maybe even a new spell.
"What books are those, Ragnar? Anything useful?" Esbern asks.
Upon recognizing one of them as a destruction spell, I start with that one.
"Frost Rune... It's not a ranged attack, but it's more powerful than the Flames spell."
Esbern nods. "Ok, how about the other?"
The second book was only bound with brown leather, and it didn't have any symbols on the cover. A diary, maybe?
I flip open the book.
This was no diary! The first line in big letter was 'Dimensional Rift'. The book describes runes and symbols. Flipping through the pages reveals in detail how to carve and create the circle that was used to summon me to Skyrim.
"Esbern, this is a huge find!" I say excited.
"It's too complicated for me to understand it all, we'll have to bring this back to Farengar! This might tell us alot!"
Esbern nods. "Good. This better be worth it. Now, let's head back to Rorikstead before sundown! And bring the cloth from the tent."
"Why?..."
His gaze meets mine with a stern look. "For Yngvild, the girl."
"Oh..."
Even if we hadn't been forced to her down like that, we probably would've covered her up regardless. She'd already been dead for days.
But now… her body was both burned and decapitated. There was no way we could present her to her parents like that.
We took everything of use, and we left the mine behind.
On our way back to Rorikstead we pick up Yngvild. Lifting her body up onto of the cloth, and wrapping it around her.
Esbern picks her up and throws her over his left shoulder.
"Let's go..." he says grimly, taking her parents' loss a little too personally.
The walk back to Rorikstead was slow, I offered to help him carry her, but he insisted on doing it himself.
We haven't even entered the town before someone shouted. "They're back!" Word must have spread about what had been going down.
With how little entertainment this town usually had, just about everyone came running to see us.
But of course—just my luck—everyone except the one person I actually wanted to see.
Thalniriel.
"What in oblivion did you boys go through?! Look at you!..." Mralki gasps, shocked by our appearance.
Our clothes was after all bloody and filled with holes from the ice spikes.
We received other questions from the intrigued townsfolk; How many were there? Was he ugly? How many undead did you take down?
Ingoring the curious townsfolk, Esbern raises his voice above theirs, shouting. "Where do Yngvild's parents live?!"
The crowd grows silent. A man not older than 40 steps forth, he's eyes are red from grief.
"Yngvild, was my daughter... Is that her?" He asks with a hoarse voice, eyeing the body wrapped in cloth.
"Yes..." Esbern says, finally gesturing to me for some assistance. Wanting to hand her over to her father.
Yngvild's father reach out both hands to receive her.
"She's badly damaged, please—don't look upon her..." Esbern says pleadingly.
Her father's eyes meet Esbern's, "she's my daughter..." He unwraps the cloth to see her face, unfortunately her head fell to the ground with a soft thud.
It rolled a few feet away before stopping, on display for the entire crowd, everyone goes completely silent.
"She... She attacked us, we had to defend ourselves..." I say, trying to apologize.
Esbern quickly turns his head toward me, giving a stare telling me not to say anything.
After that, the silence were quickly broken by the shouts of a woman.
"You call that defending yourself?! She was just a girl!"
"What kind of lunatics are you?!" Someone else shouts, causing several other loud complaints among them.
Yngvild's father falls to his knees, still holding the body of his daughter. At a loss for words— and his eyes watery.
Esbern raises his voice again. "This was a horrible tragedy!" Claiming the silence of the crowd. He then picks up the head. "Help me out Ragnar!"
We put it into the cloth again, wrapping it up tightly.
"This was the sin of the necromancer, we were attack by several undead simultaneously..." He meets the eyes of several people. "We were forced to go all out!"
Esbern walks over the her father, crouching down beside him.
"We sent that bastard straight to Oblivion! He's the one burning now, while your daughter stands tall in her full beauty, feasting in Sovngarde."
Yngvild's father's gaze meets Esbern's again, tears streaming down his face, nodding thankfully.
"Come. I'll help you bury her..." Esbern says softly. "Someone get her mother as well!"
That evening, pretty much the entire town gathered at the cemetery hilltop in the glowing sunset, mourning along with Yngvild's family.
Sadness had filled the eyes of the townsfolk, but the hatred was also clearly visible. Hatred for the necromancer that had disturbed the rest of their dearly departed.
When we had done our part, Esbern walked over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Let's get to the inn... I'm in no mood for a feast... but I do need some mead! We'll leave for Whiterun in the morning."
We head back.
Maybe I'll finally get to tell him about everything now.