They arrived in Ivarstead in the afternoon.
“Finally – some new faces!” – the innkeep was very welcoming. “Do come in!”
21 Sun’s Dawn
Ivarstead was not a large village, but its location was very much at a crossroads, where the Whiterun-Riften thoroughfare split off North towards Windhelm. If there ever was such a thing as a Skyrim thoroughfare. The inn should have flourished though – and not just from High Hrothgar tourism. Yet it all looked a bit too quiet…
“It’s the bandits. Nilheim might seem far away, but they ambush the road, so people stay away” – he explained. “That and that ghost…”
“What ghost?” – asked Lena sensing the real problem.
“In that barrow across the road” – the innkeep waved his hand. “He appeared about a year ago, out of nowhere. Haunts the barrow – chases everyone away!”
“That doesn’t sound like a ghost to me” – Geralt whispered into Lena’s ear.
“Has anyone gone to investigate it?” – asked Lena, not hoping for a ‘yes’.
“No” – the innkeep didn’t disappoint. “The guards say the Jarl isn’t paying them enough to deal with ghosts, and none of us wants to either.”
“You–” Lena started saying something unwise when Geralt pinched her in the small of her back – the only place he could get to that wasn’t covered in armour.
“Don’t” – he whispered. Then continued to the innkeep: “Well, would you mind if we took a look? We’ll see if this ghost likes us better.”
The innkeep looked at them as if they were mad, but had no objections to the enterprise, especially if they were to buy some food and drinks first. That did sound like a good idea, and after a meal and a few rounds of ale, they were ready to go.
“You two go” – said Hauk. “It doesn’t look big enough for three people. And I’ve got an errand to run.”
They left the inn together, then Lena and Geralt crossed the road towards the barrow, and Hauk crossed the bridge going South.
“Legion business” – noted Lena. “There’s a camp that way.”
…
Shroud Hearth Barrow was a typical Nord crypt with draugrs resting in their alcoves. Some of them would occasionally get up, disturbed by the intruders, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. A series of linked gates spiced up the adventure, with the inevitable poisoned darts pelting you if you pulled the levers in the wrong order. Lena wasn’t keen on the poison, but Geralt just laughed – his witcher blood could take much more than that.
The extraordinary thing in this barrow was the ghost. Yes, there was one, it was true. May be not a real ghost, but certainly a ghostly apparition – he greeted them as they entered, howling quite theatrically: “Leeeeeave this place! Leeeeeeave this place!” But when they paid no heed to his warning and proceeded, he retreated further into the barrow, howling some more.
“This is not a ghost” – Geralt said firmly. “Not a ghost, not a wraith, not an undead shadow – this… err… apparition is a living man. Somehow.”
“There’s magic that can make you ethereal, although it is quite rare” – suggested Lena. “We’ll need to get to him to find out.”
They proceeded through the barrow, pacifying some more restless draugrs along the way, and finally entering a secret chamber hidden behind a sliding wall. The “ghost” was inside, now ready for a fight.
…
Spectral magic finally dispersed revealing a body of a Dunmer. His journal was right there on the desk – he was searching for a claw needed to unlock the ancient part of the barrow, holding great treasure – or so he believed. He couldn’t find the claw, and too much of the spectral magic turned his brain…
“Oh! As simple as that” – the innkeep was shaking his head reading the journal. “And we fell for it!”
“Spectral magic is very rare…” – started Lena, but Geralt poked her again: don’t.
“Here – take the claw” – the innkeep pulled it from under the counter. “It hasn’t done anyone any good, and why should it be kept here at the inn? Use it, leave it at the barrow, do what you want with it – nobody goes into the depths anyway. Just don’t leave it unlocked when you are done – the dead in there are said to be restless. We don’t want to be overrun by ancient draugr as well!”
Lena stashed the claw in her pack. It was past midnight and they left the barrow exploration for another day. Hauk just returned from his errand too, so they rented rooms for the night and proceeded sampling the local mead by the fire.
“If anything unusual happens during the night” – Lena started turning to Geralt – “don’t panic and let it happen.”
“What are you expecting to happen?” – Geralt looked at her shrewdly.
“I don’t know, we’ll see. If nothing occurs, we’ll go exploring the barrow tomorrow and stay here for another night” – Lena added as if it explained anything.
“You think they’ll be imitating Lucien?” – Hauk obviously had an idea what she was expecting.
“I think they will, and I want to see just how good they are and what exactly they will do.” Then turning to Geralt again she added: “Don’t worry. Wait for me here – for days, if need be. I’ll be back.”
22 Sun’s Dawn
“Well, that is a surprise” – a woman’s voice said from the dark, then someone pulled off a sack that was covering Lena’s head. She didn’t recognise the place. “You picked up one of our contracts” – continued the woman. “Now you owe us.”
Ah, yes, they fell for it.
“Who are you and what do you want from me?” – Lena decided to play ignorance.
“I am Astrid, the head of the Dark Brotherhood – the Dark Brotherhood, that’s right.” She checked for the effect of her words, and Lena quickly arranged her face in a suitable expression of horror and admiration. “Aretino’s contract should have been ours” – she paused again, and Lena added a bit of fear to her expression. Astrid seemed to be satisfied. “You can repay your debt by killing one of these… err… subjects.”
She pointed at three figures kneeling in the next room, their hands bound behind their backs, sacks over their heads.
“Kill any one of them, and your debt will be repaid, and what’s more – we’ll welcome you into our family.” Astrid seemed to be sure she was making an offer that Lena could not refuse.
“All right” – said Lena, and thought to herself: “Better do it right. She seems to go for the theatrics.”
She killed all three subjects before they could start protesting.
“Very good – I’m impressed!” – Astrid looked really taken. She told Lena how to find the Sanctuary, and how to enter. She would welcome her properly there. “Oh – and here’s the key to this cabin. See you soon, sister!”
Astrid vanished. “Teleport” – Lena thought.
She exited the shack, finding herself on a moor, far from Ivarstead. The Sanctuary too was a good distance away. She whistled for her horse, Roach appeared and Lena rode South.
24 Sun’s Dawn
Two days later she walked into the Vilemyr Inn in Ivarstead and found Hauk and Geralt playing Gwent at rather high stakes.
“Finally!” – Geralt greeted her. “That took a while.”
“I told him not to worry” – said Hauk, folding the cards. “And he was losing anyway. Did you learn what you were hoping to learn?”
“Yes” – Lena replied. “I might have to follow up on a few things before we can return to Cyrodiil, but I need to think on that first. And go up to High Hrothgar.”
It was late afternoon, and she didn’t want to climb that mountain in the dark – she would go tomorrow. This night her sleep would be uninterrupted, and she needed a good rest after all that running around. The innkeep was pleased to have guests staying for a while, especially thirsty ones as these, so please, there’s no need to rush – we’ve got rooms, food and mead at your convenience. How nice.
Masser and Secunda 