Talk

“Are you alright?” I said, showing my hands, yet ready to jump him if needed.

His eyes darted back and forth between mine.

“I uh- I need to talk to my brethren,” he said, inching away from me slowly.

“Okay,” I said. “Just wave when you want to talk again. I cautiously moved back to the tower.

“What happened?” Ria asked.

“I don’t think they’re friends of the Companions,” I said.

We settled in, and I climbed to the top of our tower to keep an eye out. If they decided to make a move, I’d know.

They were talking until dark, when finally the man lit a torch and started towards the middle of the bridge. Again I met him.

“Listen, companion,” he said. “We don’t want any bloodshed, but we will claim these towers to fulfill our contract. Therefore, we urge you to leave.”

“What contract?” I asked.

“We’ve been contracted to claim these towers for Jarl Ulftic of Windhelm, and honour demands we fulfill it.”

“Who are you?”

“We’re the Silver Hand, Companion,” he snapped. “And since you did not recognize us immediately, we assume you’re not part of the inner circle. Therefore, we have no quarrel with you, unless you make it so.”

I had no clue what he was talking about, but his tone annoyed me, and I had no intention of going back to Jorrvaskr with my tail between my legs.

“Quite frankly, I don’t give a shit what you call yourselves,” I said. “Because we’re not leaving. So yes, I will make this a quarrel.”

To that, he drew what seemed to be a silver sword. Quite dramatic I thought, even if it fit his group’s name. Still, silver hurts just as much as steel when stuck through your skin, so I jumped back and pointed my halberd in his direction.

“Last chance,” he said, sinking into an elegant fencing stance I had only ever seen from a Breton swordmaster.

“I was going to say the same thing,” I said.

He frowned. “You Companions are all the same, all talk and not a sliver of decorum.”

“How about I decorate this bridge with your blood?”

“Clever,” he said.

His movements were quick and precise, yet he found it hard to bypass my halberd. I was struggling too, unable to move around him and put weight into my swings. When his blade got caught between the axe blade and spike, I could finally create an opening, and graze his neck with the hook. He jumped back in response, just in time for his friends to catch up, and take over. They formed an uneasy shieldwall, just barely fitting next to each other. They didn’t have room to fight however, and slowly retreated back, shielding their leader from further harm.

“Attack?” Torvar asked, making me jump a little. I’d barely noticed him and Ria coming up behind me.

“Attack,” I responded, repeatedly thrusting my spike at the Silver Hands’ feet, urging them to lower their shields. Soon enough, one of them did, to which I lunged towards his silver helmet. The shield shot up again, but now I could grab its edge with the hook, and stick it right in his armpit.

“I love this thing,” I muttered to no one in particular.

The Silver Hand dropped their shield, which bounced once and then fell down into the river. With two of them wounded, the third one had to fend for herself. I launched a series of swings in her direction, causing the three of them to retreat more quickly.

“Your friends are done,” Torvar called out. “You better run and save yourself.”

“Never,” she growled. “I’ll die before I leave them behind.”

Her helmet rang like a bell when I landed my axe on it.

“Surrender is also an option,” I shouted, though I’m not sure she heard me. Her friends had reached the end of the bridge, pressing their hands against their wounds, clearly no longer in fighting condition. If I pushed her just a bit further, Torvar and Ria could jump her. She seemed to notice that too, and she made a final attempt to get the upper hand. With a battlcry, she recklessly jumped towards me, swinging her shield to the left. She left herself completely open, and all I could do to repel her charge was bracing myself behind my halberd.

Her scream was cut short by the metal spike piercing her silver breastplate. I heard her gasping through her helmet, before she fell on her back, wresting my weapon from her hands. Torvar and Ria jumped over her, disarming the other two, as I kneeled beside my fallen opponent. I carefully removed her helmet. Her breathing was ragged.

“Why did you do that?” I asked, knowing that a wound like that was a **** sentence, this far from a healer.

“For the honor of dying for my brethren,” she said.

“But, you could have surrendered,” I said. “We would have let you leave.”

“Where’s the glory in that, Companion?”

“It’s Ylsi,” I said.

She smiled sadly.

“Don’t trust them, Ylsi,” she said, pulling me close. “The Companions have lost their way long ago. They-“ she gasped. “They’re a disgrace to Ysgramor’s legacy.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll-“ she gasped. “You’ll find out. Now pull it out. I’m ready.”

I sighed and swallowed. “What’s your name?”

“Mine’s Ylsi too,” she laughed. “Now ain’t that worthy of song?”

I swallowed, and slowly pulled the weapon from her chest.

“Thank you,” she said, and I held her hand as she slipped away into Sovngarde.