Chapter 121 - We Are Home, Jonhild!
*Achoo*
Yep! You deserve it!
I am happy you guys are like this.
It was a miracle we survived that tidal wave.
The wave swept the small island and removed it from the place completely as if it never existed in that place before.
I just didn't want to imagine how crazy would it get when the sea water and that Storm Atronach bump into each other so I carried Jull in a hand and Nefertiti the other then ran back to the ship. Wulfur, Alina and Ylva followed and jumped back on the ship.
Just after we arrived, the disaster occurred.
Well, everyone already knows what electricity plus water means.
After the water settled down, Ylva jumped in the water and fished two passed out Hilda and Nurina. The direwolf was carrying them both in her mouth and threw them on the deck.
As we took them to a warm place, they started saying all sort of crazy stuff.
"How did it look like? Which one of us won?" Hilda was asking in a maddened state.
"....." No one replied.
Still, Nurina and Hilda were looking me. Especially me.
"Jonhild! Tell me, I was the better mom, right?" Hilda said.
So that was what the fight is all about!
"Red Hag! It is still too early for you. Of course this is my win."
"Shut up, Old Witch! You are just afraid of losing. Tell me, Jonhild!"
"You both are... Sigh! you know what! I am out of here."
It seems that 'Electricity plus Water' has made a score on their minds. I can' grasp the way their heads work when it gets like that.
If all the Firemanes are like that, then I will pack my things and leave. Nurina is already a mental burden as she is. I am not ready to waste what is left of my brain cells on some brainless warmongers.
Anyway, this fight proved many things! I can't look down on the Hidden Clans at all. If Hilda is already that crazy strong fighter and a voice master above all that, then there should be more among those clans and I need to get to the bottom of why there are some voice masters like her, Alina, and Alina's father.
It really was bothering me but still, my Thu'um is far stronger than them.
One more thing!
The Moonblade Clan has a sacred ground, that is Mount Anthor where one can find a Word Wall. If every clan is like that, then there are a relationship between the clans, the word walls, and many other things including these weird bloodlines.
I guess a real world sure has more than what a game can offer.
I wanted to ask all these questions but I think some answers should just come on their own. I don't want to answer many questions about myself too especially when I am fooling around with that dragon prophecy. I mean; it is fun, but it will backfire on me when things get crazy few years from now. Still, I will surely laugh hard at that. I am preparing a bigger prank for that day.
After she calmed down, Hilda gave the command for the ship to sail and she caved in her quarters.
***
Three days have passed and we now arrived at the mouth of the White River, the longest river in Skyrim.
The ship was sailing directly to Windhelm.
The 'Guilty Crown' didn't dock in the city's docks but instead docked beside a small platform on the other side of the river. It seemed that we won't be entering the city which is a good thing. The time was still in the morning and it seemed we are going to travel on land.
Hilda went down first and the rest followed. She jumped on Ylva's back and looked at me.
"Want to ride with mom?"
"Nope."
"Come on! Don't be shy!"
"Nope!"
"She won't bite."
"I know! The problem is not Ylva."
Hilda was disappointed but I have already conjured a Flame Horse Atronach.
Hilda kept looking at it with wide eyes.
Come to think of it, she haven't seen it before.
"Jon! Can mommy come ride with you!"
"Nope!"
"Nurina! Stop grining, Dammit!" It seems that Nurina took the chance to make fun of Hilda.
Nurina herself was riding a Storm Atronach Guar which is her favorite form for some childhood reason.
[A/N: Guars are bipedal reptilian creatures native to Morrowind.]
The reason why Hilda looked at the Flame Atronach Horse like that was explained by Alina as it seemed that the Firemanes has a massive fetish for burning things and setting things on fire. Well, it is not everyday when someone can be a member of a family of arsonists.
What a time to be alive!
After a short argument between Hilda and Nurina, we hit the rode all together! I was going to conjure something for Wulfur but he rode one of the horses the Firemanes prepared beforehand.
The plan was to reach Kynesgrove before the sun sets.
***
We took a road different to the road of the travelers as it seemed Hilda can't travel there on the back of a direwolf. It was surprisingly a very smooth uncharted route that Hilda knew well.
In less than half a day, we reached Kynesgrove.
Kynesgrove is a small mining settlement located in Eastmarch. It is located directly south of Windhelm. The place has a malachite mine and some farms which I learned from Hilda that these are all Firemane property.
It was also said that the trees in Kynesgrove are scared to Kyne, the Nordic Goddess of the Storm and the warrior wife of Shor, and the trees must not be cut.
I remembered Hilda saying that Alina is also very connected to Kyne. Because when we entered Kynesgrove, she mentioned something about the natural energy of the place.
Still, connected to Kyne! I guess Alina didn't manage to acquire that annoying Wind Magic for nothing. Wind is the mix of Fire, Frost and Shock magics so it was troublesome and I gave up on the project as its Magicka consumption was insane but it seems that Alina didn't face that problem. There should be a truth for here being connected to Kyne or whatever then.
We passed Kyne's Grove to the east! and took the road going up the mountain range, after a while we arrived at a strange circular mound.
"This is one of the twenty two ancient mounts scattered throughout the nine Holds of Skyrim. They are mysterious places that no one can dig." Hilda acted as the tour guide.
Everyone looked to the mound with different ideas in mind. Guess I'll have to add to their information.
"No one can dig them because they are sealed by ancient magic. These are actually ancient dragon burial mounds, the final resting place of these creatures when they were slain centuries ago." I said.
"Wow!" Jullanar was the only one who reacted.
Hilda looked at me and made a silly smile.
"If that is true then you grandfather and your father will love you so much! You will be proving that the Firemanes has a dragon at their doorstep!" She said and laughed.
Well, I am glad that they are open-minded about dragons! I am planning to make friends with one of them when the time comes.
But...
"... I think you just said 'doorstep'!" I remarked.
"Oh! We are close. Let's hurry before dinner." Hilda said and Ylva ran fast. We followed and kept climbing up the road.
The area started to get colder but we then arrived at the foot of a standing mountain. No one talked as we expected more.
Hilda then took out a horn and blew it. After a few seconds, part of the mountains wall moved.
"Haha! This is cool! I've never seen a house with a door horn before!" I said.
"You have never seen a lot of things! Let's go." Hilda took the lead and rode in.
What we went into was a large tunnel that almost had no lighting. We lit the way ourselves and rode in. The mountain wall closed itself behind us.
It wasn't a long tunnel and we could see light from the other opening. Once we got there we arrived at a glade in the middle of the mountain.
The place was vast and in the night it looked calm, it had a lot of green lands and a big lake. it looked so calm and peaceful as if it is disconnected from the outside world. And it actually is.
A large settlement appeared at the other end of the glade and it seemed as if there was a large building in its end. A fortress of some sort.
The houses of the settlement appeared to be normal and had its lights on. No one would believe a normal place like that exist in such a disconnected area. Except it is not normal when one rethink it again.
Hilda jumped down from the back of Ylva and kept patting her yhen said that she will come check on her later. Ylva then left on her own.
"Doesn't she live with you?" I asked.
"No, she has her own home and family! Make no mistake, Ylva is not anything like a pet. She is a friend and partner in crime!" Hilda said the last part with a laugh.
I guess she is right! Ylva always acted naturally and calmly. She didn't carry a saddle for Hilda to ride on too.
"Hilda, you arrived!" An old voiced sounded.
"Ol' Mord! You are on the gate duty tonight?" Hilda replied back. It seems this old man was the one who open the gate.
"Yes yes! Shall I bring you a horse to ride home?" He asked.
"No! No need!" Hilda waved for him and he smiled and left.
She then looked at me.
"I have nothing to ride now so I will be riding with you, Jonhild!" Hilda moved so fast and jumped behind me.
Sigh! I guess I should be glad this is not a real horse.
"Let's hurry! Let's hurry! I smell dinner from here!"
I rode forward but I could hear her saying something to me in a faint voice.
"We are home, Jonhild!"