Chapter 13: The World Made Known

Asha went hunting with Hakon until the sun had reached the golden hours of the evening. They caught a deer for him to carry home and two rabbits for dinner that night. As they sat around the campfire, cooking the meat and preparing the deer to be carried back to his home, Asha found the questions from before mounting. She had caught a glimpse of the world outside and she had to know more.

“Hakon,” she began, hesitantly. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, an invitation to continue. “What is your home like?”

He stared into the fire. “In what way?”

Good question. “How do you live? Do you live in a community or…in a bastion?”

“I live in a farmhouse with my father,” he said. “It’s made of thatch and stone. It's not pretty but it keeps us warm on the cold winter nights.”

“So, you are a farmer?”

“I am. My father and I own a small patch a mile out from Jorvaskr.”

“I remember saying you lived there. Do you see the warriors often?”

“Not at all. A farmer's life is too busy to visit the warriors. We have fields to care for, crops to harvest, and boundaries to keep. The wild goats used to be a problem until they vanished. I would have tried hunting them otherwise. Some say the dragons are scaring them away. They have been flying across our fields at more regular intervals of late.”

“About the dragons,” started Asha. “You seem to have a very low opinion of them.”

“And you don’t,” said Hakon. “I’ve never met any Atmoran who wasn’t wary around them.”

“I’ve never met one that didn’t revere them.”

He laughed. “What is there to revere? They are impressive I suppose but they have lives far above our own. They don’t care about us mortals except to demand worship. The dragon priests take advantage of them as gods to demand more taxes and crops from us.”

“But they do speak for them,” said Asha. “It is their job.”

“Have you ever actually seen them speak on the dragon’s behalf?” asked Hakon, his lip curling in disdain.

“I have,” said Asha, vehemently. “I saw Lord Krosis speak with one and receive orders to hunt further afield to help in the relief efforts.”

This took Hakon aback for a moment before he shook his head. “I haven’t heard anything like this before. But, as I said, we are ruled by Jarls and the dragon priests command from afar in Bromjunaar. We have not heard the command of a dragon in generations.”

A silence fell between them and Asha struggled to control her discomfort. “Tell me about your father. Your home. What has your life been like?”

He chuckled at this change of subject but didn’t argue with it. “It’s not very interesting, but I’ll tell you if you share what your life has been like thus far.”

Asha nodded. “Deal.”

Deep into the night they talked about their homes. Asha told of the bastion and the forests of southern Skyrim while Hakon told her tales of the plains, the open skies, the giants of the plains and their mammoths, his father and their fields, their festivals and even the hall of warriors at Jorvaskr. Asha then shared her stories she learned from Oran and he listened with rapt attention until both were almost passing out from exhaustion. When they slept, Asha dreamed about the open sky of the plains and longed to see it. In the morning, she felt a sudden urgency to return to Summer Falls with her news of her hunt.

Hakon slung the deer over his back and stared awkwardly at her. “Well, I guess this is it.”

Asha nodded, looking him over to take in his frame. She wasn’t sure when she would see him again, and she wanted to fix an image in her mind. “I suppose.”

He nodded. “Goodbye.”

He then turned abruptly and began walking away, toward the cave. Asha was taken aback and stared after him before turning to leave. “Hey,” he called and she turned back. He gestured up to the deer on his back. “This is only going to last so long. Maybe I could return and you can teach me some fishing skills? Maybe how to set a snare…”

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She smiled and nodded. “I’d be happy to. See you here in a week’s time?”

He nodded and returned her smile. “I’ll see you then.”

She turned to leave first and didn’t hear him turn to walk for a good beat as he stared after her.

Asha returned to Summer Falls and hurried to report to Krosis. The dragon priest was at meditation on his rocky platform when she was brought to him. “Lord Krosis,” said the senior hunter that led the way. “The recruit from the Bastion has returned.”

Asha had never been on his meditation platform, the water roared around her and the sound of wind felt ever present. It was as if Kyne’s presence was always around them. Krosis rose from his cross-legged position and turned to face her. “Leave us.”

The senior hunter bowed and left Asha alone on the rock shelf with Krosis. He circled her as he picked up his staff that had been leaning against the wall. “I’ll have your report, initiate.”

Asha cleared her throat. “I explored down the Brittle Mountains southern side. There isn’t much to be found until you reach an inlet about half a day’s walk from here. There is a small pocket of forest with wild game: wolves, deer, and rabbit. Some good fishing spots too.”

Krosis had circled her fully and was in front of her again, his back to her as he looked out over the valley. “And what kept you so long? There were many that believed you couldn’t handle this simple assignment and were either dead or run off.”

Asha blushed. “Not at all. I discovered a cave, a path that leads to the north side of the mountains. There were ancient Atmoran ruins in the mountain. As I explored them, I was attacked by giant spiders.”

“I trust you handled them efficiently.”

“Yes, lord. But I took so long exploring that night was descending and I thought it best to stay the night in the vale.”

Krosis still didn’t look at her but his barely imperceptible nod caused her a sigh of relief. He turned back. “Well done, initiate. I will assign a hunter to the vale.”

Asha felt her throat catch at that statement. Krosis turned away and waved his hand. “You are dismissed, initiate. Good work.”

Asha still hesitated, trying to force out the words but nerves kept her mouth shut. He turned back to her slowly, the narrow eyes in his mask staring at her accusingly. “Unless you have something else to admit to me, Asha.”

“I…I would like to be the hunter assigned to that vale,” said Asha.

Her brazen request was not missed and Krosis’s head cocked as he took her in. He prowled forward like a sabretooth ready to pounce. “And, why would I do that, Asha? There are more competent hunters. And why would you request it?”

“I am capable,” said Asha, “I will show you that I am just as able as any hunter.”

“But why this vale?”

“Because…I know it well already. It seems only practical.”

Her hesitation was her undoing. She knew that her lie wouldn’t stand up to his scrutiny. Krosis’s staff glowed and the eyes burned with fire as he towered over her. “Lie again, Asha, and you will not like the results.”

“I met someone,” she blurted out, her words tumbling like the torrents of water around them. “He was a young farmer from the plains that I met in the tunnel. He shared so much about his home that I wanted to learn more and he wants to hear more of my stories. I also promised him I would teach him to hunt and fish since he and his people are starving under the heavy taxation of the Bromjunaar.”

She gasped at her final statement, feeling she had gone too far. Krosis remained silent but the fire from his dragon staff died away and he stepped back. When she stopped, he turned away. “What did he tell you exactly? I want every word.”

Asha felt like she was betraying Hakon but she spilled everything he had told her about their troubles. She even revealed his belief that the dragon priests were abusing their power and using the dragon's command as an excuse to tyrannize them. Her heart pounded as she spoke. Surely Krosis would send a note to Bromjunaar. He would have Hakon killed. Yet he still hadn’t asked the young man’s name. His interest appeared to be elsewhere. “I had not heard it all…” Krosis muttered.

“My lord?” asked Asha.

He shook his head. “Nothing. Very well, Asha. I grant your request.”

Asha was taken aback. “M…my request?”

He turned with a swish of robes. “You asked to be assigned the vale. I give it to you. But I have a task for you besides hunting.”

“Anything,” said Asha, her heart soaring. “Anything lord. What would you command?”

“You will continue speaking with this young man. Learn what you can about his home and their troubles from him. I will send my own scouts but they can only learn so much when the locals will not speak with them.”

Asha felt her heart soar with happiness and quiver with a sense of dread in equal measure. “Lord…might I ask why you want me to ask these questions?”

“There is some work in the lands of Skyrim that I know nothing about,” said Krosis. “It does no good to remain in the dark.”

Asha wasn’t sure what to make of his statement so she opted to bow. “Yes, my lord.”

Asha looked up and noticed he was no longer paying attention to her but the valley and river below. As she backed away, Krosis rounded on her again. “Asha.”

“Yes, lord?”

“If this young man should ever ask you to return with him to his village, you will accept. A friend on the inside is useful to me. If, on a hunt, you do not return, I will assume this has been your task. If that should happen, you will learn everything you can from them: their struggles, thoughts on the dragon priests, who speaks out most against us, and if this anger goes to the dragon’s themselves. And if someone does oppress them, I will learn who. Do you understand?”

Asha felt the mixed feeling return but she only dutifully bowed. “Yes, Lord Krosis.”

Her task was set. Asha was now the hunter of the Brittle Vale and new spy for her lord, Krosis.