Damn, it's cold, thought Nora as she sat her horse along the road north. This was the sixth day on the road, moving in the direction of Dawnstar. Nora thought she would visit that hold capital eventually, but not now. They had stopped at an inn in a small town the day before, so everyone was clean and well rested, though tonight would be another camp in the woods.

 

Annekke had come with them, requesting some adventure while she could get it. Nora had been impressed with the ranger and had taken her on, and now the party was seven. All women, she thought with a smile. She had had all female teams before in the Commonwealth, but never more than five. They were getting some strange looks along the way, seven beautiful women riding in a group. Nora had no doubt that they could handle anything along the way.

 

The road had been full of wolves, and even worse, sabre cats. The cats were exact duplicates of the saber tooth cats Nora had seen in museums prewar. Large, lion size, with oversized teeth and sharp claws. They had been hard to kill, but fortunately for the party they tended to go after the horses first. Hard on the mounts, and they had lost two already, having to shift equipment and saddle a pack beast in one case. Even worse in the long run there was no graze along this section, and they had to use the oats they had packed to feed the horses. That could get to be a problem in the next couple of days.

 

“Fort Dunstad should be around this next bend,” said Toccata with certainty. “Have you decided what you want to do?”

 

Nora had been grappling with that question the entire morning. Dunstad was an old Imperial fort that had been abandoned when the Hold had gone over to the Stormcloaks. Unfortunately, those soldiers hadn't garrisoned it and bandits had moved in. Even more unfortunately for the people of the region the bandits were aggressive in their acquisitions, and the people in the village they had just left had suffered severely.

 

“What did they say. A score of bandits. One mage?”

 

“Their best guess, my Thane,” said Lydia, frowning.

 

“It should be easy enough,” said Sofia, smiling. “We have four that can throw magic, and three expert bows. If we can get close before they spot us we should be able to take them out quickly.”

 

“Toccata,” said Nora, looking over at their expert on geography. “How about you? You look like you’re having some doubts.”

 

“I, don't know,” said the woman, shaking her head. “I feel like my doom is approaching and I am driven to meet it.”

 

“Then we go around,” said Nora, looking at the others.

 

“No,” said Toccata forcefully. “You are right to be concerned about the villagers. They don't deserve what these bandits are doing to them. We need to right this situation. Besides, we can’t act on some silly feelings that might not be real.”

 

“Okay. We go in and take them out.”

 

They left the horses, seven riding beasts and five pack animals, tethered to some trees off the road. Nora was concerned about sabre cats, but she couldn't let that stop her from putting paid to the bandits. The crept in, moving silently, three bows strung and ready, four left hands ready to fling magic. There was a bandit on the wooden watch tower to the right of the gate, another on the top of the tower to the left. The fort looked formidable, and Nora was sure that if it had a full garrison it would be a hard nut to crack. It was missing its gates, the last gift of the retreating Legionaries. There were spiked barriers to prevent people from riding through quickly, easy enough for people on foot to traverse.

 

The bandit in the wooden tower called out, then pulled back on her bow. Three bows twanged and the archer went down with a trio of arrows piercing her breast. Eldawyn threw a fireball and the lookout on the stone tower fell to his knees, burning and screaming. Nora winced as she ran forward. Fire magic was very useful, but she preferred killing her opponents quickly with steel or arrow. Only it wasn't always possible.

 

A trio of bandits met them at the gate. One had on armor, the other two soft clothing, not having time to put on their protection. Eldawyn sent a stream of cold into the one on the left, Toccata the one on the right, while Nora shield bashed the one in the center, knocking the man back and onto his haunches. A quick thrust on the way by and he was taken care of.

 

Arrows took out the one bandit mage before she could come fully awake and blast the intruders. The party spread out as they ran into the first courtyard, determined to take down the bandits before any of them could get set.

 

Toccata ran at one of the bandits, cold flying from her hand as she raised her sword to finish him off. Two more bandits suddenly came out of the bushes, one with a hammer, the other with a short sword. Toccata yelled a Nord battle cry and brought her sword around to block the short blade, and took a hammer blow to the other side that folded her over and knocked her to her knees. The sword man thrust through her chest, then knocked her back with a knee. The injured woman screamed as she struggled to get up. Her struggles ended when the short sword was thrust through her throat, severing her spine.

 

“No,” screamed Nora, running toward the bandits. The bandit with the hammer brought it up, then down in what would have been a killing blow. Nora stopped in her tracks and the hammer dug into the ground.

 

“Fus Ro,” she shouted, just wanting the bandits out of there so she could see to her friend. She fell to her knees, looking into eyes that were already glazing in death. She called up a healing spell and started sending energy into her friend, crying out in pain as Toccata refused to heal.

 

“You’re dead, bitch,” yelled the hammer man, back on his feet and coming at her.

 

“I don't have time for you,” yelled Nora, changing over the spell and sending flame directly into the man's head, blinding him instantly. He dropped his hammer, put his hands over his eyes, and stumbled away. Nora turned her attention back to her friend and continued to send healing energy into her.

 

“Nora,” said Eldawyn, dropping to her knees beside the leader and enfolding the Dragonborn in her slender arms. “Stop. She's gone. I'm sorry, but she's gone.”

 

Nora stared at the Altmer with wide eyes, tears flowing. “Then what fucking good is healing magic if I can't use it to save her.”

 

“It doesn't work that way, Nora. Once the spark of life is gone it takes a master level spell to reunite spirit and body, and only then if you do it in time.”

 

“We can't bring her back?” asked a tearful Nora in a quiet voice.

 

“As a zombie, yes,” said Eldawyn, shaking her head as her own tears flowed. “You wouldn't want that. She wouldn't want that.”

 

“No, she wouldn't,” said Sofia, looking down on her rival with tears flowing. “She's in Sovngarde now. Paradise for a Nord. She died bravely in battle, so there's no other place she can go.”

 

“I didn't even get to know her that well,” cried Nora. “She was always so quiet, so steady, so ready to let me know what was going on. But never talking about herself.”

 

“She was in mourning,” said Sofia, kneeling down and taking one of Toccata's hands. “Not that she would have ever let you know. Her husband was a Stormcloak soldier, killed in the war, and all she talked about with me was how someday she would be with him again.”

 

“My Thane,” said Lydia, walking toward Nora with Recorder, a burly half naked man between them. “We found the boss sleeping off a drunk in his bed.”

 

Nora was on her feet in an instant, walking over to look at the man. “You motherfucker. If not for your gang my friend would still be alive. You..”

 

Nora ran out of words, bringing up a hand and sending flames into the bandit. She wanted this man to suffer, to pay for the death of Toccata. Slow roasting, the slower the better.

 

“Nora, no,” shouted Eldawyn, sending a wave of cold into the bandit that snuffed out his life in an instant.

 

“Why,” shouted Nora, turning toward her friend, fire still playing in her hand. “That was too easy. Too easy.”

 

“Because I didn't want to see you beating yourself up over his death. Because I didn't want you having more nightmares than you're already going to have.”

 

Eldawyn stepped up and enfolded Nora in her arms, and the two women stood there for a moment letting the sobs come out.

 

We need to get moving, thought Nora, unwilling to let the depression carry her away.

 

“Get the horses. We will bring her with us so she can have a traditional Nord burial. We can do that much for her.”

 

*     *      *

 

Five hours later they were almost to the turnoff to Morthal. They stopped and made camp, building a roaring fire and pitching their tents. Nora stood outside away from the fire by the body of Toccata for some time after night fell.

 

“You need to come by the fire, my Thane,” said Lydia, approaching as if afraid of disturbing her. “It's cold out.”

 

“Not as cold as the grave,” said Annekke, coming over with bowed head. “She was a warrior, and died a warrior's death. She is surely in Sovngarde this day.”

 

“If you believe in such places,” Nora said in a sarcastic tone.

 

“But, you believe in the Goddess,” said Lydia, shocked at the way the conversation was turning. “You saw her.”

 

“Yes, I saw her, The Goddess is real, or else I wouldn't be standing here. Unless I've gone mad and none of this is real. But souls that ascend to an afterlife? I find that more difficult to countenance. We're mortal. We die. And that is the end.”

 

“You are wrong, my Thane,” cried Lydia. “One day you will be there. Do not doubt.”

 

Nora shook her head and went back to the fire. She would take the first shift alongside Annekke. She couldn't sleep, and she wanted to make sure the body of her friend was undisturbed through the night. So she sat there with a bottle of wine, drinking the liquid down as she thought about the day. She had lost many companions in the past. Dozens of them, gone down in battle, or felled by disease. But this was a first for this world of wonder that was not feeling very wonderful about now.

 

I never even got to know her that well, thought Nora, visualizing the radiant smile and twinkling blue eyes of the Nord woman. She lit up a room when she entered, so beautiful and fresh. And I never even knew she had lost a husband because I was too focused on what I wanted.

 

She took a last swallow from the bottle and threw it angrily out into the night, then sat quietly. Annekke let her stay that way until their shift was over, and Nora was grateful to the woman for understanding her need.

 

“Get some sleep, my Thane,” said Lydia as she moved to the fire to relieve the first shift.

 

“I'll check on you later,” said Eldawyn in a caring voice.

 

Nora climbed out of her armor and fell onto her furs, pulling her bearskin cloak over her body and settling in. Her mind was still swirling and she didn't think she could sleep. But something dragged her down into the darkness and she was back in Kynareth's realm, clouds underfoot.

 

The Goddess came to her, wearing only the swirling piece of gossamer, and Nora looked down to see that she was naked as well.

 

“I'm not really in the mood,” she told the Goddess, wondering if the being would rage at her. Not that she really cared at the moment.

 

“It would not be appropriate in your time of mourning,” said the Goddess, her voice gentle. “You enter my realm as you are, without the things you hang on your body. I just wanted to put your mind at ease as to the fate of your friend.”

 

Suddenly Nora was no longer in the Goddess' realm. She was standing in a vast hall, her body clothed and glowing. As were the other people in the hall. Many of them, thousands, more, in a hall that seemed to stretch forever. She looked down one end to see it disappear in glowing mist many miles away. Looking the other way she saw the same. People were singing songs, dancing, hefting foaming mugs as platters groaning with meat sat on the table. A pair, a woman with two swords and a man with a greatsword, sparred, swinging, dodging and laughing.

 

And there, in front of her, facing her across the table, was Toccata, dressed in a flowery dress, her arm around the shoulders of a handsome Nord man. They kissed and gazed into each other's eyes lovingly. Nora felt herself tearing up yet again, tears of sorrow that her friend was gone, tears of joy that she had found what she was looking for.

 

Toccata looked away from her husband, her eyes locked onto those of Nora. She raised her mug and smiled, and the room faded away. Wait, thought Nora. I wanted to talk to her. To apologize.

 

“So you see, she is in Sovngarde, in the Hall of Shor. Safe from Alduin. And there she will sit with those she loves, and wait for more loved ones to join her. For you to join her, when the time comes, many long years from now.”

 

“As long as I die with a sword in my hand,” said Nora, thinking of so many ways she could die without a weapon.

 

“Where did you hear that? The Nord saying of may you die with a sword in hand. Many heroes have traveled to Sovngarde from their death beds without grasping a hilt. No, you prove yourself in life, and it matters not your condition when you die.”

 

“I wanted to talk with her. To tell her I was sorry.”

 

“Mortals are not meant for the Halls of Shor prior to their deaths. And what is there to be sorry about? She followed you of her own will, knowing the risks, and died bravely in service to a cause she loved. What more can be asked.”

 

“Thank you, Kynareth,” said Nora in a choked voice. “This is such a comfort. To know that this is real.”

 

“Of course, child. You are not from this world. You were not raised with the stories, the sagas of heroes. Of course you need proof.”

 

“I am just so happy for Toccata,” said Nora, starting to cry. “I have led many people to their deaths, and they all hurt. She hurt more than most.”

 

“You are a most unusual hero, Nora Jane Adams. So brave and fierce and heartless toward your enemies. And so caring and compassionate toward the helpless. And loving towards those you are close to. So unusual in a warrior queen, and that will make you my favorite when all is over. Now, back to the land of the living, and remember what you have seen this night.”

 

Nora woke as the sun was rising, her heart lifted. There was still a pang of sorrow for Toccata, but she knew the Nord was going to be okay for the rest of time. And the people with her would go to that hall when they died. As long as Nora took care of Alduin, the elephant in the room.

 

“My Thane,” said Lydia, sitting down next to Nora while she ate a hasty breakfast. “We have Toccata on her horse, ready to travel.”

 

“That's not her,” said Nora, seeing the looks of confusion on the faces of everyone around the fire. “It's a shell, a husk. She sits in Shor's Hall this day, celebrating a reunion with her husband.”

 

“You believe,” said Sofia in a hushed voice.

 

“I saw. The Goddess revealed Shor's Hall to me. And it was wonderful.” Her face then turned serious. “Toccata made it safely to the Hall. She is in no danger. But that bastard Alduin will eat other souls, deny other heroes of their reward. Which is why we must prepare ourselves for the battle which will rip his own soul from his body.”

 

*     *     *

 

The next couple of days passed without major incident. Wolves, a single sabre snow cat, a little different than those to the south, a trio of bandits who ran on seeing the strength of the party. A few arrows were sent after them but Nora forbade a chase.

 

She thought on her meeting with the goddess. Nora was not a woman of faith. She had been disappointed too many times in the past. She believed in what she could see and feel, and with her exposure to the technologies of the Commonwealth not even always those. But she had met with the Goddess twice now. The first time there had been physical evidence of her meeting. The Divine's semen was on and in her. And Danica had verified that she had working ovaries, a miracle that not even the science of the Institute could pull off. She decided that she needed to learn more about the Divines, and the Daedric Princes as well. And might as well read up on the Gods of the elves since all were real and had tangible power in the world.

 

And she thought about her party. She needed to learn more about them. Their hopes and dreams, their motivations for helping her. She knew they were making good coin on their adventures, but also realized that was not enough. They all had a reason for being here and she needed to know what that was. To know them, deep down.

 

Lydia had been assigned by her Jarl, but the woman was so devoted it went beyond a mere assignment. Eldawyn loved the adventure and also liked Nora's touch. She had seen the elf going off with men before, so she was not a committed monogamist and could have all the sex she wanted without putting her life on the line. Sofia? She really didn't know why the funny raven-haired woman was with her, but she had also accompanied the first Dragonborn. Was she on a crusade, or just following to deal with the boredom of life in Whiterun? And what about Annekke? The woman was still young enough for one last adventure, and attractive enough to get someone more adventurous in her life than her sad husband. But why wasn't she tracking her neighborhood bandits with the guard, surely a safer pursuit than following a hero on her journey of discovery?

 

Recorder was an enigma as well. Nora understood that she had been assigned to follow a Dragonborn, it didn't matter which one, by the mysterious Academy. She disappeared for long stretches when they were in the cities, always to reappear before they hit the road. The woman loved to fight and was a madwoman in combat, and Nora wondered if that was her motivation. No, she needed to talk to them more, to find out more about this culture that literally worshiped heroes and the death of heroes. Not all of them would make it to the end of the journey and people would come along to replace them. It would be easier to just let them remain faces that went into battle beside her. But that was unfair to them, and unfair to her. She needed to be able to mourn them when they fell and not just walk away from a pawn that had been sacrificed.

 

“You seem to have been lost in thought through the day,” said Lydia as they made camp. “Not exactly sad, but not in the moment either. That can be dangerous, my Thane.”

 

“Why are you with me, Lydia? I know the Jarl assigned you to me, but it has to go beyond that.”

 

“I...”

 

“Tell me honestly. I will think no less of you.”

 

“The Jarl assigned me to the first Dragonborn. You know that, right? And I failed to keep him alive. I need to prove myself, and you are the charge I need to protect.”

 

“And you always wanted to be a Housecarl? To sit in a palace and guard the rich and famous?”

 

“No, my Thane. I wanted to follow a hero. The Jarl knew this. He had heard me talking about this all of my life, from the time he bounced me on his knee until I had been certified by Iraleth as a warrior.”

 

So, she is related to the Jarl,” thought Nora, staring into the fire. And he had no qualms about sending her into danger. But that's their culture.

 

“Why me?”

 

“I want to be here, my Thane, with you. You are the most heroic person I have ever met. You are an accomplished warrior who admits she doesn't know everything and asks the advice of others. You are stronger than any woman I have ever seen, and move like no one on this world. But you're humble as well, not beating your chest and telling everyone how formidable you are.”

 

“And you want me to survive?”

 

“Of course,” said Lydia, a thoughtful expression on her face. “You are the hope of the world, of defeating that which would deny us Sovngarde. And, well, you are an amazing person, one I would willingly sacrifice myself for.”

 

To expunge your guilt over losing your first charge. “I don't want you to die to save me, Lydia.”

 

The Housecarl started to protest, but Nora held up a hand to silence her.

 

“Do what you must to support me in battle, Lydia. If that involves putting yourself at risk, so be it. But don't jump into a hopeless situation just so you can die beside me. Understand?”

 

“I, will try, my Thane. But if I never get to Sovngarde, I will at least have this.”

 

Nora thought there was no way Lydia wouldn't get into Sovngarde. Not with her courage and skill. She was also beautiful, and could have a life far away from war and adventure, but this seemed to be what she wanted.

 

Lydia went to her bed while Annekke was up to pull second shift, Nora's. The Sole Survivor had been able to go without sleep for days while out tracking Raiders. There was no reason to believe that she couldn't do so here.

 

“So, Annekke. One last adventure, huh.”

 

“I want in to Sovngarde,” said the woman with a smile. “You are a hero, and what better position to secure my place there.”

 

It's almost like a death cult, thought Nora. Though not really, since these Nords seemed to love life. They ate, drank and made love with the best of them. Most had a good sense of humor and would go out of their way to help. No, they didn't want to die, but they realized that there was something beyond this life and they wanted it.

 

The night passed and Nora stayed up until the dawn. She talked with Recorder, and Sofia, learning all she could about them. Sofia was in it for the glamour of following the Dragonborn, something she could trade for the attention of others. For all her talk of using people the blue-eyed brunette wanted acceptance. That was a motivation Nora could understand. Many people were like that, and she was sure Sofia for one had a strong sense of self preservation. Recorder was more of an enigma, and Nora decided to get right to the point with her.

 

“I notice that you eat, drink and dance,” said Nora, looking into the strange eyes of the unusual woman. If fact, Recorder had a problem keeping her clothes on when dancing on a table, something the Nord men seemed to appreciate. “But I never see you with a man. Or a woman for that matter. Is there a reason beyond the regulations of your Academy?”

 

Recorder sat silent for a moment, digesting the question, then turned sad eyes on Nora. “I, don't feel that comfortable with the people here. Not to open myself up to sex, much less love. Oh no,” she said quickly, cutting Nora off. “I'm no virgin. The academy disapproves of long-term liaisons, but we are allowed lovers and I have had many. But I could connect with those people since they were from my culture, while these people see me as strange, and if I let myself go with them they will find out just how weird I really am.”

 

Nora could see a project here. One that might take time, but if Recorder was going to put her life on the line the Dragonborn wanted her to get the most out of the good things in life.

 

Eldawyn was last. She thought she knew the elf better than anyone else in the party. But she still didn't know her true motivations.

 

“Oh, I'm only here for the loot,” said the elf with a laugh. “I need to live in luxury while I'm researching my craft. No poverty for this girl. Oh, and the sex. Definitely the sex.”

 

“And so you follow the most clueless warrior on the planet on a quest that promises hardship and danger. There's something else, isn't there?”

 

“Yes,” said Eldawyn, staring into the fire. “You know my story. I am possessed, though as possessions go this one is not so bad. But I fear that I am on the way to Oblivion when I die, and I don't want to go there.”

 

Nora nodded. She had heard tales of Oblivion, the realm of the Daedric Princes, thought to be hell by the worshipers of the Divines and the elf gods. She could see someone not wanting to go there, though there were large groups on the world that aspired to nothing else.

 

“So, you think that by serving me you can gain forgiveness for you sins?”

 

“I don't think there is any forgiveness for some of the things I've done,” admitted Eldawyn, shaking her head. “But there is still hope. You will come across many things in your journey. Tales, artifacts, even new ways to contact the gods. I'm hoping I find some way to banish my demon and make myself suitable for the afterlife of my people.”

 

“I can work with that,” said Nora. At least Elda didn't have a wish to die so she could go to paradise, though that wasn't really a fair assessment of her other followers either. Eldawyn wanted out of the bad deal she had made, and was hoping the Dragonborn could lead her to something that would allow her to get out from under the thumb of a mad demon spirit. Fair enough.

 

Two days later they were in sight of Morthal, after ten days on the road from Whiterun. A hard ten days filled with fighting and sorrow. But Nora had come to know her people better, and had a better handle on how they would react when things went south. Which, in her experience, they always did.