The Dragonborn

Part 73

Mounting back up onto their horses, Mark took the lead. He pointed to the South West as he told him over his shoulder. "Alftand is directly South West of here. I think going there is a mistake though." Jack flipped up his hood to protect his ears from the cold and falling snow, riding up on Tim's flank to ask him. "Why is that? More Draugr?" Mark gave him a slightly serious glare, retorting firmly. "No. Falmer. They overtook the Dwemer ruins after the Dwarves died out. Plus, Dwemer ruins run deep and are built like a maze full of complex mechanical traps. We go in... We may never come out." Jack tightened his cloak around himself, telling him in a chipper voice. "Come on, Mark. Think positive. Maybe this one time we will catch a break." Mark rolled his eyes, mumbling out dryly. "We'd have a better chance at catching a cold." Jack enjoyed the peaceful ride up the mountain side, listening to Mark tell him seriously. "Look Jack, I've heard of Alftand before. It was the Dwemers main city. The place is huge! We could be down there for days." 

Jack shrugged, simply stating out. "We've got enough rations to last us awhile. We should be fine. Why are you so afraid of this place?" Mark turned Tim to block Agro's path, stopping them both abruptly. Mark locked hard eyes on him, answering in a dark voice. "There are A LOT of Falmer living in that ruin. I've even heard rumors that the Dwemer kept an ancient power within their city." Jack licked his dry lips, uttering out bluntly. "For all we know that 'Ancient Power' is the Elder Scroll. Let's not dust this up into something more than it is." Jack steered Agro around Tim, taking the lead as they continued on up the mountain. Through the fog of the falling snow, a short tower came into view. Jack had seen many towers made from solid grey stones or even white, but this one was made from a shiny brass metal. The bitter wind picked up then making Jack's teeth chatter. Mark pointed to a wooden building close by, yelling over the wind. "We can leave the horses in there and take a look around."

Jack nodded, turning Agro to the building. It looked like it had been used as a storage building at one point, but now some of it was collapsed and buried in thick snow. The building wasn't much, but it was better than standing out in the wind. Jack coaxed Agro in and she only got a step or two in, when she reared unexpectedly. Jack flipped off her back, falling into the snow as Agro stomped and pawed her hooves aggressively. Mark drew his sword, dismounting quickly. Jack sat up shivering as Mark touched his shoulder, then slipped into the building to inspect it. Jack climbed up onto his feet, brushing off the clumps of snow and asking aloud. "Mark? What is it?" Mark moved back into the broken entryway, sheathing his sword and taking Agro's reins to calm her. Shaking his head, Mark told him in a grim voice. "I told you this place is bad."

Jack made his way in to take a peek and gritted his teeth. In the corner, between two frozen snow covered barrels was a dead body of a man. Jack inched closer to it, taking a knee as he looked over the body more closely. The man's clothes were torn and so brittle from weathering that Jack guessed he had been here for at least a few weeks. Frozen solid. Jack shifted back a little, asking Mark curiously. "Do you think a creature did this?" Mark shook his head, pointing to the mans face as he answered. "Not likely. His expression is too calm. That is the look of a man who froze to death due to bad weather." Jack looked back at the man, stating to Mark perplexed. "Why didn't he build a fire? There is all this wood around. Was it too wet maybe?" Mark let go of Agro, slipping outside as something caught his eye. Jack watched him go for a second, then turned his attention back to the dead man. In the dead man's hands was a leather journal.

Carefully removing the book, he heard Mark call to him. Taking the journal, he walked outside to see Mark standing not too far outside of the building. Jack's jaw dropped at the sight around them, while Mark commented grimly. "I don't think a fire was enough." Mark was standing by a piled bonfire that looked barely burned at all. All around the bonfire though were frozen bodies of men and woman. There were even frozen bodies of horses. Jack swallowed scarcely. It had to of been one hell of a storm to kill a bonfire so quietly and freeze them all. Unlike the man in the building, these people looked slightly alarmed. Mark nudged one with his boot, unable to even move it an inch as he told him. "I heard that storms along the coast can get bad... but this. This is horrifying." Jack lowered his gaze to the journal, carefully opening it.