The Dragonborn

Part 109

Jack felt like his skin was on fire. Screaming in agony, he had never been so unwilling to be in Mark's arms. His muscles protested being touched and the more he squirmed; the tighter Mark held him. Jack thought he was hallucinating when they excited the temple tunnel out into an area laid with heavy snow. Snow was falling in thick sheets, causing Jack's burning skin to burn with tiny flakes of searing frostbite. Frea hefted their bags, leading the way through the woods as fast as she could. Jack's screams filled the empty dark woods. Frea kept glancing around with her axe drawn. Mark kept up with Frea easily, staying just as alert. Jack caught brief glances of boars with Riekling riders between the trees. They kept a distance from them but were certainly curious. Frea lead Mark across a small snowy bridge, telling Mark slightly breathless. "The storm is getting worse... The Rieklings will be on us soon if we don't beat the storm." Mark glanced up at the cloudy white sky, asking through gruff pants. "How much farther?" Frea pointed with her axe down the path toward a place that had a bright green light shooting into the sky.

Mark nodded, trudging on through the snow. Frea fell back behind Mark to keep an eye on a Riekling rider that was casually coaxing its boar up to the bridge. Jack knew his agonized screams were attracting them, but he just couldn't stop himself. Jack thrashed in Mark's arms uncontrollably, until he saw Miraak standing in the trees. It had to be an illusion, but it made his heart stop all the same. Miraak's head turned to watch him being carried away. Then a weird invisible ripple blurred Jack's vision and Miraak was gone. They were in the small heavy snow-covered village now. His agonized screams brought people out of their little cabin houses to see what was happening. There faces mixed between confusion and worry. They looked to be women and young children. There were very few men present. Frea jogged passed Mark to lead him to the center of the village, where the green light was the strongest. In the center of the village, three people were kneeled in a circle. They seemed to be conjuring the green light that was beaming up into the sky.

Frea ran up to a heavy furred older man, shouting out in a rush. "Father! I have returned! There is hope yet!" The older man lowered his arms down to his legs, asking from his meditative state. "Frea? What news do you bring? Who are these outsiders? Is there a way to save our people?" Frea skidded to a halt by her father, breathlessly informing him quickly. "No, but I have brought someone who has seen things... He needs your help! I think he's dying!" Her father raised his hands to flip back his thick grey fur hood, looking up at Jack writhing in Mark's arms. The man gestured for the other two people with him to keep praying, before he climbed to his feet. Her father strolled up to Mark, reaching out a fingerless gloved hand out to touch Jack's forehead. Jack screamed loudly, but the man didn't flinch as he told them all. "It's old magic. Quick. Bring him inside." Frea lead Mark into the cabin in the center of the village. Mark trudged in, setting Jack down by the firepit in the center of the small cabin.

The man waved Mark away to kneel by Jack's shaking body. Jack's screaming had stopped, but he still didn't feel much better. The man extended his hands over Jack's body and began chanting in a soft inaudible voice. From one hand, a bright golden light rained down over Jack's face. While his other hand seemed to pull a green light from Jack's chest. Frea watched her father closely, asking him curiously. "Can you help him?" Her father kept his focus on what he was doing, but calmly answered her. "I think so. He has a strong spirit... But this magic... Where did it come from?" Frea puffed up her chest, dropping their bags as she told him much calmer. "He has confirmed that Miraak is indeed behind the suffering of our people." The man sighed with a deep acceptance, muttering out in a casual tone. "I feared that it would be so." Frea glanced between Mark and her father, asking softly. "But why? After all this time..." Her father looked up from Jack to stare at her with his grey blue eyes, answering lightly. "I do not know for sure... Some answers are beyond even my abilities."