To Protect the Dragonborn

Surprises on the Ice

The dragon's breath thickened the layer of ice enough that Farkas was pretty sure he could safely get off the floating parts, but his legs were too numb by then to move quickly anyway.

He could hear Duna shouting fire at it as well but getting trapped in the buildup of ice he couldn't keep track of where she was. Then, suddenly, one of Duna's arrows struck it in the eye and it plummeted from the sky.

Farkas was relieved... for a moment... and then the dragon crashed into the ice nearly right on top of him. In its death throws it smashed straight through, and Farkas was tossed into the icy water right along with it.

Farkas managed to gasp a breath of mostly air in the split seconds before he went under.

This was freezing by a Nord's standards. The cold pressed in like knives from all sides and for several moments everything was dark as he thrashed about trying to see which way was up. The salty water burned his eyes and stung with cold and his lungs felt like fire from the small amount of water he'd already taken in. His body wanted to cough, but he knew that would be death... he could also feel himself starting to panic, but that would certainly be death too.

He was starting to think this was actually the end for him, but then the dragon soul rose from the depths, no doubt flying to Duna. It lit up his surroundings briefly, but long enough for Farkas to right himself and start swimming upward. He followed the path the dragon soul had taken only to find that that led him to a thick layer of ice. He pounded at it once with his mace before remembering the staff... the fireball underwater was much less effective than Farkas was hoping for... his lungs ached for air... he was out of time and out of strength... what a pitiful way to go...

But before he could completely give up he heard a distant and muffled, "YOL TOOR!" And the ice above him lit up with an intense heat. The thin layer left behind was easy to smash and the next thing Farkas knew he was being hauled up into the freezing air, with the golden light of a healing spell swirling around him. Duna was only able to drag him half out of the water, but even that was impressive honestly.

Farkas coughed and choked for several more moments, but Duna's spell gave him the strength to climb the rest of the way out of the water.

"Oh thank all the divines, you're alive," Duna sighed, panting for breath.

Farkas didn't reply, still trying to catch his breath... why was his whole body shaking? He wasn't drowning anymore, but he was soaked through... that wind was too cold for even a Nord... wait... cold... that was it, he was soaking wet and shivering... he was freezing...

Duna was saying something about needing to get him dried off, but he couldn't hear her that well over the sound of his own teeth chattering... she also said something about his mace and staff but needing to get off of the ice...

Farkas just nodded numbly as, slipping and cursing she tried to support him as they stumbled back to shore and into the snow.

The snow wasn't as bad as the ice... at least it was soft... he could just lie down and sleep in the snow... which honestly sounded like a lovely idea, but Duna wouldn't let him. She dragged him over to a large rock and Farkas was startled when she used her fire shout to clear the snow and ice.

"Alright... alright..." Duna was saying nervously as she made him sit on the now warm rock, "stay with me Farkas... I... I think I have an idea that might work..."

He was still shivering too much to make much sense of what she was talking about... but then he felt an almost burning warmth from her hand as she began to move it across his hands... then each arm... her other hand cast the healing spell again and Farkas slowly came back to his senses...