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The Tenth Hold	By : Singalmo Category: +A through F > Elder Scrolls - Skyrim Views: 23706 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Elder Scrolls : Skyrim, or anything related to it. This fiction is purely for entertainment and I do not profit from it in any way.

Chapter List
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Seved snapped awake when he heard the sound. It was distinctive, a skittering, chittering, slightly squeaky sound that was utterly unmistakable for anyone exploring caves and ruins in Skyrim. Frostbite spiders. He did not move, but he looked around as best he could. There it was, on the ceiling. It was a small one, it’s body no longer than his forearm from wrist to elbow. Still a baby, but not recently hatched. The hatchlings were roughly fist sized. Still, a baby of that size was deadly, capable of killing all of them in the room. He moved with painstaking slowness, doing his best not to alert the thing. He readied the spell in his hand. He watched closely. He held it, knowing this would alert it. It raised its front legs, trying to detect the threat.

FOOM! SKREE! Whump.

“AIEEE!!”

“Dibella’s tits!”

“It’s dead, it’s dead. I got it.” Seved breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the very singed carcass that had landed on the foot of the bed. Vera had clutched the furs and gotten as far from it as she could have. Hers had been the startled scream. Avulstein had cursed and drawn his sword. The thing twitched a few times and then was still. Avulstein sheathed his sword, and now everyone was wide awake.

“What in Oblivion...” Antony rubbed his head, clearly hungover.

“Frostbite spider.” Avulstein responded softly. “Dead now.”

“Where did it come from?” Raj grunted as he sat himself up.

“Not sure. Might have squeezed in from outside.”

“What were the noises you heard from that section of the keep you discovered?” Seved rubbed his face, still watching the carcass. “Skittering?”

“Yes. We thought it might be skeevers.”

“Was it slightly squeaky?”

“Yes...”

“Skeevers don’t squeak when they move. They shriek at you when they’re startled or about to attack. Frostbite spiders squeak when they move. Judging by the size of that thing there are plenty more down there...”

“Well that’s just lovely.” Nilvari rolled herself up into a standing position, looking at the corpse. “Not something I like dealing with. We usually use judicious amounts of fire when we do. How do you deal with them?” She looked to Seved.

“Fire if you can manage, otherwise a lot of dodging and well timed swings. Cut off their legs, a good stab through the thorax or head, bisect them... Warhammers are nicely effective on the smaller ones. Big ones you need something that will cut through them.”

“If they’re coming up from below then we’d better clear it out.” Thorald grunted and stood up. “I’ll get my armor.”

“I’ll get mine.” Seved grabbed his pants and stood up slowly, stretching largely. At that moment he didn’t care that he was naked and he was fairly certain no one else in the room cared, either. “See if you can harvest the venom from it and then toss the carcass outside. It’ll probably take the better part of the morning to clear them out... Or maybe longer, depending on what all we find down there.”

If there was one thing Seved possibly disliked more than accidentally running into frostbite spiders it was being right about just how large a given ruin was. He had brought Nilvari, Antony, and Thorald down with him and at that precise moment he was extremely grateful that he had done so, and that they had listened so well to his instructions. They’d cleared out the old section of the keep and burned all the spider carcasses. As the others had discussed how to remove the webbing, something had caught Seved’s attention. One of the webs was still moving, as if caught in a breeze. This did not seem good to him and so he crept up to it and listened. No more skittering reached his ears, though he could feel and hear wind coming through. He hushed the others and slowly pulled away the webbing to reveal another passage. It looked to have been walled off when the keep was first built, but now it was open. He motioned for the others to follow him.

Now the four were staring at an immense cavern, man-made structures filling it slowly, criss-crossing over it almost like a spider’s web. They were not, however, of ancient Nordic make, and these looked exceptionally well maintained. They were of pale stone, that almost gleamed in the darkness of the cavern, yet they were not cut or fashioned in the style of the Dwemer ruins that Seved was familiar with. They almost looked Aldmeri.

“What... is this?” Seved whispered softly as he looked over the structure. It was surprising how well it had survived over however long it had been here. “It looks almost like what I saw in the Summerset Isles...”

“What would it be doing in Skyrim? The Altmer didn’t come this far north for a long time.” Antony looked at the ruin in awe.

“It’s not Aldmeri.” Nilvari looked closely at the platform on which they stood. “It’s Falmeri.”

“What? Those twisted things that tame those nasty bugs?” Thorald wrinkled his nose.

“Well, yes. This would be before Ysgramor’s rampage, before the betrayal of the Dwemer. The value of this find alone is... immeasurable.”

“What do you think we’ll find in here?” Seved looked around slowly.

“Hard to say. Might be some Falmer, might be some undead, or maybe some other wildlife. But any artifacts we bring back would be of great value.”

“Should we even be here?” Antony swallowed hard.

“Never been ruin delving?” Seved grinned. “It’s not easy, and it won’t be quick, but it will be rewarding.”

“It could take us days to explore this place fully.” Nilvari cautioned.

“It could, at that.” Seved nodded. “This place looks huge...” He looked around and spied what looked to be an important structure. “Let’s start simple then. How about that building there. Let’s see if we can’t get down to it and take a look around, then we’ll head back.”

“A good plan. The Altmer were rivals of the Falmer and so much of what we do mimics their culture and aesthetics. It’s entirely possible that building could give us further insight into what we’re looking at here.”

“Any thought as to what it is?”

“I don’t think it’s one of their temple structures. Could be a palace, or some sort of government building. If it’s that or military, it could contain maps. That would aid any further exploration significantly.”

“True. Let’s get moving, then.”

Seved led the way down, carefully as he could. They were ready for something akin to the twisted Falmer that they knew stayed deep within the Dwemer ruins. None of them expected to hear the growling of a saber cat. The thing leapt from the shadows, headed straight for Seved’s throat. Thorald caught it with his axe and opened a huge gash in its belly, killing it before it hit the ground. Then the four crouched beside its carcass in awe. It was not colored like any saber cat they had ever seen. It was black with pale markings that seemed to glow slightly, like the glowing mushrooms that could be found in old caves.

“By the Nine!” Thorald whispered excitedly. “I’ve never seen one like this!”

“I don’t know that anyone has.” Antony shook his head.

“Bet the pelt is worth quite a bit of coin.” Nilvari tilted her head. “Such fur would be difficult to fake.”

“Alright, keep watch, then. I’ll skin the beast.” Seved set to work quickly. He’d skinned a few saber cats already in his little adventures around Winterhold, so he knew his way around the carcass. Thorald was certainly impressed with his efficiency. Seved wiped off the hide and rolled it around an empty sack to keep the blood from ruining the fur. Better to do the work then rather than wait to drag the carcass back, not knowing what else might be down there. The group moved onward, toward the city ruin.

The cavern was full of phosphorescent plants, many of which Seved had never seen before. He took samples as he could, figuring the alchemists back at the college could help him identify the plants, and their properties. At last, they reached what had once been a well maintained road. Seved was still amazed at how much had survived in the cavern. A few more saber cats were all they encountered along the road to their destination. Seved, however, was still cautious and opened the door to the round building with great slowness and care. It did not make a sound as he opened the massive door, perfectly counterbalanced to open at the slightest touch. He was glad for the silence as he saw what was in the large room that the door revealed. Sleeping on the floor was a giant, but one unlike any he had ever seen. It was absolutely white, with a thick mane of white fur, and two horns on its head. It looked more like a massive troll than a giant. This would not be easy.

Seved gave the others wordless commands. They knew to be as quiet as they could. Antony stayed in the door, his bow at the ready. Nilvari and Thorald slowly crept around the edge of the room, ready to take up flanking positions. Seved quietly drew his sword in one hand, readying a fire spell in the other. He swore that none of them were breathing for that few precious seconds where they were all in position. Antony knocked an arrow and took aim at the beast’s back. He drew the bow and held it. Seved nodded. The arrow flew silently through the air and lodged itself between the beast’s ribs. It roared in pain and began to haul itself to its feet. Seved surged forward to draw its attention. A blast of fire, followed by a swing at one of its legs, opening a wide gash. He barely had time to duck out of the way as the thing swung a massive, Dwarven battle axe straight for him. Nilvari used the open moment to strike, opening a deep wound in its side before rolling away, out of its reach. It turned to face her and Thorald leapt into the air, bringing his own battle axe down on the beast’s back. Antony loosed two more arrows which stuck in the thing’s chest.

Seved rolled and blasted it with more fire, swearing it should be dead already as he ducked out of the way of another swing. He struck out with his sword, finding purchase in the other leg, making it drop to its knee, crippled. Nilvari rolled in, swinging viciously, opening more wounds and then rolling back again as it swung, keeping out of reach. Seved kept the thing focused on him while Thorald swung hard with his axe. Antony hit it with another arrow and as it yelped, Seved saw his opening. He rammed his sword into the beast’s mouth, up into its brain. It gurgled and fell over with a loud thump. It was dead. There was a collective sigh of relief and Seved began to pry his sword back out. That battle had been loud and would cut their exploration time much shorter. They might not be able to sneak back up to the keep.

“Everyone alright?” Seved grunted as he finally freed his sword.

“I’m fine.” Nilvari nodded.

“No scratches here.” Thorald leaned slightly on his axe.

“I’m alright.” Antony crept forward. “Seved, you’re bleeding.”

“I am?” He looked down and noticed the gash on his leg. He remembered then the one wild swing that he hadn’t quite gotten out of the way of, the axe grazing him. “Oh, so I am...” He readied a healing spell and held his hand to the wound, wincing slightly as the flesh began to knit itself back together.

“That probably got us some attention.” Nilvari frowned. “We should move quickly.”

“Agreed. Once whatever is living down here learns this thing is dead, something else might take up residence.” Seved nodded. “Let’s figure out what this building is.”

Nilvari and Antony took the western side while Thorald and Seved took the eastern half. They met back at the frost giant’s carcass after ten minutes.

“Definitely a government building. I found a map of the city carved into a wall.” Nilvari smiled. “Antony helped me make a rubbing.”

“Good, we can study that in detail later. Find anything else valuable?”

“Books mostly, and a good cache of weapons. These have been untouched for thousands of years, but they’re all perfectly good, like they were forged yesterday.”

“Excellent.” Seved grinned. “Thorald and I found a decent bit of loot as well. Simple artifacts, but valuable.”

“One more door to go through.” Antony motioned to the northern door. “We should clear this building and then get out of here.”

“Agreed.” Seved nodded and crept to the door. It opened with the same ease as all the others in the building. What greeted them was a scene of carnage. The room appeared to have been sealed for some time, the bodies in it had mummified, but at the slightest disturbance they turned to powder. The bloodstains on the walls and floor spoke volumes. Axe wounds on most of them. Nilvari shuddered.

“Ysgramor’s wrath...” She stared at the ancient stains. “What did the Mer do to earn such retribution?”

“It hasn’t been the last clash between Men and Mer...” Seved shook his head, and then looked up at the wall. He blinked. “By the Nine...” A massive relief had been carved into the wall, a grand mural of stunning craftsmanship. He could not read any of the words that surrounded it, but the images were captivating. He was not sure why.

“What is this?” Antony marveled at the mural, held in as much awe as the Nord. Nilvari looked up and gasped.

“There’s a wall just like this one, it sits in the capital of the Summerset Isles. It was brought back from Skyrim just as the Dominion seized power. They call it the Elder Wall. A bit of legend, and scraps of history. Supposedly the Falmer had been studying some of the Elder Scrolls and a few of them detailed some of what they had seen. Great prophecies which spoke of times to come. The one in the Isles shows a robed hero, holding several crowns in his hands, and surrounded by images of great battles. One looks to be the battle of Red Ring. We’re not sure what the others are yet. The Dominion believes the wall tells of their victory over Men.”

“Red Ring ended in their defeat... What’s this one, then? More prophetic visions?”

“Possibly...”

“It looks... oddly familiar.” Seved tilted his head and studied the mural. It showed a woman and a child, fleeing from a castle, then the child hiding in a coffin with a large, scroll-like object. The woman fled to a great graveyard and was trapped. The other side showed a man with dragon’s horns rescuing a woman from a coffin, with the same scroll. It then showed the horned hero defeating an undead dragon. The last scene showed the hero standing triumphant atop a city, holding a bow aloft. In the center of the mural was a single figure, split down the middle, making it two figures in one. What would be the figure’s right side was bathed in light, garbed in the immaculate robes of Akatosh, the face a beacon of hope, of the Sun’s bright glory. The figure’s left side was the precise opposite, wreathed in shadow and darkness, its clawed hand dripping in blood, the face a sneer, bearing a wicked fang, and a horn, clearly evil, almost a Daedra, but still bearing some semblance of mortality. Above it was the sun, split in the same manner as the figure. Where the figure was bathed in light, the sun was shining brightly. Where it was cloaked in shadow, the sun appeared to be a dark hole, dripping in blood.

“Seved...” Thorald swallowed and went pale. “That face...”

“What about it?”

“That’s... your face.”

“Gods, he’s right!” Nilvari paled.

“What are you-- talking-- about...” His voice trailed off as he looked again at the figure. They were right. The figure’s face was his, every last detail. Exactly how he had looked the day he’d arrived in Helgen. He felt like someone had just walked over his grave as he went pale. There was a sharp ringing in his ears and he turned away sharply, holding his head, as it suddenly felt like his brain was trying to explode out of his skull. Thankfully the ringing, and the pain, stopped after a few moments. He shook his head and felt better.

“Are you alright?” Antony watched Seved closely.

“Yeah, yeah. Just--” He sighed softly and glanced back at the mural. Yes, that was definitely his face. “That is really damned creepy.”

“Agreed.” Thorald nodded. “Let’s look around the rest of the room and then get out of here.”

“Yes. Yes please. That thing is unsettling.” Were it not for the potential value in the rest of the ruin, he would just as soon wall off the cavern again and never speak of it. He wondered if that was part of why it had been walled off in the first place.

Reasonably full sacks, and a well placed ward later, the four finally returned to the currently inhabited area of the keep. Seved grunted and nearly fell over when Vera leapt forward to hug him. He chuckled softly and gently put his arm around her.

“You four were gone for a long time.” Avulstein stood up from his seat. “We were about to go down and look for you.”

“What happened down there?” Slither looked up, naturally concerned and excited.

“Well, clearing out the spiders was fairly simple.” Seved smiled. “Good sized nest, but the spiders are dead now, and once the webbing and debris is cleared away, we should have good space for a small barracks.”

“That’s good news.” Avulstein nodded. “But what took you so long?”

“We found a passage that had been walled off when this place was built.” Thorald started to grin.

“What did you find? Nord ruins?”

“Nope.” Seved grinned. “Better.”

“I wouldn’t call Dwemer ruins better...”

“Falmer. Before they became what they are now. There’s a huge cavern below this place, and most of a city. Cleaned out by Ysgramor, it looks like.”

“What?!” Avulstein looked incredulous.

“I’m serious.” Seved nodded. “It’s probably how the spiders got in. Still, we didn’t have time to explore very much, but what we found was incredible. It’ll take a lot more work to explore the place fully.”

“By the Nine! Falmer ruins?”

“They can’t possibly be anything else. I’m amazed at how well preserved the place is.” He set down the sack he had been carrying. “And we don’t have a lot of time to explore it, but if we can get down there once in a while and explore a section of it, we should be able to explore it fully within a year. The value of the artifacts alone are well worth it. Not to mention the potential knowledge we could gain from it.”

“I don’t know anyone that can read their language.” Nilvari frowned.

“I’ll have to ask around quietly.” Seved nodded at her. “Surely there’s a scholar or two that has been doing some research.” He smiled and then looked down at Vera. “Right now, though, I could use a hot meal.”

“I kept the pot warm.” Vera grinned and bounced back over to the hearth, serving up four bowls of soup. The four adventurers were quite glad to sit down to a well earned meal and recount their tale to the others.
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The Tenth Hold