Acceptance

"Who or what is this?" I asked, crouching over the body. We had just entered Dustman's Cairn to find someone had got there before us.

"They're called draugr. Crypts like this are sometimes if not always full of them. I don't know much about who or what they may have once been. What I do know is that they're undead. Living corpses."

"So we could run into more of these?"

"It's possible, but as I said, I think there are other people already here."

"Who?" I asked, looking up at him.

"No idea. But we'll need to find out. They must not take the piece of Wuuthrad."

I stood up, wiping my hands on my armour. "Agreed."

I'll admit right now that I found the place creepy. Corners were shrouded in darkness as the fires provided only faint light into the gloom. The near silence was… deafening, the only sounds were the slight clank of the armour of Farkas. I thought that would have echoed deep into the crypt, so figured trying to sneak forward was pointless.

At least whoever had come before us had been kind enough to leave torches and lanterns to provide light as we descended deeper into the crypt. I don't know if Farkas was wondering but I was certainly trying to think of who else would be in the crypt. Treasure hunters? Adventurers? Perhaps they wanted to find the piece of Wuuthrad and just sell it to the Companions? I guess we would try and prevent that if possible.

We had our first run in with draugr as we entered a burial chamber. They spoke in a language I didn't understand, those that didn't speak simply growled as they attacked. Most of them were unarmoured, swinging either giant swords or using magic against us. Farkas and I worked well together, using my shield to block, allowing him to attack with his own great-sword, cutting down the enemy. I struck down one or two myself, earning a grunt of approval from my shield-brother as we slowly moved forward.

"That wasn't too bad," I stated, exiting the chamber.

"This is only the beginning. We'll find plenty more. And likely other things too."

"Like what?"

Farkas shrugged. "Who knows? Skeevers? Spiders? These crypts are usually full of all sorts of creatures."

Farkas continued to explain these crypts, particularly the fact that they were thousands of year's old. I could tell as walls and ceilings had crumbled as we plunged deeper into the cairn. There were also spider webs. Lots of spider webs. I shared a look with Farkas, who again just shrugged, suggesting we may run into some sooner or later.

The next chamber may have been some sort of throne room at one time, though thankfully it was empty of any draugr. Our progress was barred by a gate so we needed to find a way to open it. I eventually found a lever in a small room to the side and simply pulled it without a second thought. My stomach plummeted when I heard a gate descend, locking me in the room. Then I heard Farkas sigh as he approached me.

"What did you do?"

"I only pulled this lever."

"Hmmm. Some sort of trap. Never mind. I'll see if I can find another lever to get you out. The other gate did open at least."

Footsteps to our left grabbed both our attention as at least half a dozen people streamed into the chamber, already armed. Who are they? Must be mercenaries. Mostly humans. An orc too! They took little notice of me, at least for the time being, all six forming a semi-circle around Farkas, who hadn't unsheathed his own sword. He's confident.

"Knew you'd eventually turn up," one of the others stated.

"Yes, you've made a mistake coming here, Companion."

"Which one is he?" another asked.

"Who cares? As long as he dies."

"Yes, killing you will make an excellent story."

Farkas glanced across the whole group, who started to close in on him. Then he laughed. "What a pity none of you will be alive to see it."

Then something startling and a little terrifying happened. Completely unexpected, too. He started to… change. His arms lengthened. His armour unclasped and fell to the ground as he grew larger. His body was quickly covered in fur. His face took on the appearance of a wolf. He stood tall, towering over the half a dozen mercenaries and howled, if not roared.

And then the wolf slaughtered them. Blood sprayed in arcs around the room as the razor-sharp claws of the werewolf tore the mercenaries to shreds. There was next to no resistance. They simply were not quick enough, the reflexes of the werewolf so much faster than their own. The last mercenary attempted to flee but barely made it halfway up the steps before the werewolf was upon him, tearing his throat out. The sheer power of the creature was awesome. The werewolf then looked my way and, I'll admit, I took a step back, thankful for the gate because I had no idea if Farkas was still in there or not.

It then disappeared off to my left, the gate opening a few seconds later. I took the sword from its scabbard and cautiously walked forward, looking towards the now opened gate, waiting for whatever would walk through. Farkas appeared, naked as the day he was born, showing no sign of embarrassment as he immediately started dressing himself.

"So, what was that, Farkas?"

"I would call it a blessing, Ragnar. We can be like wild beasts. The power and speed of the wolf."

"Are all Companions werewolves?"

"No. Only those of the Circle have the beastblood. Don't worry, we're not going to turn you against your will or anything. First, you must prove yourself worthy of being a Companion. The issue of the beastblood is a question for another day."

I scratched my head, feeling totally confused about all this talk of honour and respecting old traditions yet it appeared some Companions were now werewolves. I know little about werewolves, couldn't say whether such a thing was a gift or not but what I did assume was that this would only be a gift from a daedra.

"Check the bodies, see if they reveal anything," Farkas instructed.

I tried not to look at the more gruesome aspects of the carnage that had just taken place. I noticed each of the mercenaries carried a silver weapon, which now made complete sense. I checked pouches and found each also carried a potion. I uncorked one and sniffed it but had no real idea what it is. I handed it to Farkas, who did the same, then laughed.

"It's a disease cure. Idiots. We're not like vampires. A bite doesn't cause people to change over time. They're carrying silver, though, I take it?"

"Yes."

"Hmmm."

"Any idea on who they are?"

"No. But the old man has heard stories of werewolf hunters working in Skyrim. How they've found out about us is another question."

While my tactics going forward didn't particularly change, considering I just wanted to survive, get the piece of Wuuthrad, return to Jorrvaskr and become a Companion, Farkas definitely fought with a renewed intensity when we ran into these mercenaries as we moved forward. There was a certain element of blood lust to how Farkas operated, his great-sword soon dripping with the blood of the enemy, his armour and face caught with sprays of blood as limbs were severed or heads sent rolling. This expedition was supposed to be my initiation but the arrival of these mercenaries certainly awoke something deep in my shield-brother.

"Watch the archer!" Farkas yelled as we entered another large room, lifting my shield just in time to deflect an incoming arrow, "I'll take the mercenary here. You take care of that archer!"

The mercenary armed with the great-sword ignored me, heading straight towards Farkas, leaving me to bound up the stairs towards the archer, who stowed her bow and took out a dagger. I grinned to myself, though she was certainly quick coming forward, looking for any chink in my armour or defence. Dressed in only light armour, and with no shield herself, I blocked or dodged, almost playing with my opponent until Farkas told me to stop messing around and just kill her. So I obliged.

We wandered through a few more burial chambers, having to deal with a few more draugr along the way but the mercenaries were more of a danger. It didn't take long to figure out that it was movement that caused the draugr to stir and wake up, as we heard shouts and sounds of fighting from further within the crypt, suggesting the mercenaries were also having to deal with draugr.

The deeper we descended, the more the place appeared to be crumbling. In some areas the roof had caved in completely, exposing the sky above, a surprise as I thought we would have been deeper underground. A set of steps led down towards a pair of iron doors. Farkas held up a hand for us to stop.

"Mercenaries ahead."

"How can you tell?" Then I paused for a moment. "Ah, so it helps you even when you're not a werewolf?"

He nodded. "Yes. All your senses are heightened. I can hear and smell them from here. We should try and catch them by surprise." He pointed down. "Watch your step. Step on one of these pressure pads and you'll find yourself full of poisoned arrows. These ruins are usually full of them."

"I'll keep that in mind."

We managed to sneak up on the two mercenaries at the bottom of the stairs. Farkas practically cut his opponent in two, I ran my sword through the gut of mine, watching the tip appear through their back, having to use my foot to dislodge the body, blood pooling around our feet. We checked their bodies too, finding the same silver weapons and the same potions. I'll admit I also pocketed a few gold coins that I had found, figuring the mercenaries no longer needed them and I could use the coin myself. Farkas said nothing as he was doing exactly the same thing.

A lone mercenary was standing guard on the opposing side of the iron door, cutting him down in quick order, barely giving him time to shout out before he was left on the ground. A wooden door led us to a bridge, looking down to see the mercenaries and a host of draugr in the middle of a fight. I turned to Farkas and put a finger to my lips. He nodded his agreement as we cautiously moved forward, trying not to make a sound. It appeared to work as neither group below us noticed our progress.

The bridge led to another burial chamber, Farkas mentioning he could hear fighting ahead. "We'll mop up whoever is left," he added. We moved forward cautiously, trying not to wake any other draugr, though some still woke up, making short work of them. We stumbled upon more bodies of both draugr and mercenaries the further we descended, the length of the burial chamber mind boggling, leaving me to wonder how many draugr were once left here. A pair of mercenaries were the last enemy despatched before we finally exited the burial chamber, ascending a set of steps and arriving into a new room.

A lone door lay ahead. Farkas grabbed my shoulder. "I'll bet all the coin I have that there is plenty of enemy on the other side of these doors. Prepare yourself."

"Why don't you change to take care of it?"

"Because this is your initiation. Don't worry, I am your shield-brother. I have you back as you have mine."

I took a deep breath and nodded that I was ready. I opened the door, a mercenary standing with his back to us. I put my sword through his back, causing him to cry out, catching the attention of the other mercenaries in the room. Twice our number, thankfully none armed with a bow. That would have made life tricky. We caught them by surprise with the old proverb. The best defence is a good offense. We attacked immediately, not letting them overwhelm us with numbers. The great-sword of Farkas gave them a moment of pause as I used my shield to protect us while finding gaps in their defence. Strangely, they didn't seem to work together, not attacking us as a group, instead trying to fight us one on one.

It was not easy. We ended up covered in blood. I received a deep gash on an arm. I'm sure Farkas was also bleeding by the end. But we were victorious. Whoever these mercenaries were, we'd cut a swathe through them. Farkas was still muttering to himself about finding out who they were. He sounded confident but there was no missing he was worried. I could only assume their blessing was a deeply held secret, something that would see the Companions as outcasts if the people of Whiterun ever found out.

The double doors were locked, so we had to spend a few minutes trying to find the key, eventually finding it on one of the mercenaries. After dealing with mercenaries and draugr ever since entering the cairn, having to deal with a few skeevers was almost comical, though even they could be dangerous when attacking in numbers. But we made short work of them.

Then we came upon spiders after having to take a detour, ending up in a cave. And they weren't just any ordinary spider. They were… large. Very large. Only two of them but I'd never seen such things in my life. I noticed Farkas come to a stop then actually take a step back. So he does have a fear. I won't mention it though. And these things were aggressive. As soon as we stepped into the cave, the eight legged creatures surged forward, spitting their poison at us before one leapt at me, forcing me to raise my shield, poking my sword forward over its edge. I heard the spider actually scream as my sword found its target before Farkas stepped forward, his great-sword swinging downward in an arc into the body of the spider. There was a squelching sound before he wasted no time, a roar from his throat as he charged at the other one. The spider leapt at him at the same time as he swung his great-sword. The dead body of the spider ended up on the other side of the cavern. Then he noticeably shuddered.

"Hate those things," he muttered.

I said nothing as we carried on, dealing with one or two draugr before a doorway led back into the cairn itself.

"How much farther?" I wondered aloud.

Farkas didn't reply as we walked through another burial chamber, thankfully this one empty of draugr, though that's not to say that we weren't cautious. I was tired and I was pretty sure Farkas was starting to feel the strain as well. The next door led to a far larger room and I figured this was finally the end.

"Careful, Ragnar. I don't think the surprises are over just yet."

"Look at all the sarcophaguses. How many are there?"

"Too many."

Braziers illuminated the entire room, a large one attached to the ceiling above us actually providing heat as well. At the far end of the room was an altar while behind that was something I'd never seen before. I looked at Farkas before we approached the wall.

"What is this?" I asked.

"I don't know. But I have seen them before. They're ancient, just like these crypts."

I looked at the strange language inscribed on the wall. It was unlike anything I'd seen before. I was going to ask Farkas what it was before something strange happened. As I approached, a small section of the wall appeared to glow.

"What's that?" I asked, looking at Farkas, who simply shrugged. The glow was strange enough. Even weirder were the noises I was sure I could hear as I climbed the steps. It sounded like… chanting. "You hear that?"

"No. What is it?"

"I'm not sure. It sounds like… chanting."

"I can't hear anything."

I stopped in front of the glowing word, Farkas muttering that I should be careful, though I don't think anything was going to happen. I stopped in front of the glowing word and, if anything, it glowed brighter than the sun. It was the strangest thing I'd ever seen. I couldn't read or understand any of the other language written on the wall but, for some reason I still can't explain, I understood the glowing word.

"Yol," I whispered.

"What was that?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I can't read any of this except for this one word here."

"You can understand that?" Farkas asked, sounding surprised.

I scratched my cheek. "I don't know. It's just a… feeling. This right here," pointing at the word that stopped glowing, "I think says 'Yol'."

"Yol?"

I nodded. "But I don't know why I know that. I don't know what it means. But I just think I know what it says."

I looked at Farkas, who simply shrugged again. "Speak to the old man when we get back. Maybe he'll know. Come on, grab the piece and let's get back to Jorrvaskr."

I went to grab the piece before I stopped, hand hovering above the altar. "Wait a second. What are the chances of me grabbing this piece here and draugr coming out of these sarcophaguses?" Farkas said nothing. He just took the great-sword from his back and readied himself. "I thought as much," I added quietly, taking my sword from its scabbard, holding in my right hand before I quickly grabbed the piece and pocketed it.

The sound of lids crashing into the ground echoed across the chamber. There were growls and metallic scrapes. Draugr rushed forward, muttering their strange language. Farkas and I got to work. Some of the draugr wore no armour, and they were easy pickings. The armoured draugr were a more difficult proposition. Farkas swung his great-sword in swooping arcs, cutting down anything that got in the way. I used all the training I had received during my time in Chorrol but, even with all the training in the world, a lot of battle is simply based on instinct, if not a little bit of luck, particularly when facing the enemy in larger numbers than your own.

The one thing that worked in our favour was the fact the draugr were aggressive. They thought nothing of defence, just all-out attack. Because of this fact, battle was simpler than it was against the mercenaries we had fought earlier. Block their swing with my shield, stab or swing in reply. It was a simple strategy but one that worked, draugr falling at my feet before moving onto the next one. I heard Farkas in battle alongside me as ever more draugr continued to wake up.

"Keep going, Ragnar. Honour and glory!"

I'll admit those words alone spurred me on, letting go a roar to match those of the draugr as I increased the tempo and ferocity of my own attack, smashing my shield into the face of one draugr, causing it to stagger back before decapitating it with my shield. I then turned, blocking a swing from another one, swords clashing as I blocked a further swing before I kicked out, forcing it back and stabbing forward, smashing my shield forward again. I felt the presence of another draugr to my right, not needing to turn as Farkas leapt forward and split its head in two.

We stopped, sucking in deep breaths as we looked at the ground around us, now covered in the bodies of draugr. Farkas looked at me, a wildness in his eyes that only ever came with battle. I wondered if he was on the verge of turning before he blinked and then grinned.

"Aye. This was a good initiation."

"Are they always like this?"

"Not always. But this was a good trial."

I looked around the chamber. "So how do we get out of here? I don't particularly want to go back the way we came."

"Look around. There's usually a chain or lever that will reveal a shortcut back to the entrance."

It was late afternoon by the time we finally climbed out of the cairn, well and truly dusk by the time we'd walked back to Whiterun. I was exhausted. I just wanted to hand over the piece of Wuuthrad, perhaps take a pat on the back for a job well done then crawl into bed for the rest of the night.

Vilkas was waiting for us as we climbed the stairs to Jorrvaskr, asking for both us to follow him. At the back of the hall, braziers had been lit as the skies continued to darken, illuminating the rest of the Companions who appeared to be waiting for our return. At the centre was the Harbinger, with Skjor and Aela to his side, Vilkas and Farkas standing to his other side. I was pointed to the middle. The rest of the Companions, those not of the Circle, were standing behind me.

"Brothers and sisters of the Circle," Kodlak stated, "Today we welcome a new soul into our mortal fold. This man has endured, has challenged and has shown his valour. Who will speak for him?" he asked, looking around the circle.

"I will!" Farkas called, "I stand witness to the courage of the soul before us."

"Would you raise your shield in his defence?"

"I would stand at his back, that the world might never overtake us."

"And would you raise your sword in his honour?"

"It stands ready to meet the blood of his foes."

"And would you raise a mug in his name?"

"I would lead the song of triumph as our mead hall revelled in his stories."

Kodlak nodded. "Then the judgement of this Circle is complete. His heart beats with fury and courage that have united the Companions since days of distant green summers. Let it beat with ours, that the mountains may echo and our enemies may tremble at the call."

"It shall be so," the rest of the Companions echoed.

"Ragnar of Chorrol, welcome to the Companions."

I was in.