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rallis-fatalis · 3 years

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Mountain Daughter

After the events of The Dragon Slayer, Peg is left to her own devices in Rellekka. Simply waiting for Rallis to return proves to be fruitless, so Peg leaves town to search for her friend. Awaiting her in the eastern mountains is an adventure that will push her to overcome challenges she’s never faced before.

Written by @tibblers but being posted here!

A chilly wind coming off the sea hit Peg and she shivered in her cloak, wrapping it tight around herself. She hated how cold it was in Rellekka no matter the season. On the other hand, if it was warmer, the smell of rotting fish would be unbearable. She couldn’t comprehend how Rallis spent so much time here. The only entities in the entire town Peg was fond of were the bard Olaf and the chieftain. Maybe that was how Rallis could bear the otherwise awful town.

After visiting the Myth’s Guild with Adam, Peg had headed straight back to Rellekka. For about a week, she had been waiting for Rallis to return home. So far, Peg hadn’t had a single clue about when Rallis was coming back. She had left so suddenly after defeating Galvek. Adam had also abruptly left on his own adventure. Peg was filled in by Adam about what had happened out at sea, so she understood why Rallis would want to stay away. Still, Peg felt lonely and missed her friends.

Peg had spent all of her time in Rellekka pestering Olaf and Brundt about when Rallis would be back. At first, they had sympathized with her. Then it became clear that they only knew as much as she did, and so she left them alone.

Peg was pretending to study the wares of a fish stall. What she really wanted was intel and gossip. The stall’s owner was a gruff-looking man whose face was more beard than skin. He was skinning and gutting fish with a thin, curved knife.

“So… has a blue dragon come by at all during the last few weeks?”

The merchant scoffed at her question. “If that vile creature ever shows its face here again it won’t be leaving in one piece.” He sliced a fish’s head off to emphasize his words.

Peg felt anger rise in her chest and she thought of the dagger at her hip. She couldn’t stand these people any longer. With the exception of a kind bard and chieftain, the whole lot of them were bull-headed impulsive alcoholics.

“Thanks,” she seethed through her teeth. “Your stall and this entire town smell like rotting fish by the way.” Peg stomped off before she started a full blown fight. Like he’d even be able to hurt Rallis with that puny weapon.

A startling realization hit her: what if Rallis never came back? What if she decided she was done with humanity, even her friends? What if something had happened to her, making her unable to return even if she wanted to?

There had to be somewhere else she could search. Rallis might’ve come back somewhere else. Not coming directly back to Rellekka would be wise given the current tensions. Combined with that idea and her dislike of the town, she decided to venture outside of the town.

***

Her long and winding wander took her to the mountains east of Rellekka. The terrain turned from woods with sparse grass and trees to rocky ground with hardly any foliage. The overcast sky still lingered even in the mountains. Peg wondered if the sun ever shone this far north.

Amidst the slow upward crawl of the mountains, there was a path lined with a wooden fence, broken in some places. A little further up, the path was interrupted by a sizable rockslide. Just above and beyond the boulders, there was a Fremennik-looking guard on watch.

Peg approached the rockslide warily. If he was posted there, some sort of settlement must be behind him. A settlement that might have seen or heard of Rallis. She figured the odds of her walking straight in were slim so she decided to backtrack and take the long way in.

Beside the path there was a steep hill. Peg silently scrambled up it. The pebbles gave way under her boots; she hoped it wouldn’t set off another rockslide. She continued crawling along the top of the hill until she was well past the guard. Feeling a safe enough distance away from him, she began the steep descent back to the ground. The path continued on a curvy route a little further, then Peg started to hear a fire crackling and voices shouting. A small village lay ahead that was situated in a shallow dip lined by high hills that grew into mountains. There was a large fire surrounded by several tents. One tent was larger than the others, and had a horned animal’s skull hanging above the entrance.

The camp was likely nomadic, judging by the tents and lack of permanent buildings made from wood or stone. Odds were they mainly relied on hunting for resources, as the tent walls were made from animal hides. The supporting wood structures on the tents looked aged and weathered, even rotting in some places. Peg wondered how long the camp had been there.

Some sort of commotion was occurring by the fire between a few of the camp members. Peg took advantage of the distraction and snuck along the outside perimeter of the camp to the largest tent. The camp’s leader was most likely there, and the best person to ask about Rallis.

Inside the tent, there was a man sitting at a table. He was hunched over, stress and tension practically radiating off of him.

Peg was usually able to walk silently, but gravel had never given her an easy time sneaking around. The soft crunches under her feet announced her entrance.

The man looked at her. “Greetings outerlander. I am Hamal, the chieftain of this tribe,” he said in a flat voice. He was dressed in more intricate furs than the other villagers. His hair and beard were a dull light grey. His face looked like it had seen too much of the elements, and a gloomy tiredness surrounded his eyes.

“I’m Peg, honourable chieftain,” she said with as much earnesty as she could. If he was to give her any information, best not to get on his bad side right away.

“Ah, an outerlander with manners,” he said, mild amusement evident in his tone. “We have not met anyone from outside of the tribe in years. So tell me what you want from us.” He turned to face her. His eyes sharpened like he was trying to discern her purpose in barging into his tent and camp.

Despite knowing it was a long shot, Peg still felt disappointed. Rallis was not here. Peg was blanking on how to reply, and the chieftain’s intense stare wasn’t helping.

“We are a solitary group, outerlander, and have little experience or interest in outside contact. It is also our custom not to talk to outerlanders without my sanction. And I see no reason to sanction it for you,” Hamal said brusquely.

Tell me how you really feel, Peg thought with a mental eye roll. “So what are you and your people doing up here in the mountains?” Peg asked, hoping maybe there could be some use of this visit.

“We left Rellekka because we wanted to live closer to nature. We do not recognise the council of Rellekka and want nothing more to do with them. We live on rock and stone now, pure and hard. We move on to another part of the mountain slope when the rough land cannot sustain us anymore,” Hamal explained. After a pause, he continued, “That said, we have tarried at this location for too long and should be moving on.”

“How long have you been here?” Peg asked, curious.

“Too long,” he repeated. His eyes still bore into her.

“Why are you still here then?” Peg prodded, thinking an open-ended question would get her more information.

“For one thing, this side of the mountain is mostly free from the menace of the trolls and the delvings of the deformed dwarves.”

“And?”

“Well, you see… “ The chieftain finally averted his gaze and continued, “My daughter has gone missing. We have been looking for her and cannot go on without her.”

Peg had been itching for a distraction to get through each day; this could be it. If she had spent any longer in Rellekka, she would’ve gone mad. Finding a missing person seemed straightforward enough. Kananga and Rallis would do it, so why shouldn’t Peg at least try?.

“I can try to find her!” Peg exclaimed.

The chieftain snorted. “You have spirit, Peg. But we do not employ outerlanders. We solve our own problems.”

“You don't need to employ me! Just let me look for her.” Diplomatic persuasion was a skill Peg was working on. She tended to avoid it or let someone else, usually Kananga, do it.

The chieftain stroked his bearded chin and slowly nodded. “Hmm. That seems acceptable to me. Very well, I will allow you to look for her. I will instruct my people to let you roam about the area freely, and give limited consent to them to talk to you.”

“I'll be back with her soon. Just wait here.” Peg flashed him a smile.

“My daughter was last seen heading to the nearby lake. You could start your search there,” Hamal suggested.

Peg exited Hamal’s tent. He followed behind her to inform the camp of her presence. Peg was prideful of her stealth; none of the villagers had seen her enter the camp. When Peg pictured Hamal’s face when he saw his daughter again, a warm feeling bloomed in her chest, although she would never admit that out loud. And by the time she found Hamal’s daughter, Rallis would probably be back from Ungael.

***

Peg followed the steep path that led away from the camp. The path appeared to continue and wind around a wide lake. A thick fog hovered above the water, leaving Peg unable to see the opposite side. Despite the fog and the overcast sky, the water was clear and reflective as if the sun was shining on it. She examined the water by dipping the tip of her boot into it. Shining light rippled away from the spot she had touched. Peg tried to remember if Adam had ever mentioned such a phenomenon. Coming up with nothing, she shrugged and chalked it up to the altitude and odd locals. A faint high-pitched humming sound seemed to be coming from the centre of the lake. This lake was becoming more and more strange. Investigating the source of the noise would be a good start to her search.

Amidst the heavy fog, she spotted a few small islands forming a path to a larger island in the middle of the lake. There was a tree on the shore that was leaning so far over the lake Peg wondered how it hadn’t fallen over already. Next to the tree was a man crouching by the water and inspecting a small white blade in his hands.

He stood up abruptly when he saw Peg approaching. He, like all the other men this far north, had a long, ungroomed beard. His blond hair was wild and messy, sticking up in every direction. Faint wrinkles were present at the corners of his eyes; he looked to be about twice Peg’s age.

“What is your purpose in coming here, outerlander?” His eyes narrowed in suspicion at her.

Fremmeniks weren’t big on small talk. Especially to outsiders.

“I am looking into the disappearance of the chieftain’s daughter,” Peg stated, meeting his piercing gaze. Peg stood up a little straighter when she remembered what Kananga said about acting confident and assured to help earn the trust of others.

“Hamal must be desperate if he’s letting an outerlander look for Asleif,” he scoffed. His blue eyes studied Peg, as if he was assessing if she was worthy of the task right then and there.

Peg realized the chieftain hadn’t told her his daughter’s name. It must be Asleif.

“The chieftain gave me permission to assist in searching for Asleif,” Peg replied. “My name is Peg,” she added, hoping to come across as friendly and trustworthy.

The man turned back to face the lake. He seemed to be lost in thought and old memories. Now a bit closer, Peg could see his blade was made from bone.

“I am Ragnar, outerlander. You see, I was set to marry Asleif, the most beautiful woman to ever grace this world. I carved a small stone into a flower for an amulet as a token of our engagement. The last time I saw her, I had just given it to her,” Ragnar said sorrowfully, still looking forlornly at the water. The sight was familiar, it was what Peg had been doing for the last several days at the docks in Rellekka.

“Do you have any idea where she might be?” Peg asked gently.

“She used to come here every day, you know, whenever our camp was set up in the vicinity.” Ragnar sighed sadly and continued, “She would come to sing, her voice reflecting on the mountains and falling into the pool like sparkling silver. Sometimes I think I can hear her singing, but when I follow the sound around the lake I just end up here again.” His voice was becoming thick with grief. Peg felt a lump forming in her throat, but reminded herself that she was going to bring Asleif home.

“So… do you have any idea where she might be now?” Peg asked again, hoping he wouldn’t be offended that she was interrupting his reminiscing.

“We were supposed to meet here, at this tree by the pool. I think if I wait long enough maybe she will show up again.” His eyes lit up at the thought of her return.

“You don’t actually have any idea where she is right at this moment? Or when she will show up again?” With a pang in her chest, Peg remembered that she had asked the second question to Olaf and Brundt just several days ago.

“If I knew I wouldn’t be standing here, would I?” He softly smiled, still looking at the lake.

The humming sound persisted; it sounded like it was coming from the centre of the lake. Peg left Ragnar to his own devices, having gotten all of the information she could from him. She approached the tree that he was standing near. Luckily, a branch extended just far enough to reach the first island.

She placed her gloved hands on the damp bark and found that the bark was extremely slippery. Peg wished she could climb it as a raccoon since claws would be much better suited than hands, but with how wary Fremenniks were about things they didn’t understand, Peg decided to stay human. It wouldn’t do her any good to get thrown out of the camp. The half-rotted bark gave way under her fingers, creating small pockets and giving her some traction. She grit her teeth as she carefully climbed up the tree. Hanging from the branch over the first island, she let go and landed in a crouch. The humming noise grew slightly louder.

In the gap between the island Peg was now standing on and the next one, a large cluster of rocks stuck out of the water. If she used the rocks as a stepping stone, and didn’t slip, she could make the leap. Backing up as far as she could, she took off into a sprint and jumped to the rocks, landed on one foot, and jumped again. Peg stuck the landing and she wished someone was around to have seen it. Instead, she settled for the humming growing louder as praise.

The next gap was about the same size as the previous one but with no stepping stone. Peg cracked her knuckles and bounced back and forth on her feet to warm up. She had made the last jump easily so this one would be a piece of cake. There was even a flat rock acting as a landing pad on the other side. Once again, she backed up as far as she could to get a running start. She sprinted and leapt off on one foot, aiming to land with the other. Unfortunately, Peg had not noticed that the flat rock was covered in slimy algae. Her boot immediately slid out from under her and she landed hard on her stomach. Thankfully, no one else was around to see her fall.

She groaned in frustration as she pushed herself into a sitting position on the rough ground. The island was littered with rocks ranging from tiny to large. While she brushed off small pebbles that were embedded in her arms, she noticed the humming had become a faint melodic voice. Peg rubbed her ears and wondered how hard she hit her head. She crawled over to the water’s edge and strained her ears trying to locate the source of the voice.

“Peg… Peg!” the water cried out.

Peg yelped in shock and scrambled away from the water. “What are you?! And how do you know my name?!”

“Listen to me, Peg, listen to what I have to say.” The voice was finally clear, it sounded like it was coming from a young woman close to Peg’s age.

“That’s it, I’ve officially lost it. I’m hallucinating voices now. Are you why the water is shiny? Who, and what are you?” Peg tucked her knees to her chest and ran her fingers through her hair.

“I am all around you. I am the soft singing in the wind. I am the rippling in the water. I am the stone in the rocks around you. I am the voice of Asleif, daughter of Hamal,” Asleif replied.

“Wait, you’re Asleif? I was looking for you! Where are you?” Peg asked. Still sitting, she spun her head around to scan the horizon, but the shore where she came from was barely visible through the fog.

“Asleif is no longer in your world, she dwells in the halls of her ancestors now,” the voice softly replied.

The realization hit Peg: Asleif was dead and wasn’t coming back. “But I thought you said you were Asleif?” Disappointment and hurt were clear in her voice. Peg’s head drooped between her knees. She should’ve seen this coming, shouldn’t have gotten her hopes up. Any hope of reuniting her family dissipated.

“I am but the voice of her, an echo of the past, reflected on the water. A tiny part of her spirit,” the voice explained.

Peg’s vision became blurry, stubbornly refusing to let the tears be shed. Peg rubbed the back of her hand under her eyes. “So, since you called me over here, what do you want from me?”

“I am greatly concerned for the people who were once my tribesmen. You must help me, Peg, for their current course will lead to their doom.”

Peg felt doubtful. “Uh, your people just barely let me help with searching for you, and I don’t know how much more useful I ca—”

“Listen to me, and judge then if you think yourself capable or not,” Asleif’s echo interrupted. It continued, My people have, as is their way, isolated themselves from the rest of the world. There is no one for them to turn to in times of need. My father has not moved camp for far too long. They are running out of what little food there is left.”

“Look, I just turned seventeen, I’m not really cut out for this. I’m just a petty thief,” Peg said while shaking her head.

“Peg, you must do what you think is right,” the echo urged.

What is right… Peg furrowed her brow and tried to think of what Kananga would do.

“I have one task I would like you to do,” the echo said. “My father does not believe that I am dead. In his heart, he knows it to be true, but he cannot accept it. You must convince him, Peg. Once you have convinced my father, everyone else in the camp will follow him. Then, perhaps, they can move on again.” The echo’s voice started to waver and fade, like it was coming from deeper underwater. Peg crawled closer to the water, straining her ears.

“How do I do that? Where do I start?” Peg was leaning over the water now, watching the light bend and reflect on the surface like it was dancing.

“'I must leave that to you. All I know is that I was attacked by some creature or animal while I was sitting by the lake. It dragged me off and I remember nothing else.” The voice faded into a soft whisper. “Perhaps this will help you.” The voice dissolved until only a faint humming remained. The water continued to sparkle, albeit less brightly.

What would Kananga do? Kananga would find Asleif’s body and show it to the chieftain to prove that she was really gone. She wished she could ask Kananga or Rallis for help, but she was all alone.

Peg sighed and slowly rose to her feet. She had always hated dead bodies. The thought of seeing one made her feel queasy and lightheaded. If it meant giving the chieftain closure and allowing him to move on, maybe she could stand retrieving Asleif’s body.

“I’ll do it,” Peg said, finding her confidence.

***

Peg made her way back to the shore, avoiding slipping this time. Ragnar was still dutifully watching over the lake; he was even standing in the same spot. He barely noticed that Peg had returned. The opposite side of the lake was still masked in fog. Asleif said that she was dragged off while she was sitting by the lake, so the creature couldn’t have gone too far. Peg decided to search around the perimeter of the lake to see if there were any recent signs of a scuffle she could use to track Asleif.

The path made of loose gravel continued in a slow curve around the lake. On Peg’s right there was the shore, and on her left was a steep slope that, much like the camp, circled the lake and made it look like it was situated in a large bowl. Peg scanned the pathway and shore, looking for any disturbances. She searched further and further, until she couldn’t see back to where she began.

The path came to an abrupt end where it merged with a dense cluster of dead trees. Although the cloudy sky was darkening, Peg guessed it was now late afternoon, her sharp eyes could see a cave entrance just beyond the trees. This was likely the creature’s den, meaning it must be where Asleif lay. Peg took a deep breath to ground herself, and slipped through the trees to enter the cave.

Peg found herself in a narrow tunnel. Small torches embedded in the cave walls lit the tunnel. She was puzzled, it was odd that a beast would need torches to see. With the aid of the torches, she was able to see with perfect clarity up ahead to where the tunnel expanded to a wider cave. The further she went in the tunnel, the harder it was to keep moving forward. Every step she took required more willpower than the last. The urge to turn around and abandon her quest steadily increased. Yet, she carried on. It was what Kananga and Rallis would do.

The torches continued in the wider area of the cave. Peg’s legs felt stiff and weak, and her heart felt like it was going to either stop beating or burst out of her chest. She kept her chin up and eyes forward. She allowed herself a quick glance downwards and felt her stomach lurch.

Bodies, mostly skeletons lined the edges of the cave. For once, Peg wished she couldn’t see clearly in dim light. She saw every curve, every joint, every break and scratch in the bones. Tattered and faded clothes clung between the bones in a futile effort to keep them joined. The hardest to look at was the skulls. Their large eyes were forever open in a blank gaze. They seemed to stare right at Peg; it was like they were begging her to help them. Unfortunately, she had to recover Asleif’s remains. It was the right thing to do. She had promised Asleif that she would help the camp. She had promised the chieftain that she would return his daughter to him.

Peg forced herself to examine the skeletons, relieved that she didn’t have to touch them. Most of the skeletons were strewn about, only a few were piled on top of each other. Each skeleton she examined left her feeling nauseous and dizzy. The damp and heavy air in the cave didn’t help. She wished she was back by the lake, where fresh air continuously rolled in off of the mountains.

Her search for Asleif led her deeper into the cave. A skeleton in a ragged dress sat slumped against a cave wall. The bones lacked the characteristic claw and teeth scratches the others had. Resting on the corpse’s sternum was a flower-shaped stone amulet matching Ragnar’s description.

Peg sank to her knees by Asleif’s feet. She was long dead, but Peg couldn’t help but feel like she was too late. Peg wondered just how long ago she died. The air felt heavy and still, the only sound was her heartbeat thudding in her ears.

Out of the near silence came faint footsteps from off in the distance, coming from the entrance. Peg froze, not daring to make a single noise. She stood up as quietly as possible and scanned the cave. This appeared to be the back of the cave. There was only one entrance, meaning there was only one exit. Panic set in as Peg realized she was trapped. She tiptoed to the side of the cave and stood with her back flush against it. Asleif still sat leaning against the wall, Peg really didn’t want to leave her there, but she might not have a choice.

A broad, hulking figure came into view. Peg squeezed her eyes shut and forced herself to slow her rapid breathing. Whatever it was, it must be what killed Asleif and the cause of the skeletons littering the cave. Peg had to get out of there. She slid down the wall to grab a palm-sized rock, and threw it as far as she could across the cave. Hopefully, she could distract the beast long enough to make a run for it.

The rock landed in a pile of skeletons with a clattering sound that echoed throughout the cave.

“Who dares disturb my slumber?” A voice boomed and echoed in the cave. Peg had to lock her knees straight to keep from collapsing. The creature didn’t fall for the misdirect and kept moving forward, closer to where Peg was now biting her gloved hand to keep quiet. Her thoughts were flooded by Rallis and Kananga being unable to find her body. To them, it would be like she had just vanished. No explanation, only abandonment.

Peg knew she couldn’t hide any longer. The creature could speak, maybe she could reason with it.

“My name is Peg, I’m no one special,” she said as she peeled herself off the wall, with as much calmness as she could muster.

“Have you come then, to pay your respects?” the voice replied. The voice was deep, gravelly, and sounded male.

“How would I do that, exactly?” If you can’t beat them, join them, thought Peg.

“With your blood, mortal!” it roared. The creature was tall, even taller than Kananga. It looked like a bipedal bear. It was covered in what could have passed as fur at one point in time, but now was caked in dark mud and blood. The dirty fur continued up to its head, a fierce expression on its face. Its teeth were bared in a snarl. It approached Peg and halted about 20 paces from her.

“You mean a sacrifice? Are you some kind of god?” Peg held back a scoff. If it really was a god, showing disrespect like that was surely a way to get killed on the spot.

“I am the guardian of the mountain, the god of the northern lands. I move the earth and control the skies. I am the Kendal!” it declared. The Kendal stood up straight to its full height, making the cave seem smaller around it. Its ego could barely fit in here, Peg thought.

“If you’re a guardian, then why d-did you kill all these people?” Peg stammered. She tried her hardest to hide the fear in her voice. She had been staring at its head. Its mouth moved when it talked but the unblinking, black eyes remained motionless. Her gaze fell to the Kendal’s neck, where she noticed a small gap when it moved its head. Further down, on its knees were tears in the fur, where skin peeked through. Was it wearing a suit of fur and a mask?

“I am not here to answer questions of such trivial nature! Go now before doom befalls you, mortal,” the Kendal snarled.

Trivial nature? She didn’t think that it was trivial that the mountain camp was unable to move on because of the Kendal. Or that it was trivial for the friends and family of all the other skeletons there. The sheer arrogance and apathy of the beast made her clench her fists in anger.

“You think you’re some high and mighty god, but you just look like a man in a bear suit!” she said, half incredulously and half calling him out for what he likely was. A wave of regret came over Peg. Maybe she should’ve left while she still had the chance.

A few moments passed.

“What did you say, mortal?!” The righteous, god-like wrath was back.

“I said, you look like a man in a bear suit!” Peg repeated.

“How did you figure that out? How did you know?” the man said while tilting his head, the anger in his voice fading.

“Your bear suit is falling apart,” Peg gestured to his knees. “Also, a real god wouldn’t need torches to see in the dark,” she said while crossing her arms. “Why are you here, pretending to be a god?”

“Ah, the people that live in the mountains here, they are a superstitious lot. They fear few things, but magic and gods they're scared to death of. So I took on the guise of one of their legends. It's a good way of being left alone,” the Kendal explained.

“And do you leave them alone as well?” Peg knew the answer to that, the evidence was all over the ground.

“You're referring to the skeletons you see here? Yes, I did. Most of the time, at least. When there was no troll to be ambushed, and I had to eat…” he said nonchalantly, as if cannibalism was an inevitable given in his situation. Peg felt nauseous, but didn’t let it show.

She glanced back to Asleif’s remains. More families would be split apart if he continued on like this. She had a quest to complete, to make things right. How many brutal deaths had he been responsible for?

“Did you kill a young woman, by the lake? Just recently?” Peg prodded.

“Recently? Oh no, the entrance you came through has been blocked off for many years now. I've only seen trolls and the occasional stray dwarf since then, until you came along,” he said, pausing a moment to think. “But yes, more than ten years ago, I did kill someone like that.”

Due to the state of her corpse, Peg had figured that Asleif had been dead for some time, but over ten years was unexpected. Peg thought of the chieftain, still in denial about her death, and letting his camp slowly starve because of it.

“That’s her there,” the Kendal said and pointed behind Peg. “I did not eat her after I killed her, she was too beautiful for that. I felt sorry for killing her, but by then it was already too late,” he said without a trace of sorrow or regret. Whatever regret he had felt at the time was long gone.

A wave of disgust rolled over Peg, which was quickly replaced by anger. “Her name was Asleif! Her father is still searching for her, even after all this time! Their camp is going to die because he can’t move on! How could you do something like this?!” Peg’s voice no longer quavered, instead it was fueled by fear, anger, and pain born from empathy.

“Let me take her body out of here so I can return her to her father. It’s the least a monster like you could do,” she hissed. Peg’s hand drifted to her dagger sheathed at her hip.

“I cannot do that. If they knew I wasn't a god, and if her father knew I killed his daughter, the whole tribe would come in here at once and I'd be finished. You may have uncovered my disguise, but my claws can still tear you apart at will!” The Kendal beat his chest and crouched down slightly, to prepare to run.

It happened so quickly.

The Kendal charged towards Peg. The movement caused the gap between the thick fur suit and mask to appear and disappear. Peg drew her dagger and threw it, praying to any real god who was listening that it would land in his vulnerable neck and not the suit.

The Kendal roared in pain when the knife found purchase in the side of his neck and stayed there. Blood gushed out, but he didn’t slow his pace. Peg was backed up against the wall with nowhere to run. The Kendal was too large and fast to dodge and run past.

With a dagger lodged in his neck, he grabbed Peg by her neck and pushed her against the wall in a chokehold and raised her up so her feet dangled off the ground. Struggling to breathe, she kicked against him, but he either didn’t notice or didn’t care. Peg’s hands clawed at his filthy paws. The claws were digging into her neck, breaking the skin in a few places. Now that she was eye-level with him, she could look into his eyes through the holes in the mask. His dark eyes showed no emotion; they were cold and dead. Barely even human. Peg was desperate; she could feel herself fading. Her hands and feet started to go limp.

The knife was still in his neck, and the oozing blood flowed down to mix with the foul blood and mud mess all over his bear suit. The nasty sight alone was enough to jog Peg back enough for one last attempt at saving her life.

With the last of her strength, she gripped the knife’s handle tight and pulled it out.

It was like breaking a dam. Blood spurted out, coating Peg in its warmth. The Kendal dropped her and staggered back. A few more sprays came out, then they weakened to smaller spurts. He clutched his neck in a useless attempt to stop the bleeding, but it was too little too late. He collapsed backwards with a loud thud.

Peg sat against the wall and tried to catch her breath, gasping. She remained like that for a few minutes, and watched the Kendal for any signs of life. He lay motionless, as the last of his blood pooled beside him. It wasn’t until her hand started cramping that she realized she was still holding onto her knife.

Once she was able to inhale and exhale without coughing or wheezing, she used the wall for support and stood up and stumbled towards Asleif. Her remains were, luckily, undisturbed from the fight. Peg wiped her bloody gloves on her pants and began to retrieve Asleif. Peg cut down the midline of her dress, careful of her amulet, and used the cloth to wrap up the bones. She scooped the bundle into her arms and stood up.

On her way out of the cave, Peg didn’t look back once.

***

Peg slowly trudged along the curved path that ran adjacent to the lake. The humming still emanated from the lake but Peg was so numb she barely registered it. Her senses felt dulled and muted. Her clothes were stiff and cold from the Kendal’s half-dried blood. She just had to return Asleif’s remains and then this would be all over. She could leave this place and try to forget what happened. She was completely alone, even Ragnar was absent from the lakeside.

Eventually, Peg made it back to the mountain camp. She headed directly to Hamal’s tent.

Inside, Hamal still sat at the table. He glanced up at her and did a double take. His gaze dropped to the bundle in her arms. The light in the tent was dim, but the dried blood all over her dark clothes was still visible.

Thoughts and things to say swarmed around inside her head. She landed on one at random to break the silence. “Did you know there is a crazy man dressed like a bear in a cave near the lake?” The words felt stiff and clumsy on her tongue.

“Yes, it is the Kendal,” Hamal stated, like it was a common fact.

“What, you mean you knew that already?” Peg said, disbelief apparent in her voice. Peg squished down the bubbling accusation that he had sent her to her death.

“We planted the trees in front of the cave ourselves many years ago. It is unwise to come too close to a god, so we made sure no one would go there anymore,” he said. Peg realized her status as an outsider probably led to him neglecting to mention this.

“But... He's not a god! He's a man in a bearsuit! And why didn't you tell me Asleif’s been missing for more than ten years?” Peg no longer felt numb; her emotions were rushing back faster than she could control. He was so deep in denial that he had let her believe Asleif was still alive.

“Fourteen years, to be exact. And I didn't say otherwise, did I?” Hamal tilted his head and continued, “As for the Kendal, what proof do you have of these serious accusations?”

Peg’s jaw dropped. Fremenniks were so hesitant to accept outsider culture, yet easily believed that there was a real god living nearby their village.

Peg snapped her jaw shut and grit her teeth. “I killed him,” she said, motioning to her blood-stained clothes with a free hand as evidence.

“You have? Then we made an enormous mistake. As did he. Impersonating a god bears the highest penalty imaginable, but I did not think that kind of justice would be delivered by the hand of an outerlander.” Hamal’s expression looked to be a mixture of surprise and pride.

Peg looked down to the bundle and felt her chest tighten. She held it out for him to see. “I also found your daughter. He… killed her.”

Hamal’s face softened. “So it is true then, after all? Let me see her body please.”

Peg unwrapped the bundle and showed him Asleif’s remains. “I spoke to an echo of her spirit at the lake.”

The harsh lines in his face smoothed out at the sight of her. His eyes became glassy, and he slumped forward, as if fourteen years worth of tension was released from his body.

“Then she must be buried there, on the island at the centre of the lake... to bring peace to her spirit. This is a most unusual situation, but will you bury her, Peg?”

In a moment of shared grief over losing a family member, she felt a connection with the chieftain. She would do her best to help him properly mourn.

“I will.”

“Then please listen closely. If she is given a proper burial, she is to be buried with some of her possessions. I see she still has her dress,” he frowned at its current state, “so you will need one more item. When she has been buried, you must build a cairn on top. It is our tradition to build these cairns in the shape of our longboats that we use when we need to cross the seas. You can use rocks for this purpose, there should be plenty out there. Only then are the burial rites complete.”

“Where could I find another one of her possessions?”

“Asleif had few possessions in life and hardly any have survived the years. I do not know where you might find such a thing, but perhaps Ragnar does.”

***

Wearily walking along the path up to the lake, Peg noticed that Ragnar had returned to his lakeside post. She braced herself to inform him of the bad news, but one look at her and at what she was carrying told him what had happened.

Peg stood there in silence as relief became apparent on his face. “Alas, I have known this had to be so for a long time, but Hamal just didn't want to listen.” Ragnar sighed deeply, as if he had been holding his breath for fourteen years.

Peg bit her cheek and turned her gaze to the island at the lake’s centre. “Hamal asked me to bury her with some of her possessions. But he doesn't have anything anymore. Do you have anything left of hers?” Her eyes flicked to the white blade he was still holding.

His gaze followed hers. “I do have one thing that may be appropriate.” He flipped the blade so its handle was towards Peg. “This belonged to Asleif. Take it, outerlander, and bury it with her. It will be my parting gift.”

With a shaky hand, she took Asleif’s blade. The handle had small engraved flowers and an unreadable inscription in what Peg suspected was old Fremmenik writing. Compared to her own knife, it was much more beautiful. She wondered if Asleif would still be alive if she had had her blade with her. The thought made Peg lightly ghost her hand over her blood-stained knife.

“Thank you, Ragnar. I will make sure she's given a proper burial now.”

With a nod, Peg set out to the centre of the lake again. The humming persisted and lingered. The shimmer on the water was still present even as the day was approaching dusk.

Once on the island again, the humming transformed to soft singing. It reminded her of Rallis’ singing. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat to no avail. A rock with a sharp edge made for a makeshift shovel to dig a shallow grave.

Peg unwrapped the bundle and laid Asleif in the grave as neatly as she could. Gently, she placed Asleif’s blade on her chest next to her amulet. She began collecting rocks that were scattered about to build the burial cairn. Layer by layer, the cairn began to take the shape of a longboat.

With each rock placed, Peg’s heart felt heavier. She was glad that the village was given peace and able to move on but the fresh reminder of loss and grief muddled it. Seeing Hamal only able to move on after his daughter’s death after fourteen years made her feel better about her own familial loss.

As the last rock was set, the singing began to quieten down. Peg heard a faint “Thank you” as the singing faded into nothing. The shimmer on the water grew dimmer until it disappeared entirely too. Asleif’s echo was no more.

Left in the silent darkness, Peg dropped to her knees and let out a sob.

#oc tag #runescape #osrs #not my writes

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