Chapter 5: Fellowship of the Ember Knights

Wow! Skyrim is as dangerous as people say. While looking for a guildhall, a bear, oversized rats, and several packs of wolves attacked me—all within an hour of each other. I need to keep my guard up around here. I hope Dad is staying safe out there. But then again, he is a Legate and a master swordsman, so I’m sure he is okay. During my search, I discovered this fantastic castle in the wilderness. It’s just the right size. I wonder if it belongs to anybody. I opened the gate, and there was a mane in knight armor standing outside. I introduced myself, “Hi, I’m Soare. Is this your castle?” I asked. “Oh, gods no. I guard the property, and Clara inside is the housecarl,” he responded. “Awesome, does this place belong to anyone?” “No, the previous lord of this castle thought Skyrim was too dangerous and left for Cyrodiil.” “Really? even with you and Clara guarding the place?” “We were not adequate for him. Frankly, I say good riddance.” “That guy must have been a real piece of work,” I thought.

“Where are my manners? My name is Thorek, and I am in charge of guarding this castle.” “ Nice to meet ya; I’m Soare.” “ Soare, that’s roman for Sun.” “Yup, my dad named me.” “It’s a pleasure, Soare.” After formally introducing ourselves, Thorek said that I’m pretty well armed for someone so young. He asked if I was a noble, and I said no. I told him about my father, why I came to Skyrim, and my dream of becoming the ultimate Knight. “That explains the armor,” Thorek said. “Say, would you mind if I bought this castle? I’m starting a new guild, and we’ll need a place to stay,” I asked. “The place is all yours if you have the coin,” He responded. I checked out the “for sale” sign on the wall, and it read, “Knight’s Rest, on sale for 25,000 gold!” It was pretty steep, but thanks to the gold I made helping people in Bruma, I could buy it. “I’ll take it!” “Excellent. I’ll take care of the gold, and here is the deed.” “Thanks, Thorek.”

“So, what are you going to call this new guild of yours now that you got yourself a fancy guildhall?” Thorek asked. I hadn’t thought of it. My main focus was on getting us a guildhall. “ I know! The Ember Knights!” I exclaimed. “So it’s going to be a Knight’s guild then?” “Yup, each new member will take the Knight’s Oath and swear that they will do all they can to keep people safe.” “It’s about time someone took the initiative. You’re pretty alright, kid.” “I’m not a kid! I’m a Knight in training!” “Alright, alright, my apologies Squire. Why don’t you take a look inside.”

I entered the castle, and it was so freakin cool. There is a dining area with a bar when you first enter and a balcony overlooking a large bath. To the right, there is a hallway with a small kitchen that leads to a sitting room. To the left, there is a hallway leading downstairs to a crafting area and an armory. Upstairs there is a master bedroom with an outdoor balcony. The scenery is beautiful. This castle is the perfect home for my new guild. Now that I have a guildhall, it’s time to start recruiting some new members. I decided to travel to each major city and see if anyone was willing to join the Ember Knights.

According to my map, the nearest city was Riften. When I got there, the guards told me I had to pay a toll for entering the city. I almost did, but then I realized that they were scamming me and called them on it. They told me to keep my voice down and that they would unlock the gate. As soon as I entered the city, I overheard an older man talking to the guards. He was frustrated that they wouldn’t help him. I decided to check on him. He said his name is Jalamar and that he saw a suspicious group of men entering Echo Deep Mine. I asked what made them suspicious, and he told me that no one dares to go in the mine on a count of all the stories about it. One is that there is a Dwemer ruin inside full of dangerous automatons. I assured Jalamar that as soon as I got the chance, I would go check it out. He said that I should be careful as he heard terrifying screams coming from the mine.

Once I finished talking with Jalamar, I decided to check out the inn. It’s the perfect place to scout for new members. I asked around, and everyone laughed at me. “No one in this Gods forsaken town would want to risk their lives for strangers.” “Yeah, the people here are rotten to the core HAHAHA!” “The people in this town are awful,” I thought to myself. I decided to leave, but then “Wait!” The barkeep yelled from across the room. I went over to her, and she told me a rumor she heard about some Khajit who came through a few days ago. She said that he was going on about how he tried to kill somebody, but the guards didn’t believe him, so the nut case paid them to lock him up. “Really?” I asked. “Yes, the word is he’s locked up in Riften Jail right now.” I thanked her and paid her for the information. “Pleasure doing business with ya,” she said.

I made my way to Riften Jail and paid the guard to let me through. I found a letter on the table that matched what the Argonian Woman told me. “Wow, he is paying the guards to keep him locked up here.” The letter also mentioned a spare key in a lockbox over the fireplace. I grabbed the key and entered the Khajit’s cell. He said his name is Inigo and he has been waiting for me to kill him. I had no idea what he was talking about. He told me that we worked together on a job, but he betrayed me and shot me in the back.

I think Inigo has taken one too many hits in the head. I tried to explain to him that I was only 13 and there is no way that we could have known each other. I was born and raised in the Imperial City, and this is my first time in Skyrim. Still, he was convinced. I decided we should agree to disagree. I told him about the Ember Knights and asked if he wanted to join. At first, he was reluctant and said that he was not worthy of being in such an honorable guild. “You paid guards to lock you up because you felt guilty for trying to kill me and then begged me to kill you. If you want redemption for what you have done, then spending your days to make the world a better place is a perfect way,” I said. He decided that dying to defend me was how he would atone for his sins. That’s not at all what I meant, but I’ll take it. “Welcome to the Ember Knights, Inigo!” I exclaimed.

It was late, so I suggested we spend the night at the inn. While there, I decided to get to know Inigo a little better. We talked for hours. He told me about his childhood, brother, time as a bandit, and even when he was addicted to Skooma. I told him about my dad, the Imperial City, my time in Bruma, and why I came to Skyrim. We bonded pretty well that night. The next day, I bought Inigo a horse and showed him the guildhall. “Welcome to Knight’s Rest, your new home,” I said. “A castle fit for a king,” he responded. When we got there, I realized that we had a kitchen and a forge, but neither of us knew the first thing about cooking or blacksmithing. I decided to meet with Clara and Thorek. Thorek told me that he has been training as a blacksmith if the need arises, and Clara is pretty decent in the kitchen. That settles that. Thorek will craft gear for the guild and manage the armory while Clara is the guild’s designated housekeeper. I will personally handle training new members. I had Thorek craft Ebony armor to match Inigo’s weapons. Once we finished, the next city was Windhelm.

I was ready to depart, but Inigo stopped me. He said Windhelm is full of angry, racist Nords and that I won’t find anyone with a pure heart there to join the guild. Inigo has traveled to many different places, so I trust his judgment. The next closest city was Falkreath. On the way there, Inigo started screaming in pain. He said it felt like someone was tugging on his brain. I asked if he was okay, and he said everything was fine and that the pain had stopped. I believed him. But then it happened again and a third time when we got to Falkreath. He said he saw a vision of a cabin and wooden pillars. I decided it was time to investigate, but we were already in Falkreath, so I thought we should check out the inn before leaving.

I asked around the inn, and a man named Lucien Flavius approached me. He said he was a scholar who came to Skyrim on an expedition. He was tired of reading about the world and wanted to see it for himself; however, he can’t fight. He knows a little magic and can just barely handle a sword. I warned him that it would be too dangerous to travel with us. He said that’s why he’ll have me around and that he would pay me. I don’t care about gold, but I could see this meant a lot to him, so I accepted his offer. “ The Ember Knights will keep you safe no matter what,” I said. He was very grateful for the company and the protection. On our way out, a woman named Misty stopped me. “I overheard you were talking about a guild, and I want in,” she said. I told her she was more than welcome to join the Ember Knights and marked the guildhall on her map. “You won’t regret this decision,” she said and left for Knight’s Rest.

“So, where to Inigo.” “Snowpoint Beacon. I camped there long ago,” he said and marked the location on my map. “It’s just a short hike from Dawnstar,” he added. We cut through Whiterun hold, where we came across a group of Thalmor transporting a prisoner. She was a Khajit. Inigo said he had a bad feeling, and so did I. I stopped the Justiciar, and she said, “move along; you’re interfering with Thalmor business.” “ I don’t remember the Khajit worshipping Talos,” I said. “Her crimes are none of your concern,” she responded. “They are if her arrest is unjustified,” I snapped back. “Enough talk, KILL THEM!” she shouted. The soldiers charged at us while she stayed back and slung spells at me. I dodged some and blocked others with my shield bearing the guild’s crest. The rest of my team dealt with the soldiers while shoved my sword straight through her chest. The skirmish was over almost as quickly as it began. I tended to the Khajit Woman’s wounds, but she told me not to worry about her. She said we had to save the “young one.” I looked up at Inigo, and he said, “No need to worry about me, my friend. We have to save this Young One.” The woman told us she was in Riverwood and we should check with a trader in the Sleeping giant Inn. We made our way to Riverwood with haste.

Once we entered the Sleeping Giant Inn, a teenage Argonian approached me. She said her name is Khash and She has been waiting for me. She is new to Skyrim and heard stories about me. She said she wants to travel, but it’s too dangerous for her to go alone. We talked for a bit and told each other our stories, me more so than her. I said she was more than welcome to join us.

It’ll be nice having someone my age around, but we still have to find that trader. Khash pointed me to a man with brown hair sitting alone, “He is a trader,” She said. “Thanks, Khash!” I said gratefully. I tried to talk to the trader, but he just brushed me off. I said it was an emergency and that I needed to find a Unique looking Khajiit. He said to look behind the inn. That’s where the innkeeper leaves food for her. We walked around to the back of the inn, where we met Hjoromir. He has worked for just about everyone in Riverwood, and from what he tells us, he was pretty bad at every job he had. He said that he was tired of doing boring work and wanted to travel. Hjoromir has dreams of slaying vampires and saving damsels in distress. He is a perfect fit for our guild. I invited him to join the Ember Knights, and he was so excited. After the encounter, we walked further back and saw a unique looking Khajit surrounded by two mercenaries. The disgusting pigs were talking about raping her before turning her into their employer.

I didn’t bother with words and attacked them. I took down the one on the right while Inigo got the one on the left. I tried to help her, but she ran off, saying she didn’t ask for my help. I went back to the trader and asked if the girl was always this distant. He said she didn’t even talk to the innkeeper. She would just take her food and go. I left the inn, thinking of ways to get through to her, when a group of Thalmor confronted us. They wanted to know if I had seen a distinct looking Khajiit. “They all look pretty distinct; you’re going to have to be more specific,” I said. “There is no mistaking this one,” the Thalmor soldier replied. He called me a dog and told me I could go before teleporting away with his companions. I hate those guys.

The Khajit girl came running out from the shadows, surprised that I didn’t turn her in. She wondered why I would help a stranger, and I told her that I could never turn away someone in danger. She wasn’t a big fan of that response. I asked the Khajit Girl about herself, but she couldn’t tell me anything. She said she doesn’t remember anything. All she knows is that she was running from a tower and then ended up in Riverwood. “Where is the tower? Maybe we can find some answers there?” I asked. “You would help her remember?” she asked. “As I said, I can’t turn away someone in need,” I answered. “She thanks you,” She responded. This Khajiit girl sure has a strange way of talking.

The girl said she remembers leaving a satchel at the tower but doesn’t know what’s in it. Along the way, we passed a large lake. Dad told me a story about this lake. He said there was a kingdom called Camelot long ago and that the royal family was responsible for guarding a sacred sword. The sword was called Excalibur, and it was said to hold great power. When a Dark Wizard attacked Camelot, King Arthur gave the sword to his most trusted knight and told him to hide it. Nowhere in the kingdom was safe, so the knight got on a boat and sailed far away. He ended up in the province now known as Skyrim and stuck the sword in a rock on a lone island so that only those with a pure heart could wield it. It’s said that the island is where the lady stone sits right on this very lake. I decided to take a detour and check out the lady stone. I couldn’t believe that Excalibur was there, stuck in the rock. I tried pulling it out as my team cheered me on; well, it was mostly Inigo and Lucien. I did it! I pulled the sword. The mark of a true knight was in my hands.

After that glorious triumph, we arrived at the tower, but of course, there were bandits. With my new Excalibur, we struck them down quickly. I found the satchel sitting on a table and looked inside. There was a letter from someone who was helping the Khajiit girl. It said her name is M’rissi and mentioned a ring that would allow her never to forget who she is. I told her what her name is and showed her the ring. She loved the name but didn’t recognize the ring at all. We brought the ring back to the trader in Riverwood. I asked him if he knew a jeweler that could tell us more about the ring. He said he knew one, but the guy is shady. I offered to pay him to tell us who and where this Jeweler is. He accepted the offer and said the jeweler’s name is Salthasaar.

Salthasaar can is in RIften in the Ragged Flagon. That’s the Thieves Guild’s hideout. I talked it over with everyone, and we decided to check Snowpoint Beacon first before heading to Riften. Once we made it there, the area was full of bandits. We had to fight our way through them all just to get to the cabin Inigo saw in his vision. We were all shocked when it was there. Inigo was confident that the owner locked the door. He saw an image of something shiny under a rug and decided to check the front door, finding a key. Inigo was too nervous about going in, so he gave it to me. There were pictures of Inigo on the walls and trophies on the shelves inside the cabin. An older looking man was sleeping in the bed. I woke him up, and he said that I was the one he has been trying to find.

I asked how I could help, and he pushed me out of the way to get to Inigo. Long story short, this Langley guy has been having visions of some terrible beast called the “Doom Strider,” and Inigo is the only one that can stop him. It is all a part of some prophecy. I don’t get it, but I’m with Inigo all the way. Langley has been stalking, I mean, searching for Inigo for a long time. He found Inigo’s parents and his brother. He also has a journal about his search for Inigo and the diary of Inigo’s dad. I’m glad Inigo was able to find out more about his past.

After Langley lost track of Inigo, he returned to Skyrim and hired a conjuration mage to create a spell that would summon Inigo to him. Inigo’s mind vibrations were caused by him failing epically to cast the spell. According to the spell’s author, it will only work if you have a strong bond with Inigo. I asked him to let me try. Langley thought it was a bad idea. He said that if he couldn’t cast it, then I would never be able to. Inigo convinced him to let me give it a shot. We went outside while Inigo stayed in the cabin. He said he had to pry the book open, so there was no way I could read it. I opened the tome, and I could feel the knowledge of the spell flow into me. Langley got made and said my hands would explode when I cast it. I held my hand out and thought about Inigo. Before I knew it, he was standing right there. Inigo said he could hear my voice calling to him and that he had a choice about whether or not he wanted to come. I asked how it felt, and Inigo said it felt good. Langley was very jealous. He said that the spell was supposed to form a link between Inigo and himself. Then he called me an idiot and said I broke the spell. Is this guy for real? Inigo tried to defend me, but I wouldn’t have wasted my breath. He gave me a lackluster apology, but I accepted it anyway. He may be rude, but he isn’t bad.

At least we found the cause of Inigo’s mind vibrations. Langley will reach out to us by “vibrating” Inigo’s mind again. Hopefully, next time we see him, he will have his attitude in check, but I doubt it.

I decided that it was time for Hjoromir to have a horse. We stopped by the Whiterun stables, where we came across something unexpected. A naked woman was sleeping in the hay. I tried to wake her up without touching her. When she came to, I asked if she was okay and what happened to her clothes. She said she doesn’t remember. The woman stunk of alcohol; she had too much to drink last night. She said her name was Sofia and asked if she could travel with us. I asked her why she would want to tag along with us, and she said that traveling alone is very lonely. I can understand that. I was alone during my travels in Bruma. It’s nothing like having companions to keep you company. I decided to let her journey with us. I also invited her to join the Ember Knights. She didn’t hesitate in the slightest. We went back to Knight’s Rest, and I had Thorek craft her some armor. I showed him the design for the Wandering Knight armor Hulgard prepared for me in Bruma. I figured it would fit her the best. I had to get him to stop staring at her body, though.

With Sofia’s addition, we have enough members to call ourselves a guild now officially, which is excellent. I know we have to get the Dragonstone from Bleak Falls Barrow and Legate Varro still needs my help. But M’Rissi is in no condition to travel without her memories, and I want to help her; this will be the next task we tackle.