The first, second and third parts of this story can be read here:
“If you do not drop that knife right now, I will kill you myself and leave your body to rot!” The voice was filled with ice and menace, directed towards the man who had his knife on my throat. I felt the hand handling the knife trembling and the man mastering it replied back. “Why are you so intent on sparing this cowards life? He is of no use for us. We should kill him and be on our way north and attack the fort as planned, we….” he is interrupted by Cegdid, the leader sitting across from me and on the other side of the campfire. “Shut yer mouth NOW! And leave the forgoil alone. This is your last warning!” The man stands up and draws his sword, which he points towards the man towering above me.
“Fine!” the man above me replies and removes his knife from my throat. “You can have your new pet, but it is a mistake I tell you. We should kill all forgoils that trespass our lands!” And with that outburst it seems the man turns around and stomps away from the camp.
I look towards Cegdid, who are in charge and master of my fate. “You should have let him kill me you know, I will not offer you anything that might harm my folk or the mark.” Cegdid start walking towards me, sword still in his hand. “Maybe… but the night is young Duncadda, and the morning light could still shine upon your rigid cold corpse.” He comes closer and walks behind me and I feel the tip of the sword move down along my back. “But, you are in luck. I have deemed it so that you will live.” And he cuts the ropes that tie my hands and walk back to his place on the other side of the campfire.
Sitting down he shouts out a command in the dark. “Bring me the forgoils cloak and weapon... and some food as well.” He looks over to me and smiles. “I guess you are hungry, Duncadda?” I only nod, being on guard not comprehending the situation. Cegdid sees that and lean towards me. “Calm down man, you are tempering our bow fingers with that attitude. I’m a man of my words and when I say I have deemed it that you will live, you will live.” He shakes his head in amusement. “If you die tonight, it will be because of your own actions, so have something to eat and ease your mind.” Another large dunlending warrior comes out from the darkness surrounding the campfire and hands me my cloak, sword and a bowl of porridge.
I accept it all and take my time brushing off snow from the cloak, before donning it on me. I decide to spend some time inspecting the sword as well, before I start eating. During all of this, Cegdid is eating his own food, watching me with what seems as amusement. When I'm done with the bowl I put it down in front of me and look at dunlending. “What now then Cegdid? Is my fate to become a thrall, to be killed or set free?” I indicate with my hands out towards the darkness around the campfire. “My sword will not help me against the men who have me surrounded, so is this another of your peoples wicked games?” Cegdid shakes his head. “There are no games here, no tricks. Tomorrow you will be set free and allowed to return to your land.” He pauses to see my reaction, but I keep my face blank and he continues. “I will share this campfire, more food and mead if you like and in return you can tell tales about yourself and I will share mine.”
And so I spend the cold dark night, surrounded by hostile dunlendings talking with Cegdid. I tell him little about myself, but he shares more and I learn about the different fractions within Dunland. Some of it I knew about, but not all of it. I try to pry out information about the huge dunlending that has haunted my friends, but he reveals nothing. And when the early morning light started to rise in the east, we parted our ways. Where they headed towards the west where the night still lingered, I went eastward and into the morning light, toward my home.
Copyrights
The art is a screenshots from the game and modified by me.
