Rashelle At Lokken, WWOLM fanfic Options

[blockhead]

Around the end of February and the beginning of March I posted a short fan fiction on a small intimate forum and there were some positive responses. This story is being posted here on the chorrol forums as I am eager to see the responses from the larger fanfic-oriented crowd here. This seems to be where the "pros" of the Morrowind fanfic world congregate,

This will be posted this in sections, serialized as it was originally. It would be easy to just post the entire thing all at once but I thought it would be more fun not to.

This story is based on the main quest of Emma's "White Wolf Of Lokken Mountain" plugin. It contains spoilers.


Rashelle At Lokken
by Blockhead

1. Arrival, Tension

Snow. The ground covered with it. The trees white with it. The late afternoon sun reflecting off of it. The landscape was that of a magical wonderland. My adventures in Solstheim had not reduced my wonder at this phenomena. I had never seen snow where I grew up and there was certainly none in Vvardenfell.

Although I was the Nerevarine and an experienced adventurer, I arrived at Lokken gawking and gaping like a tourist at the Imperial City.

The Lokken leaflet had been in my pack for some time and I had finally decided to see what it was all about. I had no great desire to hunt animals merely for sport (as advertised) but I have always liked to explore new places.

My adamantium boots crunched on the snow as I stepped out from the boat.

"You had better talk to Ragnar Fire Hair before you do anything else, lass. Without his permission, you are not allowed to be here", admonished the boatman again.

Yeah, whatever.

I paused to look around some more. Ahead lay the village, the road ahead rising up towards the mountain. Up further, to the left, could be seen the castle, covered with snow and looking amazing, like a fairy land castle in some painting.

As I slowly walked up the road I tried to stop and chat with some people but they all seemed preoccupied ... no ... afraid. At first I thought it was me, all decked out in my ebony cuirass, dark brotherhood greaves, adamantium boots, and the sword Chrysamere on my back. That and my bare arms making me look more a barbarian than a spell-sword could perhaps be intimidating. I suppose also my coal-black eyes and coal-black hair (an odd color for a Breton) marking me as Not A Nord did not put anyone at ease.

Several people had white hair. It was not the usual blond that Nords tend to, nor a light gray. It was a bright white, like snow. I had only seen such a pure white on the fur of snow bears and other animals. Something in the water perhaps?

A woman who did not have white hair (it was brown) was little friendlier. When I approached her she said "Hello there. Your face doesn't look familiar to me. I'm Silja. Welcome to Lokken. Don't expect to find much here, though. This is a poor village. Since we are not allowed to hunt in the forests anymore, it's hard for us to get by. I assume you have been invited by our chieftain, Ragnar Fire Hair, and that you have his permission to hunt? If not, you had better stay away from the Lokken wildlife."

I thanked her and walked up the road a little further before a guard named Gudmund also told me that it was very important that I see Ragnar Fire Hair first.

"I will, but first could you direct me to a trader or general store? I may need some warmer clothing."

That generated a smile and some directions the Lokken Clothier. I actually did not need the clothing. Despite my origin in warmer climes, I have an unusual tolerance, actually an affinity, for cold weather. What I was wearing now was comfortable and the only concession to cold I had was a sleeping fur in my pack. Still I had broken the ice a little bit. That was progress. It also gave me an excuse to try to talk to at least one more person before heading for the castle.

I walked into the clothing shop. I briefly talked with the woman there, Anna. She was also nervous like the people outside but gave away some more information. The people here were in fear, but from one of their own, not from me. Apparently this Ragnar Fire Hair, their new chieftain, was not liked and was a not a nice person. He had some men loyal to him and a shaman. They were also feared.

Thanking her I left and continued to the castle, stopping only once more, at the brewery. I had been in many a bar and tavern but never in a brewery and I was curious. There were big metal vats and kettles. It was rather complicated looking and awe inspiring in the manner of certain Dwemer ruins. By that I mean I had no idea how it worked.

Some chitchat there with Borka, and his wife Gwenn, yielded more information: the people who actually lived in Lokken were not allowed to drink the mead, or at least not much of it. It was reserved for Ragnar Fire Hair and for his guests. What little they were allowed was at three times the price that guests paid. I was beginning to dislike this Ragnar and I had not even met him yet.

Thus forewarned, I approached and entered the castle.

I entered an anteroom of sorts. A guard was there. He said nothing but pointed to the door on the opposite side of the room. I nodded and went to the door.

I entered the throne room. There were animal pelts on the floor and tapestries on the walls to warm up the cold stone room and to provide an ambiance conducive to the hunting enthusiast. There was a bar on the left.

A bar in a throne room: that's not something I've seen before. Convenient I suppose if one were more concerned with entertaining than the usual duties of ruling. There were four guards; one on either side of the door I had just entered and two closer to the throne at the far end of the room.

The throne was on a raised section of the floor and on it sat a large mean-looking Nord with red hair who could only be Ragnar Fire Hair.

To his right stood a man in dark robes who had to be his shaman.

My boot steps were the only sound as I approached the throne. I presented the leaflet to Ragnar.

He tossed the leaflet aside and spoke: "Who the oblivion are you? You have no business being here uninvited and I'm sure I didn't invite you."

He paused and studied me. I stared back at him. I'm sure my eyes now had the hardness of obsidian as well as the color. I adjusted the angle of the sheath on my back.

He looked tough. And huge. A great bull of a man, and Nords are already kind of big. I wouldn't want to fight him, at least not alone.

"Well, you look like you can handle yourself in the wild. There is one way that perhaps you can be allowed in the forests."

I raised an eyebrow.

"I want you to hunt and kill a certain wolf. This is no ordinary wolf. It's larger than the regular snow wolves, though it is white like they are. It has unnatural blue eyes. My men and I have pursued it on numerous occasions and it has always gotten away."

"That's not something you see every day," I quipped. Oh Rashelle, you must stop this business of talking without thinking!

"Exactly. it is obviously not natural, not of the All-Maker. It is a daedra-spawn, an abomination, a menace that must be killed for the safety of my people," he said, not picking up on my sarcasm.

I nodded, not trusting myself to not again say something wrong, and to also buy myself a second or two of time to think of an appropriate response.

This man mentioning the All Maker rubbed me the wrong way: after my adventures amongst the Skaal I had some respect for their beliefs. I somehow knew that Ragnar had no right to call on their All Maker.

"So, oh chieftain of Lokken, so long as I Quest for this White Wolf, I am permitted in the forests of your island?"

"Aye, with my blessing. Bring me his head there will be a reward."

"I shall begin at once. First I will question the guards and villagers as to sightings."

"Excellent" he said, waving me away, obviously tired of talking to me now that I had agreed to his business.

I definitely did not like this man.

As I turned away I got a better look at his shaman and I liked him even less. My magical sensitivity picked up on an evil from him that I had previously only sensed from Sixth House minions. I tried not to display my feelings: a shaman is very sensitive and notices many things. Around him it would be best to appear to be a simple non-magical warrior and not a spellsword.

I strode away from the the throne. Before I took more than a few paces I could see that the woman at the bar was trying to get my attention with her eyes.

I sauntered over to the bar. Might not be a bad idea to get a mazte anyway. I cannot not stand mead. I love snow, but the Nords can keep their mead.

"I'm Kielreen"

"Rashelle. Got any mazte?"

"Yup".

"Please".

She poured me a mazte and started to speak very quietly. Not a whisper. That would have attracted attention, but she obviously wanted only me to hear.

"he's asked you about the big white wolf, wants you to kill it, right?"

I paid and took a sip before replying.

"Yes."

"Don't. There is something strange about the creature."

I took another sip.

"Things are not as they seem in Lokken."

That much was already obvious.

"Talk to my aunt Gwenn at the brewery."

I had just been there. Maybe mentioning Kielreen would get Gwenn to say more than she had the first time. I nodded ever so slightly. Picking up my drink, I walked to one of the one of Ragnars guards.

He at first did not want to speak but I can be charming when I want to be. I asked him about the white wolf and any sightings of it. This did not yield any new information but would go back to Ragnar and would keep him complacent about my activities. I had already decided that I was not going to kill this mysterious white wolf.

After talking to the the other guards I finished my mazte, left the mug on the bar and exited the castle. It had begun to snow. I caught some flakes in the palm of my hand and watched them melt.

This post has been edited by blockhead: Mar 30 2007, 11:41 PM

[blockhead]

6. Wulfren

I put on a Chameleon effect ring. It was not a huge enchantment but combined with careful sneaking it would make me effectively invisible. It was time to scout the castle. Whatever happened in the next few days, I would benefit by having a mental map of the castle. Dark against the snow, yet unobserved, I crept around the castle, up the stairs, and in through the front door.

I had trained my ability sneak over the years, both in the Thieves Guild and in the School Of Hard Knocks. It may seem a contradiction to some that I was a member of both the Thieves Guild and of House Redoran. I can only shrug and say that I had been in the Guild some time before joining my House. They had been there for me when no one else was. The Guild taught me many vitals skills that I find forever useful and without which my lifespan would have been much shortened.

Like a shadow, a wraith, I traversed the castle. Seen by no one, I picked locks and re-locked them behind me. I memorized rooms, corridors, locations.

I found the Shaman's room but the spells on the lock, the door, the hinges, the doorjamb itself ... were not something I wanted to deal with yet.

The door to the South East tower I could not get a good look at as a guard stood right next to the door. I detected no magic from it though. This was the tower that Laurenna had previously directed my attention to, the one where her mother was imprisoned.

There was a room labeled as a "Trophy Room" but the room was almost devoid of trophies. Odd, that. A woman was sleeping in a chair. I slipped quietly back out.

A door labeled "Berserkers" had a lock of such complexity that I could not get though it. Perhaps it was just as well, as I thought I heard movement inside.

The locks for the room labeled "Master Bedroom" I could not pick or spell open either.

In a stretch of corridor with no one around, I removed the chameleon ring. I had done all the sneaking I could do, so now I would try speechcraft and talk to as many people as I could.

The prison area had no prisoners and only one guard. His name was Von Schlep and he was rather a personable and talkative person. I would not have expected to like a prison guard, but I did. We chatted for some time. While he would not come out and say it, I could tell that he did not like Ragnar and that he secretly wished Wulfren was around.

I talked to other people but didn't learn anything that Von Schlep had not already told me.

It was still night when I entered Laurenna's cottage, using the key she had give me before. I now had a good mental map of the castle, which I knew I would need in the future. I settled onto my sleeping fur and was fast asleep.

Laurenna was up as early as yesterday.

"Rashelle! What news?"

"I found the wolf. He is with Snorri. He had been hit by Ragnar's men and was poisoned. Granny Torunn made him a potion. Now we wait and see."

"Oh Rashelle, that is good news. Thank you."

She didn't look very happy. Something must have happened yesterday while I was away.

"What happened?"

"Last night mother sent me the 'danger' signal through her window in the tower. Something is wrong. Can you go in the castle and talk to Kielreen and find out what is going on?"

I nodded, and was off.

In the castle, no one remarked upon my helm: good. Ragnar and his shaman were already up and were in the throne room. Did they sleep there? They ignored me which was just as well by me. Kielreen didn't have any information about Sigrid, but she promised that she would investigate, and asked me to come back later.

This worried me.

It started to snow as I returned to Laurenna, who was again at her "post".

"Kielreen has heard nothing."

"I'm worried, Rashelle."

"So am I."

"Well, at least I can still see her in the tower. Oh I wish we had taken the time to work out a better set of signals."

"One doesn't plan to be imprisoned in a tower or thrown out of a castle."

Silence.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"It's OK."

"I think now I need to go check on Snorri and his patient."

"Be careful in these woods, Rashelle."

I grinned and then a thought occurred to me.

"Laurenna, does your brother have white hair like you and your father?"

"Yes, of course".

"And are his eyes blue?"

"Yes."

The pieces were perhaps beginning to come together in my mind. Since I did not want to give Laurenna a false hope, I left without saying anything more.

It was in an absentminded and unfocused way that I dispatched two frost boar and a riekling that attacked me as I walked to Snorri's hideout. Despite the urge to hurry, I did not take a direct route. I did this because a second thought had occurred to me: what if Ragnar was having me followed? I thought about levitating so as not to leave tracks but the snow was falling thickly enough that my tracks were being covered anyway, at least until I reached the eastern green part of Lokken.

Focus, Rashelle; be wary but not paranoid.

As before, I made a careful and noisy entrance to Snorri's place. Snorri was standing on the wooden platform as he had last night. He looked tired but happy: he must have stayed up all night watching over the wolf.

"Rashelle, the potion has worked. The wolf is doing much better now."

"Excellent."

"He wants to talk to you".

I raised an eyebrow. My suspicious as to the wolf were becoming certainties.

"Might be better if you just went back there to see him and let him explain."

I ascended the steps the the wooden platform, then followed the cave as it continued on back. It turned to the left and there was a chamber with a large mat of straw. A lantern on a crate provided light.

For the first time I saw the big white wolf. He was resting on the straw.

His eyes were indeed blue. Human eyes. How could anyone mistake them for wolf eyes?

"Wulfren The White, son of Wulfgar The White, so nice to finally meet you," I said.

Nothing happened. I had hoped that Naming him would restore him to his human form but the spell upon him was not one of those spells.

The wolf laughed. I sat down on the stone floor.

"How did you guess, lass?" spoke the wolf.

"It took me a while to figure it out. I eventually recalled some of my old Transfiguration studies. Aside from lycanthropy and related diseases, to transform an unwilling person permanently into an animal is rather a difficult spell to do ... but it is possible. Not everything transforms, however. Things like eyes tend to remain unchanged. That was my clue."

The wolf nodded. If he raised an eyebrow I was going to be hysterical.

"I presume Ragnar's shaman did this to you?"

"Aye."

"Laurenna never mentioned that you spoke. She certainly does not realize you are her brother. Were you able to speak before today?"

"No. Snorri was able to restore that much of my humanity to me."

I nodded.

"By the way, who are you?"

I laughed, took off my helm and then said "I'm sorry. I did not mean to be rude. I am Rashelle, spellsword, at your service."

He raised an eyebrow.

He waited the minute or two it took me to stop laughing. I wiped tears from my eyes, gasping for breath.

"I-I-I'm sorry" I sniffled, "It's just that I've never s-seen a wolf do that."

"You were saying," he prompted.

So I related to him what had occurred since I had arrived at Lokken.

I concluded with; "I cut off my hair and swore a vow to restore you as the rightful chieftain, as Laurenna has done."

"I appreciate what you have done for me, Rashelle, but why are you doing this?"

"I could not live with myself if I left the Lokken people in this situation."

I continued; "Also, in this very short time Laurenna has become a very good friend. I do this for her. I'm in this all the way and will see it to the end."

He nodded. Then he spoke.

"As I hope you understand, the rumor of me slaying my father is completely false. Instead, I happened to witness when his step-brother Ragnar thrust his sword into his heart. His evil shaman Kreikan, who was also there, cast a spell and transformed me into a wolf. Since then, I have been wandering in the forests, trying to keep an eye on the village and on my sister Laurenna."

I nodded.

"I'm so worried about my mother and my sister. My mother is held prisoner, and I fear that Ragnar might abduct Laurenna, as well. For a year, he has tried to force my mother into a marriage, as that is his prime chance to become the rightful chieftain. But she stubbornly refuses. Now, he has got a second chance: as I am no longer human, the only remaining blood-relative of my father is Laurenna. If Ragnar cannot marry my mother, he might instead force Laurenna into a marriage."

If I hadn't already been sitting I probably would have sat down hard. I hadn't thought of that. It was perfectly logical and obvious, if evil. I had a momentary thought of going and fetching Laurenna here. I actually began to stand up. But that would then result Sigrid giving in and marrying Ragnar. I swore and sat back down.

"Wulfren; how can I protect Laurenna?"

"I need to be restored to my human form. I need to avenge my fathers murder and take my rightful place as the Chieftain of Lokken. Only then will my mother and sister be safe"

I nodded.

"I fear time is running out. Something must be done soon, but I am still weak from the poison. On top of that, there is not much I can do as a wolf. The spell Kreikan cast on me is very strong. As long as he is alive, I will remain like this. Only if he dies will I regain human shape."

I nodded. Wulfren's idea for breaking the spell agreed with what lore I could remember on the subject of unwilling transformation.

"Enough. I will kill Kreikan now," I said as I stood up again.

"No!" barked Wulfren.

I stopped.

"I would surely like to see Kreikan dead," he continued, "but it would be a really dangerous mission. And I fear that even if you succeeded, the result would me more blood and violence. Ragnar Fire Hair would surely want his revenge. If I showed up in my human shape, he would probably kill both me, my sister and my mother."

I sat down again. "No, not Laurenna."

"He is incredibly strong. Even though I'm a skilled warrior, I don't think I have the skills to outmaneuver him. Now, if I only had ... "

"The warhammer of Thorjan Bjorg," I interrupted, "and the gauntlets of Thorjan."

"Aye, lass, you are well informed indeed! My Father used to tell me about the Warhammer of Thorjan Bjorg - an incredibly powerful weapon. It could kill the strongest opponent with a single blow. With such a weapon in my hand, I would have a fair chance to fight Ragnar. Alas, I have no idea where this mighty weapon is hidden. I think my father knew, but he took the secret with him to his grave."

"Then I will find it and bring it to you."

"Rashelle, just note that the warhammer is incredibly heavy. It is useless without Thorjan's gauntlets. You need to be wearing those in order to lift it and wield it.

I nodded. I would look for the gauntlets first.

"I guess the first step is to simply ask around in the village. Someone really ought to know. Maybe Laurenna could give you a hint: she has many friends in the village."

I nodded and stood up.

"Thank you Rashelle."

I bid Wulfren good day, spoke briefly to Snorri and walked towards the entrance of the cave. Once out of Snorri's view, I Recalled back to my spot by the cottage.

This post has been edited by blockhead: Apr 3 2007, 01:26 PM