I ran after Esbern as fast as I could, but the gap between us kept growing until he had reached the top of the hill.
It dawns on me that if he can run that much faster than me, while still wearing heavy armor, then so could an enemy.
I make a mental note: since my healing spell can erase fatigue and muscle soreness, I should start a daily strength training routine. It's a simple idea—but if I push myself with exercises like push-ups and squats, then use magic to recover instantly, there's no reason not to. I need to build my core strength. If I can run faster, hit harder, move more freely in heavy armor, and shoot arrows further, then every ounce of effort will be worth it.
Finally I reach the hilltop, some time after Esbern. He stands in front of the graveyard, silent.
I run up beside him and pause, resting my hands on my knees as I catch my breath.
"Seven of them..." Esbern says grimly.
"Seven what?..." I ask, before standing up straight, then I see it. One... Two... Twelve...
"Oh..." I say, having a clear answer.
There's twelve graves on the hilltop, seven of them are empty, despite having an inscribed tombstone in front of it.
"Disgusting..." Esbern spits.
"It definitely is a necromancer here alright..." I take a deep breath, then let out a sigh. "Damnit..."
"Look at that gravestone..." Esbern says, his voice thick as he points to one in particular.
I look at the tombstone, it has the inscrition:
'Here rests Yngvild
Only daughter of Sten and Hilda
Taken at only fourteen winters, but brave of heart
Her laughter stilled, but her spirit sings in Sovngarde
May Shor watch over her until we meet again'
I shudder. "No... Why would anyone do that..."
Esbern speaks through gritted teeth. "He dies today!..."
I turn to him and meet his gaze. "There's barely a few hours until sundown, getting lost in the tundra looking for him after dark isn't a good idea... Besides, I need to learn the 'Lesser Ward' spell before I can face another spell caster again!"
Esbern's expression is filled with hate—not toward me, but toward the necromancer. "I can't wait until tomorrow! We can take him down!" he says, half-shouting.
I shake my head, my gaze fallen to the ground. "No, we can't... I hid like a coward in the previous battle, when the necromancer started casting ice spikes at us... Every shot was deadly, and I had no way of blocking them... And that almost cost Delphine her life..."
Esbern's expression softens, seeming to understand our need for the spell.
I continue explaining why we should wait. "If I'd known the spell back then, I could've charged at him, even while he was casting—blocking his ice spikes! The necromancer was a Nord, sure—tall, but he was skinny. I could've taken him down!'"
Esbern takes a deep breath and exhales through his nose. "I see... You're right..."
He goes over to the graves, leaning down to read the inscription of every single gravestone, wether the graves in front of them were empty or not. I don't stop him.
"Only two are fresh..." He says.
"Which ones?" I reply.
Esbern turns to me, his expression serious. "The young girl—and an old man—both died sometime last week."
He pauses, thinking before continuing. "Rorikstead is a small village, so there isn't much folk here. Most of the burried here have been dead for years, so we can assume our enemies will mostly be skeletons. But the girl… she's the most recently deceased. She'll look almost alive…"
I let out a deep sigh. "What the hell kind of person would raise someone so young? You'd think that even necromancers had some standards."
Esbern fixes me with a deadly stare. "Ragnar, let me be the one to kill this one." His eyes are filled with fury, reserved squarely for the necromancer.
I lift my hands in surrender. "Fine by me."
Esbern nods. "Thanks... Now, let's head back to town... I need a drink, and you need to learn that spell."
With that, he starts walking toward the town. I cast one last glance at the graves before following him. Seven of them are raised... This fight is going to be bigger than the previous one...
On our way back we don't run into any more hindrances. From the hilltop however, we did get a good view of Rorikstead. The town itself lies at the heart of the surrounding farmland. The houses built in the same manner as Riverwood—thatched roofs, cobblestone base and wooden walls. It's not more than ten big buildings, though they are bigger than those in Riverwood.
"Hey, do you know which building is the shop? I need to sell something..." I ask Esbern.
"Rorikstead doesn't have a particular shop, why?" He replies.
I let out a sigh. "Then could you lend me some septims for the inn?..."
Esbern gaze at me, his eyebrows slightly raised. "Are you broke?" With a smile he place a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry—we're on official Whiterun business. The Jarl will cover our stay. One of the few perks of being on patrol or a mission."
"Oh, thank god!" I breathe out in relief.
Esbern chuckles. "Which one? Come on, this is the inn!" He turns toward one of the larger buildings and heads up a short flight of steps, heading inside. I follow.
The innside of the inn reminds me of Delphine's inn, or perhaps any inn, really. The smell of spices, roasted meat and mead fills the air, making me realize how hungry I am.
"Mmm... I need some meat! And a mead! You hungry?!" Esbern says while he claps my back hard.
I can't help but laugh. "Damn man, watch that strength of yours!..."
Esbern grins and crosses his arms. "Nah, you'll toughen up—If you stick around me long enough!"
I meet his gaze and smirk myself. "So you don't mind having to drag me around anymore?"
Esbern push me away, almost tipping me over. "Don't make it weird!"
He walks over to the innkeeper. "Hey, Mralki! Two rooms please!" Putting a small pouch of coin onto the inn counter, probably the Jarl's coin, covering our stay.
Mralki was a middle-aged man, nearing his fifties. Bald, but not yet gray of hair. "Sure thing, Esbern!" He replies. He opens the pouch and stare into it, before smiling and stuffing the pouch into his pocket.
"But they sent you, Esbern? To investigate the graveyards? Didn't think we'd warrant that kind of response," says Mralki, the innkeeper, clearly surprised.
"Aah, I just got bored and volunteered. Figured I'd enjoy your roasted goat and a few mugs of mead before diving into fatherhood." Esbern says, probably not wanting to reveal what we already know.
"Make it a big portion for me, and a regular for my skinny friend over there." Esbern says chuckling, pointing at me.
I step up to the counter. "I'm not skinny, but compared to you, most people would be. You musclehead!" I retort with a smirk.
"You're right about that!" Esbern says with a smug grin.
I chuckle lightly, before turning grim. "But you'll have to eat alone Esbern... "I'll eat after I've learned the spell and practiced casting it—while my magicka regenerates.
Esbern gaze turn toward me. "Are you sure?" He asks.
I nod. "Yes, I can't waste any more time before the battle..."
I force myself to smile, even though my insides are churning. "We'll feast and drink ourselves silly tomorrow! After we take this bastard down!"
Esbern's expression shifts, growing stern. He taps my shoulder. "Deal! I'll hold off on the mead until then."
I turn to face Mralki. "Which room is mine?" I ask, eager to read the spell tome.
"Ummm..." He says while thinking, before pointing towards two open doors in the back of the inn. "You boys could have those two rooms, they're both vacant."
I nod. "Alright, thanks!" I turn and head toward the door that's the furthest back inside the inn.
I leave Esbern with the innkeeper. The urgency burns in my chest—I'm nearly breaking into a cold sweat! I have to be ready for battle by tomorrow!
I shut the door to my room and lock it.