With my nice clothes safe, I crack my knuckles and neck as I pull my arms up in a fighting stance and motion him to come closer.
"Since you can't wait to be put in your place, come on then! I don't have all day to entertain petulant drunkards!" I shout at Frathnar, taunting him into making the first move.
"Don't think I'll show you any mercy just because we lost a few unworthy warriors! I'll put you down like every other before you!" Frathnar shouts bringing his gauntletes fists back as he prepares to land a heavy blow on my right side as he clears the table he had previously been sitting at with a mighty leap and bound.
I pull back and use my forearms to guide the strike to my left side, throwing Frathnar off balance and prepare to wrap him in a headlock when he uses the momentum from the wide strike to roll forward and pop up to my side, catch an opening in my guard to send a quick jab into my side making me wince in surprise as I readjust my guard.
"Ah! It seems the big, bad orc was all talk and no- Gah!" Frathnar taunts as his guard lowers and I'm able to connect with his jaw, making him reel back as I lunge forward with a sharp knee to his stomach, doubling him over.
As he's bent over I feel his arms lock around my waist as he lifts me up and slams me head first into the floor as he let's our weight bring us down to the ground.
Rolling onto my back, I feel me head ringing as Frathnar moves to mount me and begins pummeling my chest and face before I'm able to pull my knees up and knock him off his mount long enough to roll us and pin him beneath me as I begin returning the beating he was laying down ten fold.
However his armored gauntlets take the brunt of my blows making me feel my knuckles splitting with every blow, but with each strike I feel more rage and power flowing through me as I hit faster and harder with each successive blow. Until...
CRACK
I feel the metal of the gauntlets shatter beneath my latest blow, taking advantage of Frathnar's shock, I wrench his left arm up and across his chest before pinning it down with my right arm and tearing back his forearm with all my might in my left hand, snapping his arm back in a direction his elbow is not supposed to bend.
And with his one functioning arm holding the broken arm, I'm able to pull back both my fists and land a heavy strike directly to his forehead knocking him out cold and leaving the mead hall dead silent...
Before a single slow clap begins, drawing more and more until it's a thunderous applause, washing over me like the waves of a storm.
I stand as I feel the blood running down my face, I hold my bruised and cracked knuckles high above my head, the sting cutting deeper as the adrenaline begins to subside and I motion the crowd to be silent.
It takes several moments, but I get their undivided attention, spitting the blood that's been welling up in my mouth to the fire pit I order them, "Now that that's done I want every able-bodied warrior to leave the city gates to prepare the pyres for tonight! And you! Take him to the temple!" I say, pointing to a random warrior as I leave the main hall heading down to find Kodlak's old room as I hear the shuffling of feet leaving the hall behind me.
Once in the room I take a bucket of fresh water that had been sitting on the floor along with a rag and begin wiping the blood off as I use [Heal] to mend my bruises, cuts, and cracked bones feeling the pain subside as the magic begins to flow through and around me.
After cleaning myself up I begin looking around Kodlak's room.
During my search I find a journal, a map with several markings, a stash of a several hundred septims, and a spare set of Harbinger armor, that seems close enough to my size that I'm able to put it on with only minor pinching and tightness in certain areas.
I quickly flip through the journal with nothing to eye-catching except his last entry.
[The loss of Vilkas was too much... I feel the weight of this curse dragging me to the Hunting Grounds day by day... I was approached by a member of the Silver Hand the other day. I wanted to cut him down but I could barely muster the will to lift my sword, ready to accept my fate I simply sat down and awaited the fatal blow that would send me to my accursed afterlife... But it never came, instead they offered me a cure and a way to atone for my sins... They wished for me to summon the chapters from across Skyrim and those in neighboring lands so that they can rip this infection out at the roots. I asked them to offer my brothers and sisters the same cure, but the man said there was not enough hags in the whole of Skyrim to save those afflicted with the curse. But offered me a map, and the chance to take those infected after the purge to their camps were we can then hunt down the hagravens in order to make their cure.]
[I've asked Eorlund to reforge Wuuthrad with silver to use in the coming purge, not that he knows what it was for. He'd have never agreed if he knew, but if I'm to have any chance against Skjor I'll need that axe. I hope he falls quickly, I'm not sure how much fight is left in these old bones.]
[This is the day... I pray Stendar guides my blade to victory and that he takes mercy on those about to fall to it.]
I shake my head after reading his last couple entries before inspecting the map.
The map has several locations marked on it, mainly hagraven camps, with a handful of markings indicating the location of several Silver Hand locations.
Knock, knock...
"Harbinger, I heard you had to deal with a wolf who dared bare their fangs at you. I come baring food and a poultice from the apothecary." I hear a familiar voice calling from beyond my door.
(Author's Note: Hey everyone, sorry I missed last week. School work is rough, but I should be on top of it at least until I get to this semesters research paper. Hope you enjoy this one.)