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17th of Frostfall, 427 3E
As of this evening we are one step closer to restoring Wulfren as the rightful chieftian and setting things right on Lokken Island. I'll try to take the time to record the events of today as accurately as I can, though in truth I am not only tired, but very stressed about an extremely unpleasant task that is ahead of us; unpleasant, but neccessary to free Wulfren from the shaman's spell.
Before starting our daily patrol of the forest we stopped by Lokken Castle to see if Kielreen had any news about Sigrid. Laurenna believed her mother to be in danger and I could not imagine how frustrated she must have felt being unable to do anything or receive any word regarding what was going on.
Once we reached the reception area we didn't get to say a word before Kielreen quickly handed us a sheet of folded paper and whispered, "Don't say anything. Just take this note. It's from Sigrid. Poor woman...."
Normally we would not have read the note, but not only was it not sealed but Keilreen looked at us pointedly as she tapped the corner of the paper with her fingertip. Therefore, as soon as Neldor and I had left the castle, we stood near our horses and read;
Dearest Laurenna,
I have decided to marry Ragnar Fire Hair. Actually, I fear that I have no choice. You see, today Ragnar told me what has happened to Wulfren.
Laurenna, your brother isn't dead. Instead, he has been cursed by Kreikan, Ragnar's evil shaman. Laurenna, your brother has been transformed into a big white wolf! And Ragnar has promised me that he will have Kreikan remove the curse as soon as the wedding ceremony is over. On the other hand, if I don't marry him, he will order all his men to hunt down Wulfren and kill him upon sight. My dearest daughter, you know that my children are more important to me than my own life, and that I would do anything to save you. I cannot be sure that Ragnar will keep his promise and have the curse removed from Wulfren, but marrying him is the only thing I can do in order to help your brother.
I hope that you can understand and accept my decision. Ragnar and a few of his men will go on a hunting tour within the next few days, and as soon as they return, the wedding will take place.
Laurenna, I hate the thought of marrying a cruel and dishonest man, but I can see no other solution. Never forget that I love you!
Your mother Sigrid
When we finished reading, Neldor said grimly, "That isn't going to go over well."
I agreed, "No it isn't. My heart breaks for Sigrid. This is exactly the sort of thing I fear when I was Helseth's heir." Looking in the direction of Laurenna's cabin, I suggested, "Before we deliver this note, perhaps we should continue our search for the gauntlets and greatsword."
With a nod, Neldor replied, "Good idea. If we do indeed find them and take them to Wulfren, then we'll have some good news for Laurenna. Hopefully that way she won't feel so helpless when she reads the note from her mother."
And so that is what we did. It took a bit of searching, but we at last found the entrance to Grundalund tucked away among some dead trees on the side of Lokken's northeastern mountains. It was obvious that no one had been there in a very long time, for roots had grown over the door and needed to be cut away before we could set foot within the entrance.
At first we didn't see or hear anything within Grundalund, but after we had taken several quiet steps into the barrow, we could hear the distinct sound of bones grinding together...a noise that was typically made when animated skeletons were walking about.
Luckily we had an assortment of fire enchanted arrows, both single target and area effect. By taking our time, we were able to carefully move through the barrow and use our arrows to blow the walking skeletons apart. That being said, the skeletons were tough we knew it wouldn't be wise to get cocky. These were after all the skeletons of Nord warriors, so their bones were thicker and heavier than those of the Dunmer skeletons on Vvardenfell.
At last, when all the undead had been dealt with, we reached the back of the barrow and found the Greatsword of Thorjan Bjorg resting within a stone alcove. Within one of the nearby decorative urns were the enchanted Thorjan's gauntlets.
"Praise Y'ffre!" Neldor exclaimed as he put on the gauntlets before carefully lifting the sword from its resting place. Grimacing, he commented, "I doubt the enchantment on the gauntlets will effect Garland, so I better walk while carrying the sword."
I agreed, "Good idea. We don't want the poor fellow's legs to snap."
Having to walk made the trip to Snorri's hideout take a little longer, but it was worth it to see the happy expression and the wagging tail of the big white wolf when Neldor carefully laid the sword and the gauntlets on the ground near the place were Wulfren had been recovering. Practically bouncing like a puppy, Wulfren exclaimed, "You found them! I hope that whatever creatures were in the Grundalund barrow weren't too tough. You look a little tired. I hope you are not wounded."
I smiled slightly as I assured him, "We're fine. Is there anything else you need?"
He sat down, then answered, "First, let me say how sorry I am that I have made you take such risks. If it had not been for the sake of my sister and my mother, I would never have asked you to do any of this."
Neldor assured him, "It's all right. We've come to love Lokken and want things to be set right, which includes the place being ruled by the rightful chieftain."
The corners of the wolf's mouth turned up as he said, "I do wish I could have helped you, just as I wish I could protect my mother and sister, but alas I can do nothing while I'm trapped in this form. Only the death of Kreikan will remove the curse and make me a man again."
Neldor stated somberly, "So that's what has to happen next. We have to kill Kreikan."
Wulfren's ears lowered slightly as he responded, "Yes...but...I couldn't possibly ask you to take such a risk...Are you sure you want to go ahead? It's a dangerous task and I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."
Although Ragnar's shaman is evil and deserves to be removed, I still had, and still have, a sick feeling in my stomach over the thought of going into Lokken Castle to specifically kill a person.
Neldor, who had a little more experience in adventuring than I did and had at times been forced to kill attacking wood orcs in Valenwood, replied to Wulfren, "We'll figure this out. Try not to worry about us."
The white wolf seemed to give a slight nod before saying, "All right. There is a secret passage in the castle, between the Master Bedroom and the Throne Room. If you use that one, you might be able to sneak up behind Kreikan and kill him. Both the exterior and the interior doors the Master Bedroom are locked, but I think one of the maids has a key. You should check that with Laurenna, she knows the maids better than I do. This secret passage leads to other parts of the castle as well."
I nodded, then said, "We'll speak with Laurenna after we leave here."
Wulfren continued somberly, "Ragnar is extremely strong and so are his guards. You can not kill Kreikan while they are all around. But, sometimes Ragnar goes hunting and he usually brings along at least some of his men with him. Then, you should have a chance to kill Kreikan. But be sure that you have both a good weapon and all kinds of potions with you. He is an infamous spell-caster and he can both paralyze and poison you." With a soft whine of frustration, he added, "I really, truly hate this situation! I would have wanted to face the danger myself instead of sending you straight into it. Please be careful."
I replied gently, "We will. You should get some rest. Once you're free of the transformation spell you're going to have a tough fight ahead of you."
Before we could leave, Wulfren stepped forward and said, "After you have killed Kreikan, don't leave Laurenna alone. As soon as Ragnar find out what has happened, he will be furious and I have no idea what he will do. Please stay with Laurenna until I show up. As soon as the curse is broken, I will be there as soon as I can."
By then we were both quite tired, but quickly rode south to Laurenna's cabin. Seeing us, she waved and asked hopefully as we jumped down from our horses' backs, "Have you heard anything?"
Neldor answered, "We found the Greatsword of Thorjan Borg as well as Thorjan's gauntlets. They are now in Wulfren's possession."
Offering Signrid's letter to her, I said, "We also have this for you."
Needless to say, the contents of Sigrid's letter were upsetting to Laurenna. After reading, she glanced helplessly at the castle and exclaimed, "Oh no! She is marrying Ragnar! And Ragnar told her that Wulfren has been cursed and that he is the big white wolf. We can't let her marry Ragnar! I don't believe for second that he will have the curse removed from Wulfren once they are married!"
I agreed, "It would be rather counter productive for him."
She replied, "Exactly! If Wulfren in human shape is the rightful heir of Lokken and that his right to the throne is beyond question, even if our mother marries Ragnar. Something has to be done!"
Neldor told her, "And it will be. Your brother has accepted our offer to eliminate Kreikan. That will break the curse and allow Wulfren to take back what is his."
Laurenna's blue eyes widened as she stared at us in surprise. We spent the next several minutes relating the conversation we had with Wulfren and how he had mentioned the secret passage and one of the maids having a key. After a moment, she responded, "I really don't know what to say...Oh, I do want Kreikan dead. That's the only way for my brother to regain his human shape. But...I'm just afraid that something will happen to the two of you. Forgive me for being such a goose...it's just that...you have both been so kind..."
Neldor stated, "As we told Wulfren, we have come to love Lokken and we want things to be set right. Nothing will be right until Wulfren takes his rightful place."
After drawing a deep breath, Laurenna replied, "All right, but this time I won't stay here. I'll go with you to the castle and help you kill Kreikan."
I looked at her doubtfully. In the little time we have spent with her, Laurenna has not struck me as a warrior-type. When neither of us made a response, she continued, "Listen to me. You really need my help now. Wulfren mentioned that one of the maids might have a key to the master bedroom. That is true. The girl who has the key is Agnete. She is a friend of mine. You could never persuade her to give you the key, but I could. Therefore, you must let me go with you."
She made a good point, therefore I agreed, "All right. We won't go to the castle without you."
Following another glance at the the castle, she said softly, "But it's not time to do anything yet. We have to wait until Ragner goes on his next hunt. Gwenn's little daughter Hellina comes by here every day and often delivers notes for me. I'll send a note to Keilreen asking her to send a message when Ragnar goes hunting. That way we can make sure the coast is clear before we go to the castle." Giving us a small smile, she added, "For now, you two obviously need some rest. Please go home and relax for a while. I doubt Ragnar will be leaving tonight."
Laurenna was right; we were tired after having to search the sides of the mountains and dealing with undead. During the ride home, Neldor said to me, "I know this is far easier said than done, but try not to fret about our confrontation with Kreikan. I...have a feeling that Y'ffre is going to step in and deal with him."
I asked, "Why would Y'ffre do that? We're not in Valenwood."
He replied, "No, but Y'ffre cares about all of nature, no matter where it is. Kriekan has been using his shaman powers to distort nature, not help and protect it. Y'ffre doesn't like that, so...as I said, I really have a feeling we aren't the ones who will have to land the killing stroke." With a small smile, he added, "So let's just go home and relax. I'll play some music while you draw, paint, or whatever you want to do to unwind."
As I write this entry it's now in the evening. I dearly hope Neldor is correct about Y'ffre stepping in. No matter how evil Kriekan is, I still feel sick at the thought of killing a person. Aiming my arrows at Kriekan with the intent to kill will be one of the most difficult things I've ever done.
On another note before I end this entry; the falcon is doing very well. In fact she might be able to fly away in the next day or two.
*~*~*
Note: In the actual Lokken mod, the weapon that Wulfren needs is a war-axe. Unfortunately I have not been able to find an axe that Sims can hold in their hands. I have one that is displayed on the Sim's back, but that won't work for fighting poses. This is why I went with a sword.
As of this evening we are one step closer to restoring Wulfren as the rightful chieftian and setting things right on Lokken Island. I'll try to take the time to record the events of today as accurately as I can, though in truth I am not only tired, but very stressed about an extremely unpleasant task that is ahead of us; unpleasant, but neccessary to free Wulfren from the shaman's spell.
Before starting our daily patrol of the forest we stopped by Lokken Castle to see if Kielreen had any news about Sigrid. Laurenna believed her mother to be in danger and I could not imagine how frustrated she must have felt being unable to do anything or receive any word regarding what was going on.
Once we reached the reception area we didn't get to say a word before Kielreen quickly handed us a sheet of folded paper and whispered, "Don't say anything. Just take this note. It's from Sigrid. Poor woman...."
Normally we would not have read the note, but not only was it not sealed but Keilreen looked at us pointedly as she tapped the corner of the paper with her fingertip. Therefore, as soon as Neldor and I had left the castle, we stood near our horses and read;
Dearest Laurenna,
I have decided to marry Ragnar Fire Hair. Actually, I fear that I have no choice. You see, today Ragnar told me what has happened to Wulfren.
Laurenna, your brother isn't dead. Instead, he has been cursed by Kreikan, Ragnar's evil shaman. Laurenna, your brother has been transformed into a big white wolf! And Ragnar has promised me that he will have Kreikan remove the curse as soon as the wedding ceremony is over. On the other hand, if I don't marry him, he will order all his men to hunt down Wulfren and kill him upon sight. My dearest daughter, you know that my children are more important to me than my own life, and that I would do anything to save you. I cannot be sure that Ragnar will keep his promise and have the curse removed from Wulfren, but marrying him is the only thing I can do in order to help your brother.
I hope that you can understand and accept my decision. Ragnar and a few of his men will go on a hunting tour within the next few days, and as soon as they return, the wedding will take place.
Laurenna, I hate the thought of marrying a cruel and dishonest man, but I can see no other solution. Never forget that I love you!
Your mother Sigrid
When we finished reading, Neldor said grimly, "That isn't going to go over well."
I agreed, "No it isn't. My heart breaks for Sigrid. This is exactly the sort of thing I fear when I was Helseth's heir." Looking in the direction of Laurenna's cabin, I suggested, "Before we deliver this note, perhaps we should continue our search for the gauntlets and greatsword."
With a nod, Neldor replied, "Good idea. If we do indeed find them and take them to Wulfren, then we'll have some good news for Laurenna. Hopefully that way she won't feel so helpless when she reads the note from her mother."
And so that is what we did. It took a bit of searching, but we at last found the entrance to Grundalund tucked away among some dead trees on the side of Lokken's northeastern mountains. It was obvious that no one had been there in a very long time, for roots had grown over the door and needed to be cut away before we could set foot within the entrance.
At first we didn't see or hear anything within Grundalund, but after we had taken several quiet steps into the barrow, we could hear the distinct sound of bones grinding together...a noise that was typically made when animated skeletons were walking about.
Luckily we had an assortment of fire enchanted arrows, both single target and area effect. By taking our time, we were able to carefully move through the barrow and use our arrows to blow the walking skeletons apart. That being said, the skeletons were tough we knew it wouldn't be wise to get cocky. These were after all the skeletons of Nord warriors, so their bones were thicker and heavier than those of the Dunmer skeletons on Vvardenfell.
At last, when all the undead had been dealt with, we reached the back of the barrow and found the Greatsword of Thorjan Bjorg resting within a stone alcove. Within one of the nearby decorative urns were the enchanted Thorjan's gauntlets.
"Praise Y'ffre!" Neldor exclaimed as he put on the gauntlets before carefully lifting the sword from its resting place. Grimacing, he commented, "I doubt the enchantment on the gauntlets will effect Garland, so I better walk while carrying the sword."
I agreed, "Good idea. We don't want the poor fellow's legs to snap."
Having to walk made the trip to Snorri's hideout take a little longer, but it was worth it to see the happy expression and the wagging tail of the big white wolf when Neldor carefully laid the sword and the gauntlets on the ground near the place were Wulfren had been recovering. Practically bouncing like a puppy, Wulfren exclaimed, "You found them! I hope that whatever creatures were in the Grundalund barrow weren't too tough. You look a little tired. I hope you are not wounded."
I smiled slightly as I assured him, "We're fine. Is there anything else you need?"
He sat down, then answered, "First, let me say how sorry I am that I have made you take such risks. If it had not been for the sake of my sister and my mother, I would never have asked you to do any of this."
Neldor assured him, "It's all right. We've come to love Lokken and want things to be set right, which includes the place being ruled by the rightful chieftain."
The corners of the wolf's mouth turned up as he said, "I do wish I could have helped you, just as I wish I could protect my mother and sister, but alas I can do nothing while I'm trapped in this form. Only the death of Kreikan will remove the curse and make me a man again."
Neldor stated somberly, "So that's what has to happen next. We have to kill Kreikan."
Wulfren's ears lowered slightly as he responded, "Yes...but...I couldn't possibly ask you to take such a risk...Are you sure you want to go ahead? It's a dangerous task and I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."
Although Ragnar's shaman is evil and deserves to be removed, I still had, and still have, a sick feeling in my stomach over the thought of going into Lokken Castle to specifically kill a person.
Neldor, who had a little more experience in adventuring than I did and had at times been forced to kill attacking wood orcs in Valenwood, replied to Wulfren, "We'll figure this out. Try not to worry about us."
The white wolf seemed to give a slight nod before saying, "All right. There is a secret passage in the castle, between the Master Bedroom and the Throne Room. If you use that one, you might be able to sneak up behind Kreikan and kill him. Both the exterior and the interior doors the Master Bedroom are locked, but I think one of the maids has a key. You should check that with Laurenna, she knows the maids better than I do. This secret passage leads to other parts of the castle as well."
I nodded, then said, "We'll speak with Laurenna after we leave here."
Wulfren continued somberly, "Ragnar is extremely strong and so are his guards. You can not kill Kreikan while they are all around. But, sometimes Ragnar goes hunting and he usually brings along at least some of his men with him. Then, you should have a chance to kill Kreikan. But be sure that you have both a good weapon and all kinds of potions with you. He is an infamous spell-caster and he can both paralyze and poison you." With a soft whine of frustration, he added, "I really, truly hate this situation! I would have wanted to face the danger myself instead of sending you straight into it. Please be careful."
I replied gently, "We will. You should get some rest. Once you're free of the transformation spell you're going to have a tough fight ahead of you."
Before we could leave, Wulfren stepped forward and said, "After you have killed Kreikan, don't leave Laurenna alone. As soon as Ragnar find out what has happened, he will be furious and I have no idea what he will do. Please stay with Laurenna until I show up. As soon as the curse is broken, I will be there as soon as I can."
By then we were both quite tired, but quickly rode south to Laurenna's cabin. Seeing us, she waved and asked hopefully as we jumped down from our horses' backs, "Have you heard anything?"
Neldor answered, "We found the Greatsword of Thorjan Borg as well as Thorjan's gauntlets. They are now in Wulfren's possession."
Offering Signrid's letter to her, I said, "We also have this for you."
Needless to say, the contents of Sigrid's letter were upsetting to Laurenna. After reading, she glanced helplessly at the castle and exclaimed, "Oh no! She is marrying Ragnar! And Ragnar told her that Wulfren has been cursed and that he is the big white wolf. We can't let her marry Ragnar! I don't believe for second that he will have the curse removed from Wulfren once they are married!"
I agreed, "It would be rather counter productive for him."
She replied, "Exactly! If Wulfren in human shape is the rightful heir of Lokken and that his right to the throne is beyond question, even if our mother marries Ragnar. Something has to be done!"
Neldor told her, "And it will be. Your brother has accepted our offer to eliminate Kreikan. That will break the curse and allow Wulfren to take back what is his."
Laurenna's blue eyes widened as she stared at us in surprise. We spent the next several minutes relating the conversation we had with Wulfren and how he had mentioned the secret passage and one of the maids having a key. After a moment, she responded, "I really don't know what to say...Oh, I do want Kreikan dead. That's the only way for my brother to regain his human shape. But...I'm just afraid that something will happen to the two of you. Forgive me for being such a goose...it's just that...you have both been so kind..."
Neldor stated, "As we told Wulfren, we have come to love Lokken and we want things to be set right. Nothing will be right until Wulfren takes his rightful place."
After drawing a deep breath, Laurenna replied, "All right, but this time I won't stay here. I'll go with you to the castle and help you kill Kreikan."
I looked at her doubtfully. In the little time we have spent with her, Laurenna has not struck me as a warrior-type. When neither of us made a response, she continued, "Listen to me. You really need my help now. Wulfren mentioned that one of the maids might have a key to the master bedroom. That is true. The girl who has the key is Agnete. She is a friend of mine. You could never persuade her to give you the key, but I could. Therefore, you must let me go with you."
She made a good point, therefore I agreed, "All right. We won't go to the castle without you."
Following another glance at the the castle, she said softly, "But it's not time to do anything yet. We have to wait until Ragner goes on his next hunt. Gwenn's little daughter Hellina comes by here every day and often delivers notes for me. I'll send a note to Keilreen asking her to send a message when Ragnar goes hunting. That way we can make sure the coast is clear before we go to the castle." Giving us a small smile, she added, "For now, you two obviously need some rest. Please go home and relax for a while. I doubt Ragnar will be leaving tonight."
Laurenna was right; we were tired after having to search the sides of the mountains and dealing with undead. During the ride home, Neldor said to me, "I know this is far easier said than done, but try not to fret about our confrontation with Kreikan. I...have a feeling that Y'ffre is going to step in and deal with him."
I asked, "Why would Y'ffre do that? We're not in Valenwood."
He replied, "No, but Y'ffre cares about all of nature, no matter where it is. Kriekan has been using his shaman powers to distort nature, not help and protect it. Y'ffre doesn't like that, so...as I said, I really have a feeling we aren't the ones who will have to land the killing stroke." With a small smile, he added, "So let's just go home and relax. I'll play some music while you draw, paint, or whatever you want to do to unwind."
As I write this entry it's now in the evening. I dearly hope Neldor is correct about Y'ffre stepping in. No matter how evil Kriekan is, I still feel sick at the thought of killing a person. Aiming my arrows at Kriekan with the intent to kill will be one of the most difficult things I've ever done.
On another note before I end this entry; the falcon is doing very well. In fact she might be able to fly away in the next day or two.
Note: In the actual Lokken mod, the weapon that Wulfren needs is a war-axe. Unfortunately I have not been able to find an axe that Sims can hold in their hands. I have one that is displayed on the Sim's back, but that won't work for fighting poses. This is why I went with a sword.
