A Hound and His Bone Walkthrough – Finding Skoll in Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen

Skoll, the direwolf pup who is always carting a bone around the Norgandian Settlement, wanders off and gets stuck in a cave. Ilsa asks you to help find him, and the hunt sends you asking the village for clues, handing a scent item to the mother wolf Freki, and then carrying the injured pup home on your shoulder. The reward includes the Treatise on Lupinity.

Quick answer: Talk to Ilsa and pick “Have Freki search for her pup,” hear her out (the quest can be added in the same talk or on a later visit), get clues from Dorin, Hal, and Ilsa, show Skoll’s Snowdeer Bone to Ilsa, give it to Freki, follow her to the cave, then carry Skoll back.

Ilsa offers “Have Freki search for her pup.” or “I have need of Freki.”; Dorin and Hal are asked about Skoll; Skoll’s Snowdeer Bone is shown to Ilsa on the Deliver screen; “Interact with Freki (Hold)” gives “Give bone”; Freki leads to a cave where “You found Skoll.” appears; the pup is carried back for “+60000 XP”, a Treatise on Lupinity and Alpine Hare Meat x3.

Before the quest appears

You will find Ilsa standing at her iron fire basket in the settlement with Freki beside her. A line floats over her head reading “This is tricky…”, and the prompt shows “F Hail (Hold to Talk).”

Start the search with Ilsa

Hold the talk key while facing Ilsa at her fire basket. She tells you Skoll went out of the village to play and has not come back, and asks Freki to track him. She cautions that Freki cannot go on walks with you during the search.

The Hail prompt glowing beside Ilsa at her fire basket in the Norgandian Settlement — Hold F to hail Ilsa at her fire basket where Freki waits beside her.

Pick “Have Freki search for her pup.” over “I have need of Freki.” Ilsa replies, “Thanks! C’mon, Freki, let’s find Skoll!” The quest is added by what she says next.

Ilsa dialogue choice to have Freki search for her missing pup — Advance the talk and choose to send Freki after the pup.

After a short fade Ilsa says Freki cannot pick up the trail without something that carries Skoll’s smell. This second half can follow at once, as it did for us the morning after Village Defense, or come on a later visit to her fire basket: on another run it came about two and a half in-game hours later. She goes on, saying she will keep watch near the house and asking you to search outside the village and tell her at once if you find anything. Now the quest shows up as A Hound and His Bone with the objective “Gather clues as to Skoll’s whereabouts.”

Ilsa stands at her iron fire basket with Freki lying beside it, the settlement gate and well behind — Ilsa at her fire basket with Freki, where the quest is given on your return.

Ilsa cannot leave the settlement, so her own knowledge is limited. The log points you at her family in the village and at anything that might carry the pup’s scent.

Gather clues from Dorin, Hal, and Ilsa

Three villagers each have a line about Skoll. Hold the talk key on each of them. The order below is how the objectives tick over.

Dorin by the bonfire

Find Dorin near the bonfire and hold the talk key. He says Skoll is still a pup and does not stray too far from the village even when he goes off alone. The banner then reads “You spoke with Dorin about Skoll’s whereabouts.”

Dorin’s first hail may be him thanking you for something else. If that happens, talk to him again to get the Skoll line.

Hal at the forge

Hal moves between the anvil, the grindstone, and the water barrel at the forge. He says, “Skoll? Aye, I know where he likes to frolic,” and then tries to describe the way: “Head north o’ the village, then east o’ the…the… Ah, fie. I can’t explain it.” The banner reads “You spoke with Hal about Skoll’s whereabouts.” That is what he says while he is still injured; once Village Defense is complete he offers to take you there himself (see below).

Hal says he knows where Skoll likes to frolic during dialogue at the forge — Hal half-remembers the route: north of the village, then east.

Hal gives no prompt if you stand behind him. Walk around to his front to get the talk option.

Back to Ilsa

Speak with Ilsa once more at her fire basket. She says Skoll often returns with flowers tangled in his fur, and asks you to search that area for a trace of him—perhaps something bearing his scent for Freki to follow. Dwayne at the inn and Jiera have no information about Skoll.

Hail prompt beside Ilsa as you return to report clues — Come back to Ilsa for her note about the flowers in Skoll’s fur.

Where to find Skoll’s Snowdeer Bone

The bone lies at Skoll’s favorite haunt, a small clearing at the foot of a grey rock wall a short way north-east of Hal’s forge, just outside the village. The easy way there is Hal himself. If Village Defense is done and he is back on his feet, he says, “Aye, I know Skoll’s favorite haunt,” and offers to take you. Choose “Lead the way.” rather than “Perhaps later.” To walk there instead, leave by the village’s north entrance, go about 40 m north down to the low ground, follow it east for about 50 m, then climb the grassy slope to the south-east; the clearing sits under the rock wall, which blocks the straight line from the forge.

Hal at his forge says he knows Skoll's favorite haunt, with the choices Lead the way and Perhaps later — Once Hal is healed he offers to take you: “Lead the way.” or “Perhaps later.”

The screen fades and you are both standing in the clearing; there is no walk to follow. Hal says Skoll is fond of digging and burying things, then heads back to his workshop. The banner reads “Hal showed you Skoll’s favorite haunt.” and the objective becomes “Scour Skoll’s favorite haunt for clues.”

Objective A Hound and His Bone: Scour Skoll's favorite haunt for clues, at the foot of a grey rock wall with a bush and a pale blue ore vein — Skoll’s haunt at the foot of a rock wall: “Scour Skoll’s favorite haunt for clues.”

The yellow flowers and the ore vein on the rock wall are ordinary gathering points, not the clue. From where Hal stood, go a few steps east to the edge of the clearing, where squared grey stones are piled on bare rock in front of a young fir. A small bone lies on the rock beside them, with the prompt “Pick Up” and the name Skoll’s Snowdeer Bone.

Pick Up prompt for Skoll's Snowdeer Bone on bare rock beside squared grey stones, a young fir and mossy boulders behind — “Pick Up: Skoll’s Snowdeer Bone”, on the rock beside the squared grey stones at the edge of the clearing.

Picking it up gives “You found a piece of bone.” and the objective “Show the piece of bone to Ilsa.”

Quest banner A Hound and His Bone: You found a piece of bone, with the item line Skoll's Snowdeer Bone at the right edge — “You found a piece of bone.”

Show Skoll’s Snowdeer Bone to Ilsa

The scent clue is Skoll’s Snowdeer Bone. The game describes it as a snowdeer bone cherished by Skoll, and its time close to him has left it carrying his scent. It weighs 0.35 kg. Once it is in your pack, the objective changes to “Show the piece of bone to Ilsa.”

Hold the talk key on Ilsa. She asks whether you have found anything with Skoll’s smell on it, which opens the Deliver screen. Pick Skoll’s Snowdeer Bone in the single delivery slot, confirm “Deliver,” and answer “Yes” to “Do you wish to deliver your selection?”

Deliver screen marked Specified Delivery Only with Skoll's Snowdeer Bone, slot at 0/1, and its description — The Deliver screen with Skoll’s Snowdeer Bone; the slot reads 0/1 until you choose it.

Ilsa says this is exactly what they need and tells you to give the bone to Freki the same way you give her a tidbit of meat. The bone stays in your pack.

Hail prompt as the player approaches Ilsa to show the snowdeer bone — Hail Ilsa again to open the delivery screen for Skoll’s Snowdeer Bone.

The bone is only shown to Ilsa on the Deliver screen, not handed over. The objective then becomes “Give the piece of bone to Freki,” and that is a separate step through Freki’s own menu.

Quest banner A Hound and His Bone: You showed the piece of bone to Ilsa, with the Interact with Freki (Hold) prompt at the fire basket at night — “You showed the piece of bone to Ilsa.” The prompt “Interact with Freki (Hold)” is already beside you.

Give the bone to Freki

Stand beside Freki at the fire basket. The prompt reads “F Interact with Freki (Hold).” Hold the key to open her menu, which offers Pat, Give bone, and Do nothing.

Freki's menu beside the fire basket with the choices Pat, Give bone and Do nothing — Freki’s menu: “Pat”, “Give bone”, “Do nothing”.

This is the slot where “Give meat” normally sits.

Interact with Freki hold prompt beside the wolf at the camp — Stand next to Freki and hold the interact key to open her menu.

Choose Give bone. That opens the Items screen on Skoll’s Snowdeer Bone. Confirm it, then pick “Give to Freki” from the item’s menu. The banner reads “You gave the piece of bone to Freki,” and the objective changes to “Follow Freki.”

Follow Freki to the cave

Freki heads out through the village’s south gate and over the stone bridge into the area called Norgandian Foothills. Keep up with her. Follow Freki from the bridge toward the cave.

Running across the stone bridge in the Norgandian Foothills following Freki — Out of the south gate and across the stone bridge into the Norgandian Foothills.

From the bridge, trail Freki south-west, keeping to the hills’ base. She goes past a hut and a damaged wooden fence before arriving at a rocky cleft that opens into a stalagmite-filled cave. The cave lies about 350 m south-south-west of the village. A Beorcan may be waiting by the entrance, so prepare to fight as you near it.

Player on the stone bridge facing the snowy forest ahead — Keep Freki in sight as she leads south-west toward the hills.

Go through the cleft. In the cave, the banner says “You found Skoll,” and the objective changes to “Carry Skoll back to the village.” In the darkness, a white direwolf pup—Skoll—is lying on the cave floor.

The Arisen stands at a narrow snowy cleft between rock faces that leads up toward a cave — The cleft in the rocks that leads into Skoll’s cave.

Carry Skoll home

Position yourself above Skoll and hold the Grab key—E on keyboard—for roughly a second and a half. The Arisen hoists the pup onto one shoulder, and the on-screen options become “E Release” and “Throw.”

Carrying Skoll across the snow with Release and Throw controls on screen — Skoll on the shoulder; the prompts now read “Release” and “Throw”.

Walk him back toward the settlement. Do not jump while carrying him, and watch out for drops, since jumping or falling makes you drop the pup. If he is dropped, hold Grab again to pick him back up.

Move to within roughly six metres of Ilsa’s fire basket; her dialogue will trigger automatically. She calls, “Skoll!” and then, “Oh no, he’s injured! Bring him here—please!” After a brief fade, you’ll find her at the forge alongside Hal, Freki, and the pup. She assures you Skoll will be all right, thanks you, and says Freki will be even happier to find things for you now.

Rewards and how to confirm it is done

You know the quest is finished when the banner “You brought Skoll back to the village” appears, followed by the reward lines and then “Completed: A Hound and His Bone.” The payout you get is listed below.

Banner Completed: A Hound and His Bone in the Norgandian Settlement, Ilsa and a white hound by the forge — “Completed: A Hound and His Bone” by the forge.

Reward	Amount
XP	60,000
Treatise on Lupinity	1
Alpine Hare Meat	3

Banner You brought Skoll back to the village with +60000 XP, Treatise on Lupinity and Alpine Hare Meat x3 at the right edge — The reward lines: +60000 XP, Treatise on Lupinity, Alpine Hare Meat x3.

Ilsa says Freki will be even happier to find things for you now. What the Treatise on Lupinity teaches is covered in our guide to the five new augments.