Chapter 4 – Yngol's Tomb
Yngol's Barrow was just up the river from the last farm outside of Windhelm, and I was a little disappointed. Travellers could pass by this place and only see a jumble of rocks. On one side, there was the barest hint of a trail, but mostly from animals who sheltered in the corner of rocks. There was a crude table in front, and a few piles of stacked rocks, but the whole area looked unfinished and incomplete. I wondered if there was anything inside at all. I turned and looked across the river at the city Ysgramor had build, and wondered why his son had such a dismal tomb.
Inside, it wasn't very impressive either. I found several small, crowded chambers, and narrow halls holding very few burial spots. I doubt if this tomb could hold more than a score of corpses. There were a few stone coffins stacked up in a pile, as if awaiting proper placement. Some were left leaning against the walls, just the way the workers left them after transportation. A few decorative statues were placed in the hall ways, but they were badly set up, and nearly all of them had fallen over or shifted and were leaning at odd angles.
There were no guardians either. The skeletons and embalmed bodies were there, but no one faced me with a bow, or an ancient weapon. Instead, there were tiny globes of blue light, one at first, but as I went through the tomb others came out. Every time I came near a coffin or a stack of embalmed bodies, a few more globes would come out. They did not attack, just floated a few feet above the floor, usually in front of me. They seemed to be leading me onward, bouncing along as if they were happy to see someone alive. Instead of comforting me, I was more worried. I was certain they were leading me into a trap, but each time I would hesitate, they would come back to me, and watch, floating in the air, waiting for me. If they were guardians, I expected them to keep me out, or run ahead and warn others, but they didn't. They were escorting me, trying to help, or perhaps asking for my help.
We came to a room with a closed gate and a recently deceased man laying face down on the floor near a lever. My companions floated through the gate to the far side of the gate, waiting for me to join them, or perhaps they were staying out of my way. I had seen these sorts of traps before; a closed gate, a lever, and a few rotating pillars. I knew the dead man had not solved the puzzle correctly, and had been killed by darts, poisoned arrow, or flames. On the floor near him was a book, with an odd riddle in it.
Whale in the sea, so should he be
Eagle in Sun's Sky, so should he be
Snake in the weed so should he be
I looked up and saw three pillars and a throne, each one placed in a small alcove. In better days, there would have been a spirited guardian sitting in the throne, waiting to protect the gate, but this trap was never finished. One alcove had a leak, and water flowed down the wall and into cracks in the floor. Another one had a larger crack, large enough to let in the sun. The fourth alcove was in a sorry state, a few weeds growing in the soil and debris at the base. As crude as the puzzle was, it did take me a moment to see it was actually a brilliant plan. I set up the three pillars the way they should be, and pulled the lever. Yet another blue orb joined my party and we walked to the end of a hall. Even if it was unfinished, the ancient builders had made certain the lethalness of the trap worked, and I resolved to see if I could pass word on to the family of the unlucky delver who carried the book.
The hall beyond the gate was was decorated with images carved into panels on each side of the passage way, and a dragon claw door at the end. I have never understood the panels what the panels meant, but each one seemed to show a person, priest, or king, surrounded by odd beasts or strong warriors. This was perhaps the only part of the tomb that seemed finished. The carvings were complete, and the arches and doorway were firmly in place. There was no excess debris or loose stone. At the end of the hall was the circular door, with three holes in the center. I had heard of halls like this from a few stories, and knew the trick to making the door work, as long as I had the right key. I hoped the claw I bought from Birna was the right one, or this was going to be the end of my journey. Using the clues on the key itself, I turned the stone arcs to the right place, and inserting the key, I managed to open the door, and the horde of bouncing blue globes rushed ahead of me.
Beyond the opening, was a short tunnel leading to a large, well lit chamber, and the bouncing blue orbs all rushed in to surround a large chest and a throne facing away from me. I didn't have time to worry about the chest though, because the skeleton on the throne was not a happy blue orb, but a very powerful looking shade who was not happy to see me. This was the only real fight in this tomb, and it seemed as if all of the fights I missed, were all added into this one massive battle. I was pressed hard for a long time, just trying to keep ahead of him, and hold my ground. We had fought for some time, before I was able to press an attack of my own, and force him back. He was not an easy kill, and I was within an inch of not surviving the battle, but with one final rush, I drove my blade deep into him, and he collapsed into a pile of ash.
I look around, but I didn't see any of the blue orbs. I suppose I had released all of them when I killed the shade. In a way, I felt sad that my companions were not there at the end. If they were the spirits of the warriors who guarded Yngol, then I hoped they were now released from their vows and had moved on to Sovengarde. All that remained was for me to take the helm, clear out the chest, and find the way out. The throne the skeleton had sat on for many centuries faced a door, which eventually lead straight to the outside, almost as if Yngol was spending an eternity looking out over the seas that had killed him.
As I think back on it now, I may understand why that barrow was never finished. Ysgramor had come to fight a war, and he didn't have time to dig a proper burial site. What few coffins could be found were put in there, a dozen companions to watch over his son, and a few bits of statues to guide him to Sovengarde. I think Ysgramor would have come back, but fighting a war against the elves, building a city, and leading his people took time away from him. The spirits and Yngol were tired and wanted true rest, but were bound to the barrow. It was almost as if Arkay himself was helping me, and it made me wonder, if the blue orbs in the tomb and the blue mist of my visions was related. I was tired, and didn't feel like working it all out in my mind though. I had found the helm, and it was time for me to make a trip to a tower.