Chapter 4: High Hrothgar and Delphene
Talis and Lydia looked at the 7000 steps leading to High Hrothgar. "So I have to climb up these 7000 steps leading to this bunch of old guys who are calling me?"
"That's what the Jarl said." Lydia said.
Talis let out a large of sigh. "Well, better start walking. Let's go Lydia."
"Lead the way." The housecarl responded.
As the two of them walked up the pathway, Talis stopped when she saw webbing landing in front of her feet. She looked up and saw a Frostbite Spider. It started to crawl towards her. "LYDIA! DO SOMETHING!" Talis ran down the path. Lydia drew her sword and struck it down.
Lydia turned around. "My thane, it's dead."
Talis crept up behind Lydia. "Are you sure?"
"Yes my thane. I'm sure it's dead."
Talis treaded carefully around the corpse of the spider. As they continued up the pathway, Talis drew her Greatsword, slashing Ice Wraiths as they continued up. She even took on a Frost Troll, slashing the top part of its head off. She turned around and saw Lydia staring at her. "What?"
"My thane, I saw you taking on Wraiths and Trolls with no fear. Yet when it comes to Spiders…"
"I don't like spiders ok?" Talis responded. "I once had a traumatic childhood experience."
"Oh, then I'll ask no more about it." Lydia said.
The two of them then came upon the sanctuary of High Hrothgar. Talis pulled the doors open. She and Lydia entered. In the center hallway, Arngeir greeted them.
"So, a Dragonborn appears, at this moment in the turning of the age." The elderly Nord said.
"All right, you called me, and I'm here. What do you want?" Talis asked.
"We want to see if you truly have the gift. Show us…"
Talis assumed he was talking about her ability to Shout. "Fus!" This caused Arngeir to stagger a bit.
"Dragonborn. It is you. Welcome to High Hrothgar." Arngeir said.
"Thanks." Talis said.
Arngeir explained to Talis about the power of the Voice, giving her the second word for Unrelenting Force, Ro. Talis trained in the use of her new Shout, taking out the specters the Greybeards summoned. Her next training session took her outside and learned Whirlwind Sprint, Wuld, and quickly learned how to use it.
"Your quick mastery of the new Thu'um is...astonishing, Dragonborn." Arngeir said. "Like every child of Skyrim, I've heard the stories of the abilities of the Dragonborn, but to see it for myself..."
"Thanks. But I do have a name; Talis Winter-Blood." She said.
"My apologies, Dragonborn Talis." Arngeir said.
Talis shook her head. "Well, what's next?" Talis asked.
"Your last trial. You must retrieve the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, our founder, from his tomb in Ustengrav. Remain true to the Way of the Voice, and you will return." Arngeir replied.
"Uh, a quick question about Ustengrav." Talis began. Arngeir turned to her. "Are there Frostbite Spiders there?"
"If my memory serves me correctly, yes." Arngeir replied.
"Wonderful." Talis remarked with a bit of sarcasm in her voice.
"I do believe there is also a Giant Frostbite Spider there." Arngeir continued on.
Talis was silent for a moment. "FUUUUUUUU…"
Meanwhile, in Windhelm…
"Balgruuf is a true Nord, he will come around." Ulfric told Galmar Stone-Fist, his housecarl and second in command.
"I'm not so sure Ul…" Galmar stopped when they heard something.
"…UUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!" A voice called out.
"What in Oblivion was that?" Galmar wondered aloud.
"That came from the direction of High Hrothgar." Ulfric said. "Just like earlier."
"The Greybeards?" Galmar asked.
"No, it wasn't one of them." Ulfric stated.
"Are you sure?"
"Unless some drastic changes happened while I've been away, there are no female Greybeards." Ulfric stated.
Back at High Hrothgar...
"My my. I'm willing to wager people from halfway across Skyrim could hear that." Arengir said.
Talis breathed. "Comes with being the Dragonborn, I guess."
At Ustengrav…
Talis slashed the stomach of a mercenary in front of the tomb. She and Lydia entered the damp tomb. Talis slew the Draugr that stood between her and her goal. While inside, she found the tomb's Word Wall, an unsuspected bonus. Lydia looked at the wall in awe while Talis translated the wall.
"Noble Nords remember these words of the hoar father- it is duty of each man to live with courage and honor lest he fade forgotten into darkness." Talis read. The character for Feim, fade, began to glow and Talis understood the word.
"Amazing." Lydia said. "I heard about this from the guards, but this is still amazing."
Talis knew what was up next after the puzzle that required Whirlwind Sprint. It was a sixth sense she acquired. She peaked in and saw the den, including the hole in the ceiling where the Giant Frostbite Spider was sure to be. It dropped down as the others followed it. "SPIDERS! LYDIA, DO SOMETHING! KILL THEM!" Talis drew her bow as Lydia charged forward. She caught the attention and allowed Talis to shoot them before they came anywhere close to her. After navigating around the corpses, they cut through the webs.
Talis and Lydia entered the final chamber in the ruin. "Now, what we came here for…" Talis noted something that was supposed to be there wasn't: The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. Talis was silent for a moment. "Where in Oblivion is it!?" Talis yelled. "Seriously, what the fuck?!" Talis continued yelling.
Lydia walked to the altar and picked up a note. "My thane, take a look at this." She handed Talis the note.
"Dragonborn- I need to speak to you, urgently. Rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood, and I'll meet you. A friend." Talis read. "A friend my ass! A true friend would have killed those eight legged nightmares!"
"My thane, I think it's more important to find whoever took the horn." Lydia said.
Talis sighed. "Yes, yes you're right. I'll go find the asshole and slug them in the face myself!" They exited the tomb and left for Riverwood.
At Riverwood...
Talis once again entered the town of Riverwood. She sent Lydia back to Whiterun. She entered the Sleeping Giant Inn. She spoke with the owner Delphene. "I need to rent the attic room."
The woman examined her. "The attic room? Well, we don't have an attic room. But you can have the one on the left." Delphene said.
Talis rolled her eyes. "Fine." Talis tossed her 10 coins and walked into the room. Delphene followed her.
"So you're the Dragonborn I've been hearing so much about." She tossed Talis the horn. "I believe you're looking for this."
Talis caught it. "You took it."
"Yes. We need to talk. Follow me." Delphene said. She led Talis to a secret room in the inn, across from the room they stood in. Once they got into it, Talis lifted her fist and slugged Delphene in the face. "Hey! What was that for!?"
"If you were going to kill everything in Ustengrav, the least you could have done was kill those spider freaks!" Talis yelled. She then regained her composure. "So, what do you want?" Talis asked.
"The Greybeards seem to think you're the Dragonborn. I hope they're right." Delphene said. "So, are you?"
"Why does everyone want to know that?" Talis asked. She sighed before continuing. "Yes, I'm Dragonborn. Do you want me to write it on my head?"
"I needed to make sure it wasn't a Thalmor trap. I'm not your enemy, I'm part of a group that's been looking for you...well, someone like you,for along time. If you really are Dragonborn that is. Before I can tell you more, I need to make sure I can trust you. We're going to kill a Dragon, to see if you really are Dragonborn. We're going to Kynesgrove." Delphene said.
"You're going to Kynesgrove. I'm making a quick trip to High Hrothgar to give this back." Talis said as she held up the horn.
"Fine. Then I'll meet you there." Delphene said.
At High Hrothgar…
Talis walked into High Hrothgar and found Master Arngeir. "Special Delivery."
"Ah! You've returned with the horn. Well done. You have now passed all the trials. It is time to recognize you formally as Dragonborn." He led Talis to the main hall. There, Talis learned the final word for Unrelenting Force, Dah, Push.
Talis stood in the center of the Greybeards and tasted their Voice. While they spoke in the Dragon Language, Talis knew what they were saying. "Long has the Storm Crown Languished with no worthy brow to sit upon.By our breath we bestow it now to you in the name of Kyne, in the name of Shor, and in the name of Atmora of old.You are Ysmir now, the Dragon of the North. Hearken to it."
"You have withstood the Voice of the Greybeards. You are now known as Ysmir, the Dragon of the North. High Hrothgar is opened to you."
Talis bowed in respect. "Well, I must go for now."
"Wait. Before you go, we would like to get you started on your path of knowledge. A word of power can be found here." Arngeir marked a place known as Sunderstone Gorge on her map. "Wind guide you."
At Kynesgrove…
Two days later after learning Yol, the first word of Fire Breath, Talis arrived in Kynesgrove. She met up with Delphene. "Where have you been?"
"Learning a new Shout." Talis said, and demonstrated on the open, clear road. "Yol!"Breathed a short breath of two woman continued walking and came upon a Dragon burial site. Talis saw the Dragon flying above it, his scales black and red eyed. Talis recognized him."That's him!" Talis whispered.
"Who?" Delphene asked.
"The Dragon from Helgen." Talis said. The two that walked out of their hiding spot. Out of the mound, a Dragon rose. The two Dragons spoke with each other in Dragon tounge.
The black Dragon turned to Talis. "Ful, losei Dovahkiin? Zu'u Kovaav nid nol dov do hi." The Dragon spoke. it meant 'So, you're the Dragonborn? Your voice shines not from Dragonkind, but from yourself.' "You do not even know our tongue, do you?"
"Alduin, I can understand you perfectly." Talis told him.
Alduin was silent for a moment. "How do you know my name?" Alduin asked.
Talis pointed at the resurrected Dragon. "That's what Sahloknir called you and that's what you called him."
"Silence! You dare to take for yourself the name of the Dovah. Sahloknir, krill daar joorre!"
Sahloknir took flight. "I am Sahloknir! Hear my Voice and despair!" He then breathed fire. Talis avoided it with Delphene, drawing her bow and shooting at Sahloknir. When he landed, Talis started slashing with her Greatsword. "NIID!" The Dragon yelled as Talis delivered the killing blow. She absorbed his soul.
"So, you really are Dragonborn." Delphene said. "Now that that's been cleared up, I can tell you more about me. I'm a member of the Blades."
"The Blades? Weren't they the personal guards of the Emperor?" Talis asked. She remembered hearing about them as a child from her father.
"Yes, until the White-Gold Concordat." Delphene said.
"So, you have problems with the Thalmor as well." Talis said.
"Yes. You have any questions?" Delphene asked.
"Damn right." Talis said. "First off, what do you want with me?"
"The Blades were once dragon slayers. For the last 200 years, since the last Dragonborn Emperor, the Blades have been searching for a purpose. Now that Dragons are coming back, our purpose is clear again. We need to stop them." Delphene explained.
"Ok, so what's our next move?" Talis asked.
"The first thing we need to do is figure out who is behind the Dragons. The Thalmor is our best lead." Delphene thought out loud.
"What about Alduin?" Talis said. "After all, in Nordic tradition, he is the World Eater, destined to bring the end times."
"True. But that's another mystery. Alduin was supposedly slain during the 1st era." Delphene responded.
"That was over 4000 years ago." Talis said.
"Correct. My gut tells me the Thalmor have something to do with it. Only the Thalmor gain from the ongoing war. If only we could get into the Embassy to find some evidence."
"That's a good idea, but how do we get in?" Talis asked.
Delphene was silent for a moment. "I'm not sure yet. I have a few ideas, but it will take some time. I'll send you a letter when I have everything ready."
"Ok, I'll just go on my own for now." Talis turned toward the west, back toward High Hrothgar.
During the time, Talis began to dive into Nordic Tombs, Dragon Lairs, and other places the Greybeards told her housed Words of Power. Her knowledge grew as did her skills in combat, enchanting, and smithing.
In Whiterun…
Talis entered her new house, Breezehome. She placed all the Dragon bones and scales she was able to carry into a bedside chest. She also hung her Steel Greatsword that has served her well since the beginning of her journey. Now, she placed her new Nordic Greatsword, freshly forged, on her back. Talis left to once again for Windhelm to join the Stormcloaks.