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Chapter 6 - Ustengrav

The voices seemed to be a couple of bandits talking, but Shanti heard someone else approaching them. Then there was the crackle of a spell being cast, and a scream of pain. Shanti charged flames in her left hand, drawing her sword with her right. Voranil beat her to casting, sending a familiar in the direction of the noise - had he managed to conjure a saber-cat, or was she seeing things?

It didn't matter, as she heard another scream that died to a gurgle then vanished. The three moved closer to the ruin, finding a single living bandit that Bjorn sneaked up behind and knifed. Closer to Ustengrav's entrance, they found three more bandits and a necromancer - at least her robe had the characteristic skull - all dead. They looted the small items, which they'd split later, then made their way to the entrance.

When they entered, they found more dead bandits, and there was the sound of combat ahead of them. As quietly as they could, they moved forward, to find a battle between magic-users and bandits going on. Shanti grinned, and they waited patiently until the battle was over and the mages dead.

Then they continued, following the remaining bandits cautiously, looking for any valuables as they went. Once past the entry area, they found a flight of stairs with a dead bandit and draugr. They descended, Shanti in the lead.

She had barely gotten to the bottom when Bjorn put a hand on her arm to stop her, and pointed to her right. Once he had her attention, he moved to the spellcaster trap's side, then grabbed the soul gem that powered it, handing it to her with a grin. She returned the grin, having seen a couple of bodies a few feet away who hadn't seen the trap. The bandits they'd been following, perhaps? They kept going then, encountering only a few draugr and a couple of mages. Shanti was pretty sure she could have made it through this first part by herself, but she couldn't deny it was nice to have backing.

Stairs led to a balcony with a bridge to a tunnel, which took them to a door. She opened it cautiously, then looked around before entering. There was a winding stairway, then they got to another flat area. "Watch out for pressure plates," Bjorn cautioned the others. "They almost always trigger traps, and from the looks of the floor, this one's most likely fire."

"Right." Shanti moved carefully, avoiding the plates, then fired flames at a skeleton while Bjorn engaged a couple of draugr, and Voranil conjured his saber-cat familiar in the face of another. When the fight was over, they stood at the top of a hill overlooking a huge valley with trees, a river, and ... a Word Wall. "Wow, I've never seen anything like this! This place could hold a village, just down in that valley - maybe a city, in the whole thing."

"Places like this have been used as refuges before, and they will be again," Voranil said. "But not too many people want to live underground the whole time, at least not since the Dwemer vanished."

"I can understand that," Shanti said. "I wouldn't want to, either. But we need to find a way down to that Word Wall. I think ..." she looked around, and found what looked like a relatively easy route. It took them down gradually, around behind the Word Wall, when she started hearing the chanting. "Do either of you hear anything?"

Both answered in the negative, and Bjorn asked, "What is it?"

"The Word Wall, reacting to me being ... within a certain distance, I think. It's a chant, but with no real words. When we get in front, tell me if you see a glow."

They crossed a stream, then came around in front of the Wall. To her eyes, it was glowing, particularly one of the Words, but the others denied seeing that - until she moved closer to the most brightly glowing Word, and its glow lifted off the Wall and moved into her.

That got exclamations from both, and when she turned to them, Voranil demanded, "What was that?"

"One of the ways I learn a Word of Power, a Rotmulaag," she replied. "In this case 'Feim', which means Fade."

"What does it do?" Bjorn asked.

Shanti thought for a moment, tapping into the deeper meaning of the Word, and grinned. "It's a defensive shout - lets me become immaterial for a short time. Shall we try it?"

Voranil nodded. "We do need to know what you can do."

"All right. Feim!"

"Well, you don't look any different," Voranil commented. He held out his hand. "Try to touch my hand."

Shanti did, and her hand passed right through his. "Oh!"

Bjorn extended his sword. "One more test, please? I'll stop if I feel any resistance."

Shanti wasn't too happy about what he seemed to be suggesting, but she nodded. He raised his blade to her throat, moving it slowly forward. She felt nothing, even as the sword was halfway through. "Could you pull it back out, please? It's making me ... a little queasy."

He did as she asked, then said, "But you didn't feel anything?"

"No. But knowing a sword's going through my throat ... " She shuddered. "I can see several other ways it could be useful, as well."

"Good defensively," Bjorn said. "You probably can't do any damage while it's in effect, though."

"What's next?" Voranil asked. "We can see how long it takes to wear off while we're doing that."

"We try to find the Horn," Shanti said. "Hopefully, there'll be a shortcut to wherever it is, but when we were above, I only saw the one route down here, so we'll probably have to backtrack." She cast Clairvoyance, and that was confirmed. So back around the Word Wall, and up the path, but when they got to the top, her spell guided them left, rather than right.

The only opposition they found was a single draugr, which Bjorn killed. Then they found a trio of red-glowing stones, which stalled them. "What are these?"

Neither of the others had any ideas, so Shanti walked around them, one by one. Each seemed to open one of the three barred gates ahead of them, but only briefly; after a few seconds, the opened one fell again.

"Hmm." Voranil said. "I wonder ... " He went to stand by the stone that raised the first gate. It rose, and stayed up. "Bjorn, try number two."

The Nord scout took his place, and the second gate rose, as well. Shanti went to the third stone, and when the final gate rose, she Shouted. "Wuld!" She got through, and the other two left the stones they were standing at. All of the gates remained open, so they were able to rejoin her.

"We didn't know you could do that," Voranil said, a bit reprovingly. "Do you have any other Shouts we don't know about?"

"I only know those two, and only one Word of each. The only other one is Unrelenting Force, with all three words - I demonstrated the weakest form of that to General Tullius. I don't know if he mentioned it to you, or not."

"He did," Voranil said. "Not that I think breaking a vase is very impressive. I'd like to see a demonstration, if you don't mind."

"As soon as I have a target," Shanti promised. "I'm not going to use it against either of you; that's the one that killed High King Torygg, and Jarl Ulfric isn't even Dragonborn. I'm not bragging, but my Thu'um is stronger than his, even with as little practice as I've had with it."

"All right. General Tullius let us see your Junior Legion records, so we know your weapon and spell skills, and your education. Is there anything else about you that we should know?"

Shanti frowned. "I don't understand. "It sounds like you know everything worth knowing about me already."

Voranil's reply seemed totally unrelated. "Do you know why General Tullius is allowing you to wander around Skyrim, even with two bodyguards, when he knows how important you are and he's concerned for your safety?"

"I'm a bit surprised, but my mother suggested I'd be safer with only one or two companions, rather than a full bodyguard. I suppose being allowed out is because I have things I have to do as Dovahkiin."

"That's part of it, but you're also safer away from Solitude. You do know who has headquarters above General Tullius'."

Shanti gulped. "The Thalmor. He can't think - "

"Wrong. He can and does." Voranil sighed. "This isn't exactly the ideal place for this, but at least it's secure. We lost the first Great War, but anyone who pays attention knows there's a second one coming. When, we can't guess, but the General's pretty sure the Thalmor have their meddling fingers in this whole civil war mess. You're a new, unpredictable, and very important, player. The Thalmor are bound to try to subvert you, or if that fails, kill you. In Solitude, you'd be an easy target. Out in the Skyrim countryside, especially moving around, you're far less so."

"Um. Then maybe there is one more thing you need to know," Shanti said. "I worship all of the Nine."

"Yes!" Bjorn exclaimed happily. "Talos was Dragonborn, you know. So it's only proper."

"Geh. Dovahkiin, and he was overlord to a few dovah himself, though he was unable to protect them as he tried to do. Nafaalilargus was one of his generals, if history is correct." Which gave her hope for something she didn't dare elaborate even to herself, just yet.

"So the Thalmor are your enemies, either way." Voranil grinned. "Fortunately, Bjorn and I worship the Nine as well. I think that's all we need, then, except for a demonstration of Unrelenting Force."

"That should be soon," Shanti said. "I smell acid, which in such conditions, probably means frostbite spiders."

"And the floor ahead looks like another fire trap with semi-random pressure plates," Bjorn said. "I figured out which ones are triggers, at least if the last one's pattern holds. So should we go ahead, and you use Voice to join us, or what?"

"Why are you asking me?" Shanti was honestly curious. "Voranil's been giving the orders."

"Because we've been placed under your command for an indefinite time, Specialist-Legate," Voranil replied. "I've taken command up till now because I knew more than you did. We're into your area of expertise now, so you take over."

Shanti slipped into the NCO and officer training all Junior Legion members got. "In that case, Bjorn first to choose the path, you next, then when you encounter the spider, I'll use ... hmm. Wuld to join you."

So they did it that way, and when the acid smell got suddenly stronger, she Shouted "Wuld"! and arrived on a higher platform to find Bjorn and Voranil engaging a giant spider. She Shouted again, "Fus ... Ro DAH!" as soon as she got to an angle where she wouldn't hurt her bodyguards.

That threw the spider back against a wall, killing it, and both of them grinned at her as Bjorn sheathed his sword. "Pretty impressive, Dragonborn," he said.

"Thank you." Shanti hesitated. "Would you mind using Dovahkiin, though, if you prefer not to address me by my Khajiit name? I prefer Dovahzul to Common, though I'll respond to either."

"Of course, if that's what you prefer," Voranil said.

"It's not all that important," Shanti said. "A preference, no more. But ... " she cast Clairvoyance, which pointed them to a web-clogged door. Shanti cast flames at it, and when the webs burned off, they went through. There were a couple of the smaller spiders, which proved to be no problem, then another door - and a larger chamber, where stylized dragon heads rose from water on both sides of a stone pathway to what looked like a very large tomb.

She paused, looking around. To the Greybeards, this was a very holy place, but she herself felt nothing of that; it was simply the tomb of a great leader.

She led the way toward the tomb, and looked up at it. There was an inscription in what she recognized as the Daedric script, but she couldn't read it. Otherwise, atop the tomb, a hand held a horn, and something else.

It felt like desecration, but she was confident the Greybeards wouldn't guide her wrongly, so she got Bjorn to boost her up so she could reach the Horn, and found a note beneath it. When she got back to the ground, she stowed the Horn in her pack, and read 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"

There was a shimmer, and she felt briefly dizzy before she found herself looking at a tall Nord man - translucent, so a ghost - with dark hair and beard, wearing blue robes. He looked down, smiling at her. "Drem yol lok, Dovahkiin. Zu'u Jorgen."

Shanti bowed, awed. "Drem yol lok, Jurgen. Zu'u Shanti."

"Be welcome in my tomb, Shanti, and feel free to take the rewards I bring here for the dragon-souled who follow the Greybeards' ... recommendations. Since I died, they have sent all the dragon-souled here to meet me, though they tell them other reasons." He tilted his head, smiling slightly. "Which one did they give you?"

"Master Arngeir said they feared your Horn would be stolen. And I did find that note under it ... " Shanti's voice trailed off. "So ... why?"

"Because you are soul-dovah, not mere blood-dovah." The ghost smiled. "I was ... not Dovahkiin myself, you know, just a Tongue. All but one Dovahkiin came after my time, and I only recently found out about him. But I am deeply interested in how the Voice is used, and how soul-dovah feel about their kin."

Yes, that would be natural for the first Greybeard, Shanti had to admit. "How I feel, Master Jurgen, is fascinated. I can hardly wait to meet and talk with one."

"And how do you plan to use your Thu'um, young Dovahkiin?"

"As little as possible, at least until I learn what I'm doing. So far, I've used 'Fus' to defend myself, the full Shout as a demonstration the Greybeards requested, 'Wuld' the same, and 'Feim' to find out what it did. Oh, and 'Fus' again to prove my identity to General Tullius."

"That wasn't what I asked, since I already knew, but it's good to find you are conscientious about being complete." The ghost smiled again. "All have been acceptable, if not neikux cessarily praiseworthy, uses. But your plans, once you do have the knowledge you want?"

"Um." Shanti hesitated, swallowing. "Self-defense, and defense of others, of course. Maybe a few more demonstrations, if I have to - and knowing the Nords, I probably will. I know you say it's to be used for worship, but In - Master - Arngeir said that as Dragonborn, I'm an exception to all the rules. And I don't even know how to use it for worship!"

The ghost chuckled. "That isn't the easiest use of Voice, for a Dovahkiin, but when you're ready, In Arngeir will be most happy to teach you." Then it became almost solid, and Jurgen Windcaller smiled. "You've passed the test, Legate Shanti Dovahkiin. Take my horn to the Greybeards so they know to announce you. And take, also, what you'll find in the 'back entrance' behind my tomb. Hin kogaan, Dovahkiin, zu'u draal."

Shanti gulped, then took a deep breath and raised her hand as a priest or priestess would. "Zu'u ofan hi dii kogaan, In Jurgen Windcaller."

The ghost smiled again, then vanished.

"What was that all about?" Voranil asked. "We saw the ghost, but - ?"

"Apparently the test was meeting him, and maybe telling him, at least indirectly, that I didn't plan to use the Thu'um for personal power ... I'm not sure of that last part, but it makes sense. Then, right at the end, he asked for my blessing, and I gave it."

"Right out of the song," Bjorn said. "'Dragonborn, for your blessings we pray.' Whoof!"

"Um, don't mention that, please. It's scary." Shanti shivered, then brought herself under control, and re-read the note she'd found under the horn. "Let me try to get back on track, all right? He ... wasn't anything I was expecting. Back to Riverwood, then.

"As far as I could tell, the Sleeping Giant doesn't have an attic, much less an attic room for rent. But we have to pass through there on the way from Whiterun to Ivarstead, so I see no harm in a stop."

"So check out the rest of the place for loot, like he mentioned about the back entrance, then head back to Morthal?" Bjorn asked.

"That sounds reasonable. I don't care to set out for Whiterun, after this, without a bath and a decent night's sleep."

What they found on the back way out of Ustengrav had Shanti and her bodyguards very pleased, even after splitting it three ways. With this addition to her savings, she could definitely afford a small or even medium-sized house, and at least some furnishings. Of course, since they were assigned to her indefinitely, she'd have to provide for them as well, but perhaps she could get a Legion housing allowance for them for that, since it was by General Tullius' order.

When they left through the "back door", they were back in the marsh, and Shanti growled, but otherwise kept her displeasure hidden.

They made their way back to the hold capital, a city by courtesy, though Shanti couldn't think of it as more than a tiny village.