Chapter 6
Dunmer Initiation
Ulfric rested back in his chair and called forth a Nord called: Galmar Stone-Fist. All I could think was, won't your mother love it when you go to the next family reunion? Well, anyway, Galmar Stone-Fist was the man who stepped in front of me before and he would set me up.
"I don't trust you Dunmer. To join the Stormcloaks you must complete a little test. Go to Serpentstone Island and kill an Ice Wraith to prove yourself to me and your comrades if they are to become your comrades. Once you've killed the Ice Wraith then return to me." As I left back outside I sighed loudly and made my way to the closest blacksmith I could find without asking for directions.
"May I use your grindstone?" I asked as he stopped at the workbench and turned to me.
"You don't look like you know how to use it, maybe an alchemy table, but not a grindstone." The smithy suggested looking me up and down.
"I can handle rocks and chemicals." I replied sweetly as he nodded and let me pass to the grindstone. I pulled out my ebony sword and began to pedal the grindstone. Sparks flew as I hit ebony against stone but after a few minutes my sword was sharp again. I went on to my dwarven dagger then polished them both watching as the children ran passed playing tag which may sound really horrible to some but I'm not a child molester or anything like that.
Once my blades were polished I turned back to the blacksmith. "How much for a fine, long bow?" I said to him as he quit at the workbench again and turned to me.
"Twenty seven gold." He imply returned as I shrugged and left. I waited until nightfall before leaving Windhelm with another stolen horse. I managed to grab two blankets and more provisions before we left. I took the shorter and closer route to Serpentstone Island where lay the Serpent Stone along the cold, cold coast. It didn't take too long to get there but now I had to get over to the island and that required me to go through freezing water or do what I do best and make up another strategy. I grabbed an abandoned paddle and used it to get me across to Serpentstone Island with a broken off, ice flat. At Serpentstone Island I stabbed the paddle into the ground and walked through the frozen water up to the stone where the Ice Wraith seemed to be waiting. It shot straight at me but I dived aside and sliced at it with my sword now sharper. My opponent let out a shriek of pure agony as it twisted back around for another attack. It wrapped its tail around my ankle then lifted my up. I fell flat on my back as it dragon me through the snow and down the slope to the water. I tried curling in on myself but the Wraith noticed and whipped my back into the snow. I closed my eyes slowly as we reached the water so I could be asleep when I died. The Wraith wailed from a distance as if air bubble from the water were blocking the sound.
"Arya! Wake up!" My eyes opened on alert meeting those Nordic blue eyes right in my face.
"Conan!" I found myself cry as I wrapped my arms around him and shook. Not shaking from joy or anything I was just dunked into the water and now I'm freezing! Conan grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around me and himself as he stepped onto a small boat and rowed us back to where my horse waited. "How did you find me?" I asked as we rode back to Windhelm.
"A better question is how did you get defeated by an Ice Wraith?" Conan replied with a rewarding smirk.
"That wasn't defeat, you'll know when I'm defeated. Sovngarde isn't the end you know." I informed with my teeth beginning to chatter when I finished. We made it back to Windhelm where Conan paid for the room and wrapped me in blanket after blanket like he was trying to suffocate me in them. He left once only to come back with a bowl of stew. "So How did you find me?" I shivered as the stew slipped down my throat as if warming me at the core.
"I'm psychic." He joked somehow touchy on the idea.
"No, really. How did you find me Conan?" He put the stew aside and breathed out.
"I followed you. I guarded you when you slept and rode after you when you were on the rode." That was either really creepy or really sweet which would explain why he was so touchy on the subject.
"Why? Aren't you going to go be this Dragonborn?" Conan sighed at me.
"You were there since Helgen and I was there too. It didn't feel right to go our separate ways yet. Happy now?" So I had reached something sensitive in this Nord...joy.
"Well, we're going to have to be separate for a little longer while I change out of these damp clothes and into something dry." I smiled as he left the stew on the wardrobe and left the room. I unwrapped myself from the blankets and opened the drawers on the wardrobe taking out the pauper dress, sack cloth pants and leather boots. I opened the door locking it behind me as Conan and I left to meet with Ulfric.
"Our Dunmer-"
"My name is Arya." I hissed at Ulfric. He apologised and continued informally.
"Arya tells me you're Dovahkiin. Is this to be proven true?" Ulfric asked resting back in his chair. Conan turned and walked to the head of the table taking deep breaths.
"Fus!" He yelled sending air currents from his mouth and body causing the food to go flying back from him like the dark-hearted from the diseased.
"Whoa." I whispered as Conan turned back around taking his place back to my left.
"Amazing. I could truly use your help getting the Imperial out of Skyrim, our home. So, Arya, did you defeat the Ice Wraith?" I nodded lying to the wannabe High King and truthful Jarl of Windhelm.
"Speak with Galmar, he'll inform you on your duties as Stormcloaks." Ulfric ordered lifting his arm in the direction of Galmar. We followed Galmar Stone-Fist into a room to the easterly side of the hall where there settled a map marking the Stormcloak camps and the known Imperial ones, weapons along the wall and an open wardrobe of Stormcloak armour.
"You're alive, I owe Ulfric a drink. I have to admit I didn't think we'd be seeing you again. I misjudged you, you're definitely Stormcloak material. It's time we made this official. Ready to take the oath?" We both replied that we did and so Galmar continued. "That's the spirit, by swearing this oath you will become one of us. A hero of the people, a true child of Skyrim, a Stormcloak. Repeat after me: I do swear my blood and honour to the service of Ulfric Stormcloak..." Conan and I repeated it as he nodded and continued. "Jarl of Windhelm and true High King of Skyrim. As Talos is my witness..." We repeated that to. "May this oath bind me to death and beyond. Even to my lord as to my fellow brothers and sisters in arms..." We repeated, again. "All hail the Stormcloaks the true sons and daughters of Skyrim!" We cheered together knowing it was coming. "Now you're one of us, you get to tag along on a trip with me. Ah. you're a Stormcloak now best look like one." He took two armour outfits from the wardrobe and handed us each one.
"What's the mission?" I asked coming out of the closet across the hall in my Stormcloak armour like Conan except much more slim and less muscular.
"I have found the final resting place of the Jagged Crown. Can you believe it? I'm almost certain. We're headed to Korvanjund. But, of old King Borgas is still buried there, we're bound to run into some trouble." I nodded my understanding as he went on. "Your fellow Stormcloak are already assembled outside the tomb. I'll meet you there as son as I'm finished up here." We left the Pa,ace of Kings grabbing horses without stealing and rode off the road to Korvanjund.
