There was something intriguing about the crude stone walls that surrounded the city of Whiterun. No, they weren't as glamorous as the walls surrounding the Imperial City, and Kyrie could see no less than 10 different flaws in the overall construction, but the girl still couldn't help staring in awe at the aged stone. Perhaps it was the realization that she was staring at something built by the hands of her very own ancestors. She was no longer a Nord living in an Imperial city. She was no longer the foreigner. She was home, in the land of her forebears, if that counted for anything at all.
Kyrie turned her gaze away from the Whiterun fortifications as she and Hara approached the entrance to the city. However, the pair hardly even managed to come within view of the gate before an armed guard began to approach them, and Kyrie stiffened visibly. Did the guard know who they were? Maybe she should start running now. The girl hesitated at the sight of the guard in his faceless helmet and gold sash, but Hara grabbed her by the shoulder, iron grip forcing her to continue moving forward.
"Halt," the guard said, moving in their way, his hand resting uneasily on the hilt of his sword. "City's closed with the dragons about. Official business only."
Kyrie's jaw dropped slightly at the declaration. Was this man serious? They had to seal off the city because of the dragon? And what, in the names of all the Divines, was a crumbling stone wall going to do against a dragon? It didn't make any sense at all. She wanted to say something smart, but thought better of it. After all, she and Hara really weren't in the position to be pissing off any guards. Not that that stopped Hara…
"Do we look like dragons to you?" Hara responded, crossing her arms over her chest. "Last time I checked, dragons don't walk up to gates and knock politely? What, are you all daft or something?"
Kyrie couldn't see the guard's face, but his body language told her that he was at once taken aback and irritated.
"Now you listen here," the guard warned. Kyrie stiffened as she watched a little sliver of steel glint in the sunlight. "If you're here to mock us, you best turn around and walk away now, or I'll have you arrested for disruption of the peace. And don't even think of trying to barge your way in unless you want to face the whole Whiterun guard."
Hara smirked at the man, as though daring him to try, but Kyrie quickly stepped in the way.
"I'm sorry, sir," the girl said, glancing over her shoulder at her companion. "We didn't mean to come across threatening. We have news from Helgen about the dragon attack. We were hoping to speak with the jarl about it."
The guard's fingers flexed on the handle of his sword for a moment, then he let the blade slide back into its sheath as he stood up straight and relaxed slightly.
"Fine," the man muttered, "but we'll be keeping an eye on you."
Somehow, Kyrie got the feeling that he was aiming that comment more at Hara than he was at her.
Hara flashed the man another mocking smirk as she headed toward the gate.
"Suit yourself," the mercenary grinned. "Hope you enjoy the view."
Quickly Kyrie grabbed Hara by the arm and dragged her through the gate into the city. She sighed when at last they cleared the city walls.
"You really do want to get us in trouble, don't you?" the redhead chided as the pair passed by the blacksmith shop near the gate.
"Can't help it," Hara shrugged, putting her hands behind her head as she strolled along nonchalantly. "I hate stupid people. Look at this place."
She motioned with her hands around the city that rose up on the hill.
"You saw what that bloody lizard did to Helgen. The last thing that scaly bastard would do would be to go for the damn wall."
Kyrie laughed at this.
"I was thinking the same thing," she nodded. "But honestly, it won't do us any good to get ourselves arrested."
"I don't know," Hara replied, grinning over at the younger woman. "If we're in the dungeons, at least we couldn't get roasted alive by that dragon, right?"
"No, we'd just get buried alive. Because that's so much better."
The mercenary laughed at this.
"Details."
Kyrie laughed and shook her head, then turned her attention to her surroundings. Whiterun was, in a word, beautiful. As far as cities went, in any case. Unlike the Imperial City, all the buildings here had a sort of character indicative of the people who lived there. Yes, the buildings here were somewhat haphazardly placed, but each one was built with unique designs characteristic of the Nords. The Imperial City was a lot more crowded and bland. There, houses were crammed together, flat walls lining every street. Everything looked the same there. Kyrie was fairly certain the cemetery was the most unique place outside the palace itself. And even then, it was so nondescript that Kyrie had literally spent hours walking in circles trying to figure out which gate led back home. Whiterun was different. Kyrie was fairly certain she might actually be able to find her way out again here in this city.
Children laughed and chased each other down the cobblestone street as Kyrie and Hara made their way into the market square. Actually, it was more of a market circle, with a well in the center and all manner of buildings and stands lining the rounded courtyard. A set of stairs led up to a second courtyard with a withered tree in the center, tiny waterfalls flowing around the steps and down toward the city gate at the bottom of the hill. Kyrie could see the rising rooftop of Dragonsreach even from this angle.
"We'll visit the jarl's place first," Hara said as the pair mounted the steps and circled around the withered tree. "If he'll listen, we can give him the warning, though if that idiot of a guard there at the gate was any indication, they probably already know about Helgen. If they don't listen to us...well, that means we can eat and grab some mead sooner. Which is fine by me."
"You really like mead, don't you?" Kyrie laughed. "Ralof was right when he said you'd drink Riverwood dry."
"You don't?" the mercenary inquired, raising an eyebrow at the girl.
Kyrie shrugged at this.
"I'm more of a water, milk, or fruit-juice person myself. Tea, too. We had orange groves in Cyrodiil that made for some really sweet, tangy drinks. Fresh-squeezed was always the best. Mead messes with my head, and I don't need any help embarrassing myself. I do that quite well when I'm sober."
"What, do they drain all the Nord out of you when you go to Cyrodiil?" Hara inquired, looking appalled.
Kyrie laughed, shaking her head.
"No. Why?"
"Mead is a part of our culture," the older woman responded, putting one fist out for emphasis. "We're strong. It was Nords who built the Empire, for Talos' sake. We fight like dragons and we can outdrink those Imperial milk-drinkers any day. Bloody lightweights."
Kyrie couldn't help but smile as she listened to Hara talk. In Cyrodiil, everyone was like everyone else. Heritage didn't matter. That was good sometimes, because racial discrimination was uncommon, but it also meant that culture tended to die, too. It was fun to listen to Hara talk about her own people, about the blood that ran in Kyrie's veins even though she knew so little about them. There was a passion in the mercenary's words that could never be conveyed in a book.
"Don't worry," Hara said suddenly, smacking Kyrie on the back hard enough to knock the wind out of the girl's lungs. "We'll squeeze all the Imperial out of you yet. In the meantime, though, look sharp. We're about to meet the jarl himself, if we're lucky."
Kyrie glanced up as the older woman shoved open one massive door, and the girl couldn't help but stumble to a halt in the entryway as she looked up...up...up. Her jaw dropped as she stared at the high ceiling above and the ornate pillars that kept the ceiling from falling down on top of them. The place was massive! Never before had Kyrie seen such a great hall. At least, not from the inside.
"Come on," Hara chuckled, pulling the girl along by the shoulder. "Talk first, gawk later."
The pair mounted the steps leading into the main room in silence, and Kyrie couldn't help but notice the many pairs of eyes that paused to look curiously their way. The main room of Dragonsreach was open but cozy, a fire burning in a central hearth and a table filled with food set off to one side. She cringed when her stomach grumbled almost on cue at the very sight of the food, reminding her that she really hadn't eaten a thing in over 24 hours.
Just up a couple steps from the main room was a large, throne-like chair, a bearded man in rich attire seated on it and engrossed in a heated conversation with an Imperial who was also dressed in fancy attire. A dark elf in leather armor stood off to the side of the throne, and she drew her sword the moment she spotted Kyrie and Hara. The two women paused about halfway across the room as the elf came to meet them.
"What is the meaning this interruption? Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving visitors," the dark elf growled threateningly, her drawn blade flashing in the firelight.
Kyrie withdrew slightly at the sight of the elf's brandished blade.
Woah, now! Kyrie thought to herself. Do all the people in Skyrim make a habit of impaling people first and asking questions later? I had no idea my homeland made people naturally homicidal.
Hara didn't budge, her arms crossed over her chest as she stared unflinchingly at the elf in front of her.
Or suicidal, for that matter… Kyrie silently noted.
The mercenary glanced at the younger girl briefly, then growled in reply, "Care to put that sword away? If you don't want information on the dragon attack at Helgen, we'll leave. Otherwise, I'd suggest you step aside and allow us to speak with the jarl."
Hara's naturally low voice seemed twice as low as she spoke.
The elf blinked up at the towering Nord, then stood up straight and sheathed her sword.
"I see," she said, motioning for the pair to follow her over to where the two men were talking. "That explains why the guards let two strangers in. Come on. The jarl will want to speak to you."
No duh… Kyrie sighed to herself.
The jarl and Imperial had both stopped talking by the time Kyrie and Hara approached, and the younger woman couldn't help but glance up admiringly at her companion who moved over toward the local ruler with an unwavering look in her grey eyes. Hara crossed her arms over her chest when she reached the foot of the dais, setting one steel boot on the lowest step with a loud thud for emphasis as she looked up at the jarl.
"I'm assuming you have a good reason for this interruption," Jarl Balgruuf said, eyeing the mercenary cautiously.
"Your hospitality is overwhelming," Hara replied sarcastically, flashing the man on the throne a mocking grin. "We come with news from Helgen about the dragon attack. Gerdur from Riverwood asked that we do."
A look of surprise crossed the faces of the three gathered around the throne, and they glanced around at each other in disbelief before turning back to the two visitors.
"You...saw this dragon with your own eyes?" the jarl inquired.
Kyrie nodded quietly in reply, but Hara responded with a huffed laugh.
"Oh, yeah. Bet my friend here had the best view of it. From the chopping block. Stared her right in the face."
Kyrie could feel the blood draining out of her face as the jarl and his associates grimaced at Hara's words.
"Really? You're certainly...forthright about your criminal past," Balgruuf mused nervously.
Quickly Kyrie put her hands up in defense.
"I swear it's not what it sounds like, sir," the girl corrected, glaring over at Hara.
Hara really was about as subtle as a mammoth in a glass cabinet. About as diplomatic as one, too.
"But that's an entirely different matter. What we came to tell you was that the dragon completely destroyed Helgen, and last we saw, it was headed in this direction. We thought you ought to know about it, and if you could send more guards to Riverwood, it would be most appreciated."
"Well, it really is none of my concern who the Imperials want to execute," Balgruuf shrugged. "Especially now. What I'm more concerned with is this business about a dragon. Irileth had said there was the possibility that the rumors were true, and by Ysmir, she was right!"
The jarl then turned to the Imperial standing to his right.
"What do you say now, Proventus? Shall we continue to trust in the strength of our walls? Against a dragon?"
The Imperial fidgeted at this, and Hara laughed.
"About damn time someone with half a brain got involved. Your guards were trying to keep us out earlier because 'the city's closed with the dragons about.'"
The Imperial, Proventus, crossed his arms over his chest.
"Really, you have to understand that we were skeptical of the news," the man responded, glaring at Hara. "We thought perhaps there might be a group of warriors, possibly even Stormcloaks, who destroyed Helgen and blamed it on a dragon as a means of covering up their work or inciting fear. And the people were already afraid as it was. We had to do something to allay those fears, even if the logic behind it was somewhat limited."
"Limited," Hara chuckled. "That's a way to put it."
"My lord," Kyrie interjected, trying to interrupt the glaring contest between Hara and the Imperial nobleman. "What about Riverwood? I saw what the dragon did to a contingent of Legionnaires at Helgen. Without some sort of defense, no one would come out of Riverwood alive if they were left without your aid."
"That's right," the dark elf on the jarl's left nodded, stepping forward. "My lord, we should send troops to Riverwood at once."
"But the jarl of Falkreath will view that as a provocation," Proventus argued. "He'll assume we're preparing to take Ulfric's side and attack him. We can't-"
"Enough!" Balgruuf exclaimed, pounding one fist into the armrest of his throne and effectively cutting off the Imperial's protests. "I'll not stand idly by while a dragon burns my hold and slaughters my people! Irileth," the jarl turned to the dark elf who waited patiently for him, "send a detachment to Riverwood at once."
"Yes, my jarl."
The group watched as the elf hurried away, then Proventus cleared his throat.
"If you'll excuse me, I'll return to my duties."
"That would be best," the jarl replied measuredly.
The Imperial disappeared around a corner, then Balgruuf turned back to Kyrie and Hara.
"My apologies," the man said, nodding toward the two young women. "I know it seems as though we are unwelcoming, but you have to understand the dilemma we face. On the one hand, Ulfric stands ready to rip Skyrim from the hands of the Empire, the Empire that Talos himself built, and he is willing to walk over the corpses of his friends and kinsmen to do so; on the other hand, we hear rumors of beasts that have been nothing but mere legend for thousands of years. All I want is to protect my people, but it is difficult to gauge what to expect with so much chaos and hearsay going on around us."
"The threat of dragons is real enough," Hara replied with a frown. "At least, the threat of a dragon. I'm not sure if this is the only one, or if there are more. A friend of ours said that the return of the dragons is foretold in prophecy, but who knows? Either way, the scaly bastard was real enough for me."
"Thank you," Kyrie added, "for sending help to Riverwood. We greatly appreciate it."
"Well I, for one, greatly appreciate you coming to me and giving me word of the dragons. At least now I have a better idea of what I'm up against. You've done Whiterun a service, and I won't forget it."
The jarl smiled as he stood to his feet.
"Come," he said, motioning for the two to follow him. "I will give you something from my armory in return for your services. It's the least I can do."
