Chapter 7

The Jagged Crown

We walked through the slushy snow to where the Stormcloaks grouped together, from a distance I saw Ralof and found myself smiling.

"Ha! I knew you'd join up, both of you. Great news! We'll Skyrim back together eh?" Conan and I smiled. "I'm glad I have you beside me. This place chills me to my bone and I don't care who knows it." I tilted my head confused.

"Nothing to be afraid of." Conan consoled rubbing his hands together.

"These old ruins... My father told me to stay away from them. Good advice, I'd say. But never mind all that we've got a job to do and nothing's going to stand in our way." Ralof finished as Galmar approached. "Hail, Galmar." Ralof greeted formally.

"What's the situation?" Galmar asked stopping before Ralof. "What's the Imperials doing here? Damn Imperial spies... Should be fun for us at least. They don't seem to realise we're here yet." Galmar added brightly. "Ready to spill some Imperial blood for Skyrim?" He questioned as Conan and I nodded. "Listen up, those Imperials aren't here by coincidence. Their spies must've found out we know about the crown. And they don't want us to have but nothing will stand in our way. I know some of you are ex-legion and may know men on the other side but I want you to know that they're the enemy now and won't hesitate to kill you. Keep your wits about you and watch your shield brother's back. Ulfric Stormcloak is counting on us to bring him that crown, and that's exactly what we're going to do. Follow me. Quickly and quietly now, I want their guts on the ground before they even know we're there." I pulled out the bow Conan had spare when we left Windhelm and pinned the arrow in waiting for Galmar and my fellow Stormcloaks to get in position. As soon as they were at the steps I fired from behind the rock. I took out on closest to our entry point then readied my bow for another shot. I fried and killed one crawling along the ground. I jogged down the steps as the rest were finished off easily enough. I met up with the group at the door. "That's what I like. Short and bloody. They never knew what hit them. But do not make the mistake of underestimating the Legion. Plenty of them are Nords same as us. We had the advantage of surprise but things won't be as easy from here on in. Enough talk, let's go kill some Imperials." We filed in through the door entering a room alit with fire reflecting off the walls and meat cooking in the corner. We ckuck up behind a fallen pillar in the middle awaiting orders. "Pick a man and put him down." Galmar ordered.

"Arya." Conan whispered tapping his eye and pointing to the archer to the far left just visible from my point of view. I nodded and lifted my bow waiting.

"For Skyrim!" Galmar called as we approached and I let off my arrow ending the life of that Imperial. A bunch of others came out only to be slaughtered like animals. But warfare was warfare, they knew what would happen if they signed with the Legion. "The rest of you with me." I heard Galmar say as I made it across following along.

"Stormcloaks!" An Imperial yelled as we entered the next room climbing down the stairs although I stayed high and took them out with my bow since that was my thing. As soon as the fighting was done we entered the centre of the room but Galmar stopped us from going any further.

"I don't like this perfect for an ambush. Ten to one waiting for us on the other side." Galmar observed.

"But there isn't any other way through." A female Nord said speaking what most of us were thinking.

"Fine. Be my guest, go strolling in there, we'll stay here and we'll watch your back." Galmar replied fiercely. "Not so sure eh? Then maybe you want to look around a little. You there, Unblooded, see if you can find another way through. We'll charge in as soon as we hear any fighting." Galmar ordered me as I turned and left back up the stairs in search. I turned left and right until I found an opening onto a tiny stone bridge. I equipped my bow and walked ahead crouching. At the first look I spotted Imperial so this had to be another way through. I pinned my arrow butt to the string and held it back aiming for the pot of fire above one of the Imperials and fired. The liquid from the pot poured over him turning him into some sort of demon. He howled in pain running everywhere until finally running into a wall and laying unconscious on the cold, stone floor.

"Must be Stormcloaks!" One yelled as the group came through and fought them. I shot arrows frantically as more Imperials came through our next entryway. I jumped down onto one sneaking up on Conan.

"You're welcome." I huffed hacking away with my melee attacks.

"There's bound to be more up ahead." We jog up stairs and through the stone corridor with my breath catching up with me. We enter a room of urns and dust and with one blow Conan kills off the next Imperial daring to attack.

"What in the nine holds is that?" Asked a Stormcloak soldier as everyone stops to stare at the juicy skeleton.

"Drauger. Ain't you ever seen one before?" I ask lifting my bow to it remembering their awakening in Bleak Falls Barrow.

"No. And I'm not sure I'm better off for it now neither." The Stormcloak soldier adds kicking the body.

"Steady. A few dusty bonewalkers aren't going to stop us anymore than the Imperials did." Galmar grounds as we leave for the next few rooms. We descends and pass through a set of moist doors. More bodies lined the floors of the next room, more blood dripped from the limp bodies. We run up the stairs and as we're about to burst through another door more Imperials block the path. A quick arrow through a skull sends one to Sovngarde and Conan hacking away sends the other two.

"The Hall of Stories." Everyone whispers simultaneously. I rest my bow across my torso and stand in awe of the Nordic architecture. I skip ahead and take the ebony claw into my hands. The artifact is cold and reads wolf, moth then dragon. As I pushed the claw into its slot they all spun, dust blew into my face and they last images I see are three dragon rings.

"Alright everyone! Keep your guard up. No telling what we'll find in here." Arrow ready on the string we all scout ahead wary of every shadow or grain. The next door we went through opened into a open cavern the iron door- our exit- block by iron bars. "Alright everyone,spread out. See what we've got." Conan and I make eye contact and nod.I take the left while he takes right. The walls I follow along are rubble crumbled to dirt, depressing in a way, the stories they could have told would be fascinating.

"Arya." Conan whispered and pointed into the lit hallway his side. I jogged over and climbed the stairs. It led to the second level of the room still visible to those on ground level. I looked around and pat the walls that didn't have torchlight. Finally I found a small metal wall hanging- I take it back- that was how we unlocked the iron gate and moved on. Drauger burst from their coffins I took out my bow and aimed. Stupid Galmar! He stands right where I was about to shoot. Next target. I follow my arrow tip and let it loose at any chance I get. At the end only one Stormcloak soldier was dead.

"Come on, they die just the same as Imperials." Galmar announced as we pressed on. Next door led us into a sloped tunnel and finally we were in the hall where the king sit on his throne...the Jagged Crown on his possibly undead head.

"They aren't moving, are they dead?" I ask Conan beside me before the throne.

"Let us see," he smiles and does his force push Shout.

"Look out drauger!" Galmar yelled oblivious to what just happened. The king and his two bodyguards rise but we're onto them like flies to a...carcass... Conan took the right guard while I took left. Arrows flew from my bow and easily took down my opponent. The king was mine now. My ebony sword out I helped Galmar kill the king which sounds a little ironic. Once the king was dead I took the Jagged Crown into my bag.

"Take the crown to Windhelm, tell Ulfric he owes me a drink." And we scurried off to Windhelm.

"So this is the almighty crown Ulfric wants to be king?" I ask before washing my face in the river. So cold it sent my toes numb.

"Every king wants a unique crown." Conan shrugs devouring a chicken broth he had bought from Windhelm.

"Even one from the body of a dead-man?" Conan rolled his eyes in unison with mine.

"Come on," I shake the water from my hands and we continue to run until we reach the Palace of Kings in Windhelm. "Here is the Jagged Crown m'lord, I believe you owe Galmar a drink." Conan greets handing over the crown.

"Damn him- the old bear was right! Did you run into any trouble?" Ulfric asks accepting the crown.

"We lost a lot of good men and women, I hope it was worth it." Conan replied while I remained silent like a child.

"The blood of our fallen heroes will make Skyrim free, never doubt it. Also never doubt Galmar... Now then... I'm glad you're here, I have a message I need delivered to the Jarl of Whiterun. Deliver this axe to Balgruuf the Greater." I take the axe and we're off for anther mission.