Author's Note: Apologies for any extra typos. I forgot yesterday to send this to Cyclone Sword for a final proofreading, so they are totally mine.

Chapter 13 - The Jagged Crown

Since their horses were in the Whiterun stable, Shanti teleported herself and her bodyguards to their Dragonsreach apartment. "Hmm," she said, as something occurred to her. "I think I should have found a place outside the city to Mark. I'll do that, too, but for now ... we need to get outside Dragonsreach without anyone asking how we got in without being seen."

Voranil chuckled. "How are you at moving quietly? Bjorn's a scout, so he's good at sneaking."

"I can't claim the same, but I can be quiet, yes. You have an idea?"

"I certainly do. Farengar has both alchemy and enchanting labs, and I'm sure ingredients he wouldn't mind me using on your behalf. So you and Bjorn wait here while I go down there under an invisibility spell, then wait until I have enough privacy to make a couple of long-lasting invisibility potions. I'll bring them back for you two, and we'll sneak out invisibly."

"Yes, that should work. But leave money for any ingredients you use, please."

"If you want," Voranil agreed. "I'll leave payment wherever he keeps his ingredients. I'll be back shortly."

When Voranil left, Bjorn turned to Shanti. "A Khajiit who doesn't know how to sneak? You're kidding me, aren't you?"

"Well, it would probably be more accurate to say I haven't had any training in it. I think all children, not just Khajiit, self-teach at least a little."

"Then I need to start teaching you. A good adventurer needs sneak skills at least as much as a scout or thief does - it's a lot easier and safer to sneak up on a bandit or necromancer, for example, and do a take-out rather than a face-to-face fight. If you can do it to a vampire, even better."

"True. All right. Is there anything you can teach me before Voranil returns?"

"Not much, but ... never whisper. That attracts attention. If you're going to be with a regular team, work out a touch system, or something similar. If you have to talk, just speak as quietly as you can. And for night camouflage, never use pure black. It's less obvious than a light color, sure, but people can still distinguish it, unless you're some place there's no light at all.. Use dark gray, or even better, something mottled in dark colors."

"Really? I wouldn't have expected either."

"Really," Bjorn promised. "When we're in the right conditions, I'll demonstrate."

"No need; I believe you. I'm just surprised."

When Voranil returned, he was carrying two potion vials. "Drink up - then I'll re-cast my spell, and we'll go."

They made it as far as the Dragonsreach main door before becoming visible when Voranil opened the door. Fortunately no one was around to see them leave, and they made it part-way down the stairs before Shanti realized something was missing. She stopped a guard who was on the way up. "Where is Brother Heimskr?"

"House arrest," the guard replied. "Now that we're going Imperial officially, Jarl Balgruuf had him placed in protective custody. It's no guarantee, but he figures if Heimskr's already under arrest, the damn Thalmor are less likely to haul him to one of their torture centers like Northwatch Keep."

"Ah. That makes sense." Shanti wasn't all that fond of Heimskr - or his shouted sermons, at least - but he was a priest, and didn't deserve what rumor said happened to Thalmor prisoners. Not that anyone did, at least not for something as harmless as worshiping a Divine the Thalmor refused to recognize. Not that they'd care anything about her opinion.

Still, they had to get to Korvanjund for that Jagged Crown, so she put the Thalmor out of her mind. The trip wasn't a long one, with Korvanjund just north-northeast of Whiterun; less than an hour after stopping at the stable for their horses, they were dismounting and handing their reins to a young trooper.

Rikke was speaking to a soldier when they walked up. "What's the situation, Sergeant?"

"Stormcloaks were already camped out around the entrance when we got here, ma'am," the soldier replied. "They don't know we're here yet, though."

"Well, that's something at least." She noticed Shanti's group and smiled. "Good to see you three. It looks like the damned rebels got here first, though. No matter, we have the element of surprise. Prepare to move out. Are you ready?"

"We are," Shanti said.

"Good." Rikke gave her troops a brief pep talk, then led the attack on the Stormcloaks who'd been keeping watch. When the brief battle was over, she led the way to the door, then stopped and turned to her troops. "Well done. They never knew what hit them. But don't underestimate the Stormcloaks. Many are Legion veterans. They may be traitors, but they know how to fight. We had the advantage of surprise this time, but don't expect it to 're here in force. Stick close and follow orders so we don't stir up the whole place against us. Let's move out."

"A moment, please?" Shanti said.

Rikke frowned briefly, but replied politely.. "What is it, Dragonborn?"

"If I'm to be of much use, I need to go in with you, not behind everyone. My most powerful Shout is an area-effect one."

"Very well. Let's go, then." They entered, followed by the rest, and Rikke went into sneak mode. Carefully, they made their way toward the patrolling Stormcloaks. "Can you do anything with these?" she asked softly.

Shanti nodded, then took a deep breath. "Now?"

"Yes. We're ready."

Shanti straightened. "Fus ... Ro DAH!"

Several of the Stormcloaks staggered back, and the Legionnaires charged.

When the battle and looting were over, Rikke pointed to a pair of Legionnaires. "You two, stay and guard the entrance. We don't want any Stormcloak reinforcements taking us by surprise. Everyone else, with me."

The rest continued, Shanti listening with amusement to some of the conversation behind her. She didn't know these Legionnaires, so it was impossible for her to identify them by voice.

"So that's the Dragonborn. I'd heard it was a Khajiit, but she's so small, and doesn't look old enough to be in regular uniform! Oblivion, she looks like a Nord kid could take her without breaking a sweat."

"Yeah - an' in a purely physical fight, maybe so. Though weight-for-weight, Khajiit are pretty strong, even their women, an' don't forget those claws an' teeth."

Another one snorted. "Always remember the claws and teeth, yeah. And they're fast, too, and more flexible than we are. Never get in an unarmed brawl with one, even on a bet, 'cause natural weapons don't count."

"Still, she is small, and furry, and cute," the first said. "And one of us. She's our Dragonborn."

"Hmm ... " Yet another one spoke. "I've got an idea, but I need paper and charcoal, so later."

"Yes, later," Rikke said. "Keep it down, men. We haven't emptied this place yet."

They kept going until they got to a long room with carved walls and a puzzle door at the far end.

Rikke and two soldiers gathered around something on the floor, and Shanti approached curiously as one of the soldiers asked, "What in the Nine Holds is that?"

"Is this what killed that Stormcloak over there?" the other soldier asked. "Can't be. It looks like it's been dead for a hundred years."

"It can, and probably is," Shanti said. "That's a draugr, undead who protect Dragon Priests and some rulers. I've run into them a couple of times now. One of the ones I faced could Shout."

"Steady now," Rikke said reassuringly, as the soldiers muttered nervously. "The Legion has faced down worse than a few dusty old bonewalkers. We're not leaving here until we get what we came for. Now let's keep moving." She turned to Shanti. "And this place must be the Hall of Stories."

"Oh... I've heard of this," the first soldier said. "These walls are supposed to show the history of the ancients who built this place."

"Too bad we can't read these carvings. Who knows what secrets we'd uncover?" the other said.

"One thing at a time soldier," Rikke said, sounding amused. "Focus on our primary mission. We're searching for the crown. Looks like we weren't the first ones here, either. Even if these carvings tell us where the crown is, I'm sure we're going to have to find a way through this door. Any ideas, Dragonborn?"

"Yes. We'll need to find something that looks like a dragon's clawed foot. It's actually the key to that puzzle door."

One of the soldiers bent over the Stormcloak's body, and straightened with something black in his hand. "Is this it?"

Shanti took it and nodded. "Thank you - now let's get to the door." She looked at the claw's palm and moved the rings into position, then inserted the key. When it slid open, Shanti went down a short tunnel, looked around, then gestured a halt and signaled a return to the Hall of Stories, where she reported to Rikke.

"Ah, we have a bit of a problem, ma'am," she said. "That room is full of draugr sarcophagi, and there's one wearing a crown on a throne at the far end. I think Battlemage Voranil, Sergeant Bjorn, and I should go in alone, first. Voranil can cast runes in front of at least some of the sarcophagi, and I can get as close as possible to the head draugr and use Fire Breath on him. Draugr are pretty flammable ... "

"As you say, Dragonborn," Rikke said. "We'll stay out till you start Shouting, or we hear runes going off."

"Thanks." Shanti and Voranil, followed by Bjorn, entered the draugr chamber as quietly as they could, and Voranil began casting runes, more quietly than he had in Dustman's Cairn, and more quietly than she would have believed possible.

She approached the crowned draugr cautiously, watching for the slightest movement. She was within ten feet when she saw it start to twitch, and she Shouted with all the intensity she could manage as it stood. "YOL!"

Fire Breath turned out to be a great deal more powerful than her Flames spell, igniting the dessicated thing and making it stagger back. By the time it recovered, she and Bjorn were attacking it with their swords while it defended itself with an ancient style of battle-axe.

Behind them, she heard but paid no attention to runes exploding, war cries, the clash of weapons, screams of pain. She and Bjorn were far too busy defending themselves from the crowned draugr and going on offense wherever possible. Eventually the combination of burning "flesh" and sword cuts brought it down, and Shanti dove to grab the Crown, knowing Bjorn would have her back.

By the time she rose with it in her hands, she heard the familiar chanting of a Word Wall, and followed the sound behind the throne. A chest there held some nice loot, but the Wall was glowing, and as she got closer, TIID moved into her mind, and she purred.

"What is it?" Bjorn asked. "Defensive, offensive, or what?"

"What," Shanti told him. "It's the first word of Slow Time, which can be used either way. But I think we need to get back to the battle scene ... they may need healing, which I can do even though I'm no expert."

"Sounds like a damn useful Shout," Bjorn said. "But yeah, sounds like healing's needed."

When they returned to the main room, Shanti with the Jagged Crown under her arm, Rikke let out a very uncharacteristic whoop, and joined her with a grin. "Take that crown back to Solitude right away, please. We'll stay here and see if we can find anything else that could be of use."

"It looks like you could use some help with healing the wounded first," Shanti said. "Especially since Voranil will be going with me."

"Yes, but it's vital that Crown be taken to safety." It looked to Shanti like Rikke was torn between her duty to her troops and her mission. "Okay, half an hour. Then you leave."

"Yes, ma'am." Shanti handed Bjorn the Crown, then began treating the wounded.

Remembering their problems with getting out of Dragonsreach undetected, Shanti elected to teleport to her outside-Whiterun location, retrieve their horses, and ride to Solitude, then find an outside-the-city location there before going to Castle Dour the conventional way. By the time they arrived, it was after dark, but there were enough torches along the way that getting to the city wasn't a problem.

Almost as soon as they entered the gates, two men in odd robes and grotesque masks approached.

"You there! You're the one they call Dragonborn?" one asked.

"Yes, I am Dragonborn," Shanti replied.

"Your lies fall on deaf ears, Deceiver," her questioner said. "The True Dragonborn comes... You are but his shadow."

"When Lord Miraak appears all shall bear witness. None shall stand to oppose him!" the other shouted, and both drew their swords.

Shanti drew hers, as well, but by the time it cleared the scabbard, Voranil had hit both with lightning bolts, and several Solitude guardsmen were surrounding the bodies with swords drawn. "Search the bodies," their leader ordered. "They may have something that'll tell us why they'd attack the Dragonborn."

His men obeyed, two of them stooping to do a thorough search. It wasn't long before one stood and handed the senior guardsman a folded piece of paper. He read it, then handed it to Shanti.

"Board the vessel Northern Maiden docked at Raven Rock. Take it to Windhelm, then begin your search. Kill the False Dragonborn known as Shanti before she reaches Solstheim.

"Return with word of your success, and Miraak shall be most pleased."

Huh. Miraak was the First Dragonborn that Mulventoor had suggested she face as a test to see if she were ready for Alduin. "These failed, but there may be others. At least now we know what to beware of."

"We'll keep an eye out, too," the guardsman said. "I'll pass the word on to our commander."

"And I'll tell General Tullius," Shanti said. "I'm on my way to see him anyway."

"Thanks. And we'll get these bodies to the Hall of the Dead."

Shanti and her bodyguards continued into the castle, finding General Tullius, as usual, in the war room. She gave a brief account of the encounter with the cultists, then handed him the Jagged Crown.

He smiled. "Excellent work, Legate. I have to admit, I had my doubts it even existed. Did you run into any any trouble?"

"Nothing we couldn't handle, though the Stormcloaks were already there."

"Well, I didn't respond as quickly to Legate Rikke's suggestion as perhaps I should have. But at least we ended up with the damn crown. I'll get the full report from her when she returns. What do you have planned next?"

"Jarl Balgruuf has asked me to take his axe to Jarl Ulfric," Shanti replied.

"He knows what to expect, or he wouldn't have invited us to move Imperial forces in," Tullius said thoughtfully. "But I suppose the formalities must be observed. Go ahead. Given the distances involved, that'll give me another week to get everything ready."

"Yes, sir. We'll start in the morning."