Indira Skyrim Fic

Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to Bethesda Studios. I own Indira Rosebed.

Chapter 21: Haunted Barrow

I returned back to Ivarstead and, after resting from my long trek up and down the mountain, began preparation to explore the Shroud Hearth Barrow. I had to find out if it was really true that the ghost of an adventurer was haunting the place. As I entered the barrow, I could hear a haunting voice calling out to me, telling me to go away. I shook my head, trying to focus, but, it did seem haunting, almost. I descended the stairs and saw that my way was barred by an iron gate. I looked around until I saw a series of levers along the opposite wall. I had no idea of what to pull, and, considering my experience with crypts and tombs, I could be setting a trap. I crept slowly, trying not to disturb anything. I carefully reached out to a lever and pulled it.

It was a trap, as several darts began flying my way. I ducked to the crypt floor and caught my breath. All right; never do that again. I began pulling other levers until I managed to open the gate that I wanted to and continued onward; making a mental note that there could be other traps that survived the test of time. Not too far away, there was another iron gate and, as I opened it, a series of spears came across my path. I stepped back and waited until the spears stopped moving and retreated back.

I crept slowly through the corridor and found a spirit sitting at a table. I shook my head, wondering; why would a spirit be sitting? Something did not feel right about this, but, he did hear me and began walking toward me. My bow was drawn, so I fired and arrow and fled down the corridor and closed the gate behind me. He launched electricity at me as I ducked around a corner.

From what I know of spirits, they could pass through solid walls, but, I became perplexed as we exchanged arrows and lightning blasts as to why the spirit of this adventurer was not simply coming through the walls and to me. After my next attack, I began to see blood coming from his wound. Whatever was happening, the fact that this spirit was not acting like a spirit caused me to believe that the adventurer was not really a spirit, as told by the townsfolk.

Another arrow later, he was dead. I knew of the trap and waited until it triggered to swiftly examine the body. The body's spectral glow was gone and, as I walked into the room he was residing in, found an alchemy lab and a journal. The journal indicated that this adventurer had created a potion that made him appear like he was a ghost. I thought to myself that was peculiar, until I found out why he did it; he was searching for a claw that could open the door. The directions to the door were simple enough and, as I followed them, I saw the same door I remembered from my travels at Bleak Falls Barrow. I examined the coral claw as a hunch, but, saw that the symbols did not match. Regardless, I have debunked the rumor that the place was haunted, and returned to the inn in town to explain my finding.

The innkeeper was surprised at this, and regretted it quite so for being so foolish. He then handed me a dragon's claw made of sapphire. That must have been what the adventurer was looking for, and I almost fell down laughing at irony of the whole situation. The innkeeper looked at me as I was on the floor, laughing hysterically at how this poor adventurer was looking in all the wrong places, and all he had to do was talk to the innkeeper and not go through with the silly charade of being a ghost. The innkeeper, as well as some of the patrons, began to get a little worried about the attention I was causing and, as I noticed this, I stood up and brushed my hair back, smiling sheepishly. The innkeeper gave me the claw as my reward, and I could go deeper into the Barrow.

I knew that this was not the end; that the claw opened up a much larger section of the Barrow. It was littered with traps and undead, as I took out a group of them as they were standing on an oily surface. I saw a lantern above them and fired and arrow, dropping the lantern and incinerating them. Of course, this ruckus did not go unnoticed as several more undead Nords and skeletons came out of their crypts. I shook my head and, taking an advantageous position, fired more arrows. The undead monsters were gone, but the danger was by no means, gone.

As dangerous as exploring these ruins were, I also found a great many treasures to sell later; from dwarven armor and to gems and some old swords. But, my best find was in the center of the place; another dragon word.

I entered the central chamber and, as I did, several of the coffins began bursting open. I quickly took to the shadows and saw skeletal archers and skeletal warriors with shields and swords began to rise out of their graves. I began to feel fear, knowing that I was trapped in this room with them. The best I could hope for was that all my shots were true and that none of these things saw me as I took the shots. My first shots were to the skeletal archers on the elevated platforms on either side of the room. I launched arrows at them, and, with enough damage, they were reduced to bones in little to no time at all. Then, I saw some more rise up, and they were searching for me. I quickly stayed still, watching with anticipation on their next move. Some went to investigate the noise. The sounds of their creaking bones was unnerving, and seemingly unnatural. I clenched my teeth, trying to block out the noise as I took the next shot.

Most of the skeletal soldiers were gone, but I now had a new problem; undead Nords. These particular ones could cast magic as well as weapons, so I picked them off before they had a chance to find me. They were not that many, and I was relieved that they went down as quickly as they did.

The final opponent was seemingly, their overlord. I had encountered one like this back in Bleak Falls Barrow, and he was a nightmarish creature. Then, I did not have the element of surprise, and it was a tough fight with my sword. That one had the shout of the dragon on his side, and I was not about to be dragged into an all-out melee again. I began firing my bow, using the shadows as my shield and cover while the overlord tried to determine where the shots were coming from. Shifting through the shadows was a part of what I needed to do, and, the fact there was little light from where I was standing was making this easier for me. He finally fell after some critical shots from my Bow of Shocks.

I found the dragon tablet and, as I closed in on it, I could feel the power of the dragon as I began to speak the word.

Kyne.

This word did not seem like one for a shout of power, but one of peace. The word's power was more of a peaceful one, making creatures more docile or something to that effect. It was like my ability to command animals, but this seemed more powerful. I wonder; maybe, at one point, my people's history and dragon's history were interconnected, and this was part of it.

I did not want to reflect on that right there in the creepy dungeon; I exited the Barrow and returned to Whiterun, exhausted. Tomorrow, I had another busy day of adventuring; to retrieve the horn of the Graybeards' founder…

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