I changed Esbern's age a little, so that it was more in-keeping with my medieval style Skyrim. Thanks to the favourite story from Seax, and alert and favourite from HereLies! Much appreciated! Remember REVIEW! Or enter my polls.
Jon Dovahkiin
Jon Dovahkiin slammed on the door. It was made of heavy iron, reinforced with thick layers of steel. He looked back at Delphine, who stood behind him in her light leather armour with a brown cloak flowing down her shoulders. She shrugged. Jon tried again.
A zul, voice, came out from behind the door and he looked back at Delphine again who came forward to the hatch in the thick iron.
'Yes, yes. I'll be there in a minute. Wait a blasted minute.'
'Esbern! It's me, Delphine.' They waited; the tiid, time, passing before a reply was heard.
'Delphine? Is that you?' An old man, in his early sixties, by far the oldest man Jon had ever seen opened the hatch and peered out. He regarded her carefully, as if she might be a trick. They had expected that though, after all this Esbern had been in hiding for close to thirty years.
'Remember me, old man?' She asked playfully.
'You don't look so young yourself…'
Jon looked around, surveying the area with immense care. His miin, eyes, could withstand intense light but sadly they had no advantage in darkness.
Delphine had warned him that it was possible that the Thalmor were drawing near to Esbern's position. At the moment she was acting very unlike herself; all her attention was devoted to talking Esbern into letting them in and catching up. That left Jon to take up her paranoid mannerisms.
'Esbern, remember the 30th of Frostfall.'
Jon had no idea what she was talking about, whereas Esbern's reaction was immediate and he opened the door quickly. He decided not to press it, instead following the Blade's into the room on the other side of the door gratefully; he had a strong feeling that they were being watched.
'Close it behind you.' Esbern's voice was rich, but cracked with age. Jon closed the thick door, moving back in surprise as several mechanisms sprang to action, barring the door shut.
Jon Dovahkiin turned to Esbern who was studying him shrewdly. Jon returned it. Esbern was a Nord with a bald plate at the front of his head, but white hair still grew from the middle of his head to the back of it. He had a sadon, grey, beard and was short, for a Nord, but with a fairly stout figure. He wore a simple dirty white shirt, breeches and boots.
'Who's this Delphine? Another Blade.'
Delphine looked slightly sheepish, rubbing the back of her neck anxiously. 'Esbern; this is er, this is Jon Solitude, a Thane of Whiterun.'
'A Thane? Bah, is he your protector Delphine, or something more?'
Delphine blushed; 'No, you silly old man. What a stupid thought. You're getting carried away; I'm too old for that anyway.'
The old man looked on her like a father. 'It's never too late.'
Jon decided it was time he stepped in. 'No, Blade Esbern. My name is Jon Solitude. But it is also Dovahkiin.' He looked pointedly at Esbern, whose eyes widened. He looked at Jon with a new interest, muttering 'it can't be'. The old Blade stepped back and looked Jon over. 'So, it is true. And there is hope…'
Delphine was looking confused and irritated at having been left out and she interrupted. 'What do you mean? Who's "Dovahkiin"?'
Esbern looked at her. 'Well, my draconic is rusty but if I'm correct it is the dragon name for Dragonborn.' He looked at Jon for confirmation.
Jon nodded. 'It translates as "Dragon" "Born" "Hunter", or "Born Dragon Hunter". It's my dragon name, and in a sense my true name. All the great heroes had them, for example Tiber Septim's name was actually "Dragon" "Blood" "King"; Dovsosjun.' The Greybeards had taught Jon extensive dragonlore.
'Indeed.' Esbern was regarding the Dovahkiin with a new degree of respect. 'Yes, now we have hope. The prophecy can be completed and the world can escape destruction. A slim hope; yes, but still…' He started muttering to himself and he moved away to rummage through a pile of books next to a desk. He glanced at Delphine and Jon. 'Please sit.'
Jon found himself a chair and sat on it, leaning against the wall in place of the chair's back, which was gone, but Delphine still persisted in her questioning. She looked at Jon, and he got a feeling that she had suddenly viewed him as an outsider. She moved up next to Esbern, her hand on her Katana.
'What prophecy, Esbern?'
The wuth tuz, old Blade, stopped his rummaging to stare at her. 'What do you mean?' He looked at her like she was an idiot. He looked at the Dragonborn, as if confiding her stupidity with him, but Jon was equally perplexed; he just didn't show it. Esbern returned to Delphine, who stood there looking aspirated.
'The prophecy on Alduin's Wall. You have heard of that?' She shook her head. 'Created,' he resumed his rummaging; 'in 1E 2812 when Emperor Reman II permitted its construction. It was, and hopefully still is, called Alduin's Wall. It's purpose was to record the accumulated dragonlore and prophecy that the Akaviri Dragonguard, essentially the forerunners of the Blades, possessed at the time. Given that Alduin's return was inevitable, they believed that this was their gift to those that came after them, and they proved to be right. On it is the prophecy of the Dragonborn.'
Jon looked up, his eyes glowing. 'The Wall depicts my destiny?'
Esbern nodded. 'Yes, it doe- Aha!' He pulled out a black book with a silver dragon on the front with a look of immense satisfaction. 'This, Jon Dovahkiin, is the Book of the Dragonborn.' He gave it to Jon, who stood and took it, before turning it over before flicking through a few pages.
'It's all in-'
'Draconic. Yes, the only reason I already haven't read it yet already. It was written by Prior Emeline Madrine of the Order of Talos at Weynon Priory, a place near Chorrol, the Cyrodillic city, in 3E 360. It records the events up to that time that made up the fabled events in the prophecy. For the whole thing though we shall have to go and find Alduin's Wall though.'
Delphine looked flabbergasted. 'Just find Alduin's Wall. It's that easy! Esbern, it has been lost for nearly three Era's!'
'Yes, I know my dear. But we don't have a choice. The Blades duty is to guide and protect the Dragonborn. We must help Jon.'
'The Blades duty was to serve the Dragonborn.'
Esbern gave her a strange look. 'Here one is. We serve and protect.'
Delphine gave Jon a doubtful look. 'Fine.'
The Dragonborn stepped forward. 'I would appreciate any help I could get. But you don't have to help me; it is my destiny and mine alone. Onikaan ni ov dovah.'
'My dear boy, of course we will help you. Now, all we have to do is find the Wall.'
Jon was pleased with Esbern's willingness; he had only accompanied Delphine because he had no other way to find and defeat Alduin.
'Okay then. Do you have any ideas?' Delphine asked.
'Yes, I do. Like I said, I've been here a long time.' Jon didn't actually remember Esbern saying anything of the sort, but he humoured the Blade in his old age. It didn't inspire confidence though. 'Do you know where the Wall is?'
'No, I don't,' Delphine told him, annoyed. This was obviously a habit of his.
'It's simple. It's in Sky Haven Temple, the original stronghold of the Blades.'
'Where is it?' Jon asked, cutting to the point.
'In the Reach.' The Reach is a mountainous Hold hundreds of miles from here, Jon thought with frustration. It would take weeks to reach on horses.
'Yes, it makes sense,' Delphine muttered. 'It would be easy to conceal a temple there, even a large one.'
'Exactly! Yes, it would be easy. I even have an idea as to its precise location.' He rolled out a map in the corner of his desk. Jon leant over it and looked at where Esbern was pointing.
'That's Karth Mountain, near Karthspire,' he told the Blades.
'So, that mountain has Alduin's Wall inside of it.' Delphine said.
Esbern rolled up his map triumphantly. 'And all we need to do is get there.'
Aha! Caught you. While you're reading this could you post a review. It can be good, it can be bad, but it'll always be a surprise. (Sorry, I've played too much Monopoly.) If you do that you don't have to read this anymore. Just one word! Just one. Do it now and you can skip the rest of this speech. Yeah, sound good!
