Chapter 37 - A New Beginning

They arrived at Dragonsreach just as Balgruuf was starting his afternoon audience, and he waved the trio forward, smiling. "Welcome, Ysmir, Thane Marcurio, and - who is your friend?"

Yssha bowed. "I have the honor of introducing Gelebor, the last known surviving Snow Elf before the restoration of the Betrayed. He is currently Arch-Curate of the Chantry of Auri-El in the Forgotten Vale."

Balgruuf smiled. "It's an honor, Arch-Curate Gelebor. I'm pleased to meet you."

Gelebor bowed. "And I you, High King Balgruuf."

Balgruuf's attention went back to Yssha. "Do you have a particular reason for bringing the Arch-Curate here now, Dragonborn, or just courtesy?"

Yssha smiled. "You know me too well, my King. Yes, I have a particular reason. The three of us went to Blackreach this morning, and with the aid of a dragon who escaped there from a Thalmor attack about 25 years ago, restored all the Falmer who have been living there since the disappearance of the Dwemer."

"Was that the cause of all the earthshake reports I got earlier? Did you expect that?"

Yssha's eartips warmed. "No, my King. My Voice alone does nothing like that, nor does any dovah's alone ... I thought it took the Greybeards in chorus. I apologize, and will not do it again."

Balgruuf chuckled. "I appreciate that, but if it becomes necessary, don't hesitate - Stormcrown." He gave her a stern look. "But go on."

"I ... well, Blackreach is now as tame as anywhere else in Skyrim, I suppose, since the Falmer were the worst threat there. I wonder if you might not want to make it a Hold of its own."

"Rather than parts of the current Holds it is beneath? Why?"

"Because it is so different, my King. I will gladly show you, if you wish. But it is a place of no sun, huge mushrooms, glowing rocks, crimson nirnroots, a great Dwemer city - perhaps the greatest - full of mysteries which need to be explored by people able to understand them after study. From the College of Winterhold, perhaps, or Nevan from my household, or Sorine Jurard from the Dawnguard. And soldiers and cartographers, of course, although once they get organized, the new Odmer inhabitants could provide those."

"And because my people need to re-establish their culture," Gelebor added. "They know it, since Auri-El included that in the Restoration Shout, but I'm the only one who's actually lived it. And it will have to be modified in some ways for current conditions."

Balgruuf nodded. "Yes, I can understand that. And that you'd like to do it without too much Nord influence."

"There will be some, of course," Gelebor said, "but yes, that should be kept to a minimum, at least at first."

"It is not as if it would be taking away something those holds currently have and use," Yssha pointed out. "Few people even know Blackreach exists. I would not, except for having had to go there to use the oculory in Tower Mzark to obtain the Elder Scroll I needed to learn Dragonrend."

"Which you needed to defeat Alduin." Balgruuf smiled. "Yes. Well, Idgrod won't care; she usually seems barely aware of anything outside her visions. I think Kraldar would be in favor of anything that helps Winterhold, and he's definitely pleased with his new Odmer citizens. Didn't he ask you to clear something called Sightless Pit, to get more?"

"Yes, my King. That is where we found a large library dating from the Times Before - before what, I do not know, since I have not had time to inspect it. I would suspect it means before the betrayal of the Falmer by the Dwemer, however."

"That leaves Brina of the Pale," Balgruuf said thoughtfully. "She cares about her Hold and people, though I have no idea how she feels about Odmer. I suppose she could be a problem."

"I doubt it," Yssha said. "She is a veteran Legion officer, you know, more concerned for the Empire's welfare than her personal glory. Eliminating the Falmer is a benefit to the Empire, and doing it the way Akatosh wishes, they require a homeland. Should I speak to her as Stormcrown, tell her so?"

"I'm her King, so it should come from me," Balgruuf replied "Though if she balks, I might ask you to talk to her." He paused. "Speaking of which, your calling me your king isn't exactly accurate any more, you know. Stormcrown. It hasn't been since the Greybeards gave you that title."

Yssha nodded. "I find myself properly rebuked." The phrasing reminded her of her first meeting with Paarthurnax, when he'd taught her one word of Fire Breath, then told her to match his greeting, but had himself used all three. "May I still call you fahdoni?"

That made Balgruuf smile. "I don't think anyone could fault you for that, no. Rank is irrelevant to friendship, and we've known each other almost since your arrival in Skyrim."

Whatever Yssha was going to say next was interrupted by a dragon Call, by Fusmulgar, her Voice oddly throaty. "Od ... Ah Viing!" followed by the sound of wings.

"What in Oblivion!" Balgruuf exclaimed, standing.

Farengar ran out of his workshop and upstairs toward the Great Porch. Yssha was startled, then realized what was going on, and followed, Balgruuf and the rest following her in turn.

The two dragons were airborne, high above Dragonsreach, by the time they made it to the open end of the Great Porch. Balgruuf turned to Yssha. "Dragonborn?"

"This is a true mating flight," she said absently, watching as Fusmulgar had wished. "Not a sky-dance. She will lay an egg after this, to replace a permanently-dead dovah. She pleased Akatosh by her cooperation with Farengar, so He granted her this grace."

Not a sky-dance, Yssha thought, but it had its own different beauty. A single lengthy encounter, as long as a sky-dance with several different partners, ending when they separated and Fusmulgar Shouted triumphant fire into the sky and circled down to her tower.

"She's pregnant?" Farengar asked, as Balgruuf tried to shush him.

Yssha smiled. "Yes. And she will lay and nest in the Eastmarch hot pools, she said."

Odahviing landed on the Great Porch wall, looking ... smug, was the best description Yssha could come up with quickly. "It seems I owe you congratulations, vahriini."

He gape-grinned. "Not me, thuri, though I accept them. It is Fusmulgar who has earned praise, by doing something so difficult to one newly released from Alduin as cooperating with one who would experiment on a dovah."

Farengar seemed troubled at that. "She ... ah, she seemed willing, if not eager. And I tried not to hurt her."

"Bormahu knows, and honors you, as well, for that." Odahviing did his best to smile, but the effort wasn't very convincing. "Since she will be too clumsy then to carry a rider, I will take you to her when she is ready to lay. Bring gear for camping, if you wish to observe her brooding. It will be about a moon before she lays, then most of a year before the egg hatches."

"Thank you - I will. Should I take supplies?"

Odahviing rumbled a chuckle. "Nid ... I will hunt for her, and that will give you plenty of scraps. And if you need other things, I or another dovah can bring them."

When the excitement subsided and everyone had returned to their places, Balgruuf turned to Yssha. "I gather you think Gelebor should be Jarl?"

"If you do make Blackreach a Hold, yes. He is the only one of his people - as far as we know - who has experienced their culture. Granted, he has been isolated for some time, but he is intelligent and quick to learn."

"Very well," Balgruuf said. "By my power as High King of Skyrim, I declare Blackreach the eleventh Hold of Skyrim, and name Gelebor the Odmer its first Jarl." He smiled. "Be welcome in Dragonsreach any time, Jarl Gelebor."

Gelebor bowed gracefully. "Thank you, my King. By your leave, I should return to the Chantry of Auri-El, to find and install my replacement as Arch-Curate."

"You have leave," Balgruuf said. "How will you get there?"

"We will take him on Odahviing," Yssha replied. "After that, he will have a dragon team at his disposal, like the other Jarls." Still excepting Siddgeir, of course. Which, she admitted, didn't really displease her all that much, given how little she thought he deserved that rank.

Yssha had asked Odahviing to take them to Frozen Lake before going to the Inner Sanctum, so she could bring the twin dragons up to date. When he landed and his riders dismounted, she Called them.

"Naaslaarum! Voslaarum!"

Moments later, they erupted from the ice about a hundred yards away - Yssha and the rest were near the shore - and approached. "Drem yol lok, Dovahkiin," one said. "You have news for us?"

Yssha smiled. "Drem yol lok, Naaslaarum, Voslaarum. I do indeed, and I think it will please you. I have been Restoring your friends as I find them. It is much easier and more satisfying than having to fight them! Jarl Kraldar of Winterhold has welcomed a number of them there, where they are helping to rebuild the city. A few have moved into my own Skyhold, and two have become dragonriders in the Skyguard."

"That is certainly good news, though the thought of them riding dovahhe is a strange one indeed, even though we have seen ridden dragons in the distance a few times." The dragon cocked his head. "Who picks who is ridden, and who rides whom?"

"It is by mutual agreement," Yssha replied. "Although a dragon who is willing to carry riders will generally make the initial choice, a certain amount of rearranging is always going on."

"That is well, then."

"You didn't tell them all of it, dearling," Marcurio said, grinning.

"There is more?" the other one said.

"Yes - when we Restored the ones in Sightless Pit, we found a temple of Auri-El with a very well preserved library of Snow Elf writings from the Times Before. And this morning, with aid from Vulthuryol, we Restored all of those in Blackreach."

"Blackreach?"

"Fal'Zhardum Din," Gelebor said. When the twins nodded, he continued. "Thanks to the Dragonborn, High King Balgruuf has designated it a Hold, and named me its Jarl. It needs much work, but it gives the Odmer a homeland, as well as their settlements elsewhere."

"Truly, Dovahkiin," one of the twins said, "you have done more, and more quickly, than we thought possible. You have our thanks."

"It is the sort of thing I enjoy doing," she replied. "But we must take Gelebor to the Inner Sanctum so he can see about finding a new Arch-Curate."

The dovah shrugged. "This is clearly Bormahu's will, so there is probably somebody waiting."

"You could be right. He does seem in something of a hurry," Gelebor said. "I have never seen or heard of Him taking such an active role as he has done and is doing with Dovahkiin."

"He isn't the only one, either," Marcurio said. "Talos has spoken through her, and created shrines to her throughout Skyrim that are as effective at blessings as those to the Divines."

"'Dovahkiin, fah hin kogaan mu draal,'" Gelebor quoted. "'Dragonborn, for your blessings we pray.' Yes, there's one at the spot where she Restored Marcurio and Nevan. It's used often."

"Also a temple on Solstheim, if it's been cleansed and reconsecrated yet. With her very own Dragon Priestess." Marcurio chuckled. "That's mostly to distract the folks who insist on worshipping her, though, and keep them out from underfoot."

"Well, let's get back to the Inner Sanctum and see what Auri-El has in store," Gelebor said, chuckling as well.

When they landed, they saw an Odmer woman in priestly robes waiting for them at the foot of the statue. When they approached her, Yssha smiled. "Serana! It is good to see you again."

The Odmer returned her smile, bowing. "And you, Dovahkiin." She turned to Gelebor, bowing again. "I was informed that you have a new title, Jarl Gelebor, and that I am to take your place here, at least temporarily."

"I'm sure you'll be fine, Arch-Curate. You might want to send a messenger to Sightless Pit, and have him ask Prelate Corellon about any books relating to the Chantry. He has a full library, and will begin copying it as soon as Dovahkiin gets him the materials."

He smiled. "You may also tell those who wish to leave the Chantry that they're welcome in Winterhold, Skyhold, and Fal'Zhardum Din, which is now called Blackreach, and is our new homeland."

The priestess looked stunned. "This is ... astonishing. Almost like the times when ... between the Dawn and Merethic Eras, when things were changing almost too fast for mortals to comprehend."

"It is, isn't it?" Gelebor nodded thoughtfully. "But it's the time of the Last Dragonborn, so perhaps turmoil is inevitable. And only the Divines know what will happen from here on."

Author's Note: ADVANCE WARNING: In approximately ten chapters, this story's rating will change to M. I don't want to post spoilers, so all I'll say is that it has to do with Thalmor activity. It will still be mostly T, but there will be more intense parts I'd rather rate M to be safe.