The sun had gone down and the people of Ivarstead were having a small celebration for Tadal'alla.
"A toast to Tadal'alla, the Dragonborn!" said Wilhelm with a raised glass, the rest of the people all raising their glasses to her as well.
"How's it feel to be Dragonborn?" Glack-Al asked from where he sat next to her in the Inn.
"Honestly, this one does not feel that different." Tadal'alla admitted before taking a small bite from her bread. "Well, aside from this strange new power. Makes me wonder what all there is to being a Dragonborn."
"Isn't that why we were going up to meet the Greybeards?" Glack-Al asked.
"Indeed, but...this one wonders what will happen with our lives." Tadal'alla said, a hint of worry in her tone.
"Ah, don't worry about it. If anything, it'll make our lives easier. After all, if one dragon each gave us that power, then more dragons will make us invincible." Glack-Al said with a smile.
"Or overconfident." Tadal'alla countered.
"Excuse me." a guard said as he approached them.
"Is something wrong?" Tadala'alla asked.
"I wanted to confirm something from the Argonian. You said that you had killed a dragon in Whiterun, correct?" the guard asked.
"That's right. Why?" he asked.
"I'm heading towards Riften at dawn to report what happened here. The Jarl will need to hear about today's events, and I wanted my report to be accurate." the guard explained.
"I see. Well, hope you're journey's a safe one." Glack-Al said.
"Same to the two of you on your journey up to High Hrothgar tomorrow." the guard said before heading for the door.
"Hopefully, the weather won't be as freezing as it looks up there." Glack said with a frown.
"Yes. This one wonders if you can make it halfway up there, given your cold-blooded nature." Tadal'alla said with a smirk.
"Laugh it up now. If I freeze up along the way up there, you'll have to drag me the rest of the way." Glack-Al said with a smirk of his own, making the two laugh before Klimmek approached them.
"Pardon me for intruding, but I have a favor to ask." he said. "I was wondering if you two could deliver some supplies to the Greybeards for me tomorrow, since you're going up there anyway."
"What kind of supplies?" Tadal'alla asked.
"Just the usual that I take up to them. Dried meats and other such things." Klimmek explained.
"As long as it doesn't weigh us down too much, then okay." Tadal'alla agreed.
"Thanks. The weather's been harsh up there lately, so it's been too difficult for me to make the trip, even with Wilhelm's food keeping me warm." Klimmek said, his voice holding gratitude.
"Food?" Glack-Al asked.
"It's the regular stuff, but the regular salt is replaced with fire salts." Klimmek explained. "Said to warm even the most cold-blooded of Argonians with just one bowl, and it won't go cold even if you left it out in the snow for days."
"Is that so? Then perhaps we should ask Wilhelm to make some for us for the trip tomorrow." Tadal'alla suggested.
"You don't have to." Wilhelm said as he approached them, a steaming bowl in each hand. "Here's a bowl of hot potata soup for each of you, on the house. Careful. It's hot."
"Thanks." Glack said before they each took a spoonful, let it cool, and tasted it. A moment passed before both of their eyes widened as they felt their insides heat up with a gentle warmth.
"Feeling warmer already?" Klimmek asked.
"Yes." Tadal'alla nodded as Glack took a few more bites. "It is incredible in both flavor and warmth." she said before she ate some more.
"It's all in the fire salts." Wilhelm boasted. "Too much and it's like eating fire. Too little and you barely warm up at all. But get it just right and you'll feel pleasantly warm even in these harsh snowy lands of Skyrim."
"How long will the warmth last?" Tadal'alla asked.
"A bowl that size usually last about an hour. It's why people have some before they make the travel up to High Hrothgar." Wilhelm answered.
"Tell me the truth. Is it really 7,000 steps?" Glack asked.
"I counted once when I was younger. It's close enough." Klimmek answered before turning towards the exit. "Well, I'm going to get those supplies ready for delivery."
"Take care." Tadal'alla said before she and her brother went back to their soup before enjoying the small celebration.
Morning had come and the people had arrived to see the siblings off.
"Here's those supplies." Klimmek said as he handed them a white bag full of various things.
"We'll deliver them to the Greybeards, as promised." Tadal'alla said as she took the bag and tied the rope to the knapsack she had.
"And here." Wilhelm said as he handed them two large potion jars. "Filled with more soup. Use them sparingly."
"Got it." Glack-Al said as the two pocketed the soup.
"Soup, supplies and an extra layer of clothing." Tadal'alla listed off as she checked herself before nodding. "That's everything."
"Well, we're off." Glack-Al said.
"Take care."
"Stay safe."
"Watch for frost trolls!"
"Good luck."
"See you when we get back." Glack-Al said as the two waved before turning towards the bottom steps. Glack walked up one before looking at his sister. "One down." he chuckled before taking slow steps. "Two...Three...Four."
"Knock it off, you idiot." his sister huffed with a smile as the two began their journey up to High Hrothgar.
-1,000 steps-
The two were going at a normal pace as they continued to climb.
"Are we there yet?" Glack-Al asked with a grin.
"Don't start." Tadal'alla grunted.
-2,000 steps-
"Brrr. It's getting cold." Glack-Al said with a shiver before taking a few sips of soup. "Ahhh, that's better."
"Don't drink it all. It needs to last us the trip there and back." Tadal'alla reminded him.
-3,000 step-
"Stupid...Ice Wraith!" Glack-Al panted after finally killing the slippery thing. "Wouldn't hold still." he said before seeing his sister snicker. "What's so f-funny?!"
"You looked so ridiculous swinging that axe around like a madman." she answered.
"Then you can handle whatever we run into n-next!" Glack-Al snapped before taking another swig of soup.
-4,000 steps-
The two were continuing up the steps, albeit with difficulty due to the wind picking up and the temperature dropping.
"They w-w-weren't kidding! It's f-f-f-freezing up here!" Glack-Al said with his chattering teeth.
"S-Stop complaining! We're more than halfway t-there." Tadal'alla informed him before they saw a small fire up ahead, a man sitting next to it and placing more wood on the fire.
"First time heading up to High Hrothgar?" the man asked as they slowly approached him.
"How'd you k-know?" Tadal'alla asked.
"Just a hunch." the man said before gesturing for them to warm up by the fire. "I'm amazed to find an Argonian making the climb up this snowy mountain, considering how bad your people are in the cold."
"No choice. The G-Greybeards have s-s-summoned the two of us." Glack-Al answered.
"They summoned you? What do you mean?" the man asked.
"Did you not hear them shouting a few days ago?" Tadal'alla asked as she and Glack-Al warmed themselves up by the fire.
"Of course I heard, but I didn't understand what they were shouting. It sounded like...Dovahkiin." the man explained.
"We don't know what it means either, but we were told that it was the Greybeards summoning the Dragonborn up to meet them." Glack stated as he relaxed by the fire.
"Dragonborn? I've heard the legends. Are you saying that they're true?" the man asked.
"Yes. Apologies, but we did not get your name." Tadal'alla said.
"My name is Barknar." the man introduced.
"Tadal'alla."
"Glack-Al." the two introduced as they let the fire warm them up.
"You really should've gotten more layers before you came up here." said Barknar.
"And what about you? You're not even wearing a shirt!" Glack-Al pointed out.
"I'm a Nord, and I come up here quite often. I'm used to this kind of cold." Barknar explained as put the last of the wood on the fire before standing up. "Well, I've rested long enough. I'm heading back down. Good luck on your journey."
"And t-to you too." Tadal'alla said as she and Glack-Al huddled closer together around the fire.
"You wouldn't happen to have packed any firewood, would you?" Glack-Al asked with a small chuckle.
"No, but I will remember it for next time." she said, earning a laugh from the two of them.
-5,000 steps-
The two were slowly trudging through the snow, the harsh wind making it difficult to proceed.
"Cursed s-s-snow!" Tadal'alla huffed before she and Glack drank some more soup. "N-Next time, we buy a b-b-bigger bottle for this s-soup!"
"Y-Y-Y-Yeah!" Glack-Al said, his teeth chattering so much that they almost felt like they would break. "Why do these G-G-Greybeards have to be up here any-y-yway?! Couldn't they have built their monastery s-s-somewhere warmer?"
"We'll ask t-t-them when we g-g-get there! It's n-n-not that much farther n-n-now!" Tadal'alla said as she rubbed her arms.
-6,000 steps-
The siblings were resting by another campfire, courtesy of another pilgrim by the name of Karita, trying to get some feeling back in their fingers and toes.
"You two going to be alright?" the woman asked.
"J-Just need to rest for a bit. We'll be f-fine." Tadal'alla assured her.
"Your friend's condition says otherwise." Karita stated as she looked at a miserable Glack-Al.
"M-M-M-Mind your own b-b-b-business!" Glack snapped before a harsh wind blew, making him shiver even more.
"Might want to ask the Greybeards for a few extra pairs of clothing for the return trip." Katira said with a smirk.
"W-W-We'll do t-t-t-that!" Tadal'alla said with a nod as the two tried to warm up.
-6,900 steps-
The two were making the final push towards High Hrothgar, the weather becoming even fiercer than before.
'Just a little.' Tadal'alla mentally repeated as she blocked her eyes to keep the snow out of them. She blinked a little and narrowed her eyes to try and see through the blizzard before seeing a building up ahead. A chest sat at the bottom of two sets of stone steps that lead up into an old building. A smile came to her as she realized that they had made it.
They had arrived at High Hrothgar.
"We...We m-m-made it, b-brother." she said as she turned towards Glack, only to see nobody was there. "B-Brother?...Glack-Al?" she called out as she looked around, trying to find her brother. "Glack? Glack-Al?! Where are you?!" she yelled before she gasped and quickly started to head back the way she came. "GLACK! GLACK-AL! TALK TO THIS ONE! WHERE ARE YOU?!" she yelled through the storm as she kept walking. She continued to call for him before stumbling over a snow mound and fell face first into the snow. She forced her cold and tired body to stand and prepared to call again-
"...uuuh..."
-before stopping when she heard a grunt. She looked down and saw that the snow mound she fell over was very familiar...and was not moving.
"GLACK!"