Chapter 8: A Chance Meeting
I continued my training along the path of the Dragonborn. Along my travels I brought Sofia and Inigo along for the ride, and like the steadfast Khajitt himself said, our time together was proving beneficial indeed. We traveled across the entire land of Skyrim, exploring dangerous tombs, unmasking magnificent treasure, and discovering legendary stories. We even encountered some of the Dragon Priests, undead mages who served the Dragons in the Second Era, and rested awaiting the day warriors like us dared to intrude. Along the way, I learned more words of power. Every now and then, I'd bring along a Companion for to hunt a Dragon and slay it in honorable combat.
Eventually, the Greybeards summoned me once more to High Hrothgar, where they would instruct me my final test; to retrieve the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller from his resting place in the Nordic Tomb of Ustengrav. We traveled with my housecarl Lydia, from Ivarsted that day to the settlement of Morthal, where we planned on spending the night before embarking. Upon our arrival, where we stumbled upon the site of a tragedy. Apparently, a house belonging to a man named Hroggar caught fire; and his wife and daughter perished in the flames. Some say it was an accident, other's say it was murder. But in the lack of any evidence, Hroggar walks free. My gang and I decided to investigate the event before. We first searched at the house, wherein I found one of the floorboards in the dining area was split downward; something heavy was dropped. Furthermore, judging from the burns in the wood, the fireplace was not where the fire started. Afterwards, we asked Hroggar to inform us about the situation. It struck me as strange that he wasn't hesitant in the least to confess he was a man who often kept to himself. Under normal circumstances I'd say he would be a prime suspect, but that man was not acting normal in the least. As the sun began to set, a man known as Thonnir asked us outsiders if we had seen his wife Laelette. Just before the night of the fire, she left the town, supposedly to enlist in the Imperial Legion. The entire situation was starting to smell fishy, even moreso when I caught sight of what appeared to be the ghost of a child walking from the burnt house. Trusting my instincts, I followed the specter to a child sized coffin atop a hill located behind the house, unprofessionally placed into a hole in the ground. Upon further examination, and judging from the mold upon the wood, I realized that someone was trying to dig the coffin out rather than in. No sooner did my werewolf senses pick up a threat. A vampire approach the gang and I, threatening to kill if we didn't back off. Naturally, a conflict began, and we emerged victorious. It didn't take long for word to spread about the incident, especially when we discovered the vampire was in actuality, Thonnir's wife Laelette. When we interrogated him further he mentioned that before she left, Laelette was making regular visits to an acquaintance known as Alva, whose house was on the border of the town. So we took an unconventional approach and broke into her homestead, only to find out Hroggar was there waiting for her return. Instead of killing him, Sofia placed a calm spell over him which put him to sleep. Searching the house, we found a secret entrance hidden behind a bookcase which led to a hidden lair. Within it was a coffin, and her personal journal which revealed she was the true culprit. Unbeknownst to the town of Mortal, she was a member of a vampire coven under the command of Movarth Piquine, who plotted to take over the town by force. Furthermore, Alva charmed Hroggar into her personal thrall with her dark arts, and instructed Laelette to kill his family. Laelette however was supposed to make it seem like an accident, but burned the place down instead. I handed this journal to Jarl Idgrod Ravencrone who commended our service and tasked us with tracking down and killing Movarth and his cronies. It didn't take long for the town to forma mob and follow us, only for all of them to cower away from the entrance to the cave, all but Thonnir, who wanted vengeance for his wife. My plan was I'd create a diversion as a Werewolf at the entrance while Inigo, Sofia, and Thonnir searched for another way around to ambush them. The plan worked seamlessly as Inigo took out Movarth's support while Sofia and Thonnir did the rest. Jarl Idgrod bestowed upon me the title of Thane of Morthal before letting us stay the night free of rent.
The next day, we were ready to tackle whatever dangers lay in our path in Ustengrav. Besides coming across an apprentice Necromancer and a couple bandits, there wasn't much else to worry about arriving at the entrance. The rest of the journey into the crypt was more enduring, as he had to face a horde of Draugr, something Inigo was quite fearful of. Further down the tomb, we uncovered another Word Wall built next to an underground spring, where I received the first word of a new shout; become ethereal. In the chamber opposite, above the spring, we came across a particular perplexing puzzle, wherein upon brushing against three distinct ritual stones which would glow; triggering the mechanism which would lift three parallel iron gates down a corridor in front of us. The conundrum was that once a person reached a certain distance from the stones, the iron gates would slam back down. I proposed that Inigo and Sofia stood by the two farthest stones, while I would stand next to the third, and would use Whirlwind Sprint to reach the other side. The plan worked seamlessly. No sooner however did we encounter a nest of Frostbite Spiders, something I myself was quite fearful of, whereas Inigo was eager to puncture with a handful of ebony arrows. I swear I will never understand his tolerance towards them, much less his playful obsession. Our final destination in the crypt was a great cyclopean vault, the lower half being submerged. Titanic Nordic idols virtually rose out of the water as we proceeded down the path, as if they were waiting for someone to come along. What lay ahead was none other than the century-old stone coffer of Jurgen Windcaller. Alas, where I had anticipated to obtain the fabled Horn, I unexpectedly found but a mere note upon the stone hand erected from the tomb. Upon further examination it read,
Dragonborn,
I apologize for the inconvenience considering you were expecting to find the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. Given the circumstance of my background, you must understand I've taken cautionary measures which might seem excessive by your standards. I've information that might be worth your while. Rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood should you decide to talk to me, it is imperative we meet as soon as possible.
– A Friend.
"Well that was anticlimactic." Inigo commented.
"Are you saying we came all this way to find a sheet of paper? The person who took the horn better have a good explanation for doing this."
"Stupid tomb full of stupid zombies and no stupid horn at the end of it all. What a waste." Inigo uttered as I found the secret exit. We made our way out of the tomb and headed to Riverwood, questioning who would go through all the trouble to replace the horn with a note.
Nostalgia was the first thought that reached my mind when we arrived at the peaceful riverside settlement. Just as Balgruff promised, he sent more guards to protect the town should trouble; or in this instance a Dragon, appear. Two children were having a debate whether or not they should try to dress up their dog like a Frostbite Spider to prank the Innkeeper. My answer to that would've be quite obvious, as I love dogs. We walked into the Sleeping Giant Inn where a bard was playing his lute. I walked up to Orgnar, the barkeep to grab his attention. "Can I help you?" He asked
"May we rent the attic room?" I replied.
"You must be mistaken. We don't have an attic room as far as I'm concerned. But you're welcome to ask Delphine." He responded, pointing to the blonde haired woman garbed in a common dress. We approached her. "What can I get you?" She asked.
"We're looking to rent the attic room." I replied.
"Well... we don't have an attic room, but you can have the one on the left. Make yourself at home." She said before we made our way in. There was barely enough room for the three of us to get comfortable, so I was wondering what would happen next as she followed suit and shut the door behind us. I was starting to get the feeling we've been lured into a trap. She turned and gazed right at me. "So you're the Dragonborn I've been hearing so much about."
"Who wants to know?" I questioned.
"A friend, one who will provide you with the answers you're looking for." He said before revealing the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. "I think you're looking for this."
"Will I regret asking why you bothered?" I grabbed the horn from her and stuffed it away in my inventory, feeling skeptical of the situation.
"Follow me and we shall talk." She said before opening the cupboard. She pressed against the wooden panel inside and it slid away to reveal a secret entryway leading to a hidden basement.
"This ought to be good." Sofia said as we followed Delphine down the stairs. She leaned on a table in the center of the room and stared me in the eyes.
"They Greybeards seem to think you're the Dragonborn. I hope they are right." Delphine said.
"That is correct. In fact, they helped me discover my potential as well." I replied.
"I hope so. But you'll forgive me if I don't assume that something's true just because the Greybeards say so. I just handed you the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. Does that make me Dragonborn, too?"
"That depends, can you shout like one?" Sofia commented.
"And who are these two?" Delphine asked.
"Very good friends of mine, companions of who I daresay if it not for them, I wouldn't be here."
"This conversation was only meant to involve you Dragonborn."
"For your information, my name is Don K'hotei, and whatever I'm involved in, these two have the right to be involved in as well. Besides, how do I know this isn't an elaborate trap? You did take the horn from Jurgen's tomb."
"He does have a point." Inigo intervened.
"Whatever you may think of me, I assure you Dragonborn that if I was your enemy I wouldn't have given you the horn in the first place. I had to make sure you three weren't sent by the Thalmor to entrap me."
"If it makes you this incredulous, why bother? And what does this have to do with me?"
"If you were in my place, there's no such thing as being too careful. In addition, I happen to be a part of a group that's been looking for you... well, a Dragonborn such as you, for a very long time. However, before I tell you any more, I need to make sure I can trust you."
"You can trust us. I would appreciate it if you could inform us of what we need to know." I sighed.
"The Dragons aren't just coming back, they're coming back to life." Delphine revealed. I blinked upon hearing that phrase, checking to make sure whether or not I was mistaken in what I just heard. "I beg your pardon, did I just hear you correctly?"
"I'm afraid you did. They weren't gone somewhere for all these years. They were dead, killed off centuries ago by my predecessors. Now something's happening to bring them back to life. And I need you to help me stop it." She further explained.
"Do you realize how insane this all sounds?" Sofia asked.
"Ha. A few years ago, I said almost the same thing to a colleague of mine. Well, it turned out he was right and I was wrong."
"What exactly makes you think they're coming back to life?" Inigo questioned.
"I know they are. I've visited their ancient burial mounds and found them empty. And I've figured out where the next one will come back to life. We're going to go there, and I need you to kill that Dragon if we are to succeed."
"And how exactly did you manage to piece this all together?"
"You should know by now. Remember the Dragonstone you got for Farengar? In actuality, it's a map of ancient dragon burial sites. I've already taken a look at which ones are now empty. The pattern has become predictable."
"So…based on the information you gathered, where do you suppose this next dragon resurrection will take place?"
"Kynesgrove. There's an ancient dragon burial near there. If we can get there before it happens, maybe we'll learn how to stop it."
"If you insist."
"I do. I need to get into my traveling gear. Give me a minute and I'll be ready. Then we'll need to get on the road to Kynesgrove." She said before pointing us in the direction of the exit to the hidden cellar through the fake closet. It was apparent she required some privacy, so we did just that and waited for her.
"We don't have to take orders from that old skeever. As far as I'm concerned you're Dragonborn, I'm extremely beautiful and tough, and she should be taking orders from us." Sofia clamored.
"Sure, she's got the manners of a Hagraven. But if she's right about a dragon appearing in Kynesgrove, then I reckon we ought to be there. We are the only ones who have any experience killing a Dragon." I replied.
"Does she really think a Dragon is going to attack Kynesgrove?" Inigo asked.
"Only one way to find out." I replied before she appeared and gestured for us to follow her. We casually walked out of the Sleeping Giant Inn, wondering what we got ourselves into as I hopped onto my horse, Alfsigar and headed to Kynsgrove.
Apart from a few bandit attacks and animal encounters, there wasn't much that hindered our progress on the journey. Sofia, Inigo, I had a nice long conversation along the path.
"Sofia, I've been wondering, are you from Skyrim?" I asked.
"Born and raised." She replied.
"Whereabouts were you raised exactly?"
"I…well, close enough to Whiterun." She replied, a hint of hesitation in her lips. "My parents were the funny type, but not really comical, just…funny."
"Is something the matter?"
"Nothing at all! Just a little worn out from this bumpy ride." She commented.
"Where in all of Skyrim did you learn to wield magic like that?" Inigo asked. "I could never learn a single spell."
"At the College of Winterhold of course. I was one of the top performing students there." She boasted.
"Were you now?" I asked her.
"Of course! I even created a spell that made everyone on the entire campus naked. Too bad I was expelled for that though. It's not fair to be honest, no one else was talented enough to make such a spell."
"Gee, I wonder why." I retorted in a gest of humor as we approached the crossroads near Kynesgrove, we heard a faint echo in the distance beyond the tree line; the unmistakable roar of a Dragon to be certain. We hastened towards our destination on the map before a woman opposite stormed out of the Braidwood Inn and stopped in her tracks to warn us. "No, you mustn't go up there! A dragon... it's attacking!" She shouted.
"Where is this dragon now?" I asked urgently.
"It flew over the settlement, towards an ancient burial mound up the hill. I don't know what it's doing up there, but I'm not waiting around to find out!" She said before taking shelter in the nearby mine. Inigo, Sofia, and I dismounted our horses just below the hill as we didn't want them to be involved in the battle that was to occur, if fate deemed we survive the ordeal. Delphine had already arrived and was crouched behind a rock as we approached the mound. From it, a tempest of fire and ash seemed to geyser upward towards the sky. My veins froze as I set my glance upon the black clad Dragon hovering in mid-air. I daresay I recall it was the exact same one that destroyed Helgen, the same Dragon that's been plaguing my nightmares. The Black Dragon seemed to be partaking in a summoning ritual of sorts, Delphine's former claim was turning out to be more actuality than superstition. I gulped wondering if I was ever a match for the nightmare dragon. "Sahloknir, ziil gro dovah ulse!" The black brute spoke before it thundered a mighty shout onto the hillock. The fire and ash dissipated before our very eyes, only for the very mound to erupt in an upsurge of earth and stone, revealing the bones of a dead dragon clawing its way from underground and into the open, scaled flesh reforming upon its skeleton. I could scarcely believe what I was witnessing as Delphine's worst acclimations came true; the dragons were indeed coming back to life and by will of the very monster that haunted my recent nightmares.
"Alduin, thuri! Boaan tiid vokriiha suleyksejun kruziik?" Sahloknir, the undead dragon asked, bowing before the Black Dragon.
"Geh, Sahloknir, kaali mir. Ful, losei Dovahkiin? Zu'u koraav nid nol dov do hi." The ash-clad winged serpent bellowed as it shifted its gaze towards me. In that very moment I felt paralyzed by fear. "You do not even know our tongue, do you? Such a disgrace that your fellow mortals would dare bestow the title of Dovah upon you. Sahloknir, krii daar joorre!" The Black Dragon commanded before it flew off in search of more of his brethren to resurrect. As soon as Sahloknir turned its gaze towards us and sneered, we drew our weapons. Just as sudden, it shouted frost breath at us. The others leapt for safety while I was caught in the crossfire. It was as if my soul was being sapped from me from the cold that ate away at my skin. Inigo was quick to respond by shooting arrows at its face, as was Delphine who drew her twin swords and started slashing at the beast. As soon as it took to the air, Sofia applied a healing spell on me which quickly restored my strength. As far as first impressions go, I had to admit I was feeling quite embarrassed as Dragonborn, allowing myself to nearly be bested while Delphine had her eyes on me. As soon as I regained a steady footing, I applied a Stoneflesh spell I learned from Farengar unto me. I was almost starting to regret choosing to become a spellsword, having no shield on me at the time, so I stuck to evasive maneuvers and attacking the dragon when I could. Having previous experience at the Western Watchtower, I once more dug the blade of my katana into the wing joint of the colossal creature to ground it. Normally a dragon would've been able to take on four targets such as us. But we were different; we were a team, and as such we relied on our teamwork to bring down the brute. Using an old trick, I leapt onto its skull and held my balance, timing the stroke of my sword to penetrate its skull, killing it in one blow. As Inigo once said, our time together was proving mutually beneficial.
No sooner did the slayed Dragon start to glow; its flesh disintegrating as its soul leaked from its body and I began to absorb its mighty essence. I could feel myself getting stronger. All the while, Delphine stood there, enthralled. Any doubt she had about me was swept away with the wind.
"So you really are…" She stuttered
"Dragonborn." Inigo finished, rolling the 'r'. No sooner did a spiritual shockwave emit from my being, just as before at the Western Watchtower. Once more, I felt a surge of euphoria rush up my spine before I stood to face the awestruck woman; no longer doubtful of my status. "I owe you some answers don't I?"
"Undoubtedly so."
"Go ahead, anything you ask, I shall answer."
"Alright then, who are you? More importantly what is your business concerning me specifically?"
"I'm one of the last members of The Blades. A long time ago, before Talos of Atmora united Tamriel, the Blades were dragonslayers, and we served the Dragonborn, the ultimate dragonslayer. Ever since the Dragonborn Emperor Martin Septim sacrificed himself to close the Oblivion Gates, the Blades have been searching for the next Dragonborn to guide and guard, as we are sworn to do for the past two hundred years. But we never found one, until now. Now that dragons are back, we need to stop them before they wreak more havoc and chaos upon the land of Skyrim and possibly all of Tamriel."
"So…what's next?" Sofia asked.
"The first thing we need to do is figure out who's behind the dragons. The Thalmor are our best lead. If they aren't involved, they'll know who is." Delphine replied.
"So…earlier you mentioned that you wanted to make sure this wasn't all an elaborate trap set by the Thalmor. Care to enlighten me on that?" I asked.
"Before the Great War, the Blades aided the Empire against the Thalmor onslaught. Our Grandmaster saw them as the greatest threat to Tamriel. Aside from the Dragons, perhaps they still are. They are determined to hunt us down until we are wiped clean from the face of the entire continent."
"What makes you think they're behind this Dragon Crisis?" Inigo questioned.
Nothing solid yet. But my gut tells me that they're somehow involved in this. Think about it, the Empire had captured Ulfric; the war was basically over. Then a dragon attacks, Ulfric escapes, and the war is back on. Now the dragons are attacking everywhere, indiscriminately. Skyrim is weakened; the Empire is weakened. Who else gains from that but the Thalmor?"
"I always said the Thalmor could never be trusted." Sofia remarked.
"How do we find out for sure?" I asked.
"If we could get into the Thalmor Embassy... it's the center of their operations in Skyrim... problem is, that place is locked up tighter than a miser's purse. They could teach me a few things about paranoia..."
"I don't suppose you have a plan for infiltrating?"
"That depends, how good are you at sneaking Don?" She questioned.
"Well…my time in the Companions have proved beneficial to my fighting skills. As for my sneaking? I haven't done any since the days I was…a bandit." I admitted. Sofia and Inigo fell silent upon hearing that.
"A tale for another time I suppose. In the meantime, I have a contact in Riften who might assist you in gaining the skills to infiltrate the Embassy. His name is Brynjolf and he happens to be part of a very inconspicuous guild that operates there. Just tell him Delphine sent you."
"How do you know him?"
"A tale for another time." Delphine replied with a smirk. "Let's just say in the wake of the White-Gold Concordat, he helped me and an old friend out of a sticky situation.
"Perhaps I was wrong about you Delphine. Let's head down to the Braidwood Inn down the hill and spend the night there. I say we have deserved ourselves a respite."
"Well said." Inigo chimed as we tallied down the path with the wind at our backs. He was obviously looking forward to heading back to Riften.
As a token of appreciation, the Innkeeper, Iddra allowed us to stay that night at The Braidwood Inn free of charge. We were exhausted by that time and enjoyed a night to ourselves around the fire, drinking sweet ale. The night went by steadily with little intrusion, apart from a dispute between Iddra and Roggi Knot-Keeper who procrastinated on paying for a number of drinks. Being the Harbinger of the Companions, I was quick to give him a sparse lesson on trust. Afterwards, Sofia in her slender stupor sang us a song, particularly about her friendship with I.
"At the College of Winterhold there was a mage, who got sent away after causing a rage.
She demonstrated her spell, but to no avail, for it led the brave woman to the stables on a haybale!
Then came a warrior who disturbed her rest, but accepted her presence for the upcoming quests!
They traveled together to meet friend and foe, and word spread around of the legendary duo!
They killed dragons, bandits, Forsworn, even bears! They traveled through Skyrim and walked Hrothgar's stairs!
And all of this started with a simple funny spell, but it led to adventures soon everyone shall tell!"
After she sang the entirety of the ballad, the gathering folk around the fire applauded, as did Inigo and I, a pity she couldn't include him, but perhaps another time. We soon went to sleep with mead in our bellies and our heads full of pleasant dreams.