Chapter 19

Turdas, the 18th of Midyear, Year 202 of the 4th Era

Of course, finding the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller couldn't be simple. No, she had to pass the third and final trial first. She had to climb the Throat of the World alone and receive the blessing of Paarthrunax. Only then would they reveal what they knew about the last resting place of the horn. Arngeir warned that it was a dangerous climb. He told her to pack food for two weeks because if she didn't return within two weeks, she wouldn't return at all. Only dragonborn and the most headstrong Greybeard novitiates attempted the ascent. Of the Greybeards who made the attempt, half died. Two out-of-three dragonborn survived the ascent, which was hardly encouraging.

Although there were still several hours of daylight remaining, Daenerys decided that it would be best to spend the rest of the day preparing. She would begin her ascent the next morning once she was fully rested. After exchanging looks with his fellow Greybeards, Arngeir offered to let her and her party stay in High Hrothgar. Daenerys gladly accepted. The food they offered was meager: coarse bread, a vegetable soup, and small servings of meat from the elk that Ull had killed on their way up the mountain. The chairs were hard uncomfortable stone, and conversation was sparse. She knew the Greybeards were monks, but she simply didn't understand the ascetic life. What was the point of mastering the Thu'um when they barely scraped out a living on top of a mountain? She could appreciate that Words of Power should be used to a better purpose than mere destruction, but the Greybeards didn't appear to actually use the Thu'um for anything at all.

Once the awkward meal was done, Daenerys spent the next few hours planning and preparing. Ull and Karita both had some experience in climbing, and Ull had scaled a mountain once just to prove to himself that he could do it. Both advised her to dress in layers because overheating and sweating through her clothes in cold weather could be almost as bad as not bundling up enough. As it wouldn't be practical to carry wood for a fire, she packed dried meats, nuts, and grains for rations. Ull recommended she carry an axe or a pick instead of her mace because either could be used to gain a better grip on slippery ice. Karita recommended a stamina potion or two in case her strength started to fade during a long climb.

Ull agreed with Karita, about the potions but took it further. "Never start a climb that you are not fully prepared to finish. You cannot stop halfway, and climbing down is sometimes worse than climbing up. You should also always search around before starting any difficult climb. I once spent hours scaling a cliff only to discover there was an easy path had I just scouted a little bit further.

Daenerys soaked up all their advice trying to memorize it. After riding atop her dragons, she wasn't terrified of heights. It was just common sense that scaling a mountain was dangerous, and she should listen to those with experience. Hopefully, it wouldn't be as bad as Ull made it out to be. Arngeir had revealed that there was a path at least partway up the mountain. He didn't know if the path went all the way up or not. The Greybeards considered the entire mountain above High Hrothgar to be sacred to Kyne. Those that returned from the ascent spoke of their meeting with Paar-Thur-Nax, and very little about their climb.

She left early the next morning after a light breakfast. Everyone came to see her off. Her followers all clustered around her and wished her good luck and a safe journey. She shook hands with most of them and traded hugs with Sofija and Faralda. All four Greybeards watched looking solemn and faintly disapproving of the scene. Was hugging or saying goodbye against their religion, too? She had to keep some distance from her rank and file followers, but she was not going to isolate herself from her closest advisors like she had done in Westeros. That had undoubtedly contributed to her sliding into madness.

Arngeir strode forward. "Dragonborn, may Kyne watch over you during your trial upon her sacred mountain."

Right, and how to respond to that? She touched her chest where her amulet of Talos rested. "May it be so, and may Talos guide me as I walk in the footsteps of Tiber Septim."

"May it be so," agreed Arngeir. He bowed and all the Greybeards did with him.

Daenerys curtseyed again and then went through the gate that marked the boundary of High Hrothgar and followed the path that climbed gently up the mountain. To her surprise Barbas came running after her. "Barbas, you know that I'm supposed to climb alone, don't you?"

Barbas snorted. {So what? They think I'm just a dog.}

Truth be told she wasn't that upset about having company, and she doubted that Barbas would be able to climb all the way to the top anyway. Still, it seemed risky. "And is it safe for you to be here? This is Kyne's sacred mountain and you are a part of Clavicus Vile?}

{Danger?} Barbas made the choking sound he used for laughter. {We had a deal. I stick by you and your buddies until Alduin's done. Kyne is small change compared to Alduin. She's got too much to watch over to pay attention unless you get all Shouty and call down her attention. Don't believe me? Watch this.} Barbas hiked his leg and pissed on a rock. {See, nothing happened. It's just rocks and snow.}

Daenerys bent down and scratched his ears. "Well, aren't you a brave boy? I'm glad to have you Barbas, for as long as you can keep up."

{Yeah, paws are good for digging, but not climbing. Still, I'll stick around as long as I can. Although if you want to find a comfy cave where we can hang out for a few days, then we come back down and lie your ass off about how you reached the summit, that would be fine by me.}

Daenerys laughed. "I think Paar-Thur-Nax might notice."

{Yeah, well, I tried.}

A short distance further the path came to a halt at what was obviously a quarry. Judging by the blocks still lying about this had been where the stone had come from to build High Hrothgar. Unlike most quarries that went down into a pit, this quarry cut into the mountain. A series of terraced levels created a rough stairway. It would have been more convenient if the steps didn't come up to her waist. She had to scramble over them, but it was still an easy climb. Barbas had no trouble at all, he just leapt from one stone block to the next. At the top of the tiered slope, she found the path continued on up the mountain at a steeper grade than before.

They continued onward for several more hours. Barbas didn't share stories about Clavicus Vile as was his wont. He just walked beside her. Even though he didn't say anything, she appreciated his company. The trail was barren just rocks and ice. The view was impressive. She could see for leagues. The world looked very peaceful up here. About midmorning the sun slid behind the perpetual cloud that hid the peak. It was notably cooler without the sun, but she was warm enough from the climb. Not too much later the trail suddenly ended at a ledge overlooking a lethal drop. While the trail ended, the path continued.

On the rock wall beside her, someone had carved a series of hand-sized holes in the cliff wall. The way onward led straight up using those handholds as a ladder. She couldn't even tell how far up it went because about ten or twelve stories overhead the cliff face was hidden by clouds. It was a little daunting to know that she had to scale that cliff with no idea where it ended. Ull's advice about never starting a climb you couldn't finish seemed to very much apply here. On the other hand, the wall wasn't straight up. It had a little bit of a slant to it, maybe a seventy-degree angle. That meant she could lean on the wall and rest. Hopefully, it wouldn't be any worse than climbing a very long ladder. She had the blessing of Hircine that granted her strength even in human form. She had also grown stronger both physically and magically after Inhaling Lok-Nos-Dov. While she couldn't see the top, someone had obviously not only completed the climb but made the holes as well. If they could do that, then she could certainly reach the top.

She sat down and opened her pack. This looked like a good time to stop, rest, and eat. She pulled out some of the food she had in her pack. She didn't really have extra, but she gave Barbas a small bite of dried meat. "Thank you for coming with me, Barbas, but it looks like I'm on my own from here. You'll watch out for everyone while I'm gone? Make sure the Greybeards don't give them trouble?"

{You think those dried-up old blowhards can cause trouble?}

"Don't underestimate them Barbas. They have power, and Arngier at least does not approve of my plan to train Tongues to fight dragons."

{Yeah, he has a stick up his ass. They all have sticks up their asses, but his is the biggest, and it's shoved in deep. Hey, you know what you should have done?}

Daenerys sensed a joke, but decided to play along. "No, what should I have done?"

{You should have gotten them laid. Four old men living together on top of a mountain that is closed for travel eight months out of the year? I bet they haven't gotten any in decades. You could have found a whore in Ivarstead and paid her well to come up and clean their pipes.}

Daenerys stared at Barbas for a moment before she broke out laughing. "Gods, Barbas… that's so funny, but so true. They aren't really living are they?" She laughed a bit more trying to picture the scene. Men could be simple creatures at times. Getting them laid probably would help their attitudes. With a sigh she took another sip of water then sealed up her canteen. Carefully she stowed everything away in her backpack and made sure it was sealed good. "Barbas, you're a good boy. Go look after my people for me. I've got a mountain to climb."

Barbas's joke kept her smiling for the first part of her climb. As did her wondering about the change in his attitude. He had been more supportive of late, and he hadn't mentioned Clavicus Vile once this morning. Did that mean that her somewhat vague plan to win Barbas's allegiance could actually work? It still seemed a longshot, but there seemed to be cause for hope.

As she climbed higher into the clouds, visibility dropped until she could just see a little around her. She felt like she was cut off from everything. Just her and this wall. The handholds were deep and easy to use. She was careful to keep a good grip at all times, but her progress was steady. Right hand. Right foot. Left hand. Left foot. Repeat. Her back started to ache a bit but still she climbed. The grey fog that surrounded her was cold and moist, but not wet. Right hand. Right foot. Left hand. Left foot. On she climbed. Maybe she should have counted the number of steps. Right hand. Right Foot. Left hand. Left foot. Who had made these holes and how? Had someone chiseled the holes? Or had it been magic? Right hand. Right Foot. Left hand. Left foot. Her arms started to ache, but still she climbed. There was no way to back up. Right hand. Right Foot. Left hand. Left foot. If Tiber Septim made this climb she could, too. Right hand. Right Foot. Left Hand… No hole. Just a flat space. She pulled herself up and found that she was on a ledge.

Heights normally didn't bother her. They hadn't when she was climbing, but now she found herself lying on a ledge not much larger than she was. Just enough room for her to lie flat on her stomach. A mere hand's span past her arm's reach was a drop to death. She lay there quietly for a moment panting and her limbs started to ache. Why they hurt more now that she was resting, she didn't know, but she knew that she couldn't stay here. If she tried to sleep here, and she rolled over, she'd die. There was a way up. More holes in the wall led up again. Moving carefully, she removed her backpack. She had two stamina potions in her beltpouch, but they could stay in her beltpouch for now. She might need them to finish the climb. She removed the small wooden chest, opened it, and took out a stamina potion from the padded case. She returned the chest to her pack and sealed it.

She uncorked the stamina potion and drank it down. Stamina potions weren't of much use in the heat of combat. No enemy would stop trying to kill you and let you drink one. However, they were good for washing away hours of exhaustion and making you refreshed enough to go on. They were a very popular potion. Most soldiers carried one, because they might have to do battle after a long day of marching. Farmers even used them at harvest time. She had never used one before. It felt like drinking cold water. Suddenly warmth rushed through her limbs, and she felt ready to continue. She had two more stamina potions in her beltpouch, just in case, but she needed to get moving. She moved over to where the handholds continued and resumed her ascent.

This time she didn't have far to climb before she reached another ledge. It led to another set of handholds and more climbing. Right hand. Right Foot. Left hand. Left foot. A wind started blowing. At first it just rustled her hair, but then it started pelting her with little droplets. Right hand. Right Foot. Left hand. Left foot. The light drizzle made her gloves slick, but she kept climbing. Right hand. Right Foot. Left hand. Left foot. The handholds slowly shifted. They weren't quite vertical any longer. They were drifting a little bit to the left with each step. Right hand. Right Foot. Left hand. Left foot. She could make out on her right a protrusion. The cliff wall jutted outward there. That must be why the handholds had drifted left. Right hand. Right Foot. Left hand. Left foot. Her arms and legs started to feel heavy again. Right hand. Right Foot. Left hand. Left foot. Was it getting dark? How long had it been since the last ledge? Right hand. Right Foot. Left hand. Left foot. Maybe she should try to get a stamina potion from her beltpouch. Right hand. Right Foot. Left hand. Left foot. She wasn't sure she could manage to get it out and drink it while hanging on like this. Right hand. Right Foot. Left hand. Left foot. But if she didn't do something soon. Right hand… A ledge!

Feeling exhausted she pulled herself up and onto the ledge. This ledge was larger and led into a cave. She crawled into the cave, blocked the entrance with her backpack. She removed her bedroll and slipped into it. Almost immediately she fell asleep.

Daenerys awoke cold, wet, hungry, and sore. What she had taken for a cave the previous day turned out to be a narrow ravine since she could see an overcast sky above. A quick bit of healing cured the soreness, and a cold breakfast satisfied her hunger. Having no other way to go she followed the ravine. She noted a few places that might have been climbable, but she decided to follow the path laid out for her first. She was glad she did. As she approached the end of the ravine, she found a shrine almost identical to the shrines she encountered on the 7000 Steps. On the shrine was carved a single word in Dovahzul, Lok.

She already knew Lok. It meant Sky. Lok carried with it connotations of freedom, wind, and flight. She had learned it when she Inhaled Lok-Nos-Dov. When she had tried Shouting Lok in the days following the battle, she had the feeling that the Word was doing something, but she couldn't tell what. The Word aimed at the sky, and she hadn't noticed anything change. She decided that she may as well try the Word again. She took a deep breath and Shouted, "Lok!" The fog that had been surrounding her suddenly cleared away. The sun shone down, and she was able to see a great distance, and what a sight there was to see.

The ravine she was standing at the top of grew wider and expanded into a round valley that was shaped somewhat like a gourd. The ravine opened up on the butt end of the gourd on the west and narrowed down into a neck at the other end of the valley that rose back up the mountain. A low stone ridge enclosed the south side and past that ridge were only clouds. Enormous pine trees lined the edges of the valley, but the center of the valley was a vast meadow. She could see a herd of mammoth grazing, although they looked tiny from this distance. A stream flowed down from the other end of the valley and into a small lake. Another stream drained the lake and wandered down to a gap in the south wall where it plunged off the cliff. In the center of the valley stood a large perfectly circular ring of stones. As she gawked at the scenery her Shout faded, and fog rolled back in over her. As the fog rolled in she noticed that it only covered her. The valley was free of clouds.

While she could have stubbornly tried to scale the mountain, the path ahead was obvious. Down the ravine and through the valley. Stop at the circle of stone, then follow the far end of the valley that gently rose upwards toward the peak. Daenerys decided to follow the path that was so clearly laid out and walked down the ravine. The clouds pulled back on their own not much further, and the sun shone down upon her. It was almost as if the shrine with Lok engraved on it was a boundary stone for the clouds. The clouds certainly seemed to act that way. The tall pines were alive with life as she walked down the ravine. She could hear squirrels running about and heard rustling sounds as nervous forest creatures took shelter at the approach of an encroaching human.

When she reached the valley floor and stepped out into the meadow, she had a hard time believing the difference between today and the previous climb up a sheer cliff. There was a wildness about this valley. She could easily believe that no mer or man had trod here in centuries. Clearly this was one of Kyne's sacred places. She could still see the vast herd of mammoth, and two herds of elk grazing the meadow as well. All the creatures were skittish and kept an eye upon her, but not as skittish as wild beasts should be. Probably because they had never been hunted by men. This was Kyne's sacred mountain after all. There was clearly some powerful magic in place because clouds hovered at the top of the cliffs framing the valley, yet the sun shined clearly down on the valley. Even though she could have easily killed an elk, she didn't think it would be wise to hunt in Kyne's valley. So, she simply walked down to the stone ring enjoying the pastoral setting. She certainly wasn't going to complain that part of her journey was pleasant.

As she reached the lake, she found the shores surrounded by gently chiming and slightly glowing plants, Nirnroot. She had seen the plant before and was aware that it was rare and much sought after by alchemists although she wasn't sure for what purpose. As she continued to the stone ring she came upon a patch of newly grown grass over an old burn. In the center of the burn was a skeleton of a mammoth. That gave her the answer to a question she had never considered, what did Paar-Thur-Nax eat? Apparently, Kyne didn't object to the dragon hunting this valley.

The stone ring was impressive. Its stones stood three times her height, a perfect circle of standing stones with equally massive stones topping it. She cautiously approached the center and found another shrine. This time she heard a chant as she approached the shrine. It bore a single Word.

Vah

Vah was Spring. Vah was new life and had overtones of fertility. Vah was winter's end and new beginnings. The word simmered with potential inside her, and she let it free with a Shout, "Vah!"

Vah smelled green. She could feel the plants and life around her react and celebrate. The Word pulsed with the Word on the shrine and ring of stones and seemed to flow out over the entire valley. She didn't understand how it was done, and she felt it was more than just the inscription of Vah upon the wall, but this was the explanation for Kyne's valley. Here the word Vah held domain over a land of eternal spring. Belief in the gods did not come easily to her, but she was not a fool to ignore their presence when it smacked her in the face.

She knelt on the grass in the middle of the stone ring. She didn't close her eyes. Kyne was the goddess of nature. Surely, she should be looking at her valley and appreciating its beauty. "Kyne, are you listening? I don't really know how to pray. I never learned how. The gods of my homeland, of Essos, they weren't that nice. The gods of Westeros were never really my gods. What few prayers I tried were never answered, so I gave up and learned to do for myself. So, instead of praying, I'll just talk with you awhile.

"Your valley is really beautiful. I promise I won't reveal it exists. Men would spoil its wildness and its peace. Thank you for this respite on my journey. I know it won't last and the way will be harder. I don't think the Greybeards approve of my plan to train up Tongues to help fight dragons. I think you would though. That's why you spoke to Paar-Thur-Nax and convinced him to teach men how to Shout. At least I hope you do. It isn't like I have much choice. Talos sent a priest to tell me the mission. Save the Empire. Save Tamriel. Save Nirn."

She paused and inhaled deeply. The air felt fresh and she could smell flowers. "Not asking much are you? I think the comet was a little over the top, but you got my attention, and the attention of everyone else, too. I guess that was the point." What else was there to say? "Are you trying to tell me something, Kyne? Your mountain, your Greybeards, and Paar-Thur-Nax at the top of the mountain. All of those point back to you. If you are, I'm not getting it. I'll just follow the obvious path and keep climbing.

"Grandfather warned me about the Daedra. I haven't done so well with them. I took Hircine's offer, bargained with Clavicus Vile, and I'm going to take Azura's Star back to her shrine. I won't apologize for Azura. I'm going to save Grandfather's soul... and having a powerful enchantress on my side is too important to ignore. Besides, I already crossed that bridge when I took the power Hircine offered. I know where my soul is going." She sighed. "I don't regret it. I did awful things for the wrong reasons in my past life. I wanted to break the wheel. Instead, I became it. I know I'm never going to Sovngarde. That's fine. I just want to balance the scales.

"Sorry. I'm just not good at praying. Thanks for listening. I think I'd better get back to climbing the mountain now. It's a long way to the top." She stood up and resumed her journey.

She hadn't left the stone circle when a creature emerged from behind one of the monoliths. It looked something like a skeleton made of wood with a female figure. It gave off a green glow. Butterflies and leaves swirled around it. She had heard this creature described, a spriggan. They were known to become violent with people who intruded upon them. This one was just watching her. Daenerys watched it back and then curtseyed.

The spriggan gave a slight nod of her head, but she didn't otherwise move.

Carefully watching it, Daenerys walked away from it and the stone ring. The spriggan turned to watch her leave but made no hostile actions. As she left the stone ring behind, she wondered if the spriggan was supposed to be a sign from Kyne, or if the creature was just the guardian of the ring.

The rest of the journey through Kyne's valley was peaceful. She avoided the wildlife and it avoided her. She spotted some other burn marks confirming that Paar-Thur-Nax used the valley as his personal hunting ground, but she didn't feel it wise to emulate him. At the end of the valley, she found another shrine inscribed with the word Koor, meaning Summer.

The three words Lok-Vah-Koor, Sky-Spring-Summer, fit together very well and formed a triple. Shouting it didn't do much in the valley, but it was very useful as she left the valley behind. Lok-Vah-Koor created warm clear skies in a large area around her, driving away the cold damp fog and even stilling the freezing winds. When she used all three together it lasted for several minutes. Long enough for her magicka to recover so she could Shout again. This allowed her to keep climbing in her own perpetual springtime despite the bitter cold that returned with a vengeance once she left the valley. While there was no longer a clear path to guide her, there were no cliffs blocking her path either. The rest of the day passed in a long hike up a steep but climbable slope. Sometimes she used her pick to help pull herself up, but she much preferred this scramble to the nervewracking climb of the first day.

She made a cold camp for the night on a piece of level ground. There wasn't anything else she could do. Even with the tent and her bedroll it was still bitterly cold, and she slept poorly. Dawn didn't really break. The fog that surrounded her just grew brighter. When she Shouted Lok-Vah-Koor, the clouds rolled away and revealed that the sun had already been up for some while. Her third day started with a steep but steady climb. Late in the morning she finally broke through the cloud cover and there was still a lot of mountain above her. She briefly stopped Shouting as she no longer had to push away the clouds to see, but it didn't take long before she was shivering in the freezing winds that swept the top of the mountain. She resumed Shouting every few minutes to still the wind. Paar-Thur-Nax would obviously have plenty of warning of her journey.

As she continued, Ull's warning about choosing a path became more important. Sometimes she had to circle around a cliff to find a scalable slope. More and more often she used her pick to steady her as she climbed up ice-covered rocks. Each slope was an obstacle, but while her progress was sometimes slow, it was at least steady. The summit no longer seemed impossibly distant, but something that she would reach in a day or two. Then she was faced with a wall of solid ice.

The wall was near vertical. Slightly less in some places, but not enough to matter. She had thought the path she was on led around this wall, but she'd been mistaken. She would have to backtrack and find another way, even though it meant losing many hours of climbing. There was no way she could climb the ice wall. Not with just a pick. Maybe if she'd brought a hammer and spikes, she could have made herself a path, but she didn't have a hammer or spikes… but maybe there was another way after all.

Danerys Shouted Lok-Vah-Koor to still the wind and give her time. She stripped naked and put everything into her pack. She made sure it was tied securely. She loosened the straps, and then she was ready. She reached into herself, to the wild and angry beast that dwelled inside her now. For the first time in a long time, she set the beast free. She rolled in pain as she transformed. Her bones shifted and grew as did her teeth. Her nails on both her hands and feet lengthened and grew into claws as hard as iron. She rose up on all fours and howled, but she controlled her beast. She picked up her pack, and awkwardly slung it over her shoulder by one strap. Then she began to climb.

The wall of ice that stymied her in human form was trivial in her wereform. She drove her claws into the icy surface as easily as if it was mud. With firm holds it was easy to scale right up the glacier. The hard part was holding back the beast. She wanted to run, but climbing took both the strength of the beast and human cunning. In no time at all, she was at the top of that icy climb. She kept going and bounded easily up a rock-strewn slope that would have been a hard scramble for her human self. She continued to blaze a trail up the mountain while the transformation lasted. She covered in minutes what would have taken her hours of hard climbing. Sadly, it couldn't last. Hircine's gift fade leaving her cold, tired, and naked on icy rocks, but also victorious because she could see no major obstacles between herself and the summit.

The fourth day of the climb was easy compared to the previous day. There were occasional walls of stone, but they were easily bypassed. She knew she would reach the summit which had been her goal. However, it also bothered her that her goal was so easily within her grasp – because she could count. This was the 21st of Midyear. That date was too much for her to believe in coincidence. It made her question just how much of everything was unfolding as the gods planned. Was the end of the world a joke to them? Was she merely a puppet, a toy, dancing for their amusement? Or just a piece on the board of some game they were playing? She felt the temptation to make camp and just rest in her tent for a day. She could finish the climb on the 22nd. However, her followers were waiting on her. Even if the gods pulled the strings of her fate, she still had the power to determine how she faced her destiny. Besides, it was not an accident that she had ended up here. She had received signs, portents, and dreams. She had eagerly chosen to follow them. She could throw a fit like a child, or she could march up that mountain and face her destined meeting on her terms. Put that way, the decision was easy. She had dreamt of this moment. She would not hide from it now. She made a rude gesture up at the sky and climbed up the mountain. She kept a steady pace, neither rushing nor delaying the inevitable. Without a sundial she couldn't be sure the sun was at its zenith as she arrived at the top of the mountain, but it was certainly close.

At noon on the Summer Solstice of the year 202 of the 4th Era, Daenerys Targaryen, Dragonborn, ascended to the summit of the Throat of the World.