Chapter Twelve

Several days later, the pair entered High Hrothgar, seeking out Arngeir and asking about the shout, the old Nord demanding to know where they had learned of this. Dar' admitted they had learned it from Alduin's Wall, standing firm as he began ranting, the room seeming to shake. "Arngeir." Master Einarth said, walking over to them. "Rek los Dovahkiin, Strundu'ul. Rek fen tinvaak Paarthurnax."

The Khajiit blinked, having understood some of what was said as the other Greybeard nodded, looking at her. "Wait Dar'Mora." He sighed. "Forgive me, I was…impertinent. It is no longer our choice-you will have to speak with our leader Paarthurnax who lives at the top of the mountain. You weren't ready, and you're still not, but, thanks to the Blades, you have questions only he can answer."

"How do I get to him Master?" Dar' asked respectfully. "I have noticed the way up the mountain is blocked."

"Do not worry-we will teach you a Shout to open the way." He got up, watching the shorter of the two Khajiit. 'So different than most.' He thought as they headed outside. 'A devout follower of Kynareth and a hunter from what I can tell. She's fought a few dragons if her armor is anything to go by-but it seems like...'

He touched her shoulder. "Dar', after you speak to Paarthurnax, I would like you to return here-there are some things I wish to ask about."

She nodded as he taught her 'Clear Skies', allowing her to tap into his knowledge of the Shout before watching her head off with Inigo behind her.

Dar' led the way, Shouting every once in a while to clear away the mist so they could see what was ahead. There were a few battles, a few frost trolls and ice wraiths trying to block their progress. They reached the summit, a roar coming from behind them as a grey-scaled dragon that looked a bit...tattered landing in front of them. The male Khajiit reached for his weapon, his companion stopping him before bowing low. "Drem Yol Lok." He said. "Greetings wunduniik. I am Paarthurnax. Who are you and what brings you to my strunmah...my mountain?"

"I am Dar'Mora," the white-furred feline said. "And this is Inigo. We've come seeking a Shout."

The dragon Paarthurnax eyed her. "Drem. Patience. There are formalities that must be observed, at the first meeting of two of the dov. By long tradition, the elder speaks first. Hear my Thu'um! Feel it in your bones. Match it, if you are Dovahkiin!" He turned, exhaling a jet of flame at the broken word wall. Dar' went over, realizing the word was the last one of 'Fire Breath'. "A gift, Dovahkiin." Paarthurnax said as she turned to him. "You understand Yol and Toor, now understand Shul. Show me what you can do. Greet me not as Kaaz, but as dovah!"

She saw the ribbons as he allowed her to tap into his understanding before Shouting at him, a jet of flame like his own coming from her mouth and striking him, his eyes closing for a moment before opening them and turning to her. "Ah yes..." he said. "Sossedov los mul.The Dragonblood runs strong in you. It is long since I had the pleasure of speech with one of my own kind." He launched into the air, landing on the worn section of the old wall and looking down at her, noticing the brightness in her eyes and chuckling gently. "So. You have made your way here, to me. No easy task for a joor...mortal. Even for one of Dovah Sos-Dragonblood. What would you ask of me?"

"Um..." the female Khajiit began, flushing slightly. "I apologize-this is something I've wanted to do for a while-have a conversation with a dragon I mean instead of fighting all the time."

The dragon laughed, smiling down at her. "You can always come for tinvaak young Kaaz-but let us deal with the 'now' first."

"Very well," came the reply. "Can you teach me the Dragonrend Shout?"

"Ah. I have expected you. Prodah. You seek your weapon against Alduin, yes?"

"The Greybeards didn't want me to come at all actually."

"Hmm. Yes. They are very protective of me. Bahlaan fahdonne. But I do not know the Thu'um you seek. Krosis. It cannot be known to me."

"You don't know it?"

"Your kind-the joorre, or mortals-created it as a weapon against the dov...the dragons. Our hadrimme, our minds cannot even...comprehend its concepts."

"So...how can I learn it then?

"Drem. All in good time. First, I have a question for you. Why do you want to learn this Thu'um?"

"Well, I like this world," Dar' said after thinking about it. "I don't want it to end."

"Pruzah. As good a reason as any." Paarthurnax smiled, enjoying speaking with this being. It was refreshing to see someone who wasn't after power. "There are many who feel as you do, although not all. Some would say that all things must end, so that the next can come to pass. Perhaps this world is simply the Egg of the next kalpa? Lein vokiin? Would you stop the next world from being born?"

"The next world will just have to take care of itself."

"Paaz. A fair answer. Ro fus...maybe you only balance the forces that work to quicken the end of this world. Even we who ride the currents of Time cannot see past Time's end…wuldsetiid los tahrodiis. Those who try to hasten the end may delay it but those who work to delay the end may bring it closer." He exhaled. "But you have indulged my weakness for speech long enough for now. Krosis. Now I will answer your question. Do you know why I live here, at the peak of the Monahven-what you name Throat of the World?"

The Khajiit blinked, thinking for a moment before shaking her head-she was enjoying this experience quite a lot. "No...dragons like mountains, right?"

"True. But few now remember that this was the very spot where Alduin was defeated by the ancient Tongues. Vahrukt unslaad...perhaps none but me now remember how he was defeated."

"Using the Dragonrend Shout, right?" Inigo asked, the dragon blinking at him. "Yes and no." Came the reply. "Viik nuz ni kron. Alduin was not truly defeated, either. If he was, you would not be here today, seeking to...defeat him. The Nords of those days used the Dragonrend Shout to cripple Alduin. But this was not enough. Ok mulaag unslaad. It was the Kel-the Elder Scroll. They used it to...cast him adrift on the currents of Time."

"Wait-you're saying the ancient Nords sent Alduin forward in time?"

"Not intentionally. Some hoped he would be gone forever, forever lost. Meyye. I knew better. Tiid bo amativ. Time flows ever onward. One day he would surface. Which is why I have lived here. For thousands of mortal years I have waited. I knew where he would emerge but not when."

"How does any of this help me?" Dar' was focused on him, taking in everything he was saying and he smiled at her attentiveness. "Tiid krent." He said. "Time was...shattered here because of what the ancient Nords did to Alduin. If you brought that Kel, that Elder Scroll back here...to the Tiid-Ahraan, the Time-Wound...with the Elder Scroll that was used to break Time, you may be able to...cast yourself back. To the other end of the break. You could learn Dragonrend from those who created it."

"I'll ask Arngeir if he knows where to find one-I really don't feel like trekking back to the Reach."

"Trust your instincts, Dovahkiin-your blood will show you the way."

"What do I do with the Scroll once I have it?"

"Return it here, to the Tiid-Ahraan. Then...Kelle vomindok. Nothing is certain with such things...but I believe the Scroll's bond with the Tiid-Ahraan will allow you a-a seeing-a vision of the moment of its creation. Then you will feel-know-Dragonrend, in the power of its first expression. You will see them...wuth fahdonne...my friends-Hakon, Gormlaith, Felldir."

"Who are they?" The white-furred Khajiit asked."

"The first mortals that I taught the Thu'um-the first Tongues." The dragon replied, a fond tone in his voice. "The leaders of the rebellion against Alduin. They were mighty, in their day. Even to attempt to defeat Alduin...sahrot hunne. The Nords have had many heroes since, but none greater." He nodded. "Take care."

The pair waved to him, heading back down the mountain to High Hrothgar. "I wonder what Arngeir wanted to speak to you about." The blue-furred male said. But Paarthurnax being a dragon..."

"I wondered if he was," came the reply. "Something about the name sounded more akin to a dragon than anything else."

"Does his name have a meaning?"

She thought for a moment as they reached the back courtyard. "If I remember right," she said. "'Paar-Thur-Nax' means 'Ambition-Overlord-Cruelty'...bit of an ironic one as he didn't seem any of those. From what I've seen of named dragons, they have meaning-like the one at Kynesgrove: 'Sah-Lok-Nir' is 'Phantom-Sky-Hunt' and 'Al-Du-In' means..."

"'Destroyer-Devour-Master'." A voice finished, Arngeir meeting them. "You've been practicing."

"With a little help from Ulfric Stormcloak, Master. When I find a Word Wall, I've been copying them down and taking them to him-he enjoys the diversion they offer him."

The old man chuckled as he led the way inside, pouring some tea for them and sitting down. "So, you have spoken to Paarthurnax," he went on. "The Dragonblood burns bright within you. Did he tell you what you wished to know? Did he teach you the Dragonrend Shout?"

Dar' eased into a chair, sipping the tea and swallowing. "No," she said. "But he told me where to find it-you might be able to help as well."

"So be it," came the reply. "We will bow to Paarthurnax's wisdom in this case. What is your question?"

"I...need the Elder Scroll the ancients used. Do you have an idea of where I could find it?"

"We've never concerned ourselves with the Scrolls. As for where to find it? Such blasphemies have always been the stock and trade of the mages of Winterhold-check with them." He eyes them over the rim of his cup before sipping his tea. "As for my questions for you; you follow Kynareth-that is easy to see by the amulet on your pack. I wish to know your view on dragons. As a hunter..."

The Khajiit chuckled. "Honestly I don't go after every dragon I see Arngeir." She said. "In fact, I wish more were...open to tinvaak like Paarthurnax is. Any I have gone after have harmed others. My father taught me well."

"That is what I had hoped." Was the reply. "The Blades don't remember-they just kill. I hope you can make them into something respectable."

"I'd probably have to Shout them down. Arngeir, I promise-if they say anything about the Greybeards or Paarthurnax-or try anything, I will come to you with it. Plus, the archivist Esbern drives me nuts-heck, you should have seen how exasperated Delphine got with him-and she's known him a lot longer than I have." She finished her tea, getting up. "We should probably head for Winterhold, Inigo." She said, the other Khajiit smiling.

"Sky guard you Dar'Mora," Arngeir said, watching them leave.

(A.N.: This was a fun one. I felt like I was really channeling Dar' here-her greatest wish-to have a proper conversation with a dragon instead of a fight-has come true. Again, I took a few creative liberties with the dialogue to make it fit a bit better.

Dragon translations-once again, I relied on UESP pages for this [words that lack a translation here were explained in the sentence after]:

Rek los Dovahkiin, Strundu'ul. Rek fen tinvaak Paarthurnax=She is Dovahkiin, Stormcrown. She will speak (with) Paarthurnax [for male characters, the word Rok {he} is used]

Drem Yol Lok=Peace-Fire-Sky; I believe this is some kind of dragon greeting based on usage.

Wunduniik=traveler

Drem=see above

Yol, Toor and Shul= Fire, Inferno, Sun

Kaaz=Khajiit

Sossedov los mul=blood of the dragon is strong

Tinvaak=a word that loosely means 'conversation'

Prodah=foretold

Bahlaan fahdonne=worthy friend

Pruzah=good

Lein vokiin=world unborn

Paaz=fair

Ro fus=balance force-I think Paarthurnax is speaking of the forces of balance here

Wuldsetiid los tahrodiis=vortex of time is treacherous (there are a few translations on the page-this one makes the most sense to me)

Krosis=sorrow

Vahrukt unslaad=memory unending

Viik nuz ni kron=defeat but not conquered

Ok mulaag unslaad=his strength unending

Meyye=fools

Tiid krent=time broken

Kelle vomindok=the Elder Scrolls are unknown

Wuth fahdonne=old friends

Sahrot hunne=mighty heroes

[A great big thanks to the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages for adding in hoverable translations!])