The life of Lydia of Whiterun was, in her mind, a well-worn parody of happiness, one disappointment after the other the only constant. Born to a promiscuous woman who briefly became the Jarl's mistress many years later (also giving him an illegitimate son), she led a difficult childhood, if it could be called that. However many womanly charms her matron might have possessed, parenting was not amongst them. Hence her lack of family name – she wished to distance herself from it.
Illegitimate children had little recourse in Skyrim. With no house or trade to learn, mostly by not being allowed to learn, a mercenary or guard were the only legal options that did not somehow lead back to the oldest profession. She had no real family, and the closest person to it was a guardswoman who tutored Lydia on a few occasions. With no other role models, she quickly came to admire the older woman, and followed her into the Whiterun Guard as soon as she was eligible.
Lydia worked and trained hard, dedicating her life to guarding Whiterun and its citizens. Of course, the later affiliation with the Jarl, unofficial as it may be, led to loud and venomous claims of nepotism amongst her colleagues in the guardhouse. Even adults were susceptible to petty degrading and ostracization of others. The lower-ranked commanders were well aware of what was going on, but refused to do anything about it. And Lydia was too proud a woman and Nord to even think of asking anyone to fight her battles for her.
Therefore, it was with trepidation that she went to Dragonsreach. It was her first day back in the city, returning from a fortnight-long shift at the eastern Watchtower on the border between the Pale and Whiterun. She had scarcely had time to store her possessions in the guardhouse before Commander Caius told her she was summoned to court. None of her colleagues seemed to know why she was called, but she could see that something big had happened while she was away. An air of anxious relief, as if the city had barely avoided some catastrophe, hung around the guardhouse.
Swallowing her apprehension, she made her way across the bridge crossing the springs underneath Dragonsreach. She noted that there were more guards in the Cloud District than noise from inside suggested that an important gathering of the nobles was underway. One of the guards standing at the door recognized her almost immediately, and his posture shifted to one of disgust.
"Well, decided to follow your mother's footsteps as Dragonsreach's whore?" he jeered, the venomous sneer clearly audible behind the closed faceplate. His colleague snickered along. She silently cursed herself for not removing her rather fitting armour. Not that she had the time.
She resolutely ignored him, heading to the door. He stepped in front of her, barring the way. "No. You don't get to go in. Not without a reason." The vitriol in his voice didn't diminish in the least as he continued to harass her.
She suppressed the urge to deck the arse and kept her voice firm as she replied, "The only reason I need is Irileth asking why I was late. And you are about to be responsible for that." The guard scoffed, but moved out of the way.
Inside Dragonsreach, the hall was filled with nobles and merchants. Lydia couldn't remember the last time she had seen so many people crammed into the palace. Once again, her curiosity was piqued as to what the occasion was. One of the cleaners was standing near the door, calling to her once she entered. Hurriedly whispered instructions led Lydia to the entrance to Farengar's study, where Irileth was waiting.
"You're here. About time," the dour Dunmer said. Lydia had found the no-nonsense housecarl to be generally agreeable, both of them being cynical and devoted to duty.
"I'm sorry," the Nord replied automatically. After a few moments of silence, she asked, "Why was I called? What's going on?"
"No time to explain. Come, it's starting."
Lydia turned to the centre of the room, seeing the Jarl standing. At the entrance of the hall there was a commotion that quickly resolved as the nobles made way. An imposing figure clad head to toe in steel plate armour strode through the gap that formed. Lydia found herself admiring the man, standing tall at 6'4, broad-shouldered with an ancient-looking greatsword swung across his back.
Her attention swung to her Jarl as he cleared his throat and began to speak. "As most of you know, four days ago the Western Watchtower was attacked and destroyed by a dragon." Lydia found her jaw hanging slack, an expression mirrored on some of the other visitors' faces. The rest had seemingly heard of this before but were still in disbelief. An uproar threatened to erupt from the more sceptical members of the court before the Jarl quieted them.
The Jarl continued, "After it was reported, Irileth and her guards went out to scout and drive off the dragon if it were to pose a threat to Whiterun. The Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold, who happened to be visiting at the time, offered his assistance and went along. Once they arrived, the dragon was absent but the tower was destroyed. Only half the guards stationed there survived, mostly thanks to the Arch-Mage's healing, but they will take a long time to recover."
Muttering rose up from the assembled nobles, maintaining a low whisper as Jarl Balgruuf went on, "The Arch-Mage brought the dragon to ground, with power as befits his title. As the dragon was grounded, a passerby joined battle. It was this traveller who delivered the killing blow to the great lizard. In doing so, he was revealed as Dragonborn when he absorbed the dragon's soul." The muttering grew louder, forcing the Jarl to raise his voice.
Lydia stood slack-jawed. She idly wondered whether the armoured figure, standing out amongst the nobles, might be the legendary Dragonborn, still shocked by the mere concept of a Dragonborn.
She was spared further musing when the Jarl continued, "Dragonborn, step forward!" The crowd went silent.
The armoured man took two steps forward, standing at the foot of the throne dais at parade rest. The Jarl walked forward, standing on the stairs of the throne. "By my right as Jarl, I hereby declare you Thane of Whiterun. It is the highest honour that is within my authority to grant." The Jarl and the Dragonborn clasped arms, the slap of flesh on the steel gauntlet audible.
Jarl Balgruuf turned to his brother standing just behind him, and took an exquisitely crafted ebony war axe. Lydia could see the quality it held, a shimmering green field signifying a hefty enchantment on it. What she would not give to wield such a weapon…
The Jarl finished the ceremony, "I grant you this axe as badge of office, and assign Lydia to you as your personal housecarl."
The Dragonborn accepted the weapon, sliding it into his belt with ease, before giving a slight bow. In a deep voice he spoke, "I am honoured, my Jarl. Even a wanderer needs a place to rest and recuperate. Thank you for providing one. I will stand by Whiterun and its Jarl during these difficult times."
While Lydia was stunned by her appointment, chaos erupted in Dragonsreach, every noble and merchant present shouting and clamouring for attention. Many of them pushed forward to the dais, leading to the guards unsheathing their swords as they whisked the Jarl away.
As the Jarl disappeared into the more private areas of the castle, Irileth turned to Lydia. Over the Dunmer's shoulder she could see the big man – 'Dragonborn!' she reminded herself, still surprised – talking to the Steward. They exchanged a few quick words followed by the Dragonborn handing over a coin purse.
The housecarl's words pulled her attention closer. "Now, listen. You have been trained and know what to do. Serve Whiterun proudly and serve the Dragonborn as best you can. We're counting on you." The Dark Elf spoke the new Thane's title with brief loathing, somewhat surprising Lydia.
Irileth's eyes flicked up past Lydia's shoulder, narrowing before she huffed and stormed after the Jarl. Lydia turned around to find the Dragonborn nearing, the big man moving surprisingly quiet for someone in plate armour.
They stood in silence for a scant few seconds, each evaluating the other, before the Dragonborn spoke. His voice was deep, almost frighteningly so, a tone of authority hidden beneath his bass timbre. "So you must be Lydia?"
Lydia started slightly before she recovered, wincing internally over the poor first impression she must have been making. "Yes. It's an honour to serve you, my Thane." As the Dragonborn stood in silence, giving nothing away from within the suit of armour, Lydia's stress and panic increased with each passing second.
Abruptly, he spoke and turned around, "Come, let us walk."
The guards had barred the doors. A harried Steward gestured and spoke loudly with some of the aggrieved nobles stuck inside Dragonsreach. The Dragonborn forced his way through the court, Lydia following along in his wake. When they came to the doors the guards opened it but still physically barred the way. However, the Dragonborn just flowed past, the sentries mindful of anyone else trying to get out.
Lydia just stuck close to the Dragonborn and followed him out, seeing sneers of disgust and jealousy on some of the guards' faces. Passing over the bridge and partway down the stairs, the Dragonborn halted on a landing where the waterfalls were loudest, drowning out almost all other noise.
Lydia stopped a few feet behind him. To be honest, she was quite nervous and wary of her new assignment, but none of it showed on her face— the result of many years of practice. Turning toward her, the Dragonborn spoke, "I'm told you are a swordswoman and an archer?"
Slightly startled, Lydia took a moment to compose herself before she replied, "Yes, my thane. I am proficient with both."
The Dragonborn nodded and said, "Good," before he dug into a satchel and removed a small pouch and a key, handing both to Lydia. "This is the spare key to Breezehome. I trust you know where it is? It is mine. It is not yet furnished, but there should be at least one decent bed. Use it if you wish, I will not be staying in the city tonight."
Lydia couldn't help but stare in surprise at the man. He continued without a beat. "Feel free to gather your possessions and store them there. Then restock on arrows, pack a bag for at least a week's travel, and buy yourself a warm meal. Meet me where the river White falls to the plains and passes under the road at dawn tomorrow. I will be waiting."
Lydia could only stand, flabbergasted, and stare after the Dragonborn as he rapidly continued down the stairs before disappearing among the homes of the Cloud District.
She soon pushed it to the back of her mind as she got started on her tasks. A quick visit to the Plains District market was sufficient for all the supplies she needed. It was only after she had completed all her tasks, sitting on the servant's bed (still far more luxurious than any bed she felt in her life), that the day's happenings began to sink in.
She was a Thane's housecarl, something she had always aspired to be during her days as a Shield Maiden. Not only that, she was Housecarl to the legendary Dragonborn! All Nords grew up hearing stories of Dragonborn through the ages, from the Tongues that freed the Nords from the dragons and battled the evil elves, to Tiber Septim who created the Empire and ascended to become Talos. To think that she could serve such a legend.
She was drawn from her hero-worship by a tired yawn, reminding her that she had to get up rather early the next morning to meet him. She wondered where they would head, since the house was obviously newly bought, yet the Dragonborn didn't stay the night. Thus her thoughts wandered until sleep took her.
As the sun rose over central Skyrim, Ako was sitting cross-legged on the bridge leading east, pencil and journal in hand. With Shearpoint casting a shadow over the plains, Whiterun was lit dramatically up on its hill. Closer to him, on the road leading from Whiterun, he could see Lydia nearing warily. She was clad in the same armour of the previous day, freshly polished. He could see a travel bag slung over her shoulder, ready to drop, with her shield on the other arm.
His own pack was lying at his feet, his yet unnamed staff on top. His official cloak as Arch-Mage was drawn tight, hiding his eyes in shadow. He continued with his sketching as Lydia drew to a halt on the opposite side of the crossing, looking somewhat lost. After about a minute Lydia cleared her throat and asked him, "Excuse me? Have you seen anyone else here?" Her body language radiated puzzlement and uncertainty.
Ako held a hand up and replied rather shortly, "Just a moment while I finish here." Lydia looked rather put out as he finished his sketch, but he ignored it. He hopped off his perch, landing neatly beside his pack and stowed his journal and stationery. Lydia was standing warily, her hand close to her sword as the Khajiit stood upright again.
"Thank you for being on time, Lydia. It is good to meet you in person, so to speak," the Arch-Mage said.
The housecarl looked confused, hesitantly asking for clarification, "What does that mean? Are you claiming to be the Dragonborn? What did you do with him, cat?!" Her voice gained more and more passion as she continued, her sword half drawn from its sheath.
Ako sighed silently as he quickly held his hands up in a placating gesture. "Calm down Lydia! I did nothing of the sort! Let me explain before you do something you'll regret." Lydia looked at him warily, not sheathing the sword that was now pointing in his direction.
"Irileth trained you all too bloody well," the Khajiit muttered to himself, before he continued. "I am Ako'Siirto, the Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold. It is good to meet you. I am indeed the Dragonborn, as was announced by Jarl Balgruuf yesterday afternoon. I am sorry for the deception, but it was and still is a dire necessity, and will probably remain so for quite some time. What would you like to know?"
Lydia gaped at Ako for a few seconds, before reluctantly sheathing her sword. "Does Jarl Balgruuf know of this deceit?" she asked, acid in her voice.
The Khajiit nodded. "Yes. Before I told you now, he was the only one to know who the Dragonborn really is."
Lydia looked mildly surprised at that, before she asked another, "Why do all this? Why the lies?"
Ako shrugged. "It comes down to politics. Ideally, I would have my status as Dragonborn totally secret, but circumstance and a favour I owed the Jarl meant that I pledged the Dragonborn's support to him,making his— no, my existence public."
His voice was subdued, a hint of distaste laced within it. He didn't like the use of deception, preferring blunt and honest dealings instead of shady, cloak and dagger-like methods. Unfortunately, it was a necessity in this case.
Lydia looked ready to ask more questions, but Ako forestalled her with a raised hand. "We can talk more on the road. We need to leave now; I want to reach Ivarstead as soon as possible." The Housecarl looked disappointed, but nodded her assent and turned to pick up her belongings, Ako doing the same. With both of them arrayed for the long haul, they set off in the direction of Riverwood.
They reached the small town a few minutes before lunch. To their surprise, they didn't encounter any trouble along the river; Ako was somewhat disappointed that he didn't get a chance to use his new staff. He wasn't skilled in using a staff for more than casting, and made a note to see if the Companions would be willing to provide him with some basic training with a poleaxe. It wouldn't do to have his magnificent weapon be used in any capacity other than its maximum potential.
The tension between him and Lydia had gradually diminished during the trip, the two sharing knowledge about themselves and Ako further explaining how he came to be honoured as a Thane of Whiterun. He kept the geas on Irileth quiet, however, not wanting to potentially scare Lydia off. The Nord came across as a jaded young woman to Ako, despite not sharing much beyond guard stories. She seemed trustworthy, and that was what mattered to the Khajiit.
They quickly passed through the town, continuing south up the river. Two hours out from the town, Ako suddenly stopped. Lydia looked at him askance, her sword halfway drawn. Ako approved of her professionalism as he informed her of the situation. "Wolves. Small group, no more than 3 or 4."
She looked puzzled as she replied, "I hear nothing. How do you know?"
Ako smiled as he tapped his nose before pointing into the forest, with the grass gently bending in the travellers' direction. Sure enough, two wolves came charging towards them, a third hanging back. The Khajiit stood back, allowing Lydia to deal with them and give him an idea of her competence. A quick thrust took care of the first, while a shield bash and upwards slash with her sword disposed of the second. Ako threw out a spike of ice, dealing with the straggler.
"Good work, Lydia," the Arch-Mage commented. "We should be able to handle most hindrances if we work together."
The Housecarl looked at him and replied, "Thank you, my Thane. If I may ask, what is the purpose of that staff? I haven't seen you use it. Is it a badge of office?" She pointed at the staff slung across his back, held in place by a couple of straps.
Ako smiled. "No, I made it. It is why I was in Whiterun in the first place. I haven't used it yet, because I have only a minor amount of skill with a poleaxe. I had planned on getting training for it, but this Dragonborn business came in the way. I still want to get training for it, but that will have to wait."
They started walking again, heading further south. As evening fell, they made camp on the same spot that Ako used months ago after escaping from Helgen. As they ate, Lydia spoke up. "My thane, a question. If we get into combat, what should our general tactics be?"
Ako nodded thoughtfully at the question. "That's a good question. In general, I would say you take point. I will hang back and deal with any flankers and ranged attackers. I will also keep you healed, probably some crowd control spells to prevent you from getting overwhelmed. Though I hope we don't see any more until I've been trained to use Vokren-kun."
Lydia looked surprised. "The staff? So it has a name? What does it mean?"
The Khajiit smiled. "Yes. Been thinking quite a lot on is a Dovahzul name, and translates as Unbreaking Light. Fitting, given that it draws some of its power from the sun, same as the Skyforge that made it."
"Doe-wa-sul?" Lydia mangled the pronunciation of the strange word.
Ako laughed a bit before he replied, "Do-vah-zul. The language of dragons, literally meaning Dragon Voice. I've been studying it since I learnt of their return." He grimaced bitterly as he muttered, "Guess that explains why I learnt it so fast."
The Nord looked curious, but didn't press the issue. The two sat in silence for a few more minutes before the Khajiit stood up. "Let's get to sleep. A long day awaits tomorrow. We'll be getting up before dawn, and continue as late as possible. I want to be in the Rift before we sleep."
Dawn the next morning found the pair at the gates of Helgen, having broken camp almost two hours earlier. Ako was casting a spell, giving off a purplish glow around his hands. He scowled as he turned around to Lydia. "Bandits. Shameless bastards. We don't have time for this," he growled.
"How many?" asked his housecarl.
"Only a few sentries, but more within the keep, moving about. This lot is more disciplined than I would expect." He sighed. "I suppose that means I'll have to bring out the magic."
His voice took on a lecturing tone as he explained. "I will make us both invisible for about twenty minutes, as well as muffling all sound leaving us for the same duration. Try not to interact with the rest of the world beyond walking, that would dispel the invisibility. As long as you don't walk into anything, however, you should be fine.
"It will feel strange, both the spell itself and then being invisible. Ideally we should have trained your proprioception a lot, but we'll have to make do. Trust your feet and balance, and we'll be through the town with no hassle and time to spare. Any questions?"
Lydia shook her head, but asked, "Proprioception?"
Ako explained, "Knowing where your limbs are without seeing or touching another limb. You use it all the time, but not usually consciously. So don't think about how you are walking when you can't see what your legs are doing, and just do it. Keep a good hold on Vokren-kun, don't let go. Ready?"
The Nord nodded and put a hand on the weapon, before the Arch-Mage cast his spell. Ako shuddered briefly as the clingy, oily feel of invisibility washed over him, long used to the slight numbing of the muffle spell. He could feel Lydia reacting a lot more to it, being an obvious novice. He spared a moment of sympathy for her, before he tapped her hand once and set off, passing through the ruined doors of the western entrance.
They moved slowly, but steadily, passing by ruin after ruin of burnt houses, all telling the tale of Alduin's destruction. Heading out of the eastern gate, having encountered no trouble, Ako judged his spell to have about 8 minutes left before it ran out. He communicated this to Lydia, again tapping on her hand faithfully stuck to Vokren-kun.
The Khajiit forced them onwards, passing around the first bend and out of sight from the town before the spell expired. As it faded, Lydia immediately let go of his staff and crouched down. She was obviously uncomfortable and looking remarkably green around the gills for a human. Ako smiled sympathetically, casting a minor restorative spell to settle her queasy constitution.
"Sorry about that. One gets used to it over time, but it never becomes comfortable." Lydia gave him a halfhearted glare from the ground, before steeling her resolve and pushing herself back up.
"Where to next, my Thane?" she asked, fire in her eyes daring him to pity her further.
With a small, amused smile Ako turned east again as he spoke. "Now we tackle the pass. If all goes well, we get over it and back down before sunset. Let's take a quick break to eat, then a fast pace for the rest of the day." Lydia looked to protest, but conceded and pulled off her pack. After a brief meal, they continued on their way.
A couple of hours later, Ako stopped suddenly. Lydia looked at him as she gripped the hilt of her sword. "What is it, my Thane?"
The Khajiit took a few deep breaths more, before he replied. "Not entirely sure. I smell a rather large cooking fire, but I see no smoke. So two options: either it is far away, and enormous; or, whoever made it is adept at smokeless fires." He pointed in a direction northeast from the road. "Given that the Throat of the World rises high in that direction, I would say it is the latter. I don't think it is bandits, they wouldn't need a fire this large. So it is one of the armies. It is an Imperial hold, but Fort Neugrad is just to the south. So we have found ourselves a Stormcloak encampment."
Lydia was surprised and impressed by just how quickly the Arch-Mage reasoned. He obviously deserved his title, and it showed. If he really was Dragonborn, then he would make a fine hero indeed. "So what do we do?" she asked.
Ako felt somewhat sheepish as he answered. "I'm sorry, but I think we'll have to go invisible again…"
The look of dismay that Lydia sported prompted a chuckle from him. "Is there no other way?" she pleaded, dreading the nausea from that morning.
The Khajiit shook his head. "The only other option is something I find even worse. The chameleon spell is very useful, but it is far more disconcerting to see your limbs constantly change colour than seeing it disappear. For me at least."
The Housecarl despaired, but pulled her will together and grabbed onto Vokren-kun. Ako chuckled once again before casting his spells. With fewer obstacles in their path, they moved a lot faster than they did in the town. Every few hundred metres they stopped, the Khajiit sniffing the air to determine where the encampment was. Once they were past it, he led Lydia to a nook in the cliffs that started to rise next to the road and dispelled the invisibility.
The Nord took a few moments to recover from the disorientation, but she recovered markedly quicker than the first time. Ako felt a strange stirring of pride at her achievement, but filed it away for further thought as they set off again.
An hour or so after noon, having entered into the pass proper, Ako caught a strange, cloying scent that set off warning bells for him. He held up a hand for Lydia to halt, and sniffed carefully. The scent seemed to originate from a cave, hidden behind a few rocks and a bend. Going closer, he tried to place the origin. It was faintly familiar, and he smelt something similar not too long ago. In fact, the draugr smelled somewhat like it.
"Vampires!" he hissed, the smell being all the more repulsive once he recognized it. Lydia looked alarmed and drew her sword, eyes darting every which way. Ako took a few more sniffs, trying and failing not to wrinkle his nose in disgust. "Come, let us continue," he said.
Lydia gaped at him. "Aren't we going to do anything?!" she asked in surprise.
The Khajiit sighed as he answered. "No. Now come on, let's get going before they smell us."
Lydia looked unhappy, but acquiesced. "Yes, my Thane."
As they descended the pass a few hours later, Ako found himself thanking the warmth enchantments on his robes. Being at the eastern foot of a rather tall mountain, it became dark quite quickly, and the air was cold enough to steal his breath away. He knew of an abandoned shack not too far from the foot of the pass, and hoped to take refuge there for the night.
Sure enough, just around the first bend once they reached the bottom was the shack, a dilapidated garden in front of it. They set up camp inside, the interior having long ago been stripped of anything valuable. An old fire pit had been overtaken by mushrooms, and the garden was overgrown with a variety of poisonous plants. Dried herbs and other alchemical supplies dotted the rafters. It wasn't much, but it provided them with enough shelter from the winter cold.
Lydia had been behaving slightly oddly the entire evening. All his requests were treated as orders and followed immediately without comment, with the Housecarl reverting to a drone-like personality instead of the quiet, yet engaging woman of earlier. It concerned him.
"Lydia, what's wrong?" he finally asked.
The Nord just looked down at her food as she answered. "Nothing, my Thane." Ako could hear frustration and a hint of anger in her words.
The Khajiit sighed. "That is a poor lie and you know it. Please, why are you angry?" he asked again. "Is this about the vampires?
Lydia all but exploded before she reined her temper. "Yes! How can you just pass by while those bloodsuckers live on? What about all the travellers they'll attack and drain dry?" She was gesturing passionately while asking, and Ako wondered where she came to have such strong feelings on the spawn of Molag Bal.
The Arch-Mage put his food to the side and fell into an explanation. His voice was business-like, and almost sounded like a teacher lecturing a student. "Firstly, do you know what that cave is called?"
Lydia shook her head, all the wind suddenly taken from her sails.
"It is called Haemar's Shame. It is named after some minor noble in the Third Era who contracted vampirism and hid himself away in the caves to avoid feeding on the populace."
His Housecarl interrupted him. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"I'm getting there," Ako chided gently. "Secondly, do you know how vampire caves usually smell? Old blood, fresh blood and death, in that order. I only smelled faint traces of old blood, and no new blood at all. The death is just how vampires themselves smell, and that is why it took me a while to recognize it.
"Because of those facts, I could conclude that either the vampires are completely feral, but no prey has made itself available; or they retain some semblance of sanity, and refuse to feed. It wouldn't be the first time that those caves have been used as such a sanctum. Since there are Stormcloaks nearby, it cannot be the former – I would have smelled the blood. I don't see a reason to kill vampires that live civilly in isolation."
He held up a hand as Lydia started to protest. "Regardless of how those vampires live, I still wouldn't attack the caves. We have no idea how many there are, how deep the caves are, or how powerful they are. Nor are we prepared to tackle a vampire den – it would've been near suicide to try and attack them."
The Nord slumped at that, seemingly recognizing the futility of further arguing. After a few moments she bowed her head and spoke, "I apologise, my thane. I have been remiss in my duties as housecarl. I am prepared to accept punishment as you see fit."
Ako sighed again. "Lydia, look at me." She looked up slightly, but still didn't look above his chest. The Khajiit continued, "I ask you to trust me, as I trust you to have my back. If something is bothering you, tell me. If you have any questions, ask away. I am not going to punish you for something you obviously feel strongly about."
Lydia looked hesitant, but finally nodded. "Yes my Thane."
"Good. So, any questions?" Ako asked.
She again looked hesitant, but seemed to scrape her resolve together as she spoke. "Why do you always keep your hood drawn low? I haven't seen your face yet and we have been travelling together for two days."
The Khajiit gave a wry chuckle. "I suppose I must tell you after my speech about trust." He heaved a sigh before he continued. "It is to conceal my eyes. My eyes have always been disconcerting to others, and that has grown to terrify everyone in the last few months. So to avoid a panic I keep them hidden. There might also be other side effects from staring into them which I need to ask the Greybeards about."
Having finished with his meal, he made ready for sleep as he spoke. "Get some rest Lydia. It's been a long day, and we have another soon enough. A night at Ivarstead, then we tackle the Seven Thousand Steps."
"Ruth," he thought as he lay on his bedroll soon after. "I hope we can work together efficiently... And that Balgruuf's assessment of her trustworthiness was accurate." He was worried about his future – he spent a fair amount of time since leaving Whiterun pondering and planning for contingencies, and it left him mentally exhausted.
He was also confused about his dovah sil's behaviour while they travelled; it was quiet for the most part, but it flared up while they snuck about invisibly, and then again when Lydia showed her anger. He was pleased that he felt it slightly easier to force down again, but it was a constant worry with its unpredictability. After summoning a Daedric Lord to patrol their camp outside, he slept.
They slept well past sunrise the following morning, having only a third of the distance they covered the day before left until they reached Ivarstead. They arrived at the town early in the afternoon after a leisurely stroll. Booked for the night at the Vilemyr Inn, both took the chance to get cleaned up and relax a bit.
Ako savoured the proper meal and bed the Inn provided. He didn't necessarily dislike camping and travelling rations, but the real thing was just so much better. Given that they had to climb the Seven Thousand Steps early the next morning, he appreciated the chance for a bit of comfort.
The Khajiit made sure to be seen in the inn's common area wearing his official robes. He didn't think any of the various factions' watchers were in the area already, but they would be soon if not yet. As the Arch-Mage he did have some clout when it came to where he may wander. Hopefully they wouldn't pick up any stalkers, but caution was warranted. Therefore he agreed with Lydia to again start out an hour or so before dawn.
As the sun peeked over the Velothi Mountains at dawn, it found the two travellers some distance above the town. They maintained a steady pace on the winding route, stopping every so often to catch their breath. Ako regularly smelled wolves and other wildlife, but they weren't attacked except by a frost troll early on in the morning. They came across human tracks once or twice on the lower slopes, but it quickly disappeared and they found no hints of habitation further up the mountain.
Something of note to the Arch-Mage were the etched tablets that were placed along the route. Written in Dovahzul, they spoke of dragons and the Dragon War. They had passed four by late afternoon, and Ako made sure to copy each down as meticulously as possible. It spoke of the Dov before the rise of Man, and the power of the Thu'um, and how the Dov assumed their rightful place over the masses.
It spoke of the War, men facing the dragons with courage, but in vain, for they could not stand against the dragons' Voices. Then the goddess Kyne pitied mankind, and instructed 'Paarthurnax' to assist Her in teaching the Thu'um to men. Finally on an even playing field, the War was waged in earnest. Ako knew bits and pieces of this history, but it was always intriguing to see another viewpoint on it.
This 'Paarthurnax' character puzzled the Khajiit. It very much sounded like a dragon name, and even translated as such. Ambition Overlord Cruelty – Ambitious and Cruel Overlord. There was a nagging familiarity to the name, but Ako couldn't pin down why. It certainly did not sound like someone who would teach their underlings the secret to their power. Then again, one of the Divines was involved and that always complicated matters.
They made camp in a cleft facing southeast, having evicted the resident frost troll. Ako set several traps and another Daedric Lord to watch for the night.
Given how high they had climbed during the day, he thought it prudent to make sure the tent was heated with a few the wind was howling during the night, the cleft provided some much needed protection and shelter.
They continued the next morning. The wind had calmed down by dawn, and Ako couldn't help but stare at the views provided from their vantage point. It was humbling, in a way, to realise that they were climbing the highest peak in all of Tamriel. They passed more of the etched tablets, closer together than the previous day's, and moved the focus away from the Dragon War to the founding of the Greybeards.
The tablets spoke briefly of the Tongues' defeat of Alduin, and the rise of the First Empire as Dov fled and withdrew from the world. The Tongues suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of what was then known as Resdayn, and Jurgen Windcaller tried to determine how it could have happened. After his search, he returned to the rest of the Tongues and explained whatever he had found. Others challenged him, but he stood fast, and was proven the stronger.
It ended with a small bit of history dating back to Tiber Septim's Third Empire, the previous Dragonborn to be called by the Greybeards, and what sounded like a mantra for the Greybeards. Ako was intrigued by most of the tablets' tale, especially Alduin's defeat. If his understanding of the prophecies and myths was correct, then he would have to face Alduin for the survival of Mundus. Any help would be welcomed.
It was early afternoon when they reached the imposing form of High Hrothgar. Ako was quiet for most of the day, Lydia stoically ignoring the cold that had his robes' heating enchantments working overtime. She had been content to leave him in peace, only asking for translations at the various tablets.
As he read the tenth and last tablet, the Khajiit felt a surge of magical power flow through him. Looking at Lydia, he saw that she had the same surge. He was puzzled as to what it was, but it did not feel malevolent. In fact, it felt like an aegis mixed with an aura of benevolence. He wasn't sure what effects it had, but he had heard stories of how powerful Divine blessings felt, and apparently it was similar.
He snorted. If the Divines were blessing his quest like this, then he should probably feel a bit calmer. And perhaps get a move on. His dovah sil had quieted rather abruptly when the magic surged, and he felt a flash of awe and resigned respect as it happened. It seemed as if every step forward brought him only more questions and no answers. Hopefully the Greybeards had the answers to at least some of his questions.
With a slight amount of trepidation and nerves, he stepped up to the heavy stone doors and knocked.
AN: It's been 2 very busy (and amazing for me, though not perfect and I empathise with everyone who's had it more difficult) years and a bit, but I'm determined to see this story through to its end, dangit! Massive thanks to AshestoDusts for betaing this chapter: I had already just started to get back to writing this story, refreshing my ideas and so on, but their offer to beta was the kick in the pants I needed to really get back to it. Go read his story(ies), they're fun. :)
This chapter is largely transitional, and I hope the new character introduced ends up being distinct from Ako and those introduced earlier, that's my biggest weakness as an author. Chapter 9 will soon be sent for betaing, while I write chapter 10. I'm hoping it won't be more than 2 weeks before I post the next, though RL (such as a broken ankle) might interfere. Chapter 9 is miles better than the chapters thus far (being written 4 years after the others), and I hope it lives up to what I intend it to. For those interested, chapter 9 is meant to be the climax to the first arc, with chapter 10 being a denouement and setup chapter for future arcs (probably 4 in total for this story, not including possible sequels/spinoffs). I have no idea how many words that'll end up being, a rough guess is probably 250k? I'm just along for the ride, very much a character driven story this. :D