Nothing happened. After about a minute of no activity, Ako knocked again. The Khajiit was feeling fairly awkward after yet another minute of standing around outside the door. Lydia looked as puzzled as he felt. If it wasn't early afternoon, he would've guessed that the Greybeards were sleeping. This led him to wonder what exactly it was that the Greybeards did – after all, old men spending their lives on a mountain? There couldn't have been much for them to do.
Filing away his questions for the moment, he lightly pushed on the door. Swinging open silently, it led to a dimly lit foyer, giving the impression of a cavern or tomb. Chuckling lightly at the ironic symbolism, he entered the fortress, Lydia following along just behind. The door slowly swung closed as he stepped into the lobby, dust hanging in the air.
There were hallways leading to both sides of the foyer, with a small set of stairs leading to two double sets of doors on the opposite side of the entrance. An old man was walking down the stairs, and Ako could hear three more people walking in their direction. The Greybeard was dressed in an ornate robe, with embroidered patterns reminding him of those on Jorrvaskr. The hood was pulled down, allowing the Nord's face to be seen.
"So… A Dragonborn appears, at this turning of the age…" the Greybeard spoke.
Ako's dov side huffed in mild annoyance at the theatrics, forcing the Khajiit to repress a small smirk as he indicated to his housecarl to stay near the door.
After a few moments of silence, the Nord asked, "Who are you, and why are you here, in our hallowed halls?"
More Greybeards had arrived in the meantime, bringing the total up to four in the atrium.
Taking a few seconds to ponder his answer, Ako replied, "I am known as Ako'Siirto, and I understand that the knowledge I seek can be found here. I answer the challenge made a week ago."
The elderly man's eyes widened at the last statement, before he recovered and said, "We shall see. For now, let us see if you truly have the gift. Come, Dragonborn, let us have a taste of your Voice."
Ako had to suppress a slight bout of indignant rage from his dov side, but acquiesced to the request. "As you wish. Is there anything specific I should use as a target?"
The old man spread his arms out as he repeated, "Shout at us, and let us taste your voice."
Ako shrugged and tried to recall the feeling of power that bubbled up back at the Western Watchtower. Taking a deep breath, and then another, he once again thought about Fus, energy transferred and change enforced.
"FUS!" bubbled out from the Khajiit's mouth, but he knew it was weaker than when he used it for the first time. Still, jugs and other loose objects lying around in the path of the blue wave of power were sent flying and the Greybeards themselves were forced to take a step back. The fires lighting the hall flickered as Lydia coughed in shock from the door.
Ako's dov side was left purring in pleasure at the power coursing through his veins, despite his throat feeling no less raw than after the initial attempt.
The first Greybeard replied in a reverent tone, "Dragonborn. It is you. Welcome to High Hrothgar." He made a shallow bow, copied by the other three Greybeards. "I am Master Arngeir. I speak for the Greybeards. The others are Master Borri, Master Einarth, and Master Wulfgar."
He waved towards each as he named them. "Now, tell me Dragonborn, why have you come here?"
Again, Ako took a few moments to ponder his answer. "I have many questions that need answers, and most of the urgent answers are related to Dov and Dragonborn. Some were answered in the library of the College of Winterhold, but all sources agree that short of a real dragon, High Hrothgar is the place to go for these answers. But, before we get stuck in conversation, it is the afternoon now, and it is too late for me and my companion to make it to Ivarstead safely. Is there a room we can rest in, or should we set up camp outside?"
Arngeir looked somewhat surprised, but nodded and replied, "We have a room for guests in need, I will show it to you. Afterwards, we can discuss what answers we can." The Greybeard showed them to a small room containing four beds in the southern wing of the building. After they unpacked, the elderly Nord led them to a big, well-lit conference room they passed on their way to their room.
Arngeir opened the conversation. "Now that you've settled, what are the questions you have?
Putting various notebooks and stationery on the table, Ako immediately asked, "What do you know of Dragonborn?"
"They are mortals, blessed by the Dragon Blood from Akatosh. You have shown that you are Dragonborn, you have the inborn gift. But, do you have the discipline and temperament to follow the path laid out for you? That remains to be seen," he said in a contemplative tone. "Without training, you have already taken the first steps towards projecting your voice in a Thu'um, a Shout. Now, let us see if you are willing and able to learn."
The Arch-Mage felt annoyed at the slight towards his discipline, but shook it off. "So, what precisely is a Thu'um? I've heard, seen and felt a dragon roar the words YOL TOOR SHUL at me, followed by lots of fire. Is that a Shout, then?"
The Greybeard looked somewhat impressed at his answer. "Yes, that is a Thu'um, commonly known as Fire Breath."
He looked set to continue, but Ako interrupted. "So, a Thu'um is obviously magic, but there is no form of magical drain, at least that I can notice, when I shout. So how does it compare to normal magic use?"
Arngeir was somewhat surprised at the question. "That I do not know," he answered. "The Greybeards have never concerned themselves with the arcane implications of the Thu'um."
The Khajiit frowned. "Then what do you do? I know from the plaques that you follow the Way of the Voice, but what does that entail? Does it not include study of the Voice?" he questioned.
"In a manner of speaking. We are here on Kyne's sacred mountain. We commune with the voice of the sky, and strive to achieve balance between our inner and outer selves," the elderly Nord replied. "The Way of the Voice is first and foremost a method of worship. We Speak only in True Need."
Ako's frown did not abate. "What does that mean for any Dovahkiin you summon then? Are they bound to the same code of apparent pacifism? What would you do if the Dovahkiin turned out to be an unrepentant murderer or assassin, or a Daedric champion?"
The Arch-Mage had seen too much to believe he'd be able to go through life as a pacifist.
The Greybeards were clearly shocked at his words, if not his attitude. Arngeir spoke, "True Need does not dictate pacifism. However, using the Voice for violence is the least of its uses." He looked troubled as he continued, "The Dovahkiin is an exception to this – the gods send them to the world at times of great need, blessed by Akatosh Himself. It is a great honour to teach the Dragonborn, and we will do our best to teach you to use your gift towards the fulfilment of your destiny."
"My destiny? I would have to be thicker than a rock to not know that the return of the dragons and my 'destiny' is intertwined. But what exactly is my destiny?" Ako was getting agitated, annoyance thrumming in his voice.
"That is for you to discover. We can show you the way, but it is up to you to find the destination," the Greybeard said.
"So you know what my destiny is, then?" Ako barely let the old Nord finish before continuing. He paid no heed to the rising tension in the other Greybeards, nor the shocked look on Lydia's face.
"The Dovahkiin is sent into the world at times of great need. Yes, there is much that we know that you do not, but you are not ready for it. Now, let us –" Arngeir said forcefully before being interrupted by an irate Arch-Mage.
"Not. Ready?!" the Khajiit hissed, standing up as he slammed his hands on the stone table. Some of the other Greybeards also stood up warily, while Lydia was pinned in her seat, eyes wide. Ako continued, "When will I be ready, then? After a year of swearing drem unslaad? After bolog for crumbs of mindah from the great wuth inne? If Al-du-in himself bo wah zu'u, fen hi ned zu'u nuk?"
The room shuddered as Ako shouted out the last sentence, his voice containing a deep rumble that was not present earlier. Everyone was tense, waiting for someone to break the silence. The Khajiit was panting in anger, before he closed his eyes and forced himself to relax. An oppressive weight of power slowly left the room as he did so.
When the Arch-Mage opened his eyes again, he was much calmer and sat back down. The Greybeards slowly followed suit before Ako spoke.
"I apologise. Perhaps my questions should have started there. Ever since I first met Al-du-in, I have had flashes of something… other invade my thoughts. It's been getting worse over time, and after I killed Mir-mul-nir, it had become much clearer and more difficult to fend off. I am quite certain it is something to do with my soul apparently being that of a dragon, given the love of Dovahzul."
His voice had lost the rumbling, though there was still a hint of thunder when the Khajiit spoke the dragons' tongue. The minor shudder that went through Arngeir at the mention of Alduin did not escape Ako's notice.
"Let me start with a proper introduction. My name is Ako'Siirto, and I am the Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold. Three months ago, I was in Helgen to the south west when it was laid waste by a large, powerful, dark dragon. I had some dreams the following nights about it, and the dark dragon was speaking in some unknown language. A few days later, I visited Bleak Falls Barrow to the west, following up on a lead on the dragons' return. There, I saw my first example of Dovahzul script on a black wall and learned the word Fus."
The Khajiit sighed and stared at the ceiling. "I returned to the college and scoured the library and other available resources. Though I found little on the dragons, there were a few disjointed texts with enough knowledge put together to learn the language and decipher the writings.
"I also visited other walls I've come across in the past and learned a few more words, Iiz, Tiid, and Faas. I happened to be in Whiterun when an outpost was attacked by Mir-mul-nir and went to assist with the battle. I… lost control during the battle. I tried to talk to him, but he attacked after a few words.
"After the battle, when I absorbed his soul… it was unlike anything else I've ever felt or imagined. I learnt to use Fus, but it feels… trivial, like I should have already known that and more. The flashes from the 'dragon side', as I call it, became much worse and consumed most of my attention, beyond trying to control Skyrim's reaction to the Dovahkiin being revealed. But I also understand the flashes more, see more of the motivation behind it. Perhaps that is to be expected. Since I received insight into one dragon's mind, it shouldn't be surprising that much of that insight can be applied to another dragon."
Ako said this more to himself than the others in the room.
He looked back wearily at the Greybeards, seeing them wary but calmer than before.
"I've always been proud and somewhat arrogant, perhaps rightfully so, about my intelligence and self-control. Arngeir, your comment about testing my ability and willingness to learn was, as it happened, the first time the dov part and I were in total agreement."
The Arch-Mage gave a sardonic huff. "When you then withheld knowledge I was seeking, even if I already knew it, my own irritation left me unable to fend off the dragon's."
Ako noticed the apparent surprise from the Greybeards as well as some slight scepticism. He shrugged. "The library and connections of the College of Winterhold led me to a diverse range of sources. I found an old prophecy stating that the Dovahkiin is destined to face Alduin after a specific series of highly unlikely events have come to pass.
"The prophecy makes it quite clear that it will play out soon. The dragons returning leads credence to the prophecy being true. Then, there is an ancient song, recently translated by the Bard's College in Solitude. It praises the Dovahkiin, and it describes Alduin enough to make a guess that the dragon who sacked Helgen is, in fact, the World-Eater. Lastly, the Dovahkiin is revealed. I do not think it particularly impressive to put those facts together and arrive at the conclusion that I will face Alduin in the not too distant future."
Silence reigned for a long while, the Khajiit getting his emotions back under control while the others pondered his words. Ako eventually broke the silence. "Again, I apologise for losing my patience like I did. It is not something I like, and if you have guidance on how to avoid it, I will gladly hear it."
He took a deep breath before he continued. "I'm pretty sure I'm nothing like the Dovahkiin you expected or prepared for." Lydia tried to muffle a snort at that, with only moderate success. Ako smirked briefly. "I suggest we break for the night, let tempers cool and reconsider our assumptions and viewpoints before continuing tomorrow."
Arngeir looked at the Arch-Mage for a while before replying. "That would probably be for the best. Indeed, you are much unlike who we expected, but the gods work in mysterious ways. We will discuss among ourselves and seek inspiration on what our approach should be."
Ako and Lydia returned to their room while the Greybeards did whatever they usually did. The two travellers spent the hours before bed in relative silence, broken only by a short meal and the occasional rumble from the other side of the echoing old building. Ako fell asleep with trepidation, eager to learn, yet disquieted by the day's happenings.
Shortly before dawn the next day, Ako was woken by a clap of thunder outside. As the thunderclaps continued intermittently, he pondered what it must be like to be a Greybeard. To devote your life, day in and day out, to the worship of the gods. Not only that, but to learn a great power through decades of study and yet lack the curiosity to delve deeper, quite unlike other academic pursuits.
He knew himself well enough to say with confidence that he would go mad within a week if he tried to emulate the Greybeards.
A few hours after dawn, Ako was joined by the Greybeards in the conference room, hoping for a much calmer discussion this time. He began, "Before our discussion went off course, we were talking about the Thu'um. Could we pick up from there?"
Arngeir replied, "Certainly. When you speak a Thu'um, or Shout, you speak in the language of Dragons, of course. Your Dragon Blood gives you an inborn ability to learn Words of Power, as you might have realised with the words you learnt thus far. Each shout is made up of three words, with each mastered word making your shout stronger."
He paused for a short break. "As you know, we do not research the Thu'um, but if you have questions, I will try to answer as best I can."
The Khajiit was somewhat surprised and thankful at the apparent change from the day before. "Thank you, I appreciate everything you can give me. Just one question for now, you said a Thu'um has three words? Is that a hard limit, or can there be more words? I mean, you said more words result in more power, so why not five or even ten words?"
The Greybeard looked intrigued at Ako's question. "I must confess I have not thought of that possibility," he replied.
After a glance at his equally intrigued colleagues, he continued. "It's not something any of us had thought of. Like our predecessors, we were taught that shouts have three words, and we never thought to question it."
Ako hummed. "Interesting. The only examples I've seen of the Thu'um in use also stuck to three-word shouts, so it might be a hard limit. Or, as you say, it could be an arbitrary number chosen in the past for whatever reason. It might well be a limit of convenience, given how my throat felt after one word, and I cannot imagine that more words make that experience any better."
"Indeed. So, let us continue with your training. Master Einarth will teach you Ro, the next word of Unrelenting Force."
The Arch-Mage tested the word, savoured it as it rolled off his tongue. "Ro… Ro… balance. An intriguing word to follow Fus, but it makes sense," he said as he thought of the balance necessary for good swordsmen.
The Greybeards stared at him in astonishment and slight incredulity. "You learn a new word like a master… you truly do have the gift," Arngeir remarked in awe.
Ako huffed. "Perhaps, but please do remember I've been learning Dovahzul for three months now. And when one speaks seven languages fluently, adding another is not really a challenge." He was surprised that his dov side had remained quiet, since he took some offence at the implication that he required a gift to learn Dovahzul.
"What languages do you speak?" Lydia blurted out, before immediately backtracking in embarrassment. "I apologise, my Thane, please ignore me. I'll return to -"
The Khajiit interrupted her. "Lydia, relax and sit down. Don't hesitate to ask questions, your perspective as someone who does not practise magic will be invaluable for a quicker understanding."
A few seconds later, he remembered that he was not in charge. "That is, if you do not object to her presence, Master Greybeards?" he added slightly sheepishly, looking at the Greybeards.
The Greybeards looked at each other before Arngeir replied, "That is acceptable, we see no harm in her staying, for now."
Ako nodded. "Thank you. To answer your question, Lydia, in the order that I learnt them, I speak two dialects of Tamrielic (Betonic and Cyrodilic), Ta'agra, Altmeris, Bosmeris, Daedric, the older, rural Nordic, and now, Dovahzul. Languages have always been easy for me to learn."
Turning back to Arngeir, he asked, "You mentioned Master Einarth teaching me Ro? How will that work?"
"Now that you know the word, you must unlock its meaning through constant practice. Well, that's how the rest of us learn shouts," the old Nord said with a wry quirk of the lips. "As the Dragonborn, you can absorb a slain dragon's knowledge directly and use it that way. Given the lack of a dragon at hand, Master Einarth will share his understanding of the word with you. In our experience, the easiest way to share this is by meditating and debating on the meaning of the word in the Shout. Once you manage to use the word successfully, we will continue."
Ako nodded thoughtfully and thanked the Greybeard. After Einarth beckoned, he followed the Greybeard out to the courtyard. The wind was blowing lightly in the cloudless sky, snowflakes swirling gently in eddies close to the ground.
Einarth led him out to a flat area and indicated that Ako sit down. The Greybeard followed suit some distance away and began to explain his understanding of Ro in a whispering voice. The Nord's use of Dovahzul caused rumblings in the air, but they were muted compared to Ako's the previous day. The Arch-Mage made sure to pay attention and listen without prejudice.
As evening rolled around, a roaring "FUS RO DAH!" echoed across High Hrothgar's courtyard. Ako was hacking and coughing, both stunned and proud at his achievement. Einarth looked at him in disbelief, before giving a shallow bow from his still seated position. "Hi los fin Dovahkiin…" he rumbled.
The Khajiit stopped massaging his throat and sent the Greybeard a weak glare.
"Geh… kogaan," he replied with some sarcasm, his voice also rumbling with the echoes of his Shout. Straightening up, he continued with a serious tone. "Kogaan, mindovin."
It was an interesting experience to hear how the old Nord thought about Fus and Ro, especially in the differences between the mortal's understanding and that of Mir-mul-nir. Similar, yet there was something undefinably more to the dragon's understanding.
Once they had started their discussion, it had quickly become clear that in order to use Ro as the second word in the shout, one had to tightly integrate its meaning with the first word. Einarth's understanding centred on the concept of warriors requiring balance to make forceful strikes. Ako considered the meaning, but he felt it was lacking in some regard. Since he was not a warrior, that meaning did not feel intuitive.
The Arch-Mage and Greybeard had alternated discussion and debate with periods of meditation. After a few hours of failing to fully grasp Einarth's definition of Ro in relation to his acquired knowledge of Fus, Ako decided to start over and ponder the concept of Ro from a baseline of Fus as change. He thought of the requirements to use or apply force, incorporating some of Einarth's ideas – balance is needed for the force to be anything other than a waste.
Thinking on that idea a bit longer, he realised that the application of force was itself a balance. If you push something, anything, that something pushes back in a balance. As you push a chair against a wall, the wall pushes the chair against you, in a perfect balance. As you push down to jump, the ground pushes against you, enough to lift you off the ground for a time. Yet balance is a strength – if you lift a heavy chair, you are pushing it upwards as it is pushing you downwards. If your balance is not enough to overcome the balance of the chair, you are pushed over.
To push without being pushed, you need balance. Even when you are sitting still, being passive, you are still pushing on the world and the world is pushing on you in balance, equal force. But balance alone is not enough to apply force – if it were, then everyone sitting in a chair or lying in bed would crack the earth and tear down houses.
To apply force, you need to push, while at the same time ensuring that your balance is greater than that of what you are pushing. Fus voth ro, ruz dah!
After this realisation, Ako felt the stirring of something within. It was a sensation not dissimilar to when he first Shouted. The thick slab of exposed rock on which he sat cracked down its length, despite the Shout being directed upwards at an angle.
Ako noticed the other Greybeards approaching, surprise and curiosity etched on their faces. Arngeir stared at the rock and opened his mouth to speak, but words deserted him.
"Remarkable…" the old man whispered. "I've heard tell of the Dragonborn's ability, but to see it for myself…"
He shook his head. "If I may ask, how did you achieve the full Shout when you've not tried two words?" he asked curiously.
The Khajiit thought for a few moments before replying. "I'm… not entirely sure myself. Once I managed to understand Ro just a bit, everything just… bubbled up. It felt almost instantaneous, though it clearly took a few hours.
"It was as if I was remembering the meaning, but not like when I learned Fus. That was truly instantaneous, this was… like remembering an obscure bit of trivia from a book I read a long time ago…"
Ako was perturbed by the feeling, especially since it did not feel like it came from his dov side.
"Fascinating…" the Greybeard said. "Let us head inside for dinner – we can talk about your remarkable progress and questions you might have there."
As they enjoyed a dinner of cured meats, flatbread and some fruits from Ako's travel rations, Arngeir broke the silence.
"I must caution you to not let your frankly astonishing progress with the Thu'um tempt you into the arrogance of power that cost many a Dragonborn dearly." He held up a hand as Ako made to interrupt. "I am aware that you have held up admirably and have much experience resisting the lure, but I would be remiss in my duty if I did not warn and guide you."
The Arch-Mage swallowed his indignation, recognizing that much (but not all) of it came from his Dov-side.
"Thank you. I will strive to keep that in mind. Speaking of, what would you suggest as a method to cope with the urges and instincts provided by the dragon soul? I've…" He struggled to find the words to describe his problem. "It… It feels right, to have these instincts and desires, despite it being foreign.
"I suppose it makes sense, if my soul had always been that of a dragon. But it doesn't make it any less of a change from the norm," he finished softly, again talking to himself more than anyone else.
"You ask an insightful question," the Greybeard replied. "I do not know if I can answer it sufficiently, if there even is a correct answer. If you were an acolyte or apprentice, I would force you to meditate on the Way of the Voice and find peace therein. But as you correctly pointed out, that would be unfeasible for the Dragonborn to follow in these tumultuous times."
He pondered in silence until Wulfgar whispered. "Paarthurnax…"
"Wulfgar is right. Paarthurnax will be able to answer your question," Arngeir said.
Lydia surprised Ako by asking a question. "Who is Paarthurnax? Is he named after the person that taught the early Nords to Shout?"
The Khajiit let out a snort as Arngeir answered. "Ah, he is the leader of our order. He lives in seclusion at the top of the mountain."
Ako jumped in after that. "He isn't named after the person that taught Men the Thu'um, he is that person."
He looked at the Greybeards with a raised eyebrow, seeing the resigned expression on Arngeir's face.
"He's a dragon, isn't he?" Seeing Lydia's confusion (and mild terror), he continued. "Paar-thur-nax. Ambitious and Cruel Overlord. Sounds exactly like what you would call a dragon, if the language wasn't enough of a giveaway."
The Greybeard huffed a small laugh as he asked, "How did you find out?"
"From the plaques on the way up. Someone with a very draconic name, teaching the Thu'um to Men after being instructed to by Kyne. Really not many possibilities left, combined with him still being around and the fact that he lives at the top of the mountain. Speaking of, when can I meet him?"
"When your Voice can open the path, you will be ready." Arngeir raised an eyebrow at the Arch-Mage who had looked up at the ceiling and took deep breaths to calm down. "This is not an attempt to limit what you learn or how you progress, it is simply physically impossible to reach him if your Voice cannot open the path. I'm sure you'll do it far quicker than we expect," he said.
Ako gave a grateful look to the Greybeard. "Thank you, I appreciate the candour more than you know. One last question before we retire, if I may? Now that I've successfully used Ro, what is the plan for tomorrow?"
"We will hone your Unrelenting Force; give you practise in using it with deliberate precision. If there is time, we will see how you learn a completely new Shout. Given your achievements today, I expect we will be surprised once again."
"Thank you Master Arngeir. Have a good night."
As they prepared for bed, Lydia glanced over at her Thane, sitting on his bed and making notes in his journal. The day had been disquieting for her, endless boredom interspersed with short periods of excitement and a dawning awe.
She had been so excited to be appointed to the Dragonborn, but only now started to realise what that meant. The power he exhibited when he Shouted, cracking a thick stone slab by proximity alone. The casualness with which he discussed the End Times, legendary dragons, and near-mythical lore.
"My Thane?" she asked, slightly hesitant.
"Yes, Lydia?" the Khajiit replied, not looking up from his journal but turning his ears to face her. And wasn't that a slap in the face of all her expectations.
"Did… Were you honest when you said you learnt of Paarturax just now?" The housecarl was unsure how to approach the subject, but her Thane did say she should ask questions if she had any.
Ako had a frown on his face as he replied in a puzzled tone, "Yes?"
He looked up at her as he closed his journal and put away his stationery. His hood was still drawn tight, not showing his face at all.
"Yesterday you said you knew about Al-… the World-Eater already. Why would you lie?" she asked.
Despite having met him almost a week earlier, she still knew very little of the Dragonborn's character. The Arch-Mage seemed to stare at her for a long few moments, though she could not see his face. Then he huffed and moved to sit with his back against the wall, arms behind his head as he relaxed.
"I suppose this is the Nordic culture speaking…" her Thane said to himself, Lydia surprised at the hurt she felt. "Oh, I have nothing against it, and indeed prefer it, but it is not the culture I grew up in," he soothed.
"In my experience, the Nords favour a blunt honesty in their dealings. If children have a disagreement, they are encouraged to sort it out with fists or other physical methods. That translates over to adulthood, with few Nords utilising intrigue and deception." Lydia couldn't disagree after thinking about it for a few moments.
"In stark contrast, I grew up with two court mages of High Rock. Intrigue and gossip are the lifeblood of all the courts in High Rock, and therefore keeping your own secrets just that whilst ferreting out as many as you can from everyone else is an absolute necessity. I have some exposure to Khajiit culture, and with their reverence for certain trickster archetypes, keeping secrets helps to avoid being humiliated, and embarrassing others."
Lydia found the knowledge on her Thane to be interesting, but it didn't satisfy her. "Still, you didn't answer the question, my Thane."
The Khajiit chuckled and settled into a lecturing position. "Let me teach you your first bit of spycraft then. If you are dealing with unknown opponents, never ask a question you do not know the answer to. It is more applicable in a court of law than in spycraft, but it is still useful. Why?"
The housecarl was surprised to be put on the spot, but dutifully thought about it as she sat down on her own bed. "Uhm… you don't show them what you know?"
"Good," Ako said in an approving tone. "Indeed, it's a way to keep your own secrets to some extent. However, the main benefits are generally that it allows you to gauge how much your opponent knows, and how much they are willing to tell you. It also avoids unexpected surprises, to some extent, but that's more useful for advocates who plan their conversations down to the last word. Make sense?"
"I… think so? You lied about knowing your destiny to see what the Greybeards would tell you about it? And when they didn't tell you everything you knew, that helped somehow?" Lydia said, growing more confident in her answer as she thought about it.
"Exactly. By keeping my knowledge to myself, I see what they are willing to tell me, as well as the role they were expecting or wanting to fulfil. They initially treated me as an acolyte, learning what they tell me and nothing more. But that's changed now, we see each other as equals and give full disclosure. Why?" the Arch-Mage asked.
Lydia thought about it but gave up after a minute. "I don't know."
Ako chuckled. "I'm not laughing at you," he remarked, hands held up at Lydia's glare. "It is just interesting to see how someone who's never had to learn cunning struggles with it, compared to how those who learn it from birth would find it quite baffling that you don't know this. Would make for an interesting study in anthropology. Or philosophy, for that matter, which is the natural state for newborns…"
"Anthropology?" the housecarl asked, having never heard the word.
"Oh, it's the study of societies and cultures, how they influence the people growing up in it and how the people behave. Anyway, back to spycraft. Essentially, it has two parts. The first, which is what we've discussed part of, is to acquire knowledge, or more specifically, to have more knowledge than the other side. The second, far more difficult part is to know when and how to use that information. If you keep something secret forever, then there is nothing you can do with it and it is pointless to keep it a secret in the first place.
"So, after my standing with the Greybeards changed, even if it wasn't in the way I imagined it would, there's no point in keeping my knowledge secret anymore. Indeed, it could even be detrimental, since they might find out and lose trust in me, or my knowledge could be the spark of inspiration for some problem in the future."
Lydia felt slightly overwhelmed at the lecture she received, but she did understand most of it. It was just another way in which her expectations of the Dragonborn were destroyed. She spent a few minutes thinking about everything she learned.
"What will you do with Paarthurnax?" she asked abruptly as she remembered the start of their conversation.
Ako looked at her in surprise before he answered. "I will talk to him and learn as much as I can," he replied, almost wistfully.
"Just think, talking to and learning from someone who's been here since the start of the Merethic Era… there are nearly no greater pleasures to academics like myself. But to answer your actual question, I see no need to come into conflict with him. If he's been here for at least four and a half thousand years, probably more, without it becoming widespread knowledge, then he's definitely not been a threat. Razed villages are difficult to keep quiet, after all, and I don't think people are likely to forget a dragon."
The Nord had to admit he had a point. "Aren't you supposed to kill dragons?"
"While Dov-ah-kiin might translate as 'Born hunter of dragonkind', it doesn't mean I have to do it," he huffed, pronouncing each syllable of the title distinctly. "Indeed, the only thing I must do is face Alduin, and that's only if you believe prophecy. For that matter, my victory isn't guaranteed either, despite the bards' claims. The prophecy just says there will be battle between us. There is no mention of the outcome."
Lydia marvelled at the seemingly nonchalant way that the Khajiit spoke about the end of the world. After a few more minutes of silence, her thoughts were interrupted as he muttered, "I wish I had a few books for you to read…"
He must have seen her inquisitive look as he continued, "I'd have been bored out of my mind if I had to sit around doing nothing the entire day. Ah well, I think we're heading back to Winterhold once I've finished here, so you'll get a chance to learn while we wait out the winter."
Lydia was pensive as her Thane got in bed. This trip was already the furthest she'd travelled in her life, and yet it was rather nearby compared to their next destination. Perhaps for the first time, she truly acknowledged that she was quite out of her depth, and wondered if she deserved to be the Dragonborn's housecarl.
AN: Here we are. Big thanks to AshestoDusts for betaing, go appreciate his stories. As per usual, any comments or feedback would be appreciated, and useful ones especially so.
I really enjoyed writing this chapter. It must be noted that it was written in 2020, which was 5 years after the first chapter. So hopefully the improvement shows in my writing. This chapter has a number of new characters, and I hope that I got the characterisations right. I also hope I nailed that specific scene with the Greybeards: I know how it should go in my head, but I'm not sure that I adequately translated that view into text. Ah well, live and learn. These characters are very much their own people... I have very little control, haha. I'm just the chronicler, telling the story as told by the characters. Plans? Pfft, get 'recked.
Regarding shouts, I'll be drawing a mishmash from a number of places as inspiration for the lore, hopefully internally consistent. Ako's understanding might look familiar to those who perused an introductory physics textbook at some point in their lives... xD
Chapter 10 grew to a point where I had to split it (see previous point about characters), so hopefully it means that the next chapter won't take 4 weeks. Though it might, given that I've had 6 hours a day without power for the past 2 weeks... price to pay when living here. But my ankle has recovered from the break, so that gives me more time, and once I have my fitness back, that'll cut down on my commute as well. I got into a groove of writing regularly, 1.5k to 2k words a week, which is a first for me. So hopefully that trend can continue.
Translations for those who are curious:
"Fus" – Force
"drem unslaad" – peace eternal, pacifism in this context
"bolog" – beg/begging
"mindah" – knowledge
"wuth inne" – old masters
"bo wah zu'u, fen hi ned zu'u nuk?" – fly (come in context) to me, will you deem me ready?
"Dovahzul" – Dragon Voice, the language name
"Iiz" – Ice
"Tiid" – Time
"Faas" – Fear
"Hi los fin dovahkiin" – You are the Dragonborn
"Geh... kogaan. Kogaan, mindovin." – Yes... thanks. Thank you, teacher.
"Fus voth ro, ruz dah!" – Force with balance, then push!