Chapter Twelve: Whiterun
It took a long time for them to get to Whiterun.
A very long time indeed.
However, when they finally made it... they were amazed at what they found.
After another four hours of walking, Ula came around a bend and froze for a moment; then the tiny white-haired girl slowly walked over to an outcropping of stone, pink eyes growling large and mouth slowly going slack. The fog that had been present for most of their hike was lifting, but as it did so… it began to reveal an enormous plain. About three miles off was an amazing castle with buildings stretching around for miles and dotting the landscape farther off: because of the layered development style, it was much more majestic than anything Ula had ever seen.
Shaking her head, she continued to gape at the clouds drifting around the castle keep.
"Shor's Blood!" Svena gasped, running over to stand beside her and gawking at the castle. "Is that Whiterun?!"
"Amazing, isn't it?" Kai asked, coming up beside the enraptured girls and patting their shoulders with a huge grin. "Yeah, that's the city of Whiterun, and the castle up there is Dragon's Reach. Some legends say that it was once built to capture a dragon."
"Amazing?" Svena whispered, shaking her head when Ula gripped her hand once again. "Kai, this is the most amazing thing I've ever seen! It's even more impressive than the city of Windhelm!"
"I agree," the boy sighed, nodding with a pleased expression. "I've only heard about it through travelers who stopped at the Inn back home, but apparently, there's this rare tree in the center of the city called the Eldergleam, and it holds an unbelievable amount of Beauty. They built the city around that tree because they thought it had some sort of weird power."
"Wow," Svena murmured, glancing at him in surprise. "You sure do remember a lot of interesting stuff."
After a moment, however, the dark-skinned girl glanced at her gawking little sister and tenderly pulled her away from the outcropping.
When Ula tried to pull away, the elder girl giggled in amusement since she wanted to keep gawking.
"Don't you want to see it close up?" Svena mischievously inquired, sending out the bait. "If so, then let's get going."
Ula's ears perked up and she grinned, stepping forward and bouncing up and down with a lot more spring in her step.
With that, Kai led them back towards the road with a faint smile on his face.
"You sure do know how to get Ula's attention," the Nord accused, giving the blue-eyed girl a teasing expression. "I'm kind of amazed."
"Ah, be quiet, ya big lump!" Svena snorted, rolling her eyes before she noticed something ahead of them and blinked. "Wow! Look at all of those houses! Aren't those tile rooftops?!"
"Yeah," Kai exclaimed, eyes widening in amazement. "Incredible!"
However, only a split second later, Ula was literally sprinting down the road at top speed since she'd spotted the signposts.
Stepping up to the first one, the girl eagerly examined them with an excited expression before she turned to look at Svena. Then she pointed at the one that said 'Whiterun' with a giddy expression. The dark-skinned girl merely folded her arms and sighed in amusement, but after that, Kai hurried on and the girls followed.
When the three of them were passing by a fancy-looking stone building, Ula walked over to the sign in front of it and blinked in total surprise: it depicted a huge, buzzing bee-hive with an open door and enormous grapevines growing around it. She glanced around the sign and saw another one a little farther off, making her frown.
"Honningbrew Meadery?" Kai wondered aloud, glancing at the building in amazement. "I've heard about this place. It's famous!"
"I've heard that they make some very good drink," Svena chuckled admiringly, moving past him and walking down the road with a little flick of her curly hair. "You know, last year... I once tried a very potent blackberry wine and was floored after the first glass!"
"What?!" Kai scoffed, eyes widening in shock. "Svena, that's not good! You aren't old enough!"
"So?" she giggled mischievously, giving him a playful wink. "That's never stopped us from breaking the rules before, has it?"
"You got me there," Kai muttered, giving a shrug of defeat. "I was always breaking the rules when we were kids."
Ula flushed and shrank down a little when she spotted an enormous man in chainmail armor walking towards them.
"Yep!" the woman laughed, turning her eyes on the sky with a triumphant smile. "And don't you ever forget it! Now come on!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Kai grumbled, trotting behind the woman. "Let's go, Ula!"
The albino was currently trying to admire the river flowing from a dark grate in the walls of the city, but she figured there would be enough time to go sightseeing a little later on. She wasn't able to say it out loud, but the world around her was absolutely amazing: everywhere she turned, the Music of Life was resounding with a steady thrum.
It seemed to be coming from the castle, oddly enough, but it was so mesmerizing that she didn't even care. On her left, the girl passed by some sort of crop farm where several people were working; a little farther down was some sort of old-styled mill that slowly turned in the wind. Ula noticed that a house lay just beyond it.
"That's Pelagia Farm," Kai commented, looking at his map and flicking his eyes up when Ula bounded up to the fork in the road and gazed at the signs with narrowed eyes. After a moment, the tiny girl turned to look at the path that split off from the main road and stared up at Whiterun's entrance with an awed expression on her face. "We're almost there!"
Ula took a deep breath when she saw a man eying the three of them from his spot on an empty horse-drawn carriage.
His stare made her feel unnerved: he was looking straight at her.
"Do you think we're ready to go see the Jarl?" Svena asked, furrowing her brows. "I didn't think about it until now, but this might be a problem since Ula can't even explain what she saw. What if they don't believe us?"
"We have to try," Kai explained, giving her a firm expression. "Maybe if we explain the situation, we'll be able to make them listen."
"Well, it's a start," Svena sighed. "Let's get going."
After a moment of looking around, the girl took the Ula's hand and walked towards the enormous walls with the hopes of being granted an audience with the Jarl of Whiterun. Kai, however, had focused his attention on a nearby building and hurried up to them; Svena and Ula both turned around when he tapped their shoulders.
"I'm sorry," Kai murmured, shaking his head, "but I... I have some business that needs to be taken care of. Meet me at the local Inn once you've finished speaking with the Jarl. If you get lost, ask for directions: I'm pretty sure that the locals are a friendly bunch, so there shouldn't be anything to worry about!"
"W-what do you mean?" Svena squeaked, blinking when Ula's arms locked up in fright. "You... you're going to come back, right?"
"I promise," Kai chuckled, mussing up their hair before tossing Svena a pouch of coins. "If not tonight, then rent a room and wait until tomorrow: I guarantee that this shouldn't take very long, but luckily enough for us, there are debts owed to my father."
"Well, if you say so," Svena whispered, watching as the boy smiled and trotted off with a wave. "Be careful, Kai! And don't take too long!"
They waited until he was out of sight to glance at each other.
"He'll be fine," the dark-skinned girl sighed, mostly to reassure herself than anything else. "If it's about his father, I'm sure he will."
Swallowing hard, Ula turned her violet eyes up towards the walls of Whiterun: her anxiety had already spiked towards the clouds. One of the biggest reasons why she hadn't felt so scared was because she'd had Svena and Kai with her for so long. Kai was their source of strength: without him, the two of them were nothing more than a pair of frightened teenage girls in a hostile world. In truth, being all alone in a strange place was one of Ula's biggest fears.
After patting her cheeks to give them some color, Svena gripped Ula's hand and tugged her down the road: the two of them timidly stepped beneath an ancient-looking overpass and headed towards a makeshift construct made for keeping watch. Ula saw two more men wearing chainmail armor and concealing helmets standing atop it as she and Svena made their way across a small wooden bridge; they glanced at the girls and watched as they walked past their tower.
It made the white-haired girl feel so uncomfortable that she shrank into Svena's side.
When the road finally turned at a sharp angle, Ula and Svena darted around corner and sighed in relief; both of them were extremely relieved since their gazes could no longer linger. After giving each other a brave nod, both sisters crossed a small drawbridge and followed the cobblestone path towards the huge double doors. However, the moment they stopped to stare at them in wonder, an armored man approached them with a brisk gait.
"Halt!" he barked, making Svena jump with a squeak. "The city is off limits to travelers by order of the Jarl!"
"B-but, we came all the way from Riverwood to talk to the Jarl," Svena stammered. "Gerdur said they need help because of the dragon!"
"Riverwood's in danger, too?" the guard asked, shoulders stiffening in surprise. "That changes matters completely… both of you, go on inside the city: you'll find the Jarl up in Dragon's Reach castle."
"U-um," Svena stammered, lifting a hand when he turned to go, "my... friend, Kaikeeryn... can he…?"
"I'll notify the other guards," he grunted, shooing her off as he nodded for them to open the doors. "Open the gates!"
Ula stepped back and watched with large eyes as they opened the double doors to the city, and with a swallow she stepped through them with Svena close behind. The sight that met her eyes made her blink: in front of her was a curved stone bridge with two torches burning on both ends of it; beyond that was a myriad of different buildings, the closest of which held an old forge.
There were also lots of people walking along the cobblestone streets.
Feeling lost and out of place, Ula shivered and followed Svena when she began walking towards a dark-skinned woman who was currently in the middle of talking with an enormous blonde man. She flinched when she came closer, because it only made her realize just how deep and gruff his voice was.
"—ay whatever it takes," the man stated roughly, glaring down at the dark-skinned woman, "but we must have more swords for the Imperial soldiers."
"I just can't fill an order that size on my own," the woman sighed in exasperation, looking at him in dismay. "Why don't you just swallow that stubborn pride of yours and ask Eorlund Gray-Mane for help?"
"Ha!" the man scoffed, lip curling in disgust as he glared at the irritated woman. "I'd sooner bend my knee to Ulfric Stormcloak! Besides, Gray-Mane would never make steel for the Legion."
"Have it your way," the woman finally sighed, shaking her head in dismay before she turned and headed in the other direction. "I'll take the job, but don't expect a miracle… I doubt the Gods would give us such benevolence."
The man merely glared and headed uphill along a cobblestone path, muttering angrily to himself; the woman headed to an ancient-looking forge and continued working on whatever she had been doing before the man arrived. Ula had absolutely no idea where she was headed, or even which way to go in order to get to Dragon's Reach, but Svena did the smart thing and approached the dark-skinned woman with a fierce glint in her eyes.
"Um, excuse me?" Svena murmured softly, trying to get her attention. "May I ask you a few questions?"
"One moment!" the woman called, wiping her brow as she removed a glowing mould from the smelter; after dropping it into a bucket of water, she turned and looked at the two of them with an expression of surprise. "Well! I've never seen either of you ladies around here before… what can I do for you?"
"Do you know how we can find the Jarl at Dragon's reach?" Svena asked, glancing down at Ula to see the girl avert her eyes and shuffle her feet; several people were already starting to stare at her, and it was obviously making the girl nervous. "We don't know where anything is… so, I was wondering if you could give us some directions."
"Well, Whiterun is ruled by the Jarl up in Dragon's Reach, which is up there in the Cloud District," the woman stated, pointing up at the huge spires that were towering above the buildings. "Then there's Jorrvaskr, which is the mead hall of the Companions: their deeds of war and valor are… legendary. You might find it interesting to look around."
"Thank you so much," Svena sighed, shaking her head in relief. "My name is Svena Rossetti, and this is my sister, Ula. What's your name?"
"My name is Adrianne Avenicci," the woman explained, cracking her neck and rolling her shoulders. "Pleasure to meet you, but I have to get back to work before the storm hits us… there's a smell of rain in the air and I heard some thunder rolling across the plains a few hours ago. Don't forget to check inside my husband's shop if you need anything."
"I'll do that," Svena murmured, smiling in relief, "and thanks again."
When Adrianne turned to continue working, Ula shifted her attention to the cobblestone path that the angry man from earlier had headed down. There was a set of cobblestone steps leading towards a brick archway: with a sigh of confusion, the albino girl headed towards the stairs and jogged up them one at a time.
It took Svena a moment to notice, but when she did, she hurried after her with a startled gasp.
"Don't go off on your own!" she scolded, making the pale girl's long ears twitch downwards. "It's not safe!"
Ula hesitantly nodded and gave her an apologetic expression.
After that, the two of them started up, but when they finally made it to the top, they continued down the path at a leisurely pace.
Ula was feeling self-conscious since lots of people were looking at her now.
A deafening crack of thunder made her jump a foot into the air and made Svena cower with her her arms over her head. Ula immediately looked up at the gray skies to see that they were slowly darkening, but both girls shivered when the wind slowly kicked up. The two of them wordlessly clasped hands and started hurrying down the street. Ula could see Dragon's Reach in the distance, but the air was slowly growing hazy and the warmth was growing colder.
She didn't like how the wind brought a chill to her body.
"Come on, we're almost there!" Svena panted, hefting her hiking pack with a groan. "Gods, we can do this!"
However, the two of them had just passed a giant tree encircled by wooden gates and ornately placed little rivers when it began to rain.
"Ah, Gods!" the Red Guard cried, darting towards the steps leading to Dragon's Reach with Ula close behind. "Hurry! Hurry!"
The two of them sprinted past small waterfalls and deep pools of liquid: a decorative way for spring water and rain to be filtered. The girls sprinted up the stone steps, already soaked to the bone thanks to the huge drops of rain that had begun pelting them: Svena and Ula hastily ran around a corner to start up the next set of stairs, but the albino unexpectedly smacked into somebody hard enough to knock them over; the pale girl wheezed as she and whoever she'd crashed into fell onto the stairs.
"OW! Watch where you're going, you idiotic lumps!" a deep voice roared. "You could have seriously injured me!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Svena squealed, shakily hurrying over and helping Ula up. "It was an accident! We apologize!"
Without waiting to see who her sister had just crashed into, Svena dragged the girl up the stairs.
They finally made it to the huge bridge and ran across it, hurrying towards a set of colossal wooden doors. Svena immediately flew over to the left one and pushed with all of her strength, forcing it open and sliding inside just as the real downpour began: after pulling Ula in as well, she struggled to force the door closed.
While Svena was fumbling with the door, the white-haired girl doubled over, fighting to catch her breath.
Once she felt like she could breathe again, she attempted to look at her surroundings... but then, was soon standing frozen in awe, eyes widening and mouth dropping open: she was standing in front of the entrance to an enormous, ancient-looking hall that felt like it belonged to a King. Six monstrous pillars held the roof up, and all of them were connected by beautifully carved arches. There were also three circular chandeliers holding lit candles dangling from the ceiling. The albino shook her wet hair out before padding towards a flight of wooden steps.
However, just as she was about to make her way up, an argument caught her attention and she paused.
"What would you have me do, then?" a male voice with a Nordic accent demanded. "Abandon my subjects?"
"My Lord, please," a slightly more posh voice sighed, making Ula frown a little in confusion. "This is no time for rash action: we need more information before we act."
After a moment, she headed up to the top of the steps and gaped again: two enormously long tables had been stretched out on either side of a roaring fire, and in front of them was a throne; above it rested a dragon's head. It was around that time that she spotted a man sitting in the throne, and beside him was another man wearing dark blue robes. Ula was about to head over to them when a rough hand gripped her long silver hair and the feeling of cold steel was pressed against her throat.
The girl squeaked like a mouse and froze, pink eyes going wide in fright.
"What is the meaning of this interruption?" a deep female voice demanded, vibrating the girl's back. "Jarl Balgruuf is in the middle of an important meeting, and he personally requested that nobody disturb him. State your business."
When she tried to lift her hand, her attacker pressed the blade against her throat even harder than before. Ula nearly melted into a puddle when it cut her a little bit: terrified tears instantly started streaming down her cheeks, and her eyes went blank when she felt a warm wetness running down her collarbone. She was bleeding: it took every ounce of self-restraint not to panic.
"Oh, Divines!" Svena suddenly gasped, making the pale girl twitch. "What are you doing to my little sister?! Let her go!"
"Answer me!" the female voice barked, making Ula's ears flatten down against her skull. "NOW! Before I end your miserable life!"
"SHE CAN'T!" Svena shouted, making the woman lighten the blade. "SHE CAN'T SPEAK!"
"Explain," the woman retorted, slowly turning around and forcing Ula to stare at Svena. "Otherwise, I'll cut her throat."
"She's got a handicap!" Svena squealed, covering her mouth in horror. "From the time she was little, she's never been able to talk! I swear! Please, let my little sister go! She's only a child!"
"Why are you here?!" the woman barked. "State your business!"
"W-w-we have news of Helgen," Svena stammered, swallowing when Ula pressed her head back against her assailant's chest in order to avoid cutting herself any further on the woman's blade. "A dragon attacked it while my sister was there: once we got her out, a woman named Gerdur sent me, Ula, and our friend, Kai, to warn the Jarl! She thinks the village of Riverwood may be in danger!"
"As Housecarl, it is my duty to protect the Jarl and all his people," the feminine voice stated. "You have my attention, so explain yourself more clearly so I can assess the situation."
"Well, in short, the… imperials destroyed our village and took Ula prisoner by mistake," the Red Guard whimpered. "From what I've gathered from another man who survived, they were taken to Helgen and a dragon destroyed it! It was on fire when we arrived!"
The hand on Ula's hair was immediately lifted and instead, two hands gripped her shoulders and spun her around.
Ula dizzily stumbled and tried not to trip like a klutz as she caught her footing, but a moment later she found herself staring into an indigo-skinned face. The teenager froze and her amethyst eyes widened in surprise when she took in the woman's angular jaw, pointed ears, slanted red eyes. After blinking at the contrast between her dark blue skin and bright maroon hair, Ula didn't even know what kind of being she was looking at.
"You know about Helgen?" the odd-looking woman demanded, sheathing her sword; then she grabbed Ula's shoulders and squeezed them with an odd expression on her face. "Well… that changes matters entirely. The Jarl will definitely want to speak with you, so come with me: you girls are going to tell him what you know."
"U-u-u-uh, if you say so?" Svena hesitantly replied, blinking rapidly. "Okay."
However, her blue eyes widened when Ula was all but dragged towards the man sitting on the throne.
When the albino was literally pushed by the woman from behind, she fell flat on her face and let out a wheeze of pain; Svena instantly hurried over and helped her up, pressing a gently glowing hand against her neck and healing the wound. After a moment of shivering, she slowly sat up and rubbed her healed neck with a shaken expression.
"Who is this?" the man on the throne demanded, looking straight at the two girls with a raised eyebrow. "Irileth?"
"Visitors," the elf woman stated clearly. "This Red Guard claims her... sister... knows what happened to the village of Helgen."
"Were you at Helgen?" the man immediately asked, slowly standing up; Ula flinched and stared at the ground with terrified eyes when she realized the man was enormous in size just like Ulfric and Ralof had been. She didn't like being the smallest person around: it made her feel extremely weak in comparison. "Did you see this dragon with your own eyes?"
Before Ula could so much as nod, Svena lifted a hand with a fierce expression.
"Wait a moment," she stated whispered, planting her hand on the pale girl's shoulder as she sat trembling on the floor. "Before anything is said, you should be aware that Ula can't speak and I, personally, don't know very much about what's going on. All I know is that a group of Imperials destroyed Darkwater Crossing and kidnapped my sister. From what I've learned after we rescued her, the Imperials were going to execute her right along with a man named Ulfric Stormcloak: apparently, that's when the dragon attacked."
"Hmph, I should have known Ulfric would get mixed up in all this," the man muttered, lips pressing together with an expression of extreme distaste; then he turned to the man wearing the blue robes and cocked an eyebrow. "What do you say now, Proventus? Should we continue to put faith in the strength of our walls against a dragon?
"My Lord, we should send troops to Riverwood at once," the blue-skinned woman stated, moving past the two girls with a firm expression on her angular face. "It's in the most immediate danger if that dragon is lurking in the mountains."
"The Jarl of Falkreath will view that as a provocation!" the robed man protested. "He'll assume we're attempting to join Ulfric's side and attack him! We should—"
"Enough!" Jarl Balgruuf finally barked, slamming his fist down on the throne. "I'll not stand idly by while a dragon burns my hold and slaughters my people! Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once!"
"Yes, my Jarl," the blue-skinned woman stated proudly, pressing a hand against her heart and bowing a little.
"If you'll excuse me," Proventus muttered, folding his hands and glaring at the Jarl. "I'll return to my duties."
"That would be best," Jarl Balgruuf agreed, watching as the man left; then he turned and eyed Svena with probing eyes before glancing at Ula, taking note of the latter's odd features and small stature when she finally stood up and brushed herself off. "Well done, Lasses: you sought me out on your own initiative, and by doing so you have done Whiterun a great service. I won't forget it, and as a way of saying thanks I will prepare a few gifts for you to take home."
"It was really nothing," Svena uneasily replied, watching as he sat down. "We're currently trying to settle down."
"There is… one more thing you could do for me," the man stated slowly, eying her supple form with something close to lust. "If I'm not mistaken, you're a mage: this is most likely something that would fit into your specific area of… talent. Come, let us go find Farengar, my court wizard: he is the one taking care of the situation involving dragons and… rumors of dragons."
"W-wha—?!" Svena squeaked, eyes widening when the man stood up again and started walking away. "Hold on! What?!"
"Since you're most likely another mage, I'll introduce you to my court wizard," the man called over his shoulder, waving the girls along; Ula and Svena shared a startled glance before they uneasily began to follow him towards an open archway. "Farengar is most likely puttering around in his lab. He's always in there, day and night… I don't think he ever sleeps, honestly."
"He sounds like Uncle Rain," Svena muttered, cracking a bitter smile. "He never got any sleep, either."
Ula glanced down at the ground before she staggered, clutching her head as a sudden barrage of voices exploded behind her eyes.
She saw the Jarl... saw him speaking a hundred different sentences, saw the same room, saw the same...
No... they weren't the same.
They were all... different.
"Ula?" Svena whispered, touching the swaying girl's shoulder when she dizzily shook her head. "Ula, what's wrong?"
After a moment, the images cleared and the albino started breathing heavily.
She gave Svena a signal to let her know she was fine before trailing the burly blonde man into another large room with lots of desks. She blinked when she noticed a huge map sitting off to the side, though: for a moment, she was half tempted to ask for a copy, but then she thought better of it and lowered her eyes.
"Farengar, I think I may have found some people to help you with your dragon project," Jarl Balgruuf chuckled, planting his hands on the desk and leaning forward. "Go ahead and fill them in with all the details."
"Hmn?" a voice with a slightly refined accent inquired; Svena and Ula blinked in startled synchronicity when a young Breton wearing a hooded blue outfit walked around the desk and made his way over to them. "So, the jarl thinks you girls could be of use to me? He must be referring to my research on dragons. Actually, I very well could use someone to fetch something for me."
"W-w-w-wait!" Svena squeaked, waving her arms when Jarl Balgruuf smirked and walked away. "Um… well, I haven't decided what I'm going to do at all yet, but I guess I could hear you out… as long as it's not too extreme."
"Well, when I say fetch," the man hesitantly laughed, rubbing his arm with an awkward expression, "I actually mean delve into a dangerous ruin to retrieve an ancient stone tablet that may or may not be there. Is that… too extreme?"
"Um, yeah," Svena deadpanned, shaking her head when Ula instantly looked up at him with curious pink eyes. "Still… what would doing that have to do with studying dragons? Delving into a dangerous ruin for a stone tablet doesn't seem as though it would benefit you, unless the tablet itself had info on dragons… is that why you want someone to get it?"
"Ah, so you're not just a brainless noblewoman… you're a thinker, perhaps even a scholar," the man noted, eyes lighting up; Svena, on the other hand, immediately glared at him in offended confusion. "You see, when stories of dragons began to circulate, many dismissed them as fantasies, rumors, impossibilities. However, I began to search for information about dragons. 'Where had they gone all those years ago?' 'Where are they coming from?' Questions like that led me to discover that something had happened on this very day: I saw a black dragon flying up into the mountains."
"Okay, let's say this in a hypothetical manner," she stated calmly, not even noticing when Ula started fumbling to get her pack off of her shoulders. "What do you want us to do in order to get this stone tablet, and why on earth should I waste my time?""Well, hypothetically," the man stated in a thoughtful tone, "I could teach you how to use magicka on top of paying you."
"I already know how to use magicka," Svena snorted, folding her arms and cocking her hip. "In fact, I'm an expert with the restoration school."
"Then let's make a deal," the man sighed, smiling in amusement. "I'll give you a rare spellbook that can teach anyone how to use curative Magicka if you get the tablet from its resting place… and I'll also pay you one thousand pieces of gold for your efforts. Each."
"That's a lot of coin," Svena stated uneasily, shaking her head. "Why would you go so far to retrieve this tablet?"
"The tablet is said to have a map engraved on it… and it's a map of all the old dragon burial sites, which would definitely be handy," the man explained, folding his hands and hiding them with his billowing sleeves. "Oh, and I recently discovered that the artifact is called the Dragon Stone... it's supposedly buried in a place called Bleak Falls Barrow."
"Bleak Falls Barrow?" Svena whispered, eyes widening in surprise before she glanced at Ula. "Is there anything else you can tell me about it?"
The albino girl was currently digging around through her hiking pack with a fervor rarely seen.
"Well, as of right now it's an old tomb that was once built by the Nords, but it's very old, perhaps predating the Dragon War by centuries," Farengar explained, looking down at the ground. "It's very close to Riverwood, which is a tiny little village resting only a few miles south from Whiterun. If you need to get accurate info, I'm sure some of the residents in that town can tell you what you seek. Aside from that, all I know is that you need a claw of sorts to get into the main antechamber."
"How could you know if the tablet IS in Bleak Falls Barrow?" Svena asked blankly. "You've never been there."
"Mages must preserve some secrets, mustn't we?" the man chuckled slyly. "I have very reliable resources."
Right around that moment, Ula's muscles strained and she pulled a square stone plaque out of her backpack.
"Whoa! Where the heck did you get that from, Ula?! Were you carrying it all this time?!" Svena gasped, mouth dropping when the pale girl struggled to lift it up; she instantly glanced at Farengar, who now stood gaping at the grinning white-haired girl in a stupefied manner. "Wait... is this the tablet you were looking for?"
"By the Divines," the wizard whispered, taking the tablet with reverent eyes. "It... it really is! You two are cut from a different cloth than most of the brutes the Jarl normally sends my way. How in the name of Mara did you get this?"
"I have no clue... apparently, Ula brought this back with her from Bleak Falls Barrow," Svena snorted, shaking her head. "I wasn't there, so I really don't know how she got it. Anyway, could you tell me more about that Dragon War you mentioned? It sounded interesting."
"I'm not surprised you've never heard of it… even I used to think it was a myth," the man murmured, examining the tablet with a scrutinizing gaze. "However, the Dragon War was a real event, although the barest glimmer of knowledge has come down to us. Far back in the Mythic Era, the dragons were worshiped as gods. Many of the monumental ruins that still dot the landscape were, in fact, built as temples to the dragons. The details are lost, but at some point the Nords rebelled… and after a terrible war, they overthrew the beasts."
"Weren't all of the dragons killed in the war?" Svena asked, eyes widening. "I thought they were extinct!"
"Oh no, many were killed, of course, but many survived into historical times," the man explained. "Why, this very palace was built by one of Balgruuf's ancestors in order to capture a dragon— hence its name, 'Dragonsreach.'"
"Are you two finished?" Jarl Balgruuf inquired, peering around the entrance. "I'm still waiting to hear about the funds for this trip of yours!"
"Turns out we don't need to make the trip after all, Jarl Balgruuf!" Farengar laughed, eyes twinkling in delight from inside his dark blue hood. "You seem to have found me some very able assistants! They've already found the tablet and proven themselves to be extremely useful: they have a rare form of potential."
"Interesting," the blonde man stated slowly, looking down at Ula and Svena with commanding green eyes. "Well, Whiterun is in your debt, now. Make sure these ladies are paid in full, Farengar."
And with that, the man strode out of the room again and returned to his throne, leaving behind two stunned teenage girls. Beyond them, however, was a blonde woman wearing black armor: she was resting against the wall with folded arms and staring straight at Svena with narrowed amber eyes.