1st of Frostfall, 4E 965
The Way of the Voice
Standing at the bottom of the Seven Thousand Steps, by Ivarstead, were Serana and Lodiramor. It was a dark, snowy day, and they were ready to get the journey over with.
"Are you ready, old man?" Serana asked. "It's a long way to the top."
Lodiramor stabbed his staff into the snow, looking at her. "Who are you calling old?" He replied, smiling slightly. "I'm always ready."
With a nod from Serana, the two took their first step up the mountain, knowing their destination was near. The journey from Solitude had been quiet - and long - thus they were eager to find what they wanted. Walking up the first few steps, Lodiramor noticed a tablet on his right. Intrigued, he went up to it, and began reading it.
"What does it say?" Serana asked.
Lodiramor turned his head to her, and then back to the tablet, saying, "Before the birth of Men, the Dragons ruled all Mundus; Their word was the Voice, and they spoke only for True Needs; For the Voice could blot out the sky and flood the land."
Having read the tablet, Lodiramor and Serana continued up the path, gaining more of a view over the land the more they went on.
"You ever meet the Greybeards?" Lodiramor asked Serana, as they laboured on the steps up the mountainside.
"Me? No. I never met the Greybeards themselves. I have been to the Throat of the World, though. I went there with the Dragonborn all that time ago," Serana said. "He told me only one of them could speak anyway, because all of the others could only speak in the Thu'um."
Lodiramor nodded, and the two proceeded onward. The snow falling was getting heavier, and Serana wondered how well Lodiramor would fare the longer they climbed the mountain. After some time, they came to a second tablet, and Lodiramor approached it to read.
"Men were born and spread over the face of Mundus; The Dragons presided over the crawling masses; Men were weak then, and had no Voice."
After reading it aloud, they continued up the mountain. Serana remembered the first time she walked up these steps, not very long after Harkon was defeated. The Dragonborn, she remembered, often made trips to visit Paarthurnax, and they meditated and philosophized on the world.
"I want you to meet my closest mentor," Serana remembered him saying, before they made the journey. It was quite a surprise for her when they actually got to the Throat of the World, because he didn't specify they would be meeting a dragon.
Coming to a flat stretch, Lodiramor saw another tablet and went up to it as Serana thought about the Dragonborn. He read, "The fledgling spirits of Men were strong in Old Times; Unafraid to war with Dragons and their Voices; But the Dragons only shouted them down and broke their hearts."
As they went on, Serana thought more and more about him, and the adventures they had together. From the time they met to their quest to defeat her father, to whatever adventuring he brought her along for afterwards, to now...now she was alone. There was a time they did everything together, but that time had passed by.
A fourth tablet neared Serana and Lodiramor on the path to High Hrothgar, and Lodiramor went up to it again, and read, "Kyne called on Paarthurnax, who pitied Man; Together they taught Men to use the Voice; Then Dragon War raged, Dragon against Tongue."
This time, as they walked along, Lodiramor gave into his curiosity for Serana's past, and asked her, "How did you and the Dragonborn meet?"
Serana had a look of discomfort on her face, as she still wasn't accustomed to telling Lodiramor about her life. "It's a long story," she said. "In short, family issues."
"We have a long way to the top," Lodiramor responded. "Plenty of time to tell a story."
Serana, not really wanting to tell him about it, said, "I don't really want to go into detail about it right now." After a pause, she added, "My family had a falling out, and my father tried to fulfill a prophecy that would have resulted in trying to end the Sun. So I was hidden away for millennia, until the Dragonborn found me."
Satisfied for now, Lodiramor didn't press for any of the deeper details, but was still interested in the matter. Such would be a topic for later discussion. Also, they were again nearing a tablet, and Lodiramor went up to it to read.
"Man prevailed, shouting Alduin out of the world; Proving for all that their Voice too was strong; Although their sacrifices were many-fold." Lodiramor returned to Serana and they continued on the steps.
Lodiramor had read some vague stories of the Dragon War, but wondered what it was truly like to fight a dragon. The Voice, as far as he knew, really only lived on through these Greybeards. Taking that into consideration, he didn't know what was stopping the dragons from organizing a new war with man and mer. For the only thing that stopped the Dragon Crisis was the Dragonborn - and where was he?
Coming to a sixth tablet, Lodiramor approached it and read, "With roaring Tongues, the Sky-Children conquer; Founding the First Empire with Sword and Voice; Whilst the Dragons withdrew from this World."
The further they made it up the mountain, the heavier the snow got. Now, it was growing hard to see the land below. At this point, the only feasible thing to do would be to double their efforts to reach High Hrothgar. The cold wind was bitter, and the snow and ice pricked their skin. Of course, the two Nords were accustomed to it - but that didn't make it pleasurable.
Serana thought back to Paarthurnax, and their first conversation. It was interesting to meet something that dated back further than her, but she wondered whether she was important enough for him to remember. And if Paarthurnax did remember her, what would he say in their reunion? This was, of course, assuming he was still perched upon the Throat of the World.
The closer they got to High Hrothgar, the closer together the tablets seemed to be. Coming to the seventh, Lodiramor read, "The Tongues at Red Mountain went away humbled; Jurgen Windcaller began His Seven Year Meditation; To understand how Strong Voices could fail."
With the snow growing more intense, Lodiramor felt like he needed to rest soon, but knew he was close to an important point in reaching his goal. He looked ahead, and saw the eight tablet. Coming up to it, he read aloud, speaking louder over the howling wind, "Jurgen Windcaller chose silence and returned; The 17 disputants could not shout Him down; Jurgen the Calm built His home on the Throat of the World."
Lodiramor looked at Serana, and thought about the way he felt. Looking, then, back into the snow dominated landscape before him, he thought to himself, stay calm. Walking through the blizzard with that thought, he started to see High Hrothgar through the raging snow.
Soon, they reached the ninth tablet, and Lodiramor approached it to read again. "For years all silent, the Greybeards spoke one name; Tiber Septim, stripling then, was summoned to Hrothgar; They blessed and named him Dovahkiin."
With High Hrothgar now in full view, and its staircase to the monastery the tenth tablet of the Seven Thousand Steps, Lodiramor and Serana expressed satisfaction that their work had yielded its first result. Calmly approaching the final tablet, Lodiramor read, "The Voice is worship; Follow the Inner path; Speak only in True Need."
Turning to face Serana, leaning on his staff, Lodiramor asked, "Are you ready?"
Serana walked up to Lodiramor, and replied, "I'm always ready," with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. With that, they walked the staircase to the monastery, not knowing exactly what would happen inside. When Serana came to the doors, she took a breath and pushed them open, with Lodiramor walking with the aid of his staff behind her.
Upon entrance, a Greybeard was standing in the middle of a square, flanked by six others in apparent meditation - 3 on each side. Stepping forward to Serana and Lodiramor as the doors closed behind them, he asked, "Who comes to our monastery? Do you seek the guidance of the Way of Jurgen Windcaller?"
Serana stepped forward to the Greybeard, and replied, "I am Serana, and this is Lodiramor, Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold. I seek an audience with your leader," she said.
The Greybeard looked to his brothers and then back at Serana. "Well, you are looking at him. I am Tolfrul, Grand Master of the Greybeards," he said, keeping a calm and collected appearance.
Serana looked at Tolfrul with a questioned look. Taking a step towards him, she said, "You are not the leader I am looking for." Tolfrul was not pleased at that, but she continued. "I have been here before. I have met him before," she said, not playing any games with the monk.
The other Greybeards rose to face Serana and Lodiramor, and Tolfrul said, "I am afraid I cannot say anything further to you about our organization. If you do not leave in peace, you will not enjoy your fate." The threat did not sit well with Serana, who felt her anger rise. But Lodiramor cut in before she could speak.
"If I may interject," Lodiramor opened, "there is a reason we are here." The Greybeards stood and listened with an air of interest in what Lodiramor had to say to them. "You men are removed from the happenings of the world, but I am not. Following the takeover of Whiterun by...a certain dark mage...I was researching the prophecy that supposedly spoke of the fall of the Septim Empire. And the information on the Last Dragonborn, I must say, was somewhat limited. But in the night, I had a dream. And in the dream, I saw three places - the first was a castle, in which I found this woman here. The second was of the peak of a mountaintop, with a dragon perched upon it. When I met Serana, and told her about it, she told me it was the Throat of the World, above the very monastery you live in." Lodiramor looked at the Greybeards, hoping for a change of heart from Tolfrul.
Tolfrul looked at Lodiramor, and then at Serana, and replied, "The last outsider to be allowed to go to the Throat of the World was the Dovahkiin, and once he took along-"
"A certain vampire, perhaps?" Serana interjected, with a harsh stare in her now glowing red eyes. "I was not lying when I said I have met him before." Tolfrul looked somewhat displeased once more by Serana, but didn't seem to be ready to throw her off the mountainside as he may have previously been.
"Why should we trust you?" Tolfrul asked her.
Serana, in a bold move, walked right up to Tolfrul to the point their faces were less than a foot apart. "The Dovahkiin trusted me. And The Old One may be of great help in finding out what happened to him. Are you not interested in solving such mysteries? Things that could help us quell destructive forces in our land?"
"We are above the pettiness of Tamriel's wars and politics," Tolfrul said. But, as he said this, the mountain rumbled, causing everyone in the temple to lose their balance. Then, looking unsure, Tolfrul turned back to Serana and Lodiramor. "I am afraid," he began, "that I have no choice. I will take you to him. I cannot defy his will. Please follow me."
Following Tolfrul, who had a defeated look on his face, Serana and Lodiramor were eager to get to the next point of their journey. For Serana, the reunion with Paarthurnax was especially on her mind. They walked back out into the blizzard, in the courtyard of High Hrothgar. Tolfrul led them to a staircase that led to a path up more mountainside.
Turning to Serana and Lodiramor, Tolfrul said, "The path to the Old One is dangerous. I can clear it for you, but you must make it to the Throat of the World before the power of my Voice fades, or else you are left to your magics and hope. Now, prepare yourselves and stand clear." Tolfrul planted himself in the ground, took a breath in, and then…
"LOK - VAH - KOOR"
Tolfrul's shout cleared the blizzard from the path, and Serana and Lodiramor quickly began making their way to the Throat of the World. Not speaking a word, they did not want to know what would happen if they did not make it to the top in haste.
After a few minutes of walking, however, the blizzard began to return, and with it a strong wind that made them begin to lose their balance. As they began to frantically try to protect themselves from the elements, the wind and blizzard faded again.
"Thank you," Serana whispered under her breath.
As they were making their way to the Throat of the World again, Serana noticed they neared their destination. For, not even a minute later they made it onto the clearing, and rising onto a wall was the dragon that Lodiramor saw in his dream - who Serana had met hundreds of years ago.
Lodiramor was in awe, and Serana in deep thought as they approached the dragon. Perched upon his wall, he lowered his head to speak.
"Drem Yol Lok. Greetings - once again, fahdon. And greetings to you, wunduniik. What brings you to the Throat of the World?"
"It has been a long time, Paarthurnax," Serana began. "I was wondering if you could help us."
Paarthurnax looked at her in the eye, and said, "It has been long since I have been asked for help. Balaan. A friend of the Dovahkiin is worthy in my eyes. What is it you seek?"
Serana approached Paarthurnax, and said, "We need to find out what happened to him. Lodiramor, here, had a dream that directed him to me, and in it he also saw you, and also the Summerset Isles. I was wondering if you might know if that is where he went?" Serana wanted answers, perhaps more than Lodiramor - this was personal to her.
"Krosis. The Dovahkiin was driven from here by frenzy from a prophecy of destruction. Qostiid sahlo aak. I know not where he fled to," Paarthurnax replied heavily.
"Can you still help us?" Serana asked. "What if unraveling these mysteries can help us fight the growing destructive darkness over Tamriel? You must feel it, Paarthurnax."
Paarthurnax looked to the sky, and then back at Serana. "I have led the Dragons in Revak Thu'um for hundreds of years. My guidance keeps them meditative. But, I know who you seek in the Summerset Isles."
Serana was very intrigued. "Who?" She asked.
"On the Isle of Artaeum. Kruziik. The Psijic live there. They may know where the Dovahkiin went to."
Lodiramor remembered at that moment that his ancestor, Tolfdir, had written of the Psijic Order's interaction with the Dragonborn at the College hundreds of years ago.
"Even if they're still alive," Serana began, "how are we supposed to find out? We're not exactly close to Artaeum. And if we can't be sure we will find our answers there, how can we leave Skyrim now? By the time we return, the entire province will have fallen, and Morrowind, High Rock, or Cyrodiil will be invaded. Or all three! We have no time, Paarthurnax."
"Tiid motmahus. I cannot be certain what will happen while you are gone." Paarthurnax, in all of his wisdom, seemed unsure on this matter. After a pause, he stepped down from his wall and walked from it. Illuminated by the brightening aurora, he turned his head to Serana and Lodiramor. "I offer you something very few joor can understand - to fly the skies from the perspective of a Dovah. Tiid cannot be wasted."
Serana turned her head to Lodiramor, unsure about what had just happened. For Paarthurnax to offer to fly them from Skyrim to Artaeum would be of immeasurable aid to their quest. And with no other options, what choice did they have?
"I want to find him as much as you. Zeymah. I value Dovahkiin highly," Paarthurnax said.
Lodiramor sought knowledge. Serana sought her long lost companion. Paarthurnax sought his forgotten student of the Voice. Whatever the reason, they were now drawn to the same ultimate goal - and soon they would make a leap of faith in their journey.