Chapter 5 Dragon Rising
Mjolta toted the Dragonstone with her all the way back to Riverwood. She walked down the main path to go to the trader, receiving a strange look from the younger Nord she spoke to earlier. She didn't care and proceeded to open the front door of the trader. Camilla had her back turned to her, cooking something in a pot over the fire. Lucan was the first to notice her, his eyes lighting up in excitement when they fell on the claw dangling from her waist.
"You found it! Ha ha ha! There it is!" He exclaimed, grinning wildly.
Mjolta unhooked it from her belt and set it down carefully on the table in front of him. Camilla stopped what she was doing to come over and check it out. Lucan picked it up gently with both hands, examining it carefully.
"Wasn't easy, I had to fight a whole group of bandits…and a frostbite spider." She explained, nearly shivering at the thought of those nasty things. Not to mention all the Draugr who weren't as bad as she thought they'd be.
"Strange…it seems smaller than I remember. Funny thing huh?" His brows tightened a little as he eyed it, but he didn't seem to linger on it very long.
"I'm gonna put this back where it belongs. I'll never forget this. You've done a great thing for me and my sister." He couldn't help but grin as he reached down behind his counter to place down a small tan pouch full of coins. It had a small rope that tied it tight at the top.
"This is for your troubles. We're still in your debt." He expressed his gratitude. She knew she couldn't take it from him, not because she didn't want it but because she literally couldn't carry it.
"I would gladly accept this. But I have to deliver this tablet to Dragonsreach first." She said unfortunately, her lip pulling to the side apologetically. He gave a nod of understanding.
"No need to be sorry, I understand. I'll have this for you next time you visit." He said as he placed it back behind the counter. Camilla had been standing near her, listening to the conversation.
"It means so much to us to have the claw back where it belongs. It's an old family heirloom." She said gratefully with a warm smile, her eyes squinting together as she did. Mjolta returned a slight smile.
"It was my pleasure. I have to be going now, you two take care." With that she exited the front door of the trading shop.
She was suddenly approached by the younger blonde haired man she saw earlier, he was speaking with his mother about the dragon. He wore a blue and tan tunic, brown lace going up the front of the torso with a matching belt around the waist. He was tall and lean, long yellow blonde hair pushed and braided back at the sides. His expression seemed very irritated.
"Did I see you talking to Camilla?" He asked in a demanding yet snarky tone, his eyes narrowing on her a little. Mjolta gave him a confused look, turning her head slightly.
"Uh..yes, what is it to you?" She asked, cautiously trying to figure him out. He stared at her intensely, but he didn't seem like much of a threat.
"I just want you to know she's mine…well she will be soon enough." Mjolta nearly laughed and raised a hand over her mouth to prevent it, struggling to hold in her giggles. He didn't seem all that amused about it though.
"What's so funny?" He asked her incredulously. She was smiling and had to let out a small bit of laughter before responding.
"You think I'm trying to court her?" She asked humorously, stifling her giggles at the thought. He seemed embarrassed about it now, his cheeks turning pink.
"Uh..well..I..forgive me, for my rash assumptions." He said, hanging his head a little, his eyes starting to wander nervously. She wasn't upset about the situation, thinking it was rather amusing.
"What's your name?" She asked him, changing the subject in an attempt to help him forget about what just happened.
"I'm Sven, and might I ask yours?" He asked, straightening himself up a little, shaking off his embarrassment.
"Mjolta." She answered. By the look in his eyes he seemed to be studying her, not like he did just moments ago but more out of intrigue.
"Well Mjolta, you look like a traveler, someone that has seen far away places and heard new stories." He noted, he was almost right.
"I've lived in Skyrim my entire life, never left it." She explained, thinking about how she'd spent most of it in the Rift.
"Still, there's much to see in this land. I've been up North to Solitude for a time, trained as a bard at the college." He was very proud of that statement.
"Really? So where do you perform?" She asked, raising a brow curiously.
"The Sleeping Giant Inn just over there." He pointed past her and she turned to see the wooden porch at the entrance to the inn.
"You should come hear me play sometime. For a small sum I'll even let you pick the song." He offered with a warm smile. She thought about it for a moment.
"Hmm..well I do enjoy good music. I have something I need to take care of but I may return soon and take you up on that offer." She answered, flashing him a small but genuine smile.
"Glad to hear that. I hope to see you around, farewell. It was nice meeting you." He said his goodbye, dipping his head a little to nod, a show of respect.
"Same to you, Farewell." She returned his nod, gripping the dragonstone against her side.
The road to Whiterun was once again no different. Thankfully she hadn't run into any encounters with bandits or thieves. A few legion guard patrols passed her, but neither of them paid her any mind. She was still granted permission to pass through the gates. The Jarl must have granted her passage by notifying the guards of her services. She passed through the market district once again, hearing people chat about mundane things, a little gossip she couldn't make out. An old woman running a stall seemed distressed over something. On her way back up to Dragonsreach she spotted Lucia speaking with a priest of the temple, recognizable by his orange and yellow robes like the woman in Helgen this morning.
"Trust in me, Whiterun! Trust in Heimskr! For I am the chosen of Talos! I alone have been anointed by the ninth to spread his holy word!" A voice called out near her.
She turned to see a man dressed in similar priest robes standing before the statue of Talos. He was clean shaven, a serious look on his face as he held his arms up, palms facing towards the sky. No one was paying him any attention as they carried on with their day, this must be a normal occurrence. He was looking upwards but suddenly his eyes moved onto her when he noticed her staring at him.
"You there young woman! Have you come to hear the word of Talos?" He asked her eagerly, frantic eyes on her. She took a moment to think about what she could say to carefully avoid a lengthy conversation since that's obviously where this was heading.
"Actually I have someplace else to be." She tried to say as respectfully as possible. But he didn't seem fazed by her response.
"I'll be here if you wish to return and hear about Talos." He said, still keeping his hands raised. She was about to walk away, but she couldn't help but be curious about the whole thing.
"I thought Talos worship was outlawed. Aren't you worried you'll be arrested?" She asked, his eyes turned back to her fiercely. She realized that was probably the wrong thing to say.
"Let them come! I have no fear, for Talos is my ally and I am his prophet. His word is upon my lips, his voice in my throat." He spoke with a rebellious nature, she could relate to that.
"Well, I believe anyone should be allowed to worship whoever they wish to. Good luck to you." With that she walked by and continued up the steps. She could still hear his preaching behind her as she climbed the stairs.
Upon entering Dragonsreach for the second time today, nothing had really changed. The hall was still lit brightly, people dined at the long tables as the Jarl sat on his throne. She took a right and went into the court mage's quarters. Farengar was standing hunched over a round stone alchemy table. He was mashing what looked to be plants or herbs with a mortar and pestle. He heard her footsteps approaching and turned his head slightly over his left shoulder.
"Ah I see you've returned." He said, then did a double take and turned around completely, pleasantly surprised.
"The Dragonstone of Bleak Falls Barrow! You found it!" He exclaimed, eagerly setting down his mortar and pestle to reach out for the tablet. Mjolta handed it to him, grateful she didn't need to carry it around any longer.
"It was where you said it would be." She assured him, leaving out the part where she happened to unleash some type of godly power in the process.
"You're a cut above the usual brutes the Jarl sends my way." He complimented, though it seemed like he was referring to her as a type of brute. She didn't think anything of it.
"Well I got you the Dragonstone, what's next?" She asked, hoping to get some type of reward for her efforts. All he did was examine the stone carefully before gently laying it out on the table in front of him.
"That my friend, is where your job ends and mine begins. The work of the mind, sadly undervalued in Skyrim." He said passively, clearly too distracted by the tablet in front of him.
She decided to speak to the Jarl as he was the one who appointed her to help Farengar in the first place. Suddenly Irileth came running into the room, she was breathing quickly and appeared flushed, struggling to catch her breath. But once she did she had a glint of fear in her eye. Mjolta knew that look.
"Farengar you need to come at once!" Her tone was urgent, letting them know how important it was.
"What is it?" Farengar asked, expressing concern as he set down the tablet carefully on his table.
"A dragon has been sighted nearby. You should come too." Her eyes briefly glanced over to Mjolta as she said it.
"A dragon? How exciting! Where was it seen? What was it doing?" His eyes lit up in excitement. She had to fight the urge to yell at him, he had no idea the threat they were facing.
"I'd take this a bit more seriously if I were you. If a dragon decides to attack Whiterun I don't know if we can stop it." She warned, motioning for them to follow her. Farengar seemed quieted by her statement. He looked over to Mjolta but only to find that she was just as serious.
They walked up the wide set of stairs past the throne and dining hall. The second floor opened to yet another open room built up of dark gray stone around the walls. White and yellow flag banners hung around the room, the horse design that symbolized Whiterun in the bottom center. Big candle lit chandeliers hung from high above. Jarl Balgruuf stood near a large wooden table. A map of Skyrim lay flat in the center, flags marking certain locations. It was used by commanders and generals to strategize territories and troops involved in the war. She assumed Balgruuf must be keeping track of everything to make sure Whiterun was safe.
As they moved to stand with the Jarl at the table, a guard came walking up from her right somewhere. He appeared to be out of breath and staggering slightly, even through his chainmail helmet. Balgruuf addressed the guard, standing directly in front of him with arms folded.
"So, Irileth tells me you came from the western watchtower?" He asked the guard, his tone was loud and clear. The guard composed himself before speaking.
"Yes, my lord." He said respectfully, his thick accent was unmistakably Nord.
"Tell him what you told me about the dragon." Irileth encouraged, the guard still seemed shaken up at the mention of the dragon.
"Uh…that's right. We saw it coming from the south. It was fast…faster than anything I'd ever seen." He explained, speaking carefully so he didn't trip over his words or stutter.
"What did it do? Did it attack the watchtower?" The Jarl must have been worried, but he didn't let it show.
"No my lord, it was just circling overhead when I left. I never ran so fast in my life. I thought it was after me for sure." The guard said. Balgruuf seemed to be thinking of how to deal with the situation.
"Good work son, we'll take it from here. Head down to the barracks for some food and rest, you've earned it." He uncrossed his arms and turned to face the rest of them. The guard gave a grateful nod and exited the room hastily. Balgruuf turned his attention back to Irileth.
"Irileth, you'd better gather some guardsmen and get down there." He ordered, she seemed nervous but didn't hesitate to head his order.
"I've already ordered my men to muster near the main gate." She told him, her voice was low and serious.
"One last thing, this isn't a death or a glory mission. I need to know what we're dealing with." He gave her a look, him and the elf had a bond, an understanding with one another.
"Don't worry my lord. I am the very sole of caution." With that she took her leave.
She had a hand on her hilt as she hastily exited down the stairs. Farengar stood next to Mjolta, patient yet eager to hear what his orders were. The Jarl turned his tired eyes on her, she knew what he was going to ask of her.
"There's no time to stand on ceremony, friend, there's no time to waste." When he spoke, she noticed the level of respect he addressed her with, it took her by surprise. But she knew what he would ask.
"You want me to go to the watchtower don't you?" She asked, his expression giving it away.
"I'm sorry to ask so much of you. I have not forgotten the service you did for Farengar and for me. But you are the only person I know who has any real experience with this thing." His words were kind, but what he was asking was great.
She knew she wouldn't be able to go about her daily life without the rising threat of dragons returning. Life wasn't always easy especially for her, but maybe this was her calling, as terrifying as it may have seemed. She made her choice to help others when she was given a second chance. She couldn't abandon Balgruuf now, not when many lives depended on it.
"I'll help however I can. But first things first, I'm gonna need some more arrows if I'm fighting a dragon." She declared. The smile and look in his eyes told her how grateful he was.
"I can't thank you enough, friend. Go to the barracks, tell the guards I sent you. They'll fit you with whatever you need." He offered, and she gladly accepted the aid.
"May the gods watch over you." His final words to her before she headed towards the stairs, but as she did she could hear Farengar.
"I should come along, I very much wish to see this dragon." He insisted, she stopped long enough to roll her eyes at his ignorance. He had no idea the horror they were about to face.
"No. I can't afford to risk both of you. I need you here working on ways to defend the city against these dragons." The Jarl said sternly, dismissing the idea, something she silently agreed with as she continued on down the stairs.
"As you command." Farengar didn't hesitate, a sign he trusted the Jarl's judgment over his own ambition.
Mjolta left Dragonsreach and proceeded down to the barracks, she was met with a small group of guards sitting around a table. They had their helmets off, eating and drinking, laughing amongst themselves. There were a few more people among them. In the back corner of the room a woman caught her eye. She was a beautiful Nord warrior, dark brown hair fell around her face and brushed the top of her shoulders, a braided strand on her left side. She had pale but fair skin, full lips and sapphire blue eyes. She was clad in steel armor over gray furs from the neck down.
"Only guards and the Jarl's men are allowed down here." One of the men approached her. He was balding and had a mustache, he bore some wrinkles and seemed a bit annoyed at her presence.
"Jarl Balgruuf said you could fit me with some gear. I need steel tipped arrows." She explained, the guard seemed a bit skeptical but didn't deny her request. He rubbed his chin slightly and motioned across the room.
"Bows and quivers are on that rack, over there. Help yourself to whatever you need." He told her, she nodded briefly and took a bundle of steel tipped arrows with bright red feathered ends.
She glanced back over her shoulder as she left the barracks. The woman took a sip of her drink but still stared at her with curious eyes. Mjolta didn't think much of it and kept walking. The sun was starting to get a little lower in the sky, storm clouds looming in the distance. It would be dark soon in a couple more hours. She made sure all her gear and shield was equipped before heading out the front gate of the city once more.