Day Four

I awoke confused. I was still fully dressed in my armor and for a moment the battles from the previous returned so vividly I thought I was just recovering from one. I scrambled from the bed and searched for my sword. The murmur of sounds from the inn below reached me and slowly my mind unraveled the past few hours. Damn Riverwood. I can't believe I had to come all the way here just to sleep. I have to stay away from those backwater towns. They're too frustrating.

The search for my sword revealed two on the floor. Smoke was rising from one, an ancient blade and I remembered I had taken it from the dead warrior guarding the Dragonstone. Panicky, I patted the pouch I stowed the stone in. It was still there. I stood and grabbed both swords. After giving each a swing, I preferred the weight and balance of the ancient two-handed blade, despite its magical properties. If magic was so prevalent here I had best learn to tame it so it may serve me when I need it to. Now Avenicci could have his little girl's sword back. At least it had been properly blooded by a warrior before becoming an ornament.

I had to sit on the bed for a moment as my head swam and my stomach clenched like a fist. I rummaged through my pack and found a bottle of skooma. I drank it and felt my muscles relax and the pressure in my head ease, yet my mood did not improve much since my stomach had a mind of its own. I changed into my finer, cleaner clothes went down the narrow stairs and ordered a small breakfast from Hulda. She asked if I meant lunch since it was midday. I could not believe I slept so long. I took my cheese and horker loaf and decided to eat as I walked. I saw Belethor's shop straight ahead and stopped in to sell most of the loot I had collected yesterday. I drained him of every coin he had then went to the alchemist next door.

"So you're interested in my potions and ingredients?" she asked.

"No, your timeless beauty and fashion sense. Why else would I be here, Hag?"
I muttered an apology and sold off the unlabeled potions and poisons I found. I also stocked up on all the healing potions she had. They had come in very handy. Though the potions were a bit pricey I still had quite a bit of coin left over so my walk back up to Dragonreach was much more pleasant. I even stopped a couple from arguing over a sword, mostly because they were in my way. The man had the nerve to ask me to keep an eye open for it in my travels. I told him I would and that seemed to make his day. Ah, the little people. I learned from my father that if you keep the poor happy enough and they will choose to overlook nearly anything you do. He also showed me how fear could do the same thing, but I think that was unintentional. I continued to Dragonreach, remembering the day was waning.

I found Farengar in his lair talking with someone else, a woman I believe, though her face was shaded by a hood and her body encased in leather armor. I had no time for pleasantries so I interrupted their discussion by tossing the artifact onto his desk.

"I found your stone for you, Wizard," I said, "Though you could have been more specific about the dangers. I have more important things to do than chop down rotting corpses and skewer bandits. Now, what about my reward?"

"You'll have to speak to the jarl about that, perhaps Avenicci."

The wizard must have sensed my rising indignation for he quickly switched the subject to his associate next to him. She was suitably impressed with my heroics so I decided to not make a scene. As she was leaving, Irileth came running in telling Farengar the jarl wanted to see him. A dragon had been spotted. She told me I should come as well. Who does this elf think she is?

Farengar placed his sweaty hand on my shoulder as he passed. "Perhaps now you will have something worthy to chop down."

I sneered at his obvious contempt of my skills. "I'd like to start right now, spell-spitter."

"The jarl means now, boys," said Irileth.

Farengar ran after the elf and I followed. Perhaps the jarl would have my reward on him.

Upstairs, the jarl was questioning one of his guards who saw the dragon. Apparently it had focused its attack on a watchtower to the west. Balgruuf sent Irileth and a detachment of guards to investigate. He turned to me and asked me to go as well. Obviously he knew a real man was needed for this mission. This jarl was proving wiser every time I spoke with him. He gave me leave to buy property in the city then bestowed a helmet to me from his personal stores. I tried not to show my disdain for the leather helm, though it did radiate a magical aura. It should fetch a pretty septim at the blacksmith's.

I left to take care of this dragon and Farengar fell in behind me. Balgruuf, however, told him to stay with some lame excuse that he could not risk him and Irileth. The wizard did not have the onions to argue and merely shut up. I clamped my hand onto his shoulder.

"Don't take it too hard, Wizard. The jarl knows this requires a certain type of manhood you do not possess. I'll tell Irileth you could not make it, however."

I caught up to Irileth and her detachment. Hopefully there were more guards waiting at the watchtower if this dragon is the same as the one I saw. With any luck I would be able to speak with this one and allow him to aid me in my quest for dominance of this land. At the least I needed to ask him if he knew anything about that wall with the dragon's head on it in Bleak Falls Barrow. I could still see that word when I closed my eyes.

As we approached the tower, I could already see smoke rising into the air. It seemed we are too late. Irileth gave her men a speech before we went in to see what happened. The building was a wreck with the ramparts destroyed, though the tower itself still looked accessible. The smell of burning hair from several charred corpses tainted the air. I passed close enough to these to find many usable steel arrows on them. I added them to my quiver and suddenly a guard yelled out that the dragon had returned. I was relieved that I would not have to track him down myself. I scanned the sky but saw nothing.

A giant form roared over the tower then circled wide for another pass. Several guards took cover inside the tower. Damn cowards. The dragon swooped and hovered above me. I could tell this was not the one I saw before but perhaps he would listen to reason as well.

I shouted to him, "Dragon, I have a proposition..."

A gout of fire erupted from the dragon's mouth and bathed me in searing heat. I cursed madly and ran for cover by some of the stone wreckage. The fire raged on my clothes even as the dragon flew off. I drank one of the healing potions I had just purchased to ease to burns. This one must be deaf or dumb. He did not even give me a chance to finish. Perhaps I am too low. As Irileth and the guards made ready to attack the creature, I ran for the tower. I pushed past a couple of guards standing in the doorway and swiftly climbed the stairs. Though the roof was more at his level, he pretended not to hear me and remained focused on killing the guards attacking him below. I knew I should have left them back in the city. I can not allow this beast, now obviously too enraged to reason, to attack Whiterun. I don't need rebuilding a city to deter my plans for ruling it. The beast must die.

Between my precise steel arrows, Irileth's magic bolts, and some hapless hacking from the guards, the dragon was soon grounded though still spewing fire. I rushed down to finish him off. I saw several guards lying prone on the ground and the rest surrounded the enraged dragon, harrying it from all sides. I drew my ancient sword and began slashing at its vulnerable side. The dragon wavered on his feet so I decided to finish the battle by smashing my weapon onto the dragon's head three times until it laid still.

The guards cheered then dispersed but I felt something strange was happening with the dragon. I heard a sound like a gust of wind rushing through the trees then the animal's body began to disintegrate, the scales blowing away like feathers. A force surged from the dragon and I felt my body draw it in like precious air. The word that had burned into my mind spoke to me and I understand its ancient language. "Force," I heard.

Once back to normal, I examined the dragon and picked through various items I saw within its skeleton including bones and scales that are heavier than I would have thought. A guard approached me and told me he thought I was something called a Dragonborn. I do not usually give a skeever's snout for what others think, but I liked the sound of that. A lot. He told me to try to shout. I thought he is insane at first but I instinctively knew what he meant. From within my soul I released a power I never knew I had, using the Word I had just learned. It staggered the guards. Irileth was unimpressed but I was not surprised coming from a dreary elf. I must find out more about this new power. It seems dragons are the key to my destiny, but where can I find out more about this? Perhaps Balgruuf will know something. He does live in a place called Dragonreach. The sky was darkening so I hurried back to Whiterun before the jarl turned in for the night.

I was almost to the gates of Whiterun when thunder crashed and the ground trembled. I swore I heard the word, 'Dovahkiin' in the sky's rumbling. Dovahkiin - Dragonborn. How do I know that word? And how is there thunder from a clear sky? My head should be clear by now. I've already had one skooma not too long ago. With all that's gone on, perhaps I should have another, though I will need to find more soon.

Enough! I must focus on why I am being connected so much lately with these dragons.

Inside Dragonsreach, I stopped at a side table to empty a bottle of ale and scarf down a carrot and a taffy treat. The jarl was, as usual, slouching in his throne when I approached. He sat up and asked about the dragon. I recounted how we found the tower destroyed and how I managed to slay the beast responsible. He looked at me oddly and asked if anything else happened. I told him how afterwards I absorbed the dragon's soul for my own use. He was in awe of my new power, now believing the thunder was indeed a summons from the Greybeards. This sounded like more mage trickery but I asked about it anyway. He told me of how the Greybeards up in High Rothgar practice using the Voice. If I could turn this shout of mine into something more powerful, something that will kill, there will be no one to stand in my way.

"There is no ignoring the summons of the Greybeards," Balgruuf told me.
"Do not worry, jarl," I responded. "I'll go to these men but only because I am curious myself. They are obviously in need of help or guidance to go to such lengths to find me. Now, about ridding your city of the dragon..."

I left the sentence unfinished on purpose and he fell in line, handing over to me a magical axe, the title of Thane of Whiterun, and a personal servant called Lydia. At last, after so many days I finally have an appropriate title to keep the minions in line with. At this rate, I should be Emperor by the end of the month. Then I may just pay a visit to my dear sister and show her my appreciation for what she did.

I snapped out of my revelry to find I'm hefting my new axe and grinning wickedly. I left the court ladies behind to debate my calling and go to find my new housecarl. My clothes were in serious need of washing and repair. Hopefully I will not have to slap one of those Whiterun guard helmets over her face.

To my delight, Lydia was passably good-looking, in a roguish sort of way. Her armor was similar to mine, which I do not care for but she filled out the chest plate much more amply, which I did care for. She carried a shield telling me she was ready for action at any time. I may have to put that to the test. She introduced herself. Her attitude was sufficiently subservient. I asked her what exactly a housecarl was. She said that it was her duty to protect me and all that I own, even with her life.

"Well, hopefully it won't come to that, my dear. But I must warn you, as my power and fame grows, more and more people will be after me. Here, you may carry this. Use it if you like."

I handed her the Axe of Whiterun.

"I am sworn to carry your burdens," she said.

"You make it sound like I'm using you as a pack animal. Don't be a silly girl. To me, you're more like a pack person. More than an animal, you see?"

I don't think she quite understood my magnanimousness towards her. I hoped she was not so simple in battle.

Handing Lydia the axe reminded me of something. I told her to follow me and I went to find Avenicci. He was standing beside the jarl, looking sullen and cowed. I handed over the sword his daughter made for him. He looked it over.

"This looks as if it's been used," he said.

I shrugged. "It's a long way from the forge. Dung happens. Take it or leave it."

"I'll wait for the right time to give it to the jarl. Here are some coins for your trouble."

The magistrate handed me ten septims. Ten! I found more than that on one of the rotting corpses in the barrow. And he's going to give his daughter's sword that she made for him to the jarl? No wonder Skyrim was drowning in scum and hellspawn. I tossed his meager reward to one of his obviously illegitimate children.

"Here," I told the little brat, "Go buy your father some better boots to lick, if you know who the bastard really is."

I gladly left Dragonsreach with Lydia following behind who looked shocked at such language.

On my way down the precarious steps from the keep, I ran into a woman I could not believe I missed before. Her hair is as red as the sky as it burned towards dusk. I started a conversation with her right there and she mentioned the Khajiit caravans. My body began to ache as I can not help but think of my dwindling skooma supply. I meant to subtly ask about one or the other but somehow she began talking about becoming a trader and how this guy, Madraun, or something, was going to help her but she needed a mammoth tusk. She would even share some of her trading secrets as a favor. Beautiful or not, I had better things to do.

"Good luck with that," I told her, laughing, and looked over at Lydia to see if she also found the humor in it. Surprisingly, she did not. She even placed her hand on her hip as if to say we were not going anywhere yet.

"Fine, maybe I can help. Perhaps we can even exchange favors?" Wink.

"Perhaps," she said, and walked away slowly.

Eventually I looked back at Lydia. "Happy?"

The housecarl shook her head. "Lead on."

I decided it's too late to go see these Greybeards, who Lydia informed me were on the other side of the mountains to the Southeast, so we went to the Bannered Mare for dinner and a bed. After dinner she said she had her own bed in town and would meet me in the morning, unless I felt too scared to be left alone in a big city surrounded by guards. I scoffed and sent her on her way. This one's going to be trouble, I thought to myself. Hopefully she can at least cook.