Chapter 30

Day 101

Blades clashed and people screamed as a large-scale battle was waged across central Skyrim. Zaynabi, Kharjo and I had been able to make our way along the edge of the battlefield to a mountain that overlooked all the plains around Whiterun. The imperial army had made a move to defend itself against the undead threat, meeting the horde's leaders in battle outside the recently demolished Whiterun. It's normally ruined outer walls now reduced to small rocks and the buildings still smoldered from the necromancer's magic.

"There where blades on the undead. Are they experimenting on their monstrous creations?" Zaynabi brought out a book and began to scribble something with charcoal. She had to wrap her cloak tightly around her as she wrote as the snow came down hard while we perched on the edge of the mountain side. I recognized this path as one you would take in the beginning of the game to find the dragonstone in the ruins at it's peak. Now I wondered if those ruins where being used as a base of operations for necromancers.

"Should we be worried about being attacked from behind?" I said above the sound of the wind.

"We will be safe. There should be a cave along this route, one of the other Khajiit caravans use it during storms." Kharjo yelled back then turned his attention to a thunderous sound on the battlefield. From what we could make out large balls of fire where being flung across the fields, either from catapults or magic we couldn't tell.

"Let's get to the cave quickly!" I screamed and began to edge my way along the narrow pathway. We made slow progress as the battle raged below us. I felt bad for not joining the fight, we could deal a large blow against the undead menace in Skyrim should the imperial army be victorious. We found a small opening in the side of the mountain that lead into a larger cavern, very similar to the one we had taken refuge before.

"It seems like ages since we where crammed into a cave with one another." Kharjo joked as we attempted to shake the snow off ourselves. I placed a few sticks of wood in a pile that I had stashed away in Kharjo's bag on our way past Windhelm. We had taken longer to travel towards Solitude as we had to get past the remnants of the fort that the imperials had tried to build next to the Valtheim towers. We also had to avoid many groups of undead that roamed around. Five days of running and dodging to get to our current location. I felt as though it would have been similar if I had been trying to get my sneak skill up within the game and just crouched everywhere.

"I'll take care of it." Zaynabi pulled out the book she had strapped to her belt and held it open. She channeled the energy of the spell from the book and into her hand, jetting a small stream of flame forward and onto the twigs. They caught fire immediately and the small cavern lit up.

"How long do you think that battle will go on?" I wondered out loud and peaked out the entrance to the cave. The fighting seemed to keep going, balls of fire being thrown high into the air from both sides of the fields.

"It's probably been going on for days. It's hard to tell but it looks as though the necromancers just try to resurrect any fallen imperial soldiers. It makes me wonder more about what they are trying to accomplish." Zaynabi crouched by the fire and tried to warm up her hands. "Storms are common around the peaks of skyrim. We'll have to try and get as warm as we can now then move on." She added as Kharjo knelt by the fire and I followed suite. We did what we could to get our limbs warm while the twigs burned. When they went out, we left the cave and back onto the narrow path.

"It looks as though both sides are backing off one another!" I yelled as we continued our slow advance in the snow.

"Looks like a lot of bodies!" Kharjo replied. Even from this distance we could see the mounds of corpses. Which side they were from, we couldn't tell. We moved on, no longer trying to pay attention to the events below but on our task of moving forward. It took some time before we reached the opposite end of the valley but we where able to make it without incident.

"That was troublesome." Kharjo moved his arms and legs around, snow falling off him in mounds. We did what we could to rid ourselves of the snow that piled on top of us. There was still snow lightly falling from the sky as we rested by the mountain side.

"It looks as though the imperials have boosted the defenses of Fort Greymoor." Zaynabi looked around and pointed out the large towers that where around a wooden wall. "I can assume that they built that around the stone walls of Fort Greymoor." She dusted off the hood of her cloak and turned away from the military buildings. "We'll need to head North-West from here to reach the area around Solitude." I took out my map and made a shield over it with my cloak. In the dim light I could make out the small lettering next to a house symbol.

"It looks like we could stop by Rorikstead to rest." I rolled the map back up and placed it in my satchel. "If it's still standing that is." I added and we continued to trek through the falling snow. A day of travelling and avoiding imperial patrols got us to the remains of Rorikstead.

A few hours later we reached the area around Rorikstead. We had assumed there might have been an attack from the necromancers as we could only see small stumps of what used to be buildings. But instead of finding them smoldering we found that the homes and any walls had been taken apart. We noticed hasty marks with axes and hammers on the few buildings that made up the village of Rorikstead. Instead of trying to find a nearby place to rest we continued along the main road and headed farther north. It wasn't until we came to a crossroads that fatigue began to affect us. Night was also approaching and we needed to find shelter to avoid detection by both the imperials and any undead that may have gotten this far.

It took us almost an hour but we had been able to find a cavern where we could take shelter against the falling snow and the night. We started a fire and began to eat from our rations.

"Dragon Bridge is nearby. After that it's just a short walk to the shrine." I noted on my map and munched on bread.

"It might be a little harder as it is the snow season in Skyrim. Though the elements are harsh enough normally, it will be especially so for some time." Kharjo looked outside the cave ad sighed heavily. "I miss the warm sands of home, I am glad that I will be returning soon." A smile formed on his lips and his eyes began to shine.

"I will only be happy to be rid of the cold. I am not as eager as you to return to Elswyr." Zaynabi scoffed and finished the small bit of meat that was in her hands. I had never really heard her history before. Only that Zaynabi had joined up with the caravans after her and Ahkari had similar situations. I had never really paid much attention to the caravans in the game. I had only ever needed to find them when I needed to shop on the road. I wish now that maybe I would have talked to them more, maybe in the game it could have given me at least some insight on how they where and what had happened to them that lead them to Skyrim.

"I'll take first watch." I finished my bread and walked over to the entrance of the cave, taking a seat on a small rock. I leaned my body against the side of the cave and looked out over the snowy land. I had never imagined that any of this could have happened to me. Waking up in a world that I though had been just a video game. Surviving long enough to get as far as Riften and now. I looked down at my armored hands and smiled. I had come a long way from barely chopping wood with my weak arms. I had learned how to use a sword from Marsh-Walker and Mjoll but I was still a novice in battle. Dawnbreaker is what saved me from dying against the undead, not my skill with a blade.

"If it wasn't for a daedra-" The thought scared me as I looked up at the gray sky. I had believed in Akatosh, that his power was compelling me towards living and helping others. But come to find out that Meridia had been watching me and she was the one that protected me, not Akatosh. "Is it wrong to trust a daedra? Even one who just hates the undead?" My mind was a mix of different feelings when Zaynabi walked up next to me.

"How does it look?" She asked and took a seat on a rock beside me.

"It looks quiet, nothing is stirring." I replied with a nervous laugh. "I would feel nervous but given our experiences I've become used to it." It was dangerous to drop your guard but I had become accustomed to the quiet that took hold of the land when undead where near. The area around New Riften was always quiet and finding game to hunt was rare.

"I understand what you mean. It is the same for me." Her brightly colored eyes scanned over the snowy field and her muzzle lifted in a smile. "I had begun to grown accustomed to Skyrim you know. I don't miss the warm sands of Elswyr like the others do. There was nothing left for me there." She dropped her gaze and bean to fidget with her hands. I realized that she had never spoken about herself before and wondered what prompted her to start now. "Kharjo has been talking of his home and the things he will do when he will do when he returns." It was as she had read my mind and answered me. I couldn't help but smile as she had a knack for doing that. "But we still have to get through Cyrodiil. I just hope that this amulet that we must recover is worth it." She sighed heavily and turned towards me.

"I think it will be. I told you how it was Meridia who spoke to me. But she hates undead more than anything, I think we can trust that she will get rid of them." I tried to reassure myself with my words more than anything and I believe Zaynabi could see that.

"Just tread with caution Darius. Daedra do not normally give away their power for free." Her tone was filled with worry and she had a very sad look upon her face. I looked down at the shining blade strapped to my hip and shook my head.

"I'll be alright." I assured her as best I could but the look she gave me said that she doubted it.