"Amongst the Draugr

by Bernatte Bantien, a student of the College of Winterhold

It wasn't until my seventh month with the creatures that they seemed to accept me. Well, "accept" isn't really the proper word, but they seemed to have decided that I posed no threat to them and gradually ceased their attacks. Though more than capable of fending them off (a combination of fire and turning spells are generally sufficient), I admit that I tired of having to be ever vigilant in their presence.

I'll never know whether there was some sort of agreement communicated among them, for the only utterances they make seem to be in that heathen tongue that I can't even pronounce, much less transcribe. In time, I learned more of their intentions towards me from their general movements and tones rather than specific words. Hostility in any creature is easily read, but in these most peculiar of the living dead, with such variations in gait and speed, what amounts to a hostile charge in one may simply be casual movement in another. The eyes seem to be key to their intent, and I will confess to more than one dream haunted by the glowing pinpoints in the darkness.

I had always wondered why the ancient priests of the dragon cult insisted that their followers be buried with them. It seems the height of pagan vanity to drag your conscripts to their death along with you, but as I integrated into their presence, I began to observe the reasons. Every day, a different set of draugr would awaken, shamble their way to the sarcophagus of their priest, and prostrate themselves before it. Several hours of this, followed by a meticulous cleaning of the area. It would appear that the adherents of the dragon priest continue their worship of him in death, which would also explain the ferocity with which they defend his chambers.

It took several weeks before I felt comfortable approaching the dragon priest's resting place, myself. Inch by inch, until the snarling draugr around me seemed to tire of fending off my timid presence. I was able to set some simple scrying spells around the tomb, that I might get a sense of what magical energies resided there. When the next group of draugr came to pay homage to the priest, I noted a sort of transferral happening. A distinct flow of life force between the adherents and the master.

It was here that I finally understood the dragon cult's notion of resurrection. The second eternal life was only promised to those who ascended to the priesthood, but the lesser functionaries contributed their life force to sustaining them for eternity. I don't know what sort of eternal wellspring they draw from, but it's clear that each draugr carries only the barest whisper of life in it, and rekindles it nightly while resting in its niche. I now believe that the grotesque forms that we see in the barrows were, in fact, buried fully as men and women, and only over the thousands of years that have passed withered into the wretched things we know. If we had visited a barrow directly after its construction, we might not have even known any of its inhabitants were dead!

These discoveries and extrapolations excite me, and my mind aches to return to the barrows. I have only paused here at the College to transcribe these notes and gather further supplies for a more extended stay. My new hope is to learn some rudimentary way of speaking to them, for imagining what they could tell us of the early mists of time is staggering."


Odahviing roared with great enthusiasm as he hauled up the mountainside with Cura on his neck. He hovered for a moment as he angled himself to land properly on the smooth surface of the stone floor. He planted his feet on the ground and and gregariously lowered his head so Cura could climb off.

"This is as far as I can take you. Krif voth ahkrin. I will look for your return, or Alduin's." Odahviing said as he held still in anticipation.

Even Odahviing doubted her.

She could do it. She pushed Alduin this far - she had no doubt she could defeat him. However, what Odahviing was missing was that he could very well be searching in vain forever because it was possible neither herself or Alduin would be coming back.

She would have to take great care from here on out and plan her moves with diligence. She could not afford to mess this up.

Cura found her footing and used his spikes as ladder rungs to descend to the ground. "Thank you, Odahviing. Lok bo pruzah."

Odahviing silently pulled himself up and lifted off the stone ground, using his mighty wings to push himself up off the ground, and took to the skies in flight with a roar.

Resting calmly above the Velothi Mountains, Skuldafn seemed to be an incredibly large temple, similar to Meridia's on Mount Kilkreath in its construction, and mixed with Saarthal's memorabilia, though much higher over the land and far wider in its make. It lay in ruins, with many destroyed pillars and draconic statues and lit braziers lining the side walls, casting an ominous orange glow on the sand-coloured stones that were coated in permafrost and snow.

Cura examined her surroundings. "So this is Skuldafn."

As Cura's eyes scanned the location, from atop the highest point of the temple, she could see a mjor column of blue and violet light extending high into the sky. It reminded her of the energy given off by Serana's portal to the Soul Cairn.

"That must be the portal to Sovngarde, but to reach it..."

She had no idea what to expect from within the temple, but she could tell there was a big fight awaiting her on the outside itself.

She remembered Inigo offering to accept her summons on this side, and she was near to casting the summon spell, but froze an the power lingered in her palm. The magical energy whirled around her left hand, awaiting release, though it would find none. Cura stared at it for a moment, and stared at the world around her. She saw a couple of powerful Draugr Lords roaming the upper floors of the main structure, and she saw a golden Dragon perched atop a Word Wall far in the distance.

She cancelled the spell and shook her head.

"I have to do this alone."

She readied Dawnbreaker and Spellbreaker for the trials ahead. She internally apologized to Inigo; the problem lied with her, not him. Her top priority was preserving the lives of her loved ones now - and getting through this place and fighting the World-Eater in his eyrie was a direct threat to them.

If anyone should perish, it should be Alduin, or herself. She was the Last Dragonborn, after all. However, if she knew anything about fate, is that it was fickle. It could sometimes be averted, like the Tyranny of the Sun. Harkon was promised victory, but was thwarted by the Dawnguard, and most of all - by his own Daughter.

Fates could change, or perhaps the gods themselves wanted to see fate change. Perhaps her birth was not a coincidence, but a deliberate attempt by Akatosh, perhaps with Stendarr's goading, to stop the World-Eater in the latter days of Tamriel. To give their world another chance to flourish; to exist. It needn't end here.

She was going to ensure that it doesn't.

Cura looked at the floor above on the exterior, and focused her attention on the Draugr Overlord who was patrolling the higher platform. She faced his direction and cast a Fire Rune on the floor some distance from herself, next to one of the ruined archways, from where beyond she could see another Draugr patrolling. She knew he would see her attack the one above, so she thought to be ready.

With a stream of divine energy, Cura cast the continuous curse against the undead: Meridia's Wrath, in all of its blinding light in a laser at the Draugr Overlord, It harmed the zombie greatly, but also gathered the attention of him and the one she predicted, as well as one she hadn't noticed lurking around the platform on her level.

One of the Draugr with his battleaxe gripped in his hands, waddled over and activated her Fire Rune, engulfing itself and the surprise assailant both in flame. Cura leapt at the opportunity that presented itself and stopped Meridia's Wrath so she could instead lunge forward with Dawnbreaker, and impaled the hostile undead. Once her blade inserted itself in its chest, the dark blood that flowed through the animate corpse's veins caught like oil and a burst of blue flame engulfed the immediate area, scorching the Draugr behind it and the Overlord on the upper level.

The surprise Draugr and the fool who set off the trap both perished from the immediate force of impact, but the Overlord still stood strong - and furious, though engulfed in the divine blue embers of Meridia, which were charring it away. "Unslaad krosis!" the monstrosity yelled from his raspy, dry throat before launching Cura backwards against a pillar with the might of his Thu'um. "FUS RO DAH!"

Cura hit the column and slid further off the ledge. She grabbed onto the edge tightly, and could see the whole of the Velothi Mountains descending below her. It was a fatal drop, to be sure. Cura scrambled up onto the main platform, when she suddenly caught sight of the golden Dragon in flight and heading right towards her!

Thinking quickly, Cura rolled along the ground, narrowly dodging the massive torrent of frost that emerged from the Dragon's throat. She ducked underneath the stone arch, where she quickly drew Auriel's Bow and fired a Sunhallowed Elven Arrow into the Draugr Death Overlord's head. The light exploded on impact, finally loosing the fiend's head from his shoulders and ending his endless sorrow.

Cura looked at the quiver, and realized that she only had three Sunhallowed Arrows. They were not to be used lightly, though Auriel's Bow could imbue its power onto any arrow.

The Dragon looped back around and swooped down in attempt to snatch her in its gaping jaws, but Cura used the dolmen to her advantage, twisting around its side and allowing the Dragon to smash through it with its large head.

She had an idea - perhaps she could use the Dragon in flight to reach the portal above.

Cura jumped on top of the Dragon's neck and grabbed hold of its horns. The beast began to thrash about in attempt to shake her off. Cura held on as tightly as her arms could allow, and she spoke to the Dragon in its own tongue: "Dovah dir wah zey. Hi fen ni lahney waan hi krif. "

It loosely translated to 'Dragons die to me; you will not live if you fight."

The golden Dragon's sharp pupils dilated for a second as the knowledge of her Dragonborn status sunk in. "Hi. .. hi los hef-Fahliil joor Alduin faas."

"I am the half-Elf he fears, yes." Cura responded firmly. "And you'd do right to fear me, as well. Nii los ni nikrinaar wah eim nii los brahnu wah krif. "

It is not cowardice to accept that fighting is useless.

The Dragon stared at her for a moment and narrowed his eyes. "Such insolence. I do not fear you, joor."

Cura squinted at the giant lizard. "Your eyes tell a different story. I am willing to negotiate your life rather than kill you outright. I am going to defeat Alduin, and you will just be another soul to power me. You know this, right?"

"All too well." the Dragon grunted.

"Okay; ferry me to Sovngarde." Cura requested. "The portal is atop the ruins, is it not?"

"Krosis. I cannot fly you up there. Nii nis kos drehlaan - it cannot be done." the Dragon informed her. It sounded a tad nervous as it proclaimed as such. "Miiraak los jaaril naal Dovah Sonaak."

Cura clicked her tongue in disappointment as she looked at the column of light once more. "A Dragon Priest is protecting it, you say?" then she supposed that was why Odahviing couldn't bring her all the way to the top. A barrier must be keeping outsiders at bay. Then she had no choice. She had to enter through the front door. She glared sternly at the Dragon. "If you want to keep your soul, you will stay out of my way."

The Dragon immediately pulled back and took flight. "I am Laasfaasiisk. Alduin ahrk Zu'u fen kos hin aar. Hroooooaaar!" It quickly glided away from Cura's vicinity and departed the mountain.

"Laasfaasiisk." Cura repeated its name upon her tongue.

Laas, faas, iisk.

Life, fear, fang.

It made much sense from what she witnessed.

Then it dawned on her as she ascended the ancient stone steps and entered the front door. "Dovahkiin" could have two meanings: "Dovah kiin"; born of Dragons, or Dragonborn; or "Dov ah kiin"; born hunter of Dragons, as "ah" in "Odahviing" meant exactly that; a hunter.

The Dovahkiin was both, in fact. Born of Dragonkind, sharing their blood - and the Hunter who struck fear in their hearts.

The more Cura explored the Dragon tongue, the more fascinating it became. While she did not know every word, some came to her intrinsically. Perhaps she could conjure up the proper wording to express exactly how she felt to Alduin; preferably in a two-word sentence beginning with a four-letter word.

The moment her Steel-plated boot thumped on the cold stone floor, the door slammed shut behind her, locking her inside of the ruins. Cura turned around in futility to attempt to pry the door open once more, but it was as she already knew; there was no turning back.

She breathed through her nose and proceeded forward into the first chamber after passing an arced hallway with crumbled stone and broken statues littering the main path, and used Dawnbreaker to cleave some minor cobwebs away from the doorframe as she advanced.

Braziers were lit aflame. She had to hand it to the Draugr; they were undead, but still made certain to keep the lights on. Or perhaps they felt the cold touch of death ever-presently and did so to maintain some semblance of warmth?

Though, asking them would be a waste of time. She knew already that they were out for her blood.

The path to Cura's right was strewn with rubble, while the path at her left was trapped entirely with a large stone barricade, and she was forced to cautiously maneuver around two pressure plates along the path, which seemed to link to a dart trap further off. She lowered her head to be safe as she traversed, though she successfully evaded the trap.

"I suppose I'm becoming a veteran dungeon-crawler." Cura chuckled to herself lightly as she leapt off another stone on the floor and reached a clearing.

In the area there were three Draugr prostrating before an altar with two burial urns on top and four more on the ground around it. As soon as they heard her entry, they stopped what they were doing and immediately drew their blades.

"I'm just going to burn through the lot of you. Don't you understand?" Cura held Dawnbreaker forward threateningly. She wondered how much they could even understand of what she was saying. Though, slaying them was an act of mercy, taking them away from the eternal state of suffering they've been in. Cura took two steps forward. "Stendarr aaz kos voknau hi."

The Draugr froze in place, and exchanged glances. The one in the middle took offense to Cura. "Fos drey hi saag, aar?"

"Hi hon fos zu'u saag." Cura dashed forward and plunged Dawnbreaker into his chest. Immediately, the explosion caught the others and they began to flee while the blue embers danced upon their rancid flesh.

Cura hunted them down, scuffling past the ancient altar and plucking off the weaker undead, one after the other, releasing their tormented souls once and for all.

After dispatching the accursed Draugr, Cura continued up the staircase before her, and gaining the opportunity to catch a magic-using Draugr in the next room above her off-guard with a sword thrust through his back. There were four sarcophagi to the sides. It did not take long for the dead to stir upon hearing the noise.

With a Flame Cloak spell, Cura thanked Faralda profusely as they immolated upon close contact. A couple of swipes finished them off and Cura could move forward with confidence.

There was a set of barred chain doors, and there were what appeared to be three rotating columns depicting the image of a Snake, an Eagle, and a Whale on each face. Cura smiled with nostalgia as memories of Bleak Falls Barrow reentered her mind. The images were listed on the wall back then, and even now it they were hinted at on separate slabs.

The two side pillars faced outwards, while the one at the center faces the barred gates. As Cura saw it, looking at the hinted solutions to their respective puzzles, the right gate's solution, from east to west, was named as Snake, Eagle, Whale, and the left gate's solution, again from east to west, was Snake, Snake, Whale. After some meandering, Cura pulled the central lever on two accounts and activate each solution, raising the bars.

There was a small cave-in behind the right gate with a chest among the rubble, while to the left of the left gate, the path continued beyond. Cura found a couple of precious gemstones: a Flawless Sapphire and an Amethyst within the chest and continued around through the left gate.

As she walked, she ogled the stones. "A payment for the trouble, then, I suppose." she muttered as she pocketed them in her nifty satchel.

The passage further down led out onto an interior balcony overlooking a small room with a magic-using Draugr standing iidly n front of an altar. Cura dispatched him quickly with Auriel's Bow, firing a Steel Arrow through his skull and engulfing him in sunfire.

There were two flights of stairs descending into the room on either side of a large black Draconic statue. As Cura began to descend the stairs, two more Draugr burst from sarcophagi from the back of the room behind the altar, and another on the balcony off to the right. Then, misfortune would have it, more were attracted from other rooms and they quickly began to swarm the area.

Cura closed her eyes. Okay, Colette - I'm going to put the Augur's teaching to good use. She leaned back and outstretched her arms after allowing the magicka to flow through the core of her being.

The undead were ready to attack, when Cura brought the palm of her hand down onto the ground fiercely, creating a massive explosion that flooded the room and went through the rooms nearby, obliterating the Draugr and leaving no trace of any.

Cura caught her breath and grinned proudly. "Hee... hee... and they said Restoration was useless."

She continued on through the long barrow, passing through a Frostbite Spider nest and through a larger balconied room, where she found yet another column puzzle. She shook her head. The Ancient Nords had all this sophisticated engineering, but no creativity when it came to its implementation. She saw the solutions inscribed on the walls facing the pillars from afar. If she'd needed glasses, this may have actually been a challenge. "Whale, Snake, Eagle. Wow. One of each this time. That's new, I suppose."

Once the door opened, it led to a large set of upper walkways, which Cura duly crossed to reach a lever with many skulls lying around it, The Draugr had a very macabre decorating style.

Cura pulled the lever and a raised wooden bridge fell into place, granting her access to a pair of iron doors. She passed through the doors to the second Skuldafn Temple zone.

The temple was tiresome; all that awaited her were Draugr that fell before each step in their efforts to hinder the Dragonborn. She was growing weary, however, but quickly shook it off.

No. You can't grow tired yet! You're not allowed! You will keep walking until you destroy Alduin or die trying. Snap out of it, Cura! Don't be be a milk-drinker! she admonished herself as she continued over the corpses of many slain foes.

She nimbly dodged a falling oil trap by leaping onto the fallen masonry over by a ruined urn and waited for the fires to clear.

Beside the rubble on the floor was a second burial urn, with an urn to the left of the table. A set of shelves on the east side of the room was holding three more burial urns, and and a stone bowl holding a flawless diamond, a flawless emerald, and a flawless amethyst was hidden under a linen wrap. Cura thanked the divines for this kind boon on her quest and pocketed them with haste. At the end of the passage was a pair of iron doors leading to Skuldafn Temple Exterior, which she surmised when she pushed them open and was hit in the face by the blizzard brewing outdoors.

When she emerged, at least two Draugr immediately noticed her presence, but were dispatched with a Shield Bash and a strategically-placed Fire Rune, which Cura leapt back from after conjuring it. Cura continued straight ahead from the temple exit to the tower connected by a short wooden bridge that was visible from outside the first entrance to the temple. Beyond it, she could see the column of light larger and brighter than ever. More Draugr attacked in attempt to stop her, but they were no match for her Unbound Fire.

Once Cura looked to the top of the stairs across from her, she saw the large face of a dragon looking at her. This Dragon, and another that was perched on the opposite side of the portal which was drawing closer from above the top of the stairs were not aggressive. They silently watched as Cura ascended the stone steps.

The Dragonborn kept an eye on the pair, and then looked at the wraith ahead, who was wielding a staff and holding the portal in place. The whirling stones lifted up to the sky in a column of blue and purple energy. However, it was not fully open; only partially. The Dragon Priest was waiting for Alduin to come knocking after his feast.

"You are late, Dovahkiin." the Dragon Priest spoke in her own tongue, much to her surprise. "Alduin feasts on the sillesejoor in Sovngarde. You cannot stop him."

Cura scraped her boot along the stone, drawing an invisible line. "Do you think I've come all this way and I'll just be deterred by your meaningless words? No; if you want me to leave, you'll have to get rid of me yourself, lich."

The onlooking Dragons were impressed by her audacity and watched with amusement. Who was this mortal, thinking she could talk down to a priest of the Dragon Cult like that?

"You've killed my congregation. I sense their laasfus is gone..." the ancient lich slammed his Draconic staff's tip onto the ground sternly. "Very well. I am Nahkriin, priest of the Dovah! By my honour, you will not pass this point. Skuldafn fen kos dinok"

The undead Priest was quick to conjure up a lightning bolt, but Cura was already prepared for that. She activated her Dragonskin and wielded the Spellbreaker. With her free hand, she focused Vampire's Bane and launched the burning sunlight at the fiend as her shield held the streams of electricity at bay.

While not a vampire, Nahkriin took the focused energy very strongly, and was repelled backwards. He resorted to levitation and began to dodge subsequent bursts by strafing through the air.

"You will not enter the World-Eater's Eyrie!" the priest proclaimed. "Zu'u uth nall thuri dein daar miiraak." With a waving motion, he conjured a Storm Atronach, which quickly began to attack Cura at the same time.

She thought about summoning Inigo again, but quickly ruled it out.

No. This will be too dangerous in the long run - facing Alduin. I can't do that to Inigo! she rolled across the floor and dodged one bolt after the next.

An Icy Spear flew past Cura and broke on impact with the nearby wall, leaving a cold vapour trail in the air. She blocked the subsequent ones with Spellbreaker, but was struck on her side by a lightning bolt. Thankfully, her Dragonskin, though not as mighty as that of true Bretons', absorbed some of the magicka from it, and she could channel it into a Healing spell.

The Dragon Priest resorted to Fire next, casting an Incinerate spell, focusing the harsh fires in a concentrated wave at Cura. She backed away continuously until her back was literally to the wall.

"FEIM ZII!" Cura shouted, causing herself to become ethereal and the flames travelled through her absent form.

The spectating Dragons nodded, impressed by her quick thinking and mastery over the Thu'um. They seemed to be taking note of it.

Cura took the opportunity to dash forward and strike Nahkriin with Dawnbreaker, which exploded with blue flame upon impact. Her Shout broke as she made contact with the zombie. The Dragon Priest survived the burst, though he was engulfed in blue fire, and slowly began to levitate, pulling Cura up with him as the sword remained stuck in his gummy, withered flesh.

As they raised higher and higher, Cura considered Dragonrend, though she had to first catch her breath.

Nahkriin quickly shoved her off of him, and she plummeted to the ground, hitting the stone with a painful thud. Dawnbreaker remained stuck in the cadaverous cleric's form as he raised higher and higher. He clasped the staff with two hands and fired a great bolt of lightning; Fingers of the Mountain.

"Ohhh-!" Cura cried out in sheer agony as the electricity tore her apart from within, wracking every nerve ending - showering her neurons with agonizing spikes and a vile, burning sensation that wrestled her bones.

She tossed and turned, clenching herself tightly as the sudden shock subsided. The world spun around her, and she clenched the stone floor to prevent herself from falling into the sky, as she saw it.

Thankfully, the Storm Atronach disappeared due to its unsustainability. This bought her a few seconds to breathe as she gripped the tiles for dear life.

The Dragon Priest gripped the handle of Dawnbreaker and, in great anguish, slowly pried it from his charred flesh. "Gggrraaaah!" he wailed as he wrenched it free at last, and then proceeded to fly forward at the slowly recovering Cura, sword ahead.

As Cura returned to her feet, the Dragon Priest flew towards her with great speed. She blocked Dawnbreaker with her shield, but was pushed back into the wall. Nahkriin attempted to thrust around her shield, but she slid upwards, knocking Dawnbreaker from his grasp, causing the sword to fly across the ground.

With her free hand, Cura quickly drew her mace and thrust it upwards, dislocating the lich's jaw and causing him to spin backwards. She then drove her shield into his midsection, knocking him backwards as she made a hurried dash to retrieve her Daedric Sword. "WULD-" she slid across the floor as wind trailed behind her, and she scooped the blade into her left hand. She rotated herself back towards Nahkriin. "-NA KEST!" she released the full of her Shout and dashed right into the undead.

Nahkriin parried Dawnbreaker with his Staff, but this opened him up to Cura's mace, which shattered his left set of ribs. He staggered.

Now was her chance!

Though off-balanced, Cura swung her mace wildly, and managed to strike his ribcage and tear into it, exposing his black heart. She attempted to go in for a stab, but the Dragon Priest used his magic to bounce her backwards with a concentrated ball of force.

Cura flew backwards and landed flat on her feet. She felt something wet running down the side of her face and licked it with her tongue. It tasted of iron. Blood. Her golden hair was stained with red, and it was trickling down her face, forcing her to close her right eye.

Nahkriin roared with fury as dark smoke began to escape the gaping hole in his center. "No! I cannot be defeated! NO!" He shot an Ice Spike into Cura's lower abdomen, but the Dragonborn ignored it.

She gave her right wrist a twirl as she beheld Dawnbreaker. She walked forward and opened her mouth. "YOL TOOR SHUL!" a great wave of fire swept the Dragon Priest.

The flames consumed the undead and he dropped his staff to the ground amidst his pained wails. Cura leapt forward and tackled the immolating mummy down to the ground and buried Dawnbreaker in his blazing chest cavity. A loud shriek filled the air and then converted to stunted silence as the darkness climbed upwards in smoke and the Dragon Priest's body was reduced to ashes.

Cura inhaled and exhaled with laboured breath and rolled over onto her back beside him. She looked flat up into the sky as her breath slowly returned to its equilibrium. She coughed lightly and wrenched herself up into the seated position and regarded the mask of Nakriin, which lay in his ashes. She cast a Healing Spell on herself to stay the bleeding, though her ears were ringing.

Cura still jittered lightly from the mighty thunder that struck her. Were she not the Dragonborn, she knew that it would have obliterated her.

What if that would have been Inigo, or Lucien, or Vilja?

She shuddered at the thought.

Cura picked up the mask and pocketed it as she slowly stood up. She ensured that her weapons were all in order, and she moussed her hair behind her ears. She flipped her hood over her head once more and spat on the floor.

She looked up at the two Dragons, but all they did was lower their heads. They acknowledged her as the victor.

Perhaps they were also insurgents against Alduin. Still, she wasn't going to wait around to find out.

When she was ready, Cura ascended the small platform overlooking the region where the portal had been prior to the battle. There was a slot in the stone; a receptacle of sorts, obviously meant for the Dragon Priest's Staff. "Let's get this over with." Cura grunted with displeasure as she thrust the base of the staff into the receptacle.

Immediately, the energy seeped through the staff and into the mechanism, and the floor began to warp once more; taking on the portal in all of its vibrant colours, and the column stretched up into the sky.

Cura walked down from the platform and gingerly approached the portal. She took one nervous step forward and hesitated for a moment. Her instincts themselves were telling her "back out now! There's still time! Go while you still have the chance!" and "You don't have to do this; summon Clavicus and avoid it!" and "You have too much to live for, Cura! If you die-"

"Shut up!" Cura denounced the disparaging voices in her heart. "I have to do this; I must! I've come all this way! I will not stop now!"

She clenched her fists and forced herself into the portal, renouncing the fear that tried desperately to pull her back.

Leaving the Hall of the Vigilant was her first mark of courage.

Leaving Skyrim would be her last.