Chapter 47: High Hrothgar again

[25th of Midyear – 7th of Sun's Height 4E 202]

Once more, for the second time, I had arrived at High Hrothgar, together with Fiona and her housecarl Iona; Lydia and Jordis had to stay in Ivarstead, as availability of accommodations up here was limited and the Greybeards also did not like visitors. We had met Klimmek, the Ivarstead resident who sometimes delivered food and supplies for the Greybeards, on the way up, and Fiona has asked for him to be allowed to stay for the night, too; climbing the seven thousands steps was exhausting by itself, not even taken challenges of weather and hostile creatures into account.

I knew, of course, that in the game there were actually fewer than even one thousands steps, but I had not yet bothered to count them here in the real Skyrim. Also, in the game, one could run up from Ivarstead in something like ten minutes or even less, but here, in the real Skyrim, I could maybe do this in a single summer day by walking briskly and exerting myself. It was almost all uphill, after all, and my stamina was not unlimited. In a similar way, when going from Helgen to Riverwood, in the game this could be done in about five minutes or maybe less, whereas here, in the world which was now reality for me, this took several hours. In the game, the time and distance issues had been compensated by making time pass much faster, on a scale of 1:10 or even 1:20; I was not sure.

Anyway, I assumed that High Hrothgar was at least 2000 meters higher up than Ivarstead, probably more than that; with each step on average maybe 20 cm high, 7000 steps would cover a difference of altitude of almost 1500 meters. Of course, there were long stretches without steps at all, but if I took the elevation change to be like 3000 meters and half of it done with steps, that sounded realistic and matched what it had looked like. So, maybe the number of 7000 steps was actually correct here, contrary to the game.

After breakfast one day later Fiona spend some time with all four of the Greybeards, while Klimmek took his leave again. He was well rested, and after breakfast, when he was about to leave, he told me:

"Please let the Greybeards know that I am grateful for the opportunity to stay in here at least once, and maybe I will see them again at some time."

"Sure, I will do that. Have a safe trip down!"

"I will, and at least there's sunshine today instead of snow falling down – see you next time in Ivarstead!"

With those words the Nord was gone, and I wondered how he had usually done his deliveries, without being allowed inside. Had he timed his trips so that he had arrived around noon and could descend down to an area which was warmer before dusk? That might have been doable in summer, but not easily in winter. Did he know a place providing shelter from the elements not far from here? If so, he had not shown this to us on the way up; maybe I should ask him eventually. For now, I stepped inside again, and while the Dragonborn was busy talking with the Greybeards, I used the time to show Iona around. After all, it was her first time up here, and she was a little bit curious; the others joined us again around lunch time. In the afternoon, Fiona spend time with reading and meditation, and I asked for a talk with Master Arngeir. Once he had guided me to a proper place, I asked:

"Master Arngeir, I am curious to learn what I might be able to do to help the Dragonborn along on her path."

"This is a good question, my young friend, but I believe that she will have to find her own way."

"But you realize that there are others who want to influence her, right?"

"Such as?"

"The Blades? Delphine?"

"The Blades! Of course. They specialize in meddling in matters they barely understand. Their reckless arrogance knows no bounds."

"You are familiar with them?"

"In general, yes, and I know of their attitude. What have they done so far?"

"Not too much, but they have found this old temple in The Reach, Skyhaven Temple, with a big relief showing old history, potentially about Alduin."

"Alduin՚s wall! Yes, we know about it."

"Is that a problem?"

"Not necessarily, but I am afraid that the Dragonborn may be pulled into a specific direction too early."

"Like going further up the mountain and talking to Paarthurnax?"

I had not been able to resist the temptation and just had to mention that. It was fun to watch Arngeir՚s face showing utter astonishment, while he usually managed to hide his emotions quite well. He almost stuttered when he replied:

"How can you possibly know about Paarthurnax?"

"Sometimes I do have visions, and I have seen him in one of them. I believe that the Dragonborn will have to talk to the Elder Dragon sooner or later."

The poor Greybeard looked confused even more, while having to accept the fact that I not only was aware of Paarthurnax's existence, but even knew that the fifth Greybeard was a dragon. I tried not to look too smug, but I really enjoyed the conversation; it did not happen everyday that I got to make one of the Greybeards almost lose his composure. Master Arngeir needed a few moments to recover from the shock and then replied:

"Yes, she will have to talk to him eventually, but she's not ready yet. We, my colleagues and I, believe that she'd better hone her skills more before she talks to our leader."

"And maybe she should also learn more dragon shouts?"

"Yes, indeed, that too. We are able and willing to point out proper locations to find word walls, one at a time, and she only needs to ask."

"Maybe she will need to be reminded about that, though. But yes, I understand that talking to Paarthurnax may not be due for her just yet. She has made considerable progress in combat skills and magic, but likely not enough yet. Also, I ponder helping her finding some dragon lairs; they usually have word walls, as far as I know, and that might be a quick way for her to learn more shouts, too."

The Greybeard nodded and responded:

"No objection to that. Combat skills and magic are just fine, but against Alduin she will have to work on her shouts mostly. That's the way he can really get hurt, and that's the only way to really challenge him. Defeating more of his fellow dragons first sure won't hurt. Keep in mind, though, that meditation and practice are still required, even for the Dragonborn, to refine her shouting."

I also nodded and replied:

"I understand that, and I shall happily leave you to guide her in that; I have no ambition to distract her from the path which is best for her."

Master Arngeir seemed happy to hear that, and now he also mentioned something else:

"B'lushona, as we are already talking, I am honored to convey greetings from Kynareth to you. She has been pleased about the way you have followed her and used the shout she has allowed you to learn, and she now grants you the honor to meditate on the second word – 'DREEM', which is 'peace'."

"I appreciate hearing this, and I promise to continue using the shout with care and proper consideration. May I assume that Master Wulfgar is willing to spend some time with me to aid me in my meditation efforts?"

The Greybeard nodded once more, and he continued:

"I am sure that he will gladly do that. Kynareth also wants you to know that, once who have learned the second word, she has prepared a quest for you towards learning the third and final word. She will want to observe how you handle her special spirits, and she has given you and the Dragonborn a glimpse of that by showing the Giant Troll spirit in 'Graywinter Watch'."

"Oh! That was that!"

"Yes, indeed, that was one of the special spirits of Lady Kynareth; you are not yet ready for those yet, though, and once you have mastered the second word, you may ask us again about that quest."

Our conversation was at an end now, and I looked for Master Wulfgar right away. He had helped me to meditate on the first word months ago, and when I had found him and explained what Master Arngeir had told me about the message from Kynareth, he was more than willing to sit at my side and guide me through the start of the meditation for the second word.

As usual, we did spend a number of days here in High Hrothgar. Fiona had a few extended talks with Master Arngeir, and I could only assume that they talked about her future and her destiny. I had mentioned Paarthurnax to Arngeir on the day before and shocked him with my knowledge about the fifth Greybeard; however, I tended to agree with him that Fiona was probably not yet ready to meet the elder dragon. I meditated with Master Wulfgar, starting my quest to learn 'DREEM', the second word of the 'Kyne's Peace' shout, and same as for 'KAAN', the first word, his mere presence and occasional gestures helped me to focus on that meditation, much more than I would have been able to achieve on my own. Having my two saber cats close to me also helped, specifically when I imagined that I wanted other animals also show such a peaceful attitude towards me.

Iona usually took care of cooking and such, although sometimes I got busy with that, too. Once I tried to roast steaks over the campfire in the backyard, but I lacked a proper cooking grate, and this attempt did not work out too well. I made a mental note, though, to experiment with something like a charcoal grill once my house was ready; for now, preparing meat either as part of a stew in a pot or roasting it on a skewer seemed to be more reasonable options. The housecarl also frequently prepared a special kind of tea, actually more a herbal infusion, which was good for Fiona's throat, with all of the shouting practice she went through; I also liked to drink this tea. Of course the good housecarl made sure that her Thane did not overdo things by exercising too much.

Like the first time I had been here, I felt happy and at peace, and I really enjoyed being in this location. The issue and problems of this world, like Civil War, Daedric demands, cultists and such, seemed to be far away and not relevant. Besides, our time here also allowed for some merry activities; a few times Master Borri spent time with me and my saber cats and conjured spectral images for us to attack; Hanni and Nanni had quite some fun chasing after those images, and several times I heard noises from the Greybeard which almost sounded like suppressed laughter, which it probably was.

Several times Fiona also got busy in combat and shout training with one of the Greybeards, and occasionally I could watch. Naturally, her dragon shouts were special, and the Greybeards helped her to focus them more precisely and also to train her throat, so that she could shout more frequently. Master Arngeir also occasionally dropped a word of wisdom, and one of his favorite statements seemed to be this:

"True mastery of the Voice can only be achieved when your inner spirit is in harmony with your outward actions. If you remember to use your Voice in service to the purpose of Akatosh, you will remain true to the Way."

Naturally, the words were partially cryptic; after all, how could a mortal know what exactly served the 'purpose of Akatosh'? Was being 'true to the Way' really important? Could we even assume that the Divines themselves acted and planned together, or could, for instance, myself trying to please Kynareth lead to Akatosh being less pleased? Oh well, that was the Greybeards for us, and at least there was some guidance for Fiona, even if it was carefully phrased.

Once again I felt very relaxed up here on the mountain. I knew quite well that I wouldn't want to live here for an extended period of time, but spending a week or two was great. It was almost like time was standing still; nobody bothered us, no bandits, no dragons, no Companions, no problems. The world with all of its troubles was far below us; the clouds were actually frequently between our location and the rest of Skyrim, kind of forming a layer of separation. Except for occasional hunting, Nymeria kept close to the Bosmer at all times, of course, sometimes almost annoying the Greybeards. At first, when either Master Borri or Master Wulfgar trained with the Dragonborn, Nymeria saw that as an attack on her master, but the Greybeards had a way to radiate respect, which even influenced the direwolf; somehow, a few stern words in dragon language quickly calmed the animal down.

Hanni and Nanni were used to wandering around, and frequently I allowed them out the front door for either a walk and hunt on their own or an extended walk together with me. When they were on their own, they did not even need somebody to let them in again; they had found a way to climb the walls and get in via one of the open windows on a higher level. After all, the massive outer walls of the building were not smooth, but had many protrusions and overhangs and such, and the two saber cats were also able to jump quite well. I tried that as well and also managed to climb up to one of the openings. My Khajiit limbs and paws were much more suited to climbing than human appendages were, and I liked this. As compensation, I could not really do things well which required handling delicate and small items, like needlework and lockpicking, but that was something I could live with.

Once, during a shared trip outside, my saber cats and I managed to kill an adolescent elk which had been strolling around the area where the ninth emblem was located. I did not know what had driven the animal so far up the mountain, but it was a good catch. The elk was too heavy for me to carry, and I had to pull it up to the monastery with a rope; Hanni and Nanni tried to help by pushing. I still had no proficiency at all in properly skinning an animal, and I was glad that Iona offered to do that once she learned about our bag. An animal of that size was going to provide meat supply for several weeks, and what we could not eat within a few days, was just going to be deep frozen, taking advantage of the reliable sub-zero temperature level up here, even in mid summer.

As Iona, Fiona and I shared a room, the Bosmer decided that Iona was to learn about our background and earlier life. The red-haired Nord found it hard to believe us at first, but eventually she accepted the fact the she needed to trust her Thane, and she also considered our stories too far-fetched for mere fantasy. Eventually, she listened with attention when Fiona and I mused about our former life and how the living conditions on Earth differed from Nirn. Both worlds had their pros and cons, and the Bosmer and I agreed that, as soon as we had lots of leisure time, we'd try to introduce a few more of Earth specific benefits to this world. A start would be done with the plumbing and heating system in my new house, and I sure hoped to find time for gardening and growing a few more plants, exploring and maybe expanding the 'vanilla' Skyrim variety. Also, I had dropped a few hints to improve carts earlier, and I was sure that my engineering mind was going to come up with more ideas sooner or later. I was much less eager to consider advanced weapons or heavy industry or something like that, naturally.

So, on an almost regular basis, Fiona and I exchanged stories about our former lives when we had retired to our room in the evening, and I enjoyed the chance to talk to somebody like that; it was almost like family life. Understandably I dreamed about a future with a loving wife and maybe kids at my side, in a home of our own, and maybe also telling stories like this when there was snow outside and a warming fire flickering in the fireplace. Was I ever going to have something like this?

On a nice and sunny day I ventured out of the monastery and found one of my favorite spots, just a few hundred meters east of the large building. Not far from the ninth emblem there was a wonderful outlook point which offered a great view towards the western and northwestern part of Skyrim, at least when there were not too many clouds around. Today the sky was almost cloudless, and the vista was breathtaking. I had thought ahead and brought a blanket with me, and after folding it twice, I dropped it on the cold ground so that I could comfortably sit down. Hanni and Nanni frolicked around, as they usually did, and I just enjoyed the sights of nature. After some time had passed, there was movement next to me, and when I turned my head, I saw Master Wulfgar approaching. He stood next to me for a minute or two, and eventually I asked him:

"Would you like to sit next to me and also enjoy the view?"

He nodded, but he refused to also use the blanket and instead sat down on a section of bare rock a couple of meters away from me; maybe his robes were thick enough to make him not bother, or he had other reasons I was not aware of. He did not speak a word, of course, but I realized that this was a good opportunity to meditate on the word 'DREEM'; I had learned earlier that the Greybeards mere presence helped me to focus my mind. When I was alone, I was unsure what meditation actually implied, and my attempts in that direction were probably quite different from what that activity was usually supposed to imply. With Master Wulfgar being close, though, I felt my mind drifting off, and all of a sudden I noticed that the sun had moved a significant distance towards the west; I had not really noticed how time had passed. I was very unsure if I had achieved anything, but the Greybeard looked at me with both kindness and approval showing on his face, and that was a good sign.

My two saber cats had sat down next tome, one of each side, and I wrapped one of my arms around each of them. I allowed my thoughts to drift off into a different direction now, and while keeping my eyes turned towards the wide extent of the country below me, I mused, not addressing anybody in particular:

"You know, a long time ago I sat on a spot somewhat similar to here, though not quite as beautiful, in the Alps, and had a pretty woman next to me. Mountain hiking had not really been one of her hobbies, but I had been able to talk her into one full day hike. The weather had been perfect, and once we had reached our goal, a lower peak with a great view, I had hoped to see a smile on her face. Instead, she just looked around briefly and complained: 'What! There's not even a kiosk up here, no restrooms, and not really anything to do. Why did I allow you to get me up here? What's the point?' From that time on I knew that our lifestyles and preferences simply did not match."

Hanni and Nanni looked at me; I chuckled and told them:

"At least the two of you don't need any public restrooms and such! Hey, want to have some fun in the snow?"

For the next few minutes we were frolicking around in the snow altogether, jumped on each other, did tickling and fur scratching and petting and had a lot of fun. When we were done, Master Wulfgar was still with us; he had observed our activities, and although he apparently tried not to show it much, he had obviously liked it. With the sun sinking lower, we slowly walked back to the building, and that day had certainly not been wasted.

Alas, after a little more than one week Fiona declared that she was ready to proceed with regular life again. I had spent a lot of time meditating about the second word of the shout, but of course, like for the first word, I'd likely need months at least before I was going to be able to use it. For now, I reluctantly admitted that I was ready to go as well. When asked by Fiona, Master Arngeir had told her politely:

"There are many Words of Power in Skyrim, carved in the Dragon tongue. Even from here, we can feel the Thu'um resonate from them. Finding these lost Words would be a sufficient test, to temper your abilities with experience. Ask when you are ready to search."

The Greybeard had suggested to visit a place called 'Arcwind Point' to find a word wall; this location was in the Rift and not so very far away, and Fiona agreed that this should be our next target.

While we hiked on the path down, I suggested that we should as well visit a few other places which might have word walls in the area. High Hrothgar had a room with a large and detailed map of Skyrim, and Master Arngeir had helped me to interpret some symbols on it. According to the map, the places 'Autumnwatch Tower' and 'Lost Tongue Overlook' were potential dragon lairs and thus likely to have word walls, and if we had time and opportunity, we might look at those as well. However, Fiona told me:

"We can skip 'Lost Tongue Overlook'; I was there already earlier and learned a shout from the local World Wall."

Iona also had an objection:

"My Thane, B'lushona, are we really strong enough to encounter dragons, especially those at home in their own lairs?"

"Good point, Iona" the Bosmer admitted. "However, we are going to pick up Lydia and Jordis again in Ivarstead, and the five of us should manage."

Her direwolf whined; Fiona looked at her Nymeria, smiled, and admitted:

"Of course, all eight of us; let's not forget our valiant predator wolf and cats. So, above and beyond that, I need some challenges to grow my strength, Iona, there's no way around it, even if it's dangerous. But you know, I have killed a number of dragons already, with help. I need to do this, there is no other way."

Iona nodded, and maybe she did not fully understand, but she needed to accept that her Thane, the Dragonborn, had certain obligations, and growing by killing dragons was likely something she had to do indeed, unless somebody came up with a magical way to tame dragons. However, nobody demanded that she had to do all of that on her own. Likely she'd go on her own way again sooner or later, but for a few more days I'd be with her, together with her housecarls.

We continued to discuss that topic while we walked on the path and steps to get down to Ivarstead, and I recognized the area where I had, many months ago, found Hanni and Nanni as small cubs. Although I looked around carefully, I could not see any indication of another saber cat living here. Compared to last fall, there were more flowers around now, taking advantage of the higher temperatures, and I could actually see insects buzzing around them; they looked a little bit like bumble bees. Similar to their relatives on Earth, you could get real close to them without a problem, and for a few minutes I watched from close distance, before I hurried to follow the others.

We managed to easily reach Ivarstead before dusk, and Lydia and Jordis were happy to see us back. They had spent a few days helping various town folks with their tasks, and they were eager to move on now, together. Both were not exactly happy that they had been separated from their respective Thanes for more than a week, but had bowed to the situation. Contrary to our first ascent, Lydia at least seemed to be less worried about Fiona spending too much time with me, and she called me 'that Khajiit' much less frequently than last year.

[Author's Notes: As a reminder, Balu used to live in Germany, and the metric system had been introduced in Europe (and many other countries) many decades ago (both in the story and inRL); he's not going to change his mindset to non-metric. Whenever somebody tells him about a distance in yards or miles, he needs to recalculate and convert in his head. Same applies for me, the author, too.]