7th of Second Seed

Kaidan in many ways is a simple man. Give him a horker loaf sandwich, plenty of Honningbrew Mead, and somewhere out of the weather to wash it all down and he's all sorted out. I try to make sure he gets that at every inn we stop at. Morthal was no different, but I made Serana promise not to feed on anyone. She agreed readily enough that either she's a complete liar and will pounce at the first opportunity or she's means to keep her word. I think its the latter but I'm too much of a dovah and too little of a fool not to set a watch on her. A simple hand signal to Rayya and a nod at Serana is all that's needed. I spoke to bar tender and ordered a couple of horker sandwiches and half a dozen bottles of Honningbrew. I heard the door open and grinned, sensing Kaidan. Before I could move to pick up the things and give him his prize, he whispers in my ear, "I'm a hunter, little saber cat, and I'm stalking you, my prey. I think I will have to wrestle you into submission." I had to tell him that the inn might not be the best place for that since Companions train in unarmed combat too. "Back at Frostfall it is, then." I waved my hand at the horker sandwiches and the mead, "Your prize, my lord. Surely you wish to claim it."

Kaidan stared at me for a long moment before he gave me a big grin and remarked that I must have read the book he put in my pack. I arched a brow at him and asked if he meant the one the pages stuck together. Talesin, at the next bar stool, heard this and nearly choked on his mead to keep from laughing. Kaidan shrugged and said he took it off a bandit. Kaidan collects his sandwiches and his mead and goes to sit with the rest of my war band. I've been wracking my brain for a new name but haven't come up with anything. Talesin asked what was bothering me and I said I was looking for a better name for us than the Merry Band. He gave me a wry look commented that it does make us sound more like a troupe of performers. I grinned back him and waved me off, "Yes, Yes... I know you're a bard. I've never seen you play an instrument, though." I laughed and pointed out that he's heard my song many times. Talesin just looked confused.

I will sing you a song with a steel tongue

Tho my song comes not from lip or lung

Bears and wolves sleep to its tune

Even dragons sleep when I croon

Spriggans and saber cats grow weary

Eyes drooping, growing bleary

When my steel tongue sings its lullaby

even a spider folds its legs and closes every eye

The only response I got from Talesin was an eye roll. Kaidan, standing behind me, started to laugh, "That's not bad for something I know you came up with on the spot." Talesin tells me that it's a travesty and gives me a book of elvish poetry. I tell him to come with the rest of us at one of the big trestle tables. I ordered more food and more drinks for everyone before I headed over to be there with my friends. Kaidan, for once, sat next to me. In combat, he's by my side but in tavern, he's usually off in a corner by himself. We're passing around food and drink when I hear someone behind me ask, "Did I hear that correctly? You're a bard?" I replied that I was and he asked me if I'd care to participate in a contest. I asked what he had in mind. He said it was just a friendly wager for bottles of mead and wanted to know if I could sing. I patted Dawnbreaker and said that was my song, that I'm more on the warrior side of the warrior-poet. He mentioned that contests of poetry were just as valid and help in honing one's skill. He offered to allow me to start so I thought for a moment.

Jeek of the River crossed the plain

One of the five hundred elven-bane

A fair place, was the Sky Forge

Near by Whiterun River's gorge

Jorrvaskr's hull they did bear

So they stopped and settled there

He was excited that I knew my history. I hadn't told him yet that I'm the Harbinger and that unlike many of my predecessors, I've read most of our archives. I've been on the hunt for information about all sorts of things for a long time and our archives are some of the oldest and most complete anywhere in Skyrim, maybe all of Tamriel.

Ysmir of the North Brought the Cold

Freezing solid Atmora of Old

Driving its people from their home

Sending them to sea to roam

They did cross the snow and ice

Seeking homes that would entice.

I got a look from Kaidan before Kaidan asked him what he knew of Ysmir. He starts reciting a lot of things about Wulfharth the False Dragon, Pelinal Whitestrake, and of course, Tiber Septim. None of my predecessors froze Atmora. I'm the most powerful of that list and even I can't do that. A few Thalmor at a time yes, an entire continent, no. I have Miraak's soul and dozens of dragon's souls powering me. If I could do that, Summerset would already be one big iceberg and I wouldn't be planning an invasion. I looked at him, crossed my arms and said, "If you know that much history, then you know that Ysmir is a title and not capable of freezing an entire continent." He started giving me some excuse about poetic license. I think I gave him an angry glare and turned away to go back to my food. Kaidan stood up, gestured for me to follow and through a semi-friendly arm around the bard's shoulders as we wandered outside past the city walls. Kaidan grinned at the bard and then turned me and gestured at the boulder. "Let's try a little of that experiment we discussed." He leaned in and whispered some very naughty things in my ear along with a nip to my earlobe. Blood burning, I shouted, "Yol Toor Shul," and when I stopped to draw in a breath, the boulder cracked. That was definitely stronger and good information to know. My emotional state can affect how powerful my shouts are. This is something that will need more investigation.

The bard stood there open-mouthed as Kaidan rounded on him, "That's why she doesn't sing. Her voice is meant for other things. It might be a good idea if you didn't take liberties with someone's identity right in front of them. She is Ysmir, Dragon of the North. It might be an even better idea, if you plan to exercise poetic license about someone, if that person weren't also the Harbinger of the Companions. For a bard, you're singularly uninformed." I asked if he could recite any of the Great Edda and he said no, so I started to recite what I had learned of it from the archives in Jorrvaskr. His eyes got even bigger, "Wait, that's a portion of the lost part of the Edda." I told him that I knew that and that the bards are horrible at keeping records and keeping a library. If I'm being honest, I'm surprised that they've not lost everything. Their archives are atrocious. We've had some illiterate Harbingers and they still managed to keep better records than these bards. I know because I've seen the bard's archives. That's why I've entrusted the mages with a copy of the Companion's archives. If they want a copy, they'll have to pay the mages to make them one. I turned to go back to my dinner when I caught Talesin wandering over and chatting with him. I don't know what Talesin said to him, but he paled a bit and left quickly.

I hung back a bit and waited for Talesin to catch up and asked what he'd said. "I told him that he should learn to mind his manners because bards generally don't fight well." i eyed Talesin and said "Mages don't either. You're a rare exception." I told him that I'd heard rumors of a Thalmor prison in Bruma called Blue River. "Oh, no, you do not. You aren't going anywhere near that place. I don't know if I can get you back out of there." I asked what's special about it. "It's a demi-plane of Oblivion." I looked at Talesin and he was not joking. "Didn't your people learn anything from the Ayelids?" He shook his head and said apparently not. So, new plan, trap the Justicars not just drag their corpses off to a troll cave. Hmm... that's going to require some thought. He asked what I was going to do about Serana. Take her home. She's got a few thousand years of catching up to do and see what else we can do to help Isran.

Talesin snorted so I knew he doesn't like Isran much either. I didn't like the bearded monkeys when I first met them but they've grown on me since then. Talesin snorted again and said that they're just nicer to me now because I'm critical to the war effort. Talesin might be right about Galmar but Ulfric changed his tune after we fought and he couldn't best me. That's when Ulfric started to respect me. Ulfric is a bit of a bully, but he's a Jarl. Even Balgruuf is a bit of a bully at times. I recognize this because it's a trait that I have. Kaidan does a good job of helping me balance it. Kaidan walked up and thew an arm over my shoulders and gave me another one of those sideways looks. "So, little dragon, shall we go finish our dinner so I can deliver on my promise?" Gods above! That man knows how to light a fire.

9th of Second Seed

We've delivered Serana back home. Her father offered to turn us into vampires, but we all declined. I spent enough time as a werewolf to know that these things do not combine well with the dragon. I didn't tell him why I was declining. Had I been an ordinary joor, the offer might have been intriguing. The power it offers, the longevity it offers would be appealing to many. I can see where many would give into that temptation. I considered, briefly, fighting them but there were simply too many of them even for us to take on. I counted two dozen of some of the most powerful vampires I've seen and I could sense others moving around nearby, so probably closer to three dozen maybe more. Tactical withdrawal was our best option so I took it. He told us that respected our refusal, that he would allow us to leave, but that we, like all humans, are now considered prey. Someone cold cocked me, all of us, and we woke up laying on the beach, near the boat. I have a splitting headache and had to row back to the mainland with that. That was unnecessary. We walked in and you could simply have allowed us to walk back out. What an asshat move. I see why Serana doesn't get along with her father.

10th of Second Seed

We were halfway to Solitude when I stopped Kaidan and asked him to come with me. I told the others that we'd meet them at the Winking Skeever. We turned north and headed into the mountains. It took some time for me to find the trail to take us to the pass. Its overgrown now since no one has used it in a long time. We picked our way along until I could spot the Steed Stone. Kaidan looked at me and said, "Love, you're freezing. Let's stop for a bit so you can fix your gear." We stopped in a grove of trees and Kaidan scouted around a bit before pronouncing it safe enough for me to strip off my armor and add a bit more padding. He was being a gentleman and keeping his back turned while I fussed with the buckles and straps to get everything fitted properly. I told him it wasn't necessary, but he laughed and said it was unless I wanted to end up against a tree. I think I looked surprised because he laughed again. "Oh, ho. My little saber cat, yes. A tree, a rock, none of it matters much to me so long as it seems safe enough and you're there. Mainly though I dream of us beneath the stars."

We went on past Widow's Watch and took the trail down the cove. Off to the side, near the old shine, was a tidy new little graveyard. Markers had been placed for some of the graves and I found Mamma's and Auntie Kelda's there, next to each other. There's time to weep now and with Kai here, it's safe enough, so the tears came. I think I soaked Kai, but he just stood there, rocking me and pouring out comfort. Once all the emotion wound down, I planted the seeds I'd taken from the Cloud Ruler Temple courtyard and said my goodbyes. We stood there for a while and I asked Kaidan what he was thinking. "It's really isolated here. I can see why you left." There was never much for anyone in that place, and even less for Balder or myself. I never blamed Balder for leaving. I blamed Balder for turning into an absolute worthless lout who would only come home when his money ran out. As soon as either Ma or Auntie Kelda would give him a bit more money, he'd be gone again. Then he came home with that Forsworn girl and claimed he wanted to marry her. That ended up in a big row and that was the last I saw of my brother until I found him as briar heart. I'll have to look into all that one of these days. If the Reachmen were to be a touch more reasonable and willing to shed their alliance with hargravens, I think carving them out some space and giving them a Jarl of their own would be a reasonable solution. The only other alternative that I see is a war of extermination and I will not become the Thalmor in the process of defeating them.