Shadows of the Past
Chapter 8
"I am Sahloknir! Hear my Voice and despair!"
The dragon pulled himself into the air, easily evading Kaidan's charging attack with the nodachi. Cursing, he quickly sheathed it and pulled his bow off his back. Edna and Delphine already had theirs out as the dragon wheeled around in the air, working to position itself in the most advantageous place to hit all three targets on the ground with his breath attack.
Delphine stayed close to the questionable protection of the rocks near which they had crouched when they first arrived, but Kaidan remained in the open in order to lure the dragon in and make him an easier target for the Dragonborn and Delphine. Edna pulled herself to one side, hoping to catch the dragon with her own thu'um. It hadn't worked on the bigger, black dragon, but while he was larger than the dragon they fought near Bleakwind Basin, he was a coldrake, like the one at Morthal, breathing frost rather than fire. She hoped her Shout would have some effect; it had on the other one.
Sahloknir pulled himself up in the air, directly in front of and above Kaidan, and took a deep breath.
"FUS RO!" Edna Shouted, and while it gave the dragon pause, he still bellowed out a column of frost at Kaidan as Delphine peppered him with her steel-tipped arrows.
"Aww…fuck, that's cold!" Kaidan shivered. "Me dangly-bits are gonna crawl right up to me throat!"
Sahloknir ignored him and pivoted in mid-air to face Edna. "Dovahkiin," he spat scathingly, as if he, too dismissed her status. There was a wealth of derision in his tone. "Your Voice is no match for mine!"
"Perhaps not right now," Edna called back, "but I'll get stronger. You, however, will be dead!" She shot two of the An-Xileel arrows at once, and they hit their mark in the joint between the wing and shoulder. Again, Sahloknir staggered in mid-flight, but it wasn't enough. He climbed into the air again to circle around them once more.
"We've got to ground that bastard!" Delphine yelled.
"I'm open to suggestion, Delphine," Kaidan boomed back. "I don't see you out here acting like fish bait!"
Giving an angry growl, the innkeeper moved out to the center of the clearing, closer to the opened dragon mound and shot three arrows in succession, hitting the dragon against the night sky while Kaidan's next shot went wide.
"My lord Alduin requires your death," Sahloknir gloated. "I am glad to oblige him."
Alduin? Edna thought. The one that raised him? The name triggered something deep in her memory, but slipped tantalizingly out of grasp. No matter. Subject for another time. The dragon had to be killed first.
She boomed out her thu'um again, and this time Sahloknir was forced to the ground. Delphine was knocked flat on her backside as she rushed to close with the dragon, while Kaidan found himself face-to-face with the coldrake. He slashed across its snout with the great, two-handed sword, but the dragon only flinched back and snapped at him, forcing Kaidan to dodge to one side.
"Over here," Edna said with deadly, quiet calm, and when Sahloknir turned her way he received a facefull of cold, hard steel for his efforts as Edna bashed her shield into it.
Enraged, Sahloknir drew back and reared up, intending to come down on top of her and bite her in two. But as he came down, something prevented his jaws from closing on the soft, squishy flesh of a human. Something cold and hard and metallic, jammed into his open maw. He shook his head to free himself of the obstruction, but it was wedged in tightly. To add to his discomfort, the puny joor had dared to leap on top of his head, and was now raining down blow after sharp, cutting blow into his eyes, blinding him. The steel found its way into the soft portions where his earholes lay hidden under scales that weren't as tough as the rest of his body.
Seeing Edna hang off the side of the dragon's head with one hand on a head spike, Delphine and Kaidan tore into his sides, his wings – anyplace they could land a blow, until at last, with a shudder, Sahloknir slumped to the ground and lay still. The soul flared out and settled into Edna as she lightly jumped down to the ground. Kaidan retrieved her solidly wedged shield from the skeleton's mouth and handed it her.
"Sometimes after seeing you do that, I almost feel envious," Kaidan murmured respectfully. "Then I think about the weight on your shoulders, and…well, I'm just amazed by you."
"Gods above!" Delphine's voice cut across the moment. "I'll be damned, you did it!" Her entire manner had changed from open suspicion to outright awe. "It's true, isn't it?" she breathed. "You really are Dragonborn."
Edna stepped over to the Breton woman and nodded. "It's really true," she confirmed.
"I owe you some answers, don't I?" Delphine acknowledged. "Go ahead, whatever you want to know. Nothing held back."
"Let's sit over there by that tree," Edna suggested. "That was quite the fight, and I'd like a moment to catch my breath."
Kaidan found a rather large rock nearby and bodily lifted it up, placing it under the tree for Edna to sit on. She beamed her thanks before speaking.
"Now, Delphine," she began, "let's start with acknowledging the fact that you are a former Blade. Am I right?"
Delphine started, and suspicion crept into her gaze once more. "How could you know that?" she demanded defensively. It was telling that she didn't deny it.
"Well, for starters, you have an Akaviri sword hanging up in your 'secret' room," Edna replied. "And while that in itself isn't really proof enough, you mentioned a collective when you told me – and I quote here – 'we remember what others don't', about who the Dragonborn is and what they were famed for doing. Remember, I'm from Cyrodiil, and our earliest histories are deeply intertwined with the Septim line of Emperors. Add to that fact that I fought in the Great War, and I remember what started it: when the Dominion dumped a cartload of heads belonging to former Blades at the feet of Titus Mede. You've also invoked the Thalmor, and said that they were 'old enemies' of yours." She gave a knowing smile. "It doesn't take a Moth Priest to figure out who you were connected with."
Once again, Delphine stared in admiration at the older woman in front of her. "I've really underestimated you, haven't I?" she chuckled to herself.
"Well, if you have, then there's a very good chance any enemies I make will do the same," Edna shrugged. "So, tell me…" she continued, her voice hardening a little, "what you know about the dragons coming back."
"Not a damned thing," Delphine admitted. "I was just as surprised as you to find that big, black dragon here."
"I've seen that dragon before," Edna said soberly, all humor gone now.
"Really?" Delphine blinked. "Where?"
"It was the same dragon that attacked Helgen," Edna replied, unable to keep the slight tremor from her voice. "When Ulfric Stormcloak escaped from the Imperials."
"Interesting…same dragon," Delphine mused. Then she smacked her fist on the ground where she sat. "Dammit! We're blundering around in the dark, here! We need to find out who's behind it all."
"What if there isn't anyone?" Kaidan asked, irritated. "What if the dragons are doing this all on their own?"
"Even if they are," Delphine argued, "we have to eliminate any other probable faction." She thought for several minutes. "The Thalmor are our best lead," she finally said. "If they aren't involved, they'll know who is. Their spy network is better than anything we ever came up with, back in the Great War."
"What makes you think the Thalmor are bringing the dragons back?" Kaidan asked derisively. He was still angry with her for putting Edna at risk, and he felt Delphine's paranoia had kicked out what little common sense she might have had.
The former Blade glared at him as she blew out a breath of exasperation. "Nothing solid…yet. But my gut tells me it can't be anybody else," she insisted. "Look, the Empire had captured Ulfric. The war was basically over. Then a dragon attacks, Ulfric escapes, and the war is back on. And now the dragons are attacking everywhere, indiscriminately. Skyrim is weakened, the Empire is weakened. Who else gains from that but the Thalmor?"
"She has a point, Kai," Edna said thoughtfully.
"You're not buying this bullshit, Dragonborn, are you?" Kaidan queried, incredulous.
"I didn't say I had," his companion replied mildly, "but we should consider all options." She turned to Delphine. "Any ideas on how we find out what the Thalmor know about the dragons coming back?" she asked.
"If we could get into the Thalmor Embassy...," Delphine mused, almost as if to herself. "It's the center of their operations in Skyrim... Problem is, that place is locked up tighter than a miser's purse. They could teach me a few things about paranoia..."
Kaidan snorted. "Not possible." Infiltrate a viper's nest of Thalmor? She is fucking crazy!
Edna shushed him and asked Delphine, "So, how do we get into the Embassy?"
"I'm not sure yet," Delphine admitted. "I have a few ideas, but I'll need some time to pull things together... Meet me back in Riverwood. If I'm not back when you get there, wait for me. I shouldn't be long. Keep an eye on the sky. This is only going to get worse."
She got up to leave, and Kaidan rose, as well. Edna remained lost in thought.
"Well, I hope you're satisfied, Delphine," Kaidan growled angrily. "Putting the Dragonborn in danger like that, just to prove her blood."
"I had to be sure," Delphine said defensively. "To know if they were the one."
"If that dragon had harmed a hair of her head," he hissed, his voice full of menace, "we would not be having such a civil conversation right now."
Delphine snorted, and her manner was one of a bartender used to young pups flexing their muscles.
"If that dragon had harmed a hair on her head," she pointed out, "we wouldn't be talking at all. You're not very bright, are you? Just the hired muscle? Stick to your job, and let me stick to mine."
Kaidan felt his grip on his temper slipping rapidly. "You know what, I'm tired of all your bitching—"
"And I'm tired of talking to someone with less valuable insight than a skeever," Delphine shot back. "Unless you have something to contribute, I suggest you shut up."
She turned her back on him and headed down the path back to Kynesgrove. Frustrated, Kaidan shouted after her, "Go fuck a skeever!"
He turned back to Edna, who sat there, shaking her head as if watching two siblings squabble over the same toy. Sheepishly, he offered her a hand to help her to her feet.
"Maybe you could avoid yelling at Delphine next time we have to meet her?" Edna suggested, just short of a reprimand. "We might need her."
Kaidan hung his head. "Aw, you're right," he admitted. "I'm being an ass."
"Yes, you are," Edna agreed. "Don't get me wrong; I understand it. She's been unnecessarily secretive." She picked up her shield and slung it on her back as they walked slowly back to town. "About what she said, though…"
"Aye," Kaidan nodded. "So Delphine is a Blade. Clever of you to put that together, by the way. But if that's the case, I can't really blame her for being so elusive." He was silent for a moment, thinking of the ramifications. "I wouldn't mind picking her brain if I get the chance."
Edna chuckled. "You might get a chance if you stop yelling at her."
Kaidan gave an embarrassed laugh and cleared his throat. "Ahem…I suppose you're right, eh?"
Edna stopped as the entered the town proper. Glancing around, she noticed the inn nearby, the Braidwood. "Let's stay here tonight, Kai," she suggested. "There's a few things I need to think about, and we ran all day to get here."
"Aye, and fought a dragon on top of that," he agreed.
The innkeeper had returned by this time, and when Iddra was assured the dragon was truly dead and unlikely to return, she gave them a discount on their rooms for the night. Though it was very late – or very early, depending on your perspective of time – she was able to provide them some bread and cheese along with a few bottles of mead to go with their trail rations Edna had made the day before.
"Kaidan," the Dragonborn said after they finished, "may I take another look at your sword, please?"
"Aye," Kaidan answered, puzzled. He pulled it off his back and laid it on the table between them.
Edna studied it for several minutes, then said slowly, "I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but the Blades used swords just like these. When I recognized the one hanging up at Delphine's, I figured out then that she must have had some connection to them."
"The Thalmor kept suggesting that to me, too," Kaidan remembered. "It had me thinking…"
"Go on," Edna encouraged.
"If this sword really belonged to my mother, could it mean she may have been part of that Order?" He looked so hopeful to have some kind of clue – any kind – that Edna refused to take that hope from him. "It might explain Brynjar's secrecy," Kaidan went on, "seeing how they and everyone connected to them were hunted down." For a moment his face shone with enthusiasm, but as if unwilling to dare to hope too much, he shrugged and said off-handedly, "Of course, it could also have just been won in a game of dice."
"I wouldn't throw out the baby with the bath, Kai," Edna soothed. "Something in my gut tells me this sword is the first clue to finding out who your mother was, who your family were, and why the Thalmor were after you. Let's not give us just yet." She studied the blade again.
"I recognize the runes on the blade," she ventured. "This is written in the Dragon language. The same runes that are on the Word Walls we've seen."
"It is?" Kaidan exclaimed. "Strange, that they would write in Dragon, and not Akaviri. Can you translate it?"
Edna shook her head regretfully. "I'm sorry, Kaidan," she replied. "No, I can't. I don't know enough of the language to even try."
"Damn," he muttered. "Well," he continued hopefully, "there's a chance the Greybeards or the College of Winterhold might have someone who can translate it."
"That's possible," Edna allowed. "We have to head back to High Hrothgar so I can return the horn to the Greybeards, so I can ask them. But I really have no reason to go to the College. I'm no mage."
"Well," Kaidan considered, "I've also heard about a book written on the subject: Dragon Language: Myth No More. If the Greybeards can't help us, maybe we'll come across a copy of it somewhere." His thoughts immediately went to the small library in Whiterun.
"Let's keep our options open, then," Edna agreed.
"What's our next move, Dragonborn?" Kaidan asked the following morning at breakfast. "After High Hrothgar, I mean. Are we going to meet up with Delphine?"
Edna shook her head. "No, not right away," she said. "I'll give Delphine time to pull whatever strings she has to pull to come up with her plan. I'll be honest, Kai," she confided, dropping her voice a bit, "the thought of getting into the Thalmor Embassy both thrills me and terrifies me."
"I think it would scare any sane person," he agreed. "And I'll be honest with you…I'm not happy about you having to walk into that snake pit at all. There's got to be some other way Delphine can get the information she needs without creating a potential international incident."
"I think if we give her enough time," Edna replied, "she might just think of a way."
Kaidan snorted his disbelief, but rather than pursue that line of thinking, he asked, "If we aren't going back to Riverwood immediately, where did you want to go? Back to Whiterun?"
"No, not at the moment," the Dragonborn answered. "It has occurred to me that I really don't know my way around Skyrim very much. I'd like to see some more of this Province. Also, I promised you a trip to Rorikstead, and we didn't do that. We also told Wilhelm in Ivarstead that we would look into that barrow for him, and we didn't do that, either. I like to keep my promises, when I can."
"We can do both of those things," Kaidan happily agreed.
"I'd also like to ask Master Arngeir, while we're up there, if he can point me in the direction of any place where I might find these Word Walls, where I can learn the Shouts. I can feel the souls of the dragons stirring inside me, and I'd really like to use that energy to learn another Word."
"What does that feel like?" Kaidan asked, still amazed at the idea he was traveling with the Dragonborn herself, sworn to protect her.
"It…feels like," Edna paused, searching for the right words. "Like there's this current of energy running through me, making me feel younger and stronger. You saw how I jumped up onto that dragon last night," she pointed out. "A year ago I couldn't have done that."
"A year ago you were in prison," Kaidan reminded her. "You were as weak as I was when you found me, I'm sure."
"You're not wrong," she allowed. "But this energy feels…I don't know, different somehow. Like it has awakened something deep inside me that I never knew was there. I can't explain it any better than that."
"Hey," he soothed, putting his hand on hers. "Don't worry about it. Just take it slow and steady, at your own pace. We'll figure it out as we go along."
Edna gave a fond chuckle. "You know, Kai," she smiled. "I'm glad I met you. You have a unique perspective on life I never considered before."
The two soon were on the road again, and Kaidan showed Edna the shortest distance to High Hrothgar on his map.
"We'd have to cut across the Aalto Plain," he said, pointing to it on the map, and then gesturing to the south. "They say the waters there are very good for you. The smell? Not so much, but the waters, aye!"
"And I'll bet you'd like to soak in them, wouldn't you?" Edna asked shrewdly. "You aren't fooling me, boy. You know a place there where you can, don't you?"
"Hey, now," he protested as they set off. "I was just thinking of you. You might enjoy relaxing in the heated waters there."
"I'm a bit too old to go skinny-dipping," she frowned, but he could see the twinkle in her eye.
"What's that?" he asked.
"Skinny-dipping?" she echoed. "Don't tell me you've never stripped down to your birthday suit and swam around in a lake or pond somewhere?"
"Oh, that!" he laughed. "Of course I have. I've just never heard it called that before. And 'birthday suit'? Is that a special outfit for swimming in?"
Edna was about to answer him seriously when she caught him holding back a grin. "Oh, you're impossible!" she giggled.
The Aalto Plain was a vast area of geologically thermodynamic volcanism – essentially, a sunken volcanic cauldera dotted all over with geysers, bubbling hot springs and super-heated mud pots. A large, irregular cone rose in the middle of the plain, but whatever had happened here, geologically, had taken place eons ago, as nature – in her inimitable way – was already attempting to reclaim the area. It stretched from Kynesgrove at the northern edge, down to Darkwater Crossing on the southern side, and was home to at least two camps of giants, which Kaidan had marked on his map, to ensure they could avoid both areas.
There was a small grove of trees to the south of Kynesgrove, about halfway to the mountain in the center. A blast of lightning hit them both, and Kaidan roared out a challenge to a lone figure inside a fence of mammoth tusks near a rickety hut. Edna held back and let him deal with the witch who had claimed the territory, and it was over very quickly.
"I noticed you didn't stop me," he commented.
Edna shrugged. "She attacked first. We were just walking by. She could have let us go, but chose not to. I don't feel sorry for her."
The wildlife around the plains consisted of wolves, bears and deer. Occasionally a rabbit streaked by, as well.
"We should look for game while we're here," Kaidan suggested. Edna agreed, knowing they weren't on any particular time table. Bear steaks were alright, if a bit fatty, and wolves were just stringy and gamey. The rabbits and deer were better choices, and the two made a contest to see who could bring down the first elk. Kaidan won, of course. Edna's marksmanship still needed work. He worked with her for about an hour, correcting her stance and helping her to improve her aim.
"You're very good at this, Kai," she approved. "In the Legion, I was mainly a foot soldier using the sword-and-board style. We had entire troops of archers who were dedicated marksmen used for long-range fighting, but I wasn't one of them. Oh, I received some training with the bow – in fact, we all received cursory instruction with all kinds of weapons. It was required. But I never received the intensive instruction required to improve my archery skills."
"I'd be happy to teach you some more next time we rest," he offered.
They field-dressed the deer and Kaidan buried the remains, so they wouldn't attract any scavengers. It was only just midday, and while the sun was warm, the breeze was cooler, sending the odor of sulfur billowing across the plains. They passed another dragon mound – the second one they'd seen that day. The first one was still sealed, but this one was open. The stopped at the edge of it.
"This can't be good," Kaidan said.
A roar split the air, and both were doused in flame as a dragon seemed to come out of nowhere and immolated them with its flame breath.
"Argh!" Kaidan growled, and hurried to pull a healing potion from his belt pouch. Edna had already dragged one from hers, along with a red bottle, which she tossed to Kaidan.
"Drink it!" she ordered. "Fire resistance!"
The dragon was wheeling around in the sky to come at them again, and Kaidan hesitated. Edna needed the protection more than him. His armor was heavier than hers. But the dragon was coming fast, and there was no time to argue. He cursed under his breath and drank the potion down, then jumped in front of Edna as the dragon roared out its fire again.
Pain speared his shoulder, and behind him he heard Edna yell, "Dammit, Kai! Don't jump in front of my shot!"
The arrow hurt like Oblivion, having been shot at point-blank range, and he could feel blood seeping down his back, but he shrugged it off because the dragon was coming in for a landing, and Kaidan was all that stood between it and the Dragonborn.
"I've sworn to protect you, Dragonborn," he shouted back, "and if that means I put myself in harm's way for you, then that is what I will do!"
Edna muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "Idiot!", but the dragon lumbered forward, snapping its powerful jaws at him, hoping to crush him between teeth that easily measured the length of Kaidan's forearm.
"WULD!"
Edna streaked past him in a blur, positioning herself near the dragon's left side, and keeping behind its wing. She began slicing and poking with her sword in precise, meticulous jabs and cuts designed to sever tendons and lay open muscles along its spine. If she crippled its ability to fly, it wouldn't be able to get away.
The dragon bellowed its outrage at this treatment and laboriously hauled itself into the air. In one fluid motion, with the ease of long practice, Kaidan sheathed the nodachi and drew his bow, using the last of his An-Xileel arrows to try and bring the firedrake down again. In return, the dragon strafed the ground, causing both Kaidan and Edna to seek cover. Edna took refuge behind a large uprooted tree and used her shield to block at least some of the heat from the blast, but she could smell burning hair, and knew her gray locks had taken a hit. Slapping out any embers, she drew her bow and gazed around, looking for the dragon.
It found her first. The blast of fire hit her from behind, exploding and sending her flying forward.
"EDNA!" Kaidan screamed, and rushed to place himself, once more, between the Dragonborn and their foe.
He grabbed her An-Xileel arrows from their quiver and knocked two at once, a trick he intended to show her, but found out she already knew it. Two missiles headed straight for the soft underbelly of the dragon and it staggered in the air, then clawed its way back into the sky, but faltered and circled around to find a place to land.
Quickly he checked on Edna and found she was still alive, if unconscious. There was nothing he could do for her at the moment. The dragon landed with a thud and skidded to a halt forty feet away. Dropping his bow near Edna, he drew the nodachi and advanced on the dragon.
"You will not walk away when my blade is unsheathed, dragon," he vowed, and rushed to join with his enemy.
Already grounded, the dragon fought like a cornered rat, bashing with its wings when Kaidan got too close, and snapping with its maw when he moved to the front. The dragon reared up at one point to attempt to bite down on him, the way Sahloknir had tried to do with Edna, but Kaidan rolled under the bite and dragged his blade along the underside, coming out under a wing and tumbling to safety. The dragon gave a keening whine, as if he had punctured a lung, and sank to the sandy soil.
Breathing hard, he pounded back to where Edna was just coming around. The soul of the dragon ignited and roiled into her, and she shook her head to clear it.
"Thank the gods!" Kaidan half laughed, half cried. "I thought you were lost!"
"It almost felt like it," Edna drawled. She struggled to get to her feet and Kaidan gave her his arm. She brushed herself off and glared at what remained of the dragon. "I need to get stronger," she declared. "Finding Shouts isn't going to be enough. I need to go back to basic training."
"What do you mean?" Kaidan frowned. "Are you suggesting re-joining the Legion?"
Edna shook her head. "I can't, Kai," she replied. "I had a dishonorable discharge, remember? That's still on my record. But there must be someplace where I can get training in all sorts of weaponry and armor."
Kaidan smiled. "I know of a group that could help you," he said. "They're good people, and they live right there in Whiterun. They're called the Companions."
"Think they'd take an old lady like me?" she grimaced, putting a hand up to her hair. It felt crispy. She sighed. She hadn't cut her hair in a long time, but now she had no choice. Most of it was so damaged the only way for it to grow back would be to cut it short.
"If you can pass their trial," Kaidan reasoned, "I can't imagine why they wouldn't take you."
"Alright," Edna sighed. "We'll think about that when we get back to Whiterun. For now, we've got other things on our plate. Like finding out where that dragon came from."
It wasn't difficult to find its lair at the top of the mountain marked 'Bonestrewn Crest' on Kaidan's map. There, they found a Word Wall which gave Edna the Word fo. She immediately 'unlocked' it with one of the dragon souls she had collected, and learned its deeper meaning: 'frost.'
"FO!" she Shouted at the wall when she had completely understood the Word. "Well," she chuckled, "that could have been much handier in that last fight. Still, it's a start."
She had already unlocked the Word she'd found at the bottom of Ustengrav, feim, which allowed her to become insubstantial for a short period of time, and she berated herself for not remembering to use it in this fight, or the one against Sahloknir.
I'm going to have to keep all these Words straight in mind, she thought, and learn how to use them, if I'm going to be Dragonborn. This last dragon gave her one additional soul, but she was out of Words to pair with it. She sighed; this was going to be a long road. Good things come to those who wait, she reminded herself.
The treasure from the dragon's hoard was carefully packed away, to be used, sold or disenchanted as needed. They continued on their journey and made Darkwater Crossing a couple of hours later. Edna agreed they could soak in the hot springs, 'but just for a while', before they made their way up the intricate switchback path that led to Ivarstead. It was full dark by the time they entered the Vilemyr, and both fell asleep almost as soon as their heads hit their pillows.
The next day they kept their promise to Wilhelm and investigated the tomb on the edge of town known as Shroud Hearth Barrow to the locals. Not only did they learn that the 'ghost' that 'haunted' the barrow was a trickster looking for another one of those claw keys, but they discovered that Wilhelm had the thing all along. At the end of the barrow was another Word Wall, buried deep underground, which gave her kaan. She unlocked its deeper meaning with the last dragon soul she held in reserve. Kaan referred to Kyne or Kynareth, the goddess of the natural world around them. The Shout, she learned, calmed wild animals, preventing them from attacking for a short time.
Clearing out the barrow also led to some more items to keep, sell and disenchant, and Edna realized her backpack wouldn't be able to carry very much more.
"We can put some in the tent if you like," Kaidan suggested, but he refused to set it up too close to town. "I don't want strangers walking in on me," he said. "I might be in the bath over there." He pointed to a tub filled with steaming hot water hidden behind some leather screens.
Edna grinned and shook her head. "Why am I not surprised?" she chuckled. She no longer questioned how there could be things like hot tubs and lofts and campfires inside what was essentially a bundle of skins and wood frames. She was just grateful Kaidan had it.
Packing away unneeded items in the tent helped lighten the load. They stayed in the tent that night, and the following morning headed up the path to High Hrothgar, where Edna returned the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, and the Greybeards formally recognized her as Dragonborn. Edna spoke at length with Master Arngeir about the responsibilities of the Dragonborn, the Greybeards, about who Jurgen Windcaller had actually been, and if there were only the four of them at the monastery.
"Five," Master Arngeir said. "Our master, Paarthurnax, lives high on the slopes of Kynareth's mountain, and rarely speaks to us." But he wouldn't tell her much more, except to say, when she asked, that "when your Voice can open the way to him, you will be able to meet him." He did, however, suggest that she could look in a place called Volunruud to find another Word.
They returned to the Vilemyr before dark, and caught a carriage to take them to Whiterun. As they passed through the gates a courier came running up to Edna.
"I've got a letter for you," he explained. "Your eyes only. Not sure who from. Just said he was a 'friend of yours.' Looks like that's it! Got to go!"
Edna waited until they entered Breezehome – laden down with all the extra armor, weapons and miscellaneous she had removed from the tent – and after she had put away the things she wished to keep, before she finally sat down in front of the fireplace and pulled out the note.
"Edna, you caused a bit of stir in Bonestrewn Crest when you demonstrated the power of your Thu'um. Not everyone is anxious for the return of the Dragonborn. I for one desire to see you grow and develop your talents. Skyrim needs a true hero these days. You should turn your attention to Eldersblood Peak. I understand it holds a mysterious source of power that can only be unlocked by the Dragonborn. Sincerely, A Friend."
"What?" Edna scowled. "Is this some kind of joke? Kai, did you write this?"
"When and where would I have had the time to do that, Dragonborn?" he shot back. "I've been with you the whole time."
"Then who did send this?" she demanded crossly.
Kaidan shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe Delphine? She's been known to send mysterious unsigned notes. Bold of her to assume she's a friend, though."
Edna shook her head. "I don't think it was Delphine," she said. "How could she know where any of these Word Walls are?"
"Maybe it was the Greybeards?" Lydia suggested. "They have a vested interest in wanted to see the Dragonborn get stronger."
"Maybe," Edna said, still not convinced. "But if that was the case, why not just tell me while I was there?"
No one had an answer for that.
"Well," Edna said, "I'm headed for bed. Lydia, make sure to lock up before you retire."
"Of course, my Thane," was the immediate response. "Will you require anything else?"
"No dear," Edna said. "That's all. Good-night, both of you." She climbed the stairs, and they heard her door close.
"That's very strange," Lydia mused. "That note, I mean. Who would be sending the Dragonborn an anonymous note like that, just to let her know where there's a Word Wall? Why not just visit her in person and tell her?"
"I don't know," Kaidan brooded. "But I don't like mysterious notes from people who are too afraid to come right out and say what's on their mind."
"Well, whatever happens, Kaidan," Lydia said. "I'm glad to know you'll be there, keeping watch over her."
"Thank you, Lydia," he replied, absently. His mind was still on that note, and who this mysterious stranger might be. If he had to turn over every stone in Skyrim, he intended to find out.