Chapter 22

It was two days later before we entered High Hrothgar again. Arngeir was in mediation near the entrance. “Arngeir, we need to stop the war. And while I am Dragonborn, the Nords respect you.”

“You misunderstand our authority. The Greybeards have never involved themselves in political affairs.”

“Ah, but you misunderstand why we need to stop the war. Jarl Balgruuf won’t assist me while the war rages.”

“I see. The dragon will lead you to Alduin, but without the Jarl’s help...”

“Exactly. No help, no dragon. Both sides respect you, because they know you, not me. They will listen to you.”

“Paarthurnax has made the decision to help you. This is the road we have to walk. Even the Greybeards must bow to the winds of change, it seems. So be it. Tell Ulfric and General Tullius that the Greybeards wish to speak to them. We will see if they still remember us.”

“All right. We’re off. And Arngeir ... thank you.”

“Your training progresses well, Dragonborn. That is what is important. Breath, sky.”

We left the building and started back down the mountain again. “My love, I am very fond of you, this life we have, and honestly I would like us to have a future together. Please tell me you’re not going to let it end.”

“Not while I have breath remaining in my body. I’m just glad Arngeir is listening to Paarthurnax. Gods, he makes my head hurt just thinking of his stubbornness.”

We had no issues getting down the mountain. When we arrived in Ivarstead, the guards were gathered with torches. “Be careful, traveler. We just had a vampire attack.”

I looked at Lydia. “Noted, my Thane. For after we’ve saved the world.”

We descended down to the plains. A sabre cat was chasing a fox and didn’t see us, so I was able to kill it without issue. Most of the way down, we found a lake with a door leading back into the hill. From the looks of the outside, it was probably home to Falmer. “Nope, let’s continue on to Windhelm for now.”

Without a carriage, our trip from Ivarstead meant it was getting dark on us. We found a bridge across the river and what looked to be a mining camp beyond. There was a house, several tents, and a smelter. Several guards were patrolling the camp.

A middle aged Nord woman came up to greet us. “Welcome to Darkwater Crossing, traveler. If you’re looking for a job, bring me all the ore you can find in the mine.”

“Thank you for the offer, but we’re just looking for a place to rest for the evening. May we stay here?”

“Sure. Set your bedroll up here.” We set our bedrolls up near the firepit, watching the miners come out of the mine entrance. The woman walked up with a drink in her hand and squatted down next to me.

“I’m Annekke. You’re an adventurer, then. I used to be an adventurer in my day. Then I settled down. Got married. I used to explore all over. I’m the one who originally found the mine that Darkwater Crossing was built around. I was actually scouting a bit the other day, for old times sake. Spied a brigand heading back to his camp. Up for a little hunting? My husband is being a sad stick, so I can’t go myself.”

“I can’t right now, we’re just passing through. But I’ll be back. It’s unexpected to find a lovely ranger hewing rocks for a living, though.”

“I suppose we’re all a little crazy to be here, right?”

“From what you say, you seem an adventurous soul, not one to settle down mining.”

“It’s true my heart has always been restless. I want out. I want to leave this place. But he won’t listen. That stubborn mule of a husband.”

“So why don’t you strike off on your own?”

“I’m not quite ready to let go of Verner. I love him, but he can be a bit ... dull at times.”

“I see. You have a bit of a dilemma, then. Perhaps we’ll find an opportunity to scout together someday.”

“That sounds fair. Oh, now I’ve got the itch to travel again. Be careful out there.” She got up and walked to her house.

I asked Lydia, “What?”

“Do you have to flirt with everyone you meet?”

“Is it flirting if I’m serious? And don’t tell me you weren’t lusting after her as well.”

“Oh, hush up and give me a kiss. We’ve a ways to travel in the morning.”

That sounded like a good idea, so I gave Lydia a good kiss and then we slept. The next morning I asked Annekke about our route. We had three choices, either east or west around the sulfur pools, which would lead us past bandit camps, or due north through them, but we might encounter a dragon. She did tell us there was a large tree in a cave worth seeing if we went that way.

I led us out, avoiding the road but staying on the sulfur pool side of the river. That way we’d give the dragon that was flying over the middle of the desolation some room. After crossing partway, we found a pool with several hunters simply relaxing in the warm waters.

“Care to join us?” one of them asked.

“Thank you, no. We have to continue on. But this does give me an idea for something. Lydia, in our new home, let’s make sure we have plenty of warm bathing pools.”

“Sounds like a good idea.”

Other than finding an empty dragon mound and spying a giant walking in the distance, we didn’t run into anything. As we got closer to a building, I spied a wolf sneaking up on a campsite. I killed it with an arrow.

“Oh, I recognize now where we are. This is Kynesgrove. Sorry, you actually had me a little lost earlier.”

“Well, the steam coming from those pools could be disconcerting, and I imagine having that dragon bellowing out a challenge every couple of minutes may have had something to do with it.”

There was a Khajiit camp outside Windhelm. As we walked by it, I remembered something. “Pardon me, do you know, or are you Ma’dran?”

“This one could be.”

“I need to discuss Ysolda of Whiterun with you. I think she may be in love with one of the Khajiit in the caravans.”

“It is Ma’dran who she loves, oh yes. And why would you be looking for me, hmm? I am not sure I appreciate your presence here, friend.”

“I come first to ask if Ma’dran returns this love that Ysolda feels for him.”

“An astute question. In truth, I do not, for I miss my home greatly. It is only memory of home that will bring a smile to this one’s face and peace to his heart in this cold land. Not only that, but these Nords have no love for us. They only see us as smugglers and thieves.”

“Should not Ysolda’s heart also be free to find peace in home as well?”

“Hmm. I had not thought of it that way.”

“Was it your plan for her to be alone, pleasuring herself with a mammoth tusk?”

“Ah, no.” He looked disturbed. “Ah, that was not supposed to happen.”

“Do you care enough about her to free her from this ruse of your love?”

“I wish I could say that I did not. But I have little choice. Besides, who would want to harm such beauty?”

“Then I come to bargain. Only your aid can turn Ysolda’s heart to a new home.”

“Indeed. That would be best. I hope you’ll agree that these are dark deeds best left forgotten.” I nodded. “Fortunes smiles upon the wise trader, who finds the best opportunities. And she’s a ripe opportunity indeed, no? If you want her soon, fetch for me some of my merchandise, and then I will show you how.”

“A black errand in exchange for the keys to a young woman’s heart?”

“Just bring it back to me, and we’ll see what kind of deal we can make.”

I took the note that explained where his merchandise was and headed inside Windhelm. “Before we head to the palace, let’s go see if Quintus remembers he sent us a note.” We headed for the White Phial. The smell of fresh ingredients greeted us as we entered. Quintus was working on creating a potion.

“I received your letter.”

“Good to hear. You can be a difficult woman to find. Good thing the couriers are tenacious.”

“So, you said you had made some progress?”

“I have some thoughts on how to repair the Phial. There are three crucial elements. Some may be easier to find than others. On the top of the Throat of the World is a patch of Unmelting snow. No heat can touch it. Then we need the tusk of a mammoth, ground to a fine powder as only the giants know how to do. The final step is tricky. We need the Briar Heart of a Forsworn from the Reach. If you can bring me these materials, the Phial can be made whole again.”

“One out of three isn’t bad. I already have a Briar Heart, I simply have to get it from home. And I’ll be back up the Throat of the World ... again, dammit ... soon enough. As for the ground mammoth tusk, I have no clue.”

“The ivory produced by those beasts is hard as iron. But the giants have found ways to make it yield. They’re able to grind it down so fine that it can be infused into the lattice of packed snow. The finished material has the delicate nature of fresh powder snow, but the strength of the hardest steel.”

I glanced at Lydia. “I wonder if that’s why Ysolda likes her mammoth tusk, since she hasn’t talked to Adrianne yet?” Lydia and I both started giggling. Quintus looked at us like we’d lost our minds.

“Sorry, Quintus. Any idea where I can find the mammoth tusk powder?”

“I’ve heard rumors that there’s a giant camp near Fort Dunstad. If you already know about the others, then the quicker you can get everything back here, the quicker I can fix the Phial. I fear for Master Nurelion, he’s slipping more each day.”

“All I can do is say I’ll try at this point. We’ll be back as soon as possible.”

We left the shop. “I hope the old man lives a while longer,” said Lydia.

“I hope we all do. Come on, let’s go see a man about ending a war.”

We passed several guards and entered the Palace of the Kings. There was a great hall with a long dining table set up there. Other guards were just inside the doors. Two men were sitting at the table, eating. One of them, with an even thicker than usual Nord accent, was talking to the other about how an Argonian can shed his skin. The other mentioned that the Dunmer were wanting to bring some kind of maggots to Windhelm to help with their work. The first said they didn’t need any more worms in Windhelm. The other said he didn’t think the maggots would survive in the cold. The first said he wasn’t referring to the maggots, and then they both laughed.

“You. Where is Ulfric Stormcloak?”

“Don’t bother me, little girl. Go away, play with your dollies somewhere else.”

“Because it wouldn’t be polite, I won’t gut you like the snake you are here and now. But know this. If I meet you outside these walls, your last wish will be that I played with dollies.” I spat in his plate.

I heard a deep laugh coming from my left. I looked up and realized I’d missed seeing the throne against the wall. Sitting in it was still one of the most handsome men I’d ever seen. “Come here, girl, and talk to me before killing one of my Thanes. Only the foolish or the courageous approach a Jarl without summons. But ... do I know you?”

“We’ve already met.”

“Is that so? Ah, yes, you were with us at Helgen. Destined for the chopping block, if I’m not mistaken.”

“And from before as well. You met me near Bruma. Based upon what I know now, I do not believe that was an accident on your part.”

“Really? Why would you think that, girl?”

“Because I bear a message for you now, from the Greybeards.”

“It’s about time they turn their gaze from the heavens, back to our bleeding homeland. What do they want?”

“They want to negotiate a truce until the dragon menace is dealt with.”

“I have the greatest respect for the Greybeards, of course. And the dragon attacks are a growing plague. But the political situation is still delicate. Not all the Jarls are fully committed to supporting me as High King. I can’t afford to appear weak. I can’t agree to this unless Tullius himself will be there.”

“Politics be damned. Alduin has returned. You’re a Nord, you know what that means.”

“Alduin? The World-Eater of song and legend? If that’s true ... well, that changes the situation, doesn’t it? Even Tullius may be forced to talk sense in the face of such a threat.”

“So, you’ll come to the peace council?”

“Yes. I’ll give Tullius one more chance to quit Skyrim with his tail between his legs.”

His adviser was standing nearby. “How can you do that? We need to send a message to Whiterun.”

“What would you have me do, Galmar? Balgruuf is Nord. His city is the key to Skyrim.”

“How about shove a sword in his belly? That will show the Jarls.”

“Better to take a city without bloodshed. We’ve been soldiers too long, we know the price that is paid by all.” He realized I was still standing there. “Well, you have delivered the message, and I have responded. Should you not be off?”

“Keep this in mind, Jarl Ulfric. I am here as the emissary from the Greybeards, not as their lackey. You misunderstand their relationship with me.”

“The Greybeards can train those who are willing to dedicate the time to the Voice. They trained me, as Torygg found out. Would you like to see an example?”

“No need. I already know more than you ever could hope to learn about the Voice. That’s why I don’t think our meeting in Bruma was an accident at all, but something arranged, perhaps by others.”

Galmar angrily said, “Woman! How dare you speak to Jarl Ulfric, future High King of Skyrim that way?” The two Thanes that had been eating had gotten up upon hearing this and moved towards us as well.

I calmly looked right at Ulfric, and in a low voice said. “I dare all because I am the only one who can defeat Alduin. I am Dovakhiin, the Dragonborn.”

As Lydia and I crossed the bridge leaving Windhelm, she leaned over to me. “Martina, that was incredibly brave, incredibly stupid, and possibly the greatest thing I’ve witnessed in my entire life.”

My laugh was clear and pure. “Grown men. Warriors. Soldiers. Faced death in battle many a time. Scared out of their pants by a girl.” I snickered a bit more. “And that look on Ulfric’s face when he realized just who he had pissed off. I’m almost going to hate killing him later, that was such fun.”

“Wait, what?” Lydia looked both ways to make sure no one had overheard us. “Kill him?”

“Of course. You heard him. You’ve read the book I found in the Thalmor Embassy. He wants to be High King of Skyrim, and he’s been used by the Thalmor as their pawn to keep this war going. When we’re done defeating Alduin, then we deal with the vampires after that and whatever else is thrown at us, of course, what will be our next main course of action?”

Lydia looked puzzled. “Well, I’d like to say to live happily ever after, but obviously we have to figure out how to ... put you on the throne as ... Empress.” Her voice got quieter as she realized what she had said.

“Exactly. I’m not happy about it. He’s doing what he thinks is best for his homeland of Skyrim. But I have to do what’s best for everyone. That means things could, and probably will, get ugly later. But enough of that now. We need to head for Solitude. We’ll take this carriage partway to Whiterun, then walk the rest of the way.”

“You have that look in your eye, my Thane.”

“There’s a couple of places we need to find, and since they’re on the way, we may as well confirm where they are.”

“And perhaps look around inside a bit, too?”

We left the carriage at the Nightgate Inn and ate a quick lunch there. We headed west on the road towards Fort Dunstad. Topping the hill, we saw a dragon attacking a snow bear. I used Dragonrend to ground the dragon, then Lydia and I started using our bows. The dragon shot his breath at us once, but to no avail. Without even having to use any potions, we soon found ourselves skinning a bear carcass and gathering more pieces of dragon. I also absorbed another dragon soul, so I could use another Word of Power.

Continuing on, we encountered a wolf pack. They didn’t see us, so I thought that gifting them with a dose of fire breath might help. They scattered in fear and ran away. A bit further on was a Nordic ruin. “Those are the Weynon stones, my Thane. We’re near that tower that goes back down to Blackreach.”

As we approached the tower, I saw two dead bodies laying in the snow. “Be ready.” We got closer to them. A spriggan and a wolf jumped out at us. They were no match, and died quickly. The two slain hunters had apparently been using the camp by the tower and run into more than they could handle.

“The giant camp is just over this rise. Let’s be careful, and ... I’m going to use a special poison on an arrow. Let’s see if it works.”

We came around the corner. There was a giant standing guard at the entrance to their camp. I dipped my arrow into a poison that should paralyze him. And it did.

Lydia shot him once as well. “I’m not going to say that was way too easy, my Thane, but...”

“I brew up a mean potion. Come on, there’s probably another one.” There was, and he died just as quickly as the first. We found where they were grinding the mammoth tusks and gathered the powder for later.

We headed west and north once we left the giant camp. A wolf jumped us but ran fleeing in terror rather quickly. We followed the natural ravines and animal paths. Due to the way the wind was blowing, I could smell a campfire well before we saw it.

“That’s another of the standing stones. Looks like some bandits have turned it into their little camp. We need to rest anyway, so ... let’s take care of them, shall we?” They died quickly. “The weather is moving in quicker than I anticipated. There’s plenty of wood for this fire, so we’ll stay warm. I think we’re done for the evening.”

“Agreed, my Thane. Regular watches?” I nodded. At least we’d have warm food.

The storm broke a couple of hours before dawn. We quickly ate again and headed out. I led us more north. “Oh, look, we can almost see Solitude from here, and there’s the road leading that way. Ah, but what’s this?”

“Really? You’re going with the, wow, we suddenly just happened to find ourselves where Isran said the vampires were looking for something, that has to be an Elder Scroll, and you expect me to be surprised?”

“We still don’t really know for sure that they’re not working with Alduin, do we?”

“I’ll give you that one. Fine, it’s got to be warmer underground than it is out here.”

We entered Dimhollow Crypt. The pathway led down, then up again. As we came close to the top of the walkway, I heard two voices ahead. One was complaining about Vigilants never knowing when to give up. The other, a female, was complaining about someone named Lokil, and how Harkon was a fool to trust him. The first mentioned the vigilant had killed two of their companions, and that he was getting hungry.