The trip to Markarth was uneventful, I mean what's a bandit or two compared to dragons? I talked to the Dwemer scholar as the priestess of Mara said and he managed to catch his Lady, with a little help in the form of a push... well maybe a shove.
We took the carriage back to Whiterun and then rode to Riften, going through Riverwood, where a Dragon decided to attack, this one didn't really say much, but did spit a green poison at everyone. Once we all figured that out, we pretty much stayed undercover on the porches and took pot shot's at the dragon. I and another mage cast Flame Atronachs, who didn't fare well with the green poison, but they did do some damage and were worth the effort to cast.
Tex stayed undercover for once, Signar darted out and used his bow to good effect. I used my bound bow, and it worked rather well, but I would have to watch my magic use during battles. This bow at least made the dragon flinch. I stopped shooting, was stunned for a moment when one of the Dawnguard Huskies attacked her handler, He was a little stunned also and but it took just a moment for him to re-aim his crossbow, then he shot his dog.
Could the dragon have caused that, perhaps that was why Tex had decided to stay undercover for once? That would take a bit of investigation because it wasn't a good thing. The dragon wasn't an easy kill, even with the potions of poison resist that I kept drinking, which kept me from getting poisoned the few times I was hit. It was almost dark by the time we killed the dragon and I absorbed more energy from it.
I went around town and checked on the people and discovered no one seriously hurt. Some cattle and other livestock had been killed and I helped slaughter the animals, making sure there was no poison in the meat. More than anyone liked was wasted, due to the green slime that coated most of it.
I talked to Faendal and he showed me a few tricks to use with the bow to aim better. I gave him his share of the reward that the Jarl had given to me, even though I had sent some to him earlier, when I sold some of the items it came out I had more money than I had sent.
From Riverwood, we rode up through the mountains and made for the pass by Helgen. The town was still a smoldering ruin, but I wondered how long that would last, the walls were still in fairly good condition and I knew some of the stone towers probably would be livable as well. The horses were a bit spooky as we rode through, that could have been the smell of death or dragon, either of which would be enough.
Signar decided that his place was out front, with Tex darting from each side and often falling well behind. My horse followed along without much direction from me, which was a good thing, as I had many things I needed to think about. The Jarl said that I needed to go and speak with the Greybeards and find out what it is they had in mind.
Was this something I needed to do? Was I really the Dragonborn, Martin had Dragon blood or that's what everyone said. He always seemed driven to help, and go beyond what normal people would do, but that could merely have been the Priest in him. Some people looking at my history might think I was driven in the same way, was I though? I did most of what I did because I was being subtly swayed in a certain direction, well ok not so subtle, cause dying and coming back isn't exactly subtle.
Maybe it was, I told Signar to head for Iverstead, I would be going to see the Greybeards. We made it there by dark and instead of playing for a room and meal, I paid the barmaid to play and paid for our room. I walked out and sat on the bridge, overlooking the drop down onto the tundra and lowlands. My protectors weren't far away, and they never left me alone for long, I think Tex slept across the doorway at home just so that he would know if I was trying to leave. I sighed and got up heading into the Inn and our room.
The next morning it wasn't even daylight when I woke Signar, Tex rising as soon as I got out of bed. We ate a hearty breakfast and then headed up to High Hrothgar. Not only was the climb itself arduous, but running into a bear family and another dragon didn't really help, the Reilkings were the real issue though. The battle with them was short but fierce. I conjured an atronach and then climbed to a point where the boar chargers could not reach me. I had to dodge spears once in a while, but when I got to the ledge I wanted, I conjured my bound bow and started sniping at them. Tex seemed to have an easier time of it than Signar darting in and nipping at the boar's heels, once the boar was down, the Rielking had no chance.
I concentrated my shots on the Boars that were harassing Signar because the Rielkings seemed to gather around him. After they were all dead, other than one frost troll it was clear all the way to the doors of the home of the Greybeards.
I stood there on the steps looking up at the building. I can not say I was in deep thought, I wasn't really. I had always been the force behind whatever was going on, not the focus. I was not sure I wanted to be the center of attention, I didn't mind being the Divines errand girl, but why be their hero? No pun intended, but heroes tend to die young.
I sighed and squared my shoulders and walked up to the doors. Signar broke the tension by asking what would happen if the doors were locked. I laughed and told him he could beat the doors down, they weren't going to summon me up here and then lock me out, Tex gave a sharp bark.
The door was unlocked, so we walked in. I asked Signar and Tex to wait inside the entrance for me, as I didn't know how the Greybeards would take me bringing other people into their house. One of the Greybeards came forward and introduced himself.
Arngeir as he named himself, welcomed me but wanted to do a test to see if I really was the Dragonborn that they had summoned. We spent the rest of the morning doing various exercises that showed them how powerful my Thu'um is, how fast I could learn both extensions of the Thu'ums I already knew, and a new one that they taught me. Those were the easy parts for me.
When the others left to go about whatever it was they did, I asked Arngeir a lot of questions about both myself and what it meant to be Dragonborn and about their way of life. I was already a follower of Kyne and the Lady Kynareth, so their way of life wasn't a complete mystery. I did envy them their peace and tranquility.
Perhaps that is why I more closely followed Kyne, Goddess of the Storm, my life was anything but tranquil. Arngeir left me with a final test, to retrieve the sacred horn of the founder of their order Jurgen Windcaller. As he walked away, I stood in the courtyard and contemplated the last few weeks of my life.
I would follow the path that I was being set on, once again. I would make the most of everything that this time and place could teach me. I know there are blank spaces in my memory, where I learned things or I did things, that whichever Divine was leading me, didn't want me to remember in this time.
I walked back in and the three of us headed down the mountain. When we got to Iverstead, there were two people waiting for us, one stopped me and asked if I thought I was the Dragonborn, I said yes, I am a Dragonborn. I noticed the other one pull up a spell and ready it, Signar and Tex noticed this also. Before he called me a liar the other man directed his spell at me. I cast a mage armor spell and pulled my ax, at the same time, Signar pulled his sword and Tex went for the other man's throat.
Mages often forget that it is faster to pull a physical weapon than to cast a powerful spell. Both of the men went down quickly after the town's guards decided to help. I went through their pockets and found a letter, I put it in my pouch and went into the Inn, meaning to read it later.
I paid for a room and went and cleaned up then laid down on the bed, Signar said he would bring me in some dinner. Tex barked and Signar shook his head and said he would bring the dog a nice tasty bowl of something. I stared at the ceiling and just let my thoughts drift. If I was going to do this Dragonborn thing, fighting dragons all the time, I needed to think about getting more skill with enchanting, what I knew was ok against bandits and low-level mages, but if I continued to fight dragons, eventually I would find a more powerful one and would not be able to deflect all it's Thu'um with the simple enchants that I knew.
~~~~~~~~~~
The ride back to the Inn was quiet and allowed me to think a great deal. I respected the Lady, but I was after all an assassin, I had been trained to be one, and I took assassin's jobs. I thought of the bounty on this woman's head, it was enough to retire on. I could literally buy a small kingdom on the amount being offered. Now of course I understood why one had to show her family necklace, not only was she never without it, but it would prove her head was no longer on her shoulders.
What she had done for my people, really for all the people of Nirn, throughout time, did her other female relations do the same, or was she the only one left? I would need to do some research to know the answer to that before I could decide what course I wanted to take.
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