The next day dawned bright and clear and we headed out as the first rays of sun crested the distant mountains. I cast a light spell to help our way down the Dwemer steps. Signar had decided to loot some of the Dwemer items that he had found, giving me a couple that he figured might be magical in nature, they were.
We made the hot spring area as the full light of day spread across the land, making it easy for me to find and pick herbs as we went along. Signar stayed on his horse, taking the reigns of mine and leading her along as I darted from plant to plant. We even stopped in at the Alchemists in Darkwater Crossing, I talked to her and got more of the herbs that grew in this area and asked her what she needed most for my next trip. I kept track of time, as I wanted to be in Whiterun, by dark if not beforehand. I was making my way along the outskirts of the hot spring, Tex darting off and fighting wolves once in a while, I cast a flame Atronach spell when they got to close, but kept going.
We did make it to Whiterun a little after dark and I went and got a room at the Bannered Mare, it was too late to ask around the Inn's for a paying job, but I had enough gold to pay for a room. Signar said he would see me in the morning, as he had a bed in the Barracks, but would go with me to Dragonsreach. Signar and Tex were eating breakfast when I came down the stairs to the main room.
Signar made a comment about my not being an early riser, I just glared at him over my mug and said if you went to bed after 3am, you wouldn't be a happy camper either. He laughed and said truer words were never spoken. I finished my breakfast and went to the general store, only to have Belethor say I wasn't supposed to be there. I swear I have no idea what that man has against me. Then went and spoke to Arcadia and sold some of the potions and excess herbs that I had. I had not looted any armor or weapons, so didn't go by and see Adrienne, though I had left a pack with pelts and hides, they had my mark, so she would know who they came from.
As we went to speak with Farengar, a guard ran past us at full speed, he was out of breath and wheezing as only someone that has run a very great distance does. I explained what we had seen at the two Dragon mounds on his map and showed him one that we added. In all of them, the ground was torn open, like something exploded up out of the ground, and neither a detect life nor detect dead spell produced any results. He nodded as he took notes and asked a few questions, which either I or Signar could answer.
He was still asking questions when Irileth came in and said there was news of a dragon attacking the Western watchtower and the Jarl would like Farengar to come. She looked at Signar and I and said it would probably be good if we both came also. So we followed them up to where the Jarl was standing in front of a large map. The guard was still giving his report to the Jarl and breathing very heavily, so he must have just started speaking.
He told Irileth and Signar to gather some guards and head to the watchtower and try to bring the dragon down. He asked me if I would help, as the only person who had escaped the dragon attack at Helgen, which was not exactly accurate, but I wasn't going to argue. Signar looked at me with that.. "and we have some things to discuss later look", well he could ask questions if he wanted, but I didn't really owe him an explanation.
Tex decided to join us, even though I did tell him that there wasn't all that much he could do against something that flew around. He just glared at me and I shrugged my shoulders, I didn't know if he could really understand me or not, but he sure didn't like the idea of staying in Whiterun. Sometimes I did wonder about that dog.
We left town with Irileth and several guards. I kept my eyes trained on the horizon and listened for the roar of a dragon. I did not see or hear it, but when we got to the watchtower it was on fire, a few of the guards were carrying another into the tower and I hurried after them to see if I could heal him. I heard one of the guards say it was coming back and Irileth say for everyone to ready their bows. I cast a summon towards the doorway and then turned back to the guard. He had some very nasty burns and I gave him a healing potion on top of the healing spell that I cast on him. He would not be back up for this fight, but he would walk back to Whiterun tonight if we defeated the dragon that is.
My flame atronach was throwing fireballs at the fire-breathing dragon and I had to wonder if that was doing any good. I summoned my bound bow and started firing arrows as fast as I could draw and aim. I pretty much stayed near the entrance to the tower, trying to cover any of the guards that were injured as they came up the ramp and then either giving them a potion or casting a healing spell on them.
Tex was having a tough time of it, the dragon not wanting to land for long, but he darted from one place to the other and gave some vicious bites when the dragon did land. Signar was having an easier time of it, with his bow. I cast my Flame atronach spell, but when the dragon got close enough, I cast Ice spikes at it
This dragon just like the one in Helgen was speaking, I understood the words and didn't realize that no one else did. It got to the point where I could tell what he was going to do, by what he was saying. He was arrogant in that he would say we mortals were fine sport and then land. It didn't take long to figure that out and I whistled and got Signar's attention and told him the dragon's pattern, I did not as it happens mention that I understood what it was saying. It did not take long after that to have him mortally wounded and on the ground.
Once he was on the ground the end was quick in coming, Signar and some of the guards closed quickly with their swords, and Tex bit at its legs and wings with a vengeance. I checked again on the guardsman I had healed and then walked down the ramp so that I could check on everyone else.
I had made it to the bottom of the ramp and the dragon was only a couple feet away when it started to burn up from the inside out. Then the glow spread out beyond the dragon, the men had been yelling and moving away from it now they sprinted away. I stood and stared in fascination watching the light get closer to me, then it seemed to enter me and I felt a strengthening of a power I had never before paid attention to.
At that moment, I knew what that word wall in Bleakfalls Barrow was whispering and more, I knew I could use that word. One of the guards came over to me and in an awed voice said Dragonborn. The guards got into a discussion about if it was true and what it would mean, I stared off across the tundra and wondered what it meant for me. I had always been the right hand or the left, but never the one. Tex came over and laid his head along my hip and I scratched his ears, he wouldn't care who I was, as long as he got a rabbit and a scratch.
Signar came up from behind me and put his hand on my shoulder and asked if I was alright. I nodded and said I was fine, but we should head back to Whiterun to let the Jarl know the dragon had been defeated and that he might want to send a cart for the worst of the injured men. I patted the hand on my shoulder and then started off to town.
I had almost come to terms with the power that killing the dragon had given me when we hit the outskirts of town, voices deep and loud...called to me, I knew not the word, but I knew they were speaking to me. I stopped and looked at the building I could see high on the mountain. I nodded to myself, I would go, but not today or tomorrow.
Coming into town we stopped the guard captain, who was directing the wall guards and let him know that that dragon was no more. I explained some of the guards and their injuries and he said he would arrange a cart, but I should still tell the Jarl. I had planned to.
I did speak with the Jarl about the dragon and his injured guards, but he seemed just as interested in the fact that I was Dragonborn and that the Greybeards as he called them wanted to see me. Greybeards, yes I had heard the name before, though not often, they were rather reclusive. He said he had climbed the steps to make the pilgrimage up the mountain but had never spoken to them.
What surprised me was that he named me Thane and said I might buy a house in his hold if I so choose. Then I was absolutely amazed when he said I was to have a housecarl assigned to me and Signar cleared his throat... the Jarl looked at him and said if that was what he wanted and I was agreeable then Signar could be my housecarl. He would also assign a permanent guard if I bought a home so that the riff-raff in town would not bother me or my belongings while I was out doing whatever a Dragonborn does.
I talked to Adventus as he suggested and we came to an agreement on a small house here in town. I didn't really want a house in town, but if I was going to have people assigned to me then they needed a place to lay their heads. Well, truthfully there were times when I really wanted some privacy, more than one could get in a rented room at an Inn.
So we moved the little I had into a small house next to the smithy, I was very happy that it had an alchemy lab and an enchanting table. Once everything I had was moved from the Inn's storage, I looked longingly at the bed, but I knew Signar wanted an explanation of some kind. With a guard coming I wanted to get this over as quickly as possible with as few people knowing about me as possible, bad enough Ainise knew some.
So I sat down and motioned Signar to sit across from me in front of the fireplace. I got two tankards and a bottle of strong ale and poured us both a bit. I told him about the assassins and how anyone who knew too much about me or my family ended up dead. How a distant relative humiliated a member of our city's most prominent family and everything that meant to me. It almost explained why the hatred had been passed down over time, but he didn't need to know the actual length of time involved.
I was lucky whatever mer blood I had, I aged slowly and that on top of not really living in any one time. I was much older than I looked, but I tried to look as young as I could, while still looking competent anyway.
He wanted to know about the dragons and the first time I had seen one, I explained about waking up in the cart and putting my head on the block only to have a huge dragon save me from a very nasty fate. I just didn't tell him that I had gone through the same thing three times already.
He remarked that there was more to it and I said yes, he nodded and said he understood, trust is earned and he would earn my trust. I said good nite and that we would head to Markarth tomorrow, via carriage as I had had enough excitement for a day or so at least. He laughed and said good nite.
~~~~~~~
I stood reeling in front of the Statue of Azura, she had given me all the answers I sought and more, many more. My answers were not in words, but in looking at the woman's whole life. How as a young child she had been raised by male cousins because her mother had been slain, In the one way that they did not come back at a specific time from. How when she came of age they told her of the contract out on the female line and that if she wanted to live, she would hide who she was. Told her of the curse that would keep her going back to the same point in history, until such a time as she did whatever it was that was supposed to be done. I saw her history and understood who she was, and what she was to the people. I asked one more question, and while I still felt the Lady's presence, she did not answer. Whichever Deadra or Aedra was pulling this woman's strings, Lady Azura had respect for, at the very least.
I was walking down the steps to my horse, when it hit me, I knew how to kill this woman, not just now, but so that she would never come back and I had the means to find all her female relatives. Azura was testing me, there was no doubt in my mind.
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