The journey to Whiterun was mostly uneventful, except when I heard a Word Wall and we went to check it out. The Dragon we all expected, the Dragon Priest that popped out of his crypt was another matter. Tex who was the closest got the brunt of the damage when he first came out. I cast a healing spell on him when he got close to me.
I got another surprise when he took over my summon and it started attacking Signar. I maneuvered so that I got the Dragon Priest to kill the summon. While I hit him with some of my strongest spells. Signar got too close for me to just lob spells at him, so summoned a bow and went in closer also. Tex was coming at him from behind and Nelthas was standing off to the other side using his bow.
This seemed to work for us, he seemed to be weakening and moving more erratically. When he finally could not hold up any longer, he turned to ash... only a mask and staff were left. From there it was a short trip into Whiterun, we regrouped and replenished our supplies. I also ordered more, from the market Vendors and the Alchemist... We would be going to get Azura's star and give it to the Priestess, then it would be on to Aftland from there.
The one good thing about having our home in Whiterun is that Jarl Balgruf tried to remain neutral in the Civil War, so the Thalmor were not really welcome here and I knew the guards would have my back if they came to harass me. After we were done with all the purchases Tex was already gone, probably to beg Hulda for some stew, which left Signar and I almost alone.
I went up the stairs and ran into the bathtub, I can not even explain how good it felt to step into that hot water and soak away the aches and tension. I heard Signar talking to the guard downstairs and then his heavy boots coming up the stairs. He peeked his head through the door and asked if there was room for him.
I patted the water beside me but then got up and started unbuckling his armor. I had to reheat the water a couple of times... and threw some extra blankets on the floor to soak up the water that we sloshed over, but I had no tension left in my body by the next morning... I woke happily and completely recharged. Signar certainly had a silly smirk on his face when we went down for breakfast, a look that was duplicated by Nelthas when he walked through the door. The men shared "a Look" and I just rolled my eyes.
" I think Gentlemen that we will head to Ilinalta's Deep and retrieve Azura's Star, come back here and pick up the supplies we ordered and take the carriage to Winterhold, so that the horses can have a break, plus we can't just leave them outside Aftland for an undetermined time."
Both men agreed that that sounded like a good plan and we headed out within the hour, Tex was waiting at the gate when we left the city. The ride to Ilinalta's Deep was relatively quiet. The only hitch was a Thalmor Patrol taking a prisoner somewhere.
I was going to mind my own business, really I was, but then I had the picture in my mind when the prisoner looked at me and I kept going on his shoulders slumping, hope lost. Nethlas who was bringing up the rear at that time had made it past them when I turned my horse around and looked at the man.
I conjured up a Flame and an Ice Atronach and then readied a firebolt which I then aimed straight at the Thalmor wizard. It was a short fight, the men never even managed to get off of their horses. I gave the prisoner some gold coins and weapons from the Thalmor patrol, telling him that he should probably lay low for a while. He ran off saying that his family would hide him on the farm and thank you!
I got back on Roddgeir and glared at the men, daring them to say anything. Nelthas just shrugged, and Signar nodded at me. We got to the half-sunken Fort before noon. Necromancers... ick, They all put up a fight, but were no match for the four of us.
I had expected a hard fight from the man that had taken the Star, but he was dead already, nothing but a skeleton. Tex had ripped the throat out of the Adept Necromancer that had seemed to be in charge, but really even he had fallen easier than we had thought.
It was evening when we exited the Fort and I heard the roar of a dragon in the near distance. We found the horses and then looked for a defensible place on the shoreline. I found an overhang that would protect the horses and would also make a decent camp, as long as the dragon didn't decide to land right on it and die.
We went off a little way and sure enough, the dragon flew into sight, he was apparently hungry for steamed mud crab because he was flaming something on the shore edge. The three of us stood there, spread far enough apart that we would not run into each other. Tex was down among the rocks, not hiding, but not wanting to have his fur singed off either.
When the dragon finally spotted us he started throwing insults at us, I responded in kind and he paused for a second, called me Dovahkiin, and then attacked with much more vigor. The insults were much more personal after that, only they were also kind of funny. I mean really it might be really insulting to call one a "ground-bound, wingless worm" if one was really a Dragon, not just a Dragonborn. Being called "toothless" might have bothered me if I hadn't just tripped on a rock and bit my tongue.
I cast a couple of Ice Atronach spells and threw Ice spikes at him, hitting him with Unrelenting force when I had the chance. Both men were shooting arrows and Tex was still crouched in the rocks. This dragon didn't want to land and it wasn't until I felt his life force ebbing that he crash-landed on the shoreline. A huge spray of water and we were all soaking wet, except Tex who jumped out of his hiding spot and latched onto the Dragons snout.
It shook its head and grumbled, I cast more Ice Spikes into it and finally, it died. I absorbed its soul and took a moment to gather myself up. We went and got the horses and then headed to a spot further up the lake, where a hunter had made a camp.
She met us with a huge grin and said she had never seen anything like that and we were more than welcome to sleep in her camp, though we might have to pitch our own tents, as hers was only large enough for one person. The men set about pitching our tents and I helped to prepare a dinner large enough for all of us.
We were up and headed to Whiterun before the sun was even up, and got to the stables just as they were finishing the morning chores. Nelthas again went and talked to the carriage driver, while Signar talked to the Stableman and I went in to get our supplies, Tex went with me.
The trip to Winterhold was probably the quietest in a long while... The walk to speak to Azura's Priestess was a matter of hitting the local wildlife with a clam spell and when that didn't work, brute force did. I felt sad at the waste of meat and hide, but knew the meat really wouldn't go to waste, the scavengers would eat well. Fresh meat would have been nice, but wolf is not really one of my favorite meats.
Talking to the Priestess, on the other hand, ended with me going into the Star to kill the Necromancer who had stolen it, as he had placed his own soul into the Star. Nelthas would be happy with the three Dremora hearts that I brought out.
Nelthas had been speaking to her and it seemed that Azura would no longer be giving her the visions that she had before, so the woman was at a loss as to what to do. Nelthas stared at me with a look on his face until I suggested that she come with us, but before she did, I explained what that would mean.
"Aranea, this means first a trip down to Blackreach, a place no one has been to in centuries. After that, I need to head to Skyhaven Temple and speak to two of the Blades members about recruiting people to help kill some of the more troublesome dragons. For whatever reason, the Thalmor have stuck their nose into it and they are now after me as well as the Blades at the Temple. Then I have to go back to High Hrothgar and speak to the Greybeards and their leader. It's not a safe path, but if you want to follow, I will be more than happy to have you. Nelthas says I can trust you not to betray me, not to the Thalmor and not otherwise. I am going to take him at his word, it's your choice to come with us or find another purpose."
She stood there for a moment, gazing into nothingness and I could see that she was thinking hard about what to do. Finally, she did answer.
"Muthsera, Dragonborn, I will travel the path with you. I will face the unknown dangers ahead and I will face the known dangers of treachery, I will not betray you, as you have the Lady's favor and that would be like betraying Her."
So I had another follower and Tex was again nowhere to be seen. I laughed and we set up at the foot of Lady Azura's statue for the night, on the morrow, we would be leaving for Aftland and the deep dark unknown.
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