On my Way to Sovngarde pg 29

We landed at Skuldafn and I thanked Odahviing for bringing me here. I did tell him that he was wrong in one respect, I did not really envy the Dovah their wings, my mortality and those things that came with it were a good trade-off. I regretted the necessity of using dragonrend, but as he had felt what it meant to die, I would gift him with the rest of the knowledge of what being mortal meant, but I would like him to think about it.

" You can not unknown the emotions and feelings and I would not force those on one who lives more by instinct and logic."

"Thank you Dovahkiin, I will think on that. It is a generous offer. I will wait to see who has the Stronger Thu'im, if it is you, I will have your answer." With that, he took off and I was alone in this place.

I turned and faced Skuldafn and started forward. Draugr, Skeletons, and Dragons, I found a good use for the Storm Call Thu'um and as many fell to that and my Storm Atronach as any other spell I used. Getting through the Temple was a matter of seeing them before I was seen and hitting them with a spell or arrow.

When I left the Temple for the main altar area, I was almost overwhelmed. I called a storm and summoned two Atronachs then backed through the Temple door. The Deathlords followed me through the door, along with some skeletal guardians, but the dragons and the Dragon Priest did not.

My Atronach's followed me through and though they dissipated fairly quickly under the onslaught, I used my staff to summon more, then used my lighting rune staff to help keep them at a distance. I used up what magic I had, most of them were on the ground, hopefully, dead for good. A few were still coming at me, so I pulled my ax, thankful that mage or no, I kept in practice with it.

When all who had followed me back into the Temple were down, I paused at the door. I used a few of the potions that Aranea had put in the packs and thanked her for-sight in getting them for me. I recalled quickly that the two dragons outside had been Elder Dragons using Frost, so I quickly cast an Icy veil spell to help dissipate some of the effects. Then walked out the door again.

I quickly used my Thu'um using Storm Call again. Caste dual Flame Atronach spells and started lobbing firebolts at the dragon and the few Deathlords that had not followed me through the door.  With the Dragon Priest getting hit with lightning so often, he was having problems of his own... but even the Dragons were smart enough to land and stay low. He kept to his Alter and was holding his Staff up high... it was acting like a lightning rod.

I saw one lightning bolt hit the Dragon Priest square and he dissolved into a pile of ash, at the same time, I felt a new Dragon arriving. This one was stronger than the two Elder Dragons I had faced and I had been hard-pressed with them. So I darted towards the alter, picking up the Dragon Priest's mask and staff, the staff I put in the slot on the alter.

I watched as a blazing white light opened up in the space before the Alter and felt the dragon land.  I turned just in time to cast a ward spell and back down into the portal. The Thu'um he used actually knocked me into the portal.

When I could see again,  I knew I was standing in Sovngarde. Tear's struck my eye's blind for a moment, then I dashed them away. I had a job to do, I was not a Nord, but this, I could spend eternity here, not soon though, I would prefer to spend a lifetime with Signar.

I heard Alduin calling in the mist that covered the valley, I heard the sounds of men dying, dying a final death, their souls lost for the power that Alduin craved. I walked down into the valley, the shadows of the lost echoing in my ears. I readied my Clear Sky's Thu'um so that I would not be walking in the mist, I was not sure that Alduin could not snare my soul.

I found a couple of soldiers in the mist and they followed me for a time, but they got to arguing with each other and I could not see them any longer. I heard the yells as Alduin took their souls, my heart was heavy as I neared the bridge to Shor's Hall.

"What brings you here, grim wanderer, to Sovngarde, Shor's Hall to the honored dead?" The deep voice startled me, as I had not seen the man standing in the shadow of a pillar. I looked up at the man and continued to tilt my head up, good Lord was he tall. I looked into his Crystalline blue eyes and blinked.

"I pursue Alduin, the world eater. I wish entry to the Hall of Valor."  I tipped my head sideways and stepped back once, so my neck wasn't at an awkward angle while still keeping eye contact.

"You are not an honored Shade, but among the living, why dare you the land of the dead. By what right do you request entry?"

"By right of Birth, I am Dragonborn."

" Ah, it has been a long time since we had one of the doom-driven hero's of the Dragonblood pass through Sovngarde."

"May I pass into the Hall, I only wish to speak to the tongues of old?"

"Living or Dead, by Shor's decree,  none may pass this perilous bridge, til I judge them worthy in honorable combat". The feral grin on his face told me he enjoyed his job. He pulled his ax and took a warrior's stance across from me.

I would have been more comfortable using magic, but I too drew my ax, but then conjured a shield and our battle commenced. We traded blows for a time, he had a counter for every move I made like he was a sparring partner or had often seen me in battle. I got some good solid hits in, I had not used a shield much in Skyrim, but I had in other wars.

I stared into the crystal blue eyes as we circled each other and thought how familiar they looked again, but I know I would have remembered anyone of his massive size. We traded blows till I felt my shoulder start to ache, I really needed to keep my muscles in practice for using shields, relying on magic had made them kinda weak.

About the time I felt my shield starting to dissipate, I readied another spell this one, one of my Masters used quite frequently. As the shield dissipated, Tsun grinned and readied a blow, that never came as I unleashed the spell. A massive clap of thunder sounded right behind him and he flinched, exactly as I had the first dozen times my Master had used it.

  I swung my ax and at the last second turned it sideways so that the flat of it hit him in the head. He staggered and went to a knee, the battle was mine. I sheathed my ax and stood looking at him.

"You fought well, I find you worthy to pass. It has been long since the living has entered the Hall of Valor, I hope you find that which you seek." I looked back up into his face, his blue eye's twinkled with good humor. So I smiled back at him. "That was a clever trick, Dragonborn."

" One of my first Weapons Masters, used it on his students all the time, said if we allowed ourselves to be distracted in a battle, we die.". He smiled grimly and nodded.

I walked across the Whalebone bridge and entered the Hall of Valor. I was met at the door by Ysgramor, who told me that the doors to the Hall had stood shut since the arrival of Alduin, none to enter, trapped by his snare. None to exit by Shor's decree, but three stood ready to fight by my side, at my word.

I walked around for a moment and from a distance, saw a few "hero's" of Old that I knew, personally. I did not greet them, because they did not know my full story and would wonder at my being here in this time, so far from the ones they themselves lived in. Too long of a story for a short visit to Shor's Hall.

I found the Tongues of old and we talked for a moment, coming up with a battle plan. I needed to know their skills as they needed to know mine. When we had a plan fixed, each of us would take turns keeping Alduin grounded, for only then could we defeat him.

This is what we did, we taunted him by clearing the mist from the valley, until such a time as he came to us. Felldir and I took the two points with the most cover, Hakon and Gormlaith the other two. It was not a short battle and I used the charges up in all of my Staff's, then I used the scrolls that I had brought with me, interspersing both with the spells I knew and my bow.

When he finally dissolved into fire, no soul did we absorb... I knew that Akatosh had grabbed that and an Aspect of Alduin would return sometime in the future.  The three tongues praised me for a battle well fought and said they would be proud to call me a Shield sister.

" That was a mighty deed! The doom of Alduin and Sovngarde cleansed at last. They will sing of this battle in Shor's Hall forever. But your fate lies elsewhere, you have a task yet undone. At the end of your days, you may be welcomed back to feast by my side, I will welcome you with glad friendship and much feasting. Let me know when you are ready to go and I will return you to Nirn".

I walked a short distance away and stood looking at the valley, which was now peaceful. I walked the shores of the river and stood just looking at the aurora with it's shifting colors, I drank in the peace.

I felt a large hand settle to my shoulder. "Tarry not long, the land of the dead is not a good place for the living". I nodded and turned to face Tsun. I looked at him long and smiled, lifting my hand to his cheek, I pulled his head downward and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

" I will miss you my friend, but I am ready to go back... for whatever time I have," I whispered against his ear.

He smiled and said that Shor had decreed me a gift, anytime I needed help I could call on one of the tongues for aid. He taught me the Thu'um. He backed away from me and right before he sent me back he winked.

My heart quickened with a thought......