Ustengrav pg 12

 

 We fought our way in and fought our way down into the depths of the barrow. Signar and Tex seemed to be making up for a day of rest by practically running from room to room, leaving me behind to check to make sure the Horn wasn't in one of those rooms. I really didn't think it would be, it should be in the central tomb, but one never knows.

  At one point all three of us stopped and stared out and down into the cavern, which seemed to go on to an unknown depth. We could see a pool and mist caused by a  waterfall that was barely a humm to our ears. The two of them were off like a shot, like two small children racing each other to the top of the hill. I hurried after them again but refused to run.

As we descended lower still, I started hearing a whispering chant, it sounded much like the one that I had heard in Bleakfalls, so perhaps another of the word walls? I rounded a corner and almost ran into the two of them as they stood there looking down into the cavern that we had seen earlier from above. I saw a bit of movement but my eyes would not completely focus on it in the dark.

Tex took off and I cast a light spell to the middle of the cavern or at least what I thought was the middle. My eyes adjusted just as Tex leap onto a Skeleton, to which Signar asked " What's a dog without a bone?" Then he to took off down the ramp. I made my way in a more leisurely fashion. From slightly higher than the cave bottom, I drew my bow and made to practice on the skeletons, they were an easy moving target and I really did need some practice.

When I started forward both Tex and Signar were headed back up another ramp, until I whistled and got their attention. I pointed in the direction, of the sound of the chanting and waterfall. They came back down and Signar followed me to the word wall. I felt the knowledge fill me and knew I would be able to use this Thu'um.

We explored this area and found only one more draugr behind the waterfall, I took the opportunity and washed the dust, sweat, and bone dust off of my face. I knew I might end up with more or I might have just bathed in the pool.

We headed back to the ramp and at the top found a puzzle lock, once we figured it out, it was a piece of cake. From there on out we only ran into some spiders, before we found the main Tomb and retrieved the Horn.

We went out by a set of trick doors, we could plainly see them to go out, but on turning around, once they closed, you could not see the door at all. As we exited we heard the familiar roar of a dragon and the scream of angry horses. As we topped the steps out of the barrow, Tex darted past me and Signar was on my heels.  I moved to the side, looking at the scene.

One of the horses was down, it looked to be the beautiful black dappled stallion. He was breathing still but it was labored, so I used my staff and summoned a Lesser Deadra and then hurried to the Herd Stallion and used a healing spell on him. After he was on his feet, he and his mares dispersed into the swamp. I looked around and found the dragon fighting a Chaurus, Tex was keeping his distance as either was liable to turn on him. Signar was shooting arrows into it from a safe distance, so I started lobbing firebolts at it.

Once the dragon was flaming bit's, Tex and Signar turned on the much-weakened chaurus and tore it to pieces.  I used healing spells on both, as they had gotten some of the poison from dragon and chaurus on themselves.

Because I didn't really feel like tramping through the swamp at night, Signar took all the dead bodies off and Tex patrolled the area. I built up the fire and when Tex brought me a rabbit, I skinned and gutted it, then spitted it. I knew he would catch another, but if he didn't then we would share.

When they came back to the fire we discussed our next plan's. I needed to give the Horn to Arngeir, but also, we needed time to mend gear and stock up on travel rations again. We would have a good mid-morning breakfast in Morthal, before collecting the horses and heading to Whiterun.

A pleasant day pg 11

I cooked our breakfast and waited for Signar to wake up. I was sitting on my bedroll repairing a splitting seam when he woke up. He gave me a sleepy little smile and asked how I felt this morning. I told him my head wasn't as mussy this morning and I could think clearly. I still felt as if I storm was brewing, but now I could see past it.

I asked if he would like breakfast he just raised a brow and I said it was toasted bread with some snowberries, I had crushed into a kind of spread and some boiled eggs, though if he really wanted some, Tex had caught another rabbit. Signar grimaced and said no, he'd make do with what I had made, Tex could eat the rabbit. I laughed and toasted the bread while he went down to the river to wash his face.

When he came back he sat on his bedroll and watched me mend the seams in my armor. I looked up and saw the contemplative look on his face and said "Ask if I can answer I will".

"Why do you wear that necklace if they can track you by it?" He inquired curiously.

"Because it's not actually the necklace that they are tracking, it's blood. Family blood to be exact, we all wear the necklaces so that we can keep track of each other.", I sighed and went back to mending my armor, but continued to speak " Though I have not felt any of my sisters in a few reincarnations. Now I don't think I shall. The stone changed from blood red to blue, I am not sure why as it only does this when the wearer dies and I'm not dead, at the moment anyway."

He looked at me with a puzzled expression, " Do you have any idea why it would do that, you said 'not sure' not that you didn't know?"

I shook my head, "It's an idea and might even be a far-fetched one. I think it has to do with this "Dragonborn" business, I'm pretty sure I had none of the "dragon blood" in me when I saved Kvatch. The Amulet of Kings can only be worn by those with dragon blood, I could not wear it. I tried once, before crossing a deep river, I didn't wish to lose it, so I tried to put it on, but I could not."

I looked up at him and gave a wry smile, " If fighting all these dragons doesn't kill me, I just may not have to worry about assassins tracking me down on my next re-birth, they know what I look like in this time."

He paused with a piece of toast almost in his mouth and then dropped his hand down, with a very startled look on his face, " What a minute, what do you mean they know what you look like now? You don't look the same always?"

I gave a soft laugh, " No, I look a little different in every reincarnation. Some things stay the same, and some change. My eyes are usually blue or green, my hair blond and I am always petite. That they could change once in a while... Oh to be a 6 ft Nord Battle-maiden. I always have magic, though in various degrees. If you saw me in Kvatch, you would think I was my own granddaughter or some kind of cousin, with very similar looks.

He nodded and that seemed to be the end of his curiosity for the day. That night as we lay down trying to get some sleep with Tex a wet snoring mess in between us, he asked some questions about my family. I answered as best I could, explaining about the male cousins that raised me. I told some rather amusing stories of some of the fixes that ladies in my family had gotten themselves into trying to stay alive and sane.

The next morning dawned clear and bright, we packed up camp and headed for Usengrav to get the Horn for the Greybeards. We stopped in Morthal briefly, but they did not have a general goods store, so we made do with what we had. We made it to Ustengrav mid-morning, only to face bandits and necromancers before we even set one foot inside.

~~~~~~
For the second day in a row, I awoke not having had any dreams of the Lady, which meant I had a good night's sleep. I had a lot of thinking to do and some planning, but I knew I had time... I had all the time that I needed, she would come here, but it would not be in the very near future.

It's what friends are for pg 10

I awoke feeling antsy, my head was humming, my gut churning, something was coming. I had the same feelings when a powerful storm was heading my way. This was not foreboding, but nor was it an actual storm. I felt Tex's head on my legs and patted it, then sat up and swung my feet to the floor. I could smell bread cooking, but not the meat that the Innkeeper would have ready at breakfast, so it wasn't too close to daylight yet.

 Tex gave a whine and Signar rolled into a sitting position before he even opened his eyes. I gave him a second and then told him I wanted to leave within the hour. I washed my face in the basin and then got into my armor. I left the room before Signar was completely dressed and went out and ordered a simple breakfast. We ate in silence, though Signar kept looking at me, he would get some answers, but not today.

Soon as breakfast was eaten and the Inn Keeper handed me a packet of travel food we all went outside. I saddled my own horse and put my pack on her. I had told Signar that we would leave the horses in Whiterun and take the carriage to Morthal, then walk to the Barrow that the Greybeards Horn was in. But I changed my mind at that moment, we could leave the horses in Morthal.

I took a little-known pass over the mountain and came out closer to Whiterun than Signar had thought. It was harder on the Horses and I got off and walked the last bit up to the stables. I asked the stableman to feed both horses and rub them down, but to re-saddle them, as we would be leaving.

I took my saddlebag's off and headed to the market across from the stable instead of the one inside the town, there was less choice, but that was fine. We had lunch at the small tavern next to the stables and then we were off. I had a camping spot picked out from memory, it was a good area that hunters had used in the past. It proved to be a good place to stop for the night, as the hunter was there and didn't mind if we put out bedrolls under the overhang with his.

I awoke the next morning with the same feeling of an impending storm, my restlessness transferred to Alaris, who pranced and sidled, instead of walking in a straight line. I did not scold her as I knew my emotional state had transferred to her. I let her travel at the speed she wished, which seemed to be a ground-eating canter, though I slowed her and got off and walked now and then.

I took us through another mountain pass, this one lower, and found a river valley where I intended to stop for a day or so in. It was a defensible area, but I didn't really think it would be needed. Whatever was coming was not close and I needed to deal with the emotions that threatened to get out of hand.

 I stopped in a spot that was near a grove of trees and the river, but not too close to either one, and asked Signar to set up our tent. I asked Tex to come with me to gather some wood. When I got back to camp it was all set up, with a small fire that we could add more wood to later.

I paced or stalked around camp.. I could not sit, I could not stand still... I felt like screaming and yet all I sought was some peace and quiet. Signar watched me with a too-blank expression on his face, so I knew there were some thoughts behind his bright blue eyes. I walked away from camp and then quickly back and stopped right in front of him.

"I don't know where to start, so, I will start at the very beginning. I will answer any question I can, but please let me get it all out first" I proceeded to tell him my family history, about the assassins and why, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before I started in on the Blood Curse ... It was deep into the night before I finished with a sketchy outline of my personal history, much of it left out because I felt he would ask anything he wished to know the details of.

When I finished speaking he was looking down at his large calloused hands, with a contemplative look on his face. I had finally sat down on a stump near the fire, but I still had a restless urge to get up and run. When he finally looked up, it was with a sad look in his eyes.

"How old, no, how long have you been doing this?" His face and voice were neutral and I was glad of that.

" I do not remember the exact year of my birth, but I do know it was before the Dragon Wars. Dragons did not fly freely in my youth, though there were some around." I sighed deeply and thought for a minute, " I was one of Harald's advisers, though he had many friends that got more recognition, you see that is the way it has mostly been. I have always been in the background, never the focus of historical events. "

He looked back down at his hands and then rolled his shoulders as he looked back up at me. " You are the Hero of Kvatch." It was a statement not a question, but I nodded yes anyway, then looked down and away. I heard the creak and jingle of his armor as he stood up and walked over to me, then knelt close enough to turn my face with a careful finger, so that I was looking at him again.

 " You loved him." again it was a statement and not a question, but I nodded and I felt my eyes tear up. I looked up at him through tear-blurred eyes, the grief I had hidden before must have been plain on my face.

"You have never had a chance to grieve, just thrust into another world-changing event", his voice was low and was as much to himself as to me. He shifted again so that he was sitting next to me. " I can not imagine, how you must feel, I lost my wife and it nearly destroyed me, but I had friends and family around to help." His arm around me was a warm comfort that I had not even known I really wanted, as I turned my face into his chest and felt his other arm around my back. I had the very irrelevant thought about being glad he was wearing his travel leathers and not his normal plate steel armor.

I felt the tears leaking down my face and then sobs choked me as they escaped. I do not know how long I cried on Signar's shoulder, but I do remember being surrounded by his warmth and feeling a cold tongue lick my arm. I cried myself to sleep, something I had never done in all my time.

I woke the next morning with a blinding headache, my nose stopped up and my eyes were all itchy. The feeling of a storm approaching had not faded, but I felt my mind more at rest. I turned my head and looked at Signar, he was still snoring lightly, so I  got up quietly and walked down to the river. Stripping off my clothes I jumped in the ice-cold water, I yelped and raced right back out. There sitting on the bank with his tongue lolling out and laughter in his eyes was Tex, towel at his feet. I grabbed the towel and started drying off, telling Tex that had he been a really good friend he would have made me a cup of hot soup or mead or something.  He barked softly at me and then got up to wander back to the fire.

  I wrapped the damp towel around me and walked back into the tent and grabbed my hunting leathers, my armor would need repair and some cleaning.  As I got dressed I thought back to the night before and realized I had not really told Signar too many personal details, but he had figured some things out on his own. We could talk more today and I would try not to break down and cry like a baby again. Tomorrow we would set out to retrieve the Horn.

~~~~~
The long trip back to the Nightgate Inn was plenty of time to think about what I needed to do. It was coming down to Her life or mine, I much preferred my life over hers. I needed the bounty to disappear, to make it so that I would never have to work again.  I was not lazy, just tired of killing. One last life, one last death on my conscience, or what passed for one.