I washed my face and got dressed then helped Signar into his armor. I went down the steps and said it was time to wake up. Tex was already darting past me, so he had just been politely waiting. Nelthas came up the steps next and gave me a dirty look. I followed him out to the table Signar was already sitting at, with a patter of foods for breakfast.
"What in Oblivion did I do to deserve that look?"
"You left me with that conspiracy theory nut, in a locked room." He truly sounded aggravated, Signar was chuckling under his breath. Nelthas downed half his mug of mead and then sized up Signar. "Alright so next time, you can sleep in the cellar with Delphine and Esbern and I'll sleep upstairs with the Lady, I'll even allow Tex to sleep between us, cause I think he suffered just as much as I did.
Signar never stopped chewing his food, just looked at the Dunmer, then grabbed his mead, taking a drink. "Mmfffp, What, you don't have some fancy paralytic that you can shut her up with? Of course, you could always just stuff a gag in her mouth and tie her up".
"Shush you two, you'd probably be just as paranoid if the Thalmor had been chasing you for more than half your life. Tell you what, next time you boys can share the bed upstairs and I'll sleep in the cellar with her." I was only half-serious, I know what it feels like to be hunted for an extended time. Nelthas steepled his fingers in front of his mouth tipped his head slightly, then batted his eyelashes at Signar.
"He's not my type, I like my men a little prettier". His face looked serious, but his red eye's danced with mirth. Signar looked at him, then narrowed his eyes.
"You would," his tone was dry. " I like my Shield Brother to have a bit more meat on his bones." He was actually harder to read than Nelthas, only the small lines beside his eyes and mouth said he was trying not to laugh. I laughed and shook my head.
"So what do you two think is the best way to get to Karthspire?" I asked. Delphine and Esbern must have been up pretty late into the night, the sun had been up for an hour or so when they finally dragged themselves up the stairs. It was a very auspicious start to a journey that dragged on forever, due to the surely nature of one of our companions.
As we stood looking into the pocket valley, I thought it would figure. Wasn't fighting dragons and bandit's enough for any one trip, did it really have to end with trying to get through a whole Forsworn Tribe? It was a distasteful thing, but I knew that politely asking them to let us pass wasn't going to work. I sighed heavily and Signar squeezed my shoulder.
"Alright, let's get this over with. I hate to say it, but don't leave anyone standing. I haven't seen any children in this camp, have any of you?" I looked around and everyone shook their heads, including Tex. " Ok so, it isn't a typical village. Anyone that lift's a sword or uses magic, dies. Do not kill any children or pregnant women, knock them out if you have to." That started the slaughter, which is what it was.
Nelthas had lifted his cowl and facemask and completely disappeared, enchanted....figures. I summoned a Deadroth and a Winged-Twilight and then started shooting the Forsworn that came at us. Signar stayed close to me and watched my back. Tex was following Nelthas around, though how he knew exactly where the Dunmer was, was a mystery. Delphine watched Esberns back as he summoned an Ice Atronach and threw Ice shards at them.
In the end, their was no one left, including the Hargraven who had been in the middle of creating a Briar-heart. I always found that type of magic distasteful, that and allowing oneself to be turned into a Hargraven, those were thing's that put a halt to my admiration of a people that were only trying to keep their homes.
We made our way into a cave system and to the part that was obviously built by a people long ago. Esbern said the Akaviri themselves, it certainly looked like their work, not that I had first-hand experience or anything. I got us past a couple of puzzle traps. At last, we stood in front of another door puzzle, Esbern said this one required blood, my blood, that of a Dragonborn.
So I knelt by the well in the center and cut my hand, letting drops of blood hit the well. After a few seconds, a white light came up out of the well and followed the path around the symbols I was standing on. I felt a tingling all through my body, as something, some odd kind of spell, delved into me, recognized me. Then, I heard a grating of stone on stone, the stone face that actually was a door, started to move.
Some half an hour later we stood in front of Alduin's wall as Esbern Translated it. Nelthas and Tex were both sitting on the table that ran half the length of the room. Signar stood behind me, with one arm wrapped around my waist and the other around my shoulders. I was leaning against him, with my chin on his forearm. It wasn't terribly comfortable, but it was comforting, to have him hold me.
"Have you ever heard of such a thing? Do you know of a shout that will defeat a dragon?" The look on her face was hopeful but fell as I shook my head no. "No help for it then, you'll have to go ask the Greybeards, it's a good thing they let you in their little cult. I'm sure if Esbern or I went and asked they wouldn't even talk to us."
I kept my thoughts on that account to myself, but even if they would talk to her or Esbern it would do them little good. Neither would understand and couldn't teach it to someone else.
"So I guess your off to High Hrothgar?" Esbern asked. He had turned from the wall and his explanation of it.
" In the morning Esbern, it's been a hectic few week's and because neither of you has horses, we walked here and now have to get all the way back to Riverwood to pick ours up. So you'll excuse me if I want a hot meal and a warm bed before I start on the long journey back to High Hrothgar." I turned and walked into the dark area of the Temple, casting a light spell.
I found what would be a bunk room and lit the charcoal that was left in the brazier. That was a thoughtful thing, as wood would have been half-rotted away by now. I got into my pack and changed into a cloth outfit, looked to Signar standing against the door frame, and told him to make himself useful, by going to get some wood and water, Nelthas could help him, then some furs and straw to make the beds softer.
I looked around and didn't see a broom or any other cleaning tool, but did see a vent hole where smoke could raise out of the room. I looked around and didn't see anything really light....so. I put a cloth over my mouth and I cast a spell that moved the air around like miniature whirlwinds, as the whirlwind's picked up dust, I poured more power in them and raised the dust funnels towards the vent in the ceiling. When the last one was through the vent, I pictured it moving away from the hole, then cut the magic from it, a little of the dust came back down the hole, but for the most part the room was dust, cobweb, and dirt free.
Signar came back in with two buckets of water and blinked when he looked around the room. I grabbed one of the buckets and poured a little bit into a pan and washed my face and arms, which were coated. Then I heated a pot of water and washed pots, pans, and dishes so that I could make a stew for dinner.
With the stew in the pot cooking, I told Signar I wanted to go out and have a swim in the water by the village, I was dirty and wanted a bath. So the four of us left the Temple and went down and had a good swim. We looted any foodstuff that was still good and put it in the cave, Delphine and Esbern could go in there with no problem.
As we came back up to the door with the Blood Seal, I had an idea and told the others to wait a moment. I re-cut my hand and let a few drops drip into the well, the door started to close and I waited till it was, then allowed a few more drops to hit the well, the door opened back up... that was a good thing to know.
Each of us carried a heavy pack of food all the way back into the temple, even Tex had two bags tied together draped over his back. As we passed the plate puzzle, I pulled the chain and it reset, we would not be surprised in the night.
We left before full light the next morning, Delphine followed us to the plate Puzzle and reset it after we passed over. Looking at our location on a map, I had decided that our best bet was to go to Markarth and take the carriage to Whiterun and walk to Riverwood from there. We did not even go into the city, just hopped on the carriage.
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