Sian's Story part 48 - The Plan Redux, Mark IV, 9.0
Entry posted by jfraser in Sian's Story
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As we pulled our clothes back on…well, while Kellan pulled his clothes back on and I got back into what passed for clothes for me, I tried to think about what to do next. Kellan apparently had the same thought, because once he finished tightening his belt, he picked up the dragonstone and peered at it.
“Now that we have this rock – I’ll take your word for it that these strange etchings make some sort of map – what do we do with it?”
“That’s a good question. Last time, I was sent to get it by Far…Fir…Ferengi, or whatever the court wizard’s name is, but I learned later it ended up with Delphine. So we could just cut out the middleman and give it to her. I didn’t really care for Ferengi anyway, and I bet he’s even worse in this extra-misogynistic world. The only thing is…” I paused as I tried to remember exactly what had happened. It had only been six-ish years ago, yet it felt like…well, like a lifetime ago.
“Yes?”
“Turning it into Ferengi led directly to the first time I learned I was Dragonborn. And then Balgruuf made me a Thane.” And then my housecarl got her herself killed and me enslaved, I didn’t add. “So maybe that would be worth the trouble?”
Kellan scoffed. “Why would you want to be a Thane? Then you would be under the Jarl’s direct command and would have to do what he said. Besides, I’ve never met a Thane who was worth more than the price of his codpiece.” A pause. “Also, I don’t think women can become Thanes.”
I snorted as we started walking toward the doorway out of the tomb. “Of course we can’t. God, this fucking place. Maybe you could pretend to be the Dragonborn?”
“Not even for you would I stick my head in that noose.”
I laughed. “Fair enough. Then let’s drop off the Dragonstone at Riverwood and head north.”
“What’s in the north?”
“I have to pick up a horn. And then…well, you’re not going to like the next part.”
“Why? What’s the next part.”
I sighed. “I’m going to join the army.”
“What?! Why?!”
“Because we need this stupid war to end. We can’t defeat all these dragons by ourselves – we’re going to need help. Lots of it. We need these armies to be facing the dragons, not each other.”
“I…see. Well, since we are heading north, I assume you mean to join the Imperials. Which is just as well since the Stormcloaks don’t accept women.”
“They don’t? What am I saying, of course they don’t. Did they last time?” I thought about it for a moment and the battle I had witnessed on the road to Windhelm floated back to mind…complete with the raping of the women on the losing side. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea. “I guess there were. Is joining the Imperials a problem for you?”
Kellan shrugged. “I am from Cyrodil, but I have no spear in this fight. Do not expect me to join with you, though – I did my time in the military.”
I winced as a pang went through me. “So…once we’re there, we are done?”
“No, don’t worry about that. I’ll still be around. However, went you get there, you need to tell them you want to be in the Keṣ Tshaâki.”
“Why? What is that?”
“It is their elite troops. They are sent on special missions either alone or only with a small squad. I can join you on those kinds of missions. Besides, if you just join the regular rank and file, you will have no control over where you go or how you are used.”
“That is true. I assume they don’t just let anyone into this…Kiss Thaki, though.”
“Keṣ Tshaâki. And no – you will be given a test.”
“What kind of test?”
“The fighting kind, of course. Against one of the other Keṣ Tshaâki or one of the officers.”
“I…don’t think I’ll be able to pass such a test.”
“Didn’t you say you have some sort of power now that the dragons are back? That’s what the…” he waved a hand toward the now silent wall just before it passed out of sight as we reached the tunnel to the exit, “…was, right? You got your power?”
“Ah. Yes. Sort of. I learned a word.” And so I had - I could feel Fus Ro Dah rolling around inside my head, banging against the walls because I had no way to release it. “But I need to…well, absorb a dragon soul in order to use it.”
“I assume you get these souls by killing dragons? Well, perhaps we’ll run across some on the way.”
“You are very blasé about the thought of facing a dragon.”
“I do not know that word – blasé? - but I admit, I am very excited about it. I have fought bears and sabrecats, horkers and draugr, but I never dreamed I would have a chance to face an actual dragon!”
“You say you are from Cyrodil but you sounded just like a Nord there.” I ignored his “Hey!” as I considered. “Well, we could wait around a bit – I at least know where one dragon will show up. It will delay our trip, though, because it will be…” I thought back. The dragon at the watchtower had shown up just after I got back to Whiterun with the stone. But last time I had gone to Whiterun then back to Bleak Falls, where I had spent an entire day fighting (and eventually getting fucked by) draugr, then back to Whiterun again. “…somewhere around four or five…or six days before it shows up. As a bonus, we’d have help killing it since it will attack a watchtower full of Whiterun guards.”
“I suppose it depends on how much you are looking forward to joining the army.”
I sighed. “I am not looking forward to that at all.”
“Then I say we wait. I could use the rest to finish healing up and you look like you could use a long rest yourself. It has been a busy couple of days.”
We crested the low slope that led to the exit. Sunlight beckoned ahead, which gave me a small jolt of surprise- somehow it felt like we had been in the barrow for hours, but really only one had passed, at most. I glanced back as we reached the exit.
“All right. We’ll drop off the stone and then get a room at the inn in Whiterun. That way we’ll be close when the…”
“DRAGON!” Kellan screamed the word and I frowned.
“Yes, when the dragon attacks…”
“GET DOWN!”
Kellan grabbed me and yanked me back into the cave, twisting so I fell flat on my face with his arms around me.
“Ow! What the…”
Then I heard it – the familiar roar/cry of a dragon’s breath. I felt a burst of cold and a sound like a freight train rumbled past. The cave shook and dust and small rocks clattered from the walls and ceiling.
“Fuck! One is here?”
“Seems so.” Kellan released me and I scrambled to my feet and looked back at the entrance. It was covered with a sheen of ice. “I thought they breathed fire?”
“Some do. Some breathe ice. Or speak it, I guess.” I ignored his curious stare. “We’re trapped in here. We’ll have to go back to the crypt and wait until it gets bored and goes somewhere else.”
“No, who knows how long that would take? We’ll just kill it.”
“Kill it? Look, I know you’re strong but it takes multiple people to down a dragon.”
“We are multiple people.”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it!”
“Don’t worry, I have a plan.”
“What…”
“I’m going to climb higher up the mountain and hide. Then you go to the entrance and get it to come after you. Try to get it to stick its head right into this cave – when that happens, I’ll drop down onto its back and chop its head off.”
“That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard!”
“Don’t worry! I did this with my brother against a bear!”
“You killed a bear with this plan?”
“No, it got away. And we both nearly died. But I’m sure it will work this time! Look,” as I began to protest, “it is beginning to circle back. I need to hurry so it doesn’t see me. Get to the entrance and get its attention!”
Before I could protest further, he was out of the cave and scrambling up the slope, leaving me to face a dragon with only my bow, my sword, my neutered Shout, and my wits.
I have seldom felt so doomed.
Don’t feed the bastards. Feed yourself instead.
Edited by jfraser
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