Chapter 12: Dragonsreach
18th of Last Seed, Morndas
9:49 AM
Irileth stepped forward as Balgruuf stepped up toward the throne. "My Lord, this man has news. From Helgen."
That made him pause. His gaze shifting to me, sharp and weighing. "From Helgen?" he repeated, descending the few steps to stand more level with me. "Speak, traveler. What happened?"
I glanced at Irileth before facing Balgruuf directly. "I was there when the dragon attacked. It burned the town to the ground. Nothing survived—walls, houses, guards—it all went up in flames." I paused, trying to find the words that would make the impact. "I saw it with my own eyes. Big. Black. With wings that could block out the sun."
The hall fell into silence.
"By Ysmir, you were right," Balgruuf muttered and glanced at Irileth standing beside him.
He then turns to the silent bald man on his right, "What do you say now, Proventus? Another traveler with the same story. Should we continue to trust in our walls? Against a Dragon?"
So there were more that survived Helgen, I wondered, but who?
Proventus looked away, not able to find words.
"My lord. We should send troops to Riverwood at once," Irileth said, her tone laced with unusual worry. "It's in the most immediate danger if the dragon is lurking in the mountains-" Irileth was suddenly cut off by Proventus.
"Jarl Siddgier of Falkreath will view this as a provocation. He'll assume we're preparing to join Ulfric's side and attack. We should-"
"Enough!" Proventus's persuasion failed as Balgruuf yelled for him to shut up.
"I'll not stand still while a dragon burns my hold and slaughters my people." Balgruuf made his choice clear and turned to Irileth. "Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once."
"Yes, my lord," Irileth said and went to gather the guards.
"If you'll excuse me, I'll return to my duty," Proventus said from behind Balgruuf.
"That would be best," Balgruuf said to him without looking back.
Proventus left, going back upstairs, leaving only me and Balgruuf in the court.
"Well done. You sought me out on your own initiative-" I interrupted the Jarl. "It wasn't me alone. Alvor and Gerdur sent me to request you for assistance."
"Ha! Not only are you courageous but humble, too," Balgruuf said, finally sitting down on his throne. "Gerdur and Alvor," he muttered their names.
"Gerdur? The mill owner, she's the pillar of the community, and Alvor the smith, eh?" Jarl said, not a question but recognition.
His focus turned back to me. "Nonetheless, you've done Whiterun a great service, and I won't forget it. As a token of my esteem, you can accept a gift from the armory." he paused. "But you'll have to wait for my housecarl to return."
"In the meantime," he added, "There is one more thing you could do for me. Suitable for someone of your particular talents, perhaps." He gets up from his throne. "Come, let's go find Farengar, my court wizard." I followed after him.
"He's been looking into a matter related to these dragons…. rumors of dragons." Balgruuf continued to lead me toward the wizard's quarters, east of the hall.
System Prompt: [Quest] Before the Storm: Completed
Added: 5 Attribute points.
Jarl entered the laboratory, followed by me. The room contained three pillars in the middle, standing straight, supporting the gable roof above, and behind it were two tables, arranged in an 'L' shape, with soul gems, scrolls, and books sprinkled on top, to the right was a map board, displaying all of Skyrim, each of its holds and capital cities, and line of boarder drawn with black ink on a sepia canvas.
The wall across from of us had the Enchanting and Alchemy tables side by side. The room was well lit. A man wearing a greyish blue robe leaned on the table with both his hands resting on it, his head down, deep in thought.
"Farengar," Baglruuf said as we entered, Farengar straightened up hearing the voice, "I think I've someone for your dragon project." He said.
Before any of us could say anything, we heard a familiar voice: "My lord, the troops are here." We turned to the voice, Irileth, who stood at the entrance, while a few soldiers stood in the middle of the court behind her, agitated and nervous.
"Farengar, fill in the details." Balgruuf turned to Farengar and then me, "And you, my friend. See if you can help Whiterun once again."
Balgruuf left, with Irileth following behind to brief the guards. I turned back to Farengar.
"What do you need me for?" I asked him, "The Jarl must be referring to my research into the dragons. Yes, I could use someone to fetch something for me." He paused, "And when I say fetch, I really mean delve into a dangerous ruin in search of an ancient stone tablet, which may or may not be there."
System Prompt: [Quest] Bleak Falls Barrow: In-progress
"Where?" My question short, I just wanted to get out of here. "Straight to the point, eh?" Farengar chuckled, pulling out a map and a sketch of the tablet from under the table.
"I, ah, learned of this stone tablet said to be housed in Bleak Falls Barrow, a 'Dragonstone' said to contain the map of dragon burial sites."
Learned? Sure, I chuckled internally, knowing who told him this information.
"Bleak Falls Barrow?" We heard the familiar voice again. I turned to see Irileth standing behind me, and past her was Balgruuf; they had come back to the wizard after briefing the guards.
Irileth stepped fully into the room, her tone laced with annoyance. "You mean that ancient ruin that's been picked over by every bandit and treasure hunter west of Riverwood?"
Farengar didn't flinch. "That's the one. According to my sources, the Dragonstone is still inside. The bandits are likely too ignorant to realize the value of the Stone tablet." He looked back at me. "You look like someone who can handle a few dusty skeletons and bandits."
I didn't answer right away.
"When do I leave?" I finally said.
A chuckle came from the side, Balgruuf. "You're brave, traveler. However, it is better to proceed with caution-" He paused. "But not this time; this time, haste would be better." I nodded. "I'll leave immediately."
As I was about to take my first step, "Wait," Balgruuf stopped me, "You don't mean to face the horrors of that cursed place in that, do you?" He said, staring at the clothes I was wearing, a white shirt and black pants, with a belt and sheath attached to my waist.
I had worn the Imperial armor when I started the journey, but I changed my attire mid-way to not look like one. And with the System's help, I could change my apparel in the blink of an eye, and no one would notice.
I opened my mouth to say something but—"Irileth, show him to our armory, and let him choose a gift." Balgruuf said to Irileth and turned to me.
"You should always be prepared." Balgruuf huffed a breath. "Now, get going, you two. We have an important task ahead of us."
I nodded and followed after Irileth. The structure inside of Dragonsreach was the same, but I never heard of an armory—but then again, I shouldn't be surprised at this point.
I followed her to the dungeon below, and soon we stood in front of an iron door.
The door to the armory creaked open as Irileth led me into the room. It was far from the sterile, well-organized chambers I'd expected, with weapons stacked high and racks of armor lining the walls. The scent of steel and oil lingered in the air, thick and unmistakable. I felt the heavy weight of the steel around me, my fingers itching to touch it.
"You'll need something more suitable for Bleak Falls," she said, turning back with steel armor in her hands, her eyes flicking up to meet mine. "The ruins aren't kind to the unprepared."
I smirked, leaning against a nearby shelf, watching her a little intently. "Didn't I tell you I won't die?" I reminded her.
Her lips twitched into a smile. "Are you scared of death?" She asked, tilting her head.
A tick formed on my clenched jaw. I stepped forward, "I've escaped death before, what say I can't do it again?" I said.
"You weren't the only one that survived Helgen," Irileth chuckled.
I wasn't referring to that, but I let it slide, shifting my focus back to her as I stepped a little closer—close enough to notice the shine of sweat on her temple from earlier drills, or perhaps just the heat of the armory.
"I'm not scared of death," I said quietly. "I'm scared of people losing the amazing me." I chuckled and reached for the armor in her, and with a shimmer, it disappeared from her hands.
Her eyes widened for a moment, the sudden lightness in her hand made her look down at her now empty hands, and then she looked up at me. "You're a mage?" she muttered.
Her eyes wandered and trailed the path we walked, or the one I did. "Did you steal something else too?" she asked, her tone playful.
With a tick on the edge of my lips, I placed my hand on her shoulder, "Do you take me for a thief?" I said, not a question, just pure annoyance.
"That depends," she said evenly, her voice low. "Are you going to give it back?" Her hand came up—not to push me away, but to rest lightly on my chest, fingers brushing the fabric,
I leaned in slightly, the scent of her skin cutting through the metal, my grip on her shoulder tightening. "How about I take this one too?" my thumb grazing over the leather strap of her armor.
Her lips twitched into something that wasn't quite a smile—more a challenge than amusement. "Careful," she murmured, her voice almost a whisper now. "Men have lost fingers for less."
"Yet, I remain, uncut," I said, my voice low, my palm still on her shoulder. I leaned back, now staring at her darkened blood-red eyes. For a moment, neither of us moved, locked in that tension neither of us had fully intended but couldn't seem to break away from either.
Then she stepped back—not hurriedly, not flustered. Deliberate. Controlled. She turned to one of the racks and pulled a Nordic Sword, its hook-like blade catching the torchlight as she held it out to me.
"Take this," she said, her voice cool again, but something simmered beneath it. "You'll need it. Just… try not to swing it like a milk-drinker." She paused, "And remember, you owe me for this."
I grinned and took the sword, making the iron sword I had been using disappear.
"I'll be back before you even begin to miss me," I said and turned to the door, sheathing the new blade against my waist.
"Who says I will?" She called after me—but when I looked back, she wasn't hiding the smirk that followed.