InsaneJournal

PREVIOUSLY: Ysmir reunited Esbern with Delphine and the trio took off for Sky Haven Temple, where Esbern gave them a lesson on the history and meaning of Alduin's Wall.

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Note: Often when Dragons speak in this world, they will say something in Dovahzul and it may be preceded or succeeded by the English translation.

The next drabble will start with them back at High Hrothgar. After that, I will post a drabble for "Discerning the Transmundane", and after that, the main storyline will pick back up.

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Ysmir departed from the Temple and made his way back to Whiterun through Rorikstead. When he entered Breezehome, Etienne was helping himself to some mead while he read next to the fireplace.

"Hey, boss," Etienne greeted him as he entered.

"I'm finally here, Etienne," Ysmir said. "It's getting a little late but we'll go to Riften now. There's no more Thalmor in the city, Brynjolf and I made sure of it. You should be safe to return to the Cistern."

"Aww, I was starting to like it here, too," Etienne chuckled. "Alright, let's go."

Ysmir gave Etienne a pat on the shoulder and went upstairs to his room, where Lydia was sitting in her usual spot. "You really like it up here," he pointed out with a chuckle.

Lydia laughed and nodded. "This is the most comfortable chair in Breezehome, if you want this chair you'll have to kill me for it."

He snorted and shook his head. "That won't be necessary, that chair is good as yours. Anyway, I was just in the Reach, at one of the old Akaviri temples. Turns out there was a Thu'um used to defeat Alduin all those years ago."

"That's great!! What is it??" she asked, setting her drink down.

"I... don't know, actually. We were trying to think of what it could be, but I think this is one of those things where I'll have to ask the Greybeards."

"Let's hope they know what it is, then," she said, leaning back in her chair.

"I know it's been a bit since I last dragged you on one of my adventures, so why don't you come with Etienne and I?" Ysmir asked. "I'm going to drop him off in Riften and then from there we can take off for Ivarstead together. I'll give you coin for a couple rooms at the Bee and Barb."

"Excellent!!! I've been wanting to go with you again," she said, standing up. "Is there anything you need to drop off or sell before we go?"

He set his pack down and laid all the things he'd collected over the last few days on his bed. "If there's anything here that you want, it's yours. We'll leave the rest here and I'll worry about pawning it off with Belethor later."

Lydia looked over the collection and picked up a couple blades she thought might come in handy. She held a dagger up to him. "I'll keep these here, but I'm taking this one with me. Thank you, my Thane."

Ysmir nodded his head towards the staircase and went back down to the ground level to meet back with Etienne. "Alright, Lydia is coming with us. I'm taking her with me to High Hrothgar."

"You two be safe on the way up there," Etienne advised. "I've never done that Pilgrimage but I hear it's quite the ways up."

"We'll be fine, Etienne," Ysmir chuckled. "Let's get you back home."

The trio took off for Riften, arriving a few hours later. By the time they'd arrived, the sun had set. Once inside the city, Ysmir gave Lydia fifty Septims and left her to wait in the Bee and Barb. Once Ysmir saw Etienne climb down into the Cistern, he returned to the inn and met up with Lydia. "Let's get some sleep. First thing tomorrow morning, we'll leave for Ivarstead. We should reach High Hrothgar by midday."

Lydia paid for their rooms and the duo went upstairs to sleep. When Ysmir woke up next, the room was still dark but he could hear voices downstairs. It had to be around five in the morning, and he yawned, stretching his limbs out. Standing, he gathered his things and knocked on Lydia's door. "Lyd, are you awake?" he asked through the door.

When no response came, he figured she must have still been asleep, so he opened the door carefully and peeked in. Lydia was still curled up under the woolen blanket, oblivious to his presence. Deciding to let her get a little more rest, he left her a note to say he'd gone out for just a moment and left the inn to go to the Ragged Flagon, where he sold off a decent chunk of goods to Tonilia. When he returned, Lydia had finally woken up and was waiting downstairs, sitting at one of the small tables.

"There you are," she greeted him, moving to stand up. "How come you didn't wake me up?"

"I didn't want to disturb you, it was still really early," he said. "I figured I could lighten my load a little while you slept. I don't like to travel too heavy if I can help it."

"Ahh, that's okay. I'm ready to go whenever you are," Lydia replied. "Did you eat anything?"

"I had an apple earlier, and I have some dried venison in my pack for later," he said, leading her out the door and out of the city. "Once we get to High Hrothgar, we'll eat again. Did you eat anything?"

"I ate a little breakfast when I woke up. Keerava set me up with some bread and snowberry jam," Lydia said, following him out.

It took about three hours of walking for them to finally reach High Hrothgar again and Ysmir let Lydia in before him, closing the door behind them. Master Arngeir wasn't in the main entrance chamber, so he walked around the corridors and found Master Borri meditating.

"Hello, Master Borri. Where is Master Arngeir?" Ysmir asked.

Borri regarded the duo and pointed off to the living quarters. Giving Borri a gentle pat on the shoulder, Ysmir trailed off towards the large bedroom with Lydia, where he found Master Arngeir sitting in a chair next to his bed.

"Master Arngeir, it's good to see you again," Ysmir greeted. "Do you ever check on your supply chest outside?"

"Oh yes, thank you Dovahkiin," Arngeir replied. "We check the chest every other day for anything anybody might have brought up. Now, what brings you and your friend to High Hrothgar?"

"I'd like to learn the Shout used to defeat Alduin," he stated simply.

Master Arngeir's expression changed, and he narrowed his eyes at the Dragonborn. "Where did you learn of that? Who have you been talking to?"

"That lady who stole the Horn from Ustengrav, Delphine? She's one of the Blades," he admitted. "She's... a character."

"The Blades! Of course," Master Arngeir huffed. "They specialize in meddling in matters they barely understand. Their reckless arrogance knows no bounds. They have always sought to turn the Dragonborn from the path of wisdom...."

He rambled on a little more, and Ysmir put his hand up. "Hey, hey... Master Arngeir, listen to me. Delphine and Esbern were just trying to help me, just like you. I'm not their puppet."

"No, no, of course not," Master Arngeir sighed, relaxing back in his chair. "Forgive me, Dragonborn. I have been intemperate with you. But heed my warning -- the Blades may say they serve the Dragonborn, but they do not. They never have."

"From the way Delphine keeps bossing me around, yeah... I'd say you're probably right," Ysmir scoffed. "Don't worry though, I'm not letting her think she can just push me around because she and her friend know things I don't. Now, back to the subject, this Thu'um... Can you teach it to me?"

"No. I cannot teach it to you because I do not know it. It is called "Dragonrend," but its Words of Power are unknown to us. We do not regret this loss. Dragonrend holds no place within the Way of the Voice."

"Do you mind me asking?" Lydia interjected, observing the old man. "What's so bad about this Shout?"

"Not at all, dear," Master Arngeir said. "It was created by those who had lived under the unimaginable cruelty of Alduin's Dragon Cult. Their whole lives were consumed with hatred for dragons, and they poured all their anger and hatred into this Shout. When you learn a Shout, you take it into your very being. In a sense, you become the Shout. In order to learn and use this Shout, you will be taking this evil into yourself.

"It's understandable why you wouldn't want me to learn it," Ysmir said. "But if it's the only chance I have against Alduin, I might not have any other choice but to learn it. How do I learn it, if the Words are lost?"

"Only Paarthurnax, the leader of our order, can answer that question, if he so chooses," sighed Master Arngeir. "He lives in seclusion on the very peak of the mountain. He speaks to us only rarely, and never to outsiders. Being allowed to see him is a great privilege, you understand."

"We do understand, Master," Ysmir said, kneeling down. "The only thing I want is know how to defeat Alduin. If I can beat him without using this Shout, it would be great. But I need this information handy, just in case everything else isn't enough. I won't use this Shout indiscriminately, if it makes you feel any better."

"I trust your instincts, Dovahkiin," Arngeir said, patting him on the shoulder. "I must warn you now... when you reach the summit, Paarthurnax is a dragon. I don't want you to be startled. He won't harm you. We will teach you a Thu'um to help clear the way to the summit. You won't be able to reach him otherwise."

Ysmir nodded and stood up, allowing Arngeir to pass by him and Lydia. Together they and the other Greybeards went out to the courtyard and up onto a platform. He'd seen this area the first time he came to High Hrothgar; the way up to the summit was marked with a stone archway, but the way through was blocked with vicious, freezing winds that would make even the warmest of Nords frostbitten in seconds.

"The path to Paarthurnax lies through this gate. I will show you how to open the way," Arngeir said. "Lok... Vah... Koor..."

The words were inscribed on the floor before him and Ysmir took in each of them as they came before Master Arngeir turned to him. "I will grant you my understanding of Clear Skies. This is your final gift from us, Dragonborn. Use it well. Clear Skies will blow away the mist, but only for a time. The path to Paarthurnax is perilous, not to be embarked upon lightly. Keep moving, stay focused on your goal, and you will reach the summit."

Arngeir finally imparted his knowledge onto the Dragonborn, and Ysmir turned to Lydia, beckoning her to follow. "I hope it's alright if I bring Lydia with me, Master Arngeir? She won't do anything unbecoming."

"As long as she promises to not harm Paarthurnax, we will grant her permission to come and go so long as she is in your company, Dovahkiin," Master Arngeir said, giving a permissive bow of his head.

"Thank you, Master Arngeir. Once I've talked to Paarthurnax, I'd like to come back down to talk to you again. I've learned something about the Thalmor since we last spoke."

"We will be here whenever you're ready, Dovahkiin. Go, meet with Paarthurnax and send him our regards."

Lydia followed Ysmir as he approached the blocked path, but stood a distance behind him.

"Lok vah koor!"

His Voice cracked through the air like thunder, and he stumbled from the sheer power of it before watching as the path before them cleared enough for them to press on. The first Thu'um wasn't enough to clear the path all the way, so he had to repeat himself several times. They were attacked a few times by ice wraiths that were hiding in the mist, which they did away with as quick as they could before continuing on. Eventually, they finally reached the top of the mountain.

There was a seemingly abandoned word wall sitting near the edge of the summit, but no dragon perched atop like he usually saw.

"So this is the Throat of the World..." Lydia said, looking around at their surroundings. It seemed like they could see all of Skyrim from this vantage point and Ysmir sheathed his weapons now that the danger had passed.

A large, brownish-gray dragon swooped overhead before hovering and landing before them. His wings were massive and tattered in multiple places. One of his horns and chin spikes had both broken off, but he nonetheless felt just as powerful as Alduin. And finally, the beast spoke with a deep, gravelly voice.

"Drem Yol Lok. Greetings, wunduniik. I am Paarthurnax. Who are you? What brings you to my strunmah...my mountain?"

"I think you already know who I am..." Ysmir said, taking in the old dragon's appearance. Usually when he was this close to a dragon, they were trying to kill him off. He was a little fascinated now that they were having an actual conversation. "This is my friend, Lydia. The Greybeards know she's up here."

"Yes. Vahzah. You speak true, Dovahkiin," Paarthurnax said. "Forgive me. It has been long since I last held tinvaak with a stranger. I gave in to the temptation to prolong our speech."

"So you're the Master of the Greybeards, then? Master Arngeir told us you'd be a dragon," Lydia said. She hadn't yet taken her eyes off Paarthurnax. "How long have you been up here?"

"They see me as master. Wuth. Onik. Old and wise," Paarthurnax replied to Lydia, letting out a sound that sounded almost like a chuckle. "It is true I am old... Tell me. Why do you come here, volaan? Why do you intrude on my meditation?"

His last remark was directed at Ysmir and he turned his attention back to the Dragonborn. "I need to learn the Dragonrend Shout. Can you teach me?"

"Drem. Patience. There are formalities which must be observed, at the first meeting of two of the dov," Paarthurnax remarked, turning his body toward the word wall. "By long tradition, the elder speaks first. Hear my Thu'um! Feel it in your bones! Match it, if you are Dovahkiin! Yol...Toor...Shul!"

Paarthurnax released a barrage of fire onto the wall, leaving behind the last word for "fire breath", allowing Ysmir to "collect" the word before imparting his knowledge onto the Dragonborn. "A gift, Dovahkiin. Shul. Understand Fire as the dov do. Now, show me what you can do. Greet me not as mortal, but as dovah! Do not be afraid. Faasnu. Let me feel the power of your Thu'um!"

Lydia moved to stand a distance behind Ysmir, knowing it not wise to be right behind him when he unleashed his Voice. With a loud 'CRACK!', Ysmir bathed Paarthurnax's snout in a cloak of flames, this time his fiery breath being even stronger and hotter than usual.

Paarthurnax didn't seem to be hurt at all from the dousing of flames - or if he did, he was too excited to care. "Aaah...yes! Sossedov los mul. The dragonblood runs strong in you!" Paarthurnax bellowed. "It is long since I had the pleasure of speech with one of my own kind. So. You have made your way here, to me. No easy task for a joor...mortal. Even for one of Dovah Sos. Dragon blood. What would you ask of me?"

"Can you teach me the Dragonrend Shout?" Ysmir asked again, inspecting Paarthurnax's snout for any signs of fire damage.

"Ah. I have expected you. Prodah. You would not come all this way for tinvaak with an old dovah," Paarthurnax pouted. "No. You seek your weapon against Alduin."

"The Greybeards didn't want me to come up here at all, today," Ysmir said. "So do you know this Thu'um?"

"Hmm. Yes. They are very protective of me. Bahlaan fahdonne," Paarthurnax replied, before pushing himself up to fly and perch on the word wall. "But I do not know the Thu'um you seek. Krosis. It cannot be known to me. Your kind -- joorre -- mortals -- created it as a weapon against the dov...the dragons. Our hadrimme, our minds cannot even...comprehend its concepts."

Ysmir stepped back to stable himself as Paarthurnax pushed off the ground and watched as he flew to the word wall. "How can I learn it, then?"

"Drem," Paarthurnax said. "All in good time. First, a question for you. Why do you want to learn this Thu'um?

"I need to stop Alduin," Ysmir replied.

"Yes. Alduin...zeymah. The elder brother. Gifted, grasping and troublesome as is so often the case with firstborn," Paarthurnax pondered. "But why? Why must you stop Alduin?"

"He's the World-Eater, right??" Ysmir reasoned. "Alduin is supposed to bring the end to this world, but you and I both know what happened, there. He cared more about enslaving the humans than bringing about the next cycle. My defeat of him isn't so much stopping him from bringing the end of the world, as it is humbling him a bit. If Akatosh really wants him to bring the end of the world, Alduin will be back, and maybe then there won't be a Dragonborn like me to stop him."

"And so, perhaps, your destiny will be fulfilled. Who can say?" Paarthurnax replied. "Dez motmahus. Even to the dov, who ride the currents of Time, destiny is elusive. Alduin believes that he will prevail, with good reason. Rok mul. And he is no fool. Ni mey, rinik gut nol. Far from it. He began as the wisest and most far-seeing of us all."

Paarthurnax shifted in his perch and angled down to look at the Dovahkiin more fully. "But you have indulged my weakness for speech long enough. Krosis. Now I will answer your question. Do you know why I live here, at the peak of the Monahven -- what you name Throat of the World?"

"Because it's where Alduin was defeated in the Dragon Wars? Lydia and I read the plaques on our way up to High Hrothgar the first time we came here," Ysmir explained.

"True," said Paarthurnax. "But few now remember that this was the very spot where Alduin was defeated by the ancient Tongues. Vahrukt unslaad... perhaps none but me now remember how he was defeated."

"Using the Dragonrend Shout, right?" Ysmir asked. Lydia had joined him again at his side, using his shoulder as an arm rest as she peered up at Paarthurnax.

"Yes and no. Viik nuz ni kron. Alduin was not truly defeated, either. If he was, you would not be here today, seeking to... defeat him. The Nords of those days used Dragonrend to cripple Alduin. But this was not enough. Ok mulaag unslaad. It was the Kel -- the Elder Scroll. They used it to...cast him adrift on the currents of Time."

"So you're telling me I need an Elder Scroll?" Ysmir questioned. "Are you saying the ancient Nords sent Alduin forward in time?

"Not intentionally. Some hoped he would be gone forever, forever lost," Paarthurnax explained. "Meyye. I knew better. Tiid bo amativ. Time flows ever onward. One day he would surface. Which is why I have lived here. For thousands of mortal years I have waited. I knew where he would emerge but not when."

"Alright," Ysmir said with a nod. "How does any of this help me?"

"Tiid krent. Time was...shattered here because of what the ancient Nords did to Alduin. If you brought that Kel, that Elder Scroll back here...to the Tiid-Ahraan, the Time-Wound... With the Elder Scroll that was used to break Time, you may be able to...cast yourself back. To the other end of the break. You could learn Dragonrend from those who created it."

"Well... looks like we'll be going to look for an Elder Scroll, then," he said, looking at Lydia. "Are you ready to make the trip back downhill?"

"I'm ready whenever you are, my Thane," Lydia assured him. "Thank you for taking the time to help us, Paarthurnax. It was nice to meet you. Most of the dragons we've seen before you have tried to kill us. It was interesting to have a conversation with you."

"Paaz shul grind. It was nice to meet you, as well," Paarthurnax said back to her. "Please do come again."

"I look forward to seeing you again, Paarthurnax," Ysmir said. "I'll try to come again as soon as I can."