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.

---

Note: The next drabble will be "Discerning the Transmundane".

According to the game script, the last quest's dialogue was supposed to transition right into this new quest but it would have been a little abrupt so I've elected to jump right to them talking to Master Arngeir. I may incorporate their dialogue with Paarthurnax into the next main quest drabble.

---

Ysmir and Lydia returned down the slopes to the courtyard of High Hrothgar, heading for the doors of the monastery.

"You ready to finally eat some food, Lydia?" he asked, handing her some dried venison he pulled from his pack.

"When we're done with the Greybeards, we should make the trek back down to the inn," Lydia said. "You make good dried venison but we could really use something fresh and hot after being out in this cold for so long."

"Thank you, and I agree. Some nice, hot roasted pheasant sounds good right now," he pondered. "Though, the Greybeards might let us use their kitchen to make a hot meal. I have some meat wrapped up with some ice wraith teeth in my pack."

"Ice wraith teeth?" Lydia asked, peering over at him.

"Marise Aravel over in Riften showed me how after I brought her some, she was running low on her own supply," he told her, allowing her inside the monastery before him. "It works pretty well for keeping meat cold and fresh. I told her I'd bring her more if she showed me the technique she uses."

"Oh, well that's interesting. I never would have thought to use ice wraith teeth," Lydia chuckled, going inside so Ysmir could shut the door after them.

They found Master Arngeir back in the center room of the monastery, on his knees and meditating. "Master Arngeir?" Ysmir called. "We're back."

"How was the journey to the summit, Dragonborn?" Arngeir asked, rising to stand up. "Did Paarthurnax have the answers you sought? The Dragonblood burns bright within you."

"Yes, he did... well, kind of," Ysmir said, offering him a hand up. "He said back when Alduin was defeated, the old Nord heroes cast him away with an Elder Scroll. It created a Time-Wound there and he suspects, if I can find an Elder Scroll and bring it back to the Time Wound, I can essentially learn Dragonrend from those who created it. I just don't know where to find one, do you?"

Arngeir humored the Dragonborn and took his hand, using it to pull himself to his feet. "So be it. If he believes it is necessary for you to learn this...we will bow to his wisdom."

"So... where do I find that Elder Scroll, then? Do you know?" Ysmir asked, fiddling with his arm brace.

"We have never concerned ourselves with the Scrolls. The gods themselves would rightly fear to tamper with such things," Arngeir explained. "As for where to find it... such blasphemies have always been the stock and trade of the mages of Winterhold. They may be able to tell you something about the Elder Scroll you seek."

"Ahh, the College of Winterhold! How come I didn't think of that??" Ysmir laughed. "Urag should have some books in the Arcaneum. He's got a book for everything, there."

"I wish you luck in your search, Dragonborn. We'll see you next when you have the Scroll," Arngeir said.

"Oh!! Before we leave, I had the other things I wanted to tell you, Master..." Ysmir blurted out. "I know you haven't paid much attention to the war, but hear me out..."

"Very well, Dragonborn... what is it?" Arngeir said, trailing off up the short flight of stairs. "Come, let us all sit in the council room."

Ysmir followed Master Arngeir with Lydia in tow and they entered a room with a large oval-shaped table, lined with stone chairs. There was a fire pit in the middle, alight with flames that kept the room warm. Ysmir took a seat in one of the chairs nearest the open archway and Lydia sat next to him, while Arngeir took the opposite side.

"Now, what is it you mean to tell me, Dragonborn?" Master Arngeir asked.

Ysmir dug in his pack and pulled out three dossiers - the ones he'd stolen from the Thalmor Embassy. "I know, I know, you don't like the Blades, and I can't say I blame you if you know how Delphine is. In the few dealings I've had with her since I retrieved that horn, I can tell you I can't say I'm exactly fond of her, either."

"Go on..." Arngeir urged him.

"Well... you see, Delphine was convinced the Aldmeri Dominion might have something to do with the dragons," Ysmir explained, rolling his eyes. "Of course, she was wrong, you and I both know it's all to do with Alduin's return. Anyway... Delphine arranged for me to be at this party Elenwen was hosting at the Embassy, but I didn't stay to drink and be merry. She had an inside man sneak me through the kitchen and I ended up getting into Elenwen's Solar, where I found these."

Master Arngeir rose an eyebrow and plucked one of the dossiers from the table, flipping through some of the pages. "I see... and to what end did she have you doing this?"

"Well, like I said. She thought the Thalmor might know something about the dragons but they were just as clueless as her. But they did have reason to suspect her friend Esbern, the Blades' old archivist, might have some sort of knowledge on them. And they were right, in that regard."

"But there's more to this, isn't there, Dragonborn?" Arngeir asked, putting the journal back on the table.

"Yes..." Ysmir said. "This dossier here, it's on Ulfric Stormcloak. The way they talk about the war, they obviously don't want either side to win."

"They want both sides warring with each other so they're too distracted to see the bigger threat," Arngeir said. "When you go to see Urag, I would recommend you also ask him for some books on the Altmer, maybe also the Dawn Era. There may be answers for you, there."

"It's always been clear to me that Ulfric wants Skyrim to be its own nation, independent of the Empire..." Ysmir reasoned. "But then, if we don't have the Empire's support, that leaves us vulnerable to a vicious attack from the Dominion. One that Skyrim would not survive. There's got to be something here that's bigger than just... some Elves not liking Talos as a god."

"I do believe you are onto something, Dragonborn. I just hope you will be careful with how you go about divulging this information to others," Arngeir said. "I don't claim to know why the Aldmeri Dominion does anything, but I do believe you're reasonable in your suspicion of them. I'm assuming the Blades have also seen these dossiers?"

"Oh.. uh, well. I meant to talk to Delphine about them but as soon as I got to her about the Embassy, she sent me off to Riften to collect Esbern and it was rather time-sensitive that I get to him so I just haven't gotten around to it," he admitted. "I probably will when I see them back at Sky Haven Temple, though. Delphine left Riverwood behind and left her friend Orgnar as the new owner of the Sleeping Giant, so she's dedicated herself fully to the Blades, at this point."

"I see..." Arngeir said. "Well, Dragonborn, I do advise you tell them of these dossiers, at least. While I don't agree with all the Blades say and do, if they have information on this, you should know it. We in the Greybeards don't particularly care about their insults, as we know them to be untrue. Our actions speak for ourselves."

"I don't like the way Delphine talks about you but it's true, you've only helped me since I've started coming here," Ysmir said. "Delphine insists you all just want to brainwash me, but you've encouraged me and you at least tend to treat me with respect, where as she's had grand time thinking she can just push me around."

"Don't let her think you're some puppet, Dragonborn. She may tell you the Blades once served the Dragonborn, but they never have," Arngeir warned. "If you continue to go along with her schemes, she may become accustomed to getting things her way, all the time."

"Oh trust me, if I feel like she's getting too ahead of herself, I'll shut her down as much as necessary," Ysmir promised. "Now, I think Lydia and I are best getting out of here and going back down to Ivarstead. It's been a long day and we need to eat. Tomorrow morning, we'll make way for Whiterun and from there I'll go to Winterhold."

"Very well, Dragonborn. Please come back if you discover anything else regarding the Thalmor," Arngeir said, standing and giving Ysmir a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Good day to you both. Please be safe."

Lydia waved goodbye to them and the duo left High Hrothgar, making their way down the mountain to Ivarstead. Once they reached the small hamlet, they took refuge at the Vilemyr Inn for the night to rest their legs and eat some proper food. The next morning, they rose early and went back to Whiterun.

"I'm going to let you stay here at Breezehome this time, Lydia," he said, unpacking some of the things he'd collected on the way into his chest. "I'll come back for you, but I think this trip is one I should possibly do alone."

"Are you sure, my Thane?" Lydia asked, unloading her own pack. "If you want me to come, I will. I've got your back."

Ysmir shook his head. "I'll be alright, Lydia, I promise. I'll come back as soon as I've got the Scroll, providing I can find it. It's gotta be somewhere, here in Skyrim."

"Very well, my Thane," she said. "I'll watch the house for you while you're away. Travel safe."

He gathered the things he meant to sell earlier and stuffed them into his chest with the rest of the other things he'd found. "I'll sell all of this stuff later. I'm going to Winterhold now."

Ysmir gathered his pack and went out the door, down to the stables where he paid Bjorlam for passage to Winterhold. When they finally reached the frost-bitten region, Bjorlam turned back around towards Whiterun and Ysmir made a beeline for the College. Once he was inside the Hall of Elements, he took the door to the Arcaneum and approached Urag's desk. The Orc was sitting quietly in his chair, reading a book.

"Urag? I could use your assistance," Ysmir greeted. "You wouldn't happen to have any books on Elder Scrolls, would you?"

Urag snapped his book shut and turned his gaze up to the Dragonborn. "And what do you plan to do with it? Do you even know what you're asking about, or are you just someone's errand boy?"

"I need one, for Dragonborn reasons," Ysmir explained simply. "I'll sweeten the deal for you, Urag... when and if I find this Scroll, when I'm done using it, I'll bring it back to you and you can have it for the College. I have no need for an Elder Scroll just laying around in my house."

Urag simply stared at him before huffing and standing up. "Right. I'll bring everything we have on them, but it's not much. So don't get your hopes up. It's mostly lies, leavened with rumor and conjecture."

"I'll take what I can get," Ysmir chuckled, watching as Urag rummaged through a nearby bookshelf. He came back with two books - one called Ruminations on the Elder Scrolls and Effects of the Elder Scrolls.

"Here you go," Urag said, placing the books on his countertop. "Try to not spill anything on them."

Ysmir took the "Ruminations" book and flipped through some of the pages, muttering the words out loud. "Though the plantmatter fibers imbue your soul, the wretched plankton would pollute the cloth until it stank to heavens of prophecy... The acorn is a kind of tree-egg in this instance, and the knowledge is water and sun. We are the chicken inside the egg, but also the dirt. The knowledge from the Scrolls is what we push against to become full-sighted ourselves."

He pulled his gaze from the "Ruminations" book, which he now recognized as being written by a Septimus Signus and held the book up to Urag. "This book is incomprehensible, Urag... it doesn't make any sense."

"Aye, that's the work of Septimus Signus," Urag chuckled. "He's the world's master on the nature of Elder Scrolls, but...well. He's been gone for a long while. Too long."

"Where did he go, then?"

"He took off ages ago... he got obsessed with Dwemer machinery and went off up north to the ice fields," Urag explained. "Said he found some artifact, but we haven't seen him since. But if you want to learn more about Elder Scrolls, Septimus is your guy. Just be careful out there."

"I will, Urag. Thank you. And uh... you can put these books back. I think I've gotten what I needed from them."