Chapter 29 - Blast from the Past
*****
We rode into Morthal before sunset. On first glance, it was probably the most depressing town I'd ever laid eyes upon, not surprised that in all the time I'd been in Skyrim that I'd probably passed the town but never actually been in it. As we rode past the jarl's longhouse and dismounted outside the tavern, we looked around and agreed to stay the night then leave early the next day. I'm not sure what it was, but I know all of us found something a little unsettling about the place.
The tavern was one of the quietest I'd entered. In fact, it was empty except one lone orc. After reserving a couple of rooms, and ordering food and drink, I asked the innkeeper about Morthal. She was just as depressed as the place itself. Next to no trade and strange occurrences in and outside the town. She did ask what we were doing in Morthal, explaining that we would be searching a nearby ruin. She thought that was crazy but wished us luck.
Any hopes that Ustengrav would a simple abandoned ruin ended on its outskirts when we found ourselves under attack from bandits. Though we killed them relatively quickly, there was agreement that we'd find more inside, and if they were busy ransacking it, no doubt draugr would now be infesting the halls and caverns inside.
Leaving our horses tied to a nearby tree, we entered the ruin to find bandits in battle with mages. Seeing mages was a concern, wondering what reason they would have to be there. We watched from the shadows as the two groups fought. Once both sides were spent, and most of them were dead, Aela and I killed the rest with a series of arrows.
Onwards, it was either draugr or walking skeletons, as any mages that made it further in were now dead. Most of the draugr we dealt with were easy enough to take down, but I was now more than aware that more powerful variants would lie waiting for us further within. And, if the bandits and mages had made it this far in, they were probably awake and already patrolling.
What helped us move forward whenever we found ourselves surrounded was the fact I could use my new gift. The words the Greybeards had taught me made my Thu'um incredibly powerful. They called it 'Unrelenting Force', and it sent the strongest of draugr rolling away while it tore apart the weaker versions. I tried other words I had learned, one which caused fire to erupt from deep within myself. That was a surprise the first time I tried it.
Into the depths of the ruin, the three of us did come to a stop at one stage, amazed at the rugged beauty in front of us. It was no longer a ruin but a cave, a waterfall with a word wall nearby, and what appeared to be some sort of garden. "If this wasn't an ancient ruin, and we didn't have to worry about draugr, this would be a nice place to visit," Lydia stated as we walked towards the word wall so I could learn another word.
There are always puzzles to get past, and one of them was rather tricky, requiring using one of the other Shouts I had learned from the Greybeards, which caused me to run incredibly fast. We did eventually run into powerful draugr, who we now understood were also capable of Shouting, though I was capable of withstanding any they used. Aela and Lydia were not so capable, but usually leapt out of the way before they were hit.
Draugr, bandits, walking skeletons, even mages don't particularly bother me. Spiders always had, always will. There was just something about them which sent a shiver up my spine. While Ustengrav wasn't infested with them, there were still enough to cause a shudder, Lydia and I using magic, Aela her bow, to kill the lot of them. When they were all dead, Lydia gave me a look. "What?" I asked.
"You have no problem using magic?"
Shrugging, I said, "I don't use it often but there are certain times. I'm no mage, but I know some basic spells." Holding up my sword, I added, "Though I definitely prefer using this."
Walking down another long corridor, I was expecting another word wall, or perhaps a room full of draugr. Instead, we walked into a large room, with a stone path ahead flanked by pools of water, out of which appeared monuments. Ahead was what I assumed was the resting place of Jurgen Windcaller. We were still cautious as we approached it, and that caution turned to confusion when we saw not a drinking horn but a note waiting for us.
Sharing a glance with my two companions, I grabbed the note and read it.
Dragonborn,
I need to speak to you. Urgently.
Rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood, and I'll meet you.
A friend
Immediately frustrated, I suggested we talk about it outside, finding the exit rather easily, and as usual, there was a secret exit that dumped us near the entrance. It was still light outside, figuring we'd only been in the ruin for a few hours, and we took advantage of the nearby campsite to rest for a moment after lighting the fire.
"Any idea who this could be?" I asked.
Lydia shrugged and stayed silent. Aela thought for a moment. "Well, the owners of the Sleeping Giant Inn are Orgnar and Delphine. And I don't see either of them fighting their way through a ruin like this. So I can only assume our 'friend' is... someone who knows you?"
"Well, a few know I'm Dragonborn. If it's anyone from before Helgen, then I would question their motives." Folding up the note, putting in my pocket, I suggested we head back to Morthal and return to Whiterun tomorrow. Both agreed, and we found ourselves in the mostly empty tavern again. We did take time to walk around the city, speaking to a couple of the locals. Most complained about a mage that had moved close to town recently. Considering what most Nords were like regarding magic, I gave their complaints an ear but figured they were over-reacting, fearful of magic like a lot of people.
The three of us managed to behave that night, helped by the fact Lydia was in her own room, while Aela and I were both tired after a long day. Add to that, we knew it would be a long day returning to Whiterun, and I was eager to get to Riverwood to discover who this 'friend' was.
Returning to Whiterun the next day was slightly quicker than our original journey to Morthal, and as we still had daylight, we rode past home straight for Riverwood. Wandering into the Sleeping Giant Inn, I approached the female sweeping the floor. She gave me a curious look, and appeared surprised when I asked about the attic room. "Attic room, eh? Well, we don't have an attic room, but you can have the one on the left. Make yourself at home."
I expected my two companion to wait outside, but they followed me into the room, Aela making a rude joke about getting naked and have a little fun. Those two laughed, sitting on the bed, as I took the chair, waiting for whoever asked for us to walk in. I'll admit we all shared glances as the woman I spoke to walked in, closing the door as I rose to my feet. She stood in front of me in silence, looking me up and down. "So you're the Dragonborn I've been hearing so much about. We need to talk."
"How do you know who I am?"
"I'm the one who left the note in Ustengrav."
Now it was my turn to look her up and down. "Seriously?" I asked.
"Surprised? I guess I'm getting pretty good at my harmless innkeeper act. Look, all I can ask is for you to follow me into another room and I can explain what's going on. Your friends will have to wait out in the main room though. Not until after I've explained everything."
The four of us walked out, me following the yet unnamed woman, Aela and Lydia stating they'd grab a drink and wait for me. Entering the opposite bedroom, she asked me to close the door. Once I'd done so, she pushed a button to open a false rear of the wardrobe, exposing a hidden stairway. Following her down, we entered a large room, full of training gear, bookshelves and a variety of other things that suggested this woman was definitely no ordinary innkeeper.
She rounded a table and looked me up and down again. "Now we can talk. The Greybeards seem to think you're the Dragonborn. I hope they're right."
"Who are you?"
"I'm Delphine. And you're Ragnar. You would have seen me with Farengar when you returned the dragonstone."
"Ah, I remember you. Seemed to know your stuff."
