Chapter 35 -- The Expedition
*****
I figured that entrance to the college wouldn't be easy, but the Altmer guarding the bridge to the college had a bit of an attitude. She probably took me for an everyday dumb Nord. Not far wrong, to be honest, but still... Altmer reminded me of the Thalmor. Not all of them were, but it was hard to differentiate at times. Lydia and Aela were not with me, and no doubt they'd have found my exasperation rather amusing.
So I played my last card. I didn't want them to know exactly who I was, but now I had no choice. "I'm the Dragonborn."
"And I'm the High Queen of Skyrim. You still cannot enter."
I know I started to smirk, and a concerned look crossed her face as I walked backwards then towards a nearby tree, and breathed fire, watching the flames quickly take hold. After a few seconds, I then breathed frost, immediately extinguishing the flames. Walking back towards the elf, I simply said, "I'm the Dragonborn. I don't demand entrance, but I do need help from someone inside."
"What sort of help do you need?" she asked, her tone suddenly friendly. No surprise.
"Is there anyone inside who could tell me where to find an Elder Scroll?"
"An Elder...?" She stepped aside and gestured. "The best person would be Urag, the curator of our library."
"Thanks."
To call the crossing to the college perilous would be an understatement. I'd heard stories of the destruction of Winterhold, and the bridge was a testament to that. I assume it may have once been a grand crossing, but it had long since fallen into disrepair, with numerous exposed places. On a windy day, one would have run across to avoid being blow off.
Entering the grounds of the college itself, I observed a conversation between one of the mages and someone, another Altmer, this one obviously Thalmor from the robes he wore and the sneer in his tone. I'll give the mage credit, though. She gave as good as she got, basically telling the Thalmor to shove it up his arse. I allowed myself a smirk as he walked by.
Walking closer towards her, I know I stopped and stared as the... similarities were uncanny. I knew immediately that she was a Breton. And she was... too much of a reminder. And she noticed me staring. "Can I help you?" I know my mouth opened once or twice, my mouth and throat suddenly very dry. She must have thought I was nervous or something, as she smiled -- the sort of smile that near enough brought me to my knees - and asked, "Are you a new student here?"
"Who are you?" I asked, taking a couple of steps closer, unable to take my eyes off her.
It must have been the look in my eyes that made her smile. "I'm Mirabelle, master wizard of this college. And you are?"
"Ragnar. Some call me the Dragonborn."
"Dragon..." She trailed off before asking, the smile broadening, "I can only assume you're not a new student?"
"No, but I suddenly have an interest in returning to be one."
Certainly one of my corniest lines, but she was beautiful, and far too much a reminder of my wife. Still, she took the compliment in her stride, a little colour forming on her cheeks. "What brings you to our college, Dragonborn?"
"I need to speak to someone about an Elder Scroll." I thumbed behind me. "Your guard suggested I speak to someone called Urag."
That made her laugh lightly. It was a dagger into the heart. Exactly the same. Did all Breton women laugh like that? "Urag can be very helpful. Just don't antagonise him. Most importantly, he is
very
protective of his book collection."
"I'll be on my best behaviour. Thanks for the help."
I walked by her, ready to just walked inside, when she said, "Dragonborn?" Turning back, she added, "I would be delighted if you returned to the college one day. As a student, of course." The smile hadn't left her face, and all she did was turn and walk away. I watched her for a moment before heading inside, finding a door labelled 'Arcanaeum'. I figured that meant library, as the other door was labelled 'Arch-Mage Quarters'.
I expected a library with numerous bookshelves, books piled to the ceiling, and the smell of paper decades old. What I did not expect was an Orc as a librarian. I didn't have much to do with Orcs, but those I'd dealt with before hadn't exactly been what I'd call intelligent. And I knew for certain that they were not adept mages. They made Nords look like skilful wizards.
"Never seen you around here before. Who are you?"
"I'm Ragnar."
"And what do you want?"
Well, he was as gruff as any other Orc I'd dealt with. But there was an inflection to his speech that suggested an education. "I'm looking for an Elder Scroll."
That made him laugh, which actually relieved me, though I'm sure the laughter was directed towards me. "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?"
"Well, first thing, I'm the Dragonborn." I held up my hand to halt whatever he wanted to say. "But humour me. I don't know anything about them, so perhaps you can tell me?"
He gestured to a seat next to him. "Dragonborn eh?" I nodded as I took the empty chair. "An Elder Scroll is an instrument of immense knowledge and power. To read an Elder Scroll, a person must have the most rigorously trained mind, or else risk madness. Even so, the Divines usually take the reader's sight as a price."
"A price?"
"The simplest way to put it is 'knowledge', but there's nothing simple about an Elder Scroll. It's a reflection of all possible futures and all possible pasts. Each reader sees different reflections through different lenses, and may come away with a very different reading. But at the same time, all of it is true. Even the falsehoods. Especially the falsehoods."
I know I'm not a smart man. I have 'street smarts' but actual intelligence? I know I'm slightly lacking compared to others. But what he'd just said? Not a fucking clue. "So... do you have one?"
That made him laugh again. "Of course I bloody well don't have one. And if it wasn't for the fact you were Dragonborn, I wouldn't even consider helping you find one. But, since you are Dragonborn..." He met my eyes.