Lyara hauled herself onto his neck and sat behind the great horns on his head. Farkas followed her, then Aela, Vilkas and lastly, Ria. Odahviing took a few steps to the edge of the porch, and then with a mighty push from his powerful back legs he leapt into the air. For a split second, he seemed to drop, but then his wings caught the air and with a few strokes he soared high about Whiterun.
Lyara was grateful she hadn't just eaten, as she feared she may have lost anything undigested. As they swooped up, she felt Farkas hold onto her so tightly, she knew she would have bruises later.
Odahviing did not lie about the view. Soaring high above the terrain below, Lyara was able to grasp how beautiful Skyrim was, and developed a greater understanding of why the Nords wanted defended it so passionately.
The high altitude had a coldness about it, and the horns on Odahviing's head afforded little protection from the cold atmosphere. However, the advantage was that an impossible journey of a distance that would have taken at least two days on foot, was over in half an hour.
They landed at the entrance to a complex of stairs and platforms carved into the side of a mountain, which they would have to navigate to gain entrance into the temple.
"This is as far as I can take you," said the dragon as the Companions climbed off his neck. "I will look for your return ... or Alduin's." He added, as he took to the air.
The Companions headed into the complex, keeping an eye out for any allies of Alduin's that maybe patrolling the area. They headed in the direction of some large stairs they saw leading to a set of enormous doors. At the top of the stairs came across some Draugr, reanimated ancient Nord corpses that were guarding the doors. Their magic came in the form of blasts of cold but Lyara hung back with Aela and fired arrows with deadly precision while Farkas, Vilkas and Ria slashed at them with their swords, blocking the worst of the blasts with their shields. The team worked well together, and their enemies proved no obstacle.
Once inside the temple they met several more draugr, but these revenants faced the Companions, a group of skilled warriors, and their old bones and magic was simply no match. The final door had to be unlocked with a key, which they rested from the body of a dead draugr. When they opened the door, they saw a long walkway, at the end of which was a being unlike anything Lyara had ever seen before.
Aela gasped. "A Dragon Priest," she whispered.
Lyara had read about Dragon Priests in one of the books in Kodlak's room. Ancient priests of the dragon cult, they were given powers by the dragons, and once ruled over mankind as kings. The priest stood with his back to them in front of a swirling portal. Lyara turned to the Companions, and whispered.
"I think this situation calls for stealth, rather than brute force." She looked at Farkas, then Vilkas. "By the time you get close enough, he will have closed the portal, and probably killed you. Leave this one to me."
They all nodded in agreement, and hid out of sight. Lyara crept through the door, as silent as the dead that lined the temple. When she was in range, she quietly nocked an arrow and let it loose. Before the first one had even hit, she had a second one in place. She breathed out, aimed, and fired again.
Two arrows now stuck in the back of the priest causing him to stagger. He was severely wounded, but far from finished. She hid quickly behind a pillar and felt a definite drop in the temperature as the priest prepared his magic. She quickly darted from behind her hiding place, and fired another two arrows in quick succession. The power of her shot was enough to knock the weakened lich backwards. She took the opportunity to run forward, nocking another arrow as she ran.
She stood over the priest just long enough for him to look her in the eye. She fired an arrow straight through his forehead, causing the majority of his skull to explode. Shaking brain matter off her boot, Lyara whistled to the others the coast was clear. They joined her quickly, and the five of them stood and looked down into the portal.
A few feet below them was a swirling vortex that supposedly led to Sovngarde, the realm of Shor, the world of the dead.
"Er ... what now?" asked Farkas.
The Companions looked to Lyara for the answer.
"I guess we ... just jump in." She answered.
"I don't mind saying I am afraid, my Harbinger," muttered Aela. "But if you think we should jump, then I have faith that you are right."
Farkas grabbed Lyara's left hand, so Lyara grabbed Aela's with her right. Aela in turn grabbed Ria's and she grabbed Vilkas. On a nod from Lyara, they all stepped off the ledge into the vortex.
Lyara felt like she had only dropped a few feet, when she hit hard ground. The rest of the Companions landed next to her. The path ahead led down a few stone steps, then through some grassland. Lyara led the way, not quite sure where it would take them. As they progressed, they found themselves in a thick mist and Lyara found it difficult to keep her eye on the path.
"Keep close. I don't want to lose anyone in this mist."
There was the unmistakable roar of a dragon somewhere up ahead, and it caused Lyara's blood to run cold. She glanced up, but could not see anything other than the damned mist.
"Look!" exclaimed Farkas by her ear.
She looked where he pointed, and ahead of them on the path was the dark outline of a figure moving towards them. It looked vaguely human shaped, and as it got closer, they were able to see it was a Stormcloak soldier.
The shade approached them, and Lyara asked, "Who are you?"
"The troop I was with marched, unsuspecting, into an Imperial trap. We stood and fought until dawn's light, but I never knew if night's end brought victory -- a swift-flying arrow to Sovngarde carried me. I got lost in the mists trying to find Shor's hall."
"What is this mist?" asked Aela.
There was another roar above them, much closer this time.
"The World-Eater waits within the mist! He devours the souls of the lost!" And with that, the soldier ran off and was quickly out of sight.
The Companions continued along the path, and after crossing a small brook, they came to a large set of stone steps that rose up out of the mists. Lyara could make out the dark shape of a large building in the distance that had to be the Hall of Valor that Kodlak had spoken to her of. She wondered if he was in there somewhere.
She decided that they should enter the hall and seek advice or assistance within. At the top of the stairs, there was a bone bridge that spanned a great ravine and led to the Hall's entrance, however, blocking their way was a large Nord. In fact, he was enormous.
He was much taller than anyone in the group, even Farkas. He wore a wide belt, and a fur and leather kilt. His colossal muscular chest was bare and well developed, and Lyara couldn't help raising her eyebrows in appreciation. His arms were huge, each one as thick as Lyara's waist. He had shoulder length brown hair and bright blue eyes and wore a golden torc around his tree trunk sized neck.
He was not behaving aggressively, but Lyara assumed he was some kind of guard, and approached with caution.
"What brings you to wander here, in Sovngarde?" asked the gigantic Nord.
"I pursue Alduin, the World-Eater, and seek entrance into the Hall of Valor."
"No shade are you, as usually passes here, but living. You dare the land of the dead. By what right do you request entry?"
"By right of birth," answered Lyara. She stood as tall and proud as she could, and said, "I am Dragonborn."
"Ahh it has been too long since last I faced a doom-driven hero of the dragon blood. I am Tsun. Living or dead, by decree of Shor, none may pass this perilous bridge 'til I judge them worthy by the warrior's test."
The warrior's test? thought Lyara. That doesn't sound good. Surely this immense immortal wasn't expecting her to fight him? The giant reached on his back and pulled forward a giant two-handed axe.
Obviously, he does. She quickly thought it through. He wasn't trying to kill her, he was just testing her strength and ability, much like Vilkas had done the first day she had turned up looking for a place in the Companions.
"Do not interfere. This is my fight alone." she said to the Companions. Farkas did not look happy about it but he gave her a small nod to acknowledge that he agreed.
With a slight hint of a smile, Tsun started to edge towards her. Lyara released a shout that caused an invisible force to push Tsun back. This gave her enough distance to fire a few arrows, but they arrows bounced off his bare flesh as if he was made of stone.
She decided to use another shout. A jet of flame shot from her mouth, and she was pleased to see the immortal flinch. She quickly followed it with a blast of cold air, then swung her axe at him with all her strength.
Tsun blocked it, then lowered his weapon.
"You fought well, Dragonborn. I find you worthy. It is long since one of the living has entered here. May Shor's favour follow you and your errand."
