Song of the “Return” Volume 4

The Dragonborn struggled against the blowing wind, turning snow into icy projectiles that stung their eyes, and packed the snow at their feet, making the going very slow. Frustrated, they once again cast their flame cloak, trying to keep themselves warm and to keep the snow out of their face.

The Dragonborn didn’t know how many days they had been wandering, one tends to lose track when they can’t see the sun. They could tell when the skies took their turn to night though, because they had to walk around with a candlelight above their head to even see ten feet in front of them. And never in all these days of roaming did they see another barrow entrance, or even a hint of another word wall. As night descended upon them once again, the Dragonborn sought shelter in a low lying hollow in the ice. While still freezing in the inside, it was better than being out in the blistering wind. Winded and exhausted, the Dragonborn shut their eyes, and waited for the morn.

The Dragonborn awoke to see that the storm from last night had gone away overnight, leaving the land in a melancholy morning gloom. As they stumbled out their ice cave, a new sight surprised the Dragonborn, one that he could not see through the storm last night. Water lapped on the icy shore, and a small mountain range loomed in front of them.

They had reached the Northern shoreline.

From the height of the tallest mountain on the range, the Dragonborn deduced something had to be up there. With a new vigor, they started scaling the mountain. This mountain peak wasn’t nearly as tall as the Throat of the World, or any of the other mountain ranges in Skyrim, but still a sizeable trek to the top.

As they turned a corner near the summit, the Dragonborn was startled by what they saw next. Another black word wall, its words faded, surrounding by pottery and jewels that looked they hadn’t been touched in a millenia. And sitting on the top of the wall was a serpentine dragon, jet-black against the white snow.

“A joor comes to my domain? What trickery befouls me now?”

Bowing in a gesture of respect the Dragonborn replied: “Greetings, fellow dov. I do not wish to do you harm. Perhaps tinvaak instead of combat?”

“Fellow dov? When has it become non-heretical for a joor to claim they hold such a station?”

“You can sense it can you not? I am of the Dovahsos, I am Dovahkiin.”

“Dovahkiin?!” The dragon huffed, tensing as if preparing to mutilate this...thing speaking to him. “The only Dovahkiin I know is tahriidos Miraak, the one that murdered my brethren by DEVOURING them! I fled, fled from my home to escape this monster, and the dovah here exiled me! Cowardly they said, to run from a mortal. Called me a heretic for saying that he wielded the same abilities as we. Even as the joore left, and the dovah left, I have stayed. Who are the exiles now? And now after all the suffering a Dovahkiin caused me, a dovahriid comes here saying he will do me no harm!? I have heard better lies from greater. Come now Dovahkiin,” the dragon spat the words as if it hurt his tongue to say it. “Tinvaak or combat? I’ve made my choice.”

The dragon suddenly flew into the air above and bellowed two words the Dragonborn couldn’t hear. As soon as the words left the dragon’s maw, swirling winds surrounded them, threatening to throw them off the mountain. Squinting, and looking upward, he could see the black dragon flying above him. Knowing the situation was desperate they steadied themselves, gathering up all their willpower, the Dragonborn bellowed: “GOL HAH DOV!”

Yellow and orange tendrils flew quickly from their mouth toward the serpentine dragon, hitting him with the impact of another dragon slamming into him. After the mind-bending tendrils did their work, the black dragon landed on his word wall once again.

“Hail thuri. Innumerable pardons for my...inhospitable reaction. I am Krahvudez. What is it that you are seeking in these frozen regions Dovahkiin?” The storm around the Dragonborn dwindled into nothingness, and he resumed his conversation with the serpentine dragon.

“A Rotmulaag from a specific shout, and I wonder if I haven’t found its location.” they said while staring at the black word wall, a pulsing in the back of their head and faint chanting beckoned them to it.

“Come thuri. Take the Word, and you tell me if it is what you have been seeking.” Krahvudez gestured toward the word wall with his wing, neck bent low in respect.

Nodding, the Dragonborn walked toward the worn wall, the chanting building to a crescendo. They had to avoid the stacks of pottery and other miscellaneous treasures this dragon had gathered over its years. What purpose this hoard served Krahvudez was beyond them.

Finally, the Dragonborn saw the word on the wall illuminate, as if the years of toil on the wall suddenly gave way, and it was new again. It filled their mind, until it left its unwavering mark in their head.

Uth

“Ah, you know it now do you not? Uth, to Serve.” the dragon said looking at the sky, “As you know, this shout lets you bend the elements to your will, a true power befitting a dov.” he angled his gaze back to the Dragonborn and said, “A gift, Dovahkiin. I have known this thu’um for millennia. Take my knowledge of Evgir and Uth.”

As the dragon uttered this, the Dragonborn saw a florid image of themselves bending the winds, bringing ice to deserts, and making the very weather their weapon. They sat there dazed for a few moments, before asking a question that was burning upon in their mind.

“Do you not know the final word of this shout Krahvudez?” The Dragonborn inquired.

“Krosis thuri, the last word of this thu’um is not known to me. I have searched long and far for it, but it still eludes my grasp.”

The Dragonborn thought for a time. “Perhaps I will ask Paarthurnax or Odahviing about it. Certainly they can shed some light on the meaning of the second word, and the whereabouts of the third.”

Krahvudez looked at them in surprise, “So you brought my kin back to Atmorasewuth? This is an intriguing change.” After a moment of thought, the black dragon raised himself off their word wall, and landed next to the Dragonborn. “Come, thuri. Everything is faster on the wings of a dov.”

The Dragonborn nodded, and climbed onto the neck of the serpentine dragon. “Let’s ride.”

With an amazing amount of force, Krahvudez launched into the air, and soared high into the skies of Atmora.