15th/16th Last Seed, somewhere near the Pale Pass and the Cyrodiil/Skyrim border. Falkreath Hold.
This land is of a scale I hardly imagined. Not just in size, witth its soaring mountains and endless pine forests stretching off into the distance, but in terms of time too. It is as though the place embodies deep time, of all the eras of man and the uncounted eons of the Dawn when the gods themselves walked the world. Standing on Skyrim's soil and watching the snow-capped peaks become obscured by misty cloud, or listening to a river as it carves its way towards roaring falls, I just feel so small. The enormity and grandeur of it all is almost overwhelming.
I suppose it should be no surprise to me that as a schemanun of the Time Dragon I should be preoccupied by his passage, but I can't help feel that same giddiness here that I felt as a young girl and new disciple in Akatosh's Chantry. And I suppose that's weird in a way too. For in this land - the land of my forefathers - the people hold Kynareth (or Kyne I suppose I should say) above all others. When faced with the endurance of the mountains or the lasting legacy of a glacial valley, how could Kyne and not Akatosh be at the forefront of people's thoughts?
In this place where Kyne is the most revered of all the gods and goddesses, she seems to embody aspects of Akatosh. Kyne is the begining, for Nords believe she breathed them to life, I think. I need to learn more and soak it all in, but the parallels between the Nordic Kyne and the Cyrodiilic Kynareth are so similar. Kyne and Kynareth both provided for us in the very begining. For the Nords, though, that time aspect continues, for to them she is the Kiss at the End who carries the slain warriors to Sovngarde. I wonder if Kyne and Akatosh are closer than I ever thought of before? If Shor is the Missing God, Lorkhan, and Kyne is Shor's widow whose tears are the rain, is it any wonder that the Dragon and the Warrior Wife would merge to the point of being almost indistinguishable?
From the delightful blue, red, and purple Mountain Flowers which grow so vibrantly on the slopes, to the towering trees so green with life, Akatosh can be felt here so keenly. These natural beauties are so often considered part of Kynareth's domain - and they are - but the plants and flowers, trees and mountains each demonstrate the intrconnectivity of all things. The Eight compliment each other and work together to let these small wonders of life happen, and reigning over them all is the Dragon God who allowed each of them time.
The tree grows but needs time, the flower opens but requires the seasons of Arkay, and even the mountains themselves are formed in time. As he did at the very begining, Akatosh gives everything the chance to reach their full potential. That potential seems realised here in such a dramatic way, and I was called here - of that I am certain - but why remains a mystery.
That is so often the hardest part of being his priestess: Trusting in him that all questions will be answered in time. And that requires a stillness and serenity I have ever struggled with. For even now as I write these thoughts I am looking at the trails and paths meandering down into the lush valley below and yearn to ride out and explore, to walk to the highest peaks and travel to the farthest shore. If I can't centre myself and remain focussed, I feel I could easilly lose myself here. Or maybe find myself. Do the two need to be mutually exclusive?
Two
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