U.O.T.W. Chapter 9 A hero revealed

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    "Wake up sleepyhead, we’re here”. Sotek sluggishly opened his eyes to see the driver peering over him. It was mid morning however the carriage driver’s stocky form blotted out the sun. Even so Sotek still had to blink several times until he became accustomed to the light.

     

    “I’ve been instructed to wait here until you return, so with that thought I’m off for breakfast”. The carriage driver stated as his eyes fell upon the Inn.

     

    “Breakfast?” Sotek felt slightly confused as he thought that the driver would have already eaten by now.

     

    The driver shrugged his shoulders uncaringly then chuckled as he admitted that he was caught out.

    “Well ok fair enough. I’m off for ale”. With that the coachman climbed down from the cart and made his way to the Inn, leaving Sotek to his own thoughts and the mountain which loomed above him ominously.

     

    As Sotek started the long trek, he soon met a few Nords slowly hiking up the rocky steps. Trailing alongside them was a horse which pulled a small wooden cart packed with supplies. One of them asked if he was heading to High Hrothgar. Sotek explained about the dragon and the summoning, at least as much as what he understood himself. One of the other Nords mentioned about the rumors that they had heard about from the few guards in Ivarstead about a ‘Dragonborn’ and of the dragons themselves. Although they never seen any they have heard the vile creatures screeching out from the mountain range to the north.

     

    It turned out that the Nords were also heading to the monastery taking the weekly supplies up to the Greybeards. As they were all traveling to the same destination, the Nord who was leading the horse invited Sotek to join them. The journey itself was long but unremarkable except for the grand views east past Ivarstead, and especially to the west across the plains. In the distance Sotek could make out Whiterun, from here it looked like it would take days to get back.

     

    They stopped once in a while to rest the horse, during that time Sotek gathered a few mountain herbs and plants to go with the rest he had collected from the few days before. One of the Nords took Sotek aside and showed him the ‘Snowberries’. He explained that alchemists find their resist fire, frost and shock effects useful.

     

    At one point three wolves appeared but due to the size of the group the wolves decided on abandoning that particular hunt and sought out easier prey. The wolves disappeared up a rugged slope, giving Sotek cause to sigh in relief. His heart, which gained a few paces when he first saw the wolves approach them, slowed to a more settled rhythm. Inside he was glad that he accepted the Nords offer to travel together.

     

    By mid afternoon they reached the last few steps before arriving at High Hrothgar. There at the side of the mountain was the monastery, large grey and foreboding, as cold as the mountain itself. Outside the monastery were three monks patiently waiting for the supply wagon, one of the Nords pointed them out to Sotek.

    “There! That’s them, the Greybeards”.

     

    Sotek looked across the snow clad pathway to the three monks who had huddled together in a small group. “So they are the Greybeards?”. He still had trouble trying to work out what exactly they wanted him for, but the Jarl of Whiterun seemed so insistent, and he had been helpful making Sotek feel somewhat obliged. Even so, Sotek still wondered what he was doing there and what was exactly expected from him.

     

    One of the Nords grinned like a demented cat.

    “You know why their called the Greybeards, cause they all have Greybeards”. With that he started laughing, much to the other Nords displeasure.

     

    A second Nord groaned loudly muttering under his breath while he fed the horse.

    “Every time we come up here you say that. Every bloody time”.

     

    As Sotek walked over to the monks, he felt drawn to one in particular. This monk started approaching him in return. They all wore dark grey cloaks, everyone of them looking practically the same as the others, leaving very little to tell them apart. The Greybeard introduced himself as Arngeir. After waving to the Nords who bought the supplies he ushered Sotek inside.

     

    “Before we proceed we must make sure you are truly dragonborn. Now if you please, shout”. His words were slow and deliberate but carried an air of authority to them.

     

    Sotek looked a bit concerned as he gazed around the dark gloomy yet dry hall which he found himself in.

    “Are you sure? Here?”

     

    Arngeir nodded as if Soteks hesitance irked him.

    “Oh yes, quite sure”

     

    Although he was somewhat initially hesitant, Sotek turned towards a solid stone wall while he prepared to carry out the Greybeards bidding. He positioned himself a good few feet away from his target then drew a deep breath and closed his eyes. His eyelids snapped open and he shouted out with all the force he could muster.

    “FUS”.

     

    The shout echoed around the whole room. Greybeards, pots, supplies, it made no difference. All of them got thrown about with equal ease.

     

    Arngeir slowly stood back up before he addressed Sotek.

    “Yes you are truly dragonborn… With the rebirth of the dragons its of little surprise that one such as yourself should become known”.

     

    He went on to explain about the dragons and the shouts while Sotek sat on the base of the steps and listened intently while his mind tried to fathom his part in Skyrim’s future. All the while Angier spoke with a clear low tone carefully placing his every word. Throughout the rest of the day Sotek learned about shouts which the Greybeards referred to as ‘Thu’um’s’ and what it meant to be the Dragonborn. He was taught about how each Thu’um had three key words. Every word empowered the shout making it stronger. One key word he learned was the second part in Unrelenting force 'RO'. Then he learned an altogether new shout 'WULD'. This shout allowed him to shoot forwards with the speed of a tempest. Little did he know the drastic effect this one seemingly passive shout would have. Let alone the dire consequences he would have to live with because of this shout, for the rest of his life.

     

    The Greybeards also explained to him that dragons, although can be killed would come back because their souls were eternal. However when a dragonborn kills a dragon their power, their very soul is consumed. When a dragonborn kills a dragon its dead… Forever.

     

    “There is one more thing you must do to prove yourself” Arngeir stated.

    “I have watched you, watched your every move. You are ready go to Ustengrav. Retrieve the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. It rests there waiting for a dragonborn… Waiting for you.”

     

    “What of other shouts?” Sotek enquired.

     

    Angier sighed slightly before slowly nodding.

    “Yes there are many, but power has to have control. Remember what you have been taught and practice. In time all will be revealed”. He then dismissed Sotek by lifting his hand towards the door. A long thin finger poked out from beneath the heavy draped sleeve. “Now go… Find the horn and when you feel ready, return to us”.

     

    Sotek bid them farewell and after marking Ustengrav’s location on a map of Skyrim drawn on a piece of soft leather, he headed back outside.

     

    The Nords were waiting patiently as they prepared for the homeward journey. As he approached, the unofficial leader of the group wore a big grin as he chuckled hysterically.

    “This is the fun part”. They all climbed onto the cart then to Soteks amazement, proceeded to ride it down the mountain path at speed. A few times the horse struggled to keep on the trail. The momentum threatening to take them all over the edge. Sotek clung on for dear life, his face full of fear. He turned to the Nords then immediately wished he hadn’t. The Nords were all waving their arms up in the air shouting out and laughing.

     

    At one point where the steps trailed down quite suddenly, Sotek swore under his breath while his knuckles turned white as he franticly held onto the sides of the cart. He was thankful when the final slope came into view, not that he could see it due to his eyes being tightly shut with fear. The whole journey down the mountainside took less than half of the time it had taken them to climb the steps. When they arrived at the bottom, Sotek slowly opened his eyes and prised his hands off the lip of the farm cart.

     

    Sotek silently gave praise to the Nine Divines for the simple mercy of still being alive. He thanked the Nords for the escort and after he said his goodbyes he somewhat shakily climbed on the carriage that had brought him to Ivarstead in the first place.

     

    The coach driver smiled as he watched Sotek take his seat in the back of the wagon.

    “Hi, how did the visit to the greybeards go?” The coach driver seemed surprised at how soon the visit ended.

     

    “Please…” Sotek responded in a weak shaken voice.

     

    “Sorry what?”

     

    “Please take it slow” Sotek answered, inside he felt genuinely sick.

     

    “Ah, I guess they rode the cart down the mountain again. Ya know they used to have two carts”. With that the driver burst out laughing as he tugged on the reins of the horse which responded by shaking it’s head.

     

    Sotek looked at him with disdain before turning back to the Nords and shaking his head in disbelief.

     

    On the way back to Whiterun with still a few hours travelling time to go, Sotek was asleep. The coach driver however remained vigilant as he  watched the road ahead. To be precise he was watching the Nord on the road. Turning his head back to Sotek he called out aloud.

    “Could be trouble!”

     

    Sotek woke up with a start.

    “What? What is it?”

     

    “Bandits I think by the look of it”. His voice was slow and calm but he was fully aware of the danger. Sotek slowly drew his bow as he readied an arrow while trying to stay out of sight. The Nord on the road flagged down the carriage and approached the driver. With one hand holding the horses reins he faced the carriage.

     

    “Hello there, it’s not often we get carriages along the road here”. The man stated. He was calm but there was an obvious sign of mischief in his eyes.

     

    “Not my normal route, just passing through” The driver stated. Inside his stomach was turning. He was worried.

     

    “Ah... So that’s why then”. The Nord said calmly.

     

    “That’s ‘why’ what?” The driver enquired while his hands gripped the reins tighter.

     

    The Nord smiled as his eyes fell upon the ground momentarily before fixing upon the driver with a hard cold stare.

    “Why you haven’t paid any toll. There’s a levy for this road”

     

    The driver growled out angrily.

    “I aint gonna pay any toll”. He stated hoping vainly, to get the man to back off.

     

    The man who was clad in leather furs huffed slightly as his hand moved to a dagger which hung on his belt.

    “Well you either pay with gold...” He then drew the iron blade and pointed it straight at the driver. “Or you pay with blood”.

     

    Sotek stood up into sight and snarled loudly.

    “Fine, we’ll pay with yours…”

     

    He instantly fired, hitting the bandit in the stomach. It wasn’t a fatal shot, but the arrow certainly removed the bandit as a threat. Instantly the driver spurred on the horse moving the carriage forwards. Two hands shot up from nowhere and grabbed Sotek, pulling him off the carriage. He landed face down, hard. Fighting the shock and daze from hitting the ground, Sotek turned around to face his opponent. Instead his eyes fixed upon a sword raised above him. Just before it came down for a swift killing blow, Sotek shouted out.

    “FUS RO”. The Thu’um ‘Unrelenting Force’ hit his assailant knocking him back off his feet. He crashed into the ground several yards away.

     

    Before the bandit could recover Sotek had scrambled up with his sword drawn preparing to fight. He lunged at the bandit but the bandit kicked out catching Sotek in the chest. He fell backwards into the dirt, heavily winded from the blow while his sword span off way out of his reach. By the time Sotek got up, the bandit had recovered from the shout and started to charge. Sotek concentrated and said the words for his fire spell. Flames spread out engulfing the bandit but still he came on. Sotek stepped back maintaining the flames but the bandit showed no signs of slowing down.

     

    The next instant the bandit fell to his knees and collapsed screaming out. His flesh, clothes and hair were burning with the added accessory of an arrow protruding from his back. By the time Sotek had recovered his sword to finish off the bandit, he had already succumbed to the flames. Sotek turned towards the first Nord but the carriage driver was already busy wiping the Nords dagger on his sleeve as he headed back towards the carriage.

     

    “Well that was interesting”. Stated the coachman as he sighed a breath of relief. In his hand he held the bow which Sotek used earlier. Sotek just stood there staring at the two bandits.

    “Don’t just stand there gawping at them lad! Gather up their gear”.

     

    They collected the weapons and some bits of armor from the dead bandits and piled the items upon the rear of the cart. After that, they dragged the two bodies to the side of the road.

    “There’s wolves and bears around these parts. They’ll feast well tonight”. The driver chuckled. He then surprisingly looked around the area for a few minutes, before returning to the cart. “That’s a shame” He stated disappointedly.

     

    “What is?” Sotek enquired.

     

    The driver pointed over towards some bushes about twenty yards away from the roadside.

    “Back there chained up is a iron strongbox. Don’t get your hopes up, its locked.”

     

    “Can’t we break it open?”

     

    “Nope, fraid not. And I’ve no lock picks either”. With that the driver started to climb back onto the carriage.

     

    Sotek chuckled to himself before reaching into his pack and pulling out the lock picks he bought from the Khajiit trader.

    “I have some”. He stated, grinning wildly.

     

    “Great. Why didn’t you say so?”

    The driver jumped down and ran to the box. Sotek casually walked behind him and proceeded to hand over the lock picks, but the driver only took the one from him. “Got a brother in the thieves guild. Hey, you know how to use these?” The driver asked.

     

    Sotek just looked at the box with a blank expression.

    “Guess not then”. The driver passed back the lock pick then proceeded to teach Sotek the fine art of lock picking. When Sotek finally managed to open the lock box, they found three hundred gold, a plain silver ring, a garnet, and a scroll.

     

    “Hmm, looking at that lot, the gold is worth more... Tell you what, I’ll keep the gold, and you can have the rest as well as all the gear from the bandits. All together should be worth a good few gold more but I don’t like carrying around stuff for trading. It’s not my style”

     

    Sotek agreed readily.

    "Fine with me, it’s all a bonus”.

     

    “That it is friend, a fine bonus indeed. As we’re business partners, of sorts anyway, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Bjorlam, carriage driver of Whiterun”.

     

    Sotek smiled back.

    “I’m Sotek. Argonian, homeless and completely out of my depth”.

     

    Bjorlam laughed.

    “Oh don’t worry, the Jarl likes you for whatever reason. He’ll sort you out. Mind you saying that, he might also get you killed”. With that he slapped Sotek on the back. “Not to worry then aye…At least if you’re dead your worries would be over”.

     

    Sotek climbed up on the back of the cart and sat down but he couldn’t help the feeling that Bjorlam was far from joking.

     

     

Comments

11 Comments   |   SpottedFawn and 2 others like this.
  • SpottedFawn
    SpottedFawn   ·  July 4, 2017
    Exciting chapter! Bjorlam was an awesome surprise. xD I like him.
    Also the Nords with the cart made me laugh. One question though... didn't they go up the mountain with a horse?
    What happened to the horse? xD Uh oh, did those wolves get fed after all?
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  September 14, 2015
    Hi FlameLord
    Thanks for the like and for the effort in pointing out the errors. Fixed and fixed. I'm glad your enjoying it.
  • FlameLord
    FlameLord   ·  September 13, 2015
    14 spaces up  in the paragraph above it, should be "brush", not bushed
    Great story so far btw, loving the twists
  • FlameLord
    FlameLord   ·  September 13, 2015
    In paragraph 28 I noticed u put "the carriage that bought him to Ivarstead" instead of "the carriage that brought him to Ivarstead."
  • Aela The Huntress
    Aela The Huntress   ·  August 27, 2015
    Wuld...*shudders... I hate that shout...
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  July 9, 2015
    Thanks Idesto.
    WULD... You'll never look at it in the same light again.
  • Idesto
    Idesto   ·  July 9, 2015
    Oh dose crazy nords, ho ho! I like Greybeards unjoke. We'll pay with your blood. Is a nice line! And WULD will get you into trouble? Curiouser and curiouser!Good one
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  June 23, 2015
    Thanks for pointing those errors out GF I just hope it don't affect your enjoyment too much. I've no idea what those two lines were...
    As for this part...
    After giving praise to the gods that he was still in one piece. Sotek thanked the Nords ...  more
  • Golden Fool
    Golden Fool   ·  June 23, 2015
    "He the dismissed ||Sotek by lifting his hand towards the door" "then" and what's with these "||"?
    "After and saying his goodbyes, the Argonian climbed on the " don't need the and.
    I'm curious about what you said concerning whirlwind sprint.
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  May 2, 2015
    Thanks. I've tried to add a bit of life in most of the NPCs in Whiterun. Bjorlam crops up now and again. Just you wait till you meet Belethor.