They rose the next morning and ate in silence, Dardeh trying very hard not to look too closely at Lydia’s worried face. He gave her a quick hug, and slipped into Lucia’s room to plant a gentle peck on her cheek before he and Roggi left to make their way to Dragonsreach. The priest, Heimskr, was quietly sweeping the area around the shrine of Talos, preparing for another day’s work exhorting the masses to reject their elven overlords and return to worship of their true Nord god. Dardeh nodded to him, then knelt quietly before the huge statue and thought hard.
Talos. I don’t know whether the stories about you are true, how much of them are made up out of jealousy, or added on by people who wanted to use your name for their own gain, but I’ve always trusted in your protection. I need it again, now. Please help my Shouts aim true, and strong, and my swords reach their marks. I want this world that you tried to unite to last another thousand years, or more, and I’m all we’ve got to work with right now. Help me trap the first dragon so that I might slay the other.
He rose, nodded to Heimskr, and began climbing the steps to Dragonsreach.
“There aren’t seven thousand of them, but sometimes it feels that way, doesn’t it?” he said to Roggi.
“At least it’s not as cold,” Roggi said with a grin. “And no trolls.”
Balgruuf, Proventus, and Irileth were in their accustomed places in the great hall. Balgruuf greeted them with an expression that was something between admiration and dread, or so it seemed to Dardeh.
“Well, my Jarl,” Dardeh said, “what do you say?”
“As I promised,” he said, rising from his throne, “my men stand ready. The great chains are oiled. We wait on your word.”
Dardeh looked at Roggi. Roggi smiled at him and nodded. Dardeh took a deep breath and rotated his shoulders.
“All right then, Balgruuf. Let’s go catch a dragon.”
Balgruuf grinned. He was concerned for his people, but Dardeh knew how much he had to be secretly looking forward to the excitement ahead. He may be an elder statesman, but at heart he’s still a young man looking for adventure. “My men know what to do,” he told Dardeh. “Make sure you do your part. I’m putting my city in your hands.”
“I know you are. It’s my city, too. My family is here, now.”
The Great Porch of Dragonsreach was an amazing piece of architecture, longer than several homes set next to each other and fully three or four stories tall at the height of its arch, with balconies running along the upper levels. The stonework was beautiful and immaculate, unlike the more weather-beaten, exposed parts of Whiterun’s ancient walls. Great pulley wheels on either side, nearly as tall as Dardeh, held the freshly-oiled chains connected to the enormous yoke suspended far above; Dardeh could see soldiers stationed at the control levers on the upper levels, waiting for their signal to drop the trap.
Dardeh walked all the way to the far end of the porch, trying not to be overwhelmed by the majestic view of the mountains. On this sunny day, a person could see as far as it was physically possible to see. Balgruuf had instructed his people to remove the dining tables and benches that usually were here, making the vista completely unobstructed and utterly breathtaking. He just stood and breathed, taking it in, and felt the warm presence of Roggi as he walked to the very edge of the platform and looked out over the plains.
It’s amazing. I have to save this. I just have to. We can’t let Alduin take it away from us.
Balgruuf cleared his throat.
“You… do have a plan for luring a dragon here, yes?”
Dardeh turned to look at him and laughed. Impatient, prideful and stubborn as he was, Balgruuf was a man who Dardeh truly liked.
“Yes. I certainly do. Why don’t I show you?”
He turned back to the open skies, took a deep breath, closed his eyes and Shouted.
“O – DAH VIING!”
Snowy-Winged Hunter. Come to me. I challenge you.
The sound echoed across the plains, bouncing off the nearest of the hills and returning to them, over and over.
They all stood, breathless, for what felt like an eternity. Then, from the east, Dardeh heard the familiar hollow echo of a dragon’s roar. A small shape became larger, took form, and at last they could see that it was an enormous red dragon, the right hand of Alduin. It flew past the landing of Dragonsreach, spewing flames, roaring its anger.
“Steady! Steady now!” Balgruuf shouted. “Keep under cover until it’s down!” Balgruuf had his sword drawn, but Dardeh shook his head at Irileth and she hustled him back behind one of the great stone arches.
“Get back, everyone! Get ready! I’m going to bring him in! Don’t attack him unless it’s necessary!” Dardeh yelled. He pulled his swords, just in case, but not intending to use them.
Dardeh waited until Odahviing was passing directly in front of the porch once more and Shouted again.
“JOOR – ZAH FRUHL!”
The force of his Shout hit Odahviing, knocking him back slightly and surrounding him in its familiar blue glow.
Got you, you bastard. Now land in here. Come get me. You know you want to.
Because in spite of the vast plains surrounding Whiterun, the leagues upon leagues of spaces in which he could come to ground, Odahviing had only one real potential landing place. He was a dragon. He’d had his supremacy questioned. He would, without a shadow of a doubt, land on the Great Porch and try to confront Dardeh.
I would do so, if our roles were reversed. I understand that now. I understand why Miraak was that way. We all have it in us, those of us with even an echo of the dragon blood – that great power, and that great arrogance, and we need to prove our supremacy. That’s what the legends say about Talos. That’s what Jine tried to tell me. That’s why my father is still twisted, beyond death, trying to exert his power over Ulfric, even though he was not Dragonborn himself.
And that’s why I’m going to trap Odahviing, and beat Alduin with a sword I crafted by my own hand. Because I’m the second-strongest Dragonborn who has ever lived. And that is better than anyone else who is alive.
Odahviing swooped into the Porch’s opening and landed with a thunderous boom, roaring his rage at Dardeh, his eyes fixed on his target. Dardeh was faintly aware of soldiers scattering and shouting and running to either side, but he locked his stare with that of the great red beast and walked slowly backwards, laughing.
“Come on. Come and get me.”
Odahviing was faster than he had anticipated, even grounded by Dragonrend. Dardeh heard Roggi yell “Dar! Run! Now!” from somewhere behind him, as the gigantic jaws snapped together close enough for him to hear the individual teeth scraping against each other. He turned and bolted to the back of the porch, up the stairs, and to the soldier near the lever on this side.
“Now! Drop the trap!”
The soldier hesitated.
Dardeh pushed him aside and threw the lever himself. Chains shrieked, the gargantuan yoke dropped from Dragonsreach’s heights and the metal collar clamped shut around Odahviing’s neck, trapping him. He howled his rage while Dardeh trotted back down to the main level and approached him.
Dardeh heard Balgruuf yelling “Got him!” and was aware of Roggi just slightly behind him, but all he could focus on were the pitch black, unfathomable eyes of the great red dragon before him. Odahviing could easily roast him alive where he stood, but somehow he was sure that wouldn’t happen.
“Nid!” the beast bellowed. “Horvutah med kodaav. Caught like a bear in a trap!” His eyes flashed, and he lowered his voice. “My… eagerness to meet you in battle was my … undoing, Dovahkiin. I salute your low cunning in devising such a grahmindol – stratagem.”
“Thank you,” Dardeh replied. “Now then, I think you know why you’re here. Where is Alduin hiding?”
Odahviing paused for just a moment and then made a sound that might possibly have been the dragon equivalent of a chuckle.
“Rinik vazah. An apt phrase. Alduin bovul. One reason I came to your call was to test your Thu’um myself; many of us have begun to question Alduin’s lordship, whether his Thu’um was truly the strongest.” He paused, and Dardeh thought he saw a small flicker of something in the beast’s eyes. “Among ourselves, of course. Mu ni meyye. None were yet ready to openly defy him.”
Dardeh crossed his arms and tapped his feet. “And yet, my friend and I nearly managed to kill him ourselves, and us just a couple of humans. That’s sad, Odahviing. I ask again, where is he hiding?”
“Unslaad krosis. Innumerable pardons. I digress. He has travelled to Sovngarde to regain his strength, devouring the sillesejour – the souls of the mortal dead, a privilege he jealously guards. His door to Sovngarde is at Skuldafn, one of his ancient fanes high in the eastern mountains. Mindoraan, pah ok middovahhe lahvraan til. I surely do not need to warn you that all his remaining strength is marshaled there.”
Dardeh felt as if he’d been pierced by an assassin’s blade yet again.
Gods. Esbern was right. So even if I go there and kill Alduin I can do nothing for all the souls of the fallen soldiers that have died since Helgen. I failed. And I waited, and I indulged my own needs for revenge and for love and even more souls have been lost because of it.
He turned to look at Roggi.
“Roggi… all those men and women… What have I done?”
Roggi shook his head. He knew, Dardeh could tell; Roggi knew exactly what he was thinking and why and even though he hurt, too, he wasn’t going to let Dardeh falter because of it.
“You didn’t know, Dar. Nobody knew. Esbern, maybe, but he never told us, not in those terms, not until High Hrothgar. There’s nothing you can do about it now. We have to get Alduin so that we don’t lose even more.”
I don’t want it to be like this. I can’t do this.
He turned to look at the dragon again.
I have to do this. Because if I don’t, I’ll be no better than my father. I’ll just be a man who used his great power to kill and accomplished nothing by it.
Odahviing spoke up.
“Zu’u lost ofan hin laan. Now that I have answered your question, will you allow me to go free?”
Dardeh stared at him for a second, then burst out laughing. “Really? You told me where he is, but not how to reach him. Do you really think I would just let you go? No. Not unless you agree to serve me.”
It was Odahviing’s turn to laugh. “No. Ni tiid. If and when you defeat Alduin, I will reconsider. There is one detail about Skuldafn I neglected to mention. You may have the Thu’um of a dovah, but without the wings of one you will never set foot there. Of course, I could fly you there, but not while imprisoned like this.”
Damn. He’s right.
While Dardeh pondered the impasse they had reached, Farengar approached from behind him, making obsequious advances on Odahviing and asking whether he might take just one or two samples of scales and so forth, for experiments, all while moving toward the dragon’s back end. Odahviing looked around nervously, said “What are you doing back there?” and then yelped in pain and shot a brief plume of fire into the air. Dardeh was grateful that they were beneath the stone archway and not one of the wooden sections of Dragonsreach.
Dardeh turned to Roggi. “What do I do?”
Roggi reached out and laid his hands on Dardeh’s shoulders, his blue eyes as steady as Dardeh had ever seen them.
“You have to let him take you, Dar. It’s the only choice there is. I don’t want to let you go, but you’re the only hope we have. Go to Skuldafn, Dar. I will be with you, if only in my heart.”
Dardeh felt his eyes welling up. By the gods, Roggi, I’ve only just found you. I don’t want to leave you now. Then he glanced around the Great Porch and saw Balgruuf. He has three children and they need him. And Irileth – I don’t know much about her but she needs me to do this, too. And Hrongar. And even Farengar. None of them can do this. I’m the only one who can.
He turned back to Odahviing.
“All right. You take me to Skuldafn.”
“Onikaan koraav gein miraad. It is wise to recognize when you only have one choice.”
Dardeh turned and yelled to the soldiers. “Raise the trap! We’re letting him go!”
They stood there, their mouths open. “But…” I know, I know. We just caught him.
Balgruuf shook his head and said “Carry on, soldier. This is all part of the Dragonborn’s plan.” Then he turned to Dardeh and shot him a look that said “I hope so, anyway.”
The great chains pulled the yoke back to its resting place in the heights of Dragonsreach. Odahviing turned and shuffled to the edge of the porch. For the briefest of moments Dardeh held his breath, hoping that Odahviing was not going to simply leave on his own; but the dragon merely waited for him, looking around at the frankly awestruck Balgruuf and Irileth standing near him.
Dardeh turned to Roggi again and pulled him close, then kissed him, right there in front of everyone. “I love you, Roggi,” he whispered. “No matter what happens, always remember that. Be happy.”
Roggi smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
“I will Dar. I’ll be happy when you come home. Because I know that you’ll come back to me. I wish I could go with you, but I can’t. Now go get that bastard for all of us.”
Dardeh climbed up onto Odahviing’s neck.
“Are you ready to see the world as only a dovah can?”
Dardeh laughed. “Again. Yes. Let’s go.”
Once again, as he had in Apocrypha, he marveled at the rippling of a dragon’s massive muscles as Odahviing launched himself from the deck of Dragonsreach. He heard Balgruuf call out “May Kynareth guard you while you pass through her realm!”
Dardeh hunkered down behind the dragon’s head and smiled. Thank you, Balgruuf.
And they left Whiterun Hold, flying east, to the border of Skyrim and Morrowind, and up into the Velothi Mountains to Skuldafn.