Kynadora- The Wheel Turns Chapter 3
Chapter Summary: Kynadora goes to Whiterun following the path to discovering what is behind the Dragon Crisis.
Author's Note: I'd really like to thank my beta readers (including the lovely @nerevar-quote-and-star) again! I hope you enjoy reading!
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For a place currently embroiled in a Civil War and facing the threat of dragons returning and razing villages to the ground, her walk from Riverwood to Whiterun was rather peaceful. No bandits, wolves, or skirmishes like she’d been expecting from what she’d heard of Skyrim’s roads and had experienced thus far. The strangest thing she’d seen in the past day it’d taken to get her from the mill town was four couriers in rapid succession, all following different clairvoyance spells to various locations.
Honestly, she should’ve expected something when she got closer to the outskirts of Whiterun. A giant wrecking a farm while a group of people tried to bring him down this close to the city had been a rather big shock, especially since she’d walked past a few guards who seemed to be following their regular routines and allowing this group to take it down. Whatever stops those guards from joining the fray doesn’t stop her from dropping her pack to the ground and pulling her sword from her sheath.
The problem with fighting giants was that they were so much larger than you. One had to stay out of their far wider reach while staying close enough to bring them down. Normally, she’d prepare a spell to try and keep further away but between the group of people she didn’t know already in close combat, and the fact that they were battling on farmland that could take damage from any spells, Kynadora didn’t want to start throwing magicka around. Luckily, one of the group seemed to be an archer, so someone was doing damage from further away which seemed to distract the giant from noticing her coming up behind it. She slashes its waist and joins the other two close-combat fighters trying to bring it down.
It takes the three of them a bit, but soon they deliver strikes at the giant’s lower half without disrupting each other too much. Two warriors go in to strike as one moves out. She does her best to dodge as the giant brings its club down as well, keeping up with the two others as she does so.
Soon, an opportunity opens up for Kynadora to bring the giant down to their level. On a downward swing away from her, he’d put all his weight onto one leg and hadn’t done anything to guard it. The dark-haired man seems to pick up on her plan and guides the giant slightly forward with a well-timed dodge, which allows her to introduce her blade directly to the giant’s knee. She aims it just so that it goes behind the kneecap, and pulls back.
As the giant loses balance, she allows her blade to follow with it and the dark-haired man takes the opportunity to slice open the giant’s neck as it comes down, killing it. It comes down with a loud thud and she takes a moment to breathe. As she rests her hands on her knees, she looks up and catches the eyes of the two close combat warriors she’d worked with. She smiles and waves, the dark-haired man returning it while the dark-haired woman sends a glare in return. Oh. Well, at least one person was happy with her.
She returns to her full height and jumps at the feeling of a hand on her shoulder. Right. The archer had been behind her. She turns slowly to face the red-haired woman, wiping some of the blood that had sprayed across her face off with her glove.
There’s a curious look on the woman’s face as if she’s looking for something in Kynadora, she seems to find it in her eyes but does not linger there long. “You handle yourself well.” Her hand drops from her shoulder. “You could make for a decent Shield-Sister.” Kynadora hears an exasperated noise from behind her, but the woman in front of her does not seem bothered.
“Thank you,” she says, breath still catching up with her. “I just thought you all would appreciate some help.”
“Admirable.” There’s a smirk in her voice, but her face does not betray it. “You should come to speak with Kodlak Whitemane. The old man’s got a good sense for people. He can look in your eyes and tell your worth. If you go to him, good luck.”
Kynadora’s brows furrow. “I’m sorry, but go to him for what? And where?”
“An outsider then. To join the Companions. In Jorrvaskr.” Wait what? The Companions? Her father had told her stories. According to him, one of her ancestors had served among their ranks. And here she was. Having taken a giant down with a group of them. The woman laughs. “You should come and speak with him. Perhaps I’ll even invite you to hunt with me.” She extends her hand, face settling into a slight smile. “My name is Aela.” Kynadora shakes her hand. “The two behind you are Farkas and Ria.”
“Very kind to meet all of you. My name is Kynadora,” she said.
Aela’s eyes return to Kynadora’s. “I’ll keep an eye out for you then, Kynadora.” Aela drops her hand and steps around the corpse of the giant. “Come along then, you two. We need to get back.”
Kynadora watches as Ria follows after Aela, but Farkas steps around the corpse onto her side. “Here. Figured you might need some help.” He grabs the giant’s leg up, which allows her to pull the blade from where it had stayed stuck in its knee. “There you go. I do hope you come to Jorrvaskr.” And like that, he’s gone. Kynadora wipes her blade down, steps over the body, and begins her trek to the city gates.
Just from what she can see, the Hold of Whiterun is beautiful. The rolling hills distract her, dragging her eyes to the horizon to the West. She walks up the path to the front gates and glances at the sky. There’s something different about the skies here than those back in Skingrad. She can’t quite put her finger on why though. The blue of the sky? The brightness of the fluffy clouds? It’s all beautiful. Her feet drag her closer to the gates as she takes in the beauty of Skyrim that surrounds her.
“Halt!” The guard stationed at the gate pulls her out of her daze. “City’s closed with the dragons about. Official business only.”
She finds her voice, the one her uncle had taught her to use when conducting official business. “I’m here to speak with the Jarl. Riverwood calls for his aid.”
He whispers, “Riverwood’s in danger, too?” He heads to open the door. “You better go on in. You’ll find the Jarl at Dragonsreach, at the top of the hill.”
“Thank you, sir!” she shouts over her shoulder as he closes the gate behind her once more.
She finds herself surrounded by the noise and smell of a busy city. At first, as she walks past, an argument and the smell of the blacksmith’s forge overtake everything else, but as she walks further, the aromas of the marketplace take over everything. No matter how this goes, she hopes to be able to find dinner at the inn here later. The smells coming out of the door as it opens and closes with customers going in and out as part of the lunch rush are mesmerizing. But Kyndaora had eaten the last of the food that Gerdur had pushed into her hands on the bridge near town and wouldn’t need to eat for a good few hours.
Distracted and trying to remain small enough to get through the crowded market, Kynadora finds herself pushed toward a gentleman leaning up against a pillar in front of the general store. The crowd had pushed her away from her goal, but trying to push her way past now might just do the same once more. She turns to the man and sends him a polite smile.
“Well met, traveler.” He shifts slightly on the pillar, opening up space for her to tuck herself into the porch next to him. “What brings you to Whiterun?”
Kynadora swallows and manages to raise her voice enough that he can hear her over the crowd. Wasn’t that a question? Deciding against telling this stranger everything that had occurred over the last few days, she instead uses her normal explanation for travel. “I’m here to help, in any way someone may need. I’m a healer by trade.”
The blond man’s eyes widen. “Truly? By Shor, this city could use more like you.” He claps her over the shoulder and returns her smile. “Best head up to Dragonsreach, then, and see the Jarl. He’s Lord of Whiterun, and can set you on the path.” He seems to think for a moment. “A healer though, the Temple of Kynareth may have use of your services as well. I know they’ve been busy with the injured and sick lately.”
“Coincidentally, I was on my way to Dragonsreach with a message.” Her new acquaintance laughs. “Do you know a way to get through the crowd better?”
“Aye, you can follow behind the inn and make your way to the next district. Shouldn’t be too busy now, and you can find the Temple there near the path further up to Dragonsreach.”
She thanks him and waves as she follows the path around that he’d recommended. As she enters the next district, she quickly finds herself distracted once more. There’s something wrong with the tree in the middle of the small area she’s in. It’s dead, which feels strange. And not just that it is dead, but the fact that it has been allowed to die and rot in the middle of the city. Her left hand goes to the tree, and it feels like a connection has been cut. Strange. What was it about this tree that felt so wrong?
“It’s a shame, isn’t it?” A woman’s voice brings her out of her concentration on the tree.
“Yes.” Kynadora turns to the woman, hand still on the tree. “Can I ask what happened? And what tree is this?”
“Ah. I thought you were perhaps a pilgrim.” The woman–no, Priestess–walks around to a bench and takes a seat. “This is the GIldergreen.” Wait. This was the GIldergreen? How? How did it die? When did it die? The Priestess continues on a short history lesson of the tree, but Kynadora knows it well. It’d been one of her father’s favorite stories when she was a child. He’d wanted to see it, wanted to bring her here. But it was dead. And that was wrong. Some piece of her felt sick with the knowledge, but Kynadora wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it was that a childhood dream lay dead with the tree.
“Is there a way to revive the tree?” She had to fix it. She was a healer, and she knew that there had to be something to help the Gildergreen. Even if this Priestess didn’t. Kynadora would find it.
The Priestess seems relieved by her response. “I’ve thought about that.” Good. It was always nice to know where to start. “Trees like this never really die. They only slumber. Perhaps with some of the sap from the parent tree, we could wake up its child. But even if you could get to the Eldergleam, you couldn’t tap it. Not with any normal metal.”
This felt like a bad idea. Like a really bad idea. But it was what the Priestess had. “Where can I find a weapon that will work, then?” Or would she need to find out herself?
“Eldergleam is older than metal, from a time before men or elves.” Kyndaora picks up on the Priestess’s nervousness. Her voice betrayed the fact that she knew this was a bad idea. “To even affect it, you have to tap into the old magic. You’ll have to deal with the hagravens.” Hagravens? What would they have to do with this? It only made doubt crawl into her spine more. “I’ve heard about a weapon they’ve made for sacrificing spriggans.” Ah, there it was. Exactly why this was a bad idea. “It’s called Nettlebane. The hags terrify me, or I would have gone after it myself.” But why not ask a guard? Or even why let the GIldergleam get this bad in the first place?
“I’ll retrieve the blade for you.” Even though it felt like a foolish plan. Kynadora would get the blade. But she’d also try and come up with something better while getting it.
“Your spirit is strong. Kynareth’s winds will guide your path. It’s held in a hagraven nest called Orphan Rock.” The Priestess disappeared after that, having gotten her wish. Kyndaora sent a prayer up to Kyne for guidance. She stayed a moment later before returning to the path to Dragonsreach, left hand still tingling.
The castle had looked magnificent from every other point in her journey thus far, but seeing it up close was another thing entirely. As the doors are pulled open for her, she finds herself staring agape. She wouldn't call it more beautiful than Castle Skingrad, but it feels so different. And the dragon skull sitting above the throne catches her eyes immediately. It was a good reminder for her. It was possible to kill a dragon, proof sitting right there. They could figure it all out. She steels herself, fixing her posture and setting her face into an acceptable court smile. Just like her Uncle taught her.
The Jarl and his advisors are already in a back-and-forth over what Kynadora can only assume is how to best address the dragon threat when she arrives near his throne. Ask for aid for Riverwood. Offer your help in figuring out the dragon threat. Easy. She waits a while, but no one seems to notice her presence. She manages to catch a guard's eye, and he nods at her. He walks to the dark elf warrior standing near the Jarl and points over at Kynadora. The woman’s hand goes to her sword and she walks down a few steps towards her.
“What’s the meaning of this interruption?” Her voice is hard, but not cruel. “Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving any visitors.”
“Gerdur and Alvor sent me. Riverwood is in danger.” One step completed.
The woman sighs, “As Housecarl, my job is to deal with all dangers to the Jarl or his people. So, you have my attention. Explain yourself.”
“A dragon destroyed Helgen. I was there, and I want to offer my services in trying to fight the problem.”
The housecarl seems pleased for a moment. “You know about Helgen? The Jarl will want to speak with you personally. Approach.” Kynadora nods at her and takes a few steps up to the throne. Not close enough to draw alarm, but close enough to speak with the Jarl and make her case.
The Jarl’s eyes meet hers for a moment before he drags them away to his housecarl. “So, you were at Helgen? You saw this dragon with your own eyes?”
Breathe. Don’t draw too much attention to yourself. You’ve no allies here yet. “Yes. The dragon destroyed Helgen. Gerdur and Alvor both call for aid to be sent to Riverwood in case the village is its next target. Last I saw it though, it was headed in this direction.” Breathe. Don’t draw attention to yourself.
“By Ysmir, Irileth was right!” His attention was now entirely on his housecarl–Irileth–and one of the other advisors. “What do you say now, Proventus? Shall we continue to trust in the strength of our walls? Against a dragon?” These walls wouldn’t be enough. Kynadora wasn’t sure that anything would be. Not with the storm it had called down from the skies.
Irileth takes the chance to advocate her side. “My lord, we should send troops to Riverwood at once.” Yes, please. She’d promised Gerdur. “It’s in the most immediate danger. If that dragon is lurking in the mountains…”
“The Jarl of Falkreath will view that as a provocation!” How? If news of Helgen wasn’t already all over Skyrim, it would be by the time the other Jarl noticed an increase of guards in Riverwood. “He’ll assume we’re preparing to join Ulfric’s side and attack him! We should not–”
The Jarl slams his hand down into his throne. “Enough! I’ll not stand idly by while a dragon burns my hold and slaughters my people!” He turns to his housecarl. “Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once.” Thank the gods. She nods at him and disappears down the stairs and through the door. His other advisor excuses himself and heads up further into the castle. The Jarl sighs and rubs his hand over his face.
His eyes bring themselves back to her, and he relaxes slightly. “Well done. You sought me out on your own initiative.” Not really, but she knew better than to interrupt and correct him as he spoke. “You’ve done Whiterun a service, and I won’t forget it.” He hands her a sack of gold, and Kynadora stashes it into her pack. Normally she’d turn gold down for something like this, but she needed to finish refreshing her supplies after Helgen. Potions had broken, and healing potions of that level wouldn’t be cheap to replace. “There is another thing you could do for me. Suitable for someone of your particular talents, perhaps.” He stands and offers her his arm. “Come, let’s go find Farengar, my court wizard. He’s been looking into a matter related to these dragons and… rumors of dragons.”
“Thank you, my Jarl. I was hoping to offer my assistance with addressing the dragon crisis. I’m at your service.” For Haming and for anyone else who’d already lost family to this. The Jarl nods, and they’re off down the stairs and into a side room.
Balgruuf shouts, gaining the court wizard's attention from the book he was currently entranced by. “Farengar! I think I’ve found someone who can help you with your dragon project. Go ahead and fill her in with all the details.” The Jarl then dropped her arm and left the room, likely off to try and bolster the city’s resources.
The wizard gives her a cursory glance, and gestures to the chair opposite of him at his desk. She takes the seat. “So, the Jarl thinks you can be of use to me? Oh yes, he must be referring to my research into the dragons.” He marks the page he’d been on and closes the tome. “Yes, I could use someone to fetch something for me. Well, when I say fetch, I really mean delve into a dangerous ruin in search of an ancient stone tablet that may or may not actually be there.”
Of course. It made sense, Skyrim had been the seat of the Dragon Cult, but much of that would be in ruins. “Alright. Where am I going and how does this tablet relate to the dragons?”
His brows furrow, before relaxing and his face expands into excitement. “Ah, no mere brute mercenary, but a thinker–” She liked to think so at least. “Perhaps even a scholar? You see, when these stories of dragons began to circulate, many dismissed them as mere fantasies, rumors. Impossibilities.” She’d have thought the same if she’d not felt the heat of the flames on her skin and seen the destruction firsthand. “One sure mark of a fool is to dismiss anything that falls outside their experience as being impossible. But I began to search for information about dragons–where they had gone all those years ago? And where were they coming from?”
“Makes sense. What did you learn?” she questions.
He smiles. “I, ah, learned of a certain stone tablet said to be housed in Bleak Falls Barrow.” Now, that was luck. “A “Dragonstone” said to contain a map of dragon burial sites.” He takes a deep breath. “Go to Bleak Falls Barrow, find this tablet, no doubt in the main chamber, and bring it to me. Simplicity itself.”
She agrees and shakes his hand. “Do you mind answering a few more questions for me? I just want to make sure I know as much as I can.”
The court wizard acquiesces to her request and answers all of her questions to the best of his abilities. They pass a few theories back and forth, not realizing how late it was until dinner began to be served. She left him then, but he promised her some books upon her return to help her own research.
And so, Kynadora left the castle to get on the road. On her way to Riverwood, she ran into the detachment of guards that Irileth had sent, who promised to help point her in the direction of the ruins when they reached Riverwood, especially as it would be safer to travel in a group.