Northbound Pilgrimage

Chapter XXXII - Where We Left Off

They rested at Braidwood Inn in Kynesgrove to recover.

After Aeyrin got back to her senses and Bishop calmed down considerably, Delphine told them what she knew.

She knew nothing about the black dragon, but she did know that the beasts could speak and in fact that they used to have a whole society and hierarchy in the ancient times.

The Dragonborn were apparently warriors who stood up to the dragon overlords and helped men defeat them by using the Voice against the monsters. Suddenly the tablets at the seven thousand steps made perfect sense. Aeyrin always thought that the 'enslavement of the humans' and the 'war with dragons' were just a poetic way to say that people were curbed by fear and that they resorted to worshipping mindless beasts.

And now the dragons were back and they were likely going to attempt to take over again.

However, Delphine's theory included someone else behind the dragon resurrection - someone commanding the black dragon and perhaps others like it.

When she mentioned the Thalmor, Bishop and Aeyrin's expression turned doubtful and exasperated. She was way too obsessed with the Dominion, she sounded like a crazy person. She did mention their relentless efforts to eliminate the Blades but that didn't really explain why they would want to resurrect dragons.

Delphine was, however, not deterred.

She did eventually return the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller to Aeyrin and promised to investigate the dragon rising and the Thalmor further while staying in contact with them.

Bishop and Aeyrin decided to stay at the inn for one more day, especially since the innkeeper Iddra offered them everything for free for saving them from the dragon.

Aeyrin spread her map on the table lazily, looking over the markings.

There were several crossed out places there – Ustengrav, High Hrothgar, a myriad of caves and ruins in Whiterun Hold where she explored with the Companions, some caverns in the Rift, the cave near Darkwater Crossing, Bleak Falls Barrow and the Eldergleam Sanctuary.

There was also an unnecessarily large and obnoxious X where they rescued Karnwyr.

She considered getting a new map since he ruined that one, but it did kind of remind her how they met. It always put a slight smile on her face.

Bishop sat himself beside her after his bath, a tankard already in hand.

"So, princess, where to next?" he peered at the map. He noticed the distinct lack of dotted lines signaling an intended journey... well, except the one leading to Falkreath which he luckily managed to dissuade her from.

"Back to the Greybeards I guess. Just to return the horn, show them I passed their test."

Bishop nodded. "Will you tell them about her?" he asked curiously.

Delphine asked them not to mention her or the Blades to the Greybeards – difference in philosophies, she said. She was way too suspicious for their liking, but Aeyrin decided to respect her wishes for now. She could always tell them later and Delphine did earn some trust by providing all the information that she did. It was much more than the old men ever admitted to knowing.

The knowledge of the dragons' intellect still somewhat rattled Aeyrin, but it was not like they ever seemed willing to negotiate. Delphine was probably right – they were monsters just smart enough to torment those weaker than them. They have certainly proved their intent on destruction many times over.

"Then I was thinking of returning to Riften. I have gathered some fire salts for Balimund and the supplies that the Argonian asked me for," she pondered. She also wondered whether it would be a good idea to inform the Jarl of the skooma operation they disrupted, but Bishop seemed adamant about keeping her 'crusades' a secret. If the whole government of Riften was really corrupt, it was probably a smart thing to do.