19th Last Seed

'This is starting to get really interesting,' said Lalaine. 'So this is a story about the shouts like the ones in The Five Songs of King Wulfharth. The ones Tiber Septim used in the second era.'

'Again, your reading habits impress me Lalaine,' smiled Drelis. 'Yes, the power of the voice is an important part of Khargol's story.'

'When do we get to the dragons?' Phane asked, picking up one of the books and turning it over in his hands. 'That's the interesting part, surely. And the civil war in Skyrim.'

'I cannot deny your obvious awareness of the subjects,' said Drelis, 'but you have no concept of the art of storytelling. Knowing Khargol's first steps is as important as knowing how he came to be the master smith he grew into.

 

 'For example, after solving the mystery of the golden claw and finding the dragon stone of Bleak Falls Barrow, Khargol gro-Mashnar found his way out of the caves and on the shore of Lake Ilinalta. He got his bearings and walked east along the river until he reached Riverwood at dawn. Lucien gave him a generous reward for returning the claw, but knew nothing of the dragon stone or the engravings on the wall within the barrow. Khargol probably managed to get some sleep in the inn, The Sleeping Giant, but Riverwood's troubles were not yet over.

'The smith, Alvor whom we have already heard of in passing, explained that the nearby iron ore mine where he used to find his raw materials had long been a staging post for bandits in the area. The bandits used the ore in the mines to smith their own weapons, ambushing travellers on the road to Helgen. Helgen, if you remember, was now a smoldering ruin thanks to the appearance of that dragon, so it was unlikely that travellers would be taking the road for a while. But with the road less-travelled, the bandits might turn their attention to Riverwood for plunder. Khargol must have felt he owed the smith for his time on the forge, and agreed to investigate the mines.'

'That was very bold of him.'

'Indeed, I've heard of orcish courage, but not so much of their altruism.'

'It might help if we knew a little bit more about why Khargol left Orsinium in the first place. He was searching for a new life, one different from the life he had led at home. Lydia's diary entries do not go into much detail but it is clear that Khargol was no stranger to swords and bloodshed. He knew some smithing, yes, but perhaps he also knew some war craft and felt that he had made some mistakes that needed compensate for.'

'Do you think he was a bandit?' asked Phane.

'I don't think he was a criminal, not in the traditional sense by imperial law. There is more on the subject later on, but like I said Lydia does not go into detail on Khargol's past.'

'So what about the bandits in the mine?' Lalaine swilled the last dregs of her mead, leaning in to better hear the story.

'The bandits, yes. Well again there is little detail on what exactly happened within the mines. The enchanted axe that Khargol took from the draugr overlord made short work of the bandits, that's for sure, and it is noted that the bandits were well-stocked with food, provisions, and weapons. They did, indeed, have a working forge set up within the mines, and were using it to fashion swords and axes to terrorise travellers on the road.

'In return for clearing out the bandits and bringing back some iron ore, Alvor showed Khargol a few techniques he had picked up over the years. Khargol spent the rest of the day chopping wood for Hod to pay for his supper.

'Over their evening meal, Gerdur and Ralof revisited the subject of the stormcloak rebellion and asked Khargol to join in their struggle. Again, Khargol showed caution by explaining that he still knew little of Skyrim and that it was too soon for him to decide. Instead he promised to take word of the dragon attack to the jarl of Whiterun so that Riverwood might receive aid in case the dragon descended upon the village.'

'Whiterun is one of Skyrim's holds isn't it?' Phane lifted his tankard, but it had run dry. 'Damn.'

'Indeed it is, and it's the first city in Skyrim that Khargol actually visited. Whiterun is quite important to our story' Drelis looked up from his books and saw that the tavern was growing dark and lonely. 'It appears we are on the verge of outstaying our welcome, friends. Perhaps we should continue the story tomorrow.'

'What? No!' Lalaine protested. 'You said we're just getting to the interesting part.'

'The part with dragons,' said Phane.

'Well, I suppose we could continue it at my house, but I think my supplies are running low and I have no mead to speak of.'

'Wine will suffice. I'll fetch some from my father's cellar and meet the two of you there.' Phane tipped the last drops from his tankard onto his tongue before standing up. 'See you soon, friends.' With that, he trotted out of the tavern door and into the streets beyond.