I slipped into bed after coming home late at night with Goldbrand now hung up on the wall with the other daedric artifacts we'd been collecting since kicking Alduin's sorry ass out of Markarth. The sword was a big surprise as I'd gone after the Ebony Mail without going through Boethiah's bullshit and she ended up trading me the armor for the sword after I killed her former champion.
Sliding between the sheets of our bed in the Vlindrel Hall, I wrapped a huge lizard arm around Jack and Serana - who had become our constant companion in recent months.
The vampire had been a tremendous addition to our relationship. She connected to Jack quite deeply with their shared suffering and she helped me tremendously with my magic development and enchanting.
Enchanting was, big shock inbound, nothing like the game portrayed it. It was laborious, tedious, esoteric, and oftentimes disappointing. Legendary successes like the Gauldur Amulet were far more important in this world as compared to the game, even more so considering the lack of an easily exploitable cross crafting system. Also, soul gems are more precious considering the inventory of your local court wizard doesn't automatically refill every couple of days. Serana made the most of each attempt with her inhuman patience.
Her ability to enchant our gear and buff us using alteration, restoration, and illusion magic lead us to making a group journey out to the Lord Stone after I secured the Ebony Blade in Whiterun. The magic absorption of the Atronach Stone activated indiscriminately, while the magic resistance from the Lord Stone only resisted hostile magic. The additional physical durability was nice too.
Overall, Serana proved to be a large benefit to us in combat rather than a liability. Very rare in this world and much appreciated. The fact that she got along so well with us made our move to a more permanent stay in Markarth more tolerable.
In fear of Alduin returning and us not being there to fight him, Jarl Igmund had declared us the Heroes of Markarth, made us Thanes, gave us a house on the upper level of the city (Vlindrel Hall), furnished it out of his own pocket, and opened the city's resources to us fully for our enjoyment and training purposes.
When ten beggars from the undercity died to empower the Ebony Blade, the Jarl looked the other way for those dastardly Forsworn reachmen. Hell, the man viewed our gathering of daedric artifacts of dread as us hunting down the damn demon worshipers that lured the dragon to his city. A story the worshipers of Dibella backed to the hilt for the promise of me back in them to the hilt.
Word play can be very sexy.
I am pretty sure that my cliffside home will one day become the Nirn version of the Hellmouth, but I am also sure that a team of plucky teens will be able to save the day. Skyrim's very own version of the Scooby Gang shouldn't have it any harder than Buffy and her team of highschoolers.
With that comforting thought I slept until a knock, knock, knocking sounded upon my dwarven metal door. I opened my door to the morning light and the sight of a scruffy looking traveler with a messenger bag.
"I've been looking for you. Got something I'm supposed to deliver - your hands only."
Holy shit, this is one of those creepy trackers that can follow you all over Skyrim to deliver you messages of minor importance.
The letter was from Kodlak indicating the end of Brienne's training under both the Greybeards and the Companions. The girl could now outshout the old monks and outfight most of the Circle. They wanted us to meet with them in Riverwood. Apparently Delphine had stolen the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, interrupting Brienne's final test by the Greybeards before allowing her to ascend the mountain and meet with their leader.
The message told us to meet with them up at the Bleak Falls Barrow from where we would descend on the town as a team.
I looked up from the letter to ask the guy if he would like to become my personal manhunter, but the spook was already gone.
"Hey babe!" I called back into the house, "It's show time!"
"Fucking took them long enough!" She called back.
"I see that our time apart has borne more fruit than you thought it would." Kodlak greeted us at the entrance of the old nord burial ground, "Word has spread across all of Skyrim of your battle against the great black dragon, and since then the dragons haven't attacked even once."
"If they have pulled back it is to give Alduin enough time to recover, and to gain even more strength." I told them.
"I feel the same." the old warrior nodded, "It is good you have brought a new companion, the battles ahead will not be simple."
Serana now wore a suit of dragonscale armor, made using the finer scales of several dragons rather than the segmented plating used in the game, and a hooded cloak of dragon hide, all made from the dragons with a high innate fire resistance and enchanted to take that resistance even further.
"Do you think we are walking into some kind of ambush?" Brienne asked.
"Maybe." I told her, "Anyone who would go to this length to draw you out isn't to be trusted."
"That's why we were hoping Jack would go in Brienne's place to spring any traps." Kodlak said, "I doubt there is anything she couldn't fight her way out off, and she is far more attuned to skullduggery than the young Dragonborn."
"Oh, I can't see anyway this could go wrong." I grinned.
Two hours later Delphine shot up through the roof of the Sleeping Giant Inn, landing face first in the mud at our feet, while Jack came out of the front door whistling a tune and twirling the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller on her finger.
"Big waste of time." Jack commented as Brienne kept poking the downed breton with the butt of her spear.
"Is she dead?" the young nord asked.
"Who cares?'' I chuckled and lead the way back to High Hrothgar through the Helgen route.
"You are going to want this, Tater Tot." I said as we stared at the path up to the summit of the Throat of the World and handed her a golden Elder Scroll.
"Did you just hand me an Elder Scroll?" The startled Dragonborn jumped at the sight of the scroll I took out of a traveling tube.
"Yep." I replied, "Take it knowing I saved you a bunch of wasted time through the power of sex, drugs, and Rock and Roll."
"Thanks? I think." Brienne's eye twitched as she thanked me, "I don't think I understand why I need an Elder Scroll."
"When the time comes, you will understand." I told her like all the great vague asshats that came before me, "Then you're going to be like, 'Woah! How did Grunt know I was going to need this specific Elder Scroll?'"
The eye twitch intensified.
"My answer to that is, 'Fuck you, I know shit.'" I grinned at her.
"Well tell Future Grunt, 'Fuck you too!" and 'Thanks.'" Brienne responded as she strapped the Elder Scroll to her back and turned to climb the highest peak in Tamriel.
"Well here I go. Up the mountain to meet with a creepy old hermit. Alone." she mumbled.
"You're going to do great, kid." I assured her and pushed her onto the path, "Alone. Without help. All by yourself. On the most dangerous climb in the world. EZPZ."
Her look of betrayed horror would fuel a good chuckle or two for me in the future.