Tales From Skyrim Episode V: “7,001 A Step Odyssey”: Part 2/2.

*Step, step, step, step*

On and on and on

*step, step, step, step*

They just kept on going. At least Barbas had reverted to counting in his head.

At this point, the party were all exhausted, but according to some of the pilgrims they had met on the way up, they did not have much further to go. They encountered a few more beasts on their travels but Lydia had decided to help this time and as such, light work was made of them.

DW- ‘Look!’

Finally High Hrothgar

DW - ‘it looks deserted’

Lydia- ‘It almost is, there are only 5 Grey Beards as far as I’ve been told’

DW- ‘What do they do all day?’

Lydia- ‘Shout at each other I guess’

DW- ‘sounds like your parents, Lyd’

Darkwater started to grin and elbow her in the ribs

Dw- ‘Eh? …..eh?’

Lydia- ‘Not, only do you not know my parents,I don’t know my parents’

Barbas- ‘I thought I knew my parents, turns out we all look the same though…oh by the way’

Dw- ‘What?’

Barbas- ‘I lost count’

The trio enter the heavy doored building where they meet with the Greybeards and Darkwater learned what he was born to learn…that a mixture of toll fat and lavender are what keep their beards so shiny and manageable. That sort of knowledge is power.

After resting up for a day as honoured guests of High Hrothgar. We find our adventurers packing their kit at the steps of the castle. Lydia knelt by a bush picking more snowberries and collecting them in the concave of her shield. Although she enjoys harvesting ingredients to increase her alchemy, the look on her face was that of annoyance.

DW- ‘c’mon, Lyd, I’m sorry okay? It won’t happen again’

Darkwater gives Barbas a quick look and grin.

Barbas- ‘hey….Do it again’

DW - ‘heh, no’

Barbas- ‘Go on, one more time’

Lydia- ‘I’m warning you’
She says without looking up

Barbas- ‘Do it Ducky!’

DW - ‘FUS RO!!!’

Lydia falls sideways into a hedge of snowberries

Barbas- ‘Bullseye!’

Lydia struggles back up to her feet, upends her snowberries collected in her shield and wields it with two hands like someone is about to get hurt with it.

Barbas- ‘Quick, Duck, Shout at her’

DW - ‘I can’t, it has to charge’

Barbas- ‘Whirlwind Sprint?’

(if Barbas could show it, it would be a look of despair)

DW - ‘IT HAS TO CHAR….’ Donk!

…

Darkwater woke to find Lydia eating an apple with Barbas sitting at the steps next to her. But Darkwater’s mouth was gagged.

Lydia- ‘The greybeards are not teaching you these shouts to fuck me off, however, if you continue, you will spend the rest of your life struggling to pee let alone shout.

DW - *muffled*

Lydia then swiped the gag off.

DW - ‘I don’t know what that means

Lydia pointed her sword to Darkwater’s oblivion regions

DW - ‘got it, got it’

Darkwater sits up and wipes his shoulders.

DW- ‘Anyway, where we going again?’

Lydia- ‘well seeing as this is YOUR quest I figured you would remember’

DW- ‘Well YOU figured wrong’

Lydia- ‘Barbas, care to update?’

Barbas- ‘Go get a horn from the other side of Skyrim, bring it back.’

DW- ‘Why is it always the other side’

Lydia- ‘Because the Devine Zenithar hates you’

They Kit themselves up and the Trio finally Head off back down the mountain to travel across the tundra and into the snowy rocks of northern Skyrim.

What challenges will they face?

Maybe some? Maybe none? Maybe they will skip around the plains of whiterun trying to catch sodding butterflies, who knows…..well you will….i’ll probably tell you at some point.

***I just want to see a huge thank you to Sarah Stoll for producing the below artwork for me in a matter of hours, what an amazing talent. she really brought the images in my head to light for this story today, Again you are a star!!!!!***