The Crown

I had a week of peace. A week!

Upon returning to Whiterun after a day's journey from Windhelm, I found myself summoned to Dragonsreach that evening. Being summoned wasn't particularly surprising, as the Jarl wanted to celebrate the Imperial victory. I couldn't turn down the offer, so the next evening, Serana and I dressed in finery, with Lydia, Mjoll and all the Companions also invited for the celebration.

However, the celebration was not similar to the event held after my victory over Alduin. Skyrim was still divided despite the war having finally reached its conclusion. There were still many people, even within Whiterun, who had supported the Stormcloaks, and it was going to take time for some of the old hate to disappear. So the Jarl kept the festivities to within Dragonsreach. A trio of long tables was covered in plates of meat, fruit and vegetables, delicious looking cakes, and an endless supply of bottles, whether it be wine, ale or mead.

The Jarl was full of questions regarding events around Windhelm. "I've had reports, Ragnar, but I'd like to hear it from a direct source. I understand you fought Ulfric is single combat?"

"I did, my Jarl."

He must have heard my tone. Solemn. Respectful. Most of the table was already quiet upon hearing what we were discussing. "You were victorious, Ragnar. Yet you seem… sad."

"No, not sad, my Jarl. I did what was required. But… Fighting Jarl Ulfric was different. We formed a bond as we shared steel. And, his death was… I've never seen or been part of anything like it. And what he said at the end. That resonates with me."

"What did he say, if you don't mind me asking?"

"He spoke of his love for our homeland and its people. And he also gave a warning."

"A warning?"

I nodded. "The Thalmor. 'Beware the Thalmor'. Remember that dossier I found at the embassy all that time ago? I think Ulfric was just itching for a reason to go to war with them again. Would that have been realistic? Of course not. But it was one of the main reasons for the rebellion in the first place."

"The funeral?"

"Was as you would expect for a fallen Jarl."

"And the General agreed to it?"

"It took some convincing. But I said the Empire will need all Nords on their side for when war does resume."

"Already thinking ahead, Ragnar?"

"It's inevitable, my Jarl."

The conversation finally moved on, discussing my future plans not involving any potential war with the Thalmor. I was mostly looking forward to spending time at home and working simply as the Harbinger. I couldn't remember the last time I'd done anything for the Companions. Not that my input was required, apart from checking contracts, running an eye over recruits and imparting advice if wanted. Farkas, Vilkas and Aela did a fine job running things on a day to day basis.

I behaved myself but the Companions were all rip roaring drunk by the end of dinner, while even Serana, Mjoll and Lydia were misbehaving. The lot of them eventually disappeared, stating they'd either be at Jorrvaskr or the inn, leaving me with the Jarl, where we retired to his sitting room. I'd only ever been in his private quarters once or twice at most, so being invited was a rare treat. And I couldn't turn down his offer of a glass of fine Colovian brandy.

We reclined in a pair of incredibly comfortable chairs, sipping at the brandy, reminiscing about the past, events including dragons, vampires and the war. Eventually the Jarl slipped into a rather melancholic mood, and I had to ask what was wrong.

"Don't worry about me, Ragnar. I'm just an old man looking at the past with rose-tinted glasses."

"The adventures won't be over yet, sir. There's bound to be some crisis on the horizon."

He chuckled before replying, "I think we'd all like a little peace before the next one." He paused, twirling the now empty glass in his hands, "I wonder if there'll be a moot now that the war is over…"

"Moot?"

"A convening of all the Jarls. After the death of King Torygg, the throne lies empty. His wife may rule Solitude as Jarl, but the throne of Skyrim is something else, and generally does not pass to the spouse but to the first born male child. But Torygg died childless, so while Elisif may claim the throne, she does not automatically gain it. The Empire backs Elisif, simply because having her be High Queen would be a sign of continuity and confirms the Empire's hold on Skyrim. But I don't think all the Jarls will accept that."

"What about you?"

"I'm not sure, Ragnar. I had a lot of respect for Torygg. Elisif is a fine woman, but High Queen?" He trailed off and shrugged, "I'm just not sure."

The Jarl eventually fell asleep in his chair. I quietly left the room and grabbed one of his stewards, who I figured would lead him to bed. I wandered outside, taking a deep breath of the cold air. Jorrvaskr was deserted, popping my head in to see the tables empty, so I kept walking towards the inn, hearing the noise grow louder with each step as I approached.

I assumed celebrations were still in swing, as the music was loud and the dancing raucous upon entering. All my friends had taken two tables and yelled my name when seeing me, grabbing a tankard from the bar being taking a seat next to the wife. There was plenty of laughter, about gods only knows what, as everyone was now very deep in their cups. The twins were on the verge of passing out while Mjoll and Lydia were giving each other the eye, knowing exactly what they may or may not do upon leaving, which they did a few minutes later.

"I know what they're doing," Serana whispered in a sing-song voice close to my ear.

"How drunk are you?"

She was drunk enough to suggest enough things in my ear that would normally have led to us leaving rather abruptly. I would have been happy to stay at the inn, but no more than five minutes later, Serana stood up, said goodbye to everyone else, grabbed my hand and dragged me home.

We didn't make it upstairs to the bedroom. Well, not until sometime later the next morning, only when we both woke up, the fire having died and a chill now enveloping us.

I enjoyed around five days of domestic bliss after that night. Serana enjoyed each day toiling in her garden, whenever the weather allowed, while I split my time between Jorrvaskr or the nearby forests, where I would go hunting for game with Aela. And, of course, she made one or two jokes about the time we had gone camping with my wife, and just had to ask if Serana had mentioned anything since. I think she was actually disappointed when I said no.

Life was good. I was at peace, without having to worry about dragons, or vampires, or a civil war, or even the bloody Thalmor. I had nothing to worry about. I was happy and healthy. My wife was probably happier with life. We ate together every morning, noon and evening, then would walk up to the inn for a drink after our evening meal, then head home to make love before she fell asleep in my arms. We even started to discuss the possibility of adoption. I was happy either way, but the more we talked, the more I knew she wanted to be a mother.

It was never going to last. I'd learned long ago that there was always some crisis looming. Or that someone would want me to do a job for them.

*****

As usual, it started with a knock at the door while the wife and I were eating breakfast. The pair of guards waiting for me stated the Jarl would like to see me as soon as possible.

The Jarl was waiting for me at his table upstairs, leaning over the map of Skyrim we had spent hours investigating after the past however many months it had been. "Ragnar, glad you could come so quickly."

"What do you need, my Jarl?"

"I know you've been looking forward to having some peace and quiet, but I've just come across some information that I would like your help with."

"My sword is yours. You know that, sir."

"I would have asked the Companions, or even some of my own men, but this task will involve delving into an ancient Nordic ruin, and I know you have more experience than anyone when it comes to those tombs."

"What is it do you need me to do?"

"Have you ever heard of the Jagged Crown?"

"No. What is it?"

"It's more myth than reality, but if what I've been told is true, this may be the symbol that will help reunite our country."

"What do you know about it? Does it actually exist?"

"Farengar, bring the book up!" the Jarl yelled.

The court wizard appeared a couple of minutes later, placing a dusty, ancient looking book on the table. "I received this a couple of months ago. No idea who sent it, but I believe it may have been your friends at the College, Dragonborn."

"But why send it to you?"

"You are at the centre of most things that happen, are you not?" I shrugged. "Anyway, I guess they sent it to me as they knew I would inform the Jarl, who would obviously then inform you. Neither of us thought it particularly important at the time, considering Jarl Ulfric was always going to be defeated, but since Jarl Balgruuf started to wonder whether a Moot may be necessary, we started to look at this book seriously."

"Where am I going?"

"Korvanjund. It is the burial place of High King Borgas, according to the book. He was killed by the Wild Hunt during the First Era," Farengar replied.

"Wild Hunt?" the Jarl asked.

"Something to do with the Bosmer, my Jarl," Farengar explained, "Much of what occurs is secret, or has been lost. As for High King Borgas, his death precipitated the civil war that took hold of Skyrim for the next 50 years and more. Anyway, the Jagged Crown is said to have been buried with the High King, and if this book is correct, it should still be there to this day."

"So why am I going to get it now if this has been for so many years?"

Farengar looked at the Jarl, an unspoken question to which the Jarl nodded. "We heard rumours during the war that Jarl Ulfric was looking for the crown. So were the Imperials. With the war over, any talk about finding the crown has ended. However, if a Moot is to be convened, whoever holds the Jagged Crown would have a potent symbol of legitimacy."

I immediately looked at Jarl Balgruuf. "Is Farengar hinting at anything, my Jarl?"

"No, Dragonborn. I have no designs of being High King. I want to stop anyone else getting it first."

I believed him. To a point. He'd never shown any desire to do anything except be a loyal and just ruler of his subjects in Whiterun. But a little part of me did wonder about why I was being sent to get the symbol now. Balgruuf was looking at me in return and smiled. "Once you've obtained the crown, Ragnar, I want you to keep it safe."

"Huh?"

"I don't want the damned thing. But someone else may use it to take power."

"Could I use it?"

Balgruuf burst into laughter. "I thought you wanted a quiet life, Ragnar?"

I laughed too. "Just gauging your reaction, sir." I stopped laughing and nodded. "Very well. I can leave first thing tomorrow morning. I'll obviously need to prepare for travel. Where's the ruin?"

"North of here. Not too far. Barely an hour or two on horseback," Farengar replied, gesturing towards the map.

"I'll return once I have the crown, my Jarl."

Serana wasn't at her garden out the back of our house, eventually finding her outside the city walls at the garden she had started to grow with many of her friends. She was down on her hands and knees, tending the soil with her fingers, only looking up my way when I blocked the sun when standing behind her. I'll admit, I had a couple of thoughts while looking down at her.

"You're thinking, Ragnar," she said quietly.

I cleared my throat before replying. "The Jarl has given me a job to do."

She sat up on her knees and looked back at me. "Can I give this one a miss, Ragnar? I'd really like to focus on my gardening now that the world isn't going to end in some form or other."

I leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Of course. I'll take Lydia, Mjoll and maybe a couple of Companions. Nothing more than one of those old ruins anyway."

"So something you can handle without me," she stated with a smile, "When are you going?"

"I'll leave first thing tomorrow morning. The ruin is only an hour or two away. Don't think I'll even leave the Hold."

"Well, when you get home tomorrow, you'll find me here waiting for you. Well, I'll be tending either this garden, or the one inside, but I'll still be waiting."

Lydia and Mjoll took no convincing, my housecarl stating it was expected I would join her, while Mjoll was always up for adventure. Considering I'd been on most adventure with only one or two companions at most, I didn't both asking the twins or Aela, suggesting they take a contract or two if they wanted something to do. They asked what I was doing, and thankfully were not disappointed when I told them. Well, the twins weren't. Aela pleaded with her eyes to be taken along…

I relented.

We left once the sun started to peak over the nearby mountains, all four of us on horseback. We passed an Imperial patrol on the way, all the men waving and calling my name, leaning down to shake a couple of their hands. Heading north, the weather soon changed, the air becoming cooler and snow started to appear on the ground. Thankfully the skies remained clear, and we eventually turned off the road, following a path through the snow towards what I hoped was the ruin. That's what my map said, anyway.

It took a few minutes but we eventually found the ruin. After tying our horses at a nearby tree, we unsheathed weapons and headed down, and it wasn't long before we found the first bodies, buried under snow. I got down on one knee and checked a couple of the bodies.

"Legionnaire and Stormcloak," I muttered.

"I've got what looks like a bandit over here, Ragnar," Lydia called.

"Another Stormcloak over here. Make that two of them," Mjoll added.

"Another Legionnaire," Aela said.

We counted up the bodies. There must have been a dozen of them in this one area, and that was before we'd made the entrance itself. Inside, we found a trio of bandits, who took one look at the four of us and actually lowered their weapons, raising their hands.

"We don't want any trouble," one of them said.

"We know who you are," another said, looking at me.

I stood to one side and gestured towards the entrance. "You may leave. Your weapons stay where they are. Once we're done here, you can return if you want. Though if you're dumb enough to try and find some friends for when we're done, I don't think I should have to explain what will happen."

"Of course not."

Once the bandits had almost run away, Lydia looked at me and burst into laughter. "First time I've ever seen that happen, my Thane."

"I've never seen bandits look so terrified, Ragnar. They literally saw your face and near wet themselves!" Aela stated through laughter.

The way forward was, to put it simply, dead bodies. Draugr, Legionary or Stormcloak, it didn't matter. And it looked like they'd been there a long time, as the bodies, the men at least, were in various stages of decomposition, so that meant the ruin smelled worse than usual. To be honest, I wasn't expecting to find anything living within the ruin, but the number of dead bodies, both outside and within, suggested one hell of a battle had taken place.

'Did anyone get through to get the Crown though?'

We continued to find only bodies until we arrived at the usual puzzle door we found in these sort of ruins. In that final hallway, I counted no more than two dozen, and the injuries were horrific. Blood stains lined the floors, walls, even the ceiling. And it wasn't just the bodies, but the body parts. The fighting, even within this narrow hallway, was ferocious and to the death.

A lone Legionnaire sat back against the door. He'd been dead for as long as the others, but he held a claw in his hand. I took the claw as Lydia and Mjoll moved his body to the side. These claw puzzles were the easiest of all those I came across, though that wasn't saying much. Most of them were so easy even I could solve them on my own.

Once through the door, we, of course, were greeted by an absolute flood of draugr. They must have just been waiting for someone to come through that door, the Legionnaires and Stormcloak having woken up whenever they had arrived, and they had simply stood, waiting for the door to open. Lydia, Mjoll and I simply hacked our way forward, steel meeting flash and bone, our shields raised to block incoming swings. Behind us, Aela was firing arrows left and right, feeling them whoosh past my ear at times, watching as they always hit the spot it was aimed.

Thankfully, the flood turned into a trickle, and we could finally move forward, stepping over small mounds of bodies. Whoever followed us into this ruin later, perhaps another adventurer, looking for gold or jewels, or perhaps even the Crown, would be left wondering who had cut through all these bodies.

As usual, we followed narrow corridors up, down, left and right, eventually entering another large room. Sarcophagi lined the walls, and the lids would drop as soon as we set foot in the room. We already had weapons in hand, shields attached to our forearm, so we wasted little time moving forward to meet the waking dragur. I was about to slice the head off one when an arrow struck its eye. I looked back at Aela, who simply shouted, "Too slow, Ragnar!"

"Show off," I muttered, turning and thrusting my sword through another draugr. It was slow, laborious work, and I think Lydia, Mjoll and myself were carrying slight injuries once it was all over. Only cuts and bruises, nothing that would cause our deaths, but enough to be a pain, literally and figuratively.

We came across another couple of large rooms, filled to the brim with sarcophagi, and it was just our luck that all of them were full, and the draugr woke as soon as we entered. Those of us armed with swords and shields worked as a unit, usually heading towards the middle of the room, and would work back to back to back, never standing still as we moved in small circles, keeping the draugr at a distance.

"I don't remember it being this bad," Lydia muttered, putting another draugr on the ground.

"It's just been a while, Lydia," I replied.

"Are these ruins always like this?" Mjoll wondered.

"Hey, at least we're not fighting a dragon. Now that's fun!"

Draugr eventually littered the ground again, and we moved on, the three of us now covered in blood, most of it not our own. Only Aela was relatively clean, though she was complaining that she was running rather low on arrows, so may have to unleash her own sword soon enough.

Arriving at a large set of doors, I raised a hand, bringing our little quartet to a halt. "Lydia, you'll know more than the other two what to expect. Aela, you'll have at least some idea. Mjoll, what we're going to find on the other side is more draugr. But these draugr will be… something else entirely. They can take a tremendous amount of punishment. You basically have to hack off body parts to kill them. They're usually armed with good weapons and wear very good armour."

"That doesn't sound so bad."

"And if they're the worst kind, they can Shout."

"Like you?"

"Like me."

"What if they Shout at you?"

"I'll be fine. Being Dragonborn helps. You'll know if they're getting ready to Shout, as they generally lean back slightly. If you see a draugr do that, then get out of the way."

It was a throne room, as usual. On an elevated platform in the sat not one, not two, but three draugr. On first sight, I knew they were what were what others had termed 'Deathlords'. 'Reading does help sometimes.' But it wasn't just those three that were an immediate concern. The room was ringed with sarcophagi. I stopped counting at twenty. I glanced at Lydia, who noticeably gulped. Glancing to my other side, Mjoll simply gripped her sword a little tighter.

"When will they wake up?" she asked quietly.

"They'll sense us once we reach the platform."

"That one sat in the middle is wearing the crown, my Thane."

"Then at least we know the crown is definitely here at least. Everyone ready?"

I received three affirmative responses.

We were swamped within thirty seconds. Ordering the other three to focus on any other draugr, I made straight for the first Deathlord. Shouting at it, the draugr went flying across the room, watching it roll end over end before slamming into a wall. I rushed forward quickly and put my sword through its neck, though the thing still growled at me. So I decapitated it, turning just in time to block a swing from the second Deathlord.

Taking a couple of steps back, I gave myself some space, blinding putting my sword through an incoming draugr, not taking my eyes off the Deathlord. It Shouted at me, but I had my feet planted, and while my hearing certainly suffered for it, I simply glared back at the draugr and laughed at it. Armed with a great-sword, I would have been worried if a fellow warrior was wielding it, but while draugr could be intimidating, and Deathlords were tough, they were not skilled with their weapons. This draugr swung wildly, and once it swung hard, enough to lose its balance, I put my sword through its side, twisting the blade, before withdrawing it.

The draugr growled and swung again. I deflected the swing with my shield and chopped down. An arm fell to the ground and the draugr was now mine for the taking. With one arm, it could barely swing the great-sword at chest high, and it was a simple case of blocking the swing and thrusting my sword straight into its mouth, pushing it through all the way until the hilt of my sword touched its jaw. Upon withdrawing, the draugr collapsed to the ground.

"Ragnar, a little help!" I heard Aela cry. Cutting my way through what felt like endless draugr, I saw all three of them pinned near a wall. So I smacked my sword against my shield, and for some reason, that attracted their attention. Taking a couple of steps back, I waited until most of them were heading my way.

Then I Shouted again, and it made them rather easy pickings for all four of us.

"Where's the crown?" I asked, once they were all dead.

"Must be one of the bodies around here, my Thane."

I had no idea the third Deathlord had even woken up, so my three companions must have killed it. We eventually found the body, finding an arrow in both its eyes, one in its throat while it's body was covered in all manner of wounds, while also missing a leg. I grabbed the crown, giving it a once over.

"In all the fighting, I didn't even know it came after me," Mjoll explained.

I clapped her on the shoulder. "Well done, Mjoll, well done. Not many come up against a Deathlord and live to tell the tale."

"It wasn't just me. The arrows suggest I had help."

"Aye, but I'm more impressed when Aela kills things from distance." I looked at her once I was finished and she just blew me a kiss.

"You wish you were this talented, Ragnar."

"If you want, have a quick look around for anything you might want to take. You can always find a bit of gold or perhaps a jewel or two."

The bandits hadn't returned once we found ourselves back at the entrance, and our horses were still tied to the tree, not that I thought the bandits would have been dumb enough to take them. Putting the crown in the pack I kept on the rear of my horse, we mounted and cantered back towards Whiterun, returning while the sun was still in the sky, the weather having warmed considering by the time Whiterun came into view.

Once the horses were stabled, the four of us headed straight to Dragonsreach, the Jarl at his throne as we entered. He looked at me rather eagerly as I took the crown from my pack and presented it to him.

"It actually exists," he whispered, almost reverently, "Was it hard to get?"

"A few draugr. Nothing the four of us couldn't handle."

He looked across the four of us. "Do any of you need a healer?"

"I've definitely had worse, my Jarl," Aela stated with humour. The Jarl laughed, as he was aware of the two near death experiences she'd suffered.

"And I see Ragnar is still dragging you along into these ruins too, Lydia."

"Such is my life, my Jarl. Though I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"The four of you have my thanks." He then handed the crown to me. "As I said, Ragnar, I'm entrusting this to you. I don't want it. I just didn't want anyone else to have it."

"We found a lot of bodies there, sir, both of the Empire and Stormcloaks. I'll write General Tullius a letter, and explain I was in the area and found the bodies. Hopefully he won't put two and two together too quickly."

"Hmmm. It's no surprise you found bodies there. Ulfric would definitely have wanted it to back his claim to be High King. I think the General would have wanted it simply so Ulfric didn't have it."

"I'll keep it at home for safekeeping, sir. I'm guessing I'll know when to use it."

The Jarl smirked. "I think you will, Ragnar."

I headed home, promising the other three I would meet them at the Bannered Mare later that evening. Serana was inside and immediately asked to see the crown. Upon showing her, she didn't look impressed by it but understood the symbol. "And the Jarl is leaving it with you?"

"He trusts me with it."

"And the Jarl doesn't want to be High King?" I shook my head. "What about Jarl Elisif?"

"I'm not really sure how all the politics works. But I'm figuring she doesn't just become High Queen because Torygg died."

"Who else could become High King though?"

I shrugged. "No idea. I don't particularly want to be involved in any of this."

"An easy life?"

"Isn't that what we both want?"

She leaned across from her chair and kissed my cheek. "Definitely."

"Bannered Mare?"

"Let me guess. Lydia, Mjoll and Aela have invited us?" I could only smile as she guessed correctly nearly every time. "I sometimes think you have too many women in your life, Ragnar."

"Jealous?" I asked playfully.

Now she laughed. "Hardly. You sleep with me every night. I think they're jealous of me."

I leaned across and whispered into her ear, "They probably are."

She turned to face and kissed me. It was a certain kiss that suggested plenty of things. "Do you really want to head up the Bannered Mare?" she asked, her eyes stating she would rather do something else instead of heading to the Bannered Mare.

We did something else that night. Neither of us missed going to the Bannered Mare.