With that he turned and made his way up until he came to the spot she spoke of. There it was. He looked up and knew this would be a long climb up. He would need to keep his eyes wide open for anything this high up.
He began his way up the stairs and rocks that served as a switch back trail. Pausing, he mused, “I understand the reasons why the trails were built this way. The name came from the construction of switching directions to connect the easiest path up or down a trail. Of course, it also gave the person using the trail the opportunity to appreciate the different views as you move to a different location, pointing in another direction.”
He continued to follow the trail up the mountain. He wondered, “What had happened to all the others Rose spoke of that had taken this pilgrimage up the mountain? Had they died from the weather.” Then he saw it, “A frost troll!” He pulled his bow, it appeared that it had not noticed him yet.
He let the arrow fly towards its target. The arrow sped forth across the distance at blazing speed. It struck the troll in the head with such force that the troll was knocked back up against the wall of the mountain.
At that same time luck had intervened and the mountain shivered and shook loose some rocks and debris to come tumbling down its walls to hit the troll and nearly finish its life off. He pulled his final shot and let loose. The troll fell back against the mountain wall, never able to harm anyone else again.
He went to verify it was dead. He began to think about what he knew about trolls as he went, “Frost Trolls, the most fearsome of breeds in Tamriel. Larger and able to sustain raw damage against its prey or enemies. What luck that the mountain decided to let something fall on its head when it did.”
He had taken a position to survey the area. He quietly thought, “There were dead pilgrims here. Seekers likely of truths, unprepared for what dangers the mountains could have. Possibly believing strictly in the faith they had in the divines would protect them.” He mused, “That’s not how it works though. If the divines did not want us to be challenged, there would not be so many dangers in the world around us.”
He continued to make his way up to the summit now where the temple or shrine was supposedly located according to Rose. As he came around a bend, looked upward to see what looked like an entry to a temple, there he saw yet another Frost Troll.
This time he had prepared himself; He readied a fire spell in both hands knowing that Frost Trolls were sensitive to its burning effects, and it would help keep their native abilities to regenerate health from the blood at bay. That would give him the opportunity to deal with the troll before it got too close to him.
He fired off two fire balls from the magic gathered in his hands, he then reached deep within himself and pulled on his reserves. He fired off the shots, two in succession. When they hit the troll, it flared in a brilliant spectacle of light, then the troll collapsed to the ground dead.
The way up to the doorway built into what looked like an entry of some type was open now. There were also more dead pilgrims who had somehow gotten past the first troll only to be killed by its brother or sister above.
He made his way up past the dead to the doorway to the temple or shrine. He stood there thinking for a moment, “I wonder whose temple this is and why up here.”
