Rigmor of Cyrodiil

The Dragonborn mounted the horse as he thought to himself, “I’ve spent too much time here at this location already. The ghosts of those moments, those decisions, and those words still live vividly inside of me. Let’s head in towards Bruma and find out what’s really going on.” He turned the horse down the trail towards the final post before entering Cyrodiil and its open roads beyond.

As he approached the post, he noticed the two new imperial guards posted at the gate, there was one up above them pacing back and forth on the walkway that all of these posts and gates had built on top of them and then he could see another guard higher up and to the left in a watchtower. He stopped at a collection of empty wagons, crates, and barrels thinking to himself, “Why are these here, I see no signs of misdeeds as both Sethri and Stultus had hinted at but maybe the evidence laid beyond the gate.”

He turned the horse and slowly finished his way to the gate. One of the guards at the border post came forward and said, “Halt! The borders are closed, what business do you have here?” The Dragonborn replied, “I am here to visit Bruma on official business. I have a pass.” The guard said, “Let me see.” The guard took the pass the Dragonborn handed to him. After reading it he said, “Okay, all seems in order. But I should warn you to keep your weapons sheathed, any acts of violence will be met with the full force of the law.” The guard paused then continued, “You may of course defend yourself if you are attacked, but those are the rules and laws.” He then turned to the other guard and said to him, “Open the gates.”

The gates were opened and the guards stood back at their post watching him as he passed through the doorway and into the greater province of Cyrodiil.

As he entered he saw a captain sitting upon a horse, behind him were some of the new Imperial guard near a mass of dead men, women, and children. They laid there in the snow which was stained with the blood of these innocent people. He slowly rode his horse over to the mass of bodies and sat there on it with tears dripping down his cheeks then dropping down into the blood stained snow.

The Imperial guard were getting nervous and the captain could be heard saying, “Move along quickly, there’s nothing here that concerns you.” Another of the guards said to the Dragonborn, “I’m warning you. Back off!” There was a pause as the other guards drew their weapons and began to surround him. The same guard again said, “That’s close enough.” It was then that the place exploded into action and one of the other guards cried out, “You never should have come here, you were warned!”

They all rushed the Dragonborn but he was prepared and dug his heals into the horse forcing it to leap forward over the dead and then had it running full up to the top of the rise. It was here he stopped the horse, dismounted, drew out Azura’s Bane whose runes were reacting with frightful intensity to his emotions.

The Dragonborn came upon them like an angel of death. He spoke the words of the unrelenting force, “Fus, Ro, Daah!” – “Force, Balance, and Push” which staggered the guard and too late they realized that the sins of their past had caught up to them and the justice of the divines were upon them. They burst into bright flames as the Dragonborn swung the two-handed bane with the force born by the blood of the dragons flowing through him.

It was not long before he stood there with the nothing but the dead lying all about him. The justice of the Dovah, “Ysmir, Dragon of the North” had been served this day. There were no one to witness these deeds other than the divines and innocent dead who he hoped now felt free to return home to their final resting place in the life beyond.

The Dragonborn turned away from the dead Imperial guard, walked over to the mass of dead men, women, and children, fell to his knees and cried out in prayer, “Azura and Akatosh! Forgive me for this justice but I could not walk away from the stain of the innocent that lie upon this frozen earth!” A light began to swirl around him and a voice came upon him, “My child, do not be so hard on yourself, what you did today has been foretold, you have freed the souls of the innocent who lie in the snow to come home. Be at peace as your father and mother are proud of you. Trust in the nine, always.”

Silence returned, the Dragonborn rose in time, walked back to where he left his horse at the top of the ridge and began the final journey towards Bruma and what he hoped would be a reunion with Rigmor.

The Dragonborn stepped out into the Cyrodiil side of the border post. He immediately saw a horse stabled nearby and walked over to him. He allowed the Dragonborn to touch him, smooth his mane, and seemed to take an immediate liking to the Dragonborn. The Dragonborn thought to himself, “I have no idea how long the trip into Bruma is from here, so maybe I’ll borrow the horse, ride it to Bruma and have one of the guards there return it to Stultus.

The Dragonborn left some gold coins on top of the nearby barrels. He thought to himself, “Stultus, consider it a loaner’s fee until its returned. I’ll have the guard or whoever returns it to you bring you some more on gold coins on deliver back to this location. He then raised his foot into the stirrup, lifted himself up, and began to ride the trail down towards what he supposed would be another checkpoint before Bruma.

He came to a spot as he the trail continued to descend, stopped at a strange rock that rose up out of the snow and appeared as a dragon watching over the land. He remembered, “When I first came through here, there was no gate, no office for the border post nor guards. It was here for some reason that the Greybeards had called out to him, “Dovahkiin”. Both Rigmor and he heard the call and felt it rumble through the valleys around him

He continued on then came up on the approach of the original gate and guard post into Cyrodiil and the cities within. He would never forget this place as it was where he had to explain to Rigmor why he could not continue on with her. He knew he broke her heart that day and never forgave himself for having done it. From there you could see the Imperial City, seat of the Emperor and true power of Tamriel far off into the valleys below.

He sat there as the cold winds blew hard through the channels of the mountains into his face. He held his eyes closed in mediation for a moment, while behind him stood a memory so full of promise. One that he had shattered into pieces as he stood there watching Rigmor make her last journey to Bruma and home.

When he arrived at the old post, he dismounted the horse and walked over to where he and Rigmor rested and she spoke about the bright future ahead together. How she would show him so many new things, and they would live happily ever after, at least that is what Rigmor thought.

The Dragonborn stood there and the memories of all that had occurred in those last moments together here at this place flooded through him. He could still hear her talking about how wonderful it would be for them to share in a new life together in Cyrodiil. For Rigmor, this was a sort of promise and a better tomorrow that she believed in so much. He thought to himself with tears rolling out of his eyes and falling through the air to hit the snow around him. “Oh Rigmor, forgive me for the pain I had to deliver that day. Find grace in your heart to let me back in when I return.” He then thought, “its’ getting late, maybe I should retire here for the evening then begin the rest of the journey into Bruma starting tomorrow morning.”

The night was peaceful except for his dreams, the events of those last moments haunted him while he slept. He knew that seeing her again would be hard on them both. Too much had passed between them for it to become forgotten because of the simple passing of time.

The Dragonborn rose from his chair as Stultus headed for somewhere else for a while. He opened the door to the outside where the guards would be on the Skyrim side of the post and immediately he heard, “Well, Well, look who’s back fellas. No official border pass hah! Well, for you the price has just doubled, ha, ha, ha!”

The Dragonborn walked down the stairs and over to the guard who had spoken to him both before when he first arrived and now, after spending time inside the office of the border post. The Dragonborn then said to the guard in response, “I think it’s wrong you sending all these people over the border to their deaths.” The border guard replied, “Are you making some kind of joke!” The Dragonborn said, “No really…women, children. You must be very proud of yourselves.” The guard laughed, then said, “You’ve got some kind of courage talking to us like that…considering your by yourself.” The guard paused, then continued, “My advice to you is to turn around and walk back the way you came, after all, a man’s gotta make a living.”

The rest of the guards who had been sitting, listening, stood up and formed a circle around the Dragonborn and the spokesmen for them. One then said, “Well he ain’t moving, fellas, some folks don’t wanna listen to good advice.” Another guard replied, “Maybe his ears are clogged up” while the other said, “Or maybe he’s just stupid.” The guards all laughed at that point. The Dragonborn then softly replied, “Dying ain’t much of a living!” The main guard then replied, “Well, cry me a river.” Then the whole scene broke into mayhem as the guards all drew their weapons and the Dragonborn slid Azura’s Bane out of it sheath, set it before him, and the runes burst into flames that licked its edges with a warning of pain.

One of the guards cried out, “You never should have come here.” Then the Dragonborn and the sword become one, and it justice was served by the divines on those who had taken advantage of so many innocent men, women, and children. Bane exploded with power as each stroke sliced into the guards, and they all realized too late, the doom that was upon them.

The Dragonborn stood over the guards in a final stance ready to deliver the last blow but there was nothing but silence now, as justice had been delivered for the innocents who these guards had helped to send to their deaths. All that he could hear was the rush of blood in his ears, and the crackle of Azura’s Bane – The Sword of Destiny.

The Dragonborn sheathed Bane, then walked up the steps to door for the office of the border post, turned the handle and stepped in. He found Stultus and his wife sitting comfortably at a table near the cooking fire quietly speaking with each other. He walked over to them, then Stultus asked, “What can I do for you?” The Dragonborn replied, “Okay, Now I’m ready.” Stultus responded, “So many raids these days from Redguard nomad raiders. I’ll make an official report and have this mess cleaned up. Please follow me.”

The Dragonborn walked over to a dresser and took all the goods; necklaces, rings, amulets and a child’s doll and set them all on the top of the dresser. He was in his own heart, making a deposit for the loss of the dead innocents who these guards had stolen from and sent to their deaths on the other side in Cyrodiil. He paused and looked at it all while the wife quietly watched him and wondered about who this man was that had been touched so much to do what he was doing now.

The Dragonborn tuned and followed Stultus towards another door that likely open onto the Cyrodiil side of the border. Stultus was telling him, “Make sure you show the pass to the New Imperial Guards on the Cyrodiil side of the border. Keep it safe, you’ll need it to travel freely between the provinces.” Stultus then stopped walking, turned to face the Dragonborn and said, “One more thing, whatever you see down there, on the border, please remain calm and remember what I said about who you represent now. Enjoy your stay!”

The Dragonborn had made his way towards the Bannered Mare, which was situated in the market area where the General Goods and Alchemy and Potions shops were as well as several other outdoor stalls that sold various items such as fruits, breads, vegetables, fresh meat, and jewelry made by a famous blacksmith who work was famous because of the forge he used, called Skyforge. He did mos of his work for the companions, a company of mercenaries of sorts.

When he entered the inn, he scanned the room looking for familiar faces, he saw Hulda, a Nord, who was the innkeeper and owner, the bard, Mikael, also a Nord and the author of “A Gentleman’s Guide to Whiterun” who was currently playing a local favorite, “Ragnar the Red”. He also observed that several of the waiters and some of the regular locals were there. He had expected to see this familiar group of people, one of the reasons he came here as it helped to stir the memories of old with Rigmor. He sat at an open table and waited to see who would show up as a friend as the message said and what news they needed to deliver to him.

It wasn’t long before he heard footsteps approaching him from behind, he actually expected it to be Saadia, a Redguard living and working at the inn as a waiter asking him if he wanted anything to eat or drink or maybe both. He only had a moment to muse about it when a figure he had not seen for a long time came around immediately stating, “Greetings Dragonborn, you don’t know the trouble I’ve had finding you. Got a letter ‘ere for ya. Special delivery!”

After he greeted the Dragonborn, he sat down at the table in an open chair. The Dragonborn greeted him kindly, “Tendril Sethri, thief, disciple, messenger, mage, landlord and now courier. How long has it been since we last saw and spoke to each other?”

Tendril Sethri sat down crossed his arms while Olfina Gray-Mane, a Nord, and a part of the Gray-Mane clan, stood watching the inn, as she worked there as one of the waiters along with Saadia. Sethri responded to the Dragonborn question by replying, “He-he, too long Dragonborn, too long. I’d say by a whisker, it’s been four years since we last saw each other. Our last conversation was back at the old farmhouse located near Riften. Unfortunately, it was when I had to deliver that message to you concerning your need to stay in Skyrim.”

The Dragonborn replied, “If you’ve been sent to find me, this delivery must be very special indeed!” Sethri responded, “For your eyes only, straight from Bruma, don’t suppose you’ve heard what’s been going on in Cyrodiil these last couple of years?” The Dragonborn paused in thought a moment, then replied, ” I’ve had my hands full in Skyrim to be honest with you. But I am sure you being a disciple of Azura must already know about those times.” Sethri then looked at him and asked, “Not heard from young Rigmor then?” The Dragonborn replied, “I’ve not heard a word from he since we last saw each other at the border post up in the Pale pass to Cyrodiil. I am guessing this letter is from her?” Sethri said, “No, not this one. Although I do know Rigmor did write you.” The Dragonborn responded, “Well, I never received anything from Rigmor, I just assumed she got tired of waiting for me and moved on with her life.” Sethri, then placed a letter on the table in front of the Dragonborn. At the same time Ysolda, a Nord who lived in Whiterun, and enjoyed listening to and speaking with newcomers to Whiterun sat down at an open chair at the table and quietly listened.

Sethri replied to the Dragonborn, “Yeah, well the letters never got returned, so it may be worth your time to check with the border post to see they got buried up there in some sort of unknown person bag or something. You know you weren’t exactly easy to find.” The Dragonborn exclaimed, “The border post?” Sethri chuckled then said, “You have to go there anyway , to acquire the pass from the official assigned to that post.” There was silence at the table for a moment, the room had more of the locals arriving such as Lucia, a local orphan who would sit under the big tree and beg for some coins to buy her next meal. Sethri then interrupted the silence by saying, “Well, that’s why they sent me. I think you’d better read that letter there to understand.”

The Dragonborn picked up the letter, broke the seal, and unfolded it to read, the letter was dated 4E 205 and read as follows: “Dragonborn, If you are reading this, then we have at last managed to find you. You must have heard of the recent events in Cyrodiil, and although some stability has returned, freedom has not. We must speak in private, and certain names have been omitted in this correspondence, but I am sure you know to whom I am referring.She did try to write you, but you could not be located and gave up on ever seeing you again. I don’t think she ever got over losing you. But she is fine, and well and has moved on. You know her, never one to sit still, always looking for trouble if it doesn’t find her first. And trouble has found her. Of course she just waves it off, talks tough and I do realize you have moved on with your life, but I have no choice but to contact you for help. We fear she is in grave danger Dragonborn. Please come to visit us at our residence so we can talk further. Show the border guards the official pass.” The letter was signed, “Sigunn of Bruma”.

The Dragonborn folded the letter again and slipped it into a pouch he carried on his waist, he then looked at Sethri and asked, “What kind of crap has she gotten herself into this time?” Sethri replied, “These days, with the border locked down, it’s near impossible to get anything through. You must get the official border pass to enter Cyrodiil. If anyone tells you otherwise or offers a way over for coin, be wary of them, very wary. That’s if you decide to respond of course.”

The Dragonborn replied, “Don’t worry, I’ll get the pass.” Sethri then chuckled slightly, “Must be like a blast from the past right? The Dragonborn asked, ” Have you seen Rigmor lately, do you know how she’s doing?” Sethri replied, ” Ah, well! All will be revealed Dragonborn, all will be revealed.” The Dragonborn replied back, “Why is it I feel my stomach churn every time you say that?” Sethri responded, “Ha ha, let’s see…um, foreboding? The Dragonborn chuckled, “That’s it…yes, foreboding as in something bad is about to happen.” Sethri looked at his friend and replied, ” I’m sure it’s nothing you can’t handle, must be important seeing’ as you ain’t had no contact with anyone from back then in a such a long time!”

The conversation continued where in Sethri revealed that Cyrodiil wasn’t like Skyrim, they were civilized and had apparently set down very harsh penalties for violence against any law bidding citizen. Sethri had also warned the Dragonborn that something wasn’t right, he used an old saying, “I can fell it in me water like.” He paused then told the Dragonborn there was nothing civilized about what he saw crossing the border. The Dragonborn asked, “What did you see Sethri?” Sethri replied, “Just make sure you keep a cool head, you’ll see.”

The conversation then continued on a different track where the Dragonborn asked Sethri what he had been up to all these years since they last saw each other. He told him about the fact he was still living in the old farmhouse and how he had gone on a pilgrimage to Winterhold. To the shrine of his mistress, Azura. Sethri then spoke about a pretty young thing there that had taken a bit of a shine to him, Aranea was her name. He then told him with him that he hoped to coax her down from the mountain and into his little ‘ol farm.” The conversation was coming to a close, the Dragonborn could sense and said, “Well good luck with that, It’s so good to see you again Sethri.” Sethri replied, “Likewise Dragonborn, likewise, it’s good to see you too my friend.” Sethri in closing said, “Now then…my part in this is done and I have a date with destiny. So until next time Dragonborn.”

The Dragonborn watched in silence as Sethri turned, open the door and disappeared to the road again. He paused briefly then thought to himself, “I guess I better prepare for a journey to Cyrodiil to understand more about what’s going on with Rigmor and why her mother Sigunn felt the need to bring him back in their lives again.”