Unknown, Perhaps non-exsistant

I know not how many days have passed since I first arrived in this strange and beautiful land.  In fact I barely remember how I got here.  I rode a dragon.  Over mountains and rivers and valleys and through heavy thick clouds filled with droplets of water that clung to my armor and made breathing difficult.  And then I was left at a keep high on some mountain, I know not which, but I believe it was on Skyrim's very Eastern border.  I fought my way to the top of this ruined keep.  When I finally reached it's summit there was a huge pillar of glowing energy which consumed most of the stone ground, in fact it was the ground in most places.  Although a large part of me dreaded it, I knew what I had to do, I leapt into the energy.  I will never be able to accurately explain what it feels like for a living body--flesh and blood--to be transported to Sovngarde, but let it suffice to say it was no pleasant experience.  For several bloodshot minutes I was fully aware of every fiber of my being, every nerve ending, every pulsating artery, every layer of skin, it was as if some evil force was exerting every bit of it's power to fillet me alive.  But somehow I made it through the portal in one piece.  I was thrown violently into a misty dark land.  Not the Sovngarde of legend by any means.  They air was hot and thick, the sky overcast and ominous.  I lay on the ground for a long time, trying to regain my breath and my composure.  I wanted nothing more than to strip off my armor and throw myself into the weak trickle of water that ran nearby me, but when I approached it I saw that it too was hot almost to the point of boiling.

I followed a winding path through the dark land, shouting away the fog as I could, stumbling through it when I felt my strength waning.  The sweat ran down in rivers over my brow, down my back.  When I felt I could go no further I beheld a weak light in the distance.  It was a torch, on a bridge.  A huge man, the biggest Nord I have ever seen was guarding the bridge.  Tsun I discovered his name to be.  He came up to me with stately strides, he seemed unaffected by the heat.  I told him that I was in Sovngarde because of my right as Dragonborn, and yet still he challenged my worth.  Exhausted as I was I drew my blade and accepted his challenge.  I knew the only way to defeat Alduin was to gain the acceptance of the shades of Sovngarde.

Tsun was a powerful opponent, but he was big, almost immediately he broke out into a sweat, which encouraged me.  He was not immune to the heat after all.  His heavy waraxe swung quickly and deftly, driving me back, the sweat ran into my eyes, stinging like Oblivion's fire.  I tore off my trusty face-plate and tossed it aside, wiped my eyes and dodged another lethal blow.  For several hellish minutes I feared I would perish in the land of the dead.  But then like a breath of fresh air I felt a new spirit enter me, a fresh, well rested spirit, ready to dive into battle.  I swung my sword fervently, drove Tsun back now, I slashed out at him knocking him off balance and then with a graceful twist of my blade I sliced the tendons of his wrist, I pulled my blade back and up, and disarmed him.

He didn't try to fight any more.  He congratulated me on my victory, retrieved his ax, and granted me entrance.  Although I knew I didn't have to I apologized for maiming him, he merely laughed, pointing out that he was already dead, the body he had know would heal itself quickly.

Once I entered the hall of Valor I was directed to the three heroes I witnessed fighting off Alduin the first time I read to elder scroll at the time wound.  They said that they would help me do so again.  This time permanently destroying the ancient beast.

We used our combined shouts to permanently clear the fog surrounding the hall of valor.  We also succeeded in summoning Alduin.  He came careening down through the sky, a massive comet of black, scale, and fire.  I used Dragon-rend to bring him down, and then the four of us charged in.  It took many hours, but every time he would attempt to take to the air to escape I shouted him back down.  Eventually he realized that we were going to defeat him.  He charged at me, with one snap of his jaws he could have easily killed me, but I darted back, his swinging teeth caught on to my sword instead, ripped it from my grasp and shattered it.   Knocked off balance I fell back.  He would have been on me in an instant if the three heroes would not have used the distraction to charge him.  As I lay useless on the ground, Alduin was being destroyed before me.  I shouted, slow time, released the silver dagger from my boot and jumped up, I was not going to let them stand alone in victory.  As the world blurred around me I leapt foreword, onto the wing of the beast, ran up his uneven hide and drove my dagger through his eye.  Time resumed its pace, Alduin threw me off his neck, I slammed against the rock and lay as if dead.  But it was Alduin who was dying.  He flung himself back and forth, black energy seemed to consume him.  He rose up into the air, shouting words I do not know in the dragon tongue.  And then with a mighty flash and a resounding deep crack that seemed to split the world in two, he was gone.

With Alduin's demise Sovngarde has been returned to its former glory.  The shades now walk in peace once again.  Tsun has informed me that I may go back whenever I please, but I know that I should not stay in this place much longer, it is not a place that the living should tread in.  However, dining with King Olaf the one eyed, and exchanging tales with Jurgen Wind-caller is a life that I find hard to leave.  But I must.  I will eat one more meal with these might men and woman, and then resume my native land.  I wonder what news awaits me when I return to Tamriel.  I wonder if any time will have passed at all.

Sundas, 10:18 AM, 4th of Morning Star

Season unending.  The ancient Nord word for war.  War.  What is it about that putrid beast that makes men swarm like carnivorous flies??  Like blood-starved wolves?  I do not understand the draw.  And because I refuse to take a side, to throw in my lot with either small minded leader I am looked down upon as a weakling, I felt at the council as if I was even viewed as a traitor by both sides at times.  Yes, I realize that if I were to join either the Imperials or the Stormcloaks I could probably turn the tide of battle in their favor.  Ulfric Stormcloak openly admitted this to be true when I spoke to him at Windhelm, Tulius did not come out and say it in so many words, but small minded as he is, he is not stupid, I'm sure he knows having the dragon born on his side would be a powerful ally.

But yet still I hold out, I will not fight for either side.  I suppose that soon the time will come when the forces clash on my doorstep, and I am no fool.  I will not die before picking up a sword to fight.  When the time comes for me to fight, I will be ready.  I will kill Nord and Imperial alike if I must.  But until that day comes, I will hold out.

And for the moment at least I have brought an unsteady peace.  Tulius and Ulfric have laid down their arms...ready to snatch them back up again at a moments notice if the need arise, but at least they have arrived at some childish measure of peace.  They say that they will give me time to stop the dragons.  We will see if either man can hold to his word for that long.  The way I see it I am now in a race against time.  I must capture a dragon in Whiterun...in Dragonsreach.  Now that the peace is established the Jarl will have no qualms in allowing me to use his courtyard.  I must bring the dragon down and interrogate it.  I have never even interrogated a fellow Nord...so interrogating a dragon sounds a bit out of my league, but what choice do I have.  I plan on using dragon-rend on it.  From everything I've heard making a dragon stare mortality in the face is one of the most painful experiences it can go through.  We'll see.

And after the dragon tells me where Alduin has gone...well...I go 'there'. Wherever there might be.  I must kill the world eater once and for all.  Or at least permanently banish him.  I am curious to see how all this planning will actually unfold in reality.  It is no small task I am undertaking here, that I realize.  They Greybeards plainly told me they only support me because of the fact that Paarthurnax does.

On that subject:  Delphine was at the council, I didn't invite her, I don't know how she heard about it, but she showed up.  The long standing hatred between the sword wielding blades and the peace loving grey beards was immediately evident, but they did well to refrain from harsh words.  However, after the council had adjourned and we were heading our separate ways Delphine approached me.  She seemed to be furious.

"So Paarthurnax, the great leader of the Greybeards has spoken to you?"

I told her it was so, and expressed my initial shock at him being a dragon.

"So I heard as well, did you know he was once Alduin's true friend, yet betrayed him in the end?"

I had assumed that Paarthurnax had some tie to Alduin, but that they had been close I was not aware.  I told Delphine so.

"What's to keep him from betraying us as well?  Rae, until this 'Paarthurnax' lies dead, I'm afraid the Blades cannot offer you their hand any more."

So blunt.  So very like Delphine.  Before I could respond she turned on her heel and was on her way out.  I didn't bother to stop her.  It was obvious she didn't care to argue.  I cannot however justify killing Paarthurnax in my own mind.  Perhaps he's done some things that would appall even the most battle born.  What of it?  The past is the past.  Perhaps the fact that I am a creature of the night myself makes me more understanding of the faults in others.  I see no reason to kill him for what he has done.  I judge solely on what he is doing.  And up to this point he has been a true friend and mentor to me.  Perhaps I will come to regret my choice, it wouldn't be the first time I've had a friendship go south.  And at that time I will do what I have to.  But for now I am not about to walk up a mountain and kill the sole dragon who I am on speaking terms with because an angry Blade told me to.

I rest at High Hrothgar today.  I shall head down to Whiterun in the evening.