Into Skyrim

Chapter 14: Finding Esbern

Arriving in Riverwood around noon, the town was alive with people going about their usual business. As we walk into the Sleeping Giant, we find Delphine sweeping the floor in her innkeeper getup. She looks up as we enter and Meeko runs over to us giddily.
"Good, you're back," Delphine says. "What did you find out?"

"It's nice to see you, too," I say sarcastically as my friends and I follow her downstairs. "We're perfectly fine, by the way. Thanks for asking."

"The Thalmor don't know anything about the dragons," Elizabeth answers. "I'm just as surprised as you."

"Really?" Delphine asks, surprised, "I find that hard to believe. You're sure about that?"

"Of course we're sure," I say. "Why the hell would you send us if you weren't gonna believe what we come back with?"

Delphine puts her hands up in surrender. "You're right, you're right. I just... I was sure it was them. So if not the Thalmor, then who? Or what?" She asks.

"I dunno," Elizabeth says. "But they're looking for some guy named Bernard. Or was it Espen? It was something like that."

"Esbern," Zeppelin corrects as he takes a seat in a chair in the corner to give our pup a good scratch. Meeko thumps his hind leg happily when Zepp finds just the right spot.

"Esbern! Right! They're looking for some old guy named Esbern!"

"Esbern?" Delphine asks, astonished. "He's alive?! I thought the Thalmor got him years ago. That crazy old man," She chuckles. "Figures they'd be on his trail though if they're trying to find out about the dragons."

"What would the Thalmor want with Esbern?" I ask.

"You mean aside from wanting to eliminate every Blade they can get their hands on? Esbern was one of our main archivists before the Thalmor smashed us during the Great War. He knew everything about the ancient dragon lore of the Blades, obsessed really. I guess he wasn't as crazy as we all thought." Delphine answers.

"They seem to think he's hiding out in Riften," I say, hoping this conversation is almost done with.

"Riften, eh? Probably down in the Ratway then. It's where I'd go. You'd better get to Riften," She says with a hint of a smile. "Oh, and when you find Esbern, if you think I'm paranoid you may have some trouble getting him to trust you. Just ask him where he was on the thirtieth of Frost Fall. He'll know what it means."

"Let's go then," Zeppelin says, standing up. "Who's gonna go get Julius?"

"I will," I say, heaving my lazy ass up the stairs ahead of everyone else. "Elizabeth, can you go get some potions from Lucan?" I ask.

"Sure thing!" She answers, "What kind and how many?"

"Healing potions, obviously," Zeppelin says first as we step out into the warmish afternoon air. "A shit ton of em. And you'll probably want some stamina, and it wouldn't hurt to grab a few magicka potions for me."

"On it!" Elizabeth says. "C'mon, Jay."

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"Why are you bringing me with you?!" Julius complains. "I was perfectly content working in that little town, I didn't cause any trouble, so just why?"
We walk through the gates of Riften without any trouble. Passing by several townsfolk, we head straight for the Ratway.

"Wanna know something?" I ask Elizabeth.

"What?"

"The Ratway was my first player home. There's a small room down there somewhere that I used to just drop my stuff in," I say. "Mainly because I had no fucking clue where Breezehome was. Speaking of which, we should probably buy a house."