A Housecarl's Journal

Pinewatch

The sun hung low over the distant peaks as Ma'at and I stood at the edge of Helgen, the once-thriving town now nothing more than smoldering ruins. Her eyes, dark with sorrow and uncertainty, shifted away whenever I mentioned the gods, as if the very mention of their names were an affront to her. I had come to understand the weight of her mistrust-she had seen too much of their indifference in the cruel hands of fate. Still, I persisted.

"The will of the gods has guided me to you, Ma'at," I said, my voice steady yet filled with conviction. "I am sworn to protect you. I am your housecarl, your guardian."

She hesitated, brow furrowed in skepticism, but after the horrors we had endured together, I could see the flicker of consideration in her gaze. The gods, it seemed, were not entirely without merit in her eyes. She agreed, albeit reluctantly, but with the condition that I would not stand in her way. I swore to that, and with our pledge made, we turned our eyes toward the unknown.

Ma'at had nowhere to go-no home to return to. It was as if the very earth beneath her feet had been ripped away. And though she kept her thoughts to herself, I could see the anger, the raw sorrow, each time I tried to press her for answers. I offered her the safety of my kin, shelter in Dushnikh Yal to give her time to think, to decide what came next. Without a word, she accepted.

We journeyed north, leaving Helgen and its tragic aftermath behind. The dragon's roar still echoed in my mind, but I could see in Ma'at's silence that the world had changed for her too.

As we descended the mountain and neared the tranquil shores of Lake Ilinalta, the world seemed to return to some semblance of peace. The sound of birdsong filled the air, and the gentle rush of the river whispered its eternal song. But my thoughts were elsewhere-on an old myth I had read about the Standing Stones of Skyrim, ancient monoliths said to be carved by beings of power, granting special abilities to heroes in times of dire need.

I spoke of this to Ma'at, and though she was skeptical, I saw a spark of curiosity in her eyes. We made our way towards the stones, a path I knew would lead us to the White River. The old guard at Helgen had mentioned them, urging me to visit it for it's majestic view. Perhaps it was the madness of the dragon attack, or the sheer weight of the strange day, but something told me this was no coincidence. If there was even a sliver of truth to the legend, it was worth a try.

When we reached the stones, I was awestruck. The monoliths stood tall, their surfaces etched with intricate carvings of a mage, a warrior, and an assassin-symbols of ancient power. I marveled at the artistry, but Ma'at... Ma'at was drawn to the Warrior Stone. She stood before it, staring as though in a trance, her hand reaching out toward it, drawn by forces beyond my understanding. Before I could stop her, the stone began to glow, stars flickering into existence above us, their lines weaving together to form a celestial pattern.

And then, a beam of light shot upward from the tip of the stone, bright and powerful, reaching toward the heavens.

I rushed toward her, fear gripping my chest, but Ma'at seemed undisturbed. She looked at me with a faint smile. "It was just a trick of the lights," she said dismissively, but I knew better. Her touch had activated something. She had been chosen, though she couldn't see it.

Curious, I stepped toward the Mage Stone. Without much thought, I reached out to it, expecting perhaps some sign of divine favor-or nothing at all. The stone reacted, the same burst of light, the same shimmering constellation above. But like Ma'at, I felt nothing different within me. No surge of power, no shift in the world around me. It was as if the stone had only displayed a fine work of lights.

Perplexed, I pulled away, my thoughts a whirlwind. Could the appearance of the dragon somehow have awakened these ancient powers? Or was it something else altogether? I couldn't say, but the gods had not abandoned us entirely. I felt their presence in my heart, and Mara's guidance had brought us together for a reason. No matter the path ahead, I knew my place was beside Ma'at.