When they arrive at Farengar's laboratory, there's a woman bent over a tome on his desk and he's talking animatedly to her. "You see? The terminology is clearly First Era or even earlier. I'm convinced this is a copy of a much older text. Perhaps dating to just after the Dragon War. If so, I could use this to cross-reference the names with other later texts."

    "Good. I'm glad you're making progress. My employers are anxious to have some tangible answers."

"Oh, have no fear. The jarl himself has finally taken an interest, so I'm now able to devote most of my time to this research."

    "Time is running, Farengar, don't forget. This isn't some theoretical question. Dragons have come back."

"Yes, yes. Don't worry. Although the chance to see a living dragon up close would be tremendously valuable... Now, let me show you something else I found—very intriguing—I think your employers may be interested as well..."

    Then the woman looks up from the book and notices Ruby, Onmund, and Erandur. "It seems that you have visitors."

"Hmm? Ah, you've returned! And in one piece, it seems. ...well, three pieces, but each of them whole enough."

Ruby, Onmund, and Erandur exchange looks.

That woman is... the innkeep from Riverwood, right?

Oh, yeah. What the fuck.

"I believe we found the dragonstone," Ruby says, grabbing it from the bag attached to his hip and offering it to Farengar.

"So you did!" he says, accepting it and bringing it over to the apparently-more-than-just-an-innkeep. "Is this what you were looking for?"

    "Indeed," she says, and then she looks at the trio again. "And one of you claims to be the Dragonborn?"

"That would be me."

"What proof do you have of this?"

Heeere we go.

"While I was exploring the ruins of Saarthal, a man claiming to be from the Psijic Order stopped time to tell me that, plus some other cryptic things. Then we found some carvings on a wall that were making sounds only I could hear, and when I got close enough this word started glowing and then I knew what it meant—"

"A Word Wall," she says.

"—I guess that's as valid a name as any? There were many words though."

She shakes her head. "When Arkay gave mortals the means to learn the dragon tongue, he gave us the means to record individual words like that, to preserve them for the future and allow transmission. What word are you claiming you learned?"

"Ice. Iiz."

"Hmm. I see. Go on."

"So immediately after that I passed out and had a vision of Alduin attacking Helgen—"

"Alduin?"

"Don't ask me how I know it. I heard there's a prophecy?"

"Yes. If all you say is true, they name you the Last Dragonborn."

"...no pressure or anything."

"Yes pressure. The fate of the world may rest on your shoulders."

"Yeah, the Psijic implied something like that."

Man, this woman must be fun at parties.

"So you had a vision and... decided to come here?"

"I met with the Archmage, who also thought I was Dragonborn, and then we rode to Helgen. We arrived too late and only found its ruins. Then we came here, and the rest you know. —well, no, there was also a Word Wall in the Barrow, for fus."

"An intriguing tale. We will find the truth of it in time, I am sure." Then, to Farengar: "Come to me as soon as you've deciphered this. You know where to find me." She nods to him, then to the trio, and then she leaves.

    "Well, this is perfect timing. Ah, do speak to the jarl, he will want to reward you. You've done a great service to the realm."

Reward them, hmm? Well, he knows exactly what he wants.

"You wish to retake the Valtheim Towers?" he asks, his incredulity entirely unconcealed.