Blackness. Eyes must be closed.

The room was fuzzy at first, but the details eventually came into vision. Across the room was a bench with coloured bottles and wooden bowls. I could see sprigs of lavender and other similar things I didn't recognise. A small bookcase rested next to the door a few feet away from the end of the bed. Beside me was a washcloth and bowl of water with some herb soaking in it. I closed my eyes and took a long breath.

Where was I? My mind slipped back into oblivion.

I woke to a soft scraping sound. A woman stood at the bench with what I could only assume was a mortar and pestle. Light streamed onto the floor from under the curtains. If only I could get a look outside and see where I was. My hand reached out.

A wail burst from my lips. The girl spun around. My arm shook. I had never felt such a shock of pain. My back and shoulder throbbed as I froze in position.

"No, no, no," said the girl, "Don't move." She hurried to my side and took my arm, gently turning me onto my back. A few bolts of pain ran through me, but nothing so tortuous as before. She knelt beside the bed and examined my shoulder.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"Falkreath," she told me, still looking down. I turned my head toward her.

Most of her chestnut hair was tied into a messy bun, the exception being the thin braid hanging to the left of her face.

"I'm Elyna," she said, looking up me. My breath caught in my throat. Her big, green eyes studied my face as I looked at her.

"Herric," I replied, swallowing.

"That dragon certainly did a number on you," she said. My eyes widened. "Though I guess for a dragon, you were lucky and a half," she added.

"Dragon?" I blurted, jolting. I grimaced.

"Falkreath's first attack, yes," she said. She gently pushed me back down.

"...I'm sorry."

She gave me a questioning look.

"I remember the dragon attack on Whiterun. I was here when it happened. I run deliveries with your blacksmith and Adrianne in Whiterun." I explained, "When I returned, it was... like a dream. It took a while for all that devastation to sink in. They managed to keep it outside the walls, but we lost a lot of men."

"If only you had gotten home a day earlier, eh?"

I frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, holding her hands to her mouth, "I thought you would have remembered by now."

"Remembered what?"

"You killed the dragon," she said, "It used some sort of magic on you just as it died... from your scream I thought you were dead."

It hit me. That's right. I did remember. The flames on the rooftops and the humans all rushing about as if they could stop the mighty dragon. Pitiful arrows scraped at the dragon's sides, but one lucky shot caught well in the wing. It had to land, if only to regain balance. But that's all that one human needed. As it was distracted by the guards, he made his move.

Hefting a greatsword, he plunged the tip into my –

My?

The images flashing through my head were true, I knew it. I had killed that dragon. The greatsword sliced down its neck. As it died, a struggling talon clipped my shoulder. Then my vision went strange. Blurry. And I felt as if I had a force strong enough to send me back leagues plummet into my chest.

I placed a hand to my neck. It was almost as if I could remember that steel biting into my flesh and tearing me open. But that was the dragon. Not me.

"Are you alright?"

"Hm?" My mind zoomed back to the present. "I'm fine. I just..." I rubbed by neck, "I just remembered."

She smiled at me. A tender smile. She fingered the flesh on the edges of my wound. I winced a few times.

"Roll over for me," she said.

"Why?"

"I need to bathe it," she explained. I nodded and she helped me turn onto my side.

I heard her slosh the washcloth around in the water and wring it out a little. She applied it to a spot just under my left shoulder blade – where the wound began I supposed. The liquid seeped into my flesh and stung. When the sting subsided, the pain had dulled and it felt soothing.

"The wound starts here," she said, "And ends at the top of your shoulder. Your clavicle is fractured too."

"Nothing broken?"

"No. Not even a bad fracture," she said.

"How long would I have to stay here?" I asked, "I haven't sent word to Adrianne, she'll be worried."

"Maybe a couple more days," she said, "I'll use some spells on you tonight and we'll see how you go tomorrow."

"Okay," I said. She smiled in response. "And thank you."

"My father runs the healing hut here," she said, "I'm just doing my job." She dabbed the last bit of the wound and placed the cloth in the bowl. A tendril of blood smoked its way through the water.

"Elyna!" called a voice.

"That's him now, I had better go," she said, "Get some rest, alright?"

"Alright," I said, rolling onto my back.

She paused at the door and turned to me, smiling. I smiled back. An impatient groan from her father made her hurry off.

Sighing, I settled more comfortably into the pillow. I had remembered the attack as if I was flying over the town. I saw from the dragon's eyes. Perhaps there was some connection between a dragon and its killer. That last attack though, whatever it was, surely there'd be something to show for it. Magic that strong can't have faded away.

My mind kept to its wander, slowly falling into sleep. As I drifted, one word resonated within my being. It felt as though it were directed at me. Like I had heard it recently when I knew I hadn't.

Dovahkiin.

While I was no expert in the dragon's tongue, everyone knew what that meant. Dragonborn. But there was no Dragonborn. She passed two decades ago. And Alduin was defeated. No sense if I was...

My dreams were plagued with fire. And blood. Again, I flew over Falkreath, spewing flame. A gust caught under my wings and sent me upward, into the path of an arrow that sunk into me. Another joined it. I landed to quickly regain my balance. Fire shot from my mouth at the group of guards. Then I felt it. Sharp steel under my jaw, slicing down my throat.

I jolted upward and cried out. Instantly a hand was on my chest and forced me back down. Sweat covered my body. The sheets were damp. There were a few moments where I realised Elyna and a man were beside me. Her father. Something pressed against my chest, but whoever pushed me before had removed their hand. A groan escaped my lips. All my limbs felt heavy. My chest was being crushed. Another groan. I was barely aware the sound was coming from me.

I was hot. Then cold. My skin burned. Touch was unbearable. I squirmed, trying the get the thin sheet off my body. I clawed at my chest, leaving scratches from my fingernails.

I was vaguely aware of Elyna talking to me. "It's alright, it's alright," she would repeat to me as she dabbed my body with herb-infused water.

"Drink this," said her father and shoved a bottle into my face. I took it and gulped down whatever liquid he had given me. It had a tang and soft warmth but did nothing to quell my pain.

My vision was fading in and out. Things would be blurry for a few moments, then clear as day, and slowly it would blacken from the edges. I had to get up, get moving. Work my body. Get blood pumping to my muscles and take control of myself.

I swung a hand out to try and use momentum to get me up. Elyna's father held it down to the bed.

"No," I puffed, "Let me...move."

"Herric just calm down, you'll be alright," said Elyna.

"No, no, no, no," I muttered. Snatching my arm from her father, I tried to sit up. He pushed me back down. My muscles started to spasm. I let out an irritated groan. Like a toddler having a tantrum, I kicked out with my legs.

"Let me up," I uttered.

"No," said the man, "This is for your own safety, just stay there."

"Please let me up," I pleaded.

"No."

I groaned between clenched teeth and opened my mouth to a scream. The pressure on my chest became tenfold worse. "Let me up!" I yelled and lashed out, hitting the man hard on the side of the head. I rolled my body over in the same movement, forcing Elyna back. My feet swung over the side of the bed but slipped against the floor, the rest of me tumbling out. Everything hit the floor hard. Especially my head. It smacked against the wood and rebounded, connecting again afterwards.

Somewhere in that pain came clarity. As my body jolted against the floor, I realised it. There was something in me that wasn't...me. I stopped fighting it. My body went limp. A gush of power escaped me and the only thing it left behind was the word Dovahkiin echoing in my head.