Elyal of the dragon
Prologue
The idea for this story was created by "Gaara king of the Sands", one of my readers. We brainstormed about how to create the character, and her origin story. This story wouldn't have been possible without Gaara, so this is as much his work as it his mine.
…
The night sky chon with the stars of Nirn, the mortal plane, also known has Mundus or so it was called in the continent of Tamariel, the biggest continent of Nirn. Some of them only had a timid light while others projected theirs with splendor, in an almost seductive way, almost has some male colored bird flashing he's wings to attract a mate.
This made Volgon smile, he loved the night sky, he loved the light of the stars which accompanied him in his nightly hunting trips through the forests of Skyrim, the most northern country of Tamariel, a land of great mountains, harsh winters, and lively forests and rivers.
Has Volgon slowly and steadily crept through one of Skyrim many forests he noticed marks on the snow. He slowly knelt near the markings and studied them with the eyes of a hunter and then smelled it with his sensitive nose, which confirmed what he had been suspecting this were the tracks of the deer he had been following, a tall strong lone male, and it was old. He knew now he was close to his quarry. A sudden feeling of sadness came over him, it was such a shame that such a beautiful creature had to die, but Volgon and his family and clan needed the meat, they needed the coat. If his clan had farmland they could have grown their food but the out here in the cold mountains the land wasn't good for farming which had caused his people, the snow elves, to forget the ways of the farmers.
Yes Volgon was a snow elf, he and all of his tribe were probably the last remaining snow elves on Skyrim, and the whole of Tameriel. His ancestors had fled the vengeful carnage the humans had brought on their people and fled towards the wildest and most dangerous mountains of Skyrim in the east. There up in the mountains the last snow elves carved a meager living for themselves, but despite the lack of food, the strong flaying winds, the wild predators such has sabretooth cats, and frost trolls, the snow elves had endured for all this millennia, away from the prying eyes of the races of men, elves and beast. Volgon and his people were so isolated that they knew nothing of what was happening in lower Skyrim, or in Tamariel for that matter. Most of the snow elves were happy that way, many of them were still afraid of humans, but Volgon often wondered how it would be like to meet one, he though back about the history of the snow elves and their downfall. The ancients of his tribe, including his parents, had taught him and his brothers and sisters about the terrible crime which caused their peoples fall.
Thousands of years ago Tameriel was dominated by the beast races: the kaajhit, the cat people of Elsweyr, and the argonians, the lizard people of black marsh. Have well by the elven races like the high elves of "Summerset isles", the dweemer in their underground city's, and the chimer of Morrowind, and of course the snow elves of Skyrim.
One day came from the sea, and landed in the northern chores of Skyrim, some strange visitors, a new race never seen by elven or beast race, it was the humans. The humans had claimed to come from a desolate icy continent in the northern sea called Athmora, they explained how the humans of Athmora had been divided in a brutal civil war amongst themselves which had forced the newly arrived humans to flee to Skyrim.
Earing the refuge's story and seeing no threat coming from them the king of the snow elves felt compassion for them and so gave the Athmorans some land for them to grow and prosper. Years passed and humans and snow elves lived side by side in peace, but the snow elves soon realized the humans were growing much more quickly than any elven or beast race seen before. Fearing that humans would soon grow to powerful to the point they would be able to take Skyrim for themselves, the snow elves decided to act first, one night armed snow elves attacked the human settlement and mercilessly slaughtered every man, woman and child in a terrible bloody night, but this act of treachery would not go unavenged, unbeknown to the snow elves a human named Ysgramor and his two sons had managed to escape the slaughter, they fled in a ship back to Athmora. There Ysgramor and his kin spread the story of the treachery suffered by their people at the hands of the treacherous elves. Hatred and a cry for vengeance soon spread amongst the Athmorans and 500 companions soon joined Ysgramor and set sail to Skyrim where the 500 unleashed a vengeful war against the snow elves, slaughtering every snow elf they could find, whether adult or child.
In desperation the snow elves contacted the dweemer, one of their elven cousins, in their underground cities, and pleaded with them to help them by using their advanced machines and technology to crush the humans, hoping the dweemer would feel some sympathy towards their elven cousins.
The dweemer promised to help the snow elves and offered to give the snow elven population sanctuary within their underground cities, however the snow elves realized too late that this had been a ruse, when the snow elves entered the dweemer cities the dweemer gave them some strange concoctions made of a subterranean mushroom which made the snow elves blind, reducing them into the dweemer's new slave race.
The surface of Skyrim now belonged to the humans.
In retrospect all in Volgon's tribe agreed that it was their ancestors arrogance and fear which had destroyed them, if only they had tried to learn from the humans, to teach them, to understand them, then this terrible fate could have been avoided.
But Volgon had no time to reminisce about history. So he kept moving forward, following the footprints and the twisted branches the deer had left behind, he even found a bit of deer excrement in the snow, he continued for half an hour until he saw the deer. It was drinking in a small pool, his head lowered has his mouth drank gulp after gulp of fresh water. Volgon positioned himself against the wind took an arrow from his quiver and gently and silently placed it in his bow. He then made a silent prayer to Akhatosh, the dragon god of time, he extended the bow, steadied his breath, pointed towards the deer's earth and then released the arrow.
The deer fell with cry of surprise, hit the ground and then stood still. Volgon hurried to hi side and looked at the arrow planted in it's flank, the arrow had pierced the skin straight to it's earth, a clean kill making sure the deer hadn't suffered.
Satisfied with his aim Volgon opened his bag and took his hunting knife, he then knelt at the deer side and placed his white hand in the deer's head.
"I thank you for your sacrifice brother, your body shall not be wasted,may the divines, the Aedra, take your soul and spirit and help guide you to the great herd of your ancestors."
He then plunged the knife into the deer's belly and proceeded to the arduous task of emptying its guts.
He had been working for over two hours when he suddenly heard a voice panicking yelling his name.
"Volgon, Volgon you must come quickly."
Suddenly he saw another snow elf, a female, running towards him like if she were trying to flee a blizzard. Has she got closer, Volgon soon recognized her, she was his older sister Ariu.
"Volgon… finally … I …find… you." She seemed almost out of breath.
"Calm down Ariu, sit down you need to catch your breath." He tried to grab her shoulders to force her to sit in the snow but she raised her arms in protest.
"No time… your… wife… child… coming."
"What?" he exclaimed.
"Elia … giving birth… you… ice brain."
Volgon felt his hearth fill with joy and fear.
"But the village is still an hour away."
Ariu looked at her little brother with an exasperated look.
"You … run back home … I'll finish with the deer… go be with your wife … meet your child."
"Thank you big sis."
Volgon started running through the snow, he started running like he didn't know he could. Braving the darkness, running through the trees and bushes, he even passed next to a heard of deer who ran when they saw him.
Has he ran he looked to the stars and he saw the constellations of the warrior, the mage, the thief, the lord, the lady and others. Most of the inhabitants of Tamriel knew these constellations and believed that to be born under a specific sign would grant him or her quality which would help them find their way in life.
However he noticed there was an a new constellation in the stars, one who no one had seen for over two millennia.
"No, I don't believe it."
But Volgon decided to focus on running and solve this mystery later. He kept running for over half an hour until he finally saw the lights of the village, has he reached the wooden structures he saw there was a crowd in front of his house, has he approached the worried snow elves made way for him to pass he was stopped by Gelron, one of the village elders.
"Volgon, thank Auri-El (Akhatosh), you're way, it's almost over the baby should be arriving any second know. Go inside quickly."
Volgon didn't need to be told twice, has he ran towards the door he heard a loud scream coming from his house. He rushed forwards and opened the door and saw his wife laying in bed screaming in pain, two of the village's priestesses were her side, one was putting wet towels in Elia's forehead, while the other stood before her legs, her hands ready to catch the baby.
"Volgon" she yelled. "Beloved, you're here."
"I came has soon has Ariu caught me, my love." He said has he rushed forward to grab his wife hand.
Elia made a weak laugh.
"I knew I could count on her. Vol, I'm in so much pain, I don't know if I can endure it."
"Yes you can, you're strongest woman in all of Tamriel, in all of Nirn, I've seen you defeat two frost trolls single handedly, you can endure this."
"But the baby…"
"The baby will be alright. I've seen the stars, and Auri-El's constellation has come tonight."
Elia eyes grew wide in amazement.
"But that would mean."
"Yes, my love it does."
Elia screamed and sweated more than before, causing the priestess on her left to put another fresh towel.
"Push now, push." The second priestess said.
Volgon placed himself next to the second priestess and watched has his child was born, first a head, then the arms and body until finally the priestess pulled the baby out and wrapped it in blankets and placed it in Volgon's eyes.
"It's a girl." He said full of wonder. "A beautiful healthy little girl."
"Give her here."
Vol gave his daughter to her mother.
"Oh Vol she is perfect."
Vol smiled. "What are we going to name her."
"I was thinking we named after our respective mothers, yours Ely and mine Nyal."
"I think this is splendid idea, so she will be named Elyal."
They stayed and looked at Elyal for over ten minutes until Vol asked.
"May I present her to the village. They are already holding their breaths outside."
Elia laughed with amusement. "Alright, take her but just for a few minutes, she's going to need breast feading."
Has Vol took their daughter, the door opened to reveal Gelron who entered, and looked at the little girl.
"By Auri-EL, she's here. Vol have you looked at the stars, the constellation of Akhatosh has appeared after two millennia, you know what this means?"
"Yes, she is born with the dragon's blood." Said Vol.
Gelron smiled. "Auri-El, has smiled upon your child Volgon and Elia, I hope you appreciate the honor."
"We do." Said Elial, with a smile.
"What is her name?" asked the old man.
"Follow me and find out ."
Vol proceeded through the door and faced the crowd, who stood silent before him. He then raised his daughter up in his arms and yelled for all to hear.
"My daughter Elyal of the dragon."
Has the crowd cheered the birth of another child of their people, Vol smiled for he had a daughter and he knew she would do great things which would change Tamriel forever, for she was blessed by the Akhatosh the dragon god of time.
…
3 years later
Elyal lay above the roof of her house where her parents told her to run and hide from sight, and now she cried has she looked at the carnage befalling her people, she looked at the dead torn apart bodies of snow elves with pools of blood dripping where they had fallen, some of them still had weapons in their cold hands, but most had been slaughtered before they could reach their weapons, spears and arrows protruding from their backs. Men and women, children and old folk, they lay dead in the snow lying at the feet of the humans who had cut them down. Elyal had never a human, nor did she want to, and yet there they were laughing over the corpse of her bretheren, her people.
The humans had arrived in the morning, they were man and woman, they had charged roaring out of the forest like bloodthirsty daedra (the enemies of the Aedra), and they had begun to gut every snow elf who couldn't get away in time, arrows coming down from a cliff cut down the screaming fleeing snow elves has many non-combatants were slaughtered like animals before they could hide inside their houses. A few of their hunters and some of the village elders, who had managed to grab their bows, swords and axes gathered, among them Elyal's parents, and tried to fend off the invaders.
The snow elves used their superiority in archery to force the human archers to hide for cover, has many of their comrades fell to their deaths, while elders led the younger generations in hand to hand battle, using their grace and agility to dodge the human's blows and deal quick and decisive strikes. But their greatest asset was their affinity for magic, has the snow elves had unleashed lightning, fire and frost on the Nords, which was the race of humans they were fighting, they burned, electrified, froze and even impaled with ice spikes many Nord warriors, the elders with their centuries of experience were by themselves worth ten Nords, but in the end the nords had been too many and overwhelmed the desperate snow elves.
Elyal had watched has after all the elven fighters were dead the nords had dragged woman and children from their homes and killed them without mercy, sometimes quickly, sometimes very slowly has they laughed with sick pleasure at the pain they inflicted, a few of the humans even raped some of the most beautiful elven girls, defiling them has the poor girl cried, and for all that time Elyal stayed hidden and silently cried has she saw her neighbors and friends being made to suffer terrible unspeakable acts of cruelty, their screams filled her ears and she wished the end would come quickly, but it hadn't. Her only relief was that her mother and father were nowhere to be seen, she allowed herself to hope they had escaped.
But then coming from behind one of the cabins, came two nords dragging her mother by the arms struggling to free herself, they dragged her towards a tall bearded Nord, a mean looking man with a bear skin covering his head and shoulders, Elyal knew he was the leader.
One of the nords spoke.
"This elven whore killed the captain."
The bear man looked down on Elial then slapped her in the face.
"You dare strike a nord warrior, you filthy elf. It wasn't enough for you to kill our brothers and sisters in arms in cyrodiil, now you have the audacity to create a military outpost to launch an attack Ulfric Stormcloak, the future high king of Skyrim."
Elial spit blood from her mouth. "Ulfric who? What are you talking about you brute, we haven't done anything to you in more than a millennia, and we never fought your kind in cyrodiil."
The nords started to yell. "Lying elf, whore, traitorous breed, sub-human trash."
The bear man looked at her with hatred in his eyes, then he took his axe and placed the blade next to the snow elf's neck.
"Tell me what you're Thalmor masters are planning or I, Galmar Stone-Fist, shall send you to oblivion."
Elial looked at Galmar with defiance in her eyes. "I don't know what is a Thalmor, however your enemies are you attacked the wrong one."
Galmar made a cruel laugh. "All non-nords are our enemies, especially if they are elves and I am about to do a favor to Talos and rid Skyrim of one more."
He raised his axe high, Elial looked at brute with no fear, and has Galmar began to descend his axe an ice spear flew and pierced his left arms. Galmar screamed has the stunned nords looked to where the spear had come from. There in front of them stood Volgon steadying himself with a stick, since his right leg had been pierced by an arrow, and he was covered in cuts.
The nords started running towards him, but Elial took the opportunity and grabed the sword of one of the men who holding her and impaled him with it, the startled one didn't have time to react before she cut his throat. Elial then rushed to save her husband but she then saw that it was too late, he had been surrounded and killed by seven nords. In a rage Elial opened the palm of her left hand and unleashed a torrent of fire, consuming the seven nords who started screaming in agony and threw themselves in the snow in a desperate attempt to put out the flames, four of them succeeded, though they were badly burned, but the other three stooped moving and let the flames consume them.
Has the smell of burned flesh filled the air Elial was struck from behind, an ice spear pierced her body and she fell and turned to see Galmar standing over her with murder in his eyes while nursing the arm from which he had removed her husband's ice spear to impale.
"You are brave for an elf, but even so that was not enough."
He then grabbed the sword from one of his soldiers and raised.
Elial turned her head towards the roof where Elyal was hiding, she looked into her daughters eyes and gave her a reassuring smile. She connected her mind with her daughter's. "Mommy and Daddy, love you little dragon we believe in you, never forget."
"I promise." Elyal replied to her mother through her thoughts. Her mother gave her the most beautiful smile ignoring all the rest, she didn't even feel the blade which ended her life.
Elyal felt a pain like she never though possible and she couldn't stop herself from screaming.
"Mommy, daddy."
The surprised nords raised their heads and saw her. One of them, a woman, climbed the cabin towards the roof and dragged Elyal through her left arm. Elyal clawed and bit the hand of her captor, but the woman gave her a hard punch in the face. Elyal felt blood dripping from her mouth has she struggled to maintain consciousness.
The woman dragged in front of Galmar who gave an amused smiled.
"So we caught ourselves a little saber tiger boys and girls."
The nords laughed and Elyal pain was replaced with a boiling hot rage.
"I'll kill you. I'll kill. I'll kill you."
The nords kept laughing so did Galmar.
"Will you know? Well you heard her boys, someone give her a weapon, after all honor most be maintained we are not Thalmor."
One of the men took his sword and threw it at the little elf's feet.
"Now we need a challenger, who will face this terrible elf." He asked with a mocking voice.
"I will, I have a score to settle with the little white rat." Said the woman who had dragged Elyal from the roof.
"Very good Grelta, honor must always be served."
Elyal tried to pick up the sword but was unable to do so, it was too heavy, which earned her another round of laughter from the humans. Something all the strength she could she managed to lift the sword, and faced the woman.
The woman named Grelta gave her a wicked sadistic smile then she leaped forward and swung her sword against Elyal's so hard that Elyal felt two of her fingers brake, she screamed, much to the delight of her captors.
"Come on Grelta," Shouted Galmar. "You're making this look easy."
Grelta raised her fist and punched little Elyal's face. Elyal felt her nose break and red, warm blood pouring from her face. She felt like crying, but she forced herself not to do so, she wouldn't beg, she wouldn't give these humans the satisfaction, she was the last snow elf and she would give her race a proud end.
With these thoughts the little snow elf summoned all the strength of will inside her and she raised her sword and leapt towards the stunned nord woman, she drove her sword into the nord's right hand piercing it. The woman yelled in pain and dropped her sword, but not before giving Elyal a kick in the stomach sending the little girl flying.
Galmar looked to the nord woman with a severe glance.
"This is shameful Grelta, you allowed yourself to be bested by a little elf runt. Stop playing with her and finish her off."
Grelta looked at Elyal with such hatred that Elyal felt a cold icy fear in heart. The warrior woman then took a dagger from her belt and slowly marched forward towards the girl.
Elyal knew it was the end, she no longer had the strength to resist the vengeful human, and she despaired.
"No" she thought. "Not like this, not with a dishonorable cruel end of my people. They will be remembered, their souls and their memory won't be tarnished by humanity."
And has she thought all this Elyal felt a surge of power coursing through her body, she felt powerful, and wise. Then three words she had never heard before came to her.
"Fus Ro Dah." she shouted, and it was like a strong wind had come from her mouth sweeping away the snow before her in a miniature ice storm blinding the nords and propelling Grelta across the square for about 8 meters until she slammed against the wooden wall of one of the cabins. There was a horrible cracking noise coming from her and she lay there motionless on the snow.
The nords were dumbstruck by what they had seen, they mouths were open and their eyes grew wide. One of them rushed towards the fallen Grelta and put his fingers on her throat.
"She's dead." He said then pointed at Elyal. "She… she… broke her neck."
The nords stood there for a few seconds, has if they were unsure on how to proceed. Then one of them spoke.
"She… she can shout!"
"The dragon speech? But how? Nobody that young can speak with the dragon's voice, not even jarl Ulfric could at that age."
"There is only one explanation." Said a young woman. "She is dragonborn."
A chorus of angry men and women began to yell.
"Impossible."
"Nonsense."
"By Talos, the idea is sacrilege."
"The dragonborn can't be an elf!"
The young woman continued.
"We cannot deny the facts, the girl has the blood of Akhatosh she is dragonborn. The dragon god chose her for something, like the ancient dragonborn heroes of our ancestors she was chosen for a purpose, a purpose that would save Skyrim and the nord people like all dragonborn heroes did, like Talos did before he ascended to godhood. "
An old nord warrior stepped forward.
"But that would mean that has a child of Akhatosh she is kin to Talos, and so that an elf can be kin to man."
"That would mean that we are wrong about elves."
There were shocked murmurs amongst the humans, then the old man stepped forward knelt before the trembling Elyal.
"I'm sorry child, forgive our ignorance, forgive this heinous crime committed against your brothers and sisters, I was blind but now I see."
The young nord woman and another man approached Elyal and knelt and asked for her forgiveness, Elyal was unsure what to do when suddenly an axe fell on top of the young woman head splitting her scull open releasing brains and grey matter into the snow.
The two kneeling man before her rose and turned to see that the attack had been carried out by Galmar Stone-Fist with his bloody battle axe in his hands. The two men took out their swords, but with a second swing Stone-first opened the younger nord's abdomen spilling his guts into the snow. The older managed to deal a few blows to the bear man, but another swing of the axe cut off the old man's head.
The rest of the nords stood frozen in place, unable to believe the execution of their comrades.
"This elf rat." Said a furious Galmar. "Is obliviously the result of some kind of twisted trick created by the thalmor to fool us, to cause doubt to creep in hour minds for our cause and our leader."
Most of the nords seemed to have accepted that explanation, but there were still a few who didn't appear to be convinced and Galmar seemed to notice this.
"Brothers, sisters remember how manipulative and deceitful the high elves are, how they tortured our comrades, how they turned nord against nord, they are weak to the point they use their magic to twist the minds of men and women. This trick is probably the result of that magic, and these three traitors were weak willed enough to embrace this thalmor treachery."
This seemed to satisfy the rest of the soldiers.
"You've seen how this thalmor trick twisted the minds of three of our people, imagine what would happen if this false dragonborn were to grow up and corrupt the sons and daughters of Skyrim, this thing would makes us slaves to the elves. She must die."
An words of approval flew back and forth and Galmar took his axe and marched towards Elyal who looked at him with hatred. Galmar raised his axe and spoke.
"You shall not torment men."
Elyal closed her eyes and prepared to join her family when suddenly a loud roar, like thunder, came from the sky. She and the nords looked up to the clouds and from them emerged a large grey creature with wings, it seemed like the cross between a lizard and a bat. It was covered in scales, it had tattered skin on its wings and tail and chip horns and chin spikes.
The creature plunged, like an enormous bird of prey, and hit Galmar with it's tail, screams could be heard.
"What in Talos' name is that?"
"Dragon, archers shoot it down!"
Arrows flew but, the archers having never fired at anything that flew that fast, missed their target. The dragon then flew around and unleashed a hot stream of fire which melted the flesh from the bone of four nords. It was complete and utter chaos, has some many of the nords started running towards the woods, the dragon took advantage of this and grabbed two men with its powerful claws only to drop them from a high altitude towards the ground were there bodies soon lay broken.
Elyal watched at this spectacle and she was afraid, has one of the nords came at her running with a mace he was only 2 meters away when the dragon landed and grabbed his upper body with it's bone crushing jaws, then shook the man left and right until his body was cut in two, both halves were thrown to the ground. Three nords tried to attack the dragon from behind, while it was still on the ground, but the dragon simply crushed them beneath his tail, fast has a whip.
The dragon then turned to face the remaining nords; it extended its wing and roared a roar that Tamriel had not heard in centuries.
"Retreat, retreat." Shouted Galmar, and on his orders the nords fled and carried their wounded into the forest has far away as they could from the dragon.
Elyal watched has the dragon turned to face her, and she knew it was her turn. She didn't even have enough strength to run. The dragon approached and her eyes became looked with his. The dragon's eyes didn't were different than animals they showed intelligence, understanding, and a great wisdom. The dragon moved his head towards her and then touched her forehead with it´s snout.
"Dreh ni faas dovahkiin. (Do not fear dragonborn)"
The words were in a language Elyal had heard only once, when she had killed that woman, but somehow she could understand it.
"Zu'u los paarthurnax, mal gein (I am paarthurnax, little), zu'u los hin fron, mal briinah (I am your kin, little sister)."
The dragon switched to the common tongue.
"I heard your call young, I heard you're despair and pain but I was too late to save your people and for that I am sorry."
Has she looked at her parent's bodies, she started to cry and she grabbed the dragon's snout and hugged hit with all her strength.
"It was… terrible."
She said between sobs.
"The humans, we never did them any harm but they came and killed my tribe, my mommy and daddy."
She cried has warm tears fell from her face an into paarthurnax's face.
"There, there child it´s over now. You shall carry the pain of this loss all your life, I will not lie to you my sister it will never go away, I know because also lost my people and my own brother, but in time you shall learn to live with the pain, you cannot let it consume you but you can make it a part of you and in time it shall give you purpose."
There was a moment of silence.
"Now come I shall take care of you, somewhere where no one will ever find your."
"Wait"
Elyal cried.
"I cannot leave them here, without their last rites."
"Very well, I shall prepare them for their rites."
For half an hour paarthurnax assembled the bodies of the dead snow elves but also of the nords, when Elyal protested paarthurnax had replied.
"Do not let hatred consume you Elyal, do not behave has your enemies, if you let hate dictate your actions then you shall draw more unnecessary blood."
Confusion passed through Elyal's face.
"You shall understand one day."
But Elyal didn't believe it, a rage burned inside of her a hatred that threatened to drive her insane. No she would never forgive humanity for what they did to her loved ones, she couldn't.
Paarthurnax seemed to know this but he did not push the issue. After all the bodies were assembled she knelt before the bodies of every snow elf, ignoring the nords, and made a long prayer, this lasted for six hours, until finally she arrived at her parents.
"Mommy, Daddy I shall always love. I hope you are happy with the divines and that they will take care of you."
She turned her head to make sure paarthurnax wasn't listening, then she lowered her voice so he wouldn't hear.
"I promise you, those responsible for it shall it I swear it. You and our people shall be avenged."
She then kissed her parents on their cheeks and foreheads.
"Goodbye."
She then walked towards paarthurnax.
"Do it." She said.
The old dragon opened his jaws and from them came a river of fire which consumed the bodies of both snow elves and nords. They stayed and looked at the funeral pire until the bodies were all but ashes. Then paarthurnax flapped it's wings, throwing the ashes of the deceased to the winds of Skyrim who spread them in the mountains, forests and plains of Skyrim.
Without a word Elyal climbed unto paarthurnax's neck, they then took off and flew towards high Hrothgar.
"The pain shall pass dragonborn."
The dragon assured her and she hoped he was right because that seemed a day very far away in the future.