New Place, New Thoughts

Chapter two coming at you and here's hoping you all enjoy it.

The first chapter was actually decent, save for one flamer but there's nothing you can do about them. It does help the review number go up though and that is what counts!

Unrelated note: Chapter three of Were It So Easy was posted and it seems to be well liked at almost 2k and still skyrocketing. Seriously if that doesn't invoke more Chief and Fem Arbiter stories then we have a problem XD.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, all characters copyright of Bethesda.

Marius didn't know how long they were flying but sometime along the way he had passed out; whether it was the vertigo of watching the ground go by or the altitude along with blood going to his head was unknown. He woke up a short time later and he felt his back on a soft patch of earth that had him sit up immediately. He took in his surroundings but wasn't able to place where he was exactly though if he had to guess he was probably near the border or Cyrodil and Skyrim due to the soft ground and vibrant leaf colors. 'I wonder if I can make it to Riften before a dragon comes.' He thought before he felt the ground shift around him. 'Guess not.' He sighed and turned around to meet a very strange and yet very funny sight. Alduin was currently resting with her wings stretched out beside her and her feet bunched up beneath her. Her eyes were closed and her tail was twitching as if she was irritated and Marius tried to hold in his laughter at the supposed World Eater sleeping like a baby. He failed to hold in his laughter when she snorted and singed a small patch of grass.

Alduin opened one her eyes at the intrusion of her sleep to see the Dragonborn clutching his stomach and laughing. 'What is he sputtering about?' She snorted again and shook herself awake. When she did she fanned out her wings and let loose a loud yawn as her limbs stretched before she settled back down next to a recovering Dragonborn. "Now my Dovahkiin, what shall we do with our newfound life?" She said smugly as froze up.

"Newfound life? What newfound life, you're the one who captured me." Marius said heatedly. "Why exactly am I still alive? You wanted to kill me!" Alduin smirked.

"Ni krii, nunon horvutah. Where would the fun be in killing you? Kill you and only gain momentary satisfaction or keep you and gain eternal satisfaction. Hmm decisions, decisions." She replied with a glance to the sky in mock-thought.

Marius hated to admit it but he preferred to stay alive. The longer he was alive meant the more he could plan to escape and get out of this situation. "Where exactly are we?" He asked in an attempt to stall her.

"One of my private area's known only to me. I often come here to reflect on the next course of action when Skuldafn gets too noisy with all those Dov flying and shouting. We are resting on the near the southern border if you want a general idea." She said as she turned her gaze back to him.

'So Riften would be closest. Might as well just surrender at this point.' Marius thought bitterly. Thieves Guild wouldn't help due to their nature and also because one small job is comprised due to outside work forces and all of sudden you are on their shit list. Maven wouldn't care if the Dragonborn died as long as she gets her money, so Imperial help is out. The College is too far and I was going to ask the Companions to possibly join them but things sadly got in the way. He finished his thoughts before a growl brought him out fully.

Alduin growled when she saw the Dragonborn no longer paying attention to her. He was no doubt planning to escape but she knew he couldn't. No place around for miles, save for one and that place wouldn't care enough to even yawn in this direction. "You would have to be a Dov to reach here my Dragonborn and there are no more Joor with the Thu'um to challenge the Dov, let alone compel them to fly here and that is if they even know where it is exactly." She replied to his unspoken thoughts.

Marius cursed under his breath. She had a valid point and even if he was let go, she would make him swear to not tell anyone with his Dragon half making sure he stuck to that. Dragons might be fearsome but he had yet to meet one that broke their vows or promises. "So why exactly am I here then?"

Alduin tilted her head. "Is it not obvious?" She blinked when he shook his head and almost smacked her head on the ground in frustration. "You are male, I am female. You are Dov and I am Dov."

Marius eyes went wide before he backed away. "By the Nine no! That is not happening at all."

Alduin merely grinned. "Your mortal side is saying no but the Dov in you is relishing the attention you are receiving is it not?"

Marius opened his mouth to deny it but couldn't. He was indeed being pulled in two directions but his human side was still besting the dragon. "Still won't happen." He grumbled angrily.

Alduin still grinned. "Perhaps not now but eventually you will. Even Dov fall prey to those instincts eventually. The number of Dov who have tried to court me in my return has been laughable at best. None of them were remotely close to my power and neither are you but you do have spirit and fire that I do enjoy seeing."

"I don't know if I should laugh or be weirded out by that." Marius said in confusion.

"The Dov in you is already starting to react." Alduin said as she got up and stalked around him.

"I could find a mortal woman to lie with." Marius said and he had a small bit of satisfaction when Alduin stopped stalking. "That would end your entire plan. Dragon's mate for life if I remember correctly and it wouldn't matter who it was with." His satisfaction at his attempt to disrupt her plan got derailed when her grin somehow got bigger.

"You would think that but the Dov in you would never accept that reason. It would yearn for its own kind and only push itself more on your actions to influence you until it controls you. You would go around with a hunger that would never be filled. However strong your mortal feelings are, the Dov would always be stronger in the end. A mortal woman could never satisfy a Dov, even that Werewolf you were eyeing on your first trip to Whiterun." She said as Marius got confused.

"Werewolf? On my first trip to Whiterun?" He asked while thinking back to his second day in Skyrim. The only people he met on the roads were soldiers or farmers taking their excess crops to market. "I don't recall meeting a Werewolf." He said in confusion.

"Your Dov side smelled it a mile away. I even smelled it from Skuldafn and I was privy to what you were doing through my own means. A very strong show of prowess on a Giant, bahlann do aan dovah rahgol." Alduin said with a hint of praise. Many Dov had met their end by a Giant and to take one down as a mortal was no easy task either.

"My first Giant kill…..I met three Companion members. Aela, Farkas and Ria and they were definitely mortal. Farkas and Aela were moving quicker and more ferocious than a normal person but that could be from training." Marius said in passing but it didn't quite fit. He did smell something different at the time but chalked it up to the farm they were at plus he didn't see a dog anywhere. "Aela did have a nice backside though." He finished with a bit of humor.

Alduin snorted in disgust. "No dog could ever match a Dov."

"What do you mean?" Marius asked.

"She is a Werewolf in true form. The Companions started out as warriors of Ysgramor who joined him against the Elves and in the Second Era they began to practice Lycanthropy for the Glenmoril Coven. It was accepted by the innermost members known as the Circle until the current time when the so-called Circle is split on the issue. She is one of those who embrace it as payment to the Daedra Hircine." Alduin informed Marius who looked a little stunned.

"There's Werewolves walking free?" He asked hesitantly.

"Walking free and yet unknown to all. It is a closely guarded secret but nothing escapes a Dov." Alduin replied. "As I have said though, even if you wish to take her as a mate, the wolf in her would never compare to another Dov."

Marius only shook his head. "It's still not happening so what else am I here for?"

Alduin settled back down. "Only for tinvaak with myself. I wish for you to think on something if you will permit me to say it."

Marius shrugged. "I have nothing better to do."

Alduin dipped her head in acknowledgement. "You have heard of the old stories from the early days of the empire correct? Of how we aided the Joor during that period and all we asked was for some form of control? You all accepted it at first but when the Akaviri came, they sowed discord among you all and led a rebellion. Why did that occur?"

Marius replied almost instantly. "Everyone should have free will. They should make their own decisions instead of having them forced on them."

Alduin paused in thought. "Hmm….Vahzah but do you deny that things were better back then as opposed to now?"

"I wasn't alive then so I don't know." Marius answered, failing to see where she was going with this.

"In exchange for lordship, we aided the Joor in fighting and in menial tasks despite our discomfort. We allowed the empire to have its army and in exchange for some land for ourselves, we allowed them to watch the cities and we would keep an eye on the skies and forests. It was a mutual agreement between us and there was no war or evil deed that was unpunished." She said as she remembered those times. "Look at the present, you have evil deeds done at almost every turn and many die simply because one Joor wanted what they didn't have. Tell me Dovahkiin, is this a better life? A family dies because one person used his "free will" to set their house alight. Is he not exerting his will over there's then?" Alduin asked him tensely.

"It would be his choice to make." Marius said though he felt guilty about admitting it.

"True again, but was it that family's choice to die from his will? In the early days of the Empire, we would have stopped that from happening. The so-called Dark Brotherhood would have been wiped out by the Dov back then but instead they continue their business; those who make war simply for personal gain would have been crushed underfoot but now continue their foolish ways. Can you honestly tell me that this land is safer because of what happened?" She asked him again.

"It isn't all bad; sure there are a few…..ok many spots that are either questionable or downright evil but that doesn't mean it can't be changed." Marius said seeing her eyes gaze into him.

"And how would it change?" Alduin asked with a smirk.

Marius had a thought that was pretty much impossible but might actually have a chance at working if done right. "What if we make a new agreement between mortals and the dragons?"

And we will leave it there for right now. Marius got a small history lesson and now we have a goal to work for. I hope it leaves you all wanting more of this story and don't hesitate to leave reviews if you like or hate it! I read them all and respond in kind if I can ^^

Word translations (courtesy of Thuum . org):

Joor – Mortal

Dov – Dragon

Dovahkiin – Dragonborn

Vahzah – True

Tiinvak – Talk

Ni krii, nunon horvutah – Not kill, only catch (meaning she wanted to capture him not kill him. Capture hasn't been translated yet)

Bahlann do aan dovah rahgol – Worthy of a dragons rage (praise for him slaying a giant with ferocity)

I did change some of the history to Tamriel to suit the story's needs and I hope it doesn't change the way people think of the story. I did try to inject some humor before and after they discussed the possibility of mating and no it won't be a scalie interaction so don't be up in arms over it. I am taking a reader suggestion to give him a Dragon form and give Alduin a human form to match each other.

I will address this now as well. His dragon half will most likely take over at some point for a brief time but under NO circumstance will it force him on a female. I ABSOLUTELY CONDEMN rape and any form of it to the lowest pits of hell. For the record guy's, no means NO regardless if you think her body says different. If the words out of her mouth is NO and STOP that means you STOP right then and there even if it gives you blue balls.