Just want to first dedicate this chapter to BladeOfThePoet who was my first reviewer and who has helped a lot with this chapter and had given me lots of ideas for the next few chapters.
Chapter 2
After being 'sorted' Kayla sat down at her corresponding table. She sat down next too two red headed twins.
"Hello." One said "I'm Fred"
"And I'm George" the other said "Who are you? I'm guessing you haven't eaten in a while" He commented on the amount of food on her plate.
Kayla, who was shoveling food onto her plate as she still hadn't eaten after catching the dear!, stopped and turned to the two, "I'm Kayla, Nord, its nice to meet you shield-sibling's" she said putting down her fork and shaking there hands.
They looked confused "And a Nord is, what exactly?"
"It's a race, you know like Imperial, Altmer, Khajiit, Argonian... I am a Nord." She explained.
They shared a look "Are you sure you're not insane?" they said together.
It was then that Kayla had an epiphany "Oh, my sincerest apologies. Dumbledore explained that I was from an alternate dimension so things are different there. We have different races, for example; Altmer are Elf people and Khajiit are feline people. They are one of the few beast races that inhabit Tamriel."
George leaned forward slightly "When you say 'Feline People' do you mean human's with cat like appearance?"
And without a hint of hesitation or sarcasm, she said "Yes"
Fred and George shared a look and leaned forward together
"Wont you"- Fred started
"Tell us"- George continued
"More!" and finally at the same time.
Kayla paused to chew her food "Okay, what do you want to know?"
The questions seemed never ending. Fred and George wanted to know about EVERYTHING from the different races, to the different magic, to all the different creatures. Kayla even went as far as to show them treasures that she had gotten off people and her travels and as soon as Kayla mentioned dragons their enthusiasm returned with a vengeance.
"So you have dragon blood flowing through you?" Fred asked "That's wicked"
Kayla was happy to share knowledge with the twins "Yes, and I usually can speak in the dragon tongue and use dragon 'shouts' but something is different about this place and my ability to 'shout' is gone." Kayla became slightly downtrodden as she mentioned this.
A bushy haired girl (the same one from that morning) leant over her messy black haired friend
"That is very interesting; I'd love to learn more." She said
"Gees, Hermione don't smother her with questions" George said attempting to be serious but failing as a grin was evident on his face.
"Yeah she just got here and already you are bombarding her with questions" Fred backed up his twin, a grin plastered on his face.
Hermione looked irritated "Oh sod off you two, I only asked one, you two have been asking her questions all night."
Fred, George and Kayla laughed "Oh lighten up Hermione, we are only having you on."
At this time Dumbledore signaled the end of dinner. Kayla was impressed at the food, it was much better than anything she could get at an inn but she was disappointed at the lack of mead or wine available. Not that Kayla drank much but she usually drank a little at mealtimes.
Fred and George offered to show Kayla the way into Gryffindor tower. They were accompanied by Hermione and her two friends Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, who was Fred and George's little brother. Kayla was going to be sharing the year with them.
Harry was please that at the mention of his name Kayla didn't immediately look for his scar or gasp at his name.
Hermione started bombarding Kayla with questions, sometimes not even waiting for an answer before going onto the next one.
"What are Dragons like in your world?" she asked
Kayla thought for a minute "Well I assume similar to your dragons. The dragons of Tamriel appear to breathe fire or ice. But in reality use a power of a 'shout' so a fight between two dragons is actually a deathly verbal debate." She joked
Hermione continued "And that world...Tam-ree-ell. What it like. How big is it? What are the other races like?"
The group had reached Gryffindor tower. Fred said the password and the 'fat lady' allowed them entrance. Kayla couldn't believe it moving, talking pictures. She actually jumped when it asked for the password.
"Would you like me to draw you a map?" She joked, distracted a little by the painting "Why was that painting moving? Do they all do that?" Kayla causelessly crossed the threshold to the common room.
"hmm,"- Hermione said -"yes they are enchanted to move. And a map would be very helpful, thank you." Not realizing that Kayla had been jokeing.
So the group sat down near the fire and Kayla went to work drawing a map of Tamriel. But unfortunately the questions didn't end there.
"You said something about friends...'companions'?" Ron asked
"Yeah the Companions, warrior guild. My mother is the 'Thane' or leader. She took over for Kodlak after he died. And I am also a member. Oh, and my Aunt is the 'listener' for the Dark Brotherhood, the assassin guild and my uncle is a co-leader of the Thieves Guild."
"Wow your family really gets around" Ron gulped "Really, Thieves and... Assassins?"
"Tell us more about your adventures!" Someone asked, Kayla didn't notice that she had gotten a ring of people surrounding and listening to her.
"I think you'd be more interested in my mother's adventures." Kayla said then started thinking, then snapped her fingers "Ah, I have one. My mother decided that it was time I go to the 'Throat of the World' and start my voice training with the 'Greybeards'. So we traveled to the bottom of the seven thousand steps and start the journey. Now, even though this was a test for me and my mother was there she wouldn't intervene unless absolutely necessary.
"There was nothing overly difficult, a few ice wolves and goats that knocked over loose rocks as they ran. But we came to an over hanging arête where we see the bones of animals and a few humans' as well. So we ready our weapons and carefully carry on, when all of a sudden 'WHAM'" -Kayla stands on the wingback chair and starts acting out what happened.
-"A frost troll, huge 7 foot tall with three eyes and three huge fingered claws on long arms jumped down from the top of the arête ambushing us. We weren't expecting anything like a troll to be on the seven thousand steps. So the troll is there slashing at us with its claws and every strike we do with our swords are almost ineffective with its fast healing ability. He knocks my mother off her feet and turned to me." She said in a dramatic voice.
"It swings at me cutting me deep and nearly taking my arm off. I go down dropping my sword out of reach. It walks toward me ready to finish me off, when my mother uses the fire breath shout. Now fire is a sure way to stop a troll's regeneration, and as he turns to my mother I jump for my blade, then leap onto the beast's back and plunge the blade, with my one good arm, through its neck, severing its spine and killing it."
Everyone was on the edge of there seats, there was a collective 'wow' from the guys and a 'gasp' from the girls. Kayla sat down and finished the story.
"After that we made it to High Hrothgar in one piece. My arm was treated there and after it healed I was then taught the 'way of the voice' by the Greybeards for a few months."
"Can dragons really speak in your world?" A voice in the back asked
"Yes, they speak dragon tongue. Dragons are the first born of Akatosh and have tremendous power. But there have always been troubles with humans. In the beginning they had enslaved humans and a few, called the blades, were renowned dragon killers but were nearly wiped out by the Thalmor. My mother was once asked to join them... but that conversation ended badly.
"They had found out about a dragon that was helping humanity fight its own kind. They told my mother that she had to kill him, or never receive help from the Blades ever again. Needless to say that my mother wrote a very strongly worded letter to Delphine saying no." She laughed at the memory when her mother told her what was in the letter.
Anyway, after Alduin was defeated the dragons mainly came to see either my mother or Paarthurnax as their leader. There have been very little problems between the two since. The Blades are only really called if a dragon goes rogue and has to be killed. But that rarely happens as my mother usually gets them back under control"
"What are the Thalmor?" This question took the smile right off Kayla's face.
"The Thalmor are horrid people that deserve to be wiped off the face of the earth. They will lie, cheat, torture and kill to suit there own needs" She clenched her hands so tight her nails were nearly drawing blood "When I was little, I was kidnapped by them. My mother was furious, and when my aunt and uncle found out...Well lets just say that the Thalmor learned that day never to piss off the Dragonborn, the Companions, the Thieves and Assassins' guild." She took a calming breath and unclenched her hands "I don't really remember much of what happened, I was drugged so everything is fuzzy."
"What's with the paint on your face?" Someone asked hopeing to get the conversation back to a lighter tone.
Kayla laughed "It's actually a rather simple spell that is places on some normal coloured paint. When it is applied it usually stays on for a few months, and believe me, nothing will take it off until it fades naturally. I probably have two months before it fades off"
Upon another request Kayla opened her pack to show them some of the things she had gathered upon her journeys. As she reached her entire arm into her pact Hermione gasped "An undetected extension charm!"
Even though her stories were very interesting and gripping it wasn't long before the night came and called everyone to sleep. Kayla was staying with Hermione and two others, Lavender and Parvati Patil. The four poster bed was added to the left corner of the room and a chest that (upon further inspection) held all of Kayla's clothing she had bought on her trip to 'Diagon Alley' and weapons.
"My sword!" She yelled hugging the scabbard to her chest earning strange looks form her roommates.
Kayla had an absolutely dreadful time trying to sleep. She just felt a little too vulnerable sleeping peacefully in the presence of strangers and she was missing the aurora borealis. The lights would dance in the sky beautifully. Near sunrise she decided to give up on sleep. She silently got out of bed using the technique that her uncle and Vex taught her.
Kayla got dressed in her school clothes and exited the dorm, (nearly standing on a very angry ginger cat in the process) angering the fat lady in the process, and wandered the halls, familiarizing herself with them. She eventually made her way to an old tower, a large section of the wall and roof were caved in and broken. Kayla enjoyed the wind on her face and the smell of fresh air.
She sat down, crossed her legs and steadied her breathing. Kayla was meditating on words of power, hopeing that she would feel the energy that coursed through her body, giving her the ability to 'shout'. When her training had first started with Paarthurnax, he told her to meditate in the mountain focusing on the world, feeling the energy of everything. From the biggest sabre cat to the littlest rabbit.
Kayla was not very good at this and it took the better half of a month before she felt something with in her self. She would describe it as a small flame in her body. Once she was able to tap into that energy, shouting was possible. Of course her shouts were not strong at all, but after meditating on words of power they eventually became stronger.
First tier shouts were not very strong at all. Fus, Ro, Dah for example; Fus would feel like a shove to a normal person, but add 'Ro' to it and that person would be knocked flat on their back. If you used the full Fus Ro Dah that person would go flying a few meters back.
But it was as Paarthurnax said 'Just because you can say all the words of power, dosent mean you can use them to their fullest power'.
Kayla's meditation was interrupted when she heard the sound of footsteps and hid in the shadows not wanting to be caught if it was Mr. Filch, she had been told some very unpleasant stories about him.
The door was opened and the figure of Dumbledore entered the room. He looked around and a few times his gaze brushed past the spot where Kayla was hiding.
"I know you're there." He said with a smile but still looking around as he didn't know where in the room she was.
Kayla entered the light and Dumbledore smiled at her when he caught her eye. There were a few moments of awkward silence as he looked back out the tower; Kayla didn't take her eyes of him.
"It is a lovely night, wouldn't you say?" He said trying to make conversation.
"Yes, it is a little warmer here than back in Skyrim. But I do miss the aurora borealis..." She looked off into the sky imagining the lights dancing in the sky, like the gods themselves were painting a mural in the heavens, incomprehensible to us mortal's.
"Why did you pick this spot? If I may be so bold as to ask." He enquired.
Kayla crossed her arms, she didn't really choose this spot per say, it just seemed like a good place to meditate. She told this to Dumbledore and he chuckled slightly.
"I can't say that it is the best place for meditation, but I can make it more comfortable for you if wish." He pulled out his wand and with a few swishes he materialized a dozen cushions and put an invisible barrier to make the wind warmer as it came into the room.
"Now you may come up here as much as you want. Even during class times as you are not, technically, a student."
Kayla was oddly touched by his sentiment, she now had a place to go to, to try and connect with her Thu'um. She smiled and thanked Dumbledore with a bow. It was then that the sun decided to grace the word with its light.
"I think it is time to go back. You don't want to fall asleep in class, now." He said as he held open the door for Kayla.
"It's fine. I'd usually be up now anyway if I was to pack up my camp to start a days traveling on foot." She replied.
As she was already dressed, Dumbledore said that she could continue to familiarize herself with the school grounds and gave her a special note incase she was stopped by a teacher or Mr. Filch. She was guided to the grounds where Hagrid's hut was by the Professor before he wandered of into the halls himself.
Kayla was happy to walk around the large open space between the castle and the forest. She made a mental note to explore them later. The sun was nearly fully risen and was casting a warm glow on the land. As she was walking hear Hagrid's hut, the giant man in question opened his door to start his day.
He stopped mid stride with one huge leg in the air when he noticed her their, his boarhound Fang walked out passed the space provided. The dog barked and bounded over to the new comer that he had never met and jumped onto his hind legs to lick at Kayla's face. She laughed as she pushed the huge dog down and began to rub his head.
"How'ya Kayla, What you doin' up so early for?" Hagrid asked
Kayla took her attention off the dog "I was up anyway and decided to wander around."
"Well I don't have to start work for a little while and breakfast isn't until Six, so you want a cuppa?" He asked kindly
"Of course." Kayla answered enthusiastically, and that was officially the start to her first day at Hogwarts.