I. FALKREATH

ALDUIN & THE DRAGONBORN

In the Dragonborn's restless dreams, it spoke to her like a hunter cooed to it's prey.

The words were like fog through a dark forest, it reminded her of black bubbles rising up through tar, and as she twisted in her anxious sleep it made the girl's heart race. In the darkness of her dreams there was a feeling of eyes watching her and fingers reaching to touch her, catching her hair and running against her cold skin. This feeling made her freeze like she was caught in a winter snow storm and somewhere within this frigid, sickening darkness there was one word that stuck out the most. It slithered upon her tongue like it slithered through her mind.

Like wind rustling through autumn trees it sent shivers down her spine. In her dreams she ran, her feet getting stuck in mud, and the longer the girl ran through the tall forest the stickier the mud became. Whatever was chasing behind her was catching up and the more the panic set in the more she ran. Dodging stray branches and gnarled roots she struggled to get away. It was useless though, there was a grasp of her waist and with a heavy crash she fell forward into the sticky earthy substance at her feet.

Sinking, she was sinking in the mud as the word whistled upon the wind like dreaded monsters lurked in the dark seas.

"Miraak..." it sang out to her. "Miraak..."

Suddenly with a deep shudder the girl jilted awake and listened to the sound of her heart racing, the banging of each hard pump causing more panic than necessary. At first she did not recognize her surroundings for the early morning light barely shown through the little window but as she stared into the shadows there was a moment of realization that a pair of eyes stared back. They were curious but irritated in nature and among the ruby hue a certain bit of concern lingered. There was a modest flash of red that tinted her cheeks as the Dragonborn realized that she was staring at her bed companion.

"Alduin," the girl said softly, reminding herself of his name in the process of anxious confusion. "I... I didn't wake you, did I?"

The irritation in his eyes turned into a dark furrow of his brow as he responded to her. "Yes, you did. You have for the past few nights."

Removing her starlight eyes from his the Imperial girl looked away to give the moment a slight thought. The past few nights had been horrible, in truth. They were sleepless, the dreams were getting stronger than the time just before, and each time they came the panic was worse. This night was particularly vivid and when she thought back to it her head hurt. Dreams weren't supposed to leave headaches when the dawn came and in this moment of weakness she decreed that she was mildly scared. Something she could not explain was going on and the longer her thoughts lingered upon it the darker the knot in her stomach became. "I'm sorry," she said after a moment. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

But as her eyes lingered downward and the initial fright began to subside the Dragonborn began to notice the way that she and her companion lay together. There was a feeling of fingers upon her back and there was no distance between their bodies. Once she had woken during the night to find her arms wrapped around his waist, the thought making the dark freckled cheeks redder. It was cold that night, he was warm beneath the sheets at the time, and though comfortable a great amount of space was put between them upon realizing when she came to. It was different this time though, she wasn't the one holding the other and she could hear their hearts in the quiet.

"You were exceptionally restless and I thought holding you would help still you." he said, his words soft and reminding the girl of when their fingers touched the night before. She could feel his eyes upon her and his fingers in the small of her back, her heart fluttering softly beneath the white shirt. Their bodies were close and the warmth was intoxicating. Before life as the Dragonborn was hers, and in truth even after, there were never moments like these with another. She was always studying and practicing, playing politics and being bred to perfection like her father demanded. There were never times where tender moments were allowed to flourish for she was a blade, her father would say, she was meant to be as sharp and lovely as her nobility demanded.

But she left that life to heed her calling as the Dovahkiin, something that he would never understand.

There was a concentration of the man's fingers to her back then as she was eager to forget her father. They were not tense but soft rather; the feeling of his fingernails curled and poking at her through the thin white of her shirt. In the air among the dust she could smell him, it reminded her of the soil after the rains came. The girl's breath was quicker than his and each time it blew upon her face air would get stuck in her throat. Tender moments, they were so far and few that this felt like the true dream. Perhaps it was? It was odd and she felt the need to stop it.

So raising her eyes upward to his, diamonds meeting rubies in that instant, she gave a soft but nervous smile. "Thank you but you don't need to hold me any longer. I am fine."

And with that she wiggled out of his touch and met the coldness with messy hair and red cheeks. Alduin, who still lay upon the bed, looked to the girl and found himself confused. His eyes lingered upon her frame, the light catching the loose strands of black hair as she sat upward at the end of the bed, and there was a silence that followed. The red tinge to her cheeks had been hidden by the dark tresses and with one breath after another she heaved herself to her feet. The coldness in the room had never been so present until this moment and she was thankful for it like a wanderer in a desert stumbling upon water.

With raised arms and an arched back the Imperial woman bent her body to smooth out the kinks from sleeping. Her palms wide, long fingers stretched to Aetherius, the stale air pumping through her lungs as she breathed in the morning dust. It wasn't a restful sleep but it was something, that's all that mattered really. At least it would get them to Ivarstead or somewhere just as close. Hopefully the Greybeards knew what to do about the situation at hand and perhaps if not then at least they were moving. Truly though she hoped they would have some answers as to what had happened that night in Sovngarde.

With those thoughts it reminded her of the human Alduin and subtly the girl turned her body ever so slightly as she continued to stretch. The pale of her eyes caught what little light there was and watched as the man also took to his feet. He was sturdy in body and built like the White Gold Tower, and just as tall too. He wore simple clothes, no armors and nothing special, it was what she could afford at the time and he seemed to eventually take to it. It was funny considering how rarely he took it off after not wanting to put it on at all to begin with. He used to complain about it being itchy and how no dragon needed mortal clothes. The cold told him otherwise and he stopped his squabbling about it.

But as the Dragonborn watched the once-dragon the girl's eyes were met by his and being caught made her turn around. Pretending to still stretch she turned to the opposite side and flushed a little harder. Divines, why was she always blushing?

"Let's go then, enough of that." Alduin stated and proceeded to walk towards the door. Quickly she padded to the other side of the room and gathered her weapons. Across her breast she slid the quiver of her arrows around her and tied the bow safely to her back. The male was large but quick, he did not wait and proceeded to the room's opening. Straightforward, stubborn and headstrong; his traits were endearing in spite of his situation.

With no words or excuses she tailed behind him, the sound of the door being pushed roughly open by his strength. As the door hit the beam of wood the smell of stale dust was replaced by that of something warm and hearty, it made her stomach growl and Alduin cock his head in search of what lingered. "I have enough for bread," she said as her fingers fished out a few pieces of gold from her side pouch. "would you like to split it with me?"

The suggestion was fine but it did not interest him. Or at least, the bread part of it didn't. With a curious brow he looked to her and stared. "Does it have to be bread?"

"Sadly, yes, it has to be bread." she answered softly and it was responded with a twist of his features. A lot of the time he reminded the Dragonborn of a small child and in this instant he surely did with the way he scrunched up at the very notion of bread over meat. As much as she wanted some of the stew as well it was unfortunate that their gold was limited. Below them the sound of small talk lingered in the air and he gave a huff.

"Fine, get the bread."

Softly nodding and making her way down the steps the girl trotted over to Valga whose dark eyes caught hers. They were Imperial women, they stared strong at one another, and after a moment she gave the innkeeper a soft smile. Food this early in the morning was quite welcome and so was a fairly friendly face. Falkreath when the light hit it right reminded the Dragonborn of home and often it was her haunt. She may have left Cyrodiil by her own means but that didn't mean she did not miss it. The trees and the smell reminded her of her childhood and when she was feeling particularly lonely on her journey she would often return to the great forest. Which is exactly why she came to Falkreath after Alduin had turned up human, to get her head around the whole idea in a more comfortable zone.

"Sosia! Good to see you this morning, what can I get you?" Valga greeted which had caused a wider smile to form upon her freckled features.

"Some bread if you will, please." With the words falling from her lips and throwing the few gold pieces upon the counter Valga nodded and grabbed a piece for her customer. Sneaking up behind her Alduin closed in and quickly picked up what had just been traded. He was quick and perhaps even surprising, it caused both women to stare shocked at the large and rather hungry man as he ripped what he had to shreds. A jest about the World-Eater would go here but... well, circumstances are circumstances.

"Is that everything?" Valga asked the girl as she closely watched the male wander by the fire while eating his spoils. The Dragonborn turned her head and watched as he stared intently into the fire, the glow of the embers making his features glow. She could tell that Valga wished to inquire about who he was and why he was with her but knew better than to go into somebody else's affairs.

Turning back and nodding in affirmation, Sosia concluded their business. "It would seem so. Take care, Valga, and see you again soon."

And as she waved off the friendly face to go retrieve her charge and his bread, both the Dragonborn and World-Eater walked out into the early morning mist.

Taking in a deep breath and taking in one last stretch before the day would break through the great mist, there was a silence that lingered among them. In this eeriness a reminder of her dreams settled in and though Alduin at her side made a soft ripping and chewing noise it made a tingle run down the girl's spine. Perhaps it was the chill or perhaps even the reminder that this was real made her long to return home. It made her want to return to her mother and even her father who swore that she was no longer a daughter of his. Sometimes when the nights were long and the fires were warm she remembered things from her childhood that made the bad feelings go away. He wasn't always cruel with his words, that's back when Sellus was alive. And if she concentrated hard enough she was a little girl again who didn't know the realities of the world and still had a family at her side.

But quickly returning to her normal form, the last and final stretch having proven to be her last wake up call, there was a strange feeling in the air. It caused the starlight eyes to peer down the road both ways as she walked down the little steps and though searching for something that she was convinced existed, there was nothing that proved her notions true. There was a second that passed and though only halfway through his loaf Alduin watched his Dragonborn carefully just as she watched the roads.

"What do you see?" he asked after swallowing his latest piece.

"I'm not sure," she replied as she looked past the male's large stature. "but keep an eye out."

As scary as it seemed her feelings often proved to be right. She may not have seen it immediately but Sosia knew there was something lurking hidden among the great mist. If there was anything true and dear Sellus had taught her it was listen to her gut instinct. Often his words held the greatest weight in her life and often they were true. Thoughts of his face brought a certain ache to her heart as the girl's eyes turned to meet Alduin's, the sharp red comforting.

"You there!" Sosia heard then and she jumped lightly at the shouting that broke the silence. "You the one they call the Dragonborn?"

And there it was, that feeling.

Turning the starlight to meet two souls who wandered from the mist the girl gazed upon the strangely clad individuals whose voices were deep and raspy. Dark elves, she suspected, one female and the other male from the way the clothes hugged both of their forms. Alduin was not tense as Sosia had been but rather casual as he ate the pieces of his bread. In truth it was a slower chewing then, careful and cautious almost. As a human he was much different than the great and prideful beast that he had been. It made her almost thankful to have him at her side then.

"I don't know what you're talking about." she responded as they grew closer and much clearer from the mist.

"Your lies fall upon deaf ears, Deceiver." the other female hissed like a snake in weeds. "The True Dragonborn comes... You are but his shadow!"

In truth it was a quick thing. They did not come to reason, they did not come to speak to them, they came to spread their word by taking the Dragonborn's life first and foremost. There was confusion that laced her heart but not as much as it had laced Alduin's face the moment the other male rose his hands up with a fiery fist and shot it at the dark haired man. The second it landed and took him off guard as it pushed him back slightly, the last chunk of his bread hitting the beaten ground as it was knocked from his grip, an angry almost dumbfounded look spread across his face. "When Lord Miraak appears all shall bear witness! None shall stand to oppose him!"

The shouting made him spit out the last of his bread, a certain anger causing the Dragonborn to take a step back while her slender fingers reached backward for her bow. The female hid behind her male companion as a flame atronach was summoned from it's fire ring. Ash in the air, mist sticking to her lungs, Sosia drew her weapon back and made sure to aim for the summoner whose daedric companion aimed to attack Alduin.

But truth be told the moment the arrow was unleashed from it's string and was sent flying through the air, there was a sound to the whistling air that made her breath be stolen from her lungs. The force that guided the sharp thing flew past Alduin who grabbed the male closest to him and began to lay punches. One after another it hit him, the sound of the Dark Elf man struggling against the beast of a creature that was her dark haired friend, but none hit as hard as the arrow that pierced the other woman's shoulders. Both screamed in agony but they were both the ones who struck first.

And though the arrow hit hard and true it was not enough to kill the would-be attacker.

Alduin repeatedly punched the male and by Akatosh's own luck he dodged the fire that was sent his way. Perhaps blinded by rage or maybe he didn't even care, the Dragonborn watched from a distance as Alduin drug the male through the group and up against the railings. At some point there was enough force in the way he held the man that the wooden railing of the inn broke as the human male threw his target against it while holding him by the collar of his robes. There was a lot of yelling and one hit after another, the next stronger than the one before, only made Alduin scream just as loud. It began to draw attention from the guards and they too were now there.

What breath was taken from her returned with the nearing of a fireball then and as the shock from the heat drew her from the whistling, the girl parried to the side. Dodging it safely and drawing her bow in the process she managed to release it into the air but was quickly missed. A grunt was heard from Alduin and the guards began to get involved. The man he was tossing all over the place was beginning to grow limp in his hands but clearly Alduin was not done.

Suddenly the guards managed to strike the woman down from behind and with a great yell of her own both her and her atronach fell to the ground. Blood and ash and what screams were dying out from where Alduin was the Dragonborn lowered her weapon in hopes of not provoking the guards who stood around them. This early in the morning those who stood around stood sluggishly slow and appearing through the mist they came. They stared at the scene and Sosia stared confused too. Like a beast trapped in a cage her heart roared, the sound of something caught in the wind made her head spin. Was it adrenaline or sickness?

"Whoa, enough!" a guard screamed to Alduin but alas the man did not listen. Instead he kept tossing the limp body around in a ferocious way that terrified a few of the onlookers.

"Alduin!" Sosia said as she stumbled towards him with her hands outward and slightly stumbling. "It's over! Please!"

His eyes then met hers and the rage was true. Still wobbly and lightheaded she gave him a pleading look, the leftovers of his victim lifeless in his grip. The guards held their swords but lowered them slightly as the Dragonborn gave them a look. A silence followed, Alduin nodded, and though not throwing his attacker to the ground just yet he instead fished around the pocket area where he then produced a handful of gold. "They wasted my bread," he stated after a moment. "I'm going back in there and I'm getting some stew."

Throwing the body to the ground made it clear that there was no dissuading him, the sound of his stomping and the slamming of the door more than final. Instead she shook her head and turned to those who watched her, a moment of eye contact before lowering her pale eyes to the dead. The blood that pooled into the ash made the girl think of the sounds in the wind; another shiver glided down her back at the very thought.

"I don't understand what they could have wanted." Sosia said as she bent down to check the two out. From beneath her robes she spotted the corner fold of paper and with quick fingers she snatched it up. The guards around her watched and she quickly read what stood out before her. "Board the vessel Northern Maiden docked at Raven Rock. Take it to Windhelm, then begin your search." she read quietly to herself, her voice barely a whisper. "Kill the False Dragonborn known as Sosia Constantina before she reaches Solstheim."

But that's when her heart sunk to the bottom of her stomach, not from the bounty upon her name but rather the next words that were cold and causing her heart to pump harder.

"Return with word of your success," Sosia struggled with the last and final sentence. "And Miraak shall be most pleased."

And suddenly the sound upon the wind made her head hurt more.