This is the blue moon where I post two chapters in one month. On one hand, it means a sooner update, but on the other, this chapter was meant for next month, so next month's scheduled update might be a little off.

I apologize in advance for any formatting issues you might have with this story. FFnet is horrible at maintaining a readable layout on every device. I have looked at my stories, and other stories on a phone, iPad, and computer and each one looks different. iPad looks best-ish but computer comes close second in my opinion.

I'm starting to have an idea of what I'm going to do with Navi. It won't be in this story though. Possibly later. Sorry Navi fans.

Disclaimer: I don't think it says anywhere that I half to say I don't own the rights to Skyrim or Legend of Zelda but I will anyway since it's become a sort of unspoken rule.

Chapter begin!


The two weeks Folkvar had promised were over and Link sat in their room in the castle mournfully, the events of his kidnapping and then his escape weighed on his mind. He wanted to talk to someone about it, but he was afraid of what would happen if Folkvar found out he had broken his promise and killed two humans. Half of him wanted Folkvar to return so badly it hurt, the other half dreaded it just as painfully.
When Folkvar entered the courtyard looking for him, the half that wanted him back won the battle and he ran to him, his hands trembling. He stopped just in front of the tall man, not sure what to do next.
"Lad," Folkvar saw Link's fragile state and needed to know what had caused it, hoping it was something that could be defeated with a punch to the face. "What's wrong?"
He put a hand on Link's shoulder, but the boy slipped away from him, more nervous and scared than he had ever seen him.
"Nothing," Link muttered. "I... I'll go get packed."
The boy scampered away to their room before Folkvar could truly assess how bad the damage was and it worried him. Hadvar had acted strange around him at the battle for Windhelm. He decided to find and confront the man, if he was still in Skyrim.
"Captain," Folkvar called to Aldus, who might know what was wrong. "Did something happen to the boy that I should know about?"
"Not that I'm aware of," Aldus answered. "He left a while ago with Hadvar to go camping but they returned early and Link was pretty shaken up. They didn't say what had happened. Oh, Legate Adventus Caesennius has your pay. Meet him in Castle Dour."
"Thank you," Follvar nodded to him thankfully, still worried for Link.

(1)

Link was much, much quieter than usual, Folkvar noted. He didn't look up and rode farther behind Folkvar than usual as well. Something had happened while Folkvar was gone, and he was determined to find out what. He needed to pull Link out of his stupor. The boy's facial expressions were starting to look like his.
"Lad," Folkvar reined in Alfsigr so that he could ride next to Link. Link would have normally looked up, but he was still counting the hairs in Dapple's mane. "What happened with Hadvar?"
"Nothing," Link answer was too quick and too loud for Folkvar's liking.
"Something happened and now you're not looking me," Folkvar pressed. "Did Hadvar hurt you. Did he do something to you?"
"What? No!" Link looked up at this, genuinely confused.
Folkvar was relived that Hadvar truly was not to blame for Link's change, because if he had harmed or touched Link in anyway, he was a dead man walking.
"I heard you two went camping in the woods while I was away."
Folkvar tried to maneuver his way into getting Link to tell him what had happened. Just because he didn't like talking to people, didn't mean he wasn't good at it. He was raised to be a merchant, not a warrior. It was just my circumstance that he ended up with his father's sword and not his mother's caravan.
"Yeah," Link looked back down again.
Guilt came off him in waves. He had done something wrong that Folkvar wouldn't approve of, but it was much worse than him not going to bed on time or forgetting a chore. This was serious and it was eating him alive.
"Want to tell me about it?"
"No," Link shook his head more vigorously than necessary.
"Tell me when you're ready," Folkvar sighed.
He knew when he could win, and Link was being more stubborn than Folkvar could ever be. Plus, if he kept pressing, he could end up pushing the boy too far and that was the last thing he wanted to do.
"We'll get to stay in our home for one night, on the way to Riverwood," Folkvar said, hoping to perk Link up a little with the good news. "We're passing right by it. It would be a shame not to take a break."
When Link didn't respond, Folkvar sighed. The rest of that day was spent in silence, just like the ones following it, until they reached their cabin. Link only looked half as happy as Folkvar wanted him too. They could have easily reached Riverwood by nightfall, but Link needed a break. He had barely slept since leaving Solitude and from the bags under his eyes, he hadn't slept much in Solitude either. If he did sleep, it was troubled, and he tossed and turned, occasionally whimpering, forcing Folkvar to wake him. He always woke terrified and confused, like he didn't know where he was, but he still wouldn't tell Folkvar what happened. Link was determined to carry this burden alone, as if he was afraid of Folkvar finding out.
Folkvar was starting to fear the worst, overblown scenarios ran in his head, eating away at him. He didn't know which scenario was real and the longer he didn't know what had happened the more afraid he became. But all thoughts of Link's state where pushed to the side when the little cabin came into view.
"We're home," Folkvar announced to Link, who had dozed off while sitting on Dapple. Link slumped off of his horse and went to the chair on the porch, forgetting to take care of Dapple. He left the horse hanging with all his tack still on.
"Lad," Folkvar scolded, pointing at the pony, who shifted uncomfortably.
Link moved like a zombie, he was so exhausted. Even when he was caring for Dapple, one of his favorite pass times, he nodded off, resting his head on Dapple's shoulder and closing his eyes while his hand moved the brush in circle motions over the same spot. Folkvar had to clear his throat to get Link to brush a different spot. He kept dropping Dapple's feet when picking them clean off rocks and dirt, which was unusual as Dapple loved getting his hooves picked and would even lift them for the boy.
"Link, go get some sleep," Folkvar eventually dismissed the half awake boy, taking the pick from him and picking the pony's hooves for him.
"I'm not tired," Link sat down on a barrel in the stable and rubbed his eyes. He was already nodding off, but he pinched himself to stay awake. "I don't want to sleep."
"I'm not sure about that first statement," Folkvar grunted. "But I believe the second one."
"I'm not tired," Link insisted, yawning deeply.
"What's keeping you up, lad?"
"Nothing," Link lied.
Link had gotten good at lying about 'nothing'. Folkvar started to notice things in the boy that he had developed himself over the years, when he was first starting to adventure, looking for the people who had killed his family. In the earlier years he had stopped sleeping, his night were plagued by nightmares, he drank as much as he could (A symptom that couldn't apply to Link), and if anyone asked if something was wrong he would answer with the same 'nothing' Link now responded with. Link was turning into him, tired and bitter at the world, trying desperately to believe nothing was wrong. But Link was too young, too innocent, too sweet, to grow bitter.
"At least try to sleep," Folkvar put the pick away and set the horses free in the paddock. He filled their water tray and put hay in the feeding trough, both of which where Link's chores. Link tired to protest, but he was too tired.
"I can't sleep," Link tried to get Folkvar to stop insisting.
"You get nightmares?" Folkvar asked.
The look of concern on Folkvar's face made Link feel uncomfortable. He didn't want to worry Folkvar even if there really was something to worry about.
"I don't..." Link started.
"Just try," Folkvar ordered. "It can't hurt."
"Okay," Link looked down at his feet.
He slunk away to the house, getting out his key so he could get inside. Folkvar went after him to check the cellar for some salted meat he could turn into stew for their dinner.

(2)(2)

While Folkvar made the dinner, Link tried to take a nap in his room with the curtain blocking the daylight to make it easier to catch up on his sleep, but all he could see was the woman's face. Every detail of her face was clear to him, but he didn't remember much else, aside from the feeling of the knife in his hands. Link hadn't been able to pick up a weapon after the incident. All he could feel was the knife and the blood. Despite his effort to fall asleep and not have the same nightmare that had been plaguing him, the memory replayed over and over in his head as he drifted off.

(3)(3)(3)

While the meal cooked over the fire Folkvar sat in his chair, glancing at Link's closed bedroom door periodically, waiting for something to happen. The meat simmered in the pot, sending pleasant aromas through the main room of the cabin. The small fire in the fire place glowed warmly, but it could not thaw the fear in Folkvar's mind. His own mind was full of his mistakes; mistakes that would play over and over before he went to sleep and before he woke up. He knew he could never get rid of them, but he could try to stop Link from having them.
Or so he thought.

(4)(4)(4)(4)

Link woke with a scream. The image of the Forsworn's dead bodies didn't bother him nearly as much of the feeling he felt as he relived the knife cutting through a human body while being held in his hand. After wakening from the nightmare memory, Link couldn't move and he couldn't see. All he could do was feel imaginary blood seep through his fingers and hear an accusatory voice blame him over and over again, calling him a murderer.
"Folkvar," Link whimpered quietly into his darkened room, calling out for the first person to truly care about him as if they were blood family.
Folkvar was in his room in seconds, scooping Link into his arms as the boy sobbed. Link clutched at Folkvar's shirt and buried his face into his chest. Folkvar rocked him back and forth, more terrified than ever for the boy's mental stability. He tried to hush the boy's sobs but Link wouldn't stop shaking and sniffling. Then Folkvar heard it, the words in Link's crying. He was apologizing over and over, almost too quietly to hear over his hiccups.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry," Link sobbed. "Please don't be mad at me. Please don't send me away. I... I didn't mean to."
"Link, what happened? Why are you sorry," Folkvar said. "You can tell me. I won't be mad and I would never send you away."
"Promise?" Link hiccuped.
"Promise. Just tell me what's hurting you."
Link hiccuped once more before calming down. He was still curled up in Folkvar's lap when he told him everything that happened with the Forsworn. By the end, he was wring his hands and crying quietly. He didn't dare look up at Folkvar for fear of seeing anger in his face.
"I'm sorry," Link whispered when he was done. "I promised not to kill anyone, but then I did and, and I feel horrible. I can't stop seeing her face."
"It's not your fault," Folkvar cooed. He had suspected Link was starting to get nightmares of the bandits again. This was much worse. "They kidnapped you and you defended yourself. I'm just glad you didn't get hurt."
"But I killed them," Link tried to get Folkvar to see how bad he was, but Folkvar refused to see it. He just rubbed his back in circles and held him closer.
"It's alright. I know. And it hurts. I've felt that too. I feel it very night. It doesn't go away, it will never go away, but that's normal. I don't expect you to just brush this off. It doesn't get easier. You grow to meet it. The Forsworn, bandits, cannibals, assassins, and many other people will not be like the regular people you meet in town or on the road. These people are bad and they will kill you. Defending yourself, even if you kill the person attacking you, is not wrong. Especially here. It is a part of life."
"So why do I feel like this?" Link asked. "Am I weak?"
"No," Folkvar put Link down on the bed next to him so that they were sitting next to each other. "The way you feel means you are a good person. That is a strength that many people who kill don't have. That's why they are bandits or Forsworn. You are strong."
"And because we're strong, we have to help people who can't defend themselves from bad people," Link added. "It's a responsibility. Because I... Because I killed those two Forsworn, they won't be able to kidnap other children and feed them to the Hagravens. So I did the right thing, even if I feel bad about it."
"You did the right thing."
"Will knowing this help me sleep?"
"No," Folkvar sighed, looking down at Link's still shivering frame. "Nothing will help you sleep."
"It will help me live?" Link asked, finally looking up at Folkvar.
"Yes, lad," Folkvar smiled sadly. "It's what keeps us going. Now, are you hungry?"
"Yes! What's for dinner?" Link bounded off of the bed excitedly.
His pain was finally pushed to the back of his mind, leaving room for more happier thoughts, like food. But it would still return, the way it did for anyone who did what Link and Folkvar did. They just had to remember the people they saved, not the people they killed.

(5)(5)(5)(5)(5)

Riverwood looked the same. It was still a quiet, peaceful village on the side if a river. The mill's wheel turned lazily in the river, cutting logs in half, mostly for rebuilding things that been destroyed by the war and by dragons. Hopefully both problems would be under control by the end of the month. Two children were playing in the middle of the road with a big dog. The last time they had been to this particular village, Link had run away and broken his ankle. Now, all those feeling were long gone.
"We're supposed to met our 'friend' in the Sleeping Giant Inn," Folkvar said. "Whoever they are, they'd better have good reason for dragging us all the way here."
They tied their horses to the hitching post outside the inn and went inside. It smelled the way Link remembered, like good cooking, good ale, and a warm fire. The locals had not yet started to go into the inn after their work, so the inn was relatively empty except for the inn keepers, Delphine, who rented rooms, and Orgnar, who served the food.
Folkvar walked up to Delphine with Link close behind, as usual. She was much stronger than the average inn keeper. Her blue dress accented her blue eyes, her jaw was fine and strong, and her posture was not that of an inn keeper, but that of a warrior. She held herself with an air different than Folkvar's and Link's. She had more purpose, and, but the looks of it, more training. Folkvar, on the other hand, had learned most of his techniques by trial and error while adventuring on his own as a young man. Link had learned most of what he knew from Folkvar, with the exception of some things he had taught himself while on his quest for Princess Zelda.
"It'd like to rent the attic room," Folkvar grunted. He could tell at first glance that there was no attic in the inn, meaning that Delphine, the inn keeper who wasn't really an inn keeper, was the friend with the horn.
"Attic room, eh?" She smiled, knowing what he meant but not wanting to tip off Orgnar, who had no idea what the code was for. "We don't have one of those. But you can have the room on the left. Make yourself at home."
Folkvar and Link went into the room. Folkvar felt strange being so discrete about why he had come to Riverwood. He preferred to do things outright and in the open. Link, on the other hand, felt a small adrenaline rush at the thought of how sneaky they were being. It made him feel a little giddy, a feeling he knew Folkvar would dismiss as being childish, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling a little. He had been waiting for this moment for weeks, wondering who could possibly be the friend in the letter. And now that they were about to find out, he felt the anticipation build.
They both went into the room on the left, which was a little cramped. It looked like the regular rooms in an inn, and also like the bedrooms in their own home. It had a dresser in one side, a bed with an animal skin blanket, and a table and chair in one corner. Link sat on the bed and waited for what would happen next while Folkvar remained standing.
After attention was no longer on them and Orgnar was busy preparing the tankards for when the workers would come in for the day to drink and socialize, Delphine walked into the room as discretely as she could and confronted Folkvar, not even looking at Link.
"So your the Dragonborn I've been hearing so much about?" She asked, reaching into a satchel she had on her belt. "I think you were looking for this."
In her hand she held an ancient metal horn, the one they had come to find. Folkvar took it and quickly put it into his pack, not waiting for her to make another move to keep it from him. He was more than ready to push past her and leave now that they had gotten what they came for, but Link would never approve of leaving when she clearly had more to say.
"We need to talk," she nodded seriously. "Follow me."
She motion for Link to stay in the room, but one look from Folkvar and she realized that where Folkvar went, Link would follow, almost no exceptions. They followed her into the room in the right, a much more elaborately decorated and spacious room. The bed in this room was not made as carelessly as the average door and was covered in an elegant green blanket. The table were covered in food and drink. Delphine stopped just in front of the wardrobe and ordered Link to close the door, which he did.
The moment the door shut, Delphine opened the wardrobe and hit a switch behind all the cloaks, dresses, and robes hanging from the bar. The back of the wardrobe opened, revealing a secret passageway to basement room. Link was tempted to ask Folkvar if they could have one of those in their house, but he knew Folkvar would say no.
They followed Delphine down the stairs into a tactical room much like the ones the Imperials and Stormcloaks used in their now resolved civil war. But instead of being stocked with just tactical knowhow and a few basic weapons, this one was had a few thin, slightly curved swords that looked similar to the knives that Impa, Princess Zelda's Sheikah warrior bodyguard and nursemaid, preferred to use.
"Now we can talk," Delphine said, eyeing Link nervously. She had not calculated the fabled Dragonborn having a boy follow him everywhere and it made her uncomfortable. She hadn't expected the life the Dragonborn lead to be one for children,
"What do you have to say?" Folkvar grunted.
"The Graybeards seem to think you're the Dragonborn," she said, giving Folkvar a good look over, evaluating his skills and weakness just by a thorough glance. "I hope they're right."
"He is the Dragonborn!" Link defended Folkvar, his words confident but his voice hesitant. Link's voice quickly failed him when Delphine's attention snapped from Folkvar to him. She gave him the same scrutinizing look.
"I hope so. But you'll forgive me if I don't assume that something's true because the Graybeards and a some mer child say so."
"He's not a mer," Folkvar corrected for what felt like the umpteenth time.
"That is beside the point. I just handed you the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. Does that make me Dragonborn too?"
She had a point. The only way into the chamber that held the horn was with the whirlwind sprint shout, though shouts could be learned more ways than the way Folkvar had and doors could be opened more than one way.
"You'd better have a good reason for dragging me here, other than questioning me about the status of my soul," Folkvar crossed his arms. He towered over Delphine and was very intimidating in his armor, but that didn't bother her at all.
"It was the only way I could make sure it wasn't a Thalmor trap," she explained calmly. "I am not your enemy. I already gave you the horn. I'm actually trying to help you. I just need you to hear me out."
"We're listening," Folkvar uncrossed his arms, but didn't stop looking intimidating, just in case she tried something.
"Like I said in my note, I'd heard that you might be Dragonborn. I'm part of a group that's been looking for you... well, someone like you, for a very long time. If you really are Dragonborn, that is. Before I tell you anymore, I need to know I can trust you.
"How do I know I can trust you?"
"If you don't trust me, you were a fool to walk in here in the first place. Especially with a child, ever if he is armed."
"I'm not a child," Link protested. He was getting tired of everyone thinking he was a mer child who couldn't defend himself. He carried a sword and shield for more than show. Before he could protest anymore to Delphine's assumptions about him, Folkvar held out a hand to quiet his tongue.
"You said the Thalmor are after you?" He asked.
"Yes," she answered. "We're very old enemies. And if my suspicions are correct, they might have something to do with the dragons returning. But that isn't important right now. What is important is you might be Dragonborn."
"He is!" Link looked up at Folkvar in a silent question to ask why he wasn't defending himself more, but Folkvar quieted him again by placing a hand in his shoulder.
"Why are you looking for me as the Dragonborn?"
"We remember what most don't–that the Dragonborn is the ultimate dragonslayer. You're the only one who can kill a dragon permanently by devouring its soul. Can you do it? Can you devour a dragon's soul?"
"Yes," Folkvar nodded, remembering the dragon in Solitude and realizing its final words as his soul absorbed the dragon's. Folkvar remembered the first dragon he had defeated, protecting Whiterun from it's fire. Its soul taught him the unrelenting force shout he had demonstrated to the Graybeards.
"He can, I've seen him," Link said.
Folkvar wondered when the quiet boy had found his voice to talk to strangers more openly. He was glad Link was emerging from the cage of nervous fear his previous life had locked him in.
"Good. And you'll have a chance to prove it to me soon enough."
"Anything we need to know that you haven't said yet?" Folkvar grunted.
"Dragons aren't just coming back, they're coming back to life. They weren't gone somewhere for all those years. They were dead, killed off centuries ago by my predecessors. Now something's happening to bring them back to life. And I need you to help me stop it."
"Things don't just come back to life," Link said quietly.
"They do," Folkvar corrected. "You've seen the draugr and skeleton warriors."
"Well, yes," Link nodded. "But the dragons are alive, not undead."
"The lad's got a point," Folkvar turned to Delphine. "This does sound a little crazy."
"Ha. A few years ago, I said the same thing to a colleague of mine. Well, it turned out he was right and I was wrong."
"What makes you think the dragons are coming back. You have proof?" Folkvar asked.
"I know they are," she insisted. "I visited their ancient burial mounds and found them empty. And I've figured out out where the next one will come back to life. We're going to go there, and your going to kill that dragon. If we succeed, I'll tell you anything you need to know."
"If we fail, we'll be dead," Folkvar pointed out. "Where are we headed?"
"Kynesgrove," Delphine pointed to the map on the table in front of her. "There's an ancient dragon burial mound near there. If we can get there before it happens, maybe we'll learn how to stop it."
"You ready, lad?" Folkvar asked Link.
"Y-yes!" Link nodded. He had already helped kill two dragons before and as long as Folkvar was with him, nothing bad would happen. He believed this with all his heart.
"Then let's go kill a dragon," Folkvar rolled his shoulders. Kynesgrove was far away, but not an impossible destination if they weren't attacked by anything on the way.
"I need to get into my traveling gear," Delphine shooed them out of the room. "Give a minute and I'll be ready."
They waited for her in the main room of the inn where Link pestered Folkvar for a small treat before they left, but Folkvar didn't cave-in to the request. He had brought with him only the money he thought they'd need. Carrying his entire payment for ending the war would have been asking for trouble whenever he took out his purse, and Link had already spent his allowance on candies and books in Solitude earlier that week.
After Link got a stern reprimand form Folkvar for his growing sweet tooth, Delphine came out of her room in light armor made of leather. It wasn't as sturdy as Folkvar's nordic armor or Link's chain mail, but it would protect her from the elements better than her blue dress. She asked Orgnar to take care of their horses before going over to them.
"This is better. Let's get on the road to Kynesgrove," Delphine ordered. She was used to being in charge, and Folkvar didn't question her. He didn't enjoy being the leader unless it was Link he was leading and protecting.
Outside it had started to snow lightly since it was later in the year. Link shivered but tried to hide it. Folkvar wasn't fazed by the bad turn in the weather, but his ever watchful eye caught Link's discomfort immediately and he moved quickly to the horses to get Link's cloak from Dapple's saddle bag as well as moving four days supplies and provisions to his pack as well as their sleeping roles and a pan for the road. He handed Link's sleeping roll and the boy's cloak to him. Link took it quietly and slung the bedroll over his shoulder.
"There's no shame in being cold, lad," Folkvar reassured Link when he noticed the boy looked embarrassed about needing the cloak.
"You never get cold," Link looked down at his feet as he wrapped himself up in the cloak.
"I"m a Nord," Folkvar explained. "I grew up in this cold as did most of my ancestors. This cold is in my blood."
"Kynesgrove is this way," Delphine pointed down the road. "We'll travel together, if you can keep up."
Folkvar had no qualms with running all the way there, even if it was a long way away. He could probably outrun Delphine, even in his armor. Link, on the other hand, was encumbered by both his heavy cloak and the cold air. Plus, the ground was beginning to get slippery with snow. When Folkvar looked back to see Link falling behind, he moved to take the sleeping roll off of the boy so he would be less encumbered.
"I'm sorry," Link said. "I used to be able to run all day with out stopping but... I don't know if I still can."
"It's alright." Folkvar reassured him. "I know you can make it. And if you can't, I won't leave you behind. I can't say the same for her though."
"Hurry up!" Delphine shouted from up the road. She showed no sign of slowing to let theme catch up. "We need to get there as fast as we can."
"The lads doesn't have enough stamina to run the whole way," Folkvar called to her.
"I'm sorry," Link looked down as they ran. He was already breathing hard and they had only been out for little over an hour.
"It's alright, lad," Folkvar calmed him. "After what you've been through, it will take you a while to get back to being able to run long distances in this weather."
Delphine surprisingly slowed to a jog, though she didn't look happy about it.
"Better to stick together. I don't want you to get yourself killed before we even get there," she excused her laps of kindness with a bout of logic.
"Thank you," Link mumbled through his heavy breathing.
As the hours passed and Link showed no signs of slowing, Folkvar became worried. He didn't want Link to over exert himself, but he didn't want to slow down either. If the dragons were being resurrected, then stopping one before it came back to life would save countless lives and prevent wanton destruction. Folkvar looked back to make sure Link was still behind him and saw that the boy's hand was glowing. Link looked less tired than before.
The symbol that Link had called a birthmark seemed to be more than a just a random blob of differently colored skin on his hand. The lines on it were perfect, forming three distinct triangles, four if you counted the blank space in the middle. They formed one bigger triangle on the back of his hand. Folkvar didn't doubt that it was a birthmark because when it wasn't glowing in the presence of evil or bad intent, it did have the color and texture of a regular birthmark. But normal birthmarks didn't glow. And now it seemed to be giving him energy to keep running, even though they hadn't stopped for lunch and by the disciplined look on Delphine's face, they might not even stop for dinner or even to sleep.
Folkvar was about to ask Link if he knew why the mark on his hand glowed occasionally, but he was interrupted by Delphine.
"This is a notorious bandit hideout," Delphine pointed ahead of them, finally slowing to a halt to assess the structure that rose over the river before them.
The fortress consisted of two towers, one on one side of the riverboat ran next to the road and one on the other. A bridge spanned the gal with what looked like a fifty for drop to the river below if one where to fall from the bridge, seventy from the top of the towers.
"It's the quickest way to Kynesgrove, so..."
"We may have to deal with the bandits," Link finished.
Link was sweating despite the nip in the air and he was out of breath, but his face showed no signs of fatigue. Though he had stopped, his hand still glowed warmly. Folkvar could feel the power from where he stood next to the boy. Folkvar saw Delphine notice the glow, but she didn't comment on it.
"Can you take a life?" Delphine asked Link, looking deep into his eyes.
"Only if I have to," Link answered, not even hesitating, reminding Folkvar of himself.
"Good," Delphine nodded. "They might have archers, how good are you two with those bows? It would speed up our journey if we could pick them off without an actual hand to hand confrontation."
"I can do that," Link nodded.
His courage had come back with the strange glow. Folkvar didn't think the boy was aware of the light emanating from his hand, but something about it was giving him unnatural strength. Folkvar was starting to suspect it was what had caused his ankle to heal twice as fast as it should have. Perhaps there was something about the mark that made the three women from his dream want the boy to be protected.
The three of them quickly and quietly approached the bandit's hideout. Folkvar shot the woman keeping watch on the road who was positioned to demand a toll from passing travelers. Delphine shot the lookout on the tower, but he shouted a warning as he fell over fifty feel into the river, alerting the rest of the bandits to their presence. As a group of bandits ran out of the tower next to the road, Link loosed two of his own arrows, only one of which met its mark. To make up for Link's missed arrow, both Folkvar and Delphine shot the remaining bandits.
"Glad we got that taken care of," Delphine sighed, slinging her bow back over her shoulder. She turned to look at Link and nodded. "Not bad, kid."
With that, they were back in the road and, as Folkvar had suspected, they didn't stop to rest when the sun went down and the moons came up. Link's stomach started to growl in protest.
"Are we there yet?" Link asked. He was starting to drag his feet. Apparently even with his magical glowing hand, he could still get bored.
"We'll cross the White River and follow it to Windhelm. Then we can swing south to Kynesgrove," Delphine explained.
"How long will that take?"
"Well be there by morning," Folkvar said, ending the conversation.
Link stopped complaining, but his breathing was growing heavy again. Folkvar didn't know if running was worth it. The boy would be fatigued by the time they reached the burial mound and an exhausted boy was not a good thing to have at your back when fighting a dragon.
"Do you need a break, lad?" Folkvar asked.
"No," Link shook his head. "I'm okay."
"Alright," Folkvar sighed.
He was tempted to slow down anyway so Link could rest, but the look of determination on Link's face stopped him. The boy wanted to get there in one go, like they planned, and if they stopped now Folkvar had a felling Link would beat himself up about not having the stamina to run far without a break, even if it was a distance that most people, aside from warriors and soldiers, couldn't go. After a few more hours, the sun rose and they reached their destination.
"This is Kynesgrove," Delphine said, announcing they they had made it. "It's not much to look at. The innkeeper should be able to to tell us if there's a dragon mound nearby."
They approached the inn, but the innkeeper ran down the path before they could even get to the steps. She was panicking.
"What's wrong?" Folkvar asked the crazed woman as she ran past them.
"There's a dragon attacking!" She answered.
"Where is the dragon?" Folkvar asked, using his most calming voice.
"It flew over the town and landed near the old dragon burial mound. I don't know what it's doing over there, but I'm not waiting to find out. That way." She pointed east to the burial mound, her hand shaking with fear.
"Come on!" Delphine took the lead. "We might be too late!"
They didn't wait to watch her run down the street, even though they were tired from the long trek there. They sprinted to the mound as fast as they could, Link's hand was glowing more violently the closer they got to the mound and this time it was a warning, not a boost to the boy's endurance for a long run.
When they got there, a great black dragon was hovering over the mound, chanting words in his own tongue. Folkvar recognized the dragon as the same one that attacked Helgen.
"Sahloknir! Zill gro dovah ulse!" The dragon shouted. "Slen Tiid Vo!"
The air rippled with the power of the black dragons' shout and the ground rumbled in response. The mound burst and the skeletal remains of a dragon rose, clawing its way to the surface, roaring as the flesh and scales returned to its body and its soul was reborn.
"He was right!" Delphine shouted over the din of the raring dragons. "They are being raised. We've got to stop it!"
Folkvar notched an arrow and launched it at the black dragon, but the arrow bounced harmlessly off of the dragon's scales. The dragon looked down at the three small figures below him and made a noise that sounded like an amused chuckle before flapping his wings and flying off, his work done.
With the black dragon gone, the three warriors turned their attention to the dragon crawling out of the ground. The dragon was glowing vibrantly and spreading its wings to take to the sky. Folkvar once more took an arrow from his quiver and launched it at the dragon. It roared in agony the arrow lodged itself into its newly reformed flesh before its scales could form an impenetrable armor. It stopped glowing, but the arrow was lodged uncomfortably on the Dragon's chest. It rose into the air and circled them, intent on killing these people who would dare do him harm.
Folkvar notched another arrow and Delphine and Link followed suit. Link watched the dragon circle in the sky and waited for it to swop down to breath free at them. He watched as it observed them from its bird's eye view and waited patiently. After a few more circles, the dragon did what Link had anticipated and hovered over the mound where it had been buried for over a thousand years. It opened its maw and fire pooled out. Link released his arrow and it flew right through the fire and hit the dragon'a face, enraging it. Just before the fire reached him, Link jumped out of the way, on the other side of the fire from Folkvar and Delphine.
"Link!" Folkvar shouted as he saw fire engulf the space where Link had just been standing, fear clenched his gut, but it quickly dissipated when he saw the boy hiding safely behind a tree, not a burn on him.
"I'm okay," Link called to Folkvar.
He had used the same tactic in Solitude when the frost dragon was about to freeze the courtyard over in snow but he had been quicker that time and the dragon had not managed to release it's deadly breath before the arrow struck.
"Don't do that again," Folkvar ordered.
"No," Delphine corrected. "Do it again. It works."
"It's too dangerous," Folkvar snapped. "He could be hurt."
"Then I'll do it," Delphine ran out from where they had been hiding and launched an arrow at the dragon's face, jumping out of the way of it's fiery breath just before it hit her, much like Link had done.
Her arrow hit more true than Link's had, tearing a huge gash into the back of the dragon's throat as it flew strait through it's open jaws, where Link had been aiming. The dragon roared once more in pain and collapsed to the ground, bringing it to their level and rendering it incapable of breathing more fire at them.
Folkvar and Link joined Delphine and rushed the dragon. Folkvar bellowed a fierce nordic battle cry, confusing the dragon and striking fear into its heart, if only for a moment. Folkvar didn't wait for it to regain its senses and quickly hacked at its neck while Link and Delphine distracted it further by stabbing their swords between the gaps in its natural scaly armor. With three mighty swings, Folkvar cleaved the dragon's head off, killing it for good.
"I'll be damned," Delphine swore as dragon fell, its body limp and glowing with the energy of its soul. "Wait, something's happening... gods above!"
The dragon's soul moved from the dragon to Folkvar, causing the Nord to stumble from the sudden influx of power entering his mind. The light from the soul tore through the air around Folkvar, swirling in a display of light similar to the lights that sometimes lit up the sky in a array of fantastic color, until they finally absorbed into him.
"So you really are the Dragonborn," Delphine covered her mouth to hide her giddy smile and expression of shocked disbelief. She turned to Link and gave him another look over, her gaze lingering on his left hand as the glow started to die down after being lit all night. "And you fight more bravely than any warrior I've very seen, I misjudged you." She turned back to Folkvar. "I owe you both some answers, don't I? Go ahead, what ever you want to know. Nothing held back."
"Who are you and why do you need me?" Folkvar asked, grateful that she was being forthcoming with her knowledge.
"I'm one of the last members of the Blades," Delphine said proudly, she sheathed her thin, curved sword at her waist. "A very long time ago, the Blades were dragonslayers, and we served the Dragonborn, the greatest dragonslayer. For the last two hundred years since the last Dragonborn Emperor, the Blades have been searching for a purpose. Now that dragons are coming back, our purpose clear again. We need to stop them."
"What are the Blades, exactly?" Link asked. He wasn't sure if the question rule applied to him, but he wasn't clear on Tamriel history. He wasn't even clear on Hylian history since no one had ever taken time with him to teach him anything.
"Exactly," Delphine sighed, rubbing her head with her hands. "Nobody even remembers out name these days. We used to be known across Tamriel as the protectors of the Septem Emperors, those days are long gone though. Since Uriel Septem was assassinated by a cult, we've been searching for the next Dragonborn to guide him and guard him, as we are sworn to do. But we never found one, until now."
"What's our next move?" Folkvar asked.
"The first thing we need to do is figure out whose behind the dragons. The Thalmor are our best lead. If they're not involved, they'll know who is."
"Couldn't the dragons be behind the dragons' return?" Link asked.
"Yes, what makes you think the Thalmor are behind the dragons?" Folkvar confronted.
"Well, there's nothing solid. But my gut tells me it can't be anybody else. The Empire had captured Ulfric. The war was basically over. Then a dragon attacks, Ulfric escapes, and the war is back on. And now the dragons are attacking everywhere in Skyrim, indiscriminately. Skyrim is weakened, the Empire is weakened. Who else gains from that but the Thalmor?"
"So we need to find out what the Thalmor know about the dragons," Folkvar concluded. "Any ideas?"
"If we could get into the Thalmor Embassy... It's the center of their operations in Skyrim... Problem is that it's locked up tighter than a miser's purse. They could teach me a few things about paranoia..." She chuckled darkly and glanced around quickly to make sure heady weren't being watched, the mention of paranoia reminding her of the delicate situation they could fall into at any moment.
"So how do we get into the Thalmor Embassy?" Link asked.
"I'm not sure yet. I have a few ideas, but I'll need some time to pull things together. Meet me back in Riverwood. If I'm not back when you get there, wait for me. I shouldn't be long. Keep an eye on the sky. This is only going to get worse."
She handed Folkvar a key to the door to her hidden room and ran off. Folkvar was tempted to start immediately for Riverwood, but Link collapsed into a sitting position on the ground. He rubbed his eyes wearily, but made no effort to return to his feet. Link yawned deeply and his stomach rumbled in protest to the lack of meal time in the last twenty-four hours.
"Come on," Folkvar reached down and helped Link back to his feet. "We've got something to talk about. We'll go down to the inn for something to eat."
Link nodded sleepily and followed Folkvar diligently into town, though his body wanted to curl up on the ground and sleep until the sun went down and then came back up again despite the dangers of sleeping in such an exposed location.

(6)(6)(6)(6)(6)(6)

Braidwood Inn was nice and quiet. Folkvar ordered two meals and they sat down in the corner farthest away from the innkeeper so they could talk in private while they ate their meal. Link was slowly starting to overcome his fatigue. A good thing since Folkvar planned on walking back to Riverwood over the course of the next two days, starting as soon as they finished their meal. If Link slept now, his internal clock would get out of whack. Folkvar waited for the boy's stomach to stop complaining before he asked his question.
"There's something unnatural about your birthmark, lad," Folkvar pointed out.
"I've had it for as long as I can remember," Link explained quietly, rubbing the back of his left hand absentmindedly. "It's never glowed before. I don't know why it does that."
"When did it start?"
"I... I think it was after Zelda and I opened the door to the Master Sword chamber in the Temple of Time. We wanted to stop Ganondorf from getting the Triforce because that's where it was hidden but... We led him right to it. It was all my fault. If I hadn't suggested we get to it before him, he wouldn't have had the power to take over Hyrule."
Link's voice grew quiet and he stopped eating though he was still hungry. Folkvar noticed that tears where forming in the boy's eyes but the story wasn't over yet.
"I drew the Master Sword so Zelda and I could get into the sacred realm and use the Triforce to stop Ganondorf but he was right behind us. I tried to use the Master Sword to stop him, but he was stronger than me and the sword was too heavy. He knocked me back and I hit my head against the wall and blacked out. Zelda told me that Ganondorf went into the Sacred Realm before she could stop him. When I woke up, Impa was carrying Zelda and me to safety on her horse. It's all my fault and now the worst person to have the Triforce has it."
"The Triforce has three parts, yes?" Folkvar asked.
"Yeah, I suppose," Link said. "One for each goddess."
"Is it possible that Ganondorf didn't get all three pieces? I don't think you having a sacred mark on your hand is an accident. Is it possible that you were meant to have the Triforce and not him.?"
"But I saw the mark on Ganondorf's hand when he hit me," Link looked down at his hand and sniffed in his tears. "Zelda also has one also, on her right hand..."
"Perhaps the Triforce was split into three when you opened the Sacred Realm. The goddesses might have been trying to prevent Ganondorf from having all of its power. It would explain why your hand glows when your under stress or near danger."
"So Ganondorf doesn't have all of the Triforce," Link whispered. "I didn't fail entirely. There's still hope? Maybe we can go back?"
"I don't think now is the right time," Folkvar said. "I don't think Alduin will spare Tamriel or Hyrule if we leave him to his own devises. I doubt Ganondorf is going to eat the world and everyone on it. First things first."
"Okay. I don't think I'm strong enough yet to wield the Master Sword anyway. It was really heavy. If Ganondorf does have a part of the Triforce, then it would take more than the sword Eorlund made me to defeat him. And Zelda says I'm the Hero of Time and Impa agrees with her. I'm supposed to be the only one who can stop him and I can only do it with the Master Sword. I'm scared."
Folkvar looked at Link through new eyes. He hadn't known that Link was under just as much pressure as he was. It didn't feel right for anyone to expect from Link what they wanted from him. Link was so much younger. Folkvar was forty-nine, almost fifty, more than three times Link's age. If he and Freya had had children, their youngest child might have been Link's age, if not a few years older.
Despite his age, physique, and maturity Folkvar was having trouble under the pressure he was under. He almost snapped at anyone who asked for his help even if he knew he was the only one who could help them. He and Link both carried the weight of their home lands in their backs. For Link, he not only carried Hyrule, but some of Folkvar's own responsibilities by insisting that they work as partners. Folkvar didn't have to worry as much in a fight when he had Link at his back, but he wasn't sure if Link knew that Folkvar would go to the end of the world for him. Link was his son and his life.
"I will help you grow strong," Folkvar promised. "We'll know when you're ready."
"You think so? I'm not sure if I'll ever be ready."
"No one is ever ready to save the world."
"You're ready."
At that, Folkvar laughed heartily. Link's face flushed. He truly believed Folkvar was ready for everything that was being shoved onto his shoulders. Folkvar didn't tell him about his doubts or about his fears. Folkvar didn't tell Link about the nightmares he had of the boy dying because he couldn't save him in time, just like his family. He didn't tell him about the images of the burning buildings in Helgen he saw when trying to catch an illusive nights sleep. Folkvar wore an invisible mask over his fears because Link needed to see him as a pillar of strength.
Once Folkvar stopped laughing, they finished their meal in silence, musing over their own individual thoughts. As soon as their meal was done, they left the inn to hit the road for Riverwood. This time they wouldn't be going as fast and would probably reach the small settlement by sun fall in two days.

(7)(7)(7)(7)(7)(7)(7)

Folkvar had had Alfsigr for so long he had almost forgotten what it felt like to go without horses in Skyrim's winter time. Since they were closer to the ground, animal tracks were easier to spot and Folkvar enjoyed watching Link scrutinize and identify different animal tracks correctly. When Folkvar would agree with his analysis Link would smile widely and would acquire a barely noticeable spring in his step for a few minutes. When he was wrong, Folkvar would correct him, making sure not sound harsh.
The only thing bothering Folkvar was how Link would cope with the cold weather. But Link proved resilient to the cold, though it affected the boy infinitely more than it did him. Link's nose ran all day and he snuffled and wiped at it, leaving it red and sore. His ears where also punk with cold as the snow can down in small flakes. But he would still look up at the sky in awe as the little bits of ice flitted past his head.
"Haven't you seen snow before?" Folkvar asked, a small chuckle behind his words.
"It doesn't snow in the Kokiri Forest or Hyrule," Link explained. "The bandits never let me go outside either. They didn't want me to get any ideas about running away. This is the first time I've seen it snow like this. It snowed like this yesterday but we didn't have time to look at it. It's so pretty!"
"This kind of snow, yes," Folkvar agreed, joining the boy in watching the individual snowflakes twirl and dance about them. "But later in the year it will get worse. We'll need to get you warmer cloths. We can stop at Whiterun. It's not out of the way. We'll have to travel during the winter. If there is a blizzard, do not get separated from me."
"Okay," Link said, only half listening.
Despite how slowly they moved without horses, they managed to make it back to Riverwood before the heavy snow kicked in. Under normal circumstances when the weather got like this, Folkvar would find a place of extended shelter, like his own home, an abandoned house or fortress, or an inn. Once he found a suitable shelter he would gather supplies in wilderness or in shops. Then he would wait out the weather. But Aduin would not spare Skyrim just because it got chilly, so Folkvar would not stop either. Link, on the other hand, was an entirely different matter. Despite what he might think, this was not his fight and he had no responsibility to go out when the weather did not permit it.
Folkvar would have tried to stop the boy from following him and tell him to buy as much salted foods as possible, go home, lock the door, and don't come out until the weather wouldn't kill him, but he knew Link would undoubtedly pull another stunt like he had when Folkvar had to deliver the message to Whiterun. Link would be safer with him, and for now he seemed to enjoy the snow fall. It was amusing to watch Link turn his head skyward and try to catch snowflakes on his tongue. He wouldn't jump up and down when he caught one the way Folkvar had when he was young, but the smile that spread across his face when the feeling of a small drop of water melted inside his mouth was a priceless memory Folkvar would keep with him.
"How come we are going with Delphine instead of taking the horn directly to the Graybeards?" Link asked as they walked down the bridge into town.
"Because she seems to know more about the dragons returning than they do," Folkvar started. "She is also more willing to share what she knows with me. I prefer to not be kept in the dark on matters that could get me killed."
"Not knowing what's going on is not fun," Link agreed. "When we do go to the Graybeards, can I actually go inside. The bench is cold and it's dark in the hallways."
"I'll tell the Graybeards to let you into the monastery next time," Folkvar ruffled Link's hair and chuckled. "But for now let's go inside and talk to Delphine. At the pace that she runs, I'm sure she'll have set up her plan to infiltrate the Thalmor."
"I don't think it's going to be very legal," Link frowned.
"I've got the same feeling, lad," Folkvar said. "And if it is, I suggest you take the least dangerous part of the plan."
"Alright," Link said. "Just as long as you promise to not take the most dangerous."
"Let's see what Delphine has in mind and then I'll start making promises."


Okay, comic is in the works. I owe you guys a second page but drawing requires bending over for extended periods of time and I hurt my back so that win't be happening until I get a drawing table. There is a comic of this story along with an ask blog on tumblr called askLinkandFolkvar. Asks them questions and I might post another page of the comic.

My tumblr is the same as my pen name, CraftyNarma, so you can ask me questions there. I love getting asks.

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