Hello! Why am I so slow writing these? Because I never realized just how ambitious this story was. I was an idiot to start this story, I think. lol.

But seriously, thank you so very, very much to Arch-Daishou, Luxlucis85DK, Blinded in a bolthole, Lanari, Pint-sized She-Bear, Arquise, Here Lies and Cegorach for your reviews, questions, watches, everything! You encourage me more than you know, because more than once I've wanted to just start over with this (which was never a problem with Reign).

This is quite a long one. But it was late, so hopefully it works for you all. =)

-Earlier-

"Well, Isabela, it looks as if you've made out pretty well," Varric crossed his arms and leaned against what was left of the wooden wall. For weeks now the four of them had been hiding and sleeping in a house that had been destroyed through some means or the other, with only a shard of the roof left, but luckily still a working fireplace.

Isabela dropped several bags on the floor, and Garrett Hawke followed suit. She was such a different vision than she had been in Thedas, or on the ship even. Gone was her bandanna, as well as the white dress she had worn which had actually gotten torn past the point of being salvageable during the shipwreck. Now she wore the clothes she had taken off a fresh bandit corpse; leathers that concealed more but also kept her warmer.

"I think it would be safe for you both to go into the city next time," Garrett said, sounding exhausted as he moved to sit beside the fire. "We saw elves there."

"Any dwarves?" Varric's golden eyes flitted over the three of them, curious.

"No dwarves," Isabela replied, moving to sit next to Hawke. "But you'll never believe the other things we saw there. What were they called, kitten?"

Garret reached forward and pulled a heavy bag towards him, filled with books. "Khajits, I believe."

"Oh, yes!" Isabela grinned and cocked her head at Varric. "They're cat-people. I promise you, you wouldn't stand out at all." She winked at Varric.

"Cat people?" Merrill asked, sounding perplexed. The poor girl was still recovering from the shipwreck, where she had suffered a long, deep gash on her side. When Hawke had found her on the beach, he had had to cauterize the wound, and Merril could still hardly move without the burn pulling at the healing skin. "What do you mean?"

"And lizards!" Isabela said, nodding. "I can't help but wonder what their children would look like."

Hawke put a hand out as he turned a book over in his other hand. "Wait - An Explorer's Guide to Skyrim? Isabela, I didn't know you stole this also."

She squinted at the book in his hands and then shrugged.

"What does it say?" Varric asked quickly, leaning forward. He sat beside Merril, sharing a moth-eaten blanket with her with their feet towards the fire.

"Er..." Hawke opened the book, skimming through it quickly as the others listened with rapt focus. "Brigands and wild animals...'

"Well, we know that already," Isabela chuckled.

"Yeah," Varric said, "thanks to the dragons and bandits and wolves."

"Riften," Hawke continued, flipping a page and ignoring the others, "city of intrigue and larceny since Tiber Septim's day."

"Ooh," Isabela grinned, leaning close to Hawke and reading along. "I think we should go there."

"This is a waste," Hawke dropped the book to the ground and began to rustle through the others.

"Not this one," Isabela plucked one of the books and held it out to Hawke. "Racial Phylogeny."

After a few minutes, Hawke sighed and ran a palm over his forehead. "This doesn't help us, either. I think we have to go into the city. Perhaps we could pay a beggar to tell us about this place."

"With what money?" Varric asked. "Our gold doesn't pass here, does it?"

Garrett sighed and threaded his fingers with Isabela's. "I was told by a barkeep that gold would be taken by some, only to be melted and crafted into the gold pieces they use here. I did not stay long enough to ask more, since I was bombarded with questions."

"So what will we do now?" Merrill asked, her green eyes wide and naiive.

Garrett squeezed Isabela's hand. "There's no work down at the docks, no ships are sailing out until after the spring. We can't go far without knowing anything about this place. Besides, we still need to find Fenris."

Varric scoffed, shaking his head at the fire. "Never thought I'd miss his brooding."

Isabela smiled faintly, having nothing dirty or clever to say.

"It's been a hard year for us," Hawke acknowledged, remembering Anders. He still had nightmares of the poor mage. They say you always remember the eyes, Hawke had heard someone say once. It was true.

Anders was dead, Aveline had been left behind in Kirkwall to restore order, and Fenris was at the very best lost.

No one had had the nerve to suggest that Fenris was dead, not out loud anyway. It was a weight that hung heavily over them all, and perhaps it would serve them to accept the possibility, the probability of it. Though no one could find it within themselves to do so.

"You don't think he's gone to the city, do you?" Merrill asked, folding her arms over herself. She was the only one who still had her armor from before the shipwreck. Even Varric now wore a tunic and breeches he found when they raided this abandoned home.

"As of four days ago, no one had seen him," Hawke reminded them.

"We can't stay here forever, though, waiting for him to show up." Varric's logic stung Hawke in a way that the dwarf couldn't understand. How could Hawke give up on another friend?

"Why don't we go into the city, all together this time, and try to find out what we can? We landed a week ago, and we've accomplished nothing. If Fenris is alive, he was probably struggling, and saw the city as his only option. Remember, we all thought we were somewhere in Thedas when we landed. I'm sure he did, too," Hawke explained, though he had that feeling in his gut that told him Fenris couldn't possibly be alive.

They went back to Solitude early in the morning, dragging themselves up the road to greet the red and white wolf banners and studded, massive gates to the city. The guards regarded them carefully before moving to open the door.

"Aye, wait right there," one of them said suddenly after meeting a careful glance from Isabela. "Someone's looking for you."

Hawke stopped, and Merrill's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Who?" Isabela asked, hoping she wouldn't have to reach for her daggers.

"Hold," the guard replied, moving to the wall, to a wooden board with a sheet of paper nailed to it. The guard began to read, glancing between Isabela, Hawke, Varric and Merrill. "It doesn't say. But you're to go to the Blue Palace, and fetch something of yours."

"So you call vampires, werewolves and witches 'abominations'?" Fenris tilted his head, perplexed.

A chill breeze swept down through the valley, low and rolling, yellow and brown grass shivering under the pressure of it. A third of a mile to the north, two mammoths lumbered along slowly with a tall, gangly giant behind them with a long beard and a massive club resting on his shoulders. The giant's beady eyes shifted towards them, but he ignored the elves, horse and dog as if they were only rabbits.

"Yes. Well, I don't exactly call them that. The Vigilants of Stendarr do," Evelyna explained slowly, as if trying to sort out her own thoughts as well. Fenris heard a low rumbling far off and saw the bulbous clouds gathering above the valley. Frozen rain was inevitable, and it would make for a long and miserable night beside a struggling fire.

"Who are they?"

"They are holy warriors dedicated to wiping out the Daedra, along with the 'abominations,' I just mentioned."

"Like Templars?" He was intrigued.

Evelyna pressed her lips together in thought. "Yes, similar, I suppose. But they use magic themselves."

"Templars do also, but it's a different type of magic," Fenris explained. "Who is Stendarr?"

"He is the God of Mercy, one of the Nine Divines."

Fenris nodded, trying to commit this information to memory. Skyrim was an overwhelming place, with all of its gods and godesses, extensive history, races and factions, all with names that sounded funny on his tongue. It was a massive struggle to keep up at all, and when he lay down at night his head would throb and words and names would echo in his mind.

"You could probably join the Vigilants, if you'd like. I'm sure the... magic that you can do would be accepted."

"I can't do magic," Fenris said seriously, glancing sidelong at her. "All I do is tap into the lyrium in my flesh."

"Even still," Evelyna allowed, smiling, "you would make a formidable Vigilant. Or a member of the Dawnguard."

He had heard someone mention them, either in Whiterun or Solitude, he could not remember. "The Dawnguard?"

"They're specifically vampire hunters. I can take you to them. I'm a member myself, actually."

Fenris paused, confused. His green eyes narrowed at Evelyna suspiciously. "And this is the first you've spoken of it?"

She smiled again. "It's been a busy few weeks, Fenris. I've been preoccupied. Bringing you back from the brink of death, being made to go on silly errands to find people... I haven't thought much about them. But we're going west, and I've realized that I was supposed to find a woman named Sorine."

Now he was lost again. "What? For them?"

"Yes. I'm supposed to recruit her into the Dawnguard."

Fenris ran his palm on his cheek, thinking. "Vampires... those are the things that see our kind as entertainment, and think they're superior to everything?"

"That sounds more like the Daedra," Evelyna mused. "And not all Daedra are good, or evil. Vampires are... they're creatures that were human, but they became diseased and now they're undead. They're ugly things; pale, with teeth sharper than mine, whose eyes look crazed when they're hungry. They don't age, and they can't step into sunlight because it burns their skin. They feed off of blood, and they'll kill our kind to get it. If they bite you, you can become one of them. And I don't believe there is any cure."

Fenris frowned at the thought of such creatures. "They hunt us?"

She nodded solemnly. "Yes. They're getting bold, also. I've seen them attack Morthal. Just a small band of them, but they are really difficult to kill. Would you think about joining them? You said you were looking for a purpose here. It's as noble cause as any, more than most, I suppose."

"If you think I would do something because it's noble, you're sadly mistaken," Fenris told her, lip curling in half a smirk. Evelyna grinned back at him, amused.

"What drives you, then?"

"What do you mean?"

Evelyna tilted her head, looking out at the low valley around them. "Passion, honor, duty, loyalty, greed...? It's an endless list, really."

"Necessity," Fenris growled, being mostly honest. "Survival, freedom. Those are what drive me. Once, long ago, I wanted more from life. But that has been too much to ask for, I think."

Evelyna seemed startled by his quiet confession hidden in his words. Her hazel eyes flitted over him slowly, searching for something that he knew wasn't there any longer.

"Could you elaborate?" She dared to ask, holding the horse's reins lazily in her slender fingers. Fenris noticed the way the wind ruffled the pelts hanging around her hips, the way her leather vest showed more of her woman's figure than he needed to know she had.

Fenris wrinkled his nose, turning his stony gaze ahead. "What does anyone want out of life?"

Evelyna thought on this a moment, taking the bait. "Happiness, love, family, security."

"Indeed."

Evelyna pressed her lips tight together in consideration. Another long, low rumble sounded from the west, the storms rolling in, that apparently signaled the beginning of a mild summer. Would Hawke have shelter tonight?, Fenris vaguely wondered.

"And you've pursued those things, I hope."

"That was my point, yes."

"And what happened?"

"I told you about my sister."

"Yes," she remembered, still watching him sadly. "And what of love? You pursued that as well?"

"Well, no, I suppose not."

"So you've... what do you mean?"

Fenris' fingers twitched, and he felt a pulse of anxiety through his skin. The first few raindrops began to fall on the tundra. Fenris could hear a complaining groan from the giant so far off.

"There may have been someone, before, but I've lost all of my memories, and alas, I'll never know."

"Did you ever search?"

Fenris scowled darkly. "After I met my sister, I did not think anyone from my past would be worth the time."

Evelyna nodded, taking a long and deep breath and tilting her angled face towards the sky. Raindrops slid down her tan cheeks, on top of her eyelids and brow, and dripped down her upper chest.

"You have a lot of courage," Evelyna said finally. "For even meeting your sister like that. For letting her live."

"That was not entirely my choice."

"It was, though." He somehow knew that she was right, though he didn't want to acknowledge it.

When Fenris said nothing in return, Evelyna blinked and rubbed the rain from her face, looking at Fenris cautiously. "So what would you think about the Dawnguard?"

Fenris snorted and rolled his eyes. "I would have to think about it."

"Vampires use magic, as well as weapons. I know that you abhor magic... perhaps it would be good for you." Then she smiled sweetly, flashing her white teeth, black hair looking like a dark lion's mane around her head. "I get the idea that you haven't come to grips with the evil in Skyrim."

"No, I don't think I have," Fenris allowed, looking away. "I never would have suspected a place such as this existed. With cat-people, lizard-people and blood-drinking undead."

"You make it sound unappealing when you put it like that."

"I just... in Thedas, I always hated something. I had a purpose in doing so, in trying to convince Hawke to turn on the mages, I had a reason to run until I killed Danarius. Here, there are no magisters and there is no slavery. It's an empty part of me."

"You can help me fight the dragons, Fenris. They would still enslave us."

He crossed his arms and thought on this for a moment. "I will, for now, yes. They are the closest things to what I know, perhaps."

She smirked at him then, eyes dancing with delight and mischief. "And there are still plenty of things to hate here, if that is really what you need. Though I doubt it is. I think you need something a bit more basic to an elf's needs."

Western Skyrim was a cold, uninviting place. Fenris watched as the tundra gave way to jagged, steep slopes that rose on either side of the road, climbing high towards a sky clouded in fog. Mountain goats dared traverse these hills, and dark birds flew high above. The hint of torches and fires were visible from the road, high up and nestled in the mountains. The road led them along a clear river of tumbling waterfalls that drowned out most of the sounds. But nothing could drown out the roar of a dragon.

They had first heard it far off to the west. The vocals rang and echoed off the stony landscape, seeming to dance its way to their ears. It was not a welcome sound by any means. Evelyna had taken the time to pause and listen, hazel eyes focused intently ahead, before she cleared her throat and explained, "We've still a few miles to go before we meet him."

Every step was counter-intuitive. Fenris wanted to turn back, more and more as the roaring grew louder and closer. But Evelyna was not frightened, and if she was, she didn't show it. She led him onward, bow readied and held against her hip.

When they came upon a mountain nestled on an island between the rivers, Fenris noticed the dragon before he saw the barbarian settlement built above the flowing water. The dragon was green, with a flattened tail and thin wings, and a tall ridge of webbed spikes on its back. It was on the slope of the mountain, storming towards the settlement.

Barbarians clothed in fur and antler-helms charged towards the dragon, bellowing and brandishing their weapons built with teeth and feathers. Fenris crouched instinctively, placing himself behind a boulder to hide.

Evelyna had other plans, however. She aimed her arrow at the dragon and then cursed. "We're too far. Oh!"

Fenris saw her staring in horror to her right, and he turned to look. Down below towards the right, in a ditch was a camp, with a wretched creature stalking towards the settlement. It was a pale, emaciated thing with long gnarled claws, a big nose and black eyes. It wore a gown of feathers, and looked like a vulture, and had arms that bent almost like a bird's.

"That's a hagraven. Be careful," Evelyna warned, putting a hand on Fenris' shoulder. "They have magic."

She aimed her arrow at the creature, and Fenris grabbed Meeko by the scruff of his neck to keep him from running off and drawing attention. The hagraven was focused on something ahead of it, and shot a ball of cool blue ice from its clawed hands just as Evelyna loosed an arrow. The arrow whirred through the air and struck the ghastly creature in the ribcage.

Evelyna was readying another arrow as the hagraven's black eyes found her. Fenris found his breath catching in his throat, his hands growing clammy, a bead of sweat forming on his brow. A cloud of snow and ice began to gather in the creature's hands, but it didn't see the plate-sized fireball soaring through the air towards it.

The fire exploded on impact, and the hagraven screamed, wailing in pain as the fire engulfed its feathered robes and seared its skin.

"Esbern?!" Evelyna's voice was shocked and thrilled, and Fenris saw the atronach appear in sight. The beautiful, feminine creature of flames loosed another fireball, and the hagraven was distraught, trying to put out the flames on its body. Its screams pierced the air, and Fenris winced at the awful, haunting sound.

As the hagraven burned and died, Fenris saw Esbern and Delphine down in the settlement made of sticks. The barbarians were distracted with loosing their arrows at the dragon, and many of them fell to Esbern and Delphine's respective magic and sword before knowing they were under attack by someone else.

The dragon snapped at a handful of barbarians, and Evelyna threw herself from out behind the rocks. "Come on, Fenris!"

He let go of Meeko and ran after her, his heart and feet both pounding. They sprinted down the slope towards the island and the settlement, charging as if to war. He supposed that in a way, he was going to war.

There was a brief moment of clarity, of amazement that overcame Fenris as he sprinted onto the odd, rickety wooden bridges of the settlement. Evelyna was in front of him, the furs on her legs flapping as she ran, hair bouncing against her back. Meeko sprinted beside her, passing her, his nails clicking frantically on the wood, slaver running from his jaws. Delphine swung her sword into the back of a barbarian, and Esbern shot magic from his fingers at the dragon. Fenris realized that he would take Evelyna up on her offer to bring him to the Dawnguard, that he would also stay and fight this battle with her against the dragons, because he could truly have a purpose here in a way he never had in Thedas.

In Thedas he had only began to follow Hawke because he owed him a debt for his help. As time passed and the years went by, he had found no other purpose other than his friends were the closest thing he would ever have to a family. Sure, he missed them and wished them well, and he would find them or die trying. But there was no reason to grieve for them yet, no reason to pity himself for being alone in the world. He had always been alone, and even if he stayed in Thedas, he'd leave Hawke's side eventually.

There was strife here, and opportunity to grow through all the disaster. The dragons would enslave everyone if they could, and Fenris knew there would be something gratifying about having a part in preventing that from happening, along the side of the very Dragonborn.

His thoughts fell back into place, into the present, back into the terrifying sequence of reality as he felt a cold wind on his face, drying out the sweat. The dragon lifted itself into the air with enormous strength, the great beating of its massive wings loud and powerful. Evelyna called out to Esbern and Delphine, announcing her presence as she loosed an arrow at the beast in the sky.

Fenris didn't see whether the arrow struck its mark. He nearly tripped over a female body clothed barely in hide and fur, a hood of antlers pulled away from a face, choking the woman's neck. He felt his stomach churn at the sight of the gash in her side.

But the hollering of a man not far from them drew away his attention. Somewhere in the settlement the boardwalk was on fire, and the barbarians who were left that lived there were finally realizing that they were not only under attack by the dragon, but by four others and a dog. They dared to turn their attack, ignoring the haunting cry of the green dragon as it circled above.

Esbern conjured a new flame atronach, and the singing sound of it appearing could be heard from where Fenris stood. He saw its fireballs sail through the air, destroying what remained of the barbarians, before turning its attack to the dragon.

A pair of wild, fierce eyes swept across the four of them as the dragon came crashing into the ground against the sloping mountain. Rocks were dislodged and sent tumbling into the river or walkways, snapping the wood. The dragon charged towards them, and Fenris stopped breathing as he faced his foe. Its gaping maw opened before snapping shut only several feet from Fenris.

"Wuld!"

Evelyna moved in a flash, suddenly finding herself beside the dragon's back legs. She didn't run that distance, but had been propelled by her own Voice. Fenris saw her swing both axes into the dragon's leg, cutting through the scaled hide of the animal. The dragon swung its massive green head towards her, screaming out in pain.

Fenris drove forward with Delphine at his side, sickened by the thought that once it would have been Aveline, arching his sword high above his head and bringing it down with all his strength. The blade lodged itself deep in the dragon's neck, and the strangled cry that came out of the animal's jaws would remain in his mind forever.

With a twitch and a brief cry, the dragon slumped heavily to the ground, its limbs folding under its weight.

Then the storm happened again, the whirlwind of glowing, golden energy emanating outwards from the dragon's corpse. Evelyna plucked her axes from the dragon's thigh, as Fenris did the same with his own sword. He looked across at her hopefully, as if he could understand more of this... transfer of energy, of the dragon's soul, by watching more closely.

The energy, the soul, seemed to sing as it lifted into the air and arched over towards Evelyna, swirling around her body before seeping into her skin. The dragon's scales, its entire body, sloughed off and seemed to disappear completely, leaving behind an entire, bone-white skeleton with teeth, claws and empty eye sockets in a massive skull. All the world seemed to grow quiet as the last of the soul was absorbed, and Evelyna wiped the blood from her arms and face, squinting and frowning.

"I feel as if I see more of them every day," she complained, wiping her mouth on her fur bracers.

"You are," Delphine replied seriously, glancing at Fenris and Meeko, who also was covered in blood in his shaggy fur. Fenris vaguely realized that they had completely left the horse behind, untied to anything. "Come," Delphine said, "We're about there."

Inside Karthspire lived more of the barbarians, or "Forsworn," as Evelyna explained as they died. After killing the first two and traveling through a musty tunnel, they came to an open area with carved stone pillars. Evelyna had played around with the three pillars, and lined them all up to show the "Dragonborn" symbol. Fenris had watched in quiet awe as a stone bridge fell down to grant the four of them passage, covered in ivy.

That had not been their only puzzle to solve. Next was a room with pressure plates. Evelyna had crossed it, dodging a stream of fire, and yanked desperately on a chain across the room. It had disabled the trap, and everyone was able to cross safely. Across another bridge, and through a short tunnel, they found an open room with a chest in its center. Opposite of them a bald face was carved in the wall, staring at them blankly with dark, hollow eyes. The room was eerie and old, and Fenris felt uneasy here.

"Wonderful! Remarkably preserved, too!" Esbern said admirably, walking across the room. Fenris followed Evelyna to the chest, which she opened, breaking the cobwebs that had gathered there. Inside she found money, an enchanted ring, and a long battleaxe that she ignored.

"Here," she gave Fenris the ring, "this should help you if you grow weary, I think."

He examined it closely, but slid it on as Esbern continued speaking. "Ah, here is the blood seal," Esbern began. "Another of the lost Akaviri arts. No doubt triggered by... well, blood."

Fenris held his breath, frowning. The pit of his stomach seemed to fall, and he stared at Esbern, waiting for him to continue. If Esbern said the words "blood magic," Fenris was surely going to lose it.

"Your blood, Dragonborn," Esbern looked over his broad shoulder at Evelyna, whose hazel eyes widened in concern. Fenris growled in the back of his throat disapprovingly, fingers twitching. "Look here, you see how the ancient Blades revered in Cyrodiil. This whole place used to be a shrine to Reman. He ended the Akaviri invasion under mysterious circumstances, you recall."

"Try dripping blood on the carving in the floor," Delphine suggested, interrupting.

Evelyna gazed solemnly at the carving in the ground, oblivious to Fenris' rage. "You said there was no blood magic here," he snarled, not caring who heard him. He stalked towards her threateningly, startling her as she pulled a dagger from her belt, deep in thought.

Evelyna paused, confused. "Fenris?"

"What is this if it isn't blood magic?" He snarled fiercely, and was vaguely aware of Delphine walking towards him.

"Fenris," Evelyna said slowly in warning, pushing the high end of her bracer down her arm to expose her skin. "Step back. This isn't what you know, or what you think it is."

A hand closed on his elbow, and he shrugged out of the grip, growling. At least he had enough control to keep from igniting his markings in front of delphine and Esbern.

"There are no demons here, Fenris," Evelyna explained, waving Delphine off. "Only the Daedra. They aren't tempted by my blood. Step back."

She knelt on one knee, casting one last glance at him, and dragged her dagger across her arm, just enough to break the skin. As she waited for the blood to drip, Esbern continued, but Fenris could not pay attention to whatever he was saying. His heart was pounding, he thought his teeth would break under the pressure of his jaw. He reached for his sword in anticipation, and did not see any abominations, any demons rising from the corners.

When her blood dripped onto the floor, the carving glowed bright and white, like the sun, and the face in the wall pulled back; a secret door opening for them.

"That's it!" Delphine said happily, in awe. "After you, Dragonborn. You should have the honor of being the first to set foot in Sky Haven Temple."

She looked at Delphine, and then flitted her gaze to Fenris sadly. "See?" She mouthed to him, eyes solemn and weary.

"There's no telling what we might find inside," Esbern declared, lighting his torch, casting a wary glance at Fenris.

Evelyna led the way through the new door and up a flight of stairs. At the top, she pushed open a set of heavy doors, revealing more stairs curving towards the right. Fenris followed behind, ashamed at his behavior and accusation, but also angry with Evelyna still. It wasn't the typical blood magic he knew, but it was still blood magic on some level. Fenris reminded himself of why he hated blood magic, and tried to settle in telling himself that no one was hurt, no demons tempted. This was different, he found his thoughts repeating. This is safer.

"Fascinating! Original Akaviri bas-reliefs! Almost entirely intact!" Esbern paused to look at a wall in the tunnel. "Amazing. You can see how the Akaviri craftsmen were beginning to embrace the more flowing Nordic style."

"We're here for Alduin's wall, right, Esbern?" Delphine asked, annoyed. Evelyna didn't smile nor smirk as she continued.

"Yes, of course. We'll have more time to look around later, I suppose. Let's see what's up ahead."

They rounded through the curve and came upon a massive room with huge holes in the great stone ceiling, letting in the sunlight through wide shafts. It was breath-taking, and a bit distracting. Fenris' heart was still pounding from the catastrophe in the last room. He paused, however, to take a look at a tall, long wall to the right carved with intricate images. A table carved from the very floor stretched far to the left, and two wide staircases of stone rose on either side of the massive hall.

"Shor's bones! Here it is! Alduin's wall... so well preserved. I've never seen a finer example of second era Akaviri sculptural relief..."

"Esbern, we need information, not a lecture on art history."

"Yes, yes. Let's see what we have here." Esbern stopped before the wall, and Fenris crossed his arms, staring at it. The wall seemed to portray war between dragons and men. Esbern began at the left end of the wall, explaining the images and how Alduin ruled over Skyrim with the Dragon Cult. He talked about a rebellion, Alduin's defeat, people using the Voice.

"So we're looking for a Shout, then? Damn it," Delphine sighed in irritation. "Have you ever heard of such a thing? Of a Shout that can pull a dragon from the sky?"

Evelyna chewed on her bottom lip in thought. "No, I've never heard of anything like that."

"I was afraid you were going to say that. I guess there's nothing for it. We'll have to ask the Greybeards for help. I had hoped not to involve them in this, but we have no choice."

Evelyna's brow furrowed, and Fenris saw her wipe her bloodied arm on her furs. "What do you have against the Greybeards?" Evelyna asked defensively.

"If they had their way, you'd do nothing but sit up on their mountain with them and talk to the sky, or whatever it is they do. They are so afraid of power that they won't use it. Think about it. Have they tried to stop the Civil War, or do anything about Alduin. No. They're afraid of you, of your power. Trust me, there's no need to be afraid. Think of Tiber Septim. Do you think he'd have founded the Empire if he'd have listened to the Greybeards?"

Evelyna looked almost distressed for a moment. "The Greybeards may have a point. Power is dangerous."

Fenris felt eternally glad that she had said that. Delphine, though, felt otherwise.

"Only if you don't know how to use it. All the great heroes have had to learn how to use it. Those that shrank from their destiny... you've never heard of them, have you? And there are the villains, those that misused their power. There's always a choice, and there's always a risk. But if you live in fear of what might go wrong, you'll end up with nothing. Like the Greybeards, up on their mountain."

Evelyna's brow furrowed, and Fenris could tell she wasn't happy. "I'd better go see what Arngeir knows about this Shout."

"Right. Good thing they've already let you into their little cult. Not likely they'd help Esbern or me if we came calling. We'll look around Sky Haven Temple. It's a good hide out. Talos guide you."

Evelyna's irritation was palpable as she stormed forward, up the stairs they had yet to climb. She shoved forward the doors, and Fenris found them on top of the mountain, with a pretty stone courtyard overlooking what seemed to be the rest of Skyrim. Jagged gray peaks clawed at the sky, which was a pale pink and blue with the sunset. Fires burned in the mountains from tribal clans, lights from villages were visible, and the world was void of a dragon's roaring.

Evelyna's scowl disappeared as she absorbed the beautiful view, taking a chance to pause and look all around her.

Meeko went ahead, sniffing the yard. The wind here was frigid, but it was a pleasant change from the stuffy temple's tunnels.

"What were you going to do, in there?" Evelyna asked, turning on her heel. Her hazel eyes were narrowed at him, and Fenris felt himself swallow noisily.

"You lied to me," he growled. "You said there was no blood magic here."

She threw her hands up, incredulous. "I've never even heard of a carving that could identify my blood, Fenris!" She shook her head, black hair sticking to the blood that had caked on her chest. "What does it matter now?"

Fenris' lip curled in anger. "You don't understand what I've been through," he snarled darkly, "You don't understand what blood magic is, where I am from. My former master would kill even little children through blood magic, for a sliver more of power. When mages bleed themselves in Thedas, they tempt demons. Once they bend to the will of these demons, there is no going back. They become abominations, and are incredibly powerful and hard to kill. They are evil, vile creatures that must be slain. They prey on others. This magic with the carving, it is still blood magic, though of a different sort."

Evelyna took a step towards him defiantly. "I tempted nothing today, Fenris. We don't have demons, we don't have abominations beside vampires, werewolves and the Daedra." She sighed, and put her fingers to her temples, massaging them.

Fenris suddenly felt ashamed, again. "I know," he said, lowering his voice. "It is still a change for me. It will take adjusting."

She opened her eyes and looked at Fenris sadly. "I'm sorry for what's happened to you, Fenris. I really am."

He frowned and waved at her dismissively. "You'll never understand. I... I don't see how our two... our two worlds can exist across the same sea, and yet be so different."

To that she said nothing. The wind blew over the top of the mountain, and Fenris shivered under the breeze. Evelyna turned away, looking around at Skyrim and its wild, natural beauty.

"Perhaps we will find out. We should rest here, tonight, I think," she said after some time, sounding exhausted. "And then, I believe, it's off to High Hrothgar with us. After we find that Sorine woman and send her off to the Dawnguard."

It was not long during their ascent up High Hrothgar that Fenris realized why Evelyna had brought so many furs and blankets. The wind howled down the mountain, snow blasting down the path that spiraled up the steep slope. Fenris was constantly shivering and pulling his wolf pelts tighter around his body. His breath misted before him, and his eyelashes and hair had ice on them.

Evelyna was not much better off. Her black hair was streaked with snow, and around her she had bear, sabre cat and wolf pelts that swallowed up her nimble, feminine form. Only her eyes were visible between her clothes and fur, and she squinted as the wind blew down fiercely against them. They found shelter beneath the overhanging ridge of stone, somewhat of a cave that blocked some of the wind and most of the snow. After struggling to get a fire burning with damp wood, Fenris curled up with Meeko and opened his mouth for what seemed to be the first time that day.

"You've done this before?" Fenris asked, nodding towards the entrance of the cave. "This climb?

"Yes," Evelyna's voice came out muffled behind her fur. "With Lydia, actually. Twice. It was miserable, both times."

He scoffed. Lydia had been irritated when they had arrived back in Whiterun after Sky Haven Temple, but Evelyna had assured her that she would be fine and Lydia would join them eventually. There was still no sign of Hawke and the others, but Evelyna said that it was still too soon to expect anything.

"And these Greybeards... they have to travel this if they wish to go anywhere?"

"Yes," Evelyna nodded, opening a bag with trembling fingers. "But they are happy on their mountain, looking over the world. Pilgrims bring them food and firewood, and other offerings."

She handed him a handful of dried jerky, and he took it gladly, feeling frozen.

"But they aren't Dragonborn, you said."

"No, they aren't. They have to study the dragon tongue for years to speak it."

Fenris leaned back against the stone wall of the cramped cave and looked at her across the meager fire. "Are they stronger than you?"

Evelyna smirked and held her hands out to the flames, trying to drink in the heat. "I'm sure they are, though they don't show me their full power. When they summoned me to them... I felt the earth shake. Everyone heard it for miles and miles, to Whiterun and probably further. I can't do that."

Fenris frowned. "How did they do that?"

"The Voice." She shrugged and then took a bite of the jerky, chewing thoughtfully. "It's mysterious. Like your abilities... You say that you don't know how your markings work?"

Fenris cleared his throat. "I know what they do. But the... means, I'm not sure. Lyrium is used, in Thedas, in magical potions. It grants mages access to the Fade, and allows Templars to tap into their powers. But it's dangerous to come into contact with it. It causes memory loss among other things. I don't know exactly how I make them work, or why they let me phase through objects."

"Huh." Evelyna scratched her neck and glanced at him. "Are there women like you also?"

"None that I've ever seen."

She wrinkled her nose and sighed. "Do you wish there were?"

Fenris had never been asked this, or even thought about it. The idea of a female lyrium warrior had never been one he had given any consideration to. "No," he replied quickly. "I have no reason to wish there were."

"There would be someone who would understand it."

Fenris frowned. "I don't need anyone to understand it, Evelyna."

"And there was never anyone for you?"

"If there ever was, I have no memory of them." He took another bite of the jerky and placed a hand on Meeko's head. "And I would not seek them out, not with how things went with my sister."

"Truly?" She sounded disbelieving.

"What? You said that you have two brothers you are not in contact with."

"You're right. Sometimes our family is not... beneficial to our well-being. There's nothing wrong with you if you have to distance yourself."

Fenris frowned, curling his slender fingers in Meeko's wiry fur. Golden firelight danced on the stony walls of their small cave. The wind outside howled, and despite the fire, Fenris still felt frozen to the bone.

"Isn't there?" He asked, suppressing a shiver. "Sometimes I wonder."

"Fenris... if I may ask... when you woke up... The first moment you remember since losing your memories... what did you remember then?"

Fenris blinked at her as somewhere in his pit he remembered Danarius' sneering, amused voice.

"What do you remember, Fenris?" The man was watching him the way a cheetah watches an injured gazelle limping away desperately. Cold eyes were slitted and narrowed at him, a hand scratching in a graying beard.

Was that his name?

"Er," Fenris began, perplexed. There was a fogginess to his mind. A block or a wall, thick and imperturbable, closing in, suffocating his thoughts. He tried to think back. Did he sleep last night? What did he do yesterday? What was his last meal?

It was difficult to think back with the pain coursing through him. His skin seemed to rip violently with the slightest of movements. His breath, the rise and fall of his chest, made his skin crack and bleed down his muscles. The pain was blinding, excruciating, and it would have brought him to his knees if he didn't think that would hurt even more.

"Speak to me with respect, Fenris." The man told him sharply. "I am your master, you are my slave. My property. You will address me as master and perform anything I ask of you unflinchingly. Is this understood?"

Fenris inclined his head, unsure of what else to do. That was a sign of respect, right? He couldn't remember learning that, but only that he knew it. He had learned it somewhere.

Inside, he was aching, writhing, screaming and panicking. But that did not disrupt his exterior.

"Again," the Master continued, nodding once. "Tell me what you remember last."

Fenris swallowed hard, with some difficulty. His head throbbed. His neck felt like he had thin, sharp wires cutting into it. Everything hurt, seared with pain.

"Nothing," he replied, trying to burst through the fog in his mind, "Master."

The Master broke out into a mocking smile before reaching up and making a fist in Fenris' hair. He could feel the hair pull, and tried not to flinch as his scalp let it go. The Master took away a clump of black, straight hair and shook it out of his hand.

"Indeed, you don't." The Master smirked again. "Good."

"I told you that I had no memories," Fenris replied darkly.

"But, could you speak? Did you know other things?"

"Yes, and yes. Only my memories of my life were erased. I knew what food I liked, but couldn't tell you when I last ate them. I knew that holding a sword felt natural in my hands,and that I was skilled at it, but I couldn't remember ever training." He sighed, and looked at Evelyna pointedly. "Does that suffice?"

She crossed her arms and chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully. "We could try to get them back, Fenris. I'm sure there's a mage somewhere that would know what to do."

"I've had enough of mages," Fenris growled darkly. "You're a fool to even suggest -"

"Oh, by Talos!" She threw up her hands and then laughed, throwing her head back. Fenris paused, confused. "Fenris," she went on after she caught her breath, "there is no harm in finding a respectable mage for help in this. I know one. His name is Farengar. He could point us in the right direction."

I'd rather see him rot. Fenris furrowed his brow, staring at the fire. After a moment he lifted his gaze and met the wild elf before him. The firelight made her eyes look almost golden. She was beautiful, he had even told her so, but he could not want her. She reminded him of the Fog Warriors, and therefore he would always feel somewhat unworthy in her presence. As if he wronged her somehow.

"That is alright," Fenris replied, disarmed by his own thoughts. "I had comee to terms with not having any memories years ago." That was a lie, but it was the most he was going to give in this.

He had hoped that when he boarded that ship months ago that he would be leaving everything behind; his pipe dreams, desperate fantasies about his past and family. Varania's betrayal had hurt more than he wanted to admit to himself, and he still could not extract the dreams he had of his past. When he allowed these thoughts to linger, they became demons in his mind. A flicker of a thought would lead to him wondering what his mother's name was or what she was like, until these thoughts ate at him and he either had to kill something or drink a bottle of wine.

It was unfair that Evelyna would offer this to him, here. Though, of course, she didn't mean it to be so. It was tempting, though, all that she was offering.

She took a long breath before she spoke, as if she didn't want to awake something in him. "I only wanted to give you that option. You are free to choose what you'd like to know."

You are free.

Fenris snorted. "You don't know how often I must remind myself of that."

A wild smile broke upon Evelyna's face, showing her sharp incisors. "Aye. I must remind myself of that also."

High Hrothgar's walls were made of a thick stone, and hot braziers burned in corners and hallways, but did very little to drive out the cold. The incessant, frozen wind continued to howl outside like a pack of starved wolves. A long, quiet silence stretched beyond Fenris, Evelyna and Meeko as the heavy doors shut behind them, the residual snow melting as it blew in from the outside.

If there was anyone here, it was beyond Fenris' knowledge. But he couldn't bring himself to clear his throat and ask where this Arngeir was, he couldn't bring himself to break the silence.

Evelyna smiled at him in the dim light of the stone foyer, and Fenris felt like a dwarf in some ancient city, surrounded completely by stone. But this was unlike the city of Solitude, with the red and black wolves staring down at him, with warm taverns and thick rugs and burning hearths. This place was cold and uninviting, and eerily silent.

"Arngeir?" Evelyna asked, seeming to be also put off by the silence. She took a few steps forward and then gained speed, looking down a hallway. "Ah."

Arngeir was an old man clothed in thick robes that hung low over his face and covered the rest of his body. He sat in a chair, looking at a book in his hands, lost in thought.

"Arngeir," Evelyna repeated as she moved closer towards him. Fenris followed behind almost meekly, feeling as if he was not welcome in a place like this, so desolate and cold.

"Ah, Stormcrown. It has been a time since we last saw you." The old man looked at Fenris before turning his gaze towards Evelyna. "What can I do for you, Dovahkiin?"

"Arngeir," Evelyna began, "I need to learn the Shout used to defeat Alduin."

"Where did you learn of that? Who have you been talking to?"

"It was recorded on Alduin's Wall," she explained as Arngeir scoffed.

"The Blades? Of course. They specialize in meddling in matters they barely understand. Their reckless arrogance knows no bounds. They have always sought to turn the Dragonborn from the path of wisdom. Have you learned nothing from us? Would you simply be a tool used in the hands of The Blades, to be used for their own purposes?"

"At least the Blades aren't keeping secrets from me."

"Do not be so sure about that. Beware, The Blades may claim to serve the Dragonborn but they do not. They never have. As for me, I kept from you only what you were not yet ready to know. Are still not ready to know as your question reveals."

"So you won't help me?"

"No. Not now. Not until you return to the path of wisdom." He stood, and Fenris noticed another old man stepping down into the room.

"Arngeir. Rok los Dovahkiin. Strundu'ul. Rok fen tinvaak Paarthurnax," said the second Greybeard. His voice echoed across the room, sounding as if it came from the very walls themselves. Fenris found his fingers twitching as if he'd have to prepare his sword.

"Dragonborn," Arngeir said after a moment, seeming to find himself. "Wait. Forgive me, I was, intemperate. I allowed my emotions to cloud my judgement. Master Einarth reminded me of my duty. The decision whether or not to help you is not mine to make."

"So, can you teach me this Shout?" Evelyna was irritated, but she was clearly trying to show more respect for Arngeir than Delphine.

"No, I cannot teach it to you. Because I do not know it. It is called 'Dragonrend,' but its words of power are unknown to us. We do not regret this loss. 'Dragonrend' holds no place in the Way of the Voice."

"What is so bad about Dragonrend?"

"It was created by those who had lived under the unimaginable cruelty of Alduin's Dragon Cult. Their whole lives were consumed with hatred for dragons. They poured all their anger and hatred into this Shout. When you learn a Shout, you take it into your very being. In a sense, you become the Shout. In order to learn and use this Shout, you will be taking its meaning into yourself."

"If the Shout is lost, how can I defeat Alduin?"

"Only Paarthurnax, the Master of our order, can answer that question. If he so chooses."

"Who is Paarthurnax?"

"He is our leader. He surpasses us all in his master of the Way of the Voice."

"I need to speak to Paarthurnax, then."

"You weren't ready. You still aren't ready. But, thanks to The Blades, you now have questions that only Paarthurnax can answer. To get the answers you seek you must travel to the top of the mountain."

"How do I get there?"

"Only those whose Voice is strong can find the path. We will teach you a Shout to open the way to Paarthurnax."

Evelyna followed Arngeir away from the room and down a narrow, dark hallway. They passed through a set of doors out into a frigid courtyard, where the wind blew colder and more fiercely than before, it seemed.

They followed four of the Greybeards to a large fire pit at the base of a wide set of stone stairs. Fenris stood especially close, hoping to absorb its heat.

"The path to Paarthurnax lies this way. I will show you how to open the gate."

Arngeir stood before Evelyna and used his Voice. Fenris could feel the rumble of the Shout ripple away from him. "Lok." Glowing runes appeared on the stones on the ground. "I will grant you my understanding of Clear Skies. This is your final gift from us Dragonborn. Use it well."

Through some golden magic beyond Fenris' understanding, Arngeir passed some energy, or knowledge, to Evelyna. It was similar to how she absorbed the souls of the dragons, the way the magic swirled around her. Her eyes narrowed contemplatively, and it seemed as if she understood whatever had happened.

"Clear Skies to blow away the mists. But only for a time. The path to Paarthurnax is perilous, and not to be embarked upon lightly. Keep moving. Stay focused on your goal, and you will reach the summit."

She looked at Fenris, and he nodded in response. Meeko trembled, but whether from cold or fear, Fenris could not tell. He put a soothing hand on the dog's head to comfort him, and they began to walk.

"Lok Vah Koor," Evelyna Shouted at the top of the stairs, when the wind, mist and snow became too strong to brave through. Immediately the inclement weather paused, and all grew steadily quiet. Evelyna hurried onward, not willing to wait and risk the weather's return.

But it did. She shouted once again as they came to a wooden bridge stretched over a deep ravine. She shouted once more, and again.

The path wound along steep cliffs, where Fenris could hardly see the world below at its base. His feet crunched through the snow, and he slid several times on the rocks and ice. He was at eye level with the clouds closing in on them.

It was hours before they came upon a clearing and the weather had stopped, where on the opposite end stood an ancient stone wall with intricate carvings in its face. Fenris had never seen one, and he found himself staring at it, oblivious until Evelyna cursed aloud.

"Shit!"

The roar of a dragon pierced the air, far too close for Fenris' comfort. How had they not heard it before?

He saw its shape roll through the sky, wings stretched wide. It was an old dragon, its wings torn and frayed, looking more like long, gnarled fingers than actual wings.

Evelyna's hand was on one of her axes, but she didn't have it raised to throw. The dragon circled overhead and then landed on the snow heavily, shattering the ice below it. It furled its wings and swooped its head towards them, eyes searching them intelligently.

Fenris angled his shoulders, feet planted firmly, ready to lunge, ready to attack and kill. It was only the two of them, and Meeko, against this dragon. We will die here, Fenris thought. We will die here looking for a man to learn a word.

It was pathetic. Even Varric couldn't weave a story that could redeem this, telling of Fenris' end. But Varric would never know, Fenris thought vaguely. He took a long breath through his nose, and braced himself against whatever pain would come. He took one step towards the monstrous creature, poised for battle.

And then the dragon spoke.