An Elf Like No Other
Chapter 10 - Return to Sender
Elewiese tried her best not to slam shut the doors of the temple as she hurriedly scurried outside. She then slumped against the nearby wall and glared into the sky. "Mara!" She whispered harshly. She was only slightly irritated and very, very embarrassed. Elewiese raised her hands, sliding them under her mask in an attempt to cool her reddened face. What started as a small chuckle of disbelief quickly evolved into near manic fit of uncontrollable giggles.
"My Thane?" Elewiese was trying to catch her breath and wipe the tears from the corner of her eye when she heard Lydia's voice.
Lydia recognized the outfit her Thane wore, having been made privy to Elewiese's plan of keeping her identity secret. However, the Housecarl's face said it all. Relief but irritation, worry but anger. Lydia had assumed Elewiese decided to make a suicide run at the Thieves, all by her lonesome, which incidentally, she had.
Elewiese understood and felt guilty about abandoning her outside the city. Lydia looked ready to give her an earful, and demand to know Elewiese's explanation as to why she had been left behind, how she could be treated so coldly. But Elewiese couldn't help herself. She acted on the one impulse she had when she first saw Lydia, jumping up and wrapping her arms around her Housecarl's neck.
Lydia stumbled as she was forced to lean down, accommodating the shorter woman's height. She was naturally surprised at her Thane's change of mood. She was even more surprised when Elewiese leaned back and cupped her cheeks with her soft hands and held her gaze with misty eyes. "I'm sorry, Lydia, for everything." A moment passed before the Housecarl's face softened and she nodded. Elewiese smiled and sniffled as she buried her face into Lydia chest, hugging her with all the affection she could manage. Lydia was uncertain of what had happened to her Thane, but she was glad it did.
"Now," Elewiese finally said after minutes of enjoying Lydia's embrace. "There's been a slight change of plans…" The elf scratched her the back of her head the way her Housecarl knew meant she had idea that Lydia would not particularly approve of.
Delvin, Vex, Brynjolf, and Mercer all gathered at the desk in the Cistern to scratch their heads. Others had come to gawk at the box, but moved on when they realized the four master thieves had no hope of opening it.
The only woman of the group growled slammed her dagger into the box. The blade's tip simply bounced off the parcel, its runes quickly glowing red. Brynjolf pushed vex out of the way as a powerful thunderbolt spell erupted from the box, just narrowly missing her and Nuruin who was practicing archery on the far side of the Cistern. He yelled his protest at the group trying to open the package.
"Dammit, Vex! I said put away!" Brynjolf helped the girl up who simply grumbled and dusted herself off.
Mercer sighed. "We're getting nowhere with this. Any word from Enthir?"
"Aye," The red haired thief stated. "Vipir just returned from Winterhold; said Enthir still won't deal with us. Won't say why though."
Mercer scowled. "Maybe being found with the Jarl's ring on his person will make him cooperate."
"Come on, Mercer." Delvin protested. "No need to burn any more bridges."
The guild master merely shook his head. "Brynjolf, tell us again about these broads you two jumped."
He thought for a moment, trying to recall every detail. "I jumped the Nord since I was closer to her. It struck me as a little odd, two armed escorts for one little chest. I was about to write her off as a guide when I spotted this tied to her waist." He tapped the box lightly as to avoid upsetting it as Vex had.
"And she was a warrior," Mercer asked, to which Brynjolf nodded. "Both of them?" He addressed Vex this time.
The foul tempered Imperial snorted. "Yeah, she was a warrior all right. Damn Redguards. Everyone and their mother can handle a blade in Hammerfell."
Mercer gripped the sides of the desk, irritated. "How do a couple warrior adventurers cast this kind of a spell?"
"I've been doin' some research on this here insignia," Delvin tapped the emblem stamped into wax on the lid of the box; feminine hands holding a rosebud. "And I've come to a very grim, very wealthy conclusion, my friends. We are holding a package belonging to the Lady of the Elixirs."
"What?!" Vex snatched up the box and shook it several times, despite having seen what it was capable of. "Her stuff's like liquid gold!"
Brynjolf held his chin in contemplation. "I thought she only operated in Cyrodil."
Delvin shrugged. "Not anymore, apparently. My sources tell me she's already partnered with stores in Whiterun, Windhelm, maybe even Morthal."
"So we're talking about a potion here?" Mercer grumbled, underwhelmed.
"I don't think so." Vex said still shaking the package near her ear.
Delvin looked them each in the eye to express his seriousness. "The Lady has made several of her advances in alchemy public knowledge, but she keeps the really good stuff to herself. If we're lucky, and I realize that word don't mean much 'round here no more, we might be dealing with proprietary information that could be worth a fortune." That earned smiles all around the table.
Mercer was about to state that finding a way to open the box was now their top priority, when a commotion drew their attention to the Cistern's entrance leading to the Ragged Flagon. Rune and Sapphire came running. "Quick, bar the door!" She told him. He complied and the two ran over.
Rune waved frantically. "Mercer, we've got trouble! Two crazy chicks are storming the Flagon-"
Everyone in the Cistern flinched and ducked as the door that had been barred exploded, sending splinters of wood throughout the room.
It wasn't hard to find them, to be honest. Ask anyone in Riften and they'd all tell you the same thing, which essentially boiled down to this:
Thieves = Ratway = Bad
Elewiese had Lydia pose as a foreigner visiting her native homeland probing for information. She was sure to ask numerous question after purchasing a drink from an Argonian at the inn. She did the same after selling Elewiese's left-hand orichalcum gauntlet to a grumpy leather-armored merchant, as she said she wouldn't need it anymore.
They found themselves examining an entrance to the festering sewers beneath Riften, towards the end of the canal that flowed through the city. The marketplace still buzzed with activity overheard, but there was no one in sight. "Are you sure about this, Thane?" Lydia voiced her disapproval once more.
Elewiese pushed open an iron gate leading to the tunnels collectively known as the Ratway. "I told you, we don't have time." Originally, they were going to spend a few days in Riften, gathering intelligence on how best to storm the Thieves Guild, catching them unawares and the like. However, there was a much more pressing issue occurring to the North, and they had be there for it in exactly one day. "Now, I'm gonna need you to stay calm."
Lydia seemed offended. "Really? Their thieves. I could best any of them in frontal assault, which incidentally is exactly what we're doing."
"No, I mean stay calm about me." Lydia raised an eyebrow, and Elewiese tried to find the best way to explain. "Look, what's your opinion on magic?"
Immediately, Lydia scowled. "Unless it's for a kid's birthday party, I'm not really a fan."
Elewiese sighed. "Well, I'm a fairly accomplished mage as well. If we're going avoid bloodshed, I need you to maintain a calm presence when I'm casting spells. If not, you'll start a panic, and lives will be lost."
"Who cares? Their thieves." Lydia shrugged. Elewiese gave her a chiding look to which she raised her hands in surrender. "Fine, fine, but you're starting to scare me. What do mean 'remain calm'?"
Elewiese laughed nervously. "Just know that I'm in complete control. That's all."
Lydia watched her wearily as she drank a luminescent blue potion from the bandolier underneath her robes. Elewiese shuddered and tensed as though she'd jumped into an icy lake, before a shiver ran through her spine and a quick arc of lightning jumped from one hand to the other. "Whew! I'll never get used to that." She winked to Lydia, and the two were off, wandering through the festering sewers beneath Riften.
The Ratway turned out to be a fairly extensive yet simplistic maze of tunnels filled with nothing but skeevers and crazy people who attacked on sight. Elewiese roasted the diseased vermin with blue fire, while Lydia simply rendered any hostile squatters they encountered unconscious at the behest of her Thane. Elewiese did paralyze a man in chef's hat; sorry, in nothing BUT a chef's hat; and he ended up falling forward, stabbing himself in the arm with the knife he wielded. She was quick to administer a healing spell however, and grabbed a book off the nearby table to cover his, *cough*, pastries.
It was in this room where they found a door, a plaque hanging crookedly by one hinge on its center reading simply 'RAGG D LAGO'. The infamous Ragged Flagon. Lydia nodded to show her readiness, and Elewiese pushed open the door.
A large pool of scummy water filled the center of a circular room. The half of the room Elewiese entered through was occupied by empty, barren nooks crowded with cobwebs. On the far end of the water sat a wooden platform crowded with tables, though only a few were occupied by shady looking characters. Elewiese and Lydia walked to the right and past a bouncer who growled at them. Ignoring all the looks she was receiving, the elf strolled right up to bar and sat on a stool. Lydia stood at her back, glaring down any who did the same to her.
The bartender raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by the swagger this little girl was trying to put off by waltzing into the wolves' den. "I think you're in the wrong place, doll."
Ooh, Elewiese was going to enjoy this. "That's not what everyone up top says." She glanced around. "This does seem to be a bit of a dead end though. Say, you wouldn't happen to know where the Thieves Guild is, would you?"
The barman glanced to the bouncer and nodded. The ugly brute of came over, reaching out with the intent to lay his hand on Elewiese. Lydia stopped that thought immediately. She quickly dashed around him, twisted his arm behind his back and slammed his head into the bar, splintering the edge off completely. The bouncer did not get up again. "That May have been a bit much." Elewiese commented.
Lydia frowned and looked down. "I thought it was fine." She shrugged.
The barman was breathing heavily now, like he'd been the one in a fight and tried to make a run for it. "Whoah!" Elewiese shot a green light from her hand that completely enveloped him. He skidded to a stop before slowly turning with a dizzy expression on his face, the Pacification taking effect.
Three of the shady characters sitting at the tables shot up and ran for the side passage to the right of the bar. The two closest ones, a man and a woman made it past Lydia before she managed to block the path. The only remaining escapee was a Redguard woman in sleeveless gray-leathered armor. "Trust us, you don't want to go back there." Lydia stated. The woman gulped and ran out of the Flagon the way the two of them had arrived.
"Hey, barman!" Elewiese called to the man.
He looked at her again, not quite all there. "Vekel. The name's Vekel the Man."
Elewiese shared a look with Lydia before addressing him. "Alright Vekel my Man, show us the entrance to the Thieves Guild."
He began walking around the bar. "And give us a bottle of your best stock." Lydia added.
Vekel complied with the request while Elewiese scolded her Housecarl. "Lydia, that's stealing."
She took the bottle of Black-Briar Reserve from the man greedily while shooting Elewiese an incredulous look. "You're joking, right?"
Elewiese smiled and the two of them followed the bartender down the passage the others had fled to. They came upon a cabinet, which Vekel pointed to, and Elewiese quickly got the idea, having found a similar secret just yesterday in Riverwood. She opened the cabinet doors and pushed the false back panel, so it swung to the right.
"Thank you, Vekel. You may go now." Elewiese said to the man. He did sort of a half nod/half salute thing that resulted in him hitting his forehead against his hand.
Lydia watched the man shamble back down the hall. "Is he gonna be okay?"
Elewiese's smile turned to a light frown as they both watched him walk right into a table, upending it and sending bottles and dishes everywhere. "Yeah, he'll be fine."
At the end of the passage, they found a heavy framed door. Elewiese tried lightly pushing it open. Didn't work. Lydia tried bashing it with her shoulder. Nope. "Hmmm… Stand back." The Housecarl obeyed. Despite having a culturally dislike of magic, she was eager to see what her Thane could do.
Elewiese erected a wall of light in front of them; the strongest barrier she could muster. In her other hand, she summoned blue flames. She concentrated, warping them into a ball of condensed energy that was just waiting to be released. What she held was the size of a ball of yarn. "Bigger." She said to herself. It swelled to the size of a child's kickball. "Bigger." The fireball inflated until it nearly grazed the ceiling. "Perfect."
"Ummm, I'll just be back here." Lydia said, losing her nerve and retreating back to the cabinet.
Elewiese rolled her eyes and let loose her spell. She quickly used her now free hand to reinforce her ward. Not a moment too soon, as the blast erupted and nearly pushed the elf off her feet. Elewiese grit her teeth and dug in her heels, forcing the the blast to go the only other direction. The door was blown off its hinges along with portion of the wall, and smoke filled the section of the tunnel in front of Elewiese, held at bay only by her ward. Elewiese nodded for Lydia to join her before dropping the barrier.
Smoke poured from the tunnel, covering the entrance to the Ragged Flagon in obscurity, but cleared soon enough, revealing the two figures of the women Rune had warned about, one of whom Brynjolf immediately recognized. His eyes bulged as he looked upon the woman he'd stolen the package from. Her eyes scanned the assorted thieves scattered around the Cistern until she met his. The warrior smirked.
Niruin and Cynric, the closest to the Cistern's secret entrance to the graveyard in Rfiften, made a dash for it. A wall of fire erupted in front of them however, stopping them in their tracks. The flames didn't stop there however, and began spreading in both directions along the edge of the Cistern. It continued until it came full circle, cutting off all other routes and sending a clear message: no one leaves. The woman Brynjolf had robbed walked forward, and called out loudly. "All kneel before the Lady of the Elixirs."
Most everyone's eyes went wide as they stared both at her and at the cloaked figure behind the woman. Thrynn, the oaf that he was, chuckled and drew his mace. "There's a whole load of us and only two of you."
The cloaked, five-foot-two figure walked slowly forward, her bare feet slapping against the stone floor of the cavern. Her robes were tattered and dirty, reaching only down to her mid-thigh. The mask she wore was a bare crescent moon shape that curved over her nose, thin vertical slits providing a small field of vision. If the woman found it difficult to see however, she didn't show it. She reached the center of the Cistern and lifted her hand. With a snap her fingers, a dozen purple lights flashed through the room, and when they died, every thief in the guild was flanked by two armored dremora, all wielding great swords.
"Kneel." The woman demanded again.
Every man and woman complied, dropping down to the ground under the watchful eyes of the Daedra warriors. "Hey Thrynn," Rune called from across the cavern. "Shut up."
The former bandit growled, but said nothing else. There might've been laughs if the situation wasn't so dire. There were a few tense moments of silence, filled with uncertain glances between one thief and another, before the woman spoke again.
"One of you has made the grave mistake of stealing from not only me, but from My Lady as well." Lydia took a moment to let those words sink in before continuing, staring directly at the red headed thief who had done the deed. "A crime for which there is only one real punishment."
Brynjolf shared a cryptic glance with Mercer who merely sighed and nodded. Slowly, as to not provoke his hulking guards, Brynjolf stood, but kept his head hung low. He grabbed the parcel off the desk and approached the center of the Cistern tentatively, two of the dremora trailing behind him. Brynjolf drew closer and closer to the small figure draped in dark fabrics until he deemed he was close enough. The distance was one he could close with his knife in barely a second, though he would never try. Something told him that if he did, he wouldn't even live long enough to regret it. Instead, he knelt and looked up past the mask of the Lady into what he assumed were eyes. "Warrior," He addressed the woman that had spoken thus far. "Might I converse with the Lady?"
"Speak, thief." Came her response.
Brynjolf sighed in relief, although it was a little too soon to stop holding his breath entirely. "Esteemed Lady of the Elixirs, I humbly express my gratitude for merely hearing me out." He spoke eloquently but rebuked under the cold stare of the Lady. A shiver ran down his spine as he continued. "My name is Brynjolf. It is true. I am guilty of the heinous crime of stealing from you. There would no punishment more fitting than that which you deem necessary, My Lady. I only ask one thing of you." He looked her in eyes once again and begged genuinely. "Reserve your wrath for me, and for me alone." He gestured around the room. "These innocent souls should not be judged solely by my stupidity." Brynjolf breathed out steadily and closed his eyes, letting his head droop as well. He thought about begging for his own life, but wasn't sure he should press his luck. If he could save the Guild, that would be enough.
"Is that all?" It was the first time she'd spoken. The Lady's voice was light and sickly sweet, but Brynjolf dared not look up.
"It is My Lady. I await your verdict." The thief held up the Lady's package and awaited certain doom.
What happened next actually did make him look up however. The Lady of the Elixirs giggled. She had a hand over her mouth, but the raised corners and dimples on her cheeks confirmed that she had indeed laughed. She slowly plucked the box from Brynjolf's hands and passed it back to the Nord woman. When the Lady looked back, he no longer saw a cold presence behind the mask, rather Brynjolf felt she was a very warm and gentle being. "Honor among thieves? Your guild's reputation precedes you."
He looked back to the desk where Mercer, Delvin, and Vex still knelt. The old codger of the lot gave him a look that said 'roll with it'. Looking back, Brynjolf was surprised to find the Lady leaning down, putting her face inches from his. She smelled like flowers. "I forgive you." Her response nearly made the thief choke, but she wasn't done. "However, you did injure one of my ladies in waiting. I can't personally let that go." She leaned back and stepped aside so Brynjolf could get a better look at the other woman. "Lydia, do you forgive him?"
Lydia's eyes went wide. Nothing in the plan Elewiese had described said anything about putting her on the spot. "No," Came her immediate response as she turned up her nose. She blushed though, both at the man's expression and her pettiness. She recalled the man being behind her and pressing the knife against her throat. She had headbutt him to make him stumble. That's when he had cut her by accident. She sighed. "But he needn't be harmed. It was more my fault than anything…" She waved her hand at him dismissively.
"Hmmm…" Elewiese thought with a finger on his chin. "Perhaps we should have him kiss it and make it feel better."
"WHAT?!" Several voices arose throughout the Cistern, the loudest from Brynjolf and Lydia. A huge blush spread across the Housecarl's face just thinking about the handsome man kissing her neck.
Another giggle from the lady erupted. "Kidding." She threw out nonchalantly.
Lydia facepalmed. "My Lady, don't we have a a schedule to keep?"
"Ah, yes." Brynjolf noted the way her face turned serious once more. Elewiese now spoke loud enough to let her voice resonate through the cistern. "As unfortunate as this incident was, it cannot be repeated. The Lady of the Elixir's mission is to bring healing and knowledge to all corners of Tamriel, and I will not stand for any impediments to that mission. This is not a negotiation, we will not pay for any protection. This is an ultimatum. If I hear word of any of my warehouses being ransacked, or if any of my caravans are robbed by your people, or if any of you so much as to shoplift in one of my stores…" Elewiese raised her left hand and every dremora warrior in the cavern drew their blade. "I will return and personally cleanse the Ratway with fire." The ring of flame surrounding the Cistern doubled in height to accentuate her point. "Do we understand each other?"
Brynjolf nodded vehemently. "Of course My Lady. None of us would dare dream of-" He was silenced as she put a finger over his lips.
"Shhhhh, hush now, my little thief." Brynjolf's eyes went wide as she reached down with one of her tiny hands to tuck his braid behind his ear. "You've had your say and spoken well. However, I was not addressing you." Elewiese straightened and stared directly at the man who began glaring at her the moment she began her speech. "Do we understand each other, guild master?"
Mercer Frey had since stood and was gripping the sides of the desk with white knuckles. Who did this bitch think she was, waltzing in here and making demands of him? He felt a slap on his leg and looked down to see Delvin nodding for him to accept her terms. If there wasn't still money to be made in this cesspool, he would've driven his sword through the old man's throat then and there. As it stood though, the guild would bleed money for a few more years before he would strike out on his own, and his first target would be the Lady of the Elixirs. This bitch was powerful, no doubt, but with the Skeleton Key, he was unstoppable. For now though… "I understand."
Elewiese held his gaze, gauging his honesty. She decided she didn't quite trust him, but his advisors all seemed insistent that he accept, Brynjolf included. Maybe she could trust them. Well…not trust…
"Very good." She finally decided. With a snap from her right hand, the fire died out and all but the two dremora flanking Brynjolf disappeared in a haze of warped purple air. The normal ruckus of water rushing through Cistern now proved a welcome silence as opposed to roaring blaze just moments prior. "You are free to go about your…business." All the thieves stood carefully.
They began gathering into small groups and talking amongst themselves, glancing in the Lady's direction. Elewiese found their uncertainty amusing, but her smile faltered when she saw the red headed thief staring. "Brynjolf. Would you be a dear and mind escorting us out from this filthy- *cough* I mean, from your lovely home?"
He nodded and watched as she walked towards her lady in waiting. "I'd be honored." He muttered to himself. The two women were whispering to one another and eyeing Vex of all people. Brynjolf gestured that he'd be fine to a worried looking Delvin, but his eyes went wide when he saw the Lady of the Elixirs approaching the trio of master thieves.
Vex turned her nose up at the shorter woman as she approached. "Was there something else, your majesty-? Ow!" The blonde tumbled to the ground as she was kicked in the knee.
Elewiese 'humphed' with superiority and began walking back towards Lydia. "That was for my other lady in waiting."
Vex threw out a colorful variety of expletives as she unsheathed her dagger and lunged for the woman, but she was luckily and just barely held back by Delvin and Mercer.
"I'm ready to leave this place." Elewiese stated factually to Brynjolf. The thief was trying not to take too much humor away from the interaction he'd just witnessed. "What about you Lydia?"
Lydia smiled proudly at her Thane. "Of course, My Lady. After you."
Looking expectantly to Brynjolf, the man got the message and held his arm out, as a gentlemen should. Elewiese looped her arm into his with a smile and the three marched their way back through the Ratway. Brynjolf of course knew the tunnels like the back of his hand and saved them a great deal of time on their way back. Hans and Franz were still present throughout the sewers, but Elewiese dismissed them as she had the rest when they reached their destination, much to Brynjolf's relief. In minutes, they'd returned to the iron gate leading to the Ratway entrance, and Elewiese breathed in the fresh air. "Thank goodness. I was beginning to think my nose had gone dead from being in that odorous place."
Brynjolf scratched the back of his head and nodded, ceding her point. "So what now?" The two women looked back at him, Lydia with raised eyebrows. "My Lady!" He added quickly.
"Now… Now I'm off to save the world." Brynjolf thought she might have been joking, but what what little of her expression he could read told him she was telling the truth. He stood rigid when she smiled at him again. "You spoke very valiantly on behalf of your friends and your organization."
Brynjolf bowed his head. "I'm just glad you saw fit to give us another chance."
"Hmmm…" Elewiese hummed. "You were very convincing. I trust you will keep this rabble from making any future mistakes." Brynjolf laughed nervously at such a tall order but quickly stopped when he felt her hands on his sides. The Lady of the Elixirs stood up on her tippy toes and placed a kiss his cheek, giggling as the bristles on his face tickled her lips. "Thank you Brynjolf," The thief was a little dumbfounded by her affectionate gesture, but was only further confused by what happened next. Elewiese reached up and removed her mask, bringing it down over her mouth so he still could not see her entire face. Now it was her nose and lips he couldn't see and only her eyes were visible, instead of vice versa. "But I hope we don't see each other again." She winked her eyes with golden irises and blood red pupils at him.
And then they were gone. Brynjolf stood in the entrance of the Ratway long after they'd left, contemplating every moment that the Lady of the Elixirs had spent paying their little organization a visit. Brynjolf had many conquests in his day, and many a jaded lover on his tail, but no woman had ever left him quite as speechless as she had. After tracing his fingers over where her lips had been on the cheek she'd kissed, and after shaking his head while laughing, the thief returned to the Ragged Flagon for some relief in the form that every Nord took comfort from: mead, plain and simple.
Lydia pulled on the pack she'd strapped to the horse to make sure it was secure. Hearing a groan, she looked back to her Thane trying to catch her breath as she leaned against a tree trunk. "I think you liked him, Elewiese."
The elf simply laughed. "Didn't you? He was very charming. And handsome." She winked at Lydia and bit her tongue.
Lydia blushed and tried to change the subject. "W-Well you really weren't kidding about being and accomplished mage. That was something else." She marveled genuinely.
"Hardly." The elf chuckled slightly. "I nearly passed out summoning so many dremora at once. Of course, if I had, we wouldn't be having this conversation." She noticed Lydia's raised eyebrow and explained. "I individually bound each and every one of those brutes, but if they thought they could kill me and reassert control, they'd do it in a heartbeat. They are still Daedra after all."
Lydia leaned against the well muscles horse's flanks, rubbing her chin in thought. "What was it you called me? A 'lady in waiting'?"
Elewiese raised an eyebrow. "Did I? Oh! I suppose I did." Lydia waited, making the elf blush. "Well, a lady in waiting is the term we've always used when referring to our apprentices and special assignment personnel. You know, people who are important to the mission of the Lady of the Elixirs. Men of course are our gentlemen in waiting."
Lydia smiled at that. "I like it." Elewiese shared her Housecarl's expression, happy that she approved. "Still, I know you said you warned me and everything, but…" She shook her head in disbelief. "The name Shalidor comes to mind, ya know?"
Elewiese blushed at her praise and was surprised to learn Lydia even knew about Shalidor. Of course, he was one of the greater Nord historical figures, and Lydia being the proud Nord she was would know of him at the very least. "In truth, I'm mediocre at best. I've just got a leg up on the competition." Elewiese said while waving one of her Magus Elixirs in the air before placing it back in her bandolier.
Lydia looked to the bandolier with newfound interest. "My Thane…" She started tentatively, and Elewiese already knew where this was headed. "I asked Maximus and Shaudrey something in Cyrodil, but their answer was that I would have to approach you with my question. I know it isn't my place to ask, but I was hoping…well, since I'm a part of your mission now…"
"You want to know about my private Elixirs." Elewiese finished for her. She nodded. Elewiese sighed and nodded to a tree stump in front of her. "Come here. Sit." Lydia obeyed and Elewiese crouched before her. She withdrew one green, one blue, and one red vial from the slots along her kit's strapped length.
"This is the Magus Elixir." She handed the blue vial to Lydia. The Nord studied the luminescent blue mixture. It swirled around inside, like it was a gas instead of a liquid. The only indication it was ingestible was the ever present meniscus. "Drinking this temporarily increases my comprehension, allows me to recall any spell I know of, and mitigates the amount of magicka I call upon when using magic. Outside of combat it helps me theorize and discover magical sequences for research. Inside of combat, I bring to battle the wrath of Aetherius. The downside is there's no escaping the debt of magicka I accumulate when the Elixir wears off. I've gone days without recovering magicka before, and trust me, it's not a pleasant feeling. Even a non-magic user's body like yours maintains a degree of magic for basic functions. Going without for extended periods of time can be…painful." She held out her hand and a wide-eyed Lydia placed the Magus Elixir back in her hand. Elewiese then gave her the next vial.
"The Rogue Elixir." Lydia thought the hue of green this mixture projected was very pretty, like leaves in the spring time. Air pockets bubbled inside at a peaceful, leisure-like pace. She wasn't sure she'd want to drink it though. "Under its influence, my reaction time is near instantaneous. It's not as though time slows down at all; I perceive it normally. My senses are just hyper aware to the point that my body is sent into a state of overdrive. I can move incredibly fast and sense everything around me, from the beat of a butterfly's wings to an arrow flying towards my heart. The drawback is it takes a toll on the body. You recall my incapacitation after defeating the dragon in Whiterun?" Lydia nodded, remembering her Thane's bedridden state when she was first assigned to her. "The move I performed to…kill Mirmulnir was way beyond what my body alone was capable." She replaced the vial in Lydia's hand with the last one.
The Nord studied the maroon colored liquid that emitted a bright red light in her palm. Odd. Even weirder was the jagged solid shapes floating the through the liquid that would explode and swirl around violently before condensing into an even uglier shape. "And this is the Gladiator Elixir. Imagine the might to lift a cart over your head, or to throw a warhammer across Tamriel as the chieftain of clan Rourken once did, not that I've ever tried. Paired with the strength of five giants comes a sort of primal, instinctual knowledge of how to handle whatever weapon I'm holding. My muscles grow tense, letting me glance off most blows, but this one comes with a cost too. Being so high strung leads to an inherent soreness after its use, and it has an effect on my psyche as well." Lydia gave a quizzical look and Elewiese elaborated. "When I imbibe the Gladiator I grow pompous, irritable, even angry. I would take on a hundred men on a whim, although with the benefits, I might just win. It takes incredible mental fortitude to fight the urges this Elixir plagues me with."
Lydia let Elewiese slide the vial out of her hand and watched as she returned all three to the slots on her bandolier. She amazed that such power could fit in her palm. "Are they addictive?"
"The power? Yes. The mixtures themselves? No." Elewiese answered truthfully.
"And you make these a lot?"
Elewiese understood it was a layered question. "Yes and no. The only of these elixirs in all of existence are these ones, right here." She shook her kit. "I never make more than I am going to carry and there are none in circulation. I've never lost one, and even if I did, there is no way to identify the ingredients used in them or their method of brewing. There is no known recipe for their creation aside from what's in here." Elewiese tapped her temple.
Lydia was equal parts astonished and admittedly jealous. She was sure she wouldn't want to experience the drawbacks Elewiese had described, but it was still immense power. But that was the whole point of why Elewiese had gone to such extreme lengths and was justifiably paranoid about this. These thin little vials were filled with the potential to render Tamriel extinct. It was the nature of both mer and men to war and bicker amongst themselves. If this knowledge were to fall into the wrong hands, it would mean the end of hundreds of thousands of souls. Lydia now knew just how delicate the art of alchemy was. The more beneficial discoveries you made, the deadlier the discoveries you were sure to make as well, and there was no master of alchemy greater than Elewiese.
Lydia sat silently, mulling over the information she'd learned for a full minute, until finally she stood. "I understand," She said with a smile. Lydia slammed her fist into her chest and bowed her head in salute. "My Thane."
Elewiese smiled at the loyalty Lydia displayed, and she was never more proud to have the Nord as her Housecarl, companion, and friend. She trusted her completely, and would be willing to face the end of the world with her. With nothing else needing to be said on the matter, they were ready to depart. "Mount up."
Although it didn't seem fair, Lydia finally convinced Elewiese to let her take the reins so that she could navigate them to their destination while the elf got some sleep. Elewiese was guilty about this arrangement, and Lydia was nervous about it too, considering it would mean she'd likely be unable to participate in the upcoming fight, but they were left with no choice. Night had already fallen. Whatever was going to happen in Kynesgrove was happening tomorrow, and they had a lot of ground to cover.
It was difficult falling asleep with the horse galloping as hard as it was, but Elewiese took comfort in the smell of Lydia's hair and the warmth her arms felt wrapped around the Nord's waist. The sentiment that she was safe and comfortable in Lydia's presence was enough for her to drift off once more into the Aetherial plane of dreams.
Elewiese was back in her childhood home, in Valenwood, reliving one of the better, more hazy memories from her youth. She and her mother had their backs to her point of view. The smaller form sat in a high chair gathering what remained of the sweet, gooey apple preserves in a masonic jar with her hand and licking her fingers clean. Chuckling humorously, the older woman made the finishing touches and slipped the pie into the brick oven. What shocked Elewiese was as the older woman turned to tuck a stray hair behind the younger girl's ear, their faces became clear. The girl whom she assumed was her was in fact Lucia, and the memory of her mother was actually Elewiese herself.
She felt a wave of unidentifiable emotion wash over her watching her dream-self pick up Lucia and spin her around, the both of them laughing all the while. The endearing image was whisked away however, as a hair-standing roar pulled Elewiese from her slumber.
She startled, nearly to the point of falling off the horse. Luckily her anchor, Lydia, was as rigid and unmoving as ever. Elewiese quickly spun around, trying to identify the source of the commotion. A blizzard had rolled in and the wind was howling. Visibility was nearly impossible with so much snow blowing around, but Elewiese caught a glimpse of a giant black mass disappearing over the rise of the hill they rode towards.
"Lydia!" Elewiese yelled.
"I saw it! We're almost there, hang on!" Lydia's voice was hoarse, but she spurred their tired steed into one last sprint up the hill. Reaching its crest, an inn came into view that sat in between various fields of wheat and other produce. An active campground had many workers frantically running about, and among them was a familiar face. Delphine was arguing with one of the men in the camp. Lydia steered the horse into the heart of Kynesgrove, and a woman came running from the inn. "No, you don't want to go up there! A dragon…it's attacking!"
Elewiese furrowed her brows as she dismounted and looked around. "The dragon attacked?"
"Well, I don't know. Not yet... It flew over town and landed on the old dragon burial mound." The innkeeper pushed past her. "I don't know what it's doing up there, but I'm not waiting around to find out!"
Elewiese began following her to the campgrounds when she heard a rustle. She looked back to find Lydia had stumbled while dismounting the horse. Elewiese quickly rushed over to help her up. "Thank you, Elewiese." Lydia said. The elf frowned. Her Housecarl had dark circles under her eyes and she was too tired to even address her by her title as she normally did. She was in condition to fight.
Elewiese took the reins of the horse in one hand and held Lydia's with the other, pulling them towards the gathering miners and inn workers. "Lydia, I need you to stay here and protect the villagers." They'd reached the camp, and Elewiese tied the horse's reins to a post.
Lydia leaned heavily against a low stone wall. "Elewiese…" She tried.
The Thane placed a hand on her Housecarl's cheek. "Please, Lydia. It's the only way I can know these people will be safe." The Nord gave a weary sigh before snorting lightly and nodding. Elewiese stood on her tippy toes to give her a peck on the cheek. "Thank you, I promise to be careful." That seemed to ease her worries a little.
Rushing over to the camp, Elewiese caught her friend's attention. "Delphine!"
The innkeeper/assassin turned from her argument with a frustrated miner in smirked. "It's about time. I was worried you'd miss all the fun."
Elewiese did not return her smile and instead addressed the one of two guards trying to keep the people from a full blown panic. "Guard!"
He glanced at her annoyed. "What is it, elf? Can't you see we have bigger problems?"
"I'm a Thane of Whiterun and Morthal." That shut him up right quick. He and his companion saluted and stood at attention. Elewiese racked her brain, trying to remember the map of the region and formulating a plan. "If the dragon attacks, take these people west to the river, and follow it north to Windhelm."
The guard nodded. "Of course, ma'am. It's as good a plan as any. What of you?"
Elewiese glanced to Delphine who gripped the hilt of her katana and laughed excitedly. "We will fell this beast." She said confidently.
The guard didn't seem too sure about that but began informing the villagers of the plan. Elewiese quickly ran over to the horse and removed the parcel from the pack. Casting the appropriate spell, she slid the lid off to reveal a gauntlet and a utility belt. The gauntlet gleamed like gold and was wide on the back hand side with a complex contraption on the wrist of the palm side. Elewiese quickly secured the gauntlet to her left hand and strapped the utility belt around her waist, not even bothering to replace it with the belt of her adept robes.
Delphine walked over and groaned impatiently. "Are you done yet?"
Elewiese hummed happily, the weight and balance of her body finally feeling normal with her shield on her wrist, her kit over her chest, and her spear shrunk at her hip. After weeks of slogging her way through the Skyrim tundra, just picking whatever weapons she found, she was finally fully equipped again. Elewiese allowed herself to smile this time. "Ready."
The camp fell silent of conversations as another roar sounded from atop the hill behind the inn. Elewiese nodded to Delphine and the two began walking up the hill.
"Elewiese!" Lydia called out. She looked back to see the Housecarl holding a longbow emblazoned with carvings. "Your bow!"
Elewiese chuckled. "Don't worry Lydia." The elf reached into the small quiver on her belt and withdrew a steel bolt the size of a quill. She twirled it in between her fingers, loaded it into the contraption on her wrist, and pulled back the mechanism to pressurize the chamber. "I've got it covered."
"Sahloknir, di fron briinah, naani lost nust dreh wah hi (my dear sister, what have the done to you)?" It was a sentiment Alduin had shared at the gravesite of every sibling he'd resurrected thus far, but it was especially painful as he faced the Phantom Sky Huntress. Beautiful Sahloknir, whose kind heart and cleverness would only take her so far. No doubt the mortals who murdered her exploited the weakness of her emotions. No matter. Alduin had returned, the mortals would be enslaved once more, and all would be made right again as the dovah returned, stronger than ever.
"Alduin Thuri (Overlord)! Joorre bo nol tum (Mortals approach from below)!" Hevnojot lowered his altitude, coming to a hover right next to Alduin. He nodded down the hill, and even through the blizzard the World Eater could make out an all too familiar aura trapped inside one of the mortal bodies.
Alduin growled. "Dein nol fin filok (Cut off their escape), Hevnojot. They came to see the spectacle of our sister's rebirth, so we shall let them."
The wheather was as bad as any Elewiese had yet seen in Skyrim. Only the Throat of the World could compare as a more torturous situation, but somehow that didn't even matter. A dragon was on the rise of the very hill she climbed. Each step she took sent a jolt of adrenaline through her veins. Every roar from the magnificent beast ahead stoked the fire in her soul. It was that warmth in her breast that kept her going. Elewiese raised a hand to keep the snow from blowing into her face. She could scarcely see more than a couple yards in front of her, but a light shone through the frosty veil. She vaguely heard Delphine groan against the inclement weather, but she just had to assume the Nord was hardy enough to drudge ahead towards the light, as Elewiese was doing.
Guttural voices spoke in an archaic language to one another somewhere up ahead. Elewiese recognized the words as dovahzul, making her ears twitch as they always did when hearing the oddly nostalgic language. She tried her hardest to make out the words, but her lack of understanding and the wind whistling around her prevented any discernible phrases. The blizzard was growing worse, as though it were pushing back against her as she drew closer to the top of the hill. Oddly enough, what lie ahead was becoming clearer, and she soon found out why.
Just when she thought she couldn't take anymore, Elewiese stumbled through a barrier and into the storm's center. The elf caught her breath on her hands and knees, difficult as it was because of the atmosphere in the eye of the storm. It was like being atop the Throat of the World again with the air being so very thin. Elewiese shook her auburn hair free of frost, then looked up to the insistent flapping of ginormous wings. What she saw made her jaw drop.
Elewiese was expecting a dragon, but she wasn't expecting the dragon. The black dragon that hunted her in her dreams. He who saved her life in Helgen and killed so many innocent people in the process. His eyes met hers, and Elewiese knew he remembered her. She thought she saw the corners of his maw lift, as though there were a joke unbeknownst to Elewiese, but not him.
All too quickly, Elewiese realized that it was in fact she who was the butt of the joke. A second dragon came in low and fast, using the road Elewiese and Delphine come from as a landing strip. The elf grabbed her mysterious companion by the shoulder and quickly pulled her back just in time for the beast to crash through the blizzard and land with an earth-shuddering thud. Its grayish blue body was even smaller the Mirmulnir's, roughly the size of a stage coach, horses and all. He snarled while darting between Elewiese and Delphine with his reptilian green eyes. "Krif zu'u joorre!"
Elewiese didn't quite catch that one, but the dragon seemed eager and ready to pounce on them. That is until the black dragon that still dominated the sky spoke. "Enough, Hevnojot. Dreh not attackuntil nust lost miin un sister arise."
"As you hind, Thuri." The second dragon growled reluctantly.
With furrowed brows, Elewiese struggled to understand the dragons. She understood fragments of what they said but couldn't quite discern what it was they were talking about. All the while the light that had guided her to the hilltop had grown brighter, seeping from the ground and rising towards the sky. The massive black dragon returned his attention to the gravesite. "Sahloknir, hi lost aan mid servent. Aan zu'u nu for all eternity."
Elewiese finally roused enough sense to recognize something was happening. She ran for the burial mound. A growl was heard from behind, but the dragon apparently valued keeping them from escaping rather than running towards certain doom. "Hey! What are you doing, wait!"
"I have saraan lingrah enough, Dovahkiin." He replied with barely a glance in her direction. "SLEN TIID VO!" Elewiese recognized a change in the tone of his voice as he spoke Words of Power. The effect of his Shout slammed into the ground, tossing and churning the dirt. A moment later, something burst forth from the soil; a humongous skeleton that crawled and shuddered. A dragon's roar joined the other two present, although this one had Elewiese sinking to her knees and made tears fall from her eyes, as the screech from this new dragon was all pain and horror. Quite literally the opposite effect of what happened to Mirmulnir in Whiterun, happened to the dragon before Elewiese. Light solidified all around the clearing into millions of little embers. The tiny lights then all swarmed onto the skeletal dragon, coagulating into muscle and sinew, hide and scales. The dragon's craggy screech turned into a more feminine sounding scream. The process was clearly plainly for her. As the final ember settled into the dragon's hide, a gleam seemed to envelope her body, but quickly disappeared, completing the dragon's resurrection. She collapsed, breathing heavily.
Elewiese rose to her feet, shakily, and held a hand over her mouth. "By the gods…" She was vaguely aware of the black dragon above watching her every move, but Elewiese could only concentrate on one thing as she moved towards the new dragon. "You are so beautiful…" She said truthfully.
Sahloknir was more lithe than the other dragons Elewiese had met. She had smooth, snowy white scales across her body and few of the jagged spikes Elewiese had come to expect of all dragons. Hers were only present on her neck, feet, and the tip of her tail. Sahloknir was more akin to a serpent than the more lizard-like anatomies of the other two dragons in the clearing.
On raw instinct, Elewiese felt her body tugging itself forward. She reached out a shaky hand, inches from Sahloknir's snout. When she finally laid her hand over the warm, smooth scales, it was as though a jolt of lightning arced through her entire body. Without even thinking of the repercussions, Elewiese pressed her whole body into Sahloknir, embracing her snout and rubbing her cheek against the hide that radiated heat. Her mind turned fuzzy from her first experience touching a dragon, as opposed to stabbing one with daggers and riding it like a bronco. Elewiese let a out a low purr.
"Alduin, Thuri!" Hevnojot protested.
"Dragonborn!" Delphine voiced at the same time. They were here to kill these beasts, and she was snuggling with one of them?!
The two callouts overlapped one another, forcing the both of them to return to their glaring contest. High above, Alduin grew more and more frustrated. Not with the Dragonborn, no, but rather his father. He would never understand why Akatosh would stoop to granting mortals a soul that rightfully belonged to a dovah. Despite his feelings towards all mortals, he found himself pitying this one. Her soul would always force her into aspiring to greatness, but her mortal form would ensure she would always fall short. It'd be better to kill her now, return the soul to the dov by having one of the lesser dragons below devour her. "Sahloknir! Alok!"
Sahloknir slowly opened one eye, but what she saw quickly made both of them go wide. A mortal was caressing their body against her snout. It stared dizzily and directly into her icy blue reptilian eyes. Sahloknir felt her snout vibrate lightly as the mortal purred against her skin.
The dragon quickly swiped its neck to the side, throwing Elewiese a couple yards back. "Ow!" She yelped as she landed on her tail. She quickly rolled off it and began rubbing circles over her rear, trying to ease the pain of her tail nearly being yanked off when she hit the ground. Regaining her senses from whatever possessed her to touch the dragon, Elewiese voiced her unease. "Hey! What was that for?"
Sahloknir was baffled. "What do you think you're doing, ruth fahliil?!" She took a step forward but quickly caught the mortal's scent. Her eyes went wide and she retreated the step she took, followed by another. "Dovahkiin?" Sahloknir quickly scanned her surroundings and found the black mass in the sky. "Alduin, Thuri! Fos los daar? Boaan tiid return us suleyksejun glory?"
Elewiese was still only catching fragments of the conversations, but a few things were now clear. The first dragon, whom Elewiese encountered in Helgen, was going around resurrecting the other dragons. Judging by his size and the deferment the other dragons had shown to him, he was clearly important, perhaps their leader. Lastly, if he was the leader, then he was either directly responsible for the dragon attacks that have been happening or he's allowing other dragons to perform them. All in all, Elewiese was starting to worry if maybe the part of her that was Dragonborn was in fact deceiving her.
"Geh, Sahloknir, fron briinah." The Thuri, as he'd been referenced so many times, turned to address Elewiese directly. "Ful, losei Dovahkiin? Hi aal have our soul, nuz zu'u see none nol dragonkindin you."
Elewiese swallowed hard. She got the gist of what he'd said. She was not one of them. He was right of course, so why did her heart clench so painfully at his dismissal?
"I can see it in your eyes," He snorted arrogantly. Elewiese was shocked as the dragon now spoke Tamrielic, her own language. "You can scarcely understand us. Tell us, mighty Dovahkiin, what is your name?"
"My…" Her voice came out as a whisper. Elewiese inhaled deeply to steel her nerves. "My name is Elewiese!" She spoke loudly. The two dragons on the ground erupted in laughter at that for some reason. The black dragon that flapped his wings to effortlessly keep himself afloat looked to the sky and gave a slight chuckle. "Who are you?" The laughs all stopped. Elewiese glanced at Sahloknir and Hevnojot to find them glaring at her. Looking back to the Thuri, she discovered he too was glaring at her with those eyes like red hot coals.
"To not even know the name of your Overlord… Such arrogance, to dare take for yourself the name of Dovah."He said the words with such hate, Elewiese was reminded of why she had nightmares of him.
This was not going well, but Elewiese had to try and do what she cane her to do. Otherwise, she really was a murderer. "Sir dragon…or Thuri, I guess… I represent the vested interest of the people of Tamriel, namely those here in Skyrim." She swallowed hard and looked the behemoth in the eye. "I beseech that you and all of dragonkind cease your attacks on the innocent people of this land so that both our peoples might live in peace."
"Dragonborn! They must be destroyed!" Delphine yelled. Ignoring how stupid a statement that was while surrounded by three dragons, Elewiese turned and gave her the same look she had at the inn in Riverwood, and again she recoiled.
"Enough, Delphine. I came here for my own reasons." The mysterious innkeeper grew bolder, replacing her shocked expression at Elewiese's demeanor to a glare. The elf would deal with her later. For now… Elewiese returned her attention to the mass hovering above her and dropped all pretense of formality. "Please…" She begged. "We don't have to be enemies. We can coexist, we can work together!"
The dragon's immediate reaction was disgust, something that alarmed Elewiese, but a cruel smile replaced his expression as he mulled over her. "Yes, we can work together, can't we?"
Sahloknir's eyes went wide as she realized what Alduin meant. "Thuri! Surely you don't mean to-" The World Eater silenced the lesser dragon with a hiss. Instinctually, she lowered her head.
Elewiese's eyes shone with excitement. "Really?! You believe we can-"
"THAARN!" The Shout slammed into a completely unprepared Elewiese. Immediately her legs felt like gelatin. Her eyesight became fuzzy and it was difficult to think. Instinctually, her blood told her that all the dragon had done was tell to 'obey', but with the weight of his knowledge behind it, a new voice creeped into Elewiese's mind, doing battle with her reason and sensibility.
Just give in. I'm a mortal, I deserve to be enslaved. No. No, I'm my own person. I will forge my own destiny, no matter what path Akatosh put me on. But Father gave me the soul of a dragon. That soul belongs to the rest of dragonkind, and to my Thuri. I can't. I won't! It's my life and no one else's!
Elewiese stumbled around dizzily, placing her hands on her head. She sensed a writhing feeling in her arms and looked at them to find black dovahzul script snaking around her arms. Elewiese felt that same sensation wrapping its way around her throat. Just looking at the words, she knew they spoke of submission and being dominated.
"Obey, Dovahkiin." Elewiese vaguely heard the black dragon speak from above. "Obey, and be spared the fate that awaits all mortals. Your body is a hindrance, but your soul I'm capable of bending to my will. Now, as your Thuri, I command you to obey!"
He was binding her. Elewiese had bound many a dremora to her service, but she never imagined she'd be on the receiving end. "No…" She muttered. Her legs were growing heavier and heavier. Elewiese knew if she kneeled before this dragon, she never again get up of her own free will.
"Obey…"
Just give in…
"It will be over soon…"
This is what you were meant for…
Elewiese groaned. The script on her arms and neck swirled tighter, so tight she couldn't breathe. There were so many voices, none of them hers. If she could just find the will to speak, to talk… If she could just find her voice… Her Voice… Hers.
The will to stand was almost completely gone, and she heard the dragon in the air laugh in triumph. But there was a whisper from within, the faintest of noises that distinguished itself from the maelstrom of other voices. Elewiese tried to mimic it. "W-Wu…" The voices grew quieter but she could still barely breathe. "Wul…" She concentrated on shutting everything else out, just as Arngeir had taught her. Elewiese emptied her mind of everything but her inner voice, her Thu'um. She ignored the pain in her throat as she sucked in a breath of air, and Shouted as hard as she could, proving to all that her Voice would not be contained, nor bound, nor silenced. "WULD!"
A sound like shattering glass resounded throughout the clearing as the marks disappeared from her skin. Elewiese shot forward, stumbling painfully, as balance was the furthest thing from her mind when she Shouted. She tried to catch her breath and silently nursed her hands and knees that were torn up and stinging from the fall. All the while, the three dragons stared at the elf's body with wide eyes.
Sahloknir's maw hung open. Never had anyone refused to submit to Alduin's direct Thu'um. Yes, the Dragonborn was a mortal, but both legend and the weight of history had proven that none with the soul of a dragon could resist submission to the First Born. Could her Thu'um truly be…stronger?
All the dov could do was wait and watch as Elewiese rose, shakily. It was not fatigue that made her limbs shudder though, but rather pure unadulterated rage. Elewiese rose to full height and met the black dragon's eyes with her own. He saw something new in her glare, a glow that illuminated her red and gold eyes. It was anger and hatred and a sense of betrayal the likes of which only Alduin himself knew. It shocked him.
What shocked him even more was what happened next. Elewiese reached into the case on her belt, loaded two more bolts into the open chambers on her gauntlets, and raised her hand. As fast as lightning strikes, three bolts punctured the hide of Alduin's thigh, and he roared in pain.
"Sahloknir, Hevnojot!" The black dragon now returned the mortal's glare, twofold. "Krii daar joorre!"
Lore notes –
Big big schtickler here, my friends! In the lore of the elder scrolls, dragons are monogendered. That means there are no female dragons and no male dragons, just dragons dragons. Dragons also do not reproduce; every single dragon in existence was created by Akatosh, the first being Alduin. But I'm sitting here thinking to myself that I want Elewiese to care about her extended family, you know? That's hard to do when I get attacked by Blood Dragon every time I fast travel to Dawnstar. I can understand why they made the lore the way they did; the dragons in the game are primal beasts and forces of nature that need to be stopped, ergo they don't need a lot of character development. However by introducing males, females, pairs, and family ties between those of the dragon blood, it creates this big juicy steak of opportunity when it comes to the story and identity of dragons. For those of you big into modding communities, I'd recommend checking out the Diverse Dragons Collection (DDC) because from a roleplaying standpoint, it just makes the race of dragons come to life. This is my way of attempting something like that, so if you end up reading about like a storm dragon that breathes lightning, don't wet yourself unless it's from excitement.
;D