An Elf Like No Other

Chapter 11 - Culling the Brutal Maw

"Sahloknir, Hevnojot! Krii daar joorre!"

Things escalated quickly from there. Hevnojot abandoned the opponent in front of him and charged directly for Elewiese. Delphine had to dive out of his way, but she could not recover in time to strike as he passed her. Sahloknir rolled her eyes at her fellow dragon's bullheaded approach and instead took flight, circling high above and studying Delphine for weaknesses.

Elewiese vaguely registered that the smallest of the three dov was quickly approaching, but her anger at the black dragon only intensified as he flew away. "Coward!" She accused at the top of her lungs. His only response was to look behind, under his wingspan, to give one last glare and a snarl.

"Hi los fin nikriin, joor!" Hevnojot reared back on his legs. "For your insolence, I will destroy you in the name of my Thuri!" He brought down his claws to where the elf stood with the intent to smash her out of existence. Elewiese noticed the towering shadow that enveloped her and dove backwards. She was nearly thrown off balance as Hevnojot came down on the earth, but she managed to slide under his legs and put some distance between them without being swatted by his tail.

Hevnojot was slow to turn around. He could have just taken flight and landed again to face her faster, but Elewiese wasn't about to give him any tips. She instead used the time to load three more shots into the boltcaster on her wrist. By the time she'd reloaded and pressurized the chambers, she was again face to face with her brother in blood and soul. "Stand and fight, joor!" Hevnojot growled.

Elewiese shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere."

A chuckle came from the dragon. "Good." Elewiese recognized the telltale signs of an incoming breath attack. Hevnojot inhaled deeply and lolled his head back slightly. Elewiese clenched her left fist twice, the command for the golden metal of her gauntlet to expand and spiral out from the center. In seconds a magnificent round-shield was strapped to the back of her gauntlet, the depiction of feminine hands holding a rosebud hammered into the metal. The Lady of the Elixirs crouched down behind the cover of her shield just in time. "YOL TOR SHUL!"

The fire hit her with the force of the blizzard before, only the difference in temperature varied wildly. The flames washed over and around the shield, but not under, completely enveloping the air around Elewiese in fire. "Dragonborn!" She heard off in the distance. Elewiese hadn't seen any sign of Sahloknir since she began sparring with Hevnojot. She quickly removed a Gladiator Elixir from her bandolier with her free hand and downed it, all the while hoping her illusive associate would be able to hold her own for just a bit longer.

Delphine was crouching behind a rock when she witnessed the supposed Dragonborn be roasted alive. So much for that plan. Still she'd been in tougher situations, but not many. "FO KRAH DIIN!" She peaked around her cover just in time to see a swath of subzero frost falling upon her and dove away. The resurrected dragon laughed as she soared overhead. "Hiding will not save you!"

Delphine growled in defiance. "And you couldn't land an attack to save your life!"

Sahloknir's eyes narrowed. She banked around and landed surprisingly gently and gracefully for a several ton beast. "I see that mortals have become arrogant while I slept." She reared her head back and gave her mightiest battle roar. "Come and face me, then!"

Delphine grinned. The arrogant beast thought to best her on the ground? Fat chance. Delphine was one of the most talented blade-masters of her organization, at least back when it was active.

Sahloknir slithered close to the ground and closed the distance quickly like she seemed capable of doing. She gnashed her teeth at the mortal only to narrowly miss and earn a cut from the woman's unique blade. Sahloknir recognized the design and hissed while rearing back. "Damn you, Akaviri warrior!" The exchange occurred several more times, Sahloknir taking the blows as they came. They were nothing compared to the fatigue the Nord built up by diving and somersaulting from every attack she made.

Delphine was starting to slow down. From a sparring standpoint, she was winning by a mile. But this wasn't a spar; it was a fight to the death, and she was starting to tire. This was made apparent to both parties when she dodged an attack from the dragon, but not far enough. With no time to react further, Sahloknir managed to swing her head, batting aside Delphine and knocking her to the ground. She was slow to get up.

Sahloknir loomed over the all but defeated woman and cackled smugly. "My Voice has been silent for too long! Hear it and despair!"

Knots burned in Delphine's muscles and her breathing was labored. The fight and the atmosphere in the center of the storm had taken nearly everything she was capable of. Delphine simply watched as Sahloknir inhaled, readying the shout that would encase her in frost, another frozen corpse in the tundra to be rediscovered in the springtime when the ice melted. The cold didn't bother most Nords, but a dragon's breath could chill even the sturdiest of Skyrim's winter beasts. She'd lost the fight. Nothing she could do now. There was a certain pride in dying to such powerful creature. She'd spent years worrying about when the Thalmor would get around to tracking her down. Delphine closed her eyes and exhaled, for the last time… Or so she thought.

"FO KRAH DI-"

"FUS!" Sahloknir was thrown off balance, and Delphine's eyes went wide as she looked over to see Elewiese recovering from her Shout. The edges of her adept robes were singed and soot covered her face.

Elewiese had withstood Hevnojot's fire, and as soon as she felt a break in his relentless Shout, she extended her spear and charged at him. The small greenish dragon was surprised, but not so much he could not defend himself as Elewiese attacked. She was vaguely aware of a few embers still nipping at the corners of her robe, but there wasn't really time to deal with that. Hevnojot batted at her with his head, expecting to toss the elf about like a rag doll. He was not prepared for her shield wall to be so unmovable however, and ended up dazing himself. Elewiese took the opportunity to lunge, cutting up his snout and nostril pretty bad. Hevnojot roared and spun around in pain, leveling trees and sending boulders rolling. Elewiese backed off to avoid the rampage and glanced over to see how Delphine was faring. Her eyes went as she saw the innkeeper on the ground with Sahloknir looking down at her, about to freeze her solid. Making a split second decision, she quickly used Unrelenting Force on her.

The force of her Shout was weak, as she only used the first Word of Power, but she concentrated it on Sahloknir's head, resulting in an effect similar to being punched in the face. The dragon's breath attack went wide, missing Delphine by a couple feet. The snowy white dragoness stumbled, dazed from the direct hit of the Shout on her head. The Nord saw the opportunity and mustered the last of her strength. She charged at the unsuspecting Sahloknir and landed her first real strike, sinking her blade into the neck of the beast.

Sahloknir wailed in pain, drawing the attention of both Elewiese and Hevnojot. The dragon stumbled around, trying to shake off the mortal that had wounded her, screaming in agony the entire time. In Delphine's weakened state, she could not hold on for long and decided to kick off from the wound she'd made with as much force as possible. She did so while removing her blade with a sickening schlick. Sahloknir toppled from the pain and force of the blow. Both she and Delphine were in a race to see who could recover first, and it looked like Delphine was going to win. Her smaller body ensured she was on her feet as fast as her fatigue would allow.

The Nord raised her sword high, ready to drive it into the downed dragon. This is it, she thought to herself. One final strike. She began charging, but paused when she heard a horrendous streak followed by her name.

Elewiese and Hevnojot had been watching the scene with horror filled eyes. The elf felt the dragon next to her tense as he readied to charge and go to the aid of their sister, but Elewiese had to keep his attention. She made a jab at the leg that was closest to her which effectively drew his attention. As he turned his head, Elewiese bashed her shield into his jaw, no doubt fracturing it. Whatever worry Hevnojot had for Sahloknir was quickly replaced by rage for the mortal that was beating on him. Elewiese on the other hand kept the majority of her attention on what was happening on the other side of the clearing. While dangerous, her worry proved warranted as she noticed Sahloknir stumble and Delphine raise her sword. She wasn't sure why, but again Elewiese acted on instinct. "No, Delphine! Stop!" She screamed.

The Nord looked to her like she was crazy. Sahloknir took advantage of her opponent's distraction, much like Delphine had. "WUD NAH KEST!" She used the speed of her Shout to put lift under her wings, rising her into the air once more. Sahloknir soared up into a loop de loop, using the momentum to swing her tail down, catching Delphine in the chest with the barbed tip. The Nord flew back several yards, slamming into a tree and slumping over, blood dripping down her left shoulder.

Elewiese was surprised at the skillful attack the wounded Sahloknir had managed to pull together, all in a matter of seconds. However, she now had a wounded, possibly dying, Delphine to worry about. She needed to end this fight. She needed the dragons to leave. Luckily, as a shadow loomed over her, the opportunity to force them into doing so presented itself. Elewiese looked back to Hevnojot who was now reared back and ready to try and smash her again. "You are next, joor!"

"No," She muttered. "You're next. FUS RO!" Elewiese put everything she had had behind the Shout, and while it was still relatively weak, it was enough to topple Hevnojot in his unbalanced position. The dragon fell backwards and lay dazed on his back. Elewiese hopped up onto the widest part of his chest and raised her spear. She noticed out of the corner of her eye Sahloknir approaching the wounded Delphine. She needed to keep both of their attentions. "Sahloknir, Hevnojot!" The dragoness turned, and her eyes went wide seeing the position her fellow dragon was in. Hevnojot was still dazed but managed to lift his head. He stiffened, realizing his predicament. "This has to end before someone loses their life! Please!" Elewiese's lower lip trembled and tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. "I don't want to fight you; I never did! Please, just leave this place!"

Sahloknir studied the elf. Here she was, spear leveled at Hevnojot's heart, ready to end his life and devour his soul, but instead of finishing him off, she was offering them the chance to leave? Sahloknir couldn't pinpoint why, but the Dovahkiin's expression reminded her of herself, mere moments before she had died millennia ago. She truly had no desire to harm them, so why were they fighting? The dragoness glanced guiltily at the unconscious Nord she'd defeated before stepping closer to her dovah siblings. She opened her mouth to speak, but Hevnojot beat her to the punch.

"Mey fahliil! You have no master and would not understand. My lord Alduin requires your death, and I am glad to oblige him!" Hevnojot opened his maw to breath fire upon the mortal once more, but Elewiese stopped him before he even began by driving her spear into his chest. The dragon roared but it splintered off into a dying screech as the elf twisted the spear even further into his body, no doubt through his heart. Hevnojot's eyes went wide, his head crashed backwards and his tongue hung limply out of his mouth. With one final gurgle, he was gone.

Elewiese pulled back removing her spear from Hevnojot's body. Her face had remained stony the entire time with her eyes hidden by her bangs. The only indication she felt any emotion at all were the tears that rained profusely down her cheeks. She dismounted his body and walked a few steps in Sahloknir and Delphine's direction. She dropped her spear and removed her shield before falling to her knees.

The familiar crinkling of embers sounded behind her, but Elewiese didn't need to look back to know what was happening. "Hevnojot! No!" Sahloknir's eyes were wide with horror as she witnessed her fellow dragon's body vaporize into a luminescent aura, then delve into the Dovahkiin's body.

Sahloknir's outburst roused Delphine from her unconscious state just long enough for her to catch sight of the Dragonborn absorbing the soul of one of the dragons. "Gods above…" She took a moment to laugh, which pained her chest. "So you really are... I... it's true, isn't it? You really are Dragonborn." Delphine marveled to herself before passing out again.

Elewiese felt the same euphoria as she did at the watchtower in Whiterun, but she took no pleasure in it this time. Her heart ached too much. The experience and language of the dragon she had slain swam through her mind, but underlying it all was the guilt at taking his life.

Sahloknir was furious. She stomped as she approached the Dovahkiin. She might've lunged at her then and there if she hadn't smelled what she did in the air. Salt. Sahloknir's nostrils twitched as she inhaled and found that the source was from Elewiese. The girl's form shuddered, shocking Sahloknir as she realized she was in fact sobbing…at Hevnojot's demise? So it was true. She really had no desire to be their enemy. The dragoness furrowed her brow. Damn you, Alduin. She approached the crying girl. "You killed him." Sahloknir stated.

Elewiese looked up, her unique eyes bloodshot and nose moist. "Rok ofan zu'u voth nid miiraad (He left me with no alternative)."

Sahloknir was surprised that her response was in dovahzul, but it wasn't all that shocking considering what she'd just absorbed. The lady dragon merely sighed at her brother's demise and began turning away.

Elewiese noticed this and grew upset. "Fos (What)," She cried angrily. "Hi nid fus zu'u krii hi wah (You won't force me to kill you too)?" Elewiese fell to another series of sobs, but she gasped when Sahloknir's snout appeared right in front of her face.

Elewiese stumbled backwards, thinking she'd changed her mind and really had decided to try and kill her. Her surprise only multiplied when Sahloknir caressed her cheeks free of tears with the smooth scales of her face. Elewiese stared with wide eyes as the dragon retreated slightly to get a better look at her. "Til lost kos pogaan sos rek voth zeymah het (There has been enough blood shed amongst siblings today)." Sahloknir's beautiful blue eyes met Elewiese's gaze, her visage sad and tired.

The elf's lip trembled and she slowly raised a hand to touch the dragon's snout, but Sahloknir pulled away before she could. The dovah pushed off the ground and took flight, traveling in the same direction the Thuri, Alduin, had.

Elewiese sighed. "Fos nu (What now)?" Ah, crap. Not this again! Elewiese only now realized she was again speaking the dragon language. She tried to recall how she stopped it last time, and remember that she began with a Shout. The elf put a finger on her chin trying to think of which to use. It was then that she realized, she now had an understanding of the word she'd discovered in Ustengrav. 'Fade', was it? From what she now understood, it rendered her body incorporeal for a few moments. Only one way to find out.

"FEIM!" Elewiese felt her body shift and she looked down to see she was transparent, like a ghost. "Whoa!" She exclaimed. Elewiese noticed that she had returned to speaking normally, but the majority of her concentration was centered on her phantomlike complexion. Thankfully, her body returned to normal after just a few seconds. She sighed in relief and just to be sure she was back to normal, she sang that same nursery rhyme her mother used to put her to bed with, picking up where she left off last time. "We were running still, had the whole world at our feet…"

Elewiese took a steady, tired breath. The blizzard had let up, possibly because one of the dragon's had been the one to stir it up and was now gone. Walking over to Delphine, she stopped and slung the woman's uninjured arm over her shoulder and carried her down the hill. She did not look back at Hevnojot's body once, for fear she'd break down all over again.

Sahloknir landed in Skuldafn, the sound of which reverberated off the tall mountains that surrounded it. She felt a myriad of emotions being back here. The temple was in ruins, with the stone facades crumbling and weeds poking up through the cracked courtyards. It seemed unreal to Sahloknir. It had been maybe a decade since the mortals' rebellion separated her from any chance of returning to the main stronghold of the dragons, but the illusion of death played tricks on even a dovah's sense of time. The reality of the matter was that it had been millennia since she'd set foot here. Even that being the case, she could still recall the sense of community she felt here, surrounded by dragonlings trotting around under foot and mated pairs nested in stoops on the cliff side. Seeing the mighty Skuldafn in such barren disrepair made her sad and angry, but mostly sad.

Alduin watched her as she landed and took in the expanse of their once great home. "Sahloknir." She did not look to him immediately as she was still lost in her memories. "Sahloknir!" He called a little louder, finally grabbing her attention. She startled slightly before bowing her head to the Thuri. "Were you victorious? Where is Hevnojot?"

Sahloknir's head hung even lower, though it was more out of sadness than shame. "He is dead. Killed by the Dovahkiin."

Alduin gripped the edge of his crumbling perch. "What?" His eyes narrowed on Sahloknir. "And you just let her get away with it? I told you to kill those mortals!"

The dragoness let out a tired breath and glanced sideways. "Her Thu'um is strong. Stronger than me at least. I would not have been able to defeat her."

Alduin leapt down to the courtyard Sahloknir sat in and circled her. "Then why is you are not dead as well?"

"She let me go." The dragon met her Thuri's eyes. "Don't you see, Alduin? She doesn't want to fight us. She gave Hevnojot every chance to back down, but only when he refused did she kill him."

"So, Hevnojot was loyal to the very end." He glared at her. "Unlike you."

Sahloknir scoffed. "What would you have preferred, Alduin? That I march to my grave, mere moments after escaping it, and deprive you of yet another tool to restore your lost glory-"

Sahloknir's sarcastic demeanor turned fearful as Alduin lunged at her, placing his claws under her wings and his teeth at her throat. Sahloknir swallowed hard and closed her eyes, expecting him to end her then and there. Instead, Alduin relaxed, carefully removing his maw from her throat. She heard him give a tiresome sigh as he sat back and caressed her neck with his own. Sahloknir was shocked. Alduin had never displayed such softness in the old days. "Your death would have brought me great sadness, sister, much like Hevnojot's has." He retreated and walked to the edge of the terrace they stood on to glance over some of the lower courtyards. "Worry not. All will be made right when our reign is restored."

Sahloknir shook her head with irritation. "Why did you bring me back, Alduin? I died because I grew tired of fighting the mortals. I didn't want to kill anyone else over an age long past, and yet you brought me back anyway. Why?"

Alduin didn't even bother to look at her again. "It's as you say sister. You're still of use to me."

Sahloknir scoffed again in disbelief. "I suppose that's all that really matters in the end. 'What's of use to you'."

Alduin sat on the edge of the terrace with closed eyes, trying to remember the laughter and joy that used to fill Skuldafn. "Yes." He stated with no emotion. "Keep an eye on the Dovahkiin. Inform me of her progress."

Sahloknir wanted to cry she was so frustrated. There was a finality to Alduin's tone, but one thing above all else made her sick to her stomach; something she had to ask him about. "You tried to bind her soul." The First Born said nothing. How could he? Sahloknir was there; she heard it with her own ears. There was no denying the accusation. "You failed."

A deep rumble rolled across the terrace as Alduin growled. Again, Sahloknir assumed she was dead, but no death came. "She is not one of us." Was his response.

A lie, plain and simple. They both knew it, or perhaps Alduin had convinced himself otherwise. Sahloknir made no further mention of this, nor what the implications of the Dovahkiin resisting his Thu'um entailed. She knew pressing Alduin any further than she already had would most certainly put her at risk. However, it made her wonder… "You still tried. Can the rest of us expect such treatment?"

The World-Eater felt his sister's eyes scrutinizing his every move. He looked over his shoulder with his burning eyes. "Only those who test my patience."

Sahloknir winced as once again, the instincts in her blood forced her neck to bow. She honestly didn't know what to make of Alduin. He was different than she remembered. She would have to speak with the others he had resurrected to try and get their read on him. For now though, she would obey her Thuri. "I will do as you wish." Sahloknir unfurled her wings, ready to take flight, but not before glancing one last time at him. "I hate you, brother." She said before taking off.

Alduin merely sat a while longer in Skuldafn, listening to the winds whistle as they blew over the ruins of his dead empire.

"Ow!" Lydia flinched as her finger got caught in the mechanism of Elewiese's shield. She'd been handling it as the golden metal spiraled out, once again framing the emblem of the Lady of the Elixirs on its face. The Housecarl scrutinized the scratch she had earned before sucking the minor amount of blood away.

Elewiese finally cracked a smile, shaking her head at Lydia's foolishness. "I told you to watch your fingers."

The Nord smiled slyly that her plan to cheer up Elewiese was working. Her Thane had been distraught ever since she returned from the dragon burial site. Lydia thought she might've been worried about Delphine, but Elewiese seemed more focused brewing a remedy for her new 'friend' then she had since walking back down the hill. As soon as she determined the woman would live, she placed her in a bed at the Braidwood Inn, courtesy of the proprietor Iddra, and sat near the fire in the main hall, staring into it with melancholy.

"My Lady?" Lydia ventured. "Are you alright?" Her level of distress wasn't anywhere near as bad as it had been when they'd left Riverwood, but the Nord's heart still ached for her.

Elewiese glanced up to Lydia, before shaking her head and returning her attention to the fire. "I killed a dragon. Another one."

Lydia almost wanted to hoist the elf up onto her shoulders, shouting that it was fantastic news. Her Thane's expression said it would be unwise. She knelt at her feet. Perhaps something else had happened; something she didn't want to share… Regardless, "Everyone in Kynesgrove is safe because of you, Thane." Lydia pat her hand.

That earned at least a dry smile from Elewiese. "I know, Lydia. Thank you."

The Housecarl bit her lip and sighed. She reached behind her to grab Elewiese shield. She'd ordered Lydia to retrieve it as she carried Delphine to the inn. "I brought your shield back."

She snorted in amusement. "You'd think I'd keep better track of it after all the trouble we went through to get it back." Elewiese examined the face of her greatest invention. Lydia noticed her expression grew sadder as she ran a hand over the scorch marks. If something didn't change quickly, Lydia would be dealing with the same depressed companion she had road all the way to Riften with.

"Say, Shaudrey and Maximus tried to explain how this thing worked to me." She flicked an edge of the shield, a light ring sounding throughout the hall. "But I get the feeling they didn't really know what they were talking about." Lydia put on her best pouty-face. "Can you tell me how it works?"

Elewiese bit her cheek to keep from laughing at how cute Lydia looked when she begged. "Fine, but I may not be able to make you understand." She told Lydia how squeezing the hand of the gauntlet activated the shield. The Nord did so, two times to shrink it and twice more to expand it again, thus leading to the predicament that now had Lydia sucking on her finger like a child.

"Right, right. Watching the fingers." She waved her hand back and forth several times trying to settle the stinging sensation. She collapsed the shield once more to get her first good look at the gauntlet it sprang from. Its design wasn't unlike that of dwarven handwear that Lydia had seen before, only the patterns on this gauntlet had fewer hard ridges and more of the swirls attributed to elven armormake. It was a lighter color than dwarven metal as well, closer to gold. It was impressive, even just by itself and completely ignoring the inventions on the front and back of the forearm.

Lydia scrutinized the small cylindrical plate-like contraption that collapsed or expanded into a shield. She more or less understood what it was, if not how it worked. She instead turned her attention to the wrist on the palm side. Three hollow rods with more swirling patterns bunched up and connected to some kind of thin metal bottle. Elewiese noticed her Housecarl's knit expression. "Bolts are loaded into these chambers," She explained, tapping the rods. "And they're pushed out by this." She pointed to the miniature canister they connected to. "Nine shots per cartridge. Then I have to reload that too." Elewiese reached down under her chair to grab the utility belt she had discarded along with the rest of her gear. She showed Lydia the extra cartridges.

"It powers them? Like a crossbow?" Lydia asked.

Elewiese shook head. "Not exactly. It pushes them out with pressurized air. There's no pull-string system. It's not as powerful or as accurate from a distance, which is why I still carry a bow, but it'll still drop a charging bear some fifteen meters out."

"Wow," Lydia allowed herself a moment of genuine astonishment. "This is incredible. You made this?" Elewiese nodded. "How?"

The elf sighed, the memory taking her quite a ways back. "It was maybe three and a half, four years ago; something like that. I was just starting out in Cyrodil and I was beyond broke. I joined up with a group looking to scout some dwarven ruins in the northeast. Actually, I think it's just on the other side of the Jerral Mountains, south of Riften. Anyway the leader of the expedition force was a complete idiot, he got my entire group killed within minutes. I was a bit hardier and made through. It wasn't without its bruises but it wasn't without a reward either. I discovered what has been referred to as a lexicon. It stores dwarven memories and knowledge."

Lydia's eyes went wide. "Seriously?! You know what the dwarves knew?"

Elewiese shook her head. "Only a little. I doubt I'm doing anything more than scratching the surface. I get the feeling what I discovered was tailored more towards children."

"Oh." The Nord deflated slightly. "So it wasn't that impressive."

"On the contrary," Elewiese chuckled. "I get the feeling dwarven children would give Eorland Grey-Mane a run for his money with their forging skills." Lydia's enamored expression returned, much to Elewiese's amusement. "It took a full year of study and more of my Magus Elixirs than I could probably count, but I got results. There's no way I'd ever be able to actually use the Tonal Magic of the dwarves, but I've been able to apply the theory behind it."

Elewiese grabbed a bolt from the quiver on her utility belt. She used the arrow head on it to loosen several screws on the contraption. Elewiese lifted the lid far enough for Lydia to pear in. What she saw was a complex and elaborate system of gears, clockwork, and more moving parts than she could either count or identify. "Damn." Lydia muttered before her eyes widened. "Uh, sorry."

Elewiese merely smiled. "It also taught me a few new things about smithing. See the metal?"

Lydia nodded. "Is it gold?" She already knew that was wrong as it was way too light.

"It's an alloy, made from Moonstone and Dwarven Metal. It's much lighter than the latter but it's more malleable under normal conditions, thus the Dwarves never used it." Elewiese groaned. "This thing was a pain in the ass to perfect. No way was I gonna let it get banged up, so I made up the difference in material strength through an elaborate series of enchantments." Elewiese allowed a bit of pride to drip into her voice. "I'm not actually sure if I'm even capable of destroying it now."

Lydia was twirling one of the bolts from Elewiese's utility belt quiver. Now it was obvious why they risked so much to retrieve it. As unlikely and difficult as it would be to recreate, it wasn't inconceivable that someone could make more. Even if they couldn't, in the wrong hands, this contraption was capable of taking several lives. Lydia handed the bolt back to Elewiese and met her eyes. "Well, again I'm glad to know if there's really something that dangerous out in the world, at least it's in your hands, my Thane."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Because you're a good person." Lydia answered genuinely.

Once again Elewiese's expression dropped some, but not as much as before. "Thank you, Lydia. Really." Lydia took solace in the fact that she managed to cheer her Thane up at least a little. "Would you mind looking after Delphine until she wakes up?"

The Nord bowed. "Of course, Thane, as long as you promise to try and get some sleep."

Elewiese pursed her lips, trying not to smile. "I'll try." Lydia nodded and entered the room Delphine lay resting in. Elewiese returned her gaze to the fire of the hearth, but her mind returned to Hevnojot.

Lydia sat in the woman's room for some time. She was trying to work a cramp out of her back while halfheartedly chewing on some dried meat when the mysterious innkeeper finally stirred after hours of bed rest. She winced as she leaned up in the bed, and that's when she noticed Lydia watching over her. "Where am I?" She asked.

The Housecarl scowled at the woman. She was about as charming as Elewiese described. "Kynesgrove. Iddra gave us free room and board for saving the village."

Delphine's eyes went wide, and she shot up, groaning and completely ignoring Lydia's advice to take it slow. "How long have I been out?"

Lydia looked at her incredulously. "Why? Got somewhere to be?" Delphine scowled at her fellow Nord who merely shook her head, unimpressed. "A couple hours. Night will be falling soon."

Delphine growled as she pulled herself out of bed. "Take me to the Dragonborn. I need to talk to her."

Lydia helped her into the main hall despite her dislike of the woman. Her expression turned worried when she found Elewiese right where she'd been sitting hours earlier; wrapped in a blanket next to the fire, staring into it with misty eyes. Lydia knelt before her Thane and took her hand. "My Thane? Are you feeling any better?"

The elf looked to her caring companion and smiled. "A little." She said truthfully.

Lydia frowned at how hoarse her voice sounded. "Delphine is awake. I'll bring you some water."

"I'd like that. Thank you." Elewiese held her gaze for a moment, and Lydia smiled before fetching a pitcher. Delphine sat in a chair next to Elewiese, wincing as she tried rolling her injured shoulder. "You'll be fine." The elf noted as the Nord inspected the bandages under her armor. "Nothing I haven't fixed before."

Delphine chuckled dryly. "You do fine work. I've had to fix myself up out in the field before. Never could quite get the hang of it. I guess I'm better at making cuts than stitching them up."

Elewiese raised an eyebrow. "Out in the field, eh? Working for your secret organization?"

Scratching the back of her head, Delphine sighed. "Yeah about that… I said we couldn't talk about it until you proved you were Dragonborn. Well you did, so I guess I owe you some answers, don't I? Go ahead. Whatever you want to know. Nothing held back."

Leaning forward in her seat, Elewiese rolled her eyes. Finally, they could get down to business. "Who are you and what do you want with me?"

"As I said, my name is Delphine. I didn't lie about that. I'm one of the last members of the Blades."

Elewiese nodded. "I'd assumed as much."

Delphine winced. "Damn. Then I let you know too much. And to think, I used to be so good at intel restriction…"

"Not really." The Bosmer explained. "The layman wouldn't know all that much about your organization. I grew up around the Valenwood resistance though. I know you guys maintained a level of support and cooperation with them, up until the Thalmor beheaded every one of you south of Hammerfell."

Delphine was surprised but nodded solemnly. "Aye, Frostfall 4E 171, the start of the war. Those were dark days. I was brought up through the organization in response to that event. The Empire barely survived the Great War, and the Thalmor don't intend to lose the next one. The last Grand Master the Blades ever had saw them as the greatest threat to Tamriel. At the time, that was true. Maybe it still is. So we fought them in the shadows, all across Tamriel. We thought we were more than a match for them." Delphine shook her head, a bitter taste in her mouth. "We were wrong." The Nord took a moment to collect herself before looking back to Elewiese. She was impressed by her background with the wood elf resistance. Perhaps she could trust her. "As you probably well know, we used to be known across Tamriel as the protectors of the Septim Emperors. Those days are long gone, though. For the last two hundred years, we've been searching for the next Dragonborn to guide and guard, as we are sworn to do. But we never found one. Until now."

Elewiese thought long and hard on everything that Delphine had just laid on the table. So her paranoia was justified. Elewiese knew the Thalmor would stop at nothing to hunt down their enemies, with few topping the priority of the Blades. But that still didn't explain why the Blades were interested in her or the dragons. "Why do you care? What business is it to the Blades that I'm Dragonborn?"

Delphine racked her brain trying to remember all the history she could. "Damn it, I'm not a scholar, so I don't know the whole story, but it goes something like this. You know the Blades date back to Reman Cyrodil who stopped the Akaviri invasion, late in the first era, yes?" Elewiese nodded, recalling some of what she spoke of. "Apparently, a very long time ago, the Blades were originally dragonslayers. The Akaviri came here in the first place to hunt dragons. They slaughtered everyone in their path until they met Reman. Somehow, they recognized him as Dragonborn, and from that point on, they served him; the man they called the greatest dragonslayer. Reman named his new dragonguard The Blades." Delphine paused to take a breath, transitioning from her history lesson to the present. "For the last two hundred years, since the last Dragonborn emperor, the Blades have been searching for a purpose. Now that dragons are coming back, our purpose is clear again."

Elewiese internally felt more and more dread building up in her stomach as Delphine went on. She had a pretty good idea what the Blades agent wanted from her, but she had to make sure. "You say you want to guide me, and set me on the right path. What path is that?"

Delphine scoffed. "Isn't it obvious? The dragons are coming back! We need to stop them."

Elewiese stood and turned away from Delphine. Again, the instincts in her blood turned violent, and it took all her willpower not to drive her spear through the woman's heart where she sat. The elf examined her options. She still had no idea where the dragon who was resurrecting the others resided, she wasn't any closer to figuring out their motives, and she had no concrete plans to ensure she would be able to prevent another Dragon War from breaking out. If she waited around for this so called Alduin to appear at the next burial site, then what? Would they talk? He would probably just mock her again. Would they fight? Elewiese was unsure she could take on such a ferocious opponent. As it stood, she needed Delphine and the knowledge her Blades held. Closing her eyes and sucking in a breath, Elewiese turned to face Delphine once more. "I'm in." The Nord smirked and sighed in relief. "So what precisely do you know about the dragons coming back?"

That seemed to irk her. "Not a damn thing. I was just as surprised as you to find that big black dragon here."

Elewiese gauges for a moment what information she should relay to Delphine. "I've seen that larger dragon before, the one that got away before the fight." Delphine raised an eyebrow. "It was the one that attacked Helgen, when Ulfric escaped from the Imperials. I think it might have been the first dragon to come back to life."

Delphine stood and paced. "Interesting. Same dragon..." She racked her brain searching for the answer that felt like it was right in front of them, but she could not draw a conclusion. "Damn it, we're blundering around in the dark here! We need to figure out who's behind it all!"

"There has to be someone who knows something." Elewiese said while raising a calming hand. "What's our next move?"

Delphine stopped and looked downcast. "I hate to admit it, but the Thalmor are our best lead. If they aren't involved, they'll know who is. Although it wouldn't surprise me if it turned out to be them."

Elewiese tried to wrap her head around that, but couldn't. The Thalmor wanted to control everything. Nothing was more uncontrollable than a bestial force of nature. The Aldmeri Dominion would be more likely to destroy the dragons than anything else. "What makes you think the Thalmor are bringing dragons back?"

"Nothing solid. Yet. But my gut tells me it can't be anybody else." Elewiese crossed her arms and gave Delphine a pensive look in response. "Think about it! The Empire had captured Ulfric. The war was basically over. Then a dragon attacks, Ulfric escapes, and the war is back on. And now the dragons are attacking everywhere, indiscriminately. Skyrim is weakened, the Empire is weakened. Who else gains from that but the Thalmor?"

Valid point, but Elewiese still doubted the Thalmor would risk playing with dragon fire just to keep the civil war going. They could've just as easily mounted a fake rescue for Ulfric at Helgen, or used agents to spread propaganda to martyrize the Jarl's death. Still, the Thalmor would at least have investigated the situation. "So, we need to find out what the Thalmor know about the dragons. Any ideas?"

After thinking for a moment, Delphine snapped her fingers. "If we could get into the Thalmor Embassy... it's the center of their operations in Skyrim... Problem is, that place is locked up tighter than a miser's purse. Honestly, they could teach me a few things about paranoia..."

"I doubt that." Elewiese joked, smirking to the side. The Nord gave her a glare and she held up her hands in surrender. "Kidding. So, any ideas on how to infiltrate the embassy?"

Delphine hummed. "There might be a way. The Thalmor ambassador, Elenwen, regularly throws parties where the rich and connected cozy up to the Thalmor. I can get you into one of those parties. Once you're inside the Embassy, you get away and find Elenwen's secret files."

"Me?!" Elewiese shouted, drawing the attentions of a few patrons in the hall. She blushed before leaning in next to Delphine and returning to a whisper. "I can't go to the Thalmor Embassy! Are you serious?!"

Delphine knit her brows. "Well, I can't go. I'd be too likely to attract the wrong kind of attention. What's the big deal anyway? They don't know you at all, yet."

Elewiese deflated in her seat, sliding down while groaning. "Actually, they do." The Blades agent waited for her to elaborate. "Look, all I'll say is I've done an overwhelming amount of things to piss off the Thalmor in the last couple years, and the only reason I'm still free to lead such a careless lifestyle is because they've never tied the events all together. I've forged a meticulous number of aliases to maintain distance and discretion." She paused and Delphine nodded, impressed by her proposed skill at espionage. "But nothing about this will be distant or discrete." Elewiese finished, resting her case.

The Nord ran a hand through her blonde locks. "We're at an impasse then. I have a contact inside the Embassy willing to help. He's not up for this kind of high-risk mission, but he'll be able to get his hands on a legitimate invitation to the party. It is a risk, but I believe you have the greatest chance of succeeding."

Elewiese knit her eyebrows. Was she really willing to throw herself to the wolves just to maybe further her investigation into the dragons? She'd always known one thing for certain: the Thalmor would eventually identify her. Be it as her mother's daughter, the Lady of the Elixirs, or even the Dragonborn. Someone would eventually slip up. Someone would eventually out her as the thorn that had been festering in the Thalmor's side for years. But was she ready to do it to herself? "Look, I…I need some time to think this over. I have a responsibility to some other people. If I'm going to do this, they deserve to know that I'm taking the fight directly to the Aldmeri Dominion."

Delphine's response was to scowl. "Just be careful who you tell. It's my ass too if they catch wind of this. And don't take too long. The party is exactly one month away, if my intel is accurate, which it always is. I don't want to stay so close to their base of operations for too long, so meet me at the Solitude stables the morning of the party." Elewiese scribbled the date into her journal and was already mentally mapping out the other objectives she would need to complete by the time the party came. "And Dragonborn," Delphine grabbed her attention once more. "The dragons are not likely to sit idly by while we wait for this opportunity. Be ready for them."

Elewiese turned solemn and nodded in understanding. She got up and made room for Lydia, who had returned with several cups and a pitcher of water. The Housecarl poured them all a drink and handed them out to the other women. "Very well. I'll meet you in Solitude, four weeks' time." She raised her cup high with a cheeky grin. "Here's to then."

Lydia was the first to understand and smiled wide as she raised her glass, clinking it with her Thane's. Delphine rolled her eyes and smashed her drink into theirs too.

Okay guys, so I kind of miffed my post schedule a little bit. I essentially met my quota of three chapters the last time I posted, but I didn't feel comfortable stopping where I was, so I just kept writing. Welp! I finished this chapter finally and it turned out to be WAAAAY longer than I meant it to be. Like forty pages long when they're usually seventeen or something, so I actually will be splitting it up. :'D Soooo, don't mind me. Read on!