"Why...why didn't you tell me this?" Sheogorath sunk onto her throne, her skin ashen white. Suddenly, she looked neither mad nor demented...she looked lost and innocent.

"Because I knew you'd react this way." He slicked his hair back with his hand. "I'm sorry, but you have to come with me."

"Wait!" She got to her feet, her legs shaking. "You said...everyone else sees you as a dragon? I don't understand...why don't I?"

"I already answered that."

"How far did you say to Windhelm?" I asked, coughing as I felt my throat burn. Eric was doing his best to keep pace with me, even though he firmly fixed his eyes anywhere but my person. Harald sped off ahead, carrying the map with him.

"Er...shouldn't be far." Harald twisted the parchment this way and that and I let out a groan. Really? We had to have the person who seemed unable to tell north from south leading! "Notice how the flora is lessening now as we enter Eastmarch, giving way to the tundra."

I tried to hold in a snort as he reeled off a long speech about the exact texture of the snow and the shrubbery, amazed that as burly a man as he was actually interested in plant life. Even Eric allowed himself a small smile.

I hadn't dared raise the subject of the conversation I'd overheard, and I was even more terrified to ask Eric about the 'Forgive me'. I knew I'd rather not find out the answer. And so things went on, with both of them completely oblivious to the fact that I knew what they'd said...or were they? Eric may have been unreadable, but there was definitely something in the stiffness of his posture that was unusual. Or was I just paranoid? Probably that.

What can I say about our walk? There was a lot of it. It was amazing how much of Skyrim looked the same, giving you the feeling that you haven't moved at all. That, or I was just walking very slowly. Eric was almost having to prop me up as I drifted off to sleep when I was jolted to attentiveness by Harald's sudden yell of "Land ahoy!"

"Harald, you do realise we aren't sailing..." I raised an eyebrow at him, but he ignored me.

"Where is she headed?" Sheogorath sifted through stacks of parchment and extracted a huge map of Skyrim.

"They are on course to Windhelm first, I'm not quite sure why. It seems rather silly, as it is out of their way for Ustengrav, their next destination. I believe they are after the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, the famous Greybeard." Alduin leant over the maps, and Sheogorath got a bit distracted watching his muscles tighten and his hair fall.

Quickly, she pulled herself back to reality as he looked up at her. "To Ustengrav? Are we going to try and beat them to it?"

"Oh, no." He straightened up, stretching his arms in the air. "We'll leave them to it, for now."

"So...now what? Do we return to Skyrim?"

"Now...we wait."

Windhelm lived completely up to my expectations, because I had no expectations having only ever seen one Nord town. It looked nothing like Whiterun, really, and that was no surprise, seeing as it would be strange to have two identical cities in the same Province. However, it was highly Nord-ish, with its high charcoal walls that just seemed to scream "I'm so tough! Come and hurl a cannonball at me, you little Imperial twits" or something along those lines.

Even with my small knowledge, I had retained one fact from my eventful first day in Skyrim – that Ulfric Stormcloak - who led, wait for it, the Stormcloaks! – was the Jarl of Windhelm. Harald went into rather a strange squeal-y mode when he saw the city rising up in the distance. What was so special about it?

I knew deep-down I really was rather disrespectful of these ancient Nord landmarks. Their entire culture seemed to centre on these things, so I decided to keep all snide comments to myself.

For a city said to be steeped in history, we all agreed there was only one place we really wanted to be: the inn. And, as fortune seemed to be on our side (not quite, seeing as the tavern had most probably been built many years before we were alive), Candlehearth Hall practically walked into us as we entered! Or...we walked into it, which was more fitting.

"Have you got 3 rooms?" I asked, stumbling over to who I presumed was the innkeeper. Her eyes widened.

"But there's only one of you..."

"Yeah..." uh oh, lying time! "My friends are coming later."

"I only have two spare, I'm afraid." Déjà-vu, you are a bitch.

"Fine." I replied, fumbling with the coin purse Harald had thrust at me. "Here."

"Thank you. If you want something to eat, take a seat upstairs and Susanna will serve you." The innkeeper pocketed the pouch and then gave me a dismissive smile.

"So, are you two going to share?" I inquired angrily as I stomped up the stairs.

"Nope." Harald popped the p with finality. "But, if you want a break from Ass-hole, you can share with me."

"Wow, really witty nickname." Eric snapped.

"Almost as witty as Dick-head, wouldn't you say?"

"All right, I'm sick of you two arguing like old ladies! Just go away. Go and sleep, or something." I clenched my arms across my chest.

"Fine then, mum." Harald replied loftily, before turning and slouching away. Eric stayed a little longer, but I gave him a glare and he hastily backed away.

Trying to contain my anger, I slumped down in a chair, not realising I had company until I heard a voice.

"Hang on...you're with two very handsome Nords, and you're annoyed about it?"

I jumped, turning round to face a girl wearing a wide smirk. Her hands were folded around a tankard, and she had a mane of black hair that almost cloaked her face. However, behind the ebony locks, I could see a pair of bright blue eyes. I would have thought that they looked oddly like mine, but then I remembered most people had blue eyes. It took me a second to process what she said.

"Wait...you can see them?"

The girl's eyes widened and her eyebrows shot up to meet her hairline. "Of course I can see them." She gave a nervous laugh. "Why wouldn't I be able to see them?"

"No one else can." I replied quietly.

"One's blond and one's brunette, right?" She took a sip from her flagon, a slight foamy moustache staining her lip. I giggled as she realised and turned tomato red.

"Yeah, they are. And you missed a spot! Here." I reached across and wiped the mead away. She gave a small start of surprise.

"A hello would have been a more normal introduction!"

"Please." I rolled my eyes. "I couldn't let you walk about looking like a paedophile with half a moustache!"

She let out a loud screech of laughter, scoring many unnerved glances from the other inhabitants of the inn. When she had calmed down and wiped her eyes, she gave a huge grin. "I'm Epona. Breton, but I've lived in Skyrim almost all my life!"

"You're a Breton, too?" It would have been nicer to meet one with whom I could complain about the bizarre Nordic ways, but some things were too good to be true. "I'm Rhiannon. I grew up in Wayrest, I only came here..." I paused as I worked it out "three weeks, I think?"

"Well, Rhiannon, don't worry. I've lived here for 18 years and I still don't understand Nords!"

Inwardly, I noted that she was the same age as me. A coincidence, obviously, and actually quite a nice one. I'd been spending far too much time around men and talking to a girl was a great relief. "Are you here on your own?"

"Yeah, my parents joined the Stormcloaks and I decided I may as well. But they've been sent off to Winterhold, and I'm left here, waiting for orders. I think Stone-Fist thinks I'm a milk-drinker." Epona sighed and relaxed against the back of her chair. "Not too bad, though. I get commission and I have nothing more to do than hang out here."

"Well, if you want..." I trailed off, unsure whether I should ask her or not. "You can come with me and the two Nords?"

"Really?" Her face lit up, but then fell. "You're not like...a prostitute, are you?"

It was my turn to guffaw hysterically. "No! Of course not! I'm..." then my words skidded to a standstill. Most people must have heard about the Dragonborn...but even so...

"You're what?" She prompted, taking a large swig.

"I'm the Dragonborn."

Epona's mead nearly flew out her nose. She gave a great splutter and just about managed to retain all the liquid. When she had finished choking, she gasped. "You're the Dragonborn?"

"Yeah...why, do you think I shouldn't be, just because I'm small?"

"Oh, no! Rhi, you're no smaller than me! I think it's great! You show all these Nords that you don't have to have a head that scrapes the ceiling and a giant warhammer to be a hero!"

"I'm not a hero." I blushed.

"You are!"

"So you'll come?"

"Yes, I'll come! In fact, I'll go and tell Galmar right now! I'll meet you back here in a few minutes, okay? Oh, and by the way...I heard your argument with the Nords...though I would never wish to deprave you of the joy of sharing a bed with one of them, you're welcome to use my room. Elda always gives me the biggest one, and it has two beds...I'm not using both!"

"Thanks, Epona." I smiled at her as she gave a wave and skipped off, her hair streaming behind her. Something was rather disturbing, though. I felt like I'd seen her before...