A/N: Sorry! Been busy on holiday, finally got round to updating! Hope you enjoy!

"This must be nearly it, right?" Epona heaved a sigh.

I frowned. "Nearly what? We're nowhere near High Hrothgar yet, much as I wish we were."

Harald was consulting the map and Eric just looked bored – he was juggling some of the apples that I hoped he wouldn't drop, because they were dinner for our horses. Epona fiddled with her pack and then flopped beside me by the fire. "I mean...this is nearly the end of our 'quest'" She grinned at the last word.

"It's not a particularly easy end." I laughed. "Because it will either involve my death or Alduin's."

Epona picked at one of her nails. "Can I...after this is all over, can I stay with you?"

I raised my eyebrows, surprised. "Er...sure! But, won't the Stormcloaks want you back?"

"I handed over my resignation. I just...I'm really sick of wandering Skyrim, not knowing what I'm really doing. Now, I've found another wanderer, and I want to stick beside you, so we can wander together."

I smiled, feeling my eyes prick slightly with something hot. Seriously? Getting all sentimental? I hoped it was dim enough for her not to see...or at least to pass off as some kind of allergy to the mushrooms we'd eaten for supper. "That sounds like some really corny romance novel."

She stuck her finger up at me. "I'm in lurve with you..." she lowered her voice "like some people." Her eyes travelled across the two Nords, lingering long on Eric. "But, I've never had a best friend, or a sister, and now, you feel like both."

I could see her eyes glistening. This would be rather awkward if we both started bawling. "Of course. I know I'll need someone to stop me getting lost! Besides, if it weren't for you, I'd have gone mad."

"I think we passed that Guardian Stone a long time ago."

"Hey!" I slapped her arm. "I'm really grateful to you for being here."

"Well, I'm grateful to you for bringing me with you!" She pulled me into a tight, nearly suffocating hug.

"Oh, in the name of Talos, spare the sob-fest." Harald drawled. I turned my head to him and glared. "Careful, Rhiannon, if you frown much more, your eyebrows will stay like that permanently."

I flushed and extracted myself from Epona, who was looking rather put-out. Harald got to his feet and looked at me pointedly. I couldn't understand what he was asking of me. It could have been to get up too, or it could have been blaming me for eating the last mushroom earlier.

"I need to talk to you." He said after a long time of eye-widening and jerking of his head.

"Oh!" I quickly clambered to my feet, brushing off the mud. Epona opened her mouth to speak, but I cast her a hasty glance that told her I'd be back as soon as possible. Eric didn't really seem to notice.

Harald strode into the nearby forest, pushing past the branches as easily as if they were air. However, each one he brushed aside came back and whacked me hard. When he eventually stopped, in a clearing, I was scratched so much I looked like I'd gotten in some fierce fight with, well, a person with blunt nails. They weren't that bad scratches.

"Look." He rounded on me and I had to lurch to a halt to stop myself walking into him. Regaining myself, but not my dignity, I raised my eyes to his, which was hard, as I was staring nearly vertically at the sky.

"What?"

"I need to give you a warning." I nodded expectantly, waiting for him to continue. He took a deep breath. "You can't trust Eric."

I closed my eyes as he confirmed my suspicions. Was he still on about this? "And why not?"

"Because he's never told you half of the truth about him."

I tried to straighten myself up to be more on level with him – I failed. "And how do you know what's true?"

He gave a low chuckle. "When you first met me is not when he first did. We go back a long way."

My eyes widened. "And you're blaming him for not telling me? You're keeping secrets from me too! I just have to learn to live with knowing that I don't know everything."

"Doesn't that make you feel left out? Wouldn't you like to know, if you could?"

"What do you mean?"

"I could tell you. If you promise to stay away from him, I'll tell you."

I laughed incredulously. "Promise to stay away from him? How can I be so sure that you're not just as 'untrustworthy' as him?"

"I have done nothing but try to protect you."

"Yeah, well maybe I don't need your protection! Maybe I don't want it!"

His jaw tightened. "Why are you so certain he cares about you?"

"Why are you so certain he doesn't?"

"Because I know he will kill you!"

An awful silence rang out. A lump rose in my throat, rendering it painful to swallow. As the shock drained away, it was replaced with anger. Harald took a step closer to me, bearing down on me like a bird of prey. "Why do you trust him?"

"Because I love him."

The words slipped from my mouth before I could stop them. My eyes widened as I said it.

Harald's gaze hardened. "What makes you think he will care about that?"

"Because I love her too."

We both spun round. Eric was standing beside the edge of the forest, leaning against a tree-trunk. He avoided my eyes as he walked slowly towards us. When he reached us, he coiled his arms around me from behind and hugged me tightly to him. "I'd never hurt her. You're wrong, what you think about me is wrong."

Harald smirked. "I know you mean none of this, Eric. Do you forget what I know about you? You haven't changed in the slightest."

I took a moment to process what was going on. Were two men fighting...over me? I realised I didn't actually like it. I felt like one of those girls from some of the books I'd read. What were they called? Something like a Mary-Sue.

"You don't know the slightest thing about me, Harald. I'm still paying for what you did to me."

"Look, Eric, I advise you back away right now. I'm here to protect her, and I won't let you finish what you started." Harald took a step towards Eric, but before he could move more than a centimetre, a deafening shout ripped the air.

"FUS RO DAH!"

Harald flew back, his body writhing in the air. He hit the water with a splash and a sickening crunch as his head collided with rock.

I wrenched myself free from Eric and wheeled round to face him. I hadn't Shouted...it was him.

"Rhiannon..."

He looked at me for a long moment then pulled me into a crushing hug. He stroked my hair and whispered. "It's all right now."

Alduin stared at the orb in his hand. He then shook it, his brow furrowing. Sheogorath cleared her throat, hovering in the doorway. "Erm...what's that?"

"It's my way of monitoring Skyrim."

"Where the hell did you get one of those?" She sat down, staring at it in awe. "I want one!"

"No, you like it because it's shiny. It would be of no use to you, and you wouldn't understand it. Only a dragon does." He lifted it out of reach of her prying fingers.

"Well, then." She folded her arms over her chest and huffed. This only lasted for a short while. She was too intrigued. "So, what's happening in my old homeland?"

"It's not your old homeland." He rolled his eyes. "I don't know if you still count as one, but when you were the Hero of Kvatch you were a Breton. Just like our dearest Dragonborn." He winked.

"Oh...yes. I forgot that. What about you? What are you classed as?"

He raised his eyebrows incredulously. "I'm a dragon. How many times must I tell you?"

"Well, you're human to me!"

"You're just strange. I don't understand, though...she met Epona, but who are these two men?" He squinted, staring down at the glass sphere intently. Suddenly, he let out a loud gasp and it nearly flew out his hands. Sheogorath flinched and ducked, but he kept hold of it. "That..." Anger radiated from him. "How...dare...he...he's helping her...unless..." he seemed to be having trouble stringing coherent sentences together. "Perhaps...we shall see."

Sheogorath nodded bemusedly, pretending she understood. He rose to his feet, knowing where he had to go – and knowing she couldn't follow. "I'm going to bed."

As he strode out the room, she frowned. It was the middle of the afternoon. Maybe dragons had different sleeping patterns...

My eyes flew open. I sat up, shoving the covers of my bedroll off me. Sweat soaked my body and my mind reeled.

"Rhiannon?"

Eric looked up at me. We were sitting alone in the tent. It all washed back over me. Harald and Epona had gone hunting. The latter had said something about teaching the former how to shoot properly, and I could just about here her instructing him on the correct way to hold a bow. And I'd just been dreaming. Eric lifted his knees up and rested his hands on them.

"Sorry, bad dream."

"About what?"

"I..." I realised I couldn't tell him the truth. What, I'd dreamt I'd been told he would murder me? Sure, that would make him happy. "I was thinking." My mind wandered back to the conversation me and Epona had had in the dream. I tried to cling onto it as it slipped away. "What happens when this is all over? Once I've killed Alduin?"

"I...never really thought about it."

"I guess I'll just go on with my life. Maybe I'll head to the College of Winterhold, learn how to use magic properly." I wasn't really talking to him, just voicing my thoughts. "But what about you?" I turned to him.

He took a while to answer. "I'll do whatever you want me to, but I suppose it'll be goodbye."

"This is all depending on whether I kill Alduin. I mean, what if I don't? Then, what will become of Skyrim? Of all Tamriel?" I bit one of my nails nervously. He gently prized my finger from my mouth and held my hand tightly.

"You will. It's part of the destiny of the Dragonborn. Besides, you won't be alone. We've been here all along, haven't we? We're not going to leave." He smiled.

"The Dragonborn is supposed to be some brave and fierce warrior, like you, or Harald. Or even Epona, she'd be better than me! I'd be dead if not for all of you! Especially you. It makes me seem pathetic."

"Hey..." he squeezed my hand. "Remember the Hero of Kvatch? You've probably read about her. Everyone was surprised that the Hero was a female Breton...but she proved them all wrong, and she saved Cyrodiil. I hear she used magic. I wonder what became of her..."

"I don't use magic. I...blow things up. There's a difference."

He gave a small laugh. "You know...you've never told me about yourself."

"I could say the same to you." I raised an eyebrow.

"I guess you could. All right, we'll take it in turns. How did you end up in Skyrim?"

I paused, trying to remember. "I left Wayrest when I turned eighteen...see, I'm actually an orphan." I noticed his shocked expression. "It's hardly a sad story. I grew up with my adoptive parents, and I've never cared. One day, I got a letter...from my mum. She asked me to come and meet her in Skyrim, so, I did. Turns out it was just a fake, but then I ended up getting really lost here and I couldn't find my way back home."

"So, that's how you got ambushed by the Imperials and ended up in Helgen?" He nodded as if to confirm he understood.

"I-" I stopped, drawing back slightly. "I never told you about that."

"You're the Dragonborn. Not just some old merchant. Everyone knows your story!"

I swallowed hard. Was he lying to me? But I had more pressing questions. "When we first met, you told me you got imprisoned for killing people. Who?"

His face darkened. "Lots of people, almost an entire town. I told you, I didn't. I know who did, but it wasn't me."

"Then, who was it?"

"It's my go." He cleared his throat, and I realised he'd let go of my hand. Perhaps I shouldn't have asked that last question. "Do you wish you weren't Dragonborn?"

I sighed. "I don't, but I also don't not. Sometimes, I wish I lived my old life...but, I know if I'd never been Dragonborn, I'd never have met you..." I trailed off, realising what I'd just said and blushing. He chuckled. I took a deep breath and said "My turn. Why can no one else see you?"

He yawned, stretching wide. "You have to ask me all these questions. I don't know why, I'm living just as much as you are."

I wasn't completely satisfied with his answer, but that was all he was giving me. A sly grin crossed his face as he contemplated his next question. "How old do you think I am?"

I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Judging from the grey hair, I'd say a hundred."

"Not even close! I'm the same age as you!" he smirked.

"Really?"

"Yep. Your turn." He settled back, propping himself up on his arms.

A memory of my dream crept back into my mind. "Did you know Harald before I did?"

His brow furrowed. "Why would you ask that? But..." he took a deep breath. "Yes, I did."

My eyes widened. Was my dream not so much fictitious as I'd thought?

Eric took a long while answering. At last, he ventured. "A long time ago, he did something that hurt me. He betrayed me, because he knows something about me no one else does. How does he know? Because he's the same."

I waited for more, but none came. He pushed himself back up straight and there was a strange glint in his eye as he asked me his next question. "Do you love me?"

My jaw dropped.

Crap. How was I supposed to answer this?! I opened and closed my mouth wordlessly, like a goldfish. Though, a goldfish was incapable of speech anyway.

His eyes narrowed. "Are you going to answer me?"

"I...I..."

"You kissed me, Rhiannon." He fixed his ice-blue eyes on mine and I felt like a rabbit caught in the hunt. "And now, you pretend it never happened." He moved slightly closer to me, and I felt my stomach do a flip. Great, now it was practising amateur gymnastics!

"I was trying to distract you, to stop you murdering Paarthurnax! That's all!"

"That's all? You're a terrible liar, you told me so yourself. Look, just answer me."

I was rapidly losing self-control, and he was now close enough that I could count the freckles on his nose. "What's your answer?"

He laughed quietly and I felt his breath tickle my skin, sending a shiver through my body and causing my hairs to stand on end. "It's your question."

I was about to succumb when the tent door was ripped open. We wheeled round, embarrassed at being discovered so close by Harald or Epona...but, it was neither.

My insides suddenly believed themselves birds and flew out of me (of course, only figuratively. Flying intestines wouldn't be a pretty sight) as I remembered what I'd forgotten.

"We've been looking for you." The Whiterun guard grabbed a lock of my hair and pulled me from the tent. I flailed hopelessly, feeling my scalp on the verge of tearing. Eric leapt to his feet, but stopped as he eyed the sword in the guard's hand. His was still in his horse's pack.

"Let her go." He said, his voice empty. I could see in his eyes that he knew it was useless. Then I realised what rendered it even more useless. The guard couldn't see nor hear him.

"Let me go!" I wailed, trying to claw at the hand in my hair.

"Why? You're a wanted criminal." The guard pressed his blade against my throat and I stopped struggling. Eric's eyes widened.

"How did you find me?"

"We got tipped off, by a source who wishes to remain unknown. I was told you had set up camp here, and here you are. You're coming with me, back to the Dragonsreach dungeons."

"I didn't do anything! You can't take me!"

"You stole the property of our Jarl. Now, you must pay."

I cast around the empty cavern of my mind for some kind of leeway. "If you don't let me go, who's going to save Skyrim from the dragons?"

The guard laughed raucously. "And some little Breton is going to stop the dragons? That's the best joke I've heard since the one about the Argonian that goes into a bar."

"I've never heard that one, is it good?"

"Yeah, hilarious!" He started to chortle, then hastily cleared his throat and regained his vice-like grip on me. "But who do you think you are? Dragonborn?"

"Yes!"

His grasp slackened slightly. For a moment, I wondered if it was enough. Then, he let out a shout of laughter. "You? Dragonborn? If that's right, we're all doomed! I don't need your lies, kid, you're coming with me."

I kicked out as he started to drag me across the ground. His sword was dangerously close to ripping my flesh. "Please!" I looked around wildly and my eyes settled on Eric. He hadn't moved an inch. Wasn't he going to help?

He did.

"ZUL HAAL VIIK!"

The sharp pain at my throat vanished as the sword fell to the ground with a thud. Before I could begin to comprehend what was happening, Eric forced me free from the guard.

There was a moment where nothing happened. Then, the guard lunged for his weapon, but Eric was faster. He swept it from the ground and drove it straight through the man's heart. He may not be able to see him, but even the guard couldn't fail to notice as his own sword impaled him.

As the body crashed to the ground, I turned to Eric. He wasn't looking at me. I knew that I wasn't dreaming this. Eric had just Shouted.