Tsunar, Borgakh, Irileth and all the guards looked about as the sound echoed for a moment. Tsunar recalled his final moments atop the dragon. It had said the same thing as whatever made that sound. Dovahkiin. Whatever it meant, Tsunar didn't like it. A dragon trying to kill him and a mysterious voice that sounded like it could reach the whole province both saying the same thing? The thought made Tsunar uneasy.
Nevertheless, the group returned to Whiterun. Irileth dismissed her soldiers. They'd more than earned a drink or two at the taverns. Irileth, Tsunar and Borgakh on the other hand, all made their way to Dragonsreach. The jarl was in conversation with his adviser and a new man. As they approached, the new figure turned. Tsunar could see that he was quite clearly a fellow nord.
"Good. My brother's been anxious about your return."
"So, what happened at the watchtower?" Jarl Balgruuf asked as the three approached. "Was the dragon there?"
The three told the jarl of the events at the tower. That the it had been destroyed and that the dragon was slain.
"I knew I could count on you." The jarl smiled as they told of Tsunar striking the beast down. "But did anything else happen? Anything…Strange?"
Irileth and Borgakh stole glances at Tsunar.
"When the dragon died," Tsunar broke the silence, "I… Absorbed something from it. One of the guards called me Dragonborn."
The jarl's brother and adviser were rendered silent.
"Then it's true…" Jarl Balgruuf muttered in disbelief, "The Greybeards really were summoning you."
The jarl and his brother told Tsunar and Borgakh of the reclusive Greybeards. Old priests who live near the top of the tallest mountain on Tamriel, The Throat of the World. They were masters of something called "The Way of the Voice." The art of speaking the dragon language and bending reality with one's voice. The Dragonborn was said to be gifted in this technique, often called The Voice, sometimes called The Thu'um. Jarl Balgruuf told Tsunar that the thunderous voice they'd heard was the Greybeards summoning him to their monastery, High Hrothgar.
When Tsunar was sufficiently informed on the matter, Balgruuf told him of the directions needed to reach High Hrothgar. As Tsunar and Borgakh were about to leave, the jarl spoke once more.
"One more thing." he said, rising from his throne, "Felling the dragon deserves a reward. We would be honoured to have you as thane of our city, Dragonborn."
Neither of the adventurers were aware of the importance of being a thane. Balgruuf informed them that it was essentially making them nobility. The guards would show the pair of them more respect than the average citizen and they would always have a place in the city. They could even have a voice in his court if they so chose. The pair accepted without hesitation.
Balgruuf's steward, Proventus, told them that a house was available if they wanted to have a permanent residence in the city. Tsunar made the arrangements while Borgakh left to rent beds in The Bannard Mare. It would take a few days for the house to be ready, but the journey to High Hrothgar would likely take the time needed for Breezehome to be fully furnished. Tsunar made sure to pick Meeko up before leaving to join Borgakh in the inn. The dog was ecstatic to see Tsunar approach. The hound's tail wagged non stop as they met up with Borgakh.
Tsunar and Borgakh spent the rest of the evening letting the day's events sink in. Borgakh found it easier than Tsunar. Being a werewolf had been difficult to accept when the curse first made itself known. But Tsunar at least had an idea of what to expect with that. Being Dragonborn was something else. He was essentially a demigod. The thought of merely speaking a word and reality bending to his will was a difficult thing to accept. He couldn't escape the thought of his dragon soul conflicting with his wolf blood. Aedric and daedric forces were both at play now, both vying for control. Hircine's ring kept the wolf in check, but Tsunar didn't have the slightest idea of how the soul of a dragon would show in him. All he could do was remember not to let it get to his head. All the other Dragonborn had been great heroes who'd gone down in history, one even rising to divinity. And here he sat. Tsunar Wolf-Brand. He could already see the books. Alessia the saint, Talos the first emperor and ninth Divine, Martin the man who stood in the way of Oblivion itself, Tsunar the farmer. He chuckled at the thought. Tsunar was well into his cups when he finally felt the need for rest.
As he lay in the bed, he stared upwards.
"Why me?" He thought, "Why make a farmer a Dragonborn? Why would a werewolf adventurer be a good fit for that kind of power?" Tsunar knew that he was far from the best person to figure out the motives of a god. The thought still stuck in his mind as he drifted off to sleep.
As morning came, Tsunar awoke, no closer to coming up with any answers. Borgakh was already waiting in the main dining area when he came down the stairs. They ate their fill and made sure to check their map and the planned course before heading out.
The journey took them east. They would need to go around the base of the mountain and follow a trail up if they wanted to reach High Hrothgar. They made sure to check any roadside caves and clear out any bandit encampments they happened upon. Borgakh simply took it as a reason to get her blood pumping while Tsunar made sure to grab whatever supplies he happened upon. Secretly, Tsunar thanked their luck when they found an excuse to go off road for a bit. He was dreading his meeting with the Greybeards. What if they demanded he stay with them and train for decades? What if he disappointed them and they used the voice to enact some supernatural punishment? What if their trials would prove fatal somehow?
"What if. What if." He thought. "Since when did you think about what Could be?" He looked into the forest beside the road. "Focus on what's here. On what's now." He took in a breath. The forest was full of scents. Deer were nearby. As were wolves. The flowers nearly masked the smell of a bear. "I've made it this far." He thought, looking to his companions ahead. "Dragon blood or wolf blood, I'll survive."