So Free Comic Day was fun. I had a lot of kids come over to me and ask to have their picture taken with me. Needless to say I made an excellent Fionna! I was singing some of Finn's songs from the show and was doing jump kicks in the air and was just being a total spazz. LOL. My friend Rachel was dressed up like Alice, and her skirt was... very billowy... and it was very windy. She had to go back inside when a breeze pulled a Marylin Monroe and gave the newest employee a clear view of her pantie clad butt... Very fun day...

Hope you enjoy and please remember to Fave/Follow/Review. Special thanks to Whisper292 and Kira Mackey. Their Dragonborn stories kept me sane while waiting for a BETA key and inspired me to write a story myself! Kira Mackey has also been a great help. Running my ideas through her is making me more confident with the direction of this story. I'd also like to thank BrunetteAuthorette99, I had some really bad writers block and her story helped get me out of it, She was also kind enough to give me some feedback on my story so I could improve it.

Another shoutout to my favorite follower, Lady of Dov. Listening to my ideas and giving your opinion is really helping me shape this story into something people will truly enjoy. Your constant support and words of encouragement brighten my day and push me to update chapters quickly!

Chapter Twenty-One

The dragon flying overhead had its head turned towards her as it flew past. It had seen her. Lassarina swore under her breath and receded further into the trees reaching over her shoulder for an arrow and nocking it. The dragons roar echoed around her and she looked up to see it fly over her, attempting to land and cut her off. When she felt the ground shake as it landed,s he skidded to a halt and pulled back her bowstring, hiding behind a a nearby tree and peeking around. It was several yards ahead, crawling forward and scanning the area for her.

Lassarina leaned against the tree, breathing heavily and fearing for her life. She had very limited resources at her disposal. A handful of arrows and the bow Arnbjorn gave her were her only weapon and she had no armor to protect her. She had never fought a dragon alone before, wishing that her brother, Farkas, or any of the Companions were there to help her.

Gods I'd even be thankful for Vilkas right now, she thought to herself when the ground shook again and she could hear the dragon sniffing not even a few feet away.

She was about to try and fire an arrow, when the dragon spoke.

"Nivahriin jul," it said. "Rek bovulle ek dez. Zu fen du hio."

Her eyes went wide. She had no idea what it was saying, but she knew it couldn't be good. Taking a deep breath, she moved away from the tree, stepping out to face the dragon. It was only a couple of feet in front of her and looked startled to see her step out. Lassarina glared and fired and arrow into one of it's large yellow eyes. It screeched in pain and threw its head back. Taking advantage of it being distracted, Lassarina turned around and ran towards the river again. She glanced over her shoulder and saw it was glaring at her with its remaining eye.

"Yol-"

She gasped, knowing what was coming, and turned to the left, shouting, "Wuld!"

She shot forward with a large burst of speed and was several yards away from where she stood seconds ago.

"Toor Shul!" the dragon finished speaking and a pillar of fire consumed the area.

Had Lassarina not used her Whirlwing Sprint, she had no doubt she would have gotten engulfed in the flames.

"Dovahkiin!" she heard the dragon roar. "Alduin hindde hio dilon!"

Dovahkiin. She knew that word. The Greybeards had called her and Einarr that before, telling them it meant Dragonborn in the dragon's language. And now the dragon knew she was Dragonborn, guaranteeing that it would not leave her alone now. So she kept running, once again turning towards the river. If the dragons could breath fire then she needed the protection of being underwater to save her skin. The ground shook again and a strong gale of wind blew past her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that the dragon had taken flight and was now flying over her. She skidded to a stop.

It's just going to keep cutting me off, she thought to herself. I may be fast but I won't be able to outrun a flying dragon.

She drew another arrow and fired it at the dragon as it flew past her, cursing loudly when she saw the arrow whiz past it. The dragon turned around in the air and hovered several feet over the ground, glaring down at her.

"Hio fen ni filok!! it roared.

"Fuck you!" she shouted at it as she fired another arrow.

This arrow hit it's hind leg, making it snarl at her angrily before it took in a deep breath.

"Yol!"

She dove to the ground to her right to avoid the jet of fire coming at her. She screamed when she felt the flames lick her leg, searing her skin and flesh. She crawled forward to escape the smoldering grass and foliage and sat up to fire another arrow. She hit the webbing of its wing and reached for another arrow, but was shocked to find her quiver empty.

"No," she whispered, looking around wildly.

Her dive to the ground had caused several of her arrows to fall out of the quiver. They were scattered around her and she quickly picked up the nearest one, firing it. The arrow sailed right past the dragon and she cursed loudly.

"Hio kos sahlo," the dragon growled as it landed on the ground and started to crawl towards her. "Zu fen ag hio ahrk naak hio."

She glared defiantly at the dragon and bared her teeth. "Spare me your words. They fall on deaf ears!"

"She does not even speak our tongue," the dragon seemed to chuckled as it neared. "You are unworthy of sharing our blood."

Lassarina feebly crawled back, feeling around the ground behind her for an arrow. She didn't dare take her eyes off the dragon drawing ever closer to her in case it tried something. She heart started racing, knowing certain death was only moments away. She felt the same way she did when she was at Helgen and the Captain forced her down to the chopping block. Terrified.

She reached for her inner beast, for once wanting to change so she could stand a chance against the dragon. But the change would not come and her wolf was sated. Gritting her teeth she took a deep breath.

"Fus, Ro!" she shouted, the raw power of her shout hitting the dragon and making it flinch.

She took that time to get to her feet, her burned leg nearly giving out at the sudden weight. She bit down on her lip as she hobbled forward, trying to flee. The burning pain was excruciating, but she had to withstand it long enough to get away. She felt the ground shake again and looked over her shoulder to see the dragon planting its claws firmly into the earth.

"Fus ro dah!" it shouted.

Lassarina was suddenly thrown through the air as the wave of power hit her and pushed her through the air. She shouted in in when a tree stopped her from going any farther, but more than likely broke a few bones. Tears streamed down her face and she cried out desperately, screaming for help, despite the terrible knowledge that no one would be close enough to hear her shouts. She rolled onto her back and stared at the sky. Her bow was no longer in her hands and she could barely move.

She turned her head to the dragon as it closed the distance between them in a few steps. Her whole body shook in terror as the giant beast stood over her, its teeth bared and ready to kill her with one snap of its razor sharp fangs.

"Dir!" it snarled as it drew its head back.

A howl echoed around Lassarina and the dragon and a large black shape launched itself at the dragons neck and began to tear into the scaly hide. Her eyes flew wide in shock when she realized she was looking at a werewolf.

"Farkas!" she cried out, rolling onto her stomach to try and force herself up, only to fall well she felt the bones in her arm shift. She screamed in pain when she realized it was broken.

The dragon roared in pain and threw its head from side to side in an attempt to dis latch the werewolf on its neck, but the werewolf held on tight, its claws slashing and fangs ripping. The dragon had enough and tore the werewolf from its neck, using the claws on its wings. It threw it to the ground and Lassarina gasped when she saw the dragon advancing on the wolf. Suddenly another werewolf, identical to the first one, ran out from the trees and slashed the dragons snout, splashing its blood onto the green grass.

When she saw the dragon take a deep breath, Lassarina screamed, "Get away!"

A roar exploded from the trees behind the dragon and yet another werewolf came out. This one had light brown fur and its howl had a strange power behind it, one she recognized as a howl backed with the power of a Shout. That werewolf was Einarr.

The dragon had turned at the sound of the Shout infused howl, only to shriek in pain when Einarr jumped onto its back and began to claw it angrily. The two black werewolves joined Einarr and snapped their fangs at the dragons exposed neck. Between the three of them, the dragon fell, its blood pooling onto the ground and soaking into the dirt. It's flesh started to decompose rapidly and turn to ash, becoming a swirling bright light that flew straight to Lassarina and Einarr.

Once again Lassarina had to feel the unpleasantness of feeling her body be invaded by the dragons soul. It caused her a great deal of pain, making her bones, heart and soul ache as she unwillingly stole its power. She let out a choking sob and curled herself into a ball. Inside her, her beast stirred when the dragon soul entered her body.

You absorb the souls of the strongest beasts to ever live? it growled to her.

"Not willingly," she whispered a reply.

And you fight them as well?

"Not willingly," she repeated.

Maybe you aren't as weak willed as I thought, her wolf purred.

Then you will stop trying to over power me at any chance you get? She asked it.

Will you stop fighting me? It countered. The sooner you accept I am a part of you, the better we will get along.

Lassarina closed her eyes and was suddenly looking within herself. The pain in her body had disappeared and she was staring at her wolf spirit and saw its eyes bright and lit with amusement, the love of the hunt swimming in the glowing depths. Inside her, despite its spectral form, her inner beast just looked like a regular wolf, albeit much larger. It didn't look like a monster within her, but rather it looked majestic and proud. To proud to accept the fact that its host was disgusted by it and denied it any freedom in their shared body. For the first time, Lassarina didn't consider her inner beast a monster.

I will stop fighting you, Lassarina finally answered. I will accept you. But you must accept that it is my body first, and you cannot control me or my decisions.

Finally showing your teeth, her wolf chuckled. Very well girl.

"Lassarina!" a voice brought her out from within her.

Her eyes flew open and she found her brother standing over her, his arm curled under her shoulders to support her in a seated position.

"Einarr," she murmured, relief flooding her chest.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"My leg is burned and my arm is broken," she told him. "I think a few of my ribs are broken too."

"We'll get you to a healer," her brother promised her.

"How did you find me?" she asked.

"I felt you change," said another voice.

Lassarina looked over and saw a completely naked Vilkas standing beside an equally nude Farkas. For the first time, she realized she was pressed against her brother's bare chest and saw that he was also naked. A blush came to her face and she pushed Einarr away with her good arm.

"Sorry," her brother murmured, as if he also just realized his state of undress.

Lassarina shook her head and kept her eyes on the ground so she didn't see anything.

"You ran off and I lost you, so I ran back to Whiterun to get help," Farkas told her. "I ran into Einarr and Vilkas once I was half way there and we all took on the search. We were tracking you last night but lost your scent near the river. Where did you wake up?"

"I woke up a few miles inside of Falkreath Hold," she explained, looking over at her burned leg.

The skin was badly scorched and her flesh was an angry red color. She bit her lip as she placed her shaking hand over it, resisting a cry of pain when she touched the burning flesh. She focused on drawing out her magicka and started healing the burn.

"Where did you get the tunic?" Einarr asked, tugging on the sleeve.

"I met a man in the woods," Lassarina sighed as the burning pain started to numb. "I had brought down his deer in my wolf form and he reprimanded me for it."

"The man saw you change?!" Vilkas exclaimed.

"The man was also a werewolf," she said. "He gave me the tunic and a bow and arrows and I went on my way."

Her magicka ran out and she saw that her burn wasn't as bad as it was moments ago. She had no doubt that she will have a scar there from now on, but her healing spell saved her from a possible infection. Reaching for Einarr's shoulder, she slowly lifted herself off the ground and stood on wobbly legs. Einarr stood with her and kept her steady by holding onto her good arm.

"You said you lost my trail," Lassarina said to Farkas. "How did you find me here?"

"We were nearby trying to pick up a trail and then we heard the dragon," Farkas explained. "We were going to run the other way but Vilkas sensed you were nearby."

"Then we heard your Shout," Einarr added.

"I'm glad you showed up," Lassarina told her brother with a weak smile. "Another few seconds and that dragon would have killed me."

"I'm just sorry we didn't get here sooner," Einarr sighed, looking at her broken arm that hung limply beside her.

"We should get moving," Vilkas announced. "If we can get her to Riverwood I can set her arm until we get back to Whiterun and have Danica heal her."

Lassarina had to lean on Farkas as they walked through the forest. Einarr had offered to support her, but she was entirely too uncomfortable with the thought of leaning on her brother when he was as naked as the day he was born. Her ribs and arms pained her with every step and her burned leg still ached slightly. She didn't have to peak under the tunic to know that bruises were already starting to form all over her chest from the collision with the tree. She was also starting to get light headed by how potent the scent of werewolf was, her own wolf getting downright giddy over it.

Eventually they stopped in a clearing and Lassarina saw everyone's armor and weapons scattered onto the ground. Farkas eased her onto the ground, so she could rest while he, Vilkas and Einarr got dressed. She waited a few moments, staring at the ground, when Vilkas walked over to her, wearing some trousers and a linen shirt he wore under his armor. He had his pack in his hands and was looking down at her intensely.

"What do you want?" she asked him with a glare.

"Your arm needs to be set," he explained, kneeling down in front of her.

"I'm fine," she growled, her voice sounding very wolfish.

"Lassarina just let me help you," his voice was tired and frustrated.

"I don't need your help," she hissed.

"Yes you do!" he snapped, his patience gone. "I'm sick of your attitude towards me! I've tried apologizing to you, but you're too stubborn to listen to me!"

"Vilkas-"

"Quiet!" Vilkas interrupted Farkas, glaring daggers at his twin. "She may be your woman but I'm the one who has to deal with feeling everything she feels!"

"That's your own damn fault!" Lassarina snarled at her forebear. "I didn't ask you to turn me!"

"You didn't have to!" he shouted, fisting his hand in the collar of her shirt and pulled her close. "I wasn't just going to sit back and let you die!"

Lassarina saw and felt the anger swelling within Vilkas, shocking her into silence. For once she actually feared Vilkas. She could see the storm in his blue-gray eyes and a shiver traveled down her spine.

"Vilkas!" Einarr growled, stalking over. "Let her go!"

"Stay out of this!" Vilkas spat. "This is between me and her. One way or another we're settling this now!"

Unable to control her own body anymore, Lassarina shut her eyes and swung her good arm at Vilkas, her fist connecting with his jaw. His head turned from the force of the punch and she shook out her hand, trying to relieve the shocking pain traveling up and down her arm. Vilkas turned his head back and glared at her.

"Is that all you've got?" he sneered.

She let out a shriek of anger and shoved him off of her, kicking his knee as he backed away. Without missing a beat she punched him again with her good arm. She was about to go in for another hit, when Vilkas' hand shot out and he slapped her. It wasn't hard enough to leave a mark, but it still hurt. Lassarina couldn't even feel the sting on her cheek due to the shock she was experiencing.

He hit me, she thought to herself, raising her hand to touch her face.

She looked up and glared at him again. Her mind was blank and she had no idea what her next move was going to be. She just stood there, her hand on her cheek and her eyes wide in shock.

"You hit me," she murmured after a moment.

"Aye it's usually the best thing to do when a child is throwing a tantrum," he told her. "Because that's the way you've been behaving."

She flinched at his words and averted her gaze.

"I won't deny that you should be angry towards me," he continued. "I changed your life and cursed you with the beast blood, without your consent. But that doesn't mean you should act like a child who was denied their sweet roll. You're a fucking Companion, a warrior and a grown ass woman! Now act like it!"

She lowered her head and felt her face burning with shame.

I completely agree with him, her wolf growled.

No one asked you! Lassarina snapped.

Her wolf gave her a growl before falling silent again. Lassarina blinked and saw Vilkas' legs and boots a couple of feet in front of her. She lifted her gaze a bit, peeking at him through a curtain of her hair.

"No are you going to sit quietly and let me set your damn arm?" he demanded.

She frowned and stared at him for several moments before nodding.

"Then sit down," he ordered.

Lassarina lowered herself to the ground slowly, her eye twitching when her torso reacted and pain shot through her. Vilkas knelt down in front of her and took her broken arm, setting it with a few sticks he found lying on the ground and some linen wraps he pulled out of his pack. Through the entire process, she stared at the ground, only looking up once at Farkas and her brother. The two of them had watched the whole scene silently and she could tell Einarr had to force himself to hold back the entire time.

"Try and keep your arm still until we reach Whiterun," Vilkas told her sternly.

"Okay," she murmured.

Vilkas helped Lassarina back onto her feet and she made her way to Farkas and Einarr. Her brother immediately lifted her chin and inspected the mark on her cheek. It was only a little red and no longer stung, but it had snapped her right out of her anger.

"Are you alright?" Einarr asked her quietly, casting a death glare at Vilkas.

"I'm fine," she replied. With a heavy sigh she added, "And to be honest, I think I deserved that."

"You didn't deserve to get hit," Einarr muttered.

She just shook her head and Farkas wrapped an arm around her. Once again she felt a strange emotion stirring deep within her, one she didn't recognize. She instantly looked at Vilkas and caught his gaze for a brief instant before he looked away.

"Let's get going," Vilkas told them. "If we hurry we can reach Whiterun by nightfall."

oOo

"Are you in control of your beast?" Vilkas asked Lassarina.

They had made a small detour off their path, returning to Lassarina and Farkas' temporary camp in the highlands by Riverwood, and were currently resting before packing everything up and continuing to Whiterun. The moment they arrived, Lassarina changed into some spare clothes she had brought with her, a simple linen shirt and leather leggings. She was sitting on the ground beside a fire Einarr had started and was using a healing spell to try and fix her broken ribs. Her magicka stores weren't large enough to completely mend them, but she managed to mend them a bit until they were just cracked.

"For now my beast will behave itself," she told him, drinking some mead once her magicka was drained. "I seem to have come up with some agreement with it."

"What agreement?" Einarr asked, sitting down beside her.

"It will stop overpowering me if I stop fighting it every chance I get," she explained. "I have to accept it as part of me."

"How'd that come about?" her brother arched his brow.

"I think the fact that I was born to kill dragons seemed to impress it enough to negotiate," Lassarina shrugged. "I don't know Einarr, it's cooperating with me for now. I'm calling that a victory."

"At least we don't have to worry about her changing inside Whiterun now," Farkas pointed out.

"We do have to worry about that man who saw her change though," Vilkas growled.

Lassarina glared at Vilkas. "He was a werewolf, he's not going to hunt me down."

"Not all werewolves can be trusted," he countered. "Did you tell him your name?"

"Yes and he told me his in return," she sighed. "But he doesn't know where I live, so it's fine."

"What was the mans name?" Einarr asked her.

"His name was Arnbjorn," she told him.

"Arnbjorn?" Farkas and Vilkas both repeated in unison.

Lassarina looked at the twins and blinked. They both became very uneasy, scowls plastered on their faces.

"You know him?" she asked.

"Aye we know him," Vilkas muttered.

"He was a Companions once," Farkas explained. "A member of the Circle, which is why he has the beast blood."

"We were in our teens when Kodlak asked him to leave our ranks," Vilkas continued.

"Why did Kodlak ask him to leave?" Einarr asked.

"Whenever he went on an assignment he used very unorthodox methods. He enjoyed killing too much, and would sometimes end up killing people he was meant to rescue."

Farkas grimaced. "Bodies would be found outside of Whiterun, completely shredded and unrecognizable. He was a constant risk to the Companions and the Circle's secret."

"Last we heard, he joined the rank of the Dark Brotherhood," Vilkas grimaced.

"The assassins guild?" Einarr's brows shot up.

"He was wearing black and red armor," Lassarina confessed, having heard tales of the Dark Brotherhood her entire life.

"Then the rumors are true," Farkas sighed.

Lassarina frowned and stared at the fire in front of her. She had been so close to a Dark Brotherhood assassin and lived to tell the tale.

"Do you think he'd come after Lassarina?" Einarr asked.

"He doesn't know where I'm from," she objected.

"Aye but he knows the Companions are werewolves," her brother snapped. "What if he makes the connection?"

"The man thought I was small and weak," she scoffed. "There's no way he'd every think I was a Companion. Just some unfortunately girl who had a bad encounter with a werewolf."

"You'd best pray to the Nine that he does think that," Vilkas told her, getting up from the ground. "Cause the last thing we need is the Dark Brotherhood sniffing at our heels."

Lassarina glared at him as she was helped to her feet, not wanting to admit he was right. If the stories she'd heard about the Dark Brotherhood when she was a child were true, she wouldn't want them anywhere near her.

Dragon Translations in order:

"Cowardly human. She flee's her fate. I will devour you."

"Dragonborn! Alduin wishes you dead!"

"You will not escape!"

"You are weak. I will burn you and eat you."

"Die!"

Can I just say, that the Dovah language is really fucking hard to write? As far as I can tell they have no word for "My" and it makes writing a grammatical nightmare! I think I'm going to spend a whole day just cataloging this language and creating a Dovah to English dictionary... LOL

Hope you enjoyed the Chapter. Please Fave/Follow/Review!

Much love,

Mirage