CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN - SEEING AND SPYING
Vulgrahskein hated the waiting.
He knew that it was wise – necessary, even. He knew that this way, there was less chance of his own death of injury than there would be if they attempted an open attack. He knew that he had no desire to lose his remaining horn or eye.
And yet his blood curdled at the thought of all this stillness. He was an Ancient, a former lieutenant of Alduin, and most importantly, he was a dragon. The urge to leap from the crag he crouched on and fly straight to High Hrothgar to attack his enemy was almost uncontrollable. But control it he must, because he understood that Qoyoliiz was right, that this plan increased their change of victory tenfold.
At first, when the sedklovdovah had explained his plan, as they huddled in the shelter of the cliff with the lightning flashing overhead, Vulgrahskein had thought him both weak and insane. Or rather, he had thought Veldarion weak and insane, since the idea was almost certainly the offspring of the elf's mind, and Qoyoliiz had, for some inexplicable reason, listened to him. No dovah, Vulgrahskein was sure, could ever wage war against their enemies in such a way. Dragons did not lay sieges – they flew proudly in, flames burning and talons glinting, to take by force and not by guile. That was what the rage of a dragon's blood demanded of them. Vulgrahskein had never even considered an alternative. He had said as much to Qoyoliiz, when he finally managed to find him and had the battle plan explained to him. But in the end, he had agreed with the strange suggestion, and here he was. Waiting.
He let out a huff. Perhaps it was not so bad. After all, he could not become bored. What had happened after Vulqostrun had Shouted had given him much to think about.
Having fought alongside Strun-Dovahhe in the past, Vulgrahskein knew what a Storm Call Shout could do. Indeed, he had seen Vulqostrun himself in action, and knew him to particularly talented in the control of that notoriously hard-to-command Shout. Combined with the Voice of the elf mage – Vulgrahskein was still struggling to comprehend his kinship to Veldarion, and it sowed even more seeds of doubt within him about remaining in alliance with the mortal – the consequences could be devastating. And so he had dived, seeking the shelter of rocks and trees – no, not trees, he realised a moment later. Trees would beckon to the lightning and put him in even more danger. And so he sought the mountain crags, searching desperately for an overhang or a cave.
'Vulgrahskein! Here!
While he instantly recognised the voice as Krahsosmaar's, at first, it had been impossible to see her through the driving rain. Then a flash of white caught his eye and he spotted her, crouching in a crevice in the rocks. With a bound and a leap he was beside her, and she pressed herself against the stone wall so that he could squeeze into the narrow space. He wriggled through the entrance, a lightning bolt blazing into the ground where he had been standing only a heartbeat after he had whisked his tail-tip through the opening.
There was no room to turn in the small gap, and so Vulgrahskein could not see the storm raging outside. He could hear the drumming of the rain and the crash of the thunder, but he had no way of knowing whether or not the lightning was capable of reaching into their shelter. The wait had been terrible. Of course, Vulgrahskein had not been afraid, exactly, but he disliked knowing he was at serious risk of death.
'Only a coward would fight like this,' he grunted, after some minutes.
'Those Strun-Dovahhe who served Alduin did so,' Krahsosmaar pointed out.
'They did so to destroy joor settlements, not in combat. Even for a Strun it is hard to keep this thu'um from striking allies in the thick of battle. To use it to cover them so that they could flee...' He raked his talons down the rocks.
'It merely proves that they are prey,' Krahsosmaar said. 'Prey flees.'
'I would never use that Shout for such a purpose, even if I possessed the knowledge to do so.'
'Geh, I know you would not.' Krahsosmaar twisted her neck around; her blue eyes shone at him through the gloom of the cave. 'You are no coward, Vulgrahskein.'
Something about her words made him certain, suddenly, that there was a deeper meaning behind them, or that there were things she had left unsaid. It surprised him. Unless to reveal a secret would be dangerous, dragons were not accustomed to disguising their true thoughts. Vulgrahskein knew that mortals were always deceiving each other, always hiding their feelings to as to make selfish gains. That was not the dovah way. And yet now, he knew that Krahsosmaar meant more than was contained within her words.
And he remembered that time he had spoken with Krahsosmaar in the Forgotten Vale, and what he had wondered about her. Now, he considered it again. And since dovahhe did not hide their thoughts, he voiced them.
'Krahsosmaar,' he said. 'You have stood beside me against Kahjuniisk many times, though he is a Legendary, and risking his anger could be a danger to you. You confided in me with your doubts about him, and about our thur Qoyoliiz, and the fahliil Veldarion.' He frowned at her. 'Why have you done this?'
She met his gaze calmly. 'Because you are strong enough to have bested Kahjuniisk in battle once, though your kind is by nature less powerful than his. Because you are sharp of mind and consider what might not even occur to other dovahhe. Because you have the wisdom of a leader and the loyalty of a follower. Because you are prepared to die for your fellow dragons.'
'What is it you seek from me?'
He had a feeling he knew the answer, but he wanted to be sure.
She was silent for a long time. Then at last she said, 'You are an Ancient. I am merely Frost. I understand, Vulgrahskein, that the suggestion of your having a Fo-Dovah mate may be… less than appealing to you.'
And Vulgrahskein nodded slowly, not in confirmation of her words but of his own thoughts. So he had been right. His respect for her grew, because she respected him, respected his pride in being a powerful Ancient, and because she respected that that pride might make her suggestion – her request – stir him to anger.
But, strangely, it did not. Because he had seen Krahsosmaar's strength and skill, her devotion to their cause, her fierceness in battle. She had survived from that first gathering by the barrow when more naturally powerful dragons such as Vednahviing and Skarvennax had not. To be sure, Skarvennax and Keinvulnax might still be alive, but when someone disappears for too long, forgetting their existence is easy, especially in war. Krahsosmaar had Vulgrahskein's trust in a way no other dragon barring Keinvulnax had ever had. And Keinvulnax was gone, probably for good. He admired her skill and was grateful to her for siding with him over Kahjuniisk. And… it was hard to see her in the half-light of the crevice, but she was a fine dovah, with silvery-white scales and striking black spines. A dragon could do far worse for a mate – especially a scarred, one-eyed, broken-horned beast such as himself, who would nowadays be passed over by many females.
There was no denying that he was drawn to her.
But there were many things to consider, for a dragon choosing a mate. How good a hunting partner she was. Whether or not his territory could support two, or whether it would need enlarging, and if so, which dragons's own land he might intrude upon. Whether or not Vulgrahskein wanted a mate, or to raise another hatchling. Rearing his son, Luvbahrax, had been hard work, and if they succeeded in their current mission, a hatchling might distract them both from their current duty to Qoyoliiz.
But he could not deny that the Frost Dragon was good company. And she-dragons were nowhere near so common as the males. There was no telling when, or if, Vulgrahskein would find another potential life partner.
'Let me consider,' he said.
Krahsosmaar dipped her head. 'Of course.'
And so they waited, until the thunder died away and the rain halted. Krahsosmaar emerged from the cave first, examined the sky, and called back to assure Vulgrahskein that all was safe. They lifted up into the sky together, scouring the rocks and trees for their fellow Bloodcallers. It was Qoyoliiz they found first – the enormous, triple-coloured dragon was hard to miss. He was sheltering beneath an overhanging slab of stone barely large enough to cover him; Vulgrahskein guessed that Veldarion had been shielding him with ward spells. For once, at least, the elf's presence had proved useful.
The two seemed deep in discussion, which made Vulgrahskein wonder. Had the elf worked his way back into Qoyoliiz's good graces? He certainly hadn't impressed Vulgrahskein. If the elf hadn't resurrected Alduin when he had, maybe the World-Eater, Vulgrahskein's first master and the one he had truly revered, would have returned at another time and been successful. And how could they trust anyone with such close blood kin fighting alongside the Dragonborn? Veldarion and the elf mage who had ridden Vulqostrun had shared a womb. What else might they share now – a secret pact? Might the stranger Altmer have knowledge that could be the Bloodcallers' downfall?
But even Vulgrahskein had to admit that there had seemed to be no love between the brothers when they had confronted each other. And Veldarion was clever. As was the plan that he had obviously come up with, and that Qoyoliiz suggested to them. It was counter-intuitive, but it was cunning. Starving the Dragonhearts out, waiting as they lost strength – it was not a Dragonish thing to do, but it would work. And when they finally attacked, they would be able to completely destroy their foe with minimal risk to themselves. If only it didn't involve so much infuriating waiting.
To be sure, Vulgrahskein could hunt, if he needed to, but for the most part, he would simply be perching on this ledge. And for how long? When would Qoyoliiz decide to finally strike?
He grunted, and, to give himself a second of entertainment, swiped a sheet of snow off the ledge with his tail. Well, he had waited five hundred years, and then twenty more, for the rise of a true leader of dovahhe, and a triumph over mortals. This wait would be but a few days, and when it was over, so would the tyranny of the Dragonborn.
And he had plenty to occupy his mind. He had a choice to make.
Still. He hated the waiting.
They gathered in the courtyard. Again.
The feeling in the air wasn't one of grief, as it had been for Duroth and Sviri's funerals, nor one of anxiety and determination, as it had been for the previous councils of war. There was a resigned weariness running through them now, as if everybody thought that this had gone on too long and wanted it to stop.
Sha had to agree with them. It seemed like an eternity since her mother had returned from the Scars with news of the Bloodcallers' first attack. She tried to count the days: that of the Scars battle. Then Whiterun. Then the day her own quest began. Then a few days travelling… how many? Was it two, to reach Sky Haven? And she had met Amar the next day. They'd travelled another across Whiterun, then the next, Kaaldunir had received her name. And the next… well, the next, impossibly, was this one. Except that it wouldn't be this day much longer, because the sky was jet black and Sha's eyelids felt heavy. She was longing for her own bed, for a long, deep sleep with a real roof over her head, but she knew that A'jira was right to call this meeting now.
Nine days, then, soon to become ten. It seemed incredible that so much could happen in such a short space of time. She knew that her mother's quest to defeat Alduin had been over in just a week, but it still seemed impossible that a week and two days could have seen so much bloodshed. ANAnd death. But friendship, too, and self-discovery. Sha knew that not one detail of these nine days, and however many more it was before this was over, would ever slip from her memory.
And in a strange way, she was grateful. Not to Qoyoliiz, Veldarion and their followers, who had caused so much death and suffering. But she was glad it had happened, that she had found a friend in Amar and a Wingsister in Kaaldunir and a Dragonheart in herself. She didn't feel on the outside of this group of warriors now. She was one of them. She belonged. And she felt she understood her mother better than ever before.
A'jira, now, was looking tired as Sha felt as she faced her warriors yet again, but when she spoke, her voice was confident and clear.
'You all know the situation. The Bloodcallers have arranged themselves around the slopes of the mountain below High Hrothgar. If any of us tries to leave, they will almost certainly attack. We cannot hunt, and no supplies will be able to reach us. They intend to either starve us out or attack after we have been weakened. And we cannot call for help.'
Sha, standing next to Amar and Kaaldunir again, swapped uneasy glances with them.
'The supplies we have are meant to last us four or five days. But these will have to feed both mortals and dragons, and usually our dovah warriors hunt for themselves. Now that is impossible, excepting any animals found on the path to the summit.
Which would consist of one or two mountain goats, if they were lucky. If they were unlucky, they'd be living on ice wraith teeth before long.
'The fact is, we simply do not have time to wait this out and see what happens. We have too little food. And it's possible that other dragons may come to join the Bloodcallers. No doiubt the fact that they have besieged High Hrothgar will be impressive to some of those who followed Alduin.'
'So you're saying we should attack now, and try to drive them out?' Ilien asked.
'Not this minute, no.' A'jira gave a rueful smile. 'We need to rest, for one thing. And while we have some food, I think we should practise our techniques, and increase the training of our less experienced warriors. I'd recommend that we spend tomorrow preparing, and attack the day after.'
Most of the Dragonhearts were nodding and murmuring approval. Amar leaned over and muttered, 'Your mother knows what she's doing.' Sha could see a handful of dubious faces among the crowd, though, and in the end it was Kroneirvild who voiced the worried clearly shared by many.
'Dovahkiin, I understand that we cannot sit and wait for rescue, for none will come. But… is it wise to attack so openly? Mul paalle. The enemy is strong.'
'There are alternatives to fighting,' Arnor called. 'We could try to fly over them, and escape to somewhere they couldn't besiege.'
Andelm nodded. 'If we reached a city, they'd have guards to help us.'
Ilien turned on him, his eyes wide. 'Are you mad? Don't you remember what happened at Whiterun? Didn't you see how many people died? We can't inflict that on another settlement.'
Andelm bristled, but A'jira hurriedly spoke up to defuse the rapidly mounting tension. 'Ilien's right, I'm afraid. We can't do that. Whiterun and Alldirstead have already been partially destroyed by the Bloodcallers. Dragons can wreak havoc on a mortal city, we all know that. If we tried to find guards to help us, we'd lead the Bloodcallers to an innocent settlement, and they'd lay waste to it.'
'What if only one dragon escaped?' Niirahsuven suggested. 'They could use the Become Ethereal Shout to fly out unseen, and enlist the aid of…' She trailed off.
'Who would come?' Firlaen asked bluntly. 'Who would risk so many lives fighting this bunch?'
'And remember,' Ahlokkrin added, 'we would need to fly far to find a place with enough kendovve to fight with us. They would be mortals, and they would have to walk to the Monahven. By the time they arrived, we would have starved.'
'The Companions?' Tholund suggested.
A'jira shook her head. 'They lost too many in the Whiterun battle.'
'There's always Ivarstead,' Drusus pointed out. 'That's large, and close.'
'But the Bloodcallers would see anyone who came to help us coming, wherever they came from,' Zaran said. 'They'd attack them on their way.'
'If they did, they'd have to lift the siege,' Andelm reminded him.
'And then what?' Echo shook her head. 'We escape, and leave whoever came to our aid to be massacred? Or we try to help them and end up fighting the Bloodcallers anyway?'
Andelm shrugged. 'At least we'd have reinforcements.'
Echo slammed her tail down on the snow. 'For the Hist's sake, Andelm, think. What difference would it make? Ivarstead might be willing to lend us, say, twenty guards. They can't fly, and they don't know the first thing about fighting dragons. They'd be killed within minutes and nothing would have changed. These are mortal lives we're talking about!'
A'jira coughed loudly, and every face turned back to her.
'If it helps, facing the Bloodcallers may be easier than we anticipated,' she said. 'What was it that formed this group, and holds them together? Who leads them into battle? Who promised them a chance to retake Skyrim? Qoyoliiz. It all comes down to him. If he's removed from the equation, I expect most of the Bloodcallers will flee. Certainly they'll lose the drive to fight, just as they did when they lost Alduin.'
Tholund snorted. 'That's all very well, but how in the name of Talos's underwear are we supposed to kill that monster? It's massive.'
'Does Talos have underwear?' Amar muttered.
Kaaldunir's brow creased. 'What is underwear?'
'So what is it you're suggesting, A'jira?' Lorn asked. 'That we try to ambush Qoyoliiz? If we went for a full-on attack, aim only at him… we could kill him before too many of the other Bloodcallers arrive to help.'
'That seems too obvious,' Ilien said, shaking his head. 'I expect Qoyoliiz has some of his cronies right on hand so that we can't do that.'
Odahviing nodded. 'Vrah. I regret that this is the case. I saw.'
'Still, it could be an effective strategy,' A'jira said. 'I doubt that Qoyoliiz and whoever he has nearby him could fight us all off at once. And besides, actually killing him might not be as hard as you think. Sha, could you possibly come up here and tell us about Dragonbane?'
Sha had not expected this. Her mother had told her that she planned to explain Dragonbane to the others, but not that she intended Sha to do so herself.
'Um. Okay.' Sha tried to swallow back her nervousness and advanced through the crowd to stand beside A'jira. Her father gave her an encouraging grin, and her mother smiled and patted her arm, then moved to one side so that all attention was on Sha.
She knew all these people. They'd helped bring her up. Ilien had taught her how to use a sword. Laaskriiah had been her instructor in the art of riding a dragon. Arnor had been her best friend since either of them could use the word friend. She should not be so nervous about speaking to them all.
Where should she begin? She stole a glance at Odahviing, who was watching with expectant yet patient eyes, and knew that she wanted to share the whole story, as he had.
'J'shana – the first J'shana – had a grandson,' she began. 'His name was Do'rado, and he was the leader of the Blades, the dragonslayers who lived at Sky Haven temple.' Worried about inciting the disapproval of the dragons among her audience, she added, 'He joined them because he hoped he could make them better. Less violent. More like us. But he didn't, because, well…. Qoyoliiz isn't the first of his kind. There was another three-headed dragon, and he was made by an Altmer mage, like Qoyoliiz was. Its creator, Menethil, attacked the Blades, like the Bloodcallers are attacking us now. And to stop them, Do'rado made this.'
She pulled Dragonbane from her belt and held it up to the light. It looked impressive she thought with satisfaction, with its unusual shape and its obviously well-crafted blade. And the fact that it was still sharp after five centuries.
'It's called Dragonbane,' she announced. 'Do'rado had it enchanted so that it would kill a three-headed dragon with a single blow.'
Murmuring arose from the throng quickly, some dubious, some excited, and quickly grew to a level where it was really too loud to be called murmuring. Here and there she could pick up individual voices – 'How does that enchantment work?' from Lorn, 'Will it work on Qoyoliiz?' from Ilien, 'How do you know this?' from Daandugram, and 'How did you get hold of it?' from Drusus.
Sha hesitated, not knowing the answer to Lorn's question, indignant about Ilien's, and awkward about Daandugram's and Drusus's. Before she could decide which, if any, she should answer, Odahviing pushed through the crowd and stood beside her.
'The Dovahloz knows because I told her,' he rumbled. 'I told her where to go and what to seek, and why she sought it. And I instructed her to find it.'
'Why her?' Tholund demanded. 'No offence to Sha, but she's sixteen. Any of the rest of us could have done it without… you know, with less risk of being killed.'
Anger and hurt flashed through Sha, and she tried to ignore them since she knew that every word Tholund said was the truth. Besides, he hadn't meant to cause pain. The Nord was the kind of person who always said exactly what was on his mind.
'I think you forget who Sha is,' Lorn said mildly. 'She's A'jira and Zaran's daughter. Her Voice is strong and her courage is undoubtable.'
'Not to mention the fact that she's an excellent swordfighter,' Ilien added, and Sha felt her heart swell. The praise of her teacher was hard to come by and always meaningful.
Odahviing frowned. 'I saw how it must be, bron. The Time Wound showed me that the kaaz kiir must wield the bane weapon.'
'Whoah.' Tholund held up his hands. 'She gets to wield it too?'
Firlaen's eyes were slits. 'I disagree with the very idea of Sha going off to get this thing, but now we trust her with something this important? A weapon that might be our only hope should be in the hands of an adult. I'm sorry, Sha, but that's what I think. Ilien's the best here with swords – he should be the one to wield it.'
Zaran let out a rare hiss. 'Are you saying my daughter is not to be trusted with responsibility?'
'Do you believe my visions lied?' Odahviing snarled, and Sha saw in his furious face a brief shadow of the lieutenant of Alduin he had once been.
'I choose reason over visions,' Andelm retorted.
'My Viingbriinah has the only right to carry that blade!' Kaaldunir roared. 'She went out alone to retrieve it! She took care of me when our enemy murdered my mother and father! She crossed Skyrim and battled both joorre and dovahhe to reach the Dovahkiin so she could warn the rest of you – ' She swept her tail around, indicating the other Dragonhearts – 'that the Bloodcallers planned to attack this mountain. She has proven herself worthy of carrying it time and time again! What more do you ask of her?'
Before anyone could argue, and before Sha could even properly register the warm feeling that was spreading through her at Kaaldunir's words, Amar gave a light cough and stepped forwards.
'I'll second that,' he announced. 'Sha's got courage and a good mind, and she's not afraid to use them. You should trust her. I do.'
The warm feeling became an inferno.
'I think it's worth mentioning that – albeit with help from Amar and Kaaldunir – Sha travelled across Skyrim and found both Dragonbane and A'jira.' Echo folded her arms. 'And Skyrim is a dangerous place. What she did took intelligence, talent, and pluck. That's what we need from whoever carries that sword. I say we trust her with Dragonbane. Odahviing's word alone wouldn't be enough for me, but what Sha's done over the last few days is.'
'She carries the blood of the Dovahkiin,' Kestmaarnah said. 'And Ziiahkrin.' She used the name the dragons had given to her Wingbrother, Zaran. 'Hers is strong blood, and the blood of destiny.'
'We all know that the Tygra family are born with destinies,' Arnor said, softly at first, but becoming louder when she saw heads nodding. 'J'shana had one, Do'rado had one, and A'jira had one. I believe this is Sha's. Her mother saved us from Alduin. Now she will save us from Qoyoliiz.'
That warm feeling had been joined by a buoyant elation that made Sha feel as if she were about to take flight.
'And what about you, Sha?' A'jira spoke very gently. 'I think it's your opinion that's most important. Are you willing to do this, Sha? And do you think you can?'
Sha breathed in deeply. This was, quite possibly, her only chance to dispel the doubts they had in her, to make sure that when the battle came, Dragonbane was in her hand.
Why did it matter so much to her? She knew Odahviing's visions were important, but destiny wasn't infallible. J'shana had been destined to destroy Alduin and she hadn't, only defeated and banished him. Even if Odahviing hadn't had any visions, Sha would still want to be the one to stop Qoyoliiz. Because he'd caused Duroth's death, and threatened her family and friends, and because he'd torn Amar and Kaaldunir's lives apart, and because she'd done so much already. She'd found Dragonbane – not any of the others, her. She'd taken it safely back to the Dragonhearts. It was hers. She'd started this when she walked out of the door of High Hrothgar, and she wanted to be the one to finish it.
But that, she felt, might not be enough to quell the others' fears. They were older and more experienced. And yet so many – Odahviing, Ilien, Lorn, Kestmaarnah, Arnor, Echo, Amar, Kaaldunir, and best of all, her parents – had openly announced how much they believed in her. Only a week ago she had been seen as a child, to be protected and not let off the mountain. But now they saw her as a Dragonheart, with a Wingsister and a right to fight in the battle for Skyrim. And they saw her that way because she'd struck out alone and proved herself. She could prove herself again.
She breathed in deeply, and forced her mouth to open.
'Look, I know I'm still a kid, really.' She shrugged. 'And I know that all of you have more experience, that you've been riding dragons longer, that you know how to fight better than I do. I know all of that. I don't know what to say to prove to you that I can do this. I don't know, maybe I can't. But I feel I can.'
She swallowed hard, then continued. 'I guess that's not enough for you. But I'm not saying that out of bravado, or stubbornness. I know a gut instinct isn't a logical answer, and I'm sorry. But I really do think I can do it, if I have the chance. And I can promise that I'll try as hard as I can to do it. It means so much to me. After Duroth, and everything I did and learned out there in the wilderness… I want to do stop Qoyoliiz more than anything. So yes, I'm willing. And I do think I can. If that's enough to make you trust me with this, I'd… I'd be honoured to wield Dragonbane in this battle.'
She closed her eyes for a second, then dared to open them a crack. The first thing she saw was her father's smile. Then she saw Odahviing slowly nodding. And her mother's eyes shining with pride.
'I don't think anyone can say any fairer than that,' Ilien called. 'What else could any of us do if we held Dragonbane? Try our best. And that's what Sha's promising us.'
Echo murmured her agreement, and Lorn nodded firmly. Sha caught Amar's eye, and saw him smile.
A'jira moved forwards again to stand a little in front of Sha. 'Has anyone any great objection to Sha wielding Dragonbane?'
'Well, yeah.' Tholund shrugged. 'She's sixteen.'
A'jira looked the Nord directly in the eyes. 'I was sixteen when I killed Alduin,' she said quietly. 'Sha is older than I was then.'
Tholund stared at her for a second, then turned away, looking slightly embarrassed.
'We must trust the Dovahloz with this.' Odahviing lifted his head and looked around at them all with an expression that was clearly daring them to disagree. 'This is for her to do.'
Andelm raised a hand. A'jira turned her gaze on him, and Sha noticed a trace of trepidation in her eyes. 'Yes, Andelm?'
The Nord held out a hand. 'Give that sword to me.'
There was a slight pause, then he added, 'Don't get the wrong idea. If it's Sha's to wield, it's hers to wield. But if what she says is true, it's ancient. I know weapons. I'll sharpen it, polish it, make a sheathe for it. Get it in prime condition for the battle.'
A'jira's expression softened. 'That's very kind of you, Andelm.'
Sha hurried over to him and pressed Dragonbane into his hands. 'Yeah. Thanks. It… means a lot to me.'
He nodded shortly. 'You should have the best chance we can give you. And I'll do my bit.'
'I think that's all that needs to be said tonight.' A'jira clapped her hands together in a businesslike manner. 'We should all try to get some sleep – except for you, Laaskriiah, and Firlaen – will you stay up and keep watch? After an hour or so, come and wake up two others, and they'll take over. We need to be prepared for any kind of ambush, but we mustn't wear ourselves out.'
Heads nodded, and A'jira's eyes narrowed in determination.
'They may have us surrounded,' she said, 'but remember, we are Dragonhearts. This is what we have trained for. This is the duty we were created for. And we are fighting for what is right, and that alone will make us stronger than they are.'
She dipped her head and gestured for them to leave, and the war council was over. Ilien almost instantly took her parents on one side to discuss Fodiiniiz's injury with them, so Sha slipped through the crowd to find Amar and Kaaldunir. Her Wingsister thumped her tail excitedy as she approached. 'Lotaniik, briinah!'
Magnificent, Sha translated. Her stumbling speech hadn't felt magnificent at all, but it seemed to have done the trick.
'You spoke well,' Amar agreed. 'It's only fair that you should wield Dragonbane. You were the one who spent time and blood trying to find it.'
'Vrah.' Odahviing's voice took Sha by surprise; she turned to see the red dragon standing nearby, looking at her with a small smile playing around the edges of his mouth. 'The sword is yours to bear, Dovahloz. Do not forget that it was meant for you.'
'It was meant for Do'rado, originally,' Sha pointed out.
'And you continue his legacy, as your mother continued that of the first kaaz Dovahkiin. Sometimes, it falls to another to finish the story began by a warrior of long ago.' Odahviing's tail flicked. 'Geh, you have done well. Sleep now, kiir, and be prepared for what tomorrow may bring.'
He spread his vast wings and leaped up into the black swathe of sky above them. Sha glanced at Amar and Kaaldunir, and saw them both gazing after the Dragonhearts' teacher and seer as he soared up towards the summit.
'I can see he has great wisdom,'Kaaldunir said slowly. 'But I believe it is a warrior's heart that lies within him.'
'Well, Odahviing was a fighter for years. He was the first J'shana's Wingbrother, or would have been if the idea of Wingsiblings had existed back then.' Sha shrugged. 'Paarthurnax taught him to see into the time wound so he could mentor the Dragonhearts, but Ma told me he's still struggling to take to it.'
'Moving from one life to another isn't easy,' Amar said heavily, and Sha saw pain on his scarred face that made her realise his words referred to himself, as well as Odahviing. 'But Kaaldunir's right. Even if he's a warrior inside, he's no fool.'
Sha bit her lip.
'I don't know.' She looked helplessly at the place where Odahviing had disappeared behind the curve of the mountain summit. 'Is he right? Can we ever really be prepared for tomorrow?'
For a moment, silence. Then Kaaldunir bowed her head.
'I do not think we can,' she murmured.
'No.' Amar's fists clenched. 'But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.'
Vulgrahskein didn't understand why he was finding it impossible to sleep. Every time he had started to drift away, his dreams had thrown up images so vivid and real that he had jerked awake again within seconds, his breathing quickened and his remaining eye wide. He expected the memory of the dreams to fade fast, but they remained, fixed in his mind's eye. Nord warriors with elaborate weapons, a jet-black dragon with red eyes glinting in the gloom, a Khajiit with silver fur whose fire-coloured gaze seemed to scorch him to the bone.
He wasn't frightened by the visions, exactly, but he was disturbed. Generally his sleep was deep and unshakeable. Perhaps it was being so close to the Dragonhearts and their nest of treachery that was keeping him awake.
The result was that instead of gathering his strength for the battle, he found himself pacing up and down on the ledge, resenting this ridiculous yet sensible tactic, loathing the Draognhearts, and hating the waiting. And so he was awake when the sound of wingbeats began to echo through the night.
Vulgrahskein was on full alert instantly, his mouth open, ready to sound a bellowing alarm if one of the Dragonhearts was trying to escape. But then he heard the last thing he had expected. A voice, vaguely familiar, calling his name.
'Is that you, Vulgrahskein? Nii los zu'u.'
Vulgrahskein narrowed his good eye as he tried to place the voice. It came to him in a flash as he caught sight of a wide tail-tip through the gloom. 'Daandugram?' he called, his memory conjuring up a dim memory of a young Blood Dragon who had attended the first gathering.
'Geh. I have news from the Dragonhearts.'
Vulgrahskein had not forgotten about Daandugram, the spy they had left within the Dragonborn's order, especially after seeing him earlier among the ranks of their enemies. But the Blood Dragon had been the last thing on his mind tonight. The war with the Dragonhearts, the decision he had to make regarding Krahsosmaar, and those peculiar visions seemed more important. But if Daandugram had discovered something, it could only be good news. The more knowledge they had about the Dragonhearts' actions, the better.
'You wish to speak to Qoyoliiz?'
Daandugram nodded. 'He will wish to hear this.'
Vugrahskein grunted and spread his wings. 'Come. I shall take you to him – if there is no risk that the Dragonhearts shall take advantage of my absence.'
'They shall not. The joorre and vaxxe do not plan to attack this night, or to escape.'
That was all the encouragement Vulgrahskein needed to take to the air. Flying in the dark posed no challenge to him; Alduin had often made attacks under cover of night, and Vulgrahskein had had to learn how to navigate using his nose and his feel for the air currents alone. It was not long before he found the steps that led up to the ugly building that housed the Dragonhearts. And there was Qoyoliiz, asleep on the rocks beside the stairway, with Veldarion sitting a little way off, gazing at the stars.
The elf started and clambered to his feet when he realised the dragons were approaching, but he lowered the readied spells he had charged after a moment, clearly realising that they were allies. Vulgrahskein gave Veldarion a warning glance as he approached Qoyoliiz; the elf could strategise and confer with Qoyoliiz as much as he liked, but it wouldn't make Vulgrahskein trust him. No matter how much help the elf could give them, he was still a mortal, and in some way, he would always be Vulgrahskein's enemy. He was an asset, not a brother-in-arms as the other Bloodcallers were.
'What do you want here?' Veldarion demanded. 'You should be in your place. The idea of a siege is to keep a permanent watch on your enemies, otherwise they can escape –'
'Silence, joor mey.' Vulgrahskein bared his teeth. Normally he would show some respect for the elf, since Qoyoliiz did, but this insult was more than he could bear – how dare the mortal suggest that Vulgrahskein didn't understand the strategy? He might not like this siege warfare, but it didn't mean he was too foolish to know how it worked. 'This is Daandgram. Our eye among the enemy. He has news for thur Qoyoliiz.'
'What news?' Vulgrahskin lifted his head so that he could see past Veldarion. Qoyoliiz's centre head had its eyes open and was looking in his direction, while the other two remained on the ground, apparently still asleep. Vulrahskein couldn't stop himself smiling. So, their master could rest and also be prepared for danger, at the same time? The more of Qoyoliiz he saw, the more he came to understand about his new overlord's power, the more convinced he became that this dragon, unnatural though he was, was the best hope of seeing the tyranny of mortals brought to an end.
Daandugram stepped forward eagerly. 'In, the Dragonborn has been foolish enough to announce her plans to all her warriors – those she believes to be her warriors.' He smiled woflishly. 'I can tell you when they plan to attack, and what is is they plan to do.'
Qoyoliiz's eyes glinted, and he lifted himself upright. His two other heads shook themselves, then blinked open their eyes.
'So,' he said. 'They shall play into our claws. As long as we know what they plan, they cannot win.'
Daandugram stole a glance at High Hrothgar. 'Thur,' he said, and Vulgrahskein noted the note of unease in his voice. 'They have a weapon.'
Veldarion stiffened suddenly. 'What weapon?' he demanded, the words sharp and hard. 'Tell me!'
The Blood Dragon tipped his head on one side, apparently surprised by the elf's sudden ferocity. 'They call it Dragonbane.'
Qoyoliiz's reaction was electrifying. One head burst out, 'Vokorosaal!' Another let out a sharp, yelping sound that was halfway between a roar and a gasp – not a noise Vulgrahskei would ever have expected to come from his leader. And the third gazed at Daandugram with such rage in its eyes that the Blood Dragon took what appeared to be a subconscious step backwards.
Veldarion made a violent movement with his hand, grasping at the air and curling his fingers into a tight fist. 'I should have known! When Drethin and Skarvennax and the others didn't come back, I should have suspected…'
'Dii in? Master?' Vulgrahskein spoke the words with uncharacteristic tentativeness. 'What is this weapon?'
'It is dangerous.' Qoyoliiz snarled softly. 'It could mean the end of all we have fought for.'
Vulgrahskein turned his head, looking at the lights of High Hrothgar glimmering in the darkness. And he felt his blood quickening with the fury he always felt whenever he thought of how those mortals, the very mortals who slept within those stone walls now, had oppressed his people and murdered his kin.
'Then we destroy the weapon,' he growled. 'Or take it from them.'
Qoyoliiz's heads turned towards him, and regarded him with a long, calculating gaze. Then he gestured with his tail for them to draw closer.
'Tell us all you have learned, Daandugram,' he said. He was smiling now. 'I believe we have new plans to make.'
You hadn't forgotten that Daandugram was there, had you? ;) Though seeing as I've been so hideously slow, I wouldn't be surprised if you'd forgotten everything and everyone. I really am sorry. My workload is not getting any lighter, and the most important exams of my life are getting closer by the minute. I'm technically on holiday now, but I'll be spending most of my time revising. But I should be able to get the next chapter up reasonably soon.
Thanks so much for your patience - and of course for reading and reviewing.
