"So that's settled then," sighed Sofia as Elenwen walked away from the table with Legate Rikke. "I thought for a minute there was going to be some serious trouble," she continued. "Never have I been so disappointed," she sighed.
I paused to think with annoyance at the ultimatum Delphine had just given me vis a vis Paarthurnax.
"Oh well we still have a dragon to trap at Dragonsreach which should be a little more interesting," finished Sofia.
The peace conference could have gone better and it could have gone worse. It had started out embarrassing enough when I had rounded the corner and come face to face with Elenwen.
"We meet again," she observed with a cool panache which suggested a cold wind far worse that what was blowing outside. "But this time I know who you really are."
"For what it's worth," I said with a bit of a sigh. "I'm sorry about busting up your party, along with your Solar and Bedroom . . . And killing your chief investigator . . . And four of your guards . . . And freeing all those criminals in your dungeons . . . And the fire yes, that was mine too. . . And yes, Razelan's scene where he suggested you were a slut was my idea as well."
"And he failed to let you know that the privy in the back needs cleaning," added Sofia smiling very sweetly.
"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" she replied. "You saying your sorry?"
"You have to understand," I continued. "The Blades and I did not know the history of Alduin. It was thought you might be behind it given it seemed to be benefiting you. Had we known that dragons were happily incinerating Summerset as well, then I never would have come to that party."
She gave me one of those looks women give when what appears to be the obvious solution to the dilemma I had sketched is presented to her."
"All you had to do was ask," she observed.
"And if you had been behind the dragons," I replied. "Would you have admitted it? More importantly, had I not come and you had gotten to Esbern first, would you have told me? It was after all, Esbern's knowledge which enabled me to meet and defeat Alduin on the top of this very mountain. I never would have been able to do that without him."
She was silent for a moment. That angle to the whole affair had not been considered by her.
"Politics," she sighed. "Makes things far more complicated than they are worth."
We parted with her oblivious to the fact that this conference would be the first stage in my 'Screw the Thalmor' strategy behind the scenes of it.
Ulfric and Tullius played their parts well, not that they needed much coaching nor the need to act. We all knew how this was going to be played out given the personalities involved. Ulfric started by demanding that Elenwen be expelled. I argued that as the dragons were as much of a threat to the Thalmor as the rest of us, she needed to remain so that there would be no misunderstandings. That of course made her think I was trying to make up for all the trouble I had given her at the party and put her guard down a little. Ulric and Galmar were of course offended so I had to promise them that the Empire would have to pay with a concession later. Then Ulfric demanded that the Empire turn over Markarth. Tullius replied that this was way more than Elenwen's presence was worth and I replied that perhaps he had a point and suggested Riften as an exchange. Had I been thinking, I would have proposed Falkreith instead. And the moment I found out that Maven Black Briar would be replacing Lelia Law Giver not only did I regret that suggestion, but began to speculate on a letter to my mother asking her what constituted a Night Mother Ritual. Now Lelia was not the the most aromatic incense in the temple, but while Lelia suffered from an acute naivety and faithful trust in her subordinates she made up for it with a desire to do good to her people. Maven lacked that and further exacerbated matters by having equal parts snake to her brains. But when it came down to it, Markarth and Riften were of equal status and the Stormcloaks were still annoyed with Elenwen's presence and stood up to walk out.
It was at this point that Esbern stood up and soothed the ruffled feathers. Ulfric agreed to stay provided Falkreith be turned over. As I regarded Jarl Sidgear as only slightly less annoying than Maven, I was happy to endorse that concession as the balance of decency and integrity had been addressed.
Both sides accordingly agreed to the peace treaty for the duration of the Alduin crises and parted somewhat calmly outside of Elisif calling Ulfric a murdering bastard in tone and volume certain to reach most of Skyrim. Sofia, never having been in such a large gathering of important and powerful people wasn't sure who she could safely offend so remained somewhat quiet while Serana played the 'I'm just a little silly ignorant girl nothing to see here move along don't worry about my glowing red eyes please' role quite masterfully.
Of course this was before Delphine informed me that if I wanted further cooperation from the Blades, I was to kill Paarthurnax. I gave her as diplomatic a suggestion as to where she could put her particular akaviri blade as I was able to muster. I was horribly disappointed about that. The Blades were one of the few groups I had an acute hero worship attachment to.
Once the room was empty, and Sofia had expressed her disappointment that blood had not been shed, she turned to Serana. "You think we could have taken them?" she asked.
"I don't know about what impact the Greybeards shouting would have produced," mused Serana. "But I suspect I could have sucked General Tullius dry before Legate Rikke could have responded. But if you want my real opinion, the good tasting one was clearly Galmar."
"Yeah I like him too," sighed Sofia. "Not that I would have objected to Ulfric making a frontal assault upon my center."
"Why do I think there's a double meaning to that?" queried Serana.
"You have such a dirty mind," replied Sofia. "I say the most innocent things . . ."
And so we walked down the mountain with the girls speculating on how many of them they could have killed before numbers would have overwhelmed us.
A couple of weeks later, a drunken Legate Rikke burbled out in the Winking Skeever that Ulfric's Stormcloaks were going to have a very public worship of Talos in Markarth. For some 'inexplicable' reason, word reached the Thalmor within twenty four hours and Elenwen demanded that General Tullius do something about it. Tullius responded by pointing out that there was a truce going on but as the Thalmor were not bound by the ceasefire, nothing was stopping her. A very large force of Thalmor marched out to deal with the Markarth situation and were ambushed by a very large contingent of Stormcloaks in the passes of the Reach. It was almost as if the Stormcloaks knew they were coming. It was said that none of the Thalmor escaped. A few weeks later, there was another worship ceremony, even bigger, in Falkreith. Elenwen was forced to request reinforcements from Summerset in order to address this and half of them were slaughtered when they tried to force Pale Pass coming up from Cyrodiil. Again, the Stormcloaks seemed to have known the route they were taking and what's more, were augmented by quite a number of new and enthusiastic volunteers. Then they chased Stormcloak leads all over Falkreith being persistently sniped at from behind the trees and rocks of that forested mountainous Jarldom. They never found the ceremony and lost even more men trying to extract themselves. By the end of the year Elenwen would be replaced but the new ambassador would end up being killed himself when he made the mistake of trying to conduct his own investigations of Talos worship in Dawnstar.
What could the Thalmor do? The Stormcloaks were in rebellion against the Empire and the Empire could not be held responsible for rebel behavior now could it? While Alduin would shortly be settled, that did not mean that the dragons stopped showing up, in fact they set themselves out as planning to be around for a very long time, and as immortal creatures, a very long time means A Very Very Very Very Very Very Very Long Time. Accordingly it 'made sense' to keep the cease fire in effect.
In short, Operation Screw the Thalmor promised to be a very successful bit of intrigue which had the additional benefit of slowly cooling the passions that the Nords had been building up against the Empire, for Ulfric 'very grudgingly' would admit that the ceasefire with the Empire was making this open defiance of the White-Gold Treaty possible, and the cease fire legally bound the Empire's hands from directly enforcing it themselves. And as the Thalmor had been present at the negotiations and had placed their approval on the treaty, they couldn't hold that against the Empire either.
I remember when I told my mother about it a few months later after things had settled down and I was able to travel back to the Imperial City.
"I'm so proud of you," she said.
In the meantime, we had a dragon to trap, another dragon to put down, and a vampire to fry. We headed for Whiterun and pulled the wagon in right behind Jarl Balgruuf who had been at the peace conference. Naturally I had a chat with him and we paid a visit to a certain guard captain who found himself seriously unemployed and in jail shortly thereafter. Then we walked up to the palace. Jarl Balgruuf requested that I sit and wait for a moment while he conferred with Irileth. And once she returned and nodded he turned to me and said, "We're ready Dragonborn. Just say the word."
I sighed and looked first at Sofia who was busy munching on a bit of bread. She looked back at me over the bread which she was in the process of taking a bite off of.
"You ready?" I asked her.
She paused and chewed her bite thoughtfully.
"You will be needing a kiss?" she asked me. Her tone suggested something had shifted in her thinking. It suggested that she wanted one too.
"I guess I will," I said with a smile.
She leaned over and gave me a very gentle sort of kiss, soft and sweet.
"Okay," she said. "I'm ready now."
"Sofia," observed Serana. "How many dragons have we taken down?"
"This is different," replied Sofia. "This one really is going to count."
I looked at Serana for a moment.
"Damn!" I muttered.
"Now what?" said both girls almost simultaneously.
"Jarl Balgruuf?" I asked, turning to him. "Do you have any prisoners condemned to die?" Never in my life had I said something so stupid.
"Oh that's right," sighed Serana. "Damn," she muttered to herself. Then her eyes went wide when she thought about what I had just said and what it implied.
"What has that got to do with trapping a dragon?" asked Jarl Balgruuf, quite understandably mystified.
"Well it's . . ." and then it dawned on me what I was about to say. "Nothing," I finished. "It's nothing really. Just a sort of good luck thing we do, the three of us before we have a big fight."
For once in my life, I had been the one to open my big mouth. Serana looked at me with not a little concern. Sofia likewise realized what we had just let slip.
"Dragonborn?" began the Jarl with a little concern upon his face. "Not to intrude upon your personal life but what does a condemned criminal have to do with good luck?"
"It would take longer to explain than just do it and it's not necessary," suggested Serana quietly to Jarl Balgruuf. I had to admit, the girl knew how to keep her cool in the most awkward of situations.
"This isn't some sort of Daedric ritual," suggested Irileth in a voice which was low and menacing.
Irileth was closing in on the truth way faster than I could have anticipated. I realized I had gotten us into this mess and now I was going to have to get us out. And telling a fiction at this point was going to be a very bad idea. Balgruuf and Irileth were way too smart and savvy to be easy to deceive. Too much was at stake. And besides, I was totally stumped for a way out of it.
"We need to talk privately," I suggested to both Jarl Balgruuf and Irileth.
Serana began to twitch very nervously.
"Trust me," I said turning to her.
"You had better know what you're doing," she said.
Jarl Balgruuf and Irileth looked at each other and nodded.
"This way," Irileth suggested, pointing to the doorway to the left of the throne which led into the dungeons. Once we were through there was an empty room. They looked at me for a moment.
"You came close, Irileth," I sighed. "When you opined the possibility of a Daedric ritual, because that is the cause of our little 'good luck' practice."
"Who are you worshipping?" began Irileth quietly and with not a little anger.
"No one," I said. "Just because a Daedric ritual was the cause of it does not mean we are worshipping any of the Daedra.
"Val . . ." began Serana. Sofia instinctively placed her arm out in front of Serana, almost as a gesture of protection.
"Then what . . ."
"Trust me Serana," I said. "If this turns out bad, my life is yours to do with what you will."
"Valentine!" cried Sofia.
"Val I can't possibly . . ."
"What is the meaning of this!" snapped Irileth.
I took a deep breath. "One thousand and five hundred years ago," I began. "A family made a pact with Molag Bal. As part of that pact, they offered their 17 year old daughter to him."
Irileth was right on the money and she automatically looked at Serana.
"The girl survived that awful ritual," I continued. "But only as a Daughter of Coldharbor."
"Daughter of Coldharbor . . ." began Jarl Balgruuf.
"That's our friend," I finished. "Serana, who will be assisting us in dealing with Odahviing today."
Both of the them looked at Serana with a bit of horror.
"Daughter of Coldharbor," was Irileth's stern assessment. "That means you're a vampire!"
"Vampire!" exclaimed Jarl Balgruuf. "But it's broad daylight out!"
"You asked for a condemned criminal to . . ." began Irileth thinking. "So she could feed on him."
I sighed and nodded. "There's a vampire in another Jarl's court whom the Jarl can trust with their life," I said. "And they keep that vampire in part because they protect the Jarl but they also perform the executions on those who are condemned to die. So it's not without precedent in Skyrim. But if Serana had been able to consume the blood of a human being, she would be able to look up in the sky while we fight this dragon. As it is, she won't be able to assist as much."
"And you trust your life to this Monster!" exclaimed Balgruuf.
Sofia was, for what I thought one of the first times of her life, acting as if she fully intended to protect Serana from any possible peril. Irileth noted that and her eyes narrowed suspiciously. As for Serana. I had no idea what emotions were playing across her features, she had taken on a completely neutral face. But I had no illusions that inside she was churning.
"Bring in Farengar and have him cast dispel magic on us," I offered. "You will see she has not enthralled us. And she was behind me the whole time during the peace conference."
"I think I will," concluded Jarl Balgruuf. "This has gotten far far more dangerous now."
He walked out and Irileth, her hand on her sword hilt, stood between us and the exit.
"You had to open your big fat mouth!" shouted Sofia. "Seri's in trouble now and we might not be able to do this."
"I know I know," I said swinging my arms in anger and frustration.
The door opened again and Jarl Balgruuf, holding an amulet of Arkay, came in with Farengar.
"Let's see, let's see," began Farengar. "Oh! The Jarl's protégée, you're still alive . . . It seems. But if you were a Daughter of Coldharbor that would make sense now wouldn't it . . ."
"I'm not talking about the Dragonborn," groaned Balgruuf. "How can a man who is Dragonborn be a Daughter of Coldharbor?"
"Oh yes, now I see," continued Farengar walking over to Serana and giving her a very analytical eyeing up and down. "Note the ruby gemstone quality color of the eyes, and how the skin, in spite of it's pale color seems to be in the prime of health? Yes yes, if I may take your hand for a moment?" He continued looking at Serana.
She just stood there almost statuesque, her face utterly neutral.
"Well then if I may," he continued picking up her hand, "Yes, definitely not generating any heat but feeling rather cold. This is in fact a very beautiful specimen of a Daughter of Coldharbor."
For a brief instant I could see Serana twitch.
"Can you imagine," mused Farengar walking around her and talking almost to himself. "What sort of things this woman has experienced in her life. To have lived over a thousand years if I heard correctly. What are the stories she could tell?"
"Is she a threat to the security of the Hold?" demanded Balgruuf.
"Well that depends on what sort of character she has," replied Farengar. "Unlike lower classes of Vampire, Daughters of Coldharbor and those vampires that they can create, can control their blood cravings and in the right circumstances, be beneficial to the hold. In fact a treatise written by Sybille Stentor of Haafinger over a century ago made that very argument and from what the history books on magic have suggested, created quite a stir when she did. Pity she's no longer alive. What a fascinating character she must have been."
"I . . . knew Sybille," suggested Serana very soft and politely. "She was my friend in fact."
"I need to know that they are not enthralled!" demanded Balgruuf.
"Oh yes, of course," replied Farengar coming back to the present. He expressed his magicka and a gentle white light played off of our features.
"Under no magical illusions what so ever," replied Farengar. "These two are not enthralled in the least."
"Then . . . How can you . . ." began Balgruuf looking at the two of us, Sofi and me that is.
"My Jarl," I said with a sigh. "It would take a very long and food filled dinner party to explain the full story of how we came to know . . . and love . . . Serana."
"Love?" exclaimed Balgruuf, "But Sofia's your wife!"
"Not that kind of love!" snapped Sofia. "If it was I'd kill him dead so fast!"
"You trust Irileth with your life?" I asked the Jarl.
"Of course!" he replied back.
"Why?"
"We stood back to back against our common foes!" he replied. "She never let me down when the greatest of perils lay before us."
"Well it's the same with Sofia and me," I replied. "Serana has been there with us against everything Skyrim could throw against us, including dragons."
"Irileth? Farengar? Come with me! We need to discuss this!" He turned to me not a little put out. "Return to your house Dragonborn. I will summon you when we've decided what needs to be done."
I nodded and we walked back out and towards our home.
"You . . . You have humiliated me and we might have to fight our way out of here and flee and . . . And!" began Serana suddenly exploding in anger once we got into the house.
"I'm sorry," I struggled to express. "I'm so sorry . . . You deserved none of that. I opened my damn fool mouth because I was not thinking and . . ." I walked over and placed my hand on Sofia's shoulder. Lydia stood over by the kitchen table quietly waiting.
Serana struggled herself for a moment.
"I . . . I forgive you Val," she said. "I'm just so . . ."
"Yes yes yes," I sighed. "We're in one oblivion filled moment of extreme awkwardness and I may have just destroyed our chances of catching this dragon." I gave Sofia's shoulders a squeeze and then walked over to the door and began to pound upon it with my fists.
It seemed to be hours before there was a knock on the door. Lydia walked over and opened it up.
"My Jarl?" she queried and we all stood up and waited for our fate to be pronounced.
He looked at the three of us standing there, with Irileth and Farengar beside him.
"I have," he sighed. ". . . walked into the middle of an adventure it seems. What was just a civil war has turned into a story that they will tell through the centuries. The dragons come back, Alduin the world eater himself leads them. A messanger boy comes in and turns out to be Dragonborn. And the Greybeards summon him. The next thing I know rumors of him come from all corners of Skyrim. Riften talks about how he made the very town shake. Solitude speaks of how he destroyed Potema the Wolf Queen risen from the dead. But then he gets Tullius and Ulfric to stand down. I don't know how you do it Dragonborn. But if you can take a trouble making girl who was giving my town guard no end of headaches with her brawling and husband stealing and public nudity and horse thieving and make her your wife and civilize her . . ."
"Hey!" began Sofia.
"I suppose you can keep a vampire's teeth out of the necks of my people," He finished. "Now regarding that dragon . . . We're ready Dragonborn, just say the word."
"Are you ready then," I asked. "To spring the trap on the dragon?"
"As I promised, my men stand ready. The great chains are oiled. We wait on your word."
"I'm ready," I said with a release of breath that marked a great sigh of relief. "Come on Seri. Come on Sofi. Let's go trap a dragon."
"My men know what to do. Make sure you do your part. I'm putting my city in your hands."
Serana walked over and looked quite intently at Jarl Balgruuf.
"You are not known as The Great without reason," she said. "You have given me a chance to prove my worth to the people of Whiterun and I won't let you down."
"Just . . . Just . . ." began Jarl Balgruuf. "Never mind . . ."
We stepped outside into the twilight.
"Val!" cried Serana. "Look!" She dropped her hood. Once again, things seemed to have worked out to our benefit. We would challenge Odahviing at a time when Serana would be able to look into the sky with impunity.
"Why didn't I think of this before!" I cried waving my hands in the air.
"There's not enough mead in your diet," suggested Sofia.
"Well of course," mused Serana with a slight grin. "Val simply does not get drunk enough."
"See?" crowed Sofia triumphantly. "Even Seri agrees with me."
"You two are impossible!" I snorted.
Meanwhile Irileth and Jarl Balgruuf and Farengar were watching us with intense curiosity.
Once again we entered the palace, walked up the stairs behind the throne in the great Court Hall, and out the back into the grand open portico. I stepped out onto the balcony and looked about. Everyone was ready. There were looks of nervousness and trepidation in most of them. Irileth was grim. Farengar was hopping a bit. And Jarl Balgruuf was standing in front of them.
"Go ahead and call this dragon of yours," he suggested. "We're ready."
I motioned to Sofia and Serana, and when they came up we gave each other a brief group hug and then I kissed Sofia one more time.
"We ready?" I asked.
"No, but that never stopped us before," suggested Sofia.
"Let's do this," whispered Serana.
"You do have a plan for luring that dragon here, yeah?" asked the Jarl.
"I do," I said as I turned and faced the sky. "O!" "Dah!" "Viing!"
For a second. There was silence. Then he came out of the north and dove straight for us.
"Here he comes!" I shouted.
"That's a monster!" cried Jarl Balgruuf. I had forgotten he had not been present at the last dragon attack at the watchtower.
"Kynnareth save us!" cried one of the guards who's voice sounded familiar. "Here we go again!" Which promptly informed me that he had been one of the guards at the watchtower.
Odahviing swept by the watch tower and snagged one of the guards with one of his claws and deftly tossed him over the balcony before heading off to the south. He was followed by a flurry of fire bolts from Sofia and me and ice spikes from Serana and arrows from the guards.
"Steady!" cried the Jarl. "Steady now!"
Odahviing dove by the balcony again while two guards took a couple of shots at him with their bows.
"Val?" shouted Serana. "How are we going to trap this dragon if he won't get near the chains?"
"We have to lure him into this foyer!" I shouted back.
"Maybe if we all moon him?" suggested Sofia.
Odahviing suddenly began to hover one hundred strides from the balcony.
"You can't be serious!" shouted Serana back to Sofia.
"Still afraid everyone will think mine's better looking?" challenged Sofia.
A massive wave of fire engulfed the balcony which nearly got Jarl Balgruuf but Serana, with a speed which came from her preternatural strength, swooped behind the Jarl and caught him in her arms and swung him out of the way. I noticed that he looked in shock and amazement at her for a moment, and she gave him a little nod and dashed out into the center of the Balcony and looked up. And promptly dashed back in under cover as yet another gout of flame came down from above.
"He's on the roof of the palace blowing down!" she shouted.
He swooped down and hovered in front of the balcony again.
"Dovahkiin!" He cried. "Here I am!"
"Come and get him!" shouted Sofia. "Or are you scared of what we'll do wid you?" she added with a mocking tone.
"I claim the glory of your defeat Dovahkiin!" Odahviing cried back.
"Hey!" shouted Sofia. "I'm the one talking to you!"
"How can you upstage Valentine at a time like this?" cried Serana.
"He's gotta learn it from someone!" replied Sofia. "Otherwise who'll look up to him?"
Odahviing filled the foyer with flame again. Guards were screaming Irileth was looking totally frizzled and Jarl Balgruuf was looking more than a little unnerved.
"Keep under cover now until it's down," he screamed.
"Okay!" shouted Serana. "If upstaging is what has to be done, watch from the master!" and bat wings sprang from her back and fur covered her face and she became air born.
"Gyah!" went not only one of the guards.
I had remembered her grumbling in Windhelm about turning into a big bat and flitting about laughing in evil cackles, but I presumed she had been speaking in metaphor. Then it dawned upon me that Harkon's transformation had also been bat like in form. Serana's however, was a bit more attractive, in so far as big black bats could be attractive. I mean lets face it, some of the smaller ones' as they try to climb up the wall of your home can look kind of cute in a small fuzzy way unlike fuzzy spiders the same size who totally fail to look kind of cute when they are crawling up the wall. Swooping by your nose and missing it by inches is not when bats are looking their best I'll grant.
"Daughter of Coldharbor!" cried Odahviing. "You shall not get drunk on my blood!" He unleashed another great gout of flame which Serana deftly avoided as she shot up past him, banked, and then swooped in behind and dived for his head. His bellowing rage suggested to me that while she had not 'latched' on, she had taken a very deliberate bite as she had swooped by his neck and flown right into the foyer. He dived in after her as I saw her once again start to take human form. There was something off about the transformation but I was too busy focusing on Odahviing to realize just what was happening.
"Hey!" shouted Sofia. "Not fair!"
"Bet you can't do that!" mocked Serana to Sofia.
And Odahviing was once more engulfing everyone in front of him with his fire. Everyone was shouting and screaming and diving for cover to either side but that great Dragon charged right into the foyer and the guards who had been responsible for releasing the trap did so perfectly. The great wood yoke came down and the great iron prongs closed around the dragon's neck and he was caught.
There was a moment of silence as I scanned the face of Odahviing.
"Well," came Sofia's voice from behind me in a musing contemplative manner. "Your behind is almost as cute as mine, but not entirely."
I turned and suddenly realized, along with Serana who let loose a horrified shriek, that when she had transformed she had lost her armor, in fact she had lost all articles of clothing that she had been wearing prior to her transformation. And it had not come back when she had returned to human form. Most of the Nord's had the courtesy of turning their backs on her. And I did too. I just unfortunately failed to recognize what had actually happened for a second and so I was a little behind the rest of the Nords regarding Serana's rather shapely behind.
"Quit staring at her YOU PERVERT!" screamed Sofia to me.
"I wasn't staring!" I shouted back.
"Give me something to wear please!" cried Serana. "Oh by the blood I'm so . . . Augh!"
"Just a second," suggested Sofia who was not above milking this for all it was worth. "Don't lose your panties now."
"Rather ironic comment don't you think?" I suggested keeping my gaze firmly on Odahviing.
"This isn't FUNNY, Val!"
"It will be eventually," I proposed.
"I hate you, Val," she hissed.
"Valentine?" queried Sofia. "Where's Serana's backpack? She's got all her little red . . ."
Serana screamed again.
I sighed, unclasped my cloak, and began to back up towards where Serana's voice had emanated. It would have been very gentlemanly and elegant and chivalrous had I not tripped and fallen backwards landing on the flat of my back and staring right up at Serana who promptly covered my eyes with her foot, not entirely gently either. The problem was, as she quickly realized, that she could not keep my eyes covered with her foot while reaching for my cloak which was also on the floor with me.
"My eyes are closed now," I said.
"You promise! You swear to your last drop of blood?" Serana replied.
"Yes," I replied.
Her foot came off. I lifted the cloak up and she snagged it almost immediately the moment she could. I rolled over on my stomach, got up and once again tried to get my bearings so I would not be looking in Serana's direction.
"I think it's holding," suggested one of the guards looking at Odahviing.
"Nid!" cried Odahviing.
"Incredible," mused Farengar who came walking up at this juncture.
I walked up to Odahviing, right behind Farengar, and looked at the dragon in the eye.
"Good fight," I suggested. "You nearly beat us."
"Zok frini grind ko grah drun vikii, Dovahkiin. Zu'u bonaar. You went to a great deal of trouble to put me in this . . . humiliating position," groaned Odahviing.
"I don't like sucking Dragon souls," I replied. "Seems to me that anything that speaks and keeps it's word at all times deserves a certain amount of respect and honor. Especially when so many of my fellow humans and mer don't keep theirs. So I prefer trapping alive to killing. But in this case, it was vitally important that we trap you."
"Hind siiv Alduin, hmmm? No doubt you want to know where to find Alduin," suggested Odahviing.
"Not to mention the high degree of intelligence you all possess," I added. "So naturally yes, you have correctly guessed my motives for trapping you. So where is he hiding right now?"
"Is he always this complimentary to his foes?" queried Jarl Balgruuf to Serana. He had pulled off his outer long vest and given it to her in an effort to help her cover up. He correctly had deduced that she had deliberately sought to protect him personally during the fight and he was prepared to honor that. She slipped the vest under my cloak and was wearing my cloak backwards so she was completely covered down to her knees. I had to admit her feet were rather cute looking as it had been the first time I had seen them out of her boots. They were, like her face, pale and wan, but her toes were evenly spaced.
"Yes," she replied. "It's how we keep our enemies list to a manageable level. But he also speaks as highly of his friends and especially Sofia who doesn't always deserve it."
"I heard that Seri!" replied Sofia. "You're just jealous my bottom is cuter than yours now that all doubt has been removed."
"I don't think I need to know the story behind that comment," sighed Jarl Balgruuf. "But given her past history I suspect I can guess very well."
"Rinik vazah, an apt phrase," replied Odahviing. "Alduin bovul. One reason I came to your call was to test your Thu'um for myself. Many of us have begun to question Alduin's lordship, whether his Thu'um was truly the strongest."
"But isn't he still the First Born of Akatosh?" I asked. "Surely that merits some honor."
"Honor yes, but dominion?" replied Odahviing. "Our concerns are expressed privately among ourselves of course. Mu ni meyye. None are yet ready to openly defy him."
"You were telling me where to find Alduin?" I continued the questioning.
"Unslaad krosis. Innumerable pardons. I digress," replied Odahviing. "He has traveled to Sovngarde to regain his strength, devouring the sillesejoore . . . the souls of the mortal dead. A privilege he jealously guards . . . His door to Sovngarde is at Skuldafn, one of his ancient fanes high in the eastern mountains. Mindoraan, pah ok middovahhe lahvraan til. I surely do not need to warn you that all his remaining strength is marshaled there."
"No doubt," I replied. "No doubt." I paused and pulled out my map and began to examine it. There was very little to indicate where exactly this fane was to be found.
"Zu'u lost afan hin laan . . . Now that I have answered your question, you will allow me to go free?" asked Odahviing.
I looked at him.
"You have not sworn allegiance to me," I observed. "Nor have you offered service. Accordingly you could, upon being released, be free to honorably return to Alduin, report upon our knowledge of his whereabouts and face us yet again. So you will remain here until Alduin is defeated."
"Hmm . . . Krosis . . . There is one detail about Skuldafn I neglected to mention," suggested Odahviing.
"Cheeky," commented Sofia. "Cheeky dragon."
I smiled and looked back at Sofia and winked. She gave me a little grin back. I could not believe just how intense my love for her felt at that moment. It was one of those times when my arms literally ached to hold her in them. I continued to smile at her for another second and she tilted her head back and looked at me under the rim of her eyes.
"Tell me what you know then," I said, after turning back to Odahviing.
"Only this," he said. "You have the Thu'um of a dovah, but without the wings of one you will never set foot in Skuldafn."
"Very clever," I observed. "You are a most formidable foe. Even now you still fight."
"Of course I could fly you there, but not while imprisoned like this."
"No doubt," observed Jarl Balgruuf who was slowly getting closer to Odahviing. After all, it wasn't every day that a person got the opportunity to speak to a living dragon who's age went into the first Era, if not the mythic times. "Do you expect us to take your word for that?"
"Ahraan, you wound me Jarl. I may not tell the whole truth, but I am no liar."
"Dragons will not lie," I explained. "They value words more than life itself. We can trust him."
"Go and see for yourself," replied Odahviing to Jarl Balgruuf. "Zu'u ni bo nol het. I will be here. Unless Alduin returns before you do."
"I have a hold to manage," replied the Jarl. "I will take the Dragonborn's word for it. For all his challenges to my view of sanity, he has yet to prove wrong."
I turned and noted that Farengar was literally straining at the bit.
"Well," I said to him. "You have your chance to talk to the genuine live dragon. I won't be flying off to Skuldafn tonight."
Farengar almost dashed forward and began talking. "Uh, sir," he said. "You have no idea how long I have waited for such an opportunity. I would be most appreciative if you would allow me to perform some, ah, tests upon you. Purely in the interests of the advancement of knowledge."
"What?" I queried.
"This is gonna be a HOOT!" laughed Sofia. "Yes, this will be so funny I gotta see!"
"Sofi!" cried Serana looking nerviously at both Sofia and Odahviing and Farengar. Her eyes were almost vibrating they were shifting so fast.
"Begone Mage," growled Odahviing. "Do not test my promise to the Dovahkiin."
"I assure you," continued Farengar who was now working his way around the back of the dragon. "You will not even notice me. Most of them are hardly painful at all to a large dragon such as yourself."
"Painful?" I asked. "Farengar what are you thinking of? This isn't some laboratory cat here."
"Farengar, very bad idea, even for you." Irileth suggested.
"Surely you wouldn't miss a few scales or a small amount of blood," continued Farengar.
"Yes, this is so awesome funny!" squealed Sofia with an almost childish delight.
"Joor mey. What are you doing back there? Yor Tool Shul!" cried Odahviing as his head arched up and he filled the rafters with fire.
Fortunately that frightened Farengar sufficiently that he dashed off while Sofia just leaned against the wall and giggled much to Serana's shock and annoyance.
I turned to Odahviing.
"Sorry about that. I had no idea he would be so demeaning in behavior. I'll be flying you to Skuldafn tomorrow morning first thing," I said. "Then you will be free to go."
The dragon nodded and we headed out of the palace.
Sofia sighed wistfully and Serana was quiet.
"We'll see about getting something on you when we get back," I said.
"I had completely forgotten about that quality of transformation," sighed Serana.
"You really don't need to worry about it," suggested Sofia. "While your body is not as good as mine, it's not without it's charms and pretty vistas. I wouldn't mind looking at it."
"Thanks," muttered Serana. "That's just what I wanted to hear."
"No problem," answered Sofia.
We walked into Breezehome and Lydia informed Serana that the second bed in the spare bedroom had been made up for her. She thanked Lydia but said she would be sleeping in the wagon. Lydia looked at me askance for a second and I promised her I would explain it shortly. I waited for Serana to leave and then I told Lydia all about Serana's need to sleep in a coffin. Lydia understood and kind of felt a little sheepish because she admitted that it was easy to forget that Serana was a vampire. Then I went upstairs to join Sofia who had already informed me she would be in bed.
When I walked into our upstairs bedroom it was clear that Sofia was in a love making mood. All that she had covering her was a fur coverlet which she rather neglectfully had placed somewhat over her torso. She was on her side postured towards me with her face fixed on mine. Her expression seemed a bit sad and lonely.
"Sofi girl," I said almost in a whisper. "What's the matter?"
"Well you caught the dragon," she sighed. "Now I guess you'll be heading to Sovngarde but luckily only as a guest and not as a permanent resident. I guess I'll be staying behind but I wish you luck."
"What?"
"Well he said he would be flying you . . ."
"And you think I won't be taking you too? How can I hope to face Alduin without one of your larynx massaging kisses before hand."
"That's why I'm naked now, at least under this fur coverlet which I can toss so I can really be naked but I'm keeping it sort of on me because I suspect it makes me more of a tease . . ."
"You're coming with me girl. I can't do this without you."
"Really? You really can't do this even after I make seriously incredible love to you, the sort I always make but this time even more fantastic than usual?"
"Even after," I replied.
"Well then no point in making love right now so I'll put my clothes back on and . . ."
Needless to say I objected to that most strenuously and there was a bit of a wrestling match which she apparently decided to lose rather dramatically observing that I was about to pierce her with my big Dragonborn sword but she didn't think she ought to be worried about it.
I held her very tightly afterwards because quite frankly I was not a little scared about what I would be doing in the morning.
Dawn came way to soon for my tastes and after giving Sofia a very long and loving back scratch, which ended with yet another love making session, we got dressed and bid farewell to Lydia. As usual, I reminded Lydia that the house ownership would pass to her should Sofia and I not return. Then we walked around to the back of the house where the wagon was parked and pulled Serana out of her coffin.
"Well," she sighed. "You two are off to Sovngarde this morning. You'll have to tell me what it was like."
"Serana," I said. "You're coming with."
"What?" She exclaimed. "Val I can't possibly go there not in the condition I am . . ."
"Serana," I said sternly looking right at her in the most Alpha of Alpha dog expressions I could muster. "You may end up dead and in Coldharbor, but not before you get a glimpse of Sovngarde. It will take Arkay himself barring the way before you get out of this little trip."
Serana just looked at me, and remained unmoving.
"Val," she said softly. "I'm afraid."
"I know," I replied. And Sofia and I grabbed her arms and in spite of her preternatural strength we dragged that girl all the way to the dragon, pulled her up onto him and the three of us were airborne shortly thereafter.
"Quit squeezing me so HARD, Seri!" whined Sofia as the lands of Skyrim floated steadily beneath us.
But that is only par for the course for an adventure.
