Entry 39

Turdas, 9th of Frostfall

It is done. In the early hours of this day in Sovengarde, this one slew Alduin and fulfilled her destiny as Dragonborn. Yesterday evening, this one and Vilkas went to rhe Jarl's palace in Whiterun and helped him set the trap. This one called the dragon Ohdahviing and he came, unable to resist. Using Dragonrend he was grounded and lured into the trap. He found Alduin unworthy of ruling and agreed to take this one to his portal to Sovngarde within the ancient fane of Skuldafn, but only if he was released of course. The guards were nervous, but once he was free, he went to balcony, ready to fly this one to Skuldafn.

She could go alone, she and her friends knew this.

This one approached Inigo to say her goodbyes, but they were lodged in her throat.
"Don't say it, my friend." His voice trembled. "If this is our last time together, I want to smile. So, please..."

He did not look at her when he reached out and took her hand, determinedly gazing at Ohdahviing's scaly hide.
"Would Mr. Dragonfly like to say it, then?" This one asked.
"He is saying it right now, but I cannot relay his words. Because this is not...it isn't..."
Tears burned this one's eyes and Inigo's voice broke. This one wanted so to see his face one last time and took his chin in her hands. Inigo avoided her gaze, tears sparkling within his orange eyes. The sight nearly broke this one.
He blinked hard, scrubbed his eyes, and snatched up this one's hands and held them to his chest.

"This is not goodbye, my friend. It cannot be. I...I will see you again. All we've been through, the things we've seen and done together, it cannot have been for nothing! I did not open my heart and soul to you to lose you to some big, smelly lizard, J'Hirra. So you come back."
This one pulled him into her arms and he held her to him.
"J'Hirra will bring you back a sweetroll from Shore's Meadhall. "
"I...I will hold you to that."
"It has been a delight, Inigo the Brave. This one has never known a truer friend, and she never will again."
"Nor will I, my dear friend." We both began to cry and the heartbreak this one felt at our parting was as great as the loss of her mother.

When Khajiit turned to face Vilkas, emotions were sparkling within his eyes. This one did not know if she would see him again. He held her tightly and this one clung to him. "It has been an honor, J'Hirra." He told her, his voice trembling. "If…if I don't see you in this life, I will see you and Kodlak in Sovngarde."

"This one is Khajiit, Vilkas. She cannot go to Sovngarde."
"Aye, you will. You have the heart of a Nord hero of old in you. That's good enough."
"This one will come back, Vilkas. She will try her hardest."
"You had better."
"This one loves you, Vilkas. The moment she returns, she will come find you."
"I love you, too."

This one stepped out of his arms for what she thought might be the last time and climbed aboard the dragon's neck.
We took to the skies and Vilkas did not look away until we'd gone.
Just before she vanished behind the clouds, this one saw Inigo put his hand on Vilkas' shoulder. Vilkas did not push him away.
Ohdahviing carried this one high into the eastern mountains where hordes of powerful draugr awaited her. It was the fight of her life just to reach the portal. She slew the dragon priest before he could reclaim his staff to seal the portal, then she leaped in and was carried up, higher and higher.

The realm of Sovengarde is a place like none other and this one was the first Khajiit to walk it. Alduin's soul-snare filled the whole area, a mist that only this one's shout of Clear Skies could break through. This one found lost soldiers, dead King Toryg, and Kodlak. Kodlak was lost and afraid. All this time he'd been searching for Shor's hall. Khajiit's heart wept for him and she told him to stay put and reassured him that she would end this. He did not doubt her; he never did.

This one found the way to Shor's hall and was greeted by a giant of a Nord; Tsun. This one announced to him that she came for Alduin, seeking passage to Shor's hall by right of honor as the leader of the Companions. Tsun wanted to test her mettle and so we fought briefly. With a few good hits, she staggered him and he deemed her worthy to cross the great bone bridge leading the way to Shor's hall.

How to describe it? The honor of being greeted at the door by Ysgramor himself, seeing Olaf One-Eye and speaking with Jurgen Windcaller! Nothing comes close, even as she writes this, it all tries to fade from her memory like a dream! But ti was real! A feast awaited this one in the hall; Ox roasted on spits over roaring fires, the smell was mouth-watering! Warriors fought and laughed and drank the finest golden mead and this one took a sweetroll with her just to prove she has been there. (Inigo won't even eat it. We've put it in a special case where it can be displayed.)

Awaiting her were the Tongues; Hakon One-Eye, Gormlaith and Felldir. Together, we used our Thu'um to clear away the mists and Alduin came to battle! His shout tore open the skies; flaming rocks plummeted to the earth and shook it to its roots. Khajiit used Dragonrend to ground him and we charged him. This one's blade bounced off his stone-scales and so she hooked her battle axe into the underside of his neck. His blood soaked her blade and he whirled around with a bellow, catching us off guard as his tail hurtled into our sides. Khajiit felt as if she'd been hit by a mammoth.

He spat a gout of fire at Gormlaith and as the fur of her armor burned, Hakon shouted "Fus Ro Dah!" and Alduin was stunned out of his rage. Dragonrend wore off and, this one, distracted, did not have time to use it again as his wings opened and he took to the skies. The mist encased us once more, the cosmos were blocked out, and we spread out to avoid being crushed all at once as flaming rocks plummeted to earth, blowing open the ground at our feet.

The ground shook and this one heard him land somewhere nearby. She whirled behind her and blood-red eyes found hers, looming through the mists. She felt the heat of his breath, smelled flesh and blood, and she hurled herself forward, embedding her axe into the roof of his mouth.

His scream of pain pierced her ears and the mists cleared. Khajiit shouted and Alduin was grounded. "Now!" This one cried and the heroes of old charged from the mists and surrounded him. He charged J'Hirra and she slid beneath him and as he passed, dug her blade into his belly and he ripped himself open on her blade. He stumbled, and this one rolled out from under him before his insides could fall out onto her.

Alduin's roar of fury split the air; the scales exploded off his body and his soul went not to J'Hirra but to the very heavens themselves. Almost as if it were being stored away for the future. It may very well be so. Khajiit doubts he can ever truly be killed, and he may return at the end of time to fulfill his destiny as eater of worlds. But that is for the next world to deal with.

The soldiers she has seen wandering the mists rushed to meet this one in the clearing, crying tears of joy at the sight of Shor's Hall and praising her. Kodlak stepped from the fading mists and this one's heart swelled at the sight of him. Tears were in his eyes and he stood tall and powerful as he looked towards Shor's Hall, finally open to him. He put his large, warm hand upon this one's shoulder and told her,
"Your deeds are seen from Sovngarde, J'Hirra. You have brought honor to us all."
Khajiit dropped her axe and ran to him.

She threw her arms around him and he held her tightly. She did not hold him long of course, the man has been waiting for ages to finally enter Shor's Hall. With shaking legs, Kodlak climbed the steps leading towards the bridge. He looked back and called, "All hail the Dragonborn, hail her with great praise!" All the souls around this one erupted into cheers. Tsun approached and told this one to speak to him when she wished to return and that when her time came, she would be welcomed to Shor's Hall with open arms.

This one was ready and was sent home with a parting gift; a shout to summon a hero of old to this one's side when in need. When this one returned she was standing before Paarthurnax at the peak of the throat of the world. All around her were dragons! This one drew her weapon, but the dragons did not attack; they bowed before Paarthurnax and took flight.

Paarthurnax was saddened at Alduin's defeat, but was proud of this one. He plans to try to turn more dragons towards the Way and rule them. Arngeir and the Greybeards were awaiting J'Hirra. Arngier confessed that he too did not believe Alduin could ever truly be destroyed. But it didn't matter. He told this one, "You've done your part. Now go on, Dragonborn; your future lies before you."

This one returned to Whiterun and found Vilkas just returning from a job with the Companions, Inigo by his side, their arms around one another's shoulders. Inigo must have said something amusing, for they both laughed, though their smiles weren't as bright as this one knew they could be. She called out to them and both men turned her way. The joy that filled their faces is indescribable, nor can this one describe the emotions that brought tears to her eyes and caught the breath in her throat at the sight of the two most important men in her life.

Vilkas dropped his greatsword and he ran. "My friend! Oh, my friend, I cannot believe it!" Inigo cried out and they tore down the street to her, nearly bowling over Idolaf Battle Born, knocking over Nazeem, and this one opened her arms to them and they collided into her, nearly knocking her off her feet. Inigo swept her into his arms and spun her round and this one didn't know if we were laughing or crying as we stared into others eyes, hardly able to believe we could see one another again.

"You've done it, my friend! By the Moons, you've done it! All hail the Dragonborn!" Inigo cried, sweeping her off her feet again and this one laughed as the world became a blur around her and all that mattered was his scent and his laughter and the warmth of his arms.

Vilkas coughed and Inigo shoved this one towards him. "Go on." He was giddy, and this one could feel his tender gaze as this one turned towards Vilkas. At the sight of him, everything ceased to exist. It was just J'Hirra and Vilkas, together again despite all the odds, as it had always been. Shaking his head, tears sparkling in his eyes, he walked to her and this one met him halfway and we held each other for what felt like an age. No words were said, none were needed. We shared a kiss and headed inside for much needed rest.

This one has fulfilled her destiny as Dragonborn. So what now? It is quite the empty feeling. But this one is not devoid of purpose. She has Vilkas and the Companions. Without the fate of the world sitting on her shoulders, she has time to rest and plan her future. That is a good thing indeed.

I just wanted to thank everyone for showing such enthusiasm in this story.
It was just something I wrote for fun, a way to roleplay while I was playing my game. I didn't expect anyone to read it, let alone comment.
I've never gotten close to 100 comments on anything I've written before. I'm really grateful, so thank you!
There's still the two DLCs and the civil war to cover in this story (it's pretty long), so it is far from over. Enjoy the ride!