The guards were standing beside the lever on the second level of Dragonsreach, waiting for the command from Jarl Vignar to lower the trap. Minerva was seated on the bench eating an apple. The heavy trap fell as coordinated, once again causing a slight tremor under her feet.
Vignar clapped happily because the trap worked flawlessly for the third time in a row.
Several days have passed since Minerva had come to Whiterun. The soldier's from all around Skyrim started arriving the day before, with more soldier's coming into the city almost every noon. Dozens of warrior's prepared for the worst scenario, but since the trap worked Vignar was confident there would be no harm to the citizens.
Minerva had eaten the entire apple when she stood from the bench and headed towards Vignar, who was directing the guards to place more arrows over the entire second floor.
"When do you think we will be ready?" Minerva asked, pulling Vignar's attention to her.
Vignar released a nervous laugh, "There are soldier's coming from all over Skyrim, still. We need to wait for them so that we can assure that no harm comes to the citizens."
The same answer she'd heard for the last few days made her frown. She was anxious to get this over with, even though she understood the dangers of rushing through the preparations. However, to her, the preparations couldn't end soon enough.
Vignar resumed directing the guards when a figure entered the space. Minerva had to look twice to recognize Ralof, wearing a polished set of Nordic armor, no helmet. The armor made him look like a war hero.
She hadn't visited him after she'd left the night at the Bannered Mare. To see him almost fully recovered slightly surprised her.
As he confidently walked over to them, she noticed there was barely any sign of the agony he'd survived.
When the Jarl noticed him, he turned fully to face him. "Ah, Ralof. It's good to see you."
"Jarl Vignar," he greeted with a slight bow of his head, "My strength is returning, thanks to the Dragonborn."
"Aye, you've surely come to repay her help?" Vignar asked with humor in his voice.
Ralof looked at her, mesmerised. Minerva felt slightly embarrassed, but she couldn't break his gaze.
"Aye," he spoke wistfully, even though he was here with them he seemed far away in his mind. "That I have. The Dragonborn needs all the help she can get."
"Right. I believe the last group of soldiers is about to arrive this noon. Will you get them acquainted with the situation?" Vignar asked.
Ralof nodded and headed towards the exit. Minerva watched his back all until he disappeared. The way with which he'd looked at her earlier wouldn't leave her mind. She was irritated at herself because she wished to find out what had been going on through his mind while he looked so lovestruck at her.
The rest of the day passed quickly, before sunset Minerva took a stroll through the city. The marketplace was empty, the stalls clear of any product. Numerous guards patrolled through the empty streets and maneuvered through the heavy barricades placed everywhere, all awaiting the signal.
As she walked the streets, she noticed how tense everyone was, the dread loomed over anyone, guards and peasants alike. Fear clawed at their hearts and conjured restless nights. Even Vignar who'd been so conscious of their victory earlier didn't seem as confident anymore.
Everyone was anxious. Minerva had been aware of how dire the situation was, but now the fear of her failure intensified and swallowed what little confidence she'd gathered over the past few days. She'd been eager to summon the dragon, even to drop a few preparations thinking they wouldn't be necessary. Now, she hoped for a little more time.
But there was no time. Tomorrow, everything will be ready. Minerva looked at the deep orange sun setting behind the Throat of the World, dread consuming her courage.
Tomorrow at noon she would summon the beast. Only the divines knew whether her path would be marked by the death of hundreds of innocents.
####
The moisture was gone from her mouth, her lips pursed in a thin line, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she watched the beautiful blue sky before her. The balcony had an astounding view of the lands surrounding Whiterun.
The tension was gut wrenching. The faint roars of a dragon in the far distance seeped fear into her heart. Whether those roars belonged to Odahviing or a lesser dragon remained to be seen.
Minerva inhaled deeply. She couldn't understand her fear; she'd faced numerous dragons before, devoured their souls and fought them without an ounce of hesitation.
Why was she crippled with fear, then? She clenched her hands into tight fists as they started to shake.
"Alright," Ralof sighed as he appeared next to her. "We tried the trap again and it works. Now we just need a dragon to trap." He looked at her profile, his expression tight. "We are ready when you are, Minerva."
She glanced behind her shoulder at the soldier's standing ready with their weapons drawn, at Jarl Vignar dressed in Steel Plate armor. No matter how brave they tried to be, the fear was written over all of them.
She returned her attention to the front, wondering whether she looked just as afraid as them. Perhaps they were afraid because they could sense her fear?
"Ralof."
She softly called and knew she was rewarded with his attention. She inhaled again, before admitting, "If things go bad, if I can't win this battle, then I'm sorry."
There was a short moment of silence before his chuckle reached her ears. She looked at him and was met with a confident grin.
He took a tentative step towards her and lowered his voice to admit, "I know you're stronger than any dragon out there, even stronger than Alduin. You can do this."
His words comforted her, even though they didn't banish the fear completely. But fear or not, she needed to do what was expected of her. The more she waited, the more dangerous grew Alduin's power.
She couldn't postpone this any longer. She had no idea what to expect, she kept hoping the dragon was somehow friendly.
She took a deep breath, her heart started to race and pound against her eardrums. She noticed Ralof signaled the people behind them with the raise of his arm.
Exhaling, she forced the shout out of her mouth.
"Od-Ah-Viing!"
A bird landed right in front of her on the railing, its musical tweets almost making her forget what she was about to face. It was a blue bird with a yellow tummy, and was looking at Minerva as though it was wondering why she was so tense.
Minerva was aware of every slight shift of air, of every doubtful murmur coming from the guards behind her.
"Did the shout not work?" one asked.
"Where is it?" another asked after several moments passed with no dragon appearing.
Minerva looked around, searching for the dragon as adrenaline pumped through her. She was expecting it to appear every second.
However with each passing second with the dragon not appearing, she wondered whether the shout worked at all. What if Paarthurnax taught her the wrong shout? Could such a thing even be possible?
The bird flew away. The second it did, she noticed the sharp change of wind. This couldn't have been natural.
With the thought gone, the dragon appeared from beneath the balcony, holding onto the railing with its sharp claws.
The roar it released staggered them and Minerva stumbled back a few steps, not once tearing her eyes from it. This had been a good opportunity to use Dragonrend, if she only hadn't been so in awe of the beast.
It pushed itself off of the railing and circled in the air as if mocking them.
"Dovahkiin! Ahst laat, saad jur!"
At last, a real challenge.
Everyone directed their arrows at the dragon without waiting for her command. The fear dominated the rational part of their minds and they fought it without thinking.
A guard posted on the towers paid with their life. The dragon gripped them with its claws and flew high into the sky before he dropped them. The screams would haunt her for the next few nights as the person fell from high above into their death.
Minerva had a hard time following it, and cursed when none of their arrows or magic even came remotely close to it. She only needed the dragon to stop for a second and she would unleash the might of Dragonrend upon it.
"How can we force it to land?!" Vignar yelled from somewhere behind her.
Minerva stood by the railing as she summoned her fire magic, shooting several fireballs at it to draw its attention. One fireball managed to hit its tail and its eyes focused on her. The color drained from her face as the beast flew directly at them, but it was exactly what she needed to bring it down.
"Joor-Zah-Frul!"
The Dragonrend shout hit its mark. As the shout drained its strength, it was forced to land on the balcony right in front of her. Minerva stared into the eyes of the beast, she refused to be intimidated by its size. She walked backwards to make sure the beast was following her to where the trap was.
"Yol-Tor-Shul!"
She summoned the strongest ward to block the shout while she kept luring the beast to where she needed it to be. She looked behind and noticed the red line on the ground was a few more steps away. The dragon used the same shout again, with Minerva using the same ward.
When the red line appeared below her feet, she used Dragonrend again, temporarily crippling the beast.
"Now!" she yelled from the top of her lungs.
The guards unleashed the trap. The heavy wooden piece fell to the ground right around the dragons neck, causing a slight tremor. The dragon squirmed and tried to break free, roaring angrily. Everyone had their weapons directed at the dragon, despite it being unable to move.
The power of the shout dissipated, and only then did she notice the arrows and magic had barely even scratched its scales.
The dragon looked at her and spoke in the ancient language so fast Minerva couldn't understand one word.
"Ah, I forget," it suddenly switched to the language she understood, "You do not have the dovah speech. My… eagerness to meet you in battle was my… undoing. Dovahkiin. I salute your, hmm, low cunning in devising such a grahmindol – stratagem."
It moved its neck harshly, stirring the chains holding the trap in place. She wondered whether the chains were as strong as they looked.
However, the dragon seemed calmer and didn't look as though it would attack them, but she wouldn't risk it and release the trap just yet.
It looked around as much as it could from its current position, and found everyone at the ready to kill it. He gave a strange sound before looking at her. "You have went to a great deal of trouble to put me in this… humiliating position. But no doubt you wish to know where to find Alduin?"
Minerva nodded, "He escaped, and Paarthurnax assured me you could tell where he went."
He growled as though he agreed with her. "Alduin cannot be slain here. But even if I am to tell you where he is, you need to be strong enough to face him. One reason I came to your call was to test your Thu'um myself."
Her eyes narrowed. "And why would you do that?" she demanded.
"Many of us have begun to question Alduin's lordship, and whether his Thu'um is truly the strongest. Of course, none of the dovah have had the courage to openly defy him. Yet."
"So if there would be someone stronger than Alduin, you would consider following them, instead?" she summarised and found the thought more than thrilling. If she managed to defeat Alduin… she shook her head, unable to grasp the idea of dragons following her lead if she defeated Alduin.
Not if, when I defeat him, she corrected herself.
Odahviing seemed to sense her thoughts, "The dovah follow the strongest Thu'um, whether that be another dovah or the Dovahkiin. Paarthunax and I are mul – strong. But Alduin is diistkiin do – Firstborn of Akatosh. There cannot be a stronger dovah than him." The dragon silenced and looked as though it was inspecting her, gauging her. "But your Thu'um is strong. I can feel its fiit to my bones."
"So you will tell me where Alduin is?" she asked again.
The dragon gave a sound of approval, "Alduin has traveled to Sovngarde, devouring the sillesejour… the souls of mortal dead. A privilege he jealously guards.
"His door to Sovngarde is at Skuldafn, one of his ancient fanes high in the eastern mountains. I do not need to tell you that his remaining force is marshalled there."
"Sovngarde…" Minerva muttered, having a hard time believing anything the dragon was telling her. Her features narrowed as she regarded it with distrust. "And I should blindly trust you and believe what you just said?"
Odahviing looked insulted, but its voice remained calm, surprisingly. "I have done nothing to earn your distrust, Dovahkiin. You do not need to believe me, but Alduin will grow strong enough to devour the world."
Minerva continued to speak to Odahviing, and found out that the only way to reach Skuldafn was to rely on a dragon. Odahviing offered its help, but in order to do so she needed to release it, and with it came a horde of questions.
Could she trust it? Would the beast unleash havoc upon them? Was she even strong enough to kill it, if the situation became dire? Was it speaking the truth? How was she supposed to travel to Sovngarde and expect to return to the plane of the living?
"One minute," she said to it, and the dragon moved its wings, raising the dust from all around them.
"My patience runs cold, Dovahkiin," it warned, and Minerva reluctantly stepped away from it, heading towards a corner to think.
Ralof appeared next to her, as well as Jarl Vignar. They both asked for guidance.
"And?" Ralof asked.
Minerva quickly explained what the dragon had revealed. Were the situation different, she would have laughed at their wide eyed, shocked faces.
"He wants you to release him?!" Vignar repeated out loud and Minerva frowned. She didn't want him to announce the next stage of the plan like this because the nearby guards shifted and gasped nervously.
She nodded, explaining, "He says he will take me to Alduin, but in order to do so I need to set him free, obviously."
"It was dangerous enough to lure him here, but now we need to release him?!" Vignar spoke in disbelief. Minerva raised an eyebrow at the fear radiating from him. It showed the Jarl wasn't a warrior and solidified the whispers of Vignar being a coward.
"I don't know," Ralof sighed calmly, his focus at the dragon, "He doesn't look like he is lying."
"And how do we know exactly if he's lying or not? Have you ever spoken to a dragon before?!" Vignar added anxiously.
Minerva looked behind her shoulder at the dragon, a handful of guards gathered in front of it and stared at it in awe. The dragon didn't seem to mind, although it kept growling at them.
She looked back at the two men in front of her. "He doesn't seem to mind the audience," she said, referring to the guards gathered in front of the beast. She sighed, "I think I will have to risk it."
"Dragonborn-"
"The longer we wait, the stronger Alduin gets. Remember, Jarl Vignar?" Minerva interrupted him.
Ralof's expression sobered, but he nodded in agreement. "Alright. I'll tell the others to be ready."
Minerva nodded and watched Ralof hurrying to the rest of the guards, informing them of the plan. She went back to the dragon and the guards dispersed back to their posts.
"What will it be, Dovahkiin?!" it demanded loudly.
"First, let me be clear," she spoke, facing the dragon bravely, "You won't hurt anymore people. Do you understand?" The dragon silently watched her and Minerva saw it narrowed its eyes at her. She continued nonetheless. "Second, I will set you free."
Minerva looked at Ralof who was on the second floor and nodded to him. He understood and yelled the order to lift the trap while the other guards kept their weapons ready. The moment the beast was free it stretched its neck and wings before it roared. For a second she thought it would attack them, but a stone fell from her heart when it turned its attention at her.
"I await your command, Dovahkiin, as promised. Are you ready to see the world as only a dovah can?!"
She was aware of how dire the situation was. However, Minerva wasn't ready to fly to Skuldafn. Not without taking care of a few things.
"Not now. I need to prepare properly," she admitted instead.
Odahviing was heading back towards the balcony as it spoke, "Very well, Dovahkiin. Shout my name when you are ready to battle the World-Eater."
Minerva watched the dragon ascend and disappear into the distance, half expecting it to turn back and attack them. A few heartbeats passed and she allowed herself to relax, exhaling deeply to release the tension.
"Looks like its really gone," Ralof spoke from next to her as they both stared at the panorama before them.
They both remained silent. She realized she didn't have much time left. Soon, she would head to Sovngarde to fight the World-Eater, to fulfill her destiny. Whether she was destined to stay in Sovngarde remained to be seen.
That was why she couldn't leave with the beast when it had asked her to, she needed to see the children one last time, and she needed to go to the Palace of the Kings. She needed to see Ulfric before heading towards her possible end.
The thought made the lump grow in her throat.
"What's our next step?" Ralof asked hesitantly.
She looked at the breathtaking panorama, trying to think of anything else but the dread looming over her.
She swallowed to keep her voice firm when she admitted, "I need to head to Windhelm. The children… I wish to say goodbye to them."
She felt him tense at her admission. There was a long moment of silence between the two and she was fully aware of the people around them, the guards and Jarl Vignar.
When Ralof spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper, "If you don't mind, I would like to travel with you. I need to inform Jarl Ulfric of what happened at the camp."
Minerva wanted to deny him, but somehow couldn't bear the thought of traveling alone. At least that way, she wouldn't succumb to her fears.
"We leave immediately," she stated, turning around to see Jarl Vignar waiting wide eyed for an explanation. Minerva was happy to give him one.
"The dragon is gone," she informed, "It agreed to help."
Jarl Vignar burst out laughing, looking genuinely relieved. "My, what a glorious day this is! There will be songs written about our victory here!"
Minerva shook her head and strode past him, not wishing to hear any more of his self-absorbed attitude. Ralof caught up with her and followed her out of Dragonsreach and towards the stables.
With haste they reached the city gates. Minerva hurriedly followed the stone path towards the stables, but came to a stop suddenly.
Ralof stopped a few steps later, turning to face her with worry etched into his eyes.
She couldn't help but voice what she was thinking about. "Do you remember the first time we came to Whiterun?" she asked as he returned to her.
He nodded, "Of course I do."
Minerva was blankly staring at his chest, "At that time, I didn't know that I am the Dragonborn, and if you'd asked me back then I would have said I never wanted to be the Dragonborn."
She shut her eyes for a second and when she opened them, they landed on his. "I don't know what I want anymore. The path is laid out before me, I know what I have to do… but I never agreed to it. The choice to be what I want has been taken from me since the day I was born."
To her surprise, he placed his hands on her shoulders. Her eyes locked on his and the moisture was gone from her mouth.
He looked as confident as he sounded when he spoke, "The path of a legendary warrior is a lonely one, no one can help carry your burden.
"But believe me; many people believe in you. They see you as their hero, their saviour. They look up to you."
She smiled sadly, "Would it sound terrible if I said that I don't care about what they expect of me?" she questioned.
He shook his head, "No. You may be the Dragonborn, but you are still Minerva, and once the World-Eater is destroyed you will have the rest of your life to figure out what you want."
"You mean it's not too late?" she wondered, hope rising in her chest.
He let his hands fall to his sides but never moved from her. He shook his head and smiled, "It's never too late to find happiness."
She nodded, his statement pulling her lips into a smile. These words were exactly what she needed to hear to banish the dread consuming her. Her destiny as the Dragonborn didn't define who Minerva was. After all, Alduin wouldn't live forever and she would have plenty of time to make up for all the lost years.
She nodded and moved past him, and the two resumed their journey. They mounted their horses and galloped off towards Windhelm. Even as night came, she used the Clear Skies shout to banish the blizzard that would otherwise slow them down.
They traveled through the night and reached Windhelm hours later. They dismounted the horses near the stables and while they crossed the bridge to enter the city, Ralof gazed upon the destruction.
"By Talos…" he murmured as they entered through the city gates.
The two headed towards Hjerim after Minerva shot down several protests of Ralof to sleep in what was left of the inn. He needed rest and a warm meal, same as her, and they would get both at Hjerim. Quietly, she opened the door to her home and stepped inside.
The embers in the hearth were the only indication of the earlier flame, and the candles were long extinguished. She lit the fire anew and sat at the table, and Ralof took the chair opposite of her.
"My room is upstairs," she whispered. "You can take the bed for the night."
Ralof was silent for a while, Minerva could feel the weight of his eyes on her but she didn't look at him. She was staring at the flames.
"What about you?" he asked softly.
Minerva refrained from looking at him as she admitted, "I can't sleep, and honestly I don't even want to."
She was grateful when he stood up, but was irritated when he lingered.
"Will you be alright?" he asked sincerely.
There was no mean intention to his questioning, but Minerva couldn't stand him at the moment. He'd given her hope and boosted her confidence, yes, but she needed to be alone for a while in order to think.
"I'll be fine. Please, get some rest," she urged, forcing a smile that she hoped didn't look as forced.
He nodded, but of course he couldn't just let the matter drop. "I would rest easier if you were beside me."
The admittance made her cheeks blush, but it also irritated her to the point where she couldn't control it. She shook her head, sighing sharply when she admitted, "I can't sleep, Ralof. I need to be alone to think."
He nodded slowly to that and a small smile tugged at his lips before he moved for the stairs, wishing her a, "Good night."
She wished him the same, but as soon as he was out the dread of the situation crushed her and she cradled her face in her palms. Soon, she would have to go to Sovngarde and she had no idea if she would ever come back.