"Well, how was I supposed to know the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller would be missing!"

Lucien's voice rang around the chamber, amplified by the grand archways and the ancient stone that it was made of. He sounded both irritated and distraught; two sentiments that Gwynileth could sympathize with him on, for she felt them as well.

It had been a dusty, dangerous journey to where the artifact lay within the Ustengrav crypt. Draugr had invested said crypt in droves, reanimated skeletons shot arrows at them from within the walls themselves—there had even been a puzzle that Gwynileth needed to solve by following the Way of the Voice.

All of that they had braved only to find that the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller was not, in fact, within Ustengrav any longer. Where it had rested, a note had been left, and all it read was: Dragonborn—I need to speak to you. Urgently. Rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood, and I'll meet you. –A Friend

"Hrmm," muttered Inigo, twisting his whiskers. "Perhaps we should not have stopped at that weird shrine yesterday…"

"It's too late for regrets," Gwynileth said. It was the first time she'd spoken since reading the note, and her voice was tight. "All I know is that someone knew I would be coming here. I cannot help wondering… if this is another trap set up by the Morag Tong. It is not as if it's a secret that I am Dragonborn, and their organization has always been good at picking up information."

"If it's them, they won't live to see another day," growled Kaidan.

Gwynileth smiled drearily at his words. He was certainly more than capable of protecting her in a straightforward fight, but she knew well that when they were backed against the wall, the Morag Tong would not fight fair.

She sighed and placed the note back into her pocket. "There's no way to know unless we dive into the situation headfirst. We should return to Riverwood."

Lucien blinked and cocked his head. "What about the book on dragonish translations? Solitude really is right there…"+

"That's not a priority," said Kaidan, taking the lead on exiting the crypt. "It's true that I'd like to get my blade transcribed, but there are dragons still terrorizing Skyrim's landscape. Those will have to come first."

Even though Gwynileth knew that he was correct, a well of guilt infested her stomach as they turned south instead of west to where Solitude lay.

All throughout their journey, the mood was tense. Kaidan insisted on creating plan after plan for how to deal with an ambush, starting from the moment they stepped foot in Riverwood until they had the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller in their hands. Whatever uneasiness he had felt from the Shrine of Mehrunes Dagon only seemed amplified during their three-day trek, and that in turn only served to make Gwynileth even more nervous.

The night before they were supposed to arrive in Riverwood, Kaidan had once again gathered the other three around the campfire and was relaying his latest counterattack to a Morag Tong ambush.

"Lucien, it'll be up to you to conjure any wards for mages. You'll be standing in the front with me while Inigo keeps his bow drawn in the back—above all else, Gwyn must—"

"Gwynileth must be protected, yes, we know, Kaidan," sighed Lucien. Upon beholding Kaidan's irritated look, he dramatically rolled his eyes. "Haven't you been over this enough the last three days? Or have you been so enveloped in your own paranoia that you've failed to see how uneasy you're making our beloved Dragonborn in the first place? Hmm?"

This last sentence caused Kaidan to stop short, amber eyes hesitantly turning towards Gwynileth, who refused to meet them. Apparently noticing the way she stared resolutely into the fire, he softly said, "Is Lucien right, Gwyn?"

Gwynileth swallowed hard, mildly exasperated by being put in the middle. One hand rubbed her arm, knowing that it would not do well to lie. "I… there is a lot that I must deal with: the Horn, the dragons, the Morag Tong, the Dark Brotherhood… my nightmares."

A short silence settled across the group; after her breakdown the last time her nightmares were so vivid, Gwynileth had decided to tell Lucien and Inigo a mild version of the truth. She had stated that she suffered from night terrors, and while they were not daily, they were consistent enough that they could be a significant problem. Both of her friends had accepted this answer gracefully and stated that they would always be around to help or to talk, if either of those things were desired.

Kaidan's gaze softened at her words. He reached out as if to take her hand… then thought better of it and returned it to his side. "You have my apologies. I didn't mean to—"

"It's all right," she interrupted with a slight smile. Her crimson eyes shone with gratitude. "I know that you only say these things because… you care."

He exhaled; the weight of his armor settled with a slight clink as his shoulders slumped. "That I do. More than anything else."

So it was that the conversation was ended, and they all went to sleep.

When the adventurers stepped in Riverwood the next day, no ambush was waiting for them, nor any dragons. It was peaceful in the village; the mill's saw was creaking as always, chickens were clucking within fenced-in pastures. People were waving and greeting one another with kindness—Camilla Valerius saw Gwynileth approach and immediately said a kindly hello.

Lucien chuckled to himself and took a deep breath. "Well, old chap, it seems as though all of our plans aren't needed, eh?"

"I wouldn't speak too soon," returned Kaidan, shooting the Imperial a mild glare. "It's always better to be safe than sorry when you've got so many enemies to look out for."

Lucien was obviously unconvinced, but he walked alongside Kaidan as the plan had been laid out for him nonetheless.

Seeing as it was the middle of the day, the Sleeping Giant Inn was empty save for the bartender, Orgnar, and the innkeeper, Delphine. They were bickering with one another about how the ale was going bad—but as Gwynileth stepped up to them, they halted their conversation.

"Can I help you?" grunted Orgnar.

The Dunmer turned towards Delphine. Though she looked into the innkeeper's eyes, she kept a sharp watch for any shifting in the shadows of the dark building as she said, "I'd like to rent the attic room, please."

A flicker of surprise flew across Delphine's face, but it was gone just as quickly. She pursed her lips. "The attic room, eh? Well… we don't have an attic room, but you can help yourself with the room on the left. Make yourself at home, and I'll come check on you in a moment."

Left with little else to do, Gwynileth nodded and turned towards the room in question. Once she knew Delphine's eyes were off of her, she seized the hilt of the dagger strapped to her waist and carefully opened the door—

It was just a room. A small room with a wardrobe, a bed, and a bedside table. A lone candle had been placed upon that table. There was no room for anyone to hide—and she trusted Kaidan to have scouted the inn thoroughly by that point as well.

A breath of relief escaped her lips, completely unintentional. But it couldn't be helped, for Gwynileth had been certain that a fight would break out between her own countrymen—it was strange to think that the 'friend' who had left the note might be just that… a friend.

"So you're the Dragonborn I've been hearing so much about."

She turned back to the doorway to see Delphine standing close by, one hand laxly upon her hip. There was something in her other hand…

"Here," said Delphine. She gently grasped Gwynileth's arm and deposited an ancient horn into her hands: the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. There was a slight smirk on her face upon noting the other woman's surprise. "I guess I'm getting pretty good at my harmless innkeeper act. I'd like to talk to you, if it isn't too much trouble. And you won't need to do that," she added, loosely gesturing to where Kaidan was holding a dagger in the direction of Delphine's back. "I don't mean you any harm."

Before anyone could say anything more, Delphine was striding across the room, towards a cabinet on the opposite side of the inn. She turned and waited expectantly for them to follow.

The comforting thing about the situation was that Inigo and Lucien seemed just as surprised by the turn of events as Gwynileth herself was. Only after exchanging looks and curt nods did they mirror the innkeeper's footsteps. While Gwynileth was ready to at least hear the woman out, she couldn't help noticing that both Kaidan and Inigo kept one hand upon their weapons.

When Delphine opened a false back of her closet and began descending the set of stairs behind it, Gwynileth felt a hand upon her arm.

"Are you certain you want to do this?" muttered Kaidan's voice. His gaze was fixed resolutely upon the spot where the innkeeper had disappeared, his lips tightly pressed. "It's not too late to walk away."

Even though Gwynileth agreed the situation was strange, she took a deep breath to reply, "I think we should at least hear her out. If the worst happens, there are four of us and one of her. And she did give me this ancient horn before asking a thing… that's not something an enemy would do, either in Morrowind or anywhere else."

Kaidan scoffed lightly as Gwynileth continued onward. Under his breath, he muttered, "You're so damn trusting," before following after her as well.

The staircase led towards a small room in which plenty of survivalist supplies were waiting. Weapons including bows, swords, and great-swords hunt from racks upon the walls; an alchemy and enchanting table took up another corner of the room. Bookshelves lined with dusty tomes decorated the far side of the room. Satchels of money and other valuables were out in plain sight.

But the things that most caught Gwynileth's eye were what lay upon the table in the center of the room. The first was a map, upon which circles and x's were marked.

The second was the Dragonstone Tablet, the very same one she had given to Whiterun's wizard, Farengar.

"You have an interest in the dragons," said Gwynileth, raising an eyebrow.

Delphine smiled curtly. "Good to know you're shrewd. Yes, I do. I'm part of a group that's been looking for you—or someone like you—for a long time."

"And what do you mean by that, exactly?" asked Lucien. Though he kept his hands behind his back, a cold aura emanated from them: he had prepared an ice spell, and had taken care to stand away from his allies to avoid friendly fire. "Are you looking for a noblewoman? A mercenary? A Thane?"

Each of those suggestions caused the wry grin upon Delphine's lips to grow. At the mention of the word 'Thane,' she audibly laughed. "Hardly. I've been looking for a Dragonborn. You're the only one able to permanently kill a dragon by devouring its soul, and so I must ask… can you do it? Can you devour a dragon's soul?"

The one and only time that she had done so—if, in fact, that was what had happened—Gwynileth hadn't even realized it was happening. Those colors had swirled around her, a space within her chest had opened up as if to make room for something, an understanding had filled her mind… and then everything had faded: gone back to normal.

"The Greybeards say that I can," she elected to reply.

Delphine's lips pursed. "You either can, or you can't. Skyrim needs someone who's certain in their own abilities." She sighed; all of the irritation flickered out of her face upon gazing across the four adventurers arrayed before her. "I suppose you'll be able to prove it to me soon enough."

"What do you mean?" asked Gwynileth. Her eyes fell upon the map again; on her second inspection, she noticed something she failed to see the first. One of the circles was highlighted in red ink.

"Thanks to this Dragonstone you fetched for me, I've determined where the next dragon is going to show up. We're going to travel there together, and you're going to help me kill it."

The confidence with which the innkeeper spoke caused Gwynileth to blink and gather the expressions of her companions. As to be expected, Kaidan was less than pleased with the idea. Lucien seemed to be considering it—and Inigo, funnily enough, seemed no less than delighted by the prospect of fighting another giant enemy. He had always enjoyed a good, adrenaline-filled fight… unless, of course, said fight included the undead.

Although the reactions of her friends helped ease her mind, there was one thing that Gwynileth wanted answered first. "How can you use a stone to predict the movements of a living dragon? That doesn't make sense."

Something flashed through Delphine's icy eyes; approval. "That's a good question. Here's the part where I'm going to need you to trust what I'm talking about. Dragons aren't just coming back to Skyrim, Dragonborn. They're coming back to life."

A long pause settled throughout the room, which suddenly seemed far too cramped with all of the supplies strewn about.

That disquiet was broken by the sound of a snort—snickering, Inigo said, "That is a good joke. You are funny."

"It's not a joke. The dragons are rising from ancient burial mounds, some of which were put into the ground by my own ancestors." While Delphine's voice was clipped, there was no trace of anger within her eyes. For better or worse, she seemed to realize how improbable her words were. "I've traveled to some of them myself and found them empty. The pattern started in the southeast, down towards Riften. As the days have passed, dragons have been spotted further to the north. The next one is going to rise in Kynesgrove, at the foot of Windhelm."

The mention of Windhelm made a shiver run down Gwynileth's spine. She had not thought about that city ever since escaping it, and she didn't care to dwell on it any more than that.

Apparently noticing the distasteful look upon her face, Delphine quickly added, "We won't be visiting the Stormcloak headquarters, if that's what you're worried about. Kynesgrove is still well outside Windhelm's borders. We're just going to figure out how the dragons are coming back to life, send it back into its grave, and then travel back here."

"You make it sound easy," sighed Lucien, running a hand through his hair.

Delphine smirked at that, though her eyes were only for Gwynileth. "So what do you say? You've got the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, you'll get experience you sorely need on fighting dragons, and I'll tell you everything about who I am and what I work for the moment I have proof that you're the Dragonborn. All you have to do is trust me for a little while longer."

Even though there was much left to be answered, it was not as though there was a better choice. On one thing Delphine was sorely correct: Gwynileth needed more experience fighting dragons. A great reason why she had chosen to stay in Skyrim was to fulfill the destiny thrust upon her—and she would not be able to do so without learning how to defeat the creatures terrorizing the countryside.

With a deep breath, Gwynileth stepped forward and stuck out a hand. "You've got yourself a deal. But all of my friends are coming with me."

"Of course," said Delphine, whose pointed face finally melted into a smile at Gwynileth's words. "You'll need good, strong friends to help you withstand the trials you've yet to face anyhow."

The cramped stuffiness of the room promptly relaxed; almost as one, everyone seemed to breathe again.

"We'll set off whenever you're ready," said Delphine with a nod. One arm loosely gestured towards the possessions strewn about the room. "Feel free to take anything you need in order to prepare yourselves."

Before any of her four guests could reply, the innkeeper stepped around them and back up the stairs. Gwynileth halfway expected a click to sound behind her, locking them inside—but the door remained open, permitting free exit and entry.

Once she was gone and they were certain that Delphine was not eavesdropping, Lucien placed a hand upon Gwynileth's arm, wonder and excitement written plainly within the few lines of his young face. "It looks as though we've found another mentor! This will be good; the more help we can get against all of these dragons, the better, I say!"

"I wouldn't be so quick to trust her, Lucien," said Kaidan, whose sharp voice cut through the still air of the room like a knife. "It's obvious she wants something out of Gwyn. She isn't offering assistance purely from the goodness of her heart…"

Lucien clucked his tongue in disappointment.

"I'm inclined to agree with both of you," Gwynileth said, gathering their attentions once more. Her eyes were fixed upon the alchemy and enchanting tables; considering the task that lay ahead, it would be a good idea to make some healing potions. "It's clear Delphine wants my help with something… but it also seems as though she wants to end the dragon menace. I have a feeling our goals might align."

Inigo coughed from the corner of the room. "Maybe, but she is spooky. She does not seem like the type to enjoy jokes."

A smile fought its way onto Gwynileth's face at the reminder of how her own silly jokes had brought Kaidan some peace of mind but a week prior. Without speaking further, she seized a few bundles of wheat and blisterwort mushrooms and proceeded to the alchemy table nearby.

The following few minutes were spent in a contemplative silence as they all inspected what else lay around the room. Inigo managed to locate a few extra ebony arrows; Kaidan found a number of throwing knives; Lucien stepped forward with the words, "Would you like me to help you enchant your weapons, Gwynileth? I used to study some rudimentary enchanting at the Arcane University, you know!"

Although Gwynileth had been determined to craft as many healing potions as possible, she had long been thinking about having her bow improved. It was with a grateful smile that she replied, "I'd love that, Lucien, thank you! Just give me a moment to let these distill first."

Within the next few moments, she had bottled up no less than a half-dozen potions and placed them within her knapsack. Seeing that Lucien was joyfully beckoning her over, Gwynileth laughed and joined him at the enchanting table.

"So the thing about enchanting is thus: it's all in the selection of the soul gem," he coached. Lucien pointed towards the three different gems before picking up the medium-sized crystal, one that was colored a light lavender. "See this one here? This is a common variety; it'll do the job, but there's still a lot of room for improvement. It looks like the biggest one is the only gem that's housing a grand soul, so let's go ahead and use this to enchant your bow, yes?"

Step by step, Lucien walked her through the process of enchanting an item. The difference in his demeanor was startling when compared with how he acted in battle; when it came to academics, his fingers smoothly maneuvered over the table, his voice unpausing in its instruction.

Yet each time he was dragged into combat, his hands shook.

"Lucien," said Gwynileth, interrupting him from a truthfully fascinating lesson about how black soul gems worked, "would you like me to train you on how to use a bow?"

The Imperial broke off from his lecture to stare at her with wide eyes. "What, me? Gwynileth, what gives you the idea that I'll be any good with a bow?"

She smiled; shrugged. "No harm in asking. It's all right if you don't want to. What were you saying about black soul gems being the type used by warlocks?"

But Lucien didn't reply immediately. His brow had furrowed, as though he were deep in thought, the faint light of the lanterns reflecting his troubled gaze.

Right when Gwynileth was about to apologize for overstepping his boundaries, he exclaimed, "You know, I've been thinking for a while… I don't want to be useless in all of our fights. I fully intend on continuing to travel with you, and with you being the Dragonborn, we're likely to encounter plenty of tough fights. Would you… consider training me in all aspects of combat, and not just the bow?"

The request was not one that she had expected. Blinking once or twice, Gwynileth stammered, "I, er—I don't know if I'm the best person to ask for general combat tips, Lucien. Maybe Kaidan would be better… he was the one who taught me, after all…"

Heavy footfalls proved that Kaidan was approaching, having heard the previous conversation. "On the contrary, Gwyn, I think it would be better for you to take the reins on this one. There's not much more I can teach you at this point. You teaching Lucien how to wield a blade or a bow will help both of you improve."

Gwynileth bit the inside of her lip as she studied Kaidan's expression. He was warm, encouraging—as ever.

With a slight smile, she turned back to Lucien and said, "All right. We'll get started once we get back and have a little free time. I apologize in advance for anything that doesn't make sense."

"I wouldn't worry about that! I look forward to it!" laughed Lucien. He gently, if not a little awkwardly, pat her arm before returning to the enchanting table.

It was only ten minutes later that Gwynileth found herself standing upon the porch of the Sleeping Giant Inn, with her three friends and Delphine at her side. As she gazed over the horizons towards the setting sun, the realization began setting in: they were on their way to fight another dragon, with no end to their carnage in sight.

"Let's go," said Delphine. Without a look over her shoulder, she set off.

Knowing that the first step was always the hardest, Gwynileth jogged after her—

As though he could sense the change in her stance, Kaidan placed a hand upon her shoulder. His mouth close to her ear, he murmured, "If it helps at all, just know that I'll be at your back. It's going to be a long road ahead, Gwyn, so anything you need, I'll do everything in my power to provide. All right?"

A smile graced her thin lips at the genuine sincerity within his eyes. She reached out, placing slight fingers atop his, interlocking them. "Thank you. That… means more than I can say. Because this will be a long journey indeed."

Delphine's silhouette was almost out of sight, but only after noticing Kaidan's following smile did Gwynileth take a deep breath and fully continue after her.

Hi friends, thank you for reading this far! :) I just wanted to say I'm hoping you're all well and taking care of yourselves. I also wanted to be transparent and say this chapter stuck a tosh closer to canon than I'd usually like- I'm really trying not to just regurgitate the main quest back to you, because we already know how that goes! Nonetheless, I hope you liked the chapter well enough. Please take care and have a good day! If you have any questions or comments, I'd love to hear from you as well!