Part 3 - Devil's Dawn

Chapter 55 - Dovahkiin

Gwen had tried to volunteer for the first watch over the campsite but Astrid had objected persistently. As much as Teresa wanted to trust the spider, she knew at heart that the chieftess was right: Gwen was volatile. Yet still she sat outside the ring of tents, away from the fire where Astrid sat with her axe. Teresa couldn't sleep, she sat down next to the spider. For a few moments they said nothing until Gwen finally broke the silence.

"I'm sorry about Darian. I was just..."

"Not sure what to do. I think it's the Plate. It wants to take control but it can't. When you kill, it's a short moment of victory for that thing, but the rest of the time you're in control."

"I don't really know. I had to release its power to free Alduin. Now I regret it and that damn dragon will kill so many people unless we can stop him."

"We'll stop him, I promise."

"At what cost? At what point does a victory become so costly that it's no longer a victory?"

"Gwen, someone here is Dragonborn. They can slay Alduin. We have the words for Dragonrend, and Unrelenting Force. We just need to get into Sovngarde and it's game over."

"But is it? What will I do after that?"

"You don't have to do anything. Come back to the resistance. The only people who know about your involvement are the Sol admiralty, Edward and us in the camp."

"And you think Edward will keep it that way? He'll have me working myself to death every day for the rest of my life for it. He will never forgive me."

"You know that isn't true. Listen, I'll make you a deal: if you come back to Sol after Alduin's defeat, I'll help you find Miles. You helped me out of a tough spot, now it's time for me to return the favour."

"I can't. This is my quest, not yours."

"You're my friend, Gwen; the first friend I've had in years. Friends have each other's backs, they stand by each other's side through the hardest times. They don't just give up the minute one of them makes a mistake."

"And how many more mistakes will you put up with?"

"As many as it takes to help you get through this, whether we find Miles or not."

A twig snapped behind them and they looked to see Astrid. The Viking sat down next to Teresa, putting the commander between her and the spider.

"I told Hiccup this a long time ago: you make hundreds of decisions every day, not all of them will be the right. What matters is that you keep making them. I think you were a good person once, Gwen. Life just hasn't given you the respect you deserve and that's turned you into this. That and whatever this talk of Ethereal Plates is."

Teresa put an arm round Gwen's shoulders.

"Everything will be OK, one way or another."

The team made their way back to Whiterun; it was the only place they could think of where someone would know where there was a dragon. Peter approached the Jarl alone, getting more looks from the few people in the great hall of Dragonsreach.

"Ah, you again. Did you find your Elder Scroll?"

"We did. We just lost the Dragonborn in the process and need to find another one. We're looking for a dragon, got any leads?"

"My steward has a list of bounties. I recall having some dragons put on there. Proventus."

A man in blue clothes approached with a great sword slung across his back. Peter didn't think the man had wielded a blade in combat even once in his life.

"Yes, my Jarl?"

"Help this man find a dragon."

"Of course, my Jarl. Right this way."

Peter followed the man up a flight of stairs where the steward began rummaging through a chest. After a minute, he pulled out a sheet of parchment and handed it to the spider. Peter looked over it.

"Five hundred gold, eh? We'll do our best."

"I wish you luck on your quest."

"Thanks."

The team were waiting by a large, dead looking tree. Peter showed them the parchment.

"I know where this is. Alduin woke up a dragon there." Said Gwen.

"How do we get there?" Asked Hiccup.

"Walking, most likely." Peter grumbled.

Teresa pulled out the tablet and looked at it carefully.

"Kynesgrove is south-east of Windhelm. So yes, more walking."

Peter groaned and sat down on one of the benches surrounding the tree.

"Can we just take a break for now? We're running all over the place. Anyway, what will we do once we know who the Dragonborn is?"

It was a fair point, they hadn't thought of that. They sat down on the bench, Gwen and Teresa took the cobbled floor. A guard walked past, watching them curiously. When they saw Astrid watching them, they sighed.

"Let me guess...someone stole your sweet roll?"

"What? No..."

The guard chuckled and went on their way.

"Once we know who the Dragonborn is, we find out where the portal to Sovngarde is." Said Hiccup.

"Obviously. But how do we do it is my point?" Replied Peter.

"I can do some scouting. Alduin flew east from the Throat of the World." Said Gwen.

"The place will be guarded. I doubt even the Dragonborn will be able to take on a...what's a group of dragons called?" Said Teresa.

"A shoal? No that's fish." Peter replied.

"A squadron?" Suggested Gwen.

"Nah; you don't get a squadron of pigeons so why a squadron of dragons?" Replied Teresa.

"A group of birds is a flock. That doesn't sound menacing enough for these dragons." Said Hiccup.

"I would have thought you would know that being dragon trainers." Joked the commander.

"We just call them 'dragons'. But these things are at least twice the size of Toothless. They have bigger teeth, bigger spikes, and a much worse attitude."

"Paarthurnax was alright." Said Peter.

"Paarthurnax has spent thousands of years doing nothing but telling people how to shout and meditating." Said Gwen.

"Point is, the portal will be guarded by at least a few dragons. We need a way to kill them all." Teresa finished.

"We can ask Edward to send a fleet. He'll be glad to shake the dust off the ships." Suggested Peter.

"Maybe, but they may scare the locals. I suggest something smaller, more discreet. Perhaps more deadly." The commander replied.

"Then I have a plan. We have our own dragons, why not use them? Toothless can probably give Alduin quite the fight." Said Hiccup.

"Many won't come back; them and their riders." Said Peter worriedly.

"We're Vikings. Our entire lives are supposed to revolve around dying in battle. The halls of Valhalla may be filled to bursting, but less so than if Alduin is allowed to survive." Astrid concluded.

"Then that's settled. Time to get walking."

Gwen landed on a rock next to a dug out ring in the ground. It was clear something had burst free from it. She looked around, wondering where the dragon had disappeared to. Peter swung down beside her. She sighed and shifted to sit down with her legs hanging off the rock.

"You alright?" Peter asked, sitting down as well.

They had pulled ahead a good kilometre of the team so they had a little time to talk, spider to spider.

"I just wonder whether what we're doing is worth it. I mean...what if the Dragonborn is me? I've already got too much power."

"We'd know if it was. Anyway, I don't feel it at the moment; it's one of the other three."

"Good."

"Is something else bothering you?"

"What will Miles think of me bringing back the World Eater?"

"I'm not Miles, I don't know. You're both different from when we first met six years ago."

"I wonder what other rash things I'll do before we get him back?"

"Hopefully none."

"Don't count on it."

There was a roar overhead that seemed to echo for miles.

"There's our dragon." Said Peter, getting up and waving his arms frantically to get the beast's attention.

Gwen raised her eyebrows, engulfing herself in magenta flames. The dragon didn't seem interested so she spread wings and flew up. She collided with it, flipping it on its back and driving it down into the ground. Peter swung in, punching its eyes. The beast roared, hurling them off and struggling back onto its legs. It unleashed a stream of flames at Peter who gladly absorbed it. However, he started to feel like he was being cooked so he fired a web and pulled himself out. Gwen sliced at the beast's head with a katana, cutting scales from it and eventually driving the blade straight into its eye. The dragon roared in agony, grabbing Gwen in its powerful jaws and throwing her away as Peter jumped in again, punching it over and over again. He didn't know why he bothered: the beast hardly felt it. He used some thermal energy he had gathered to hit with superheated punches. These were evidently not very pleasant as the Dovah shook violently, twisting its bloodied face round and snapping at him. Gwen dived in at an almost supersonic speed, a katana held out in front of her. The blade buried itself in the beast's head, killing it instantly. Its body spasmed a little then it crumbled away beneath her. She leapt clear, landing next to Peter.

"Now what?"

"We wait until the others arrive."

When the trio of stragglers arrived, even Teresa was impressed to see the dragon dead. She approached it, running her hand over the scales before looking back at the others.

"I'm not Dragonborn, obviously."

Hiccup and Astrid approached it.

"It's sad to see a dead dragon, even if it's a Dovah not a Nightfury." Said the chief, placing a hand on the beast's snout.

Suddenly, there was a crackling sound. The dragons scaled began to float away like burning embers. A few seconds later, the wind whistled, strands of energy flowed towards Hiccup, wrapping themselves around him and seeming to be absorbed. Astrid was the only one who didn't seem all that surprised.

"That explains a lot." She muttered with a grin.

Teresa approached the chief and removed the golden sword and its sheath from her back.

"I believe Darian would want you to have this."

Hiccup took the weapon carefully.

"Err...thanks."

Gwen was frowning, seemingly confused by something. She turned to Peter.

"If you're a Dragonborn, aren't you supposed to kill dragons instead of tame them?"

"Why are you asking me? I don't know. So, Hiccup, give us a shout. Try that 'fus ro dah' thing."

The Dragonborn turned away from the team and Astrid took a step back.

"Fus ro dah!"

A blue shockwave rattled out with a crack a little like thunder.

"More importantly: Dragonrend. 'Joor zah frul'." Said Teresa.

"Joor zah frul!"

A darker blue shockwave launched itself from Hiccup.

"Alduin won't know what hit him." Astrid commented, putting a hand on Hiccup's shoulder and kissing him on the cheek.

Gwen narrowed her eyes and tore off, extending magenta wings and flying high into the air.

"She might be a problem." Breathed Hiccup.

"No, she just wants Miles back." Teresa started, staring after her. "Do her a favour: try and keep your affection a bit more private. You'll just upset her."

"We'll try. Sorry."

Crossovers in this Chapter

- How to Train Your Dragon
- Skyrim

Have I squished too much stuff together yet? (From me checking it over a few months in the few future: yes, I have squished too much together...)