The wind in her hair was a marvelous thing, far out-weighing the blast of cold that accompanied flying through the air at ungodly speeds.

"Now you can better imagine flying."

The sudden want for wings was like a fist in the gut. Thanks. I had been enjoying the moment.

The dragon only chuckled. "There's no time for such things. You need to find this artifact for the Greybeards to complete your training. Hurry along."

Stop acting like you're my father.

"Akatosh forbid it."

Isn't that nice. She kept walking down the mountain, using WULD when necessary and possible to hasten her travels. Sure, it might be cheating, but it was only her traveling and she needed to cool her throat down after Shouting anyway. Will you tell me of Alduin?

"If you stop using your Voice to cheat your travels."

Deal.

She could feel the ancient dragon sigh. "Alduin. The God of Destruction as you mortals call him. His return signifies the end of the world. Such words were handed to him as his destiny. You are not the only one to hate your destiny. And it is through avoiding one's destiny we often meet it.

"You have seen Alduin. He was the dragon who saved you from death at Helgen-"

The irony. Elana smirked to herself as she continued her path down the mountain on her own two feet and under her own power.

"Hush. I cannot tell you how he came to be destroyed; I was not there. Nor can I explain why he has returned except that it is the way it must be. All-consuming fire waits for us all."

Perhaps for you.

"True, you get the lush hunting grounds of Hircine now."

The wolf growled and Elana couldn't help but agree.

"Don't agree with the inarticulate beast."

He's a wolf. He can't speak by nature of his being! Now nevermind how mad I sound, arguing with my three mental voices; finish your tale.

"Such an impatient hatchling. Now, Alduin seemed, even before he grew to adulthood, destined for greatness. We dragons have a sense for that. I undoubtedly would have followed the youngling then where ever he led. Many of us did. Now, human subjugation-"

Slavery.

"Slavery," the dragon barely conceded. "It was as natural as breathing. You had life, but you are weaker than us, much like a dog or horse to you. Not necessarily weak in strength but in reason. We wanted no war. It was your people's quest for independence and freedom that grounded the dragons and brought Bromjunaar down."

We Nords tend to have that temperament.

The wolf chuckled in agreement.

"Why do you think you're in a war now?"

The wolf spirit then snarled, and had Mirmulnir existed in a corporeal form he likely would have been attacked.

That's it. I'm ignoring both of you. I'm too sane for this.

"Whatever you say, little one."

The road to Morthal and then Ustengrav was long and cold, made longer by Elana's wide arc around Whiterun. She was in no mood and had no time to deal with annoying Companions.

The wolf whined, long and high, in protest.

No.

Elana walked on, and before too long she had found her way to Morthal, a quiet city lacking walls. It was growing late so she headed towards a building that seemed to be an inn. She needed directions anyway, and to ask about the burned house on the edge of town.

As she fished gold from her purse, Elana, gruff voice in place, asked about the burnt house everyone avoided.

"You'll want to talk to the Jarl. She wants someone to investigate. Hroggar was away one night and the house burnt down with his wife and child inside. If he did it to be with that Alva…" The innkeeper trailed off as he handed her the key. "Just talk to Jarl Idgrod."

"Will do."

Elana dropped things in the room and headed for the Jarl's court before either of the voices in her head could protest.

The woman Jarl, lounging in her throne, smiled wisely when 'Elan' entered. "You're here about the house." She waved off the surprise. "I have prophetic dreams. No doubt you've heard the story from someone in time. If it was murder or an accident, I want to know. You will be rewarded for your efforts."

Summarily dismissed, Elana stepped back out into the cooling night air.

"Remind me how this helps your destiny."

Hush. I'm developing character and good relationships.

"Hmm. Declaring character development. I wonder if that actually works."

You're a smug dragon, you know that, right?

Mirmulnir declined to answer, only chuckling in that dragon-like way. Elana smiled to herself as she stepped into the house, growing cold at the sight of a child's ghost.

"You'll play right?"

Her whole heart twisted and heavy like stone, Elana nodded. "Of course I will."

"Okay. But we can only play at night. The other one wants to play too and she only comes out when it's dark."

"This smells of danger."

This smells of someone killed a child.

"To harm a kit is a terrible thing. But mind you do not lose your mind in the quest for vengeance."

The wolf growled hungrily and Elana found a quiet place to wait for the night to fall.

"You truly intend to sit and wait for night?"

Yes. It won't be long.

When the final rays of sunlight disappeared, Elana followed her nose to the northeast, slowing as she came up over the hill. There was an exhumed coffin and a woman standing over it. The woman, covered in robes, turned like a startled predator to rush at the Dragonborn.

"A vampire," the dragon supplied as Elana hastily drew her sword and slashed at the magic-wielding hand. "Fear vampirism not. Your wolf-blood will ward off the disease."

Elana ignored the information as she cleanly removed the left hand of the vampire. "You killed a child. Burn in Oblivion." With a deft deflection of the woman's pain-crazed strikes, Elana drove her sword through the woman's chest.

The voice of the child, Helgi, came from her coffin, still sweet and innocent. "Laelette was supposed to burn me and my mother. But she wanted to keep me forever. I felt really cold, but the fire burned me anyway. Thank you"

Any further words were cut off by the approach of a man, who cried "Laelette!"

"You knew her?"

"I'm Thonnir, and she's my wife. I believed she had run off to join the Stormcloaks. But apparently she had become this. I suppose, she had been spending a lot of time with Alva the week before, whom she had despised before then. She was going to meet Laelette the night she disappeared but said she never showed up."

Elana nodded with a small bow. "It seems my investigation has not ended."

"Vampire hunting. I like it. Something only someone with wolf-blood could do without fear of disease."

Mirmulnir, if I don't ever say thank you for your comments, it's because I'm too busy for your border-line sarcasm.

"You'll thank me later."

I'm actually sure I will.

The wolf seemed put out that she would agree with the dragon. The ancient being appeared slightly surprised she would say such a thing, but never reject even half a compliment.

"A dovahkiin who picks locks like a thief…"

Hey, I have to get into those chests guarded by draugr somehow.

Elana slipped silently into the home to which she had tracked the vampire. There was no frigid scent of present vampire, but there was the artificial scent of a man angered over threat to his love. The man was not alert, however, and Elana slipped past him and into the basement.

"You have the wolf to thank for that."

You've gotten really chatty lately. Is it because I've learned more shouts? Trying to befriend me so I don't kick you out of your head?

"Who else would have told you that you sold your soul to Hircine?"

Hey, that's not- Son of a barrel-

Elana had not been expecting an actual coffin to be waiting for her at the bottom of the steps. Treading very carefully, Elana reached forward and into the box, removing her hand once it closed around a book of some kind.

She quickly flipped through the diary, eyes widening as the vampire's plan unfurled. The Dragonborn stowed the book away and quickly made her way up the stairs.

This time the man, Hroggar she remembered, spotted her. The snap to rage was instantaneous but Elana ignored him, barreling past him as she had done to the male Companions many times over. She burst out of the door and slammed it behind her, stalling him for a few minutes as she took off, running for the Jarl's court.

As she tore down the streets, Elana could hear Hroggar howling behind her and the wolf inside laughing with canine glee.