Elana would meet Delphine at Kynesgrove soon enough. First, she figured she ought to go to the Greybeards.

The seven hundred steps went no faster the second time.

Wulfgar smiled as he taught her DAH. She smiled, too, as understanding of FORCE blew over her. She now had a whole Shout learned. Now, "Unrelenting Force" was hers to use in full effect.

But that was not the whole reason she was glad to have climbed back up the steps. The Greybeards gathered in the central hall around the Dragonborn and began to speak to her in Dragon, with all its power, to formally recognize her formally as the Dovahkiin.

"Long has the Storm Crown languished with no worthy brow to sit upon. By our breath we bestow it now to you in the name of Kyne, in the name of Shor, and in the name of Atmora of old. You are Ysmir now, the Dragon of the North. Hearken to it."

Deep breaths kept her steady through their words. This was an honor she didn't yet deserve. What had she done other than be born?

Arngenir still smiled at her as if she was Talos-incarnate come back. She hadn't even fully killed her first dragon. He was still with her, giving her help and sarcasm. How was she to save the world from the Dragon Prince of Destruction if she hadn't yet destroyed a common dragon?

"Come now, hatchling. You have me. You have the wolf."

But not my sanity.

With final blessings and the possible location of another Word, Elana hurried back down the mountain so she could get to Kynesgrove. None of the Greybeards addressed who she really was. They always called her Dovahkiin or Dragonborn.

You were right. All they see me as is their savior.

"Does that bother you?"

Since you had warned me beforehand, no. But I still want to be seen for what I have chosen to be. I mean, I've chosen this but I chose it because fighting fate is too much and wouldn't be fair to the world.

"Well. Isn't someone a hero."

Delphine in hunter dress fit her personality much more.

"Hurry," she hissed, and Elana ran past the panicking innkeeper of Kynesgrove. There was a dragon circling above that the two women were now running towards.

"Alduin…"

And then, the great black dragon spoke.

"Sahloknir, ziil gro dovah ulse! SLEN TIID VO!"

What is he saying?

"He has bound Sahloknir to him as the dominant dov. The Shout is a resurrection Shout usable only for dragons that have had their soul devoured. You will destroy him and he shall not rise again, annoying chit."

The dragon's flesh was reforming from the air. "Alduin, thuri! Boaan tiid vokriiha suleyksejun kruziik?" (

"He asks, 'Alduin, my lord! The ancient undead rising again?'"

"Geh, Sahloknir, kaali mir."

Then the Prince of Destruction turned his burning gaze to meet Elana's mortal one.

He had smelled the dovahkiin but chose to ignore her. The rolling scent of dov magic was too strong not to notice, even with the earthy scent of wolf spirit.

A dov of three minds, how interesting.

He detected the second mortal, who smelled as all humans do of earth and water. Those were the scents his mother taught him to look for, and especially the scent of mortal mixed with the fire and air of a dov. That mortal could devour his soul, she warned.

So he turned his gaze to the dovahkiin.

And the hatchling had the audacity to snarl, dragon-like, at him.

"Ful, losei Dovahkiin? Zu'u koraav nid nol dov do hi." He sighed as confusion crossed her face. How hard was it to understand: "So, you're the Dragonborn? Your voice shines not from Dragonkind, but from yourself"?

"You do not even know our tongue, do you? Such arrogance, to dare take for yourself the name of Dovah." He could snap her up in his jaws now, revenge for slaying the oldest dragon he could find still alive. Mirmulnir would be missed. That sarcastic dragon was always one misstep from feeling his full fury, but he brought lightness to his campaign.

Alduin could take his just revenge, or he could let the newly risen Sahloknir taste his first blood of this life.

"Sahloknir, krii daar joorre." And he lifted his wings and flew away.

"'Sahloknir, kill the mortals.' Move, hatchling!"

Elana instantly surged forward with her sword drawn and she plunged at the dragon. The creature had begun to laugh, but her blow to his snout shocked him.

He reared back and she struck again as Delphine raced to her aid.

"Use your Shouts before he does!"

"FUS RO DAH!"

Sahloknir reeled back from the force of her Voice as she chased after him, slashing at anything she could reach. He roared in response, snapping his jaws. With a thump of his tail she went flying back herself. He heaved and pushed off the ground.

"I am Sahloknir! Hear my Voice and despair!"

Delphine took this time to shout back, "Die, dragon" as she drew her bow.

Elana reached for her own arrows. The two women fired at the flying dragon as he blew ice back. They did their best to dodge to varying degrees of success.

When he landed, to better attack them, Elana dropped her bow and drew her sword, running head first into the plume of ice.

"I'll be damned. You did it."

Don't act so surprised.

"Wait-something's happening. Gods above!"

Elana turned to face Sahloknir's body and shrugged nonchalantly as the dragon's flesh began to dissolve, flaking off into flames as his soul began to flow towards her in golden light.

"So you really are-"

His voice was like acid.

So this is the dovahkiin I have been taught to fear-

I was dead. Now I feel my bones stirring-

Blackness all around and cold seeping into-

For Alduin! And all dovah-

Elana slammed the door of her memories shut at the first pressure from Sahloknir. You will have no hold on me…

"Let me in, dovahkiin. I can teach you power-"

She snatched the Word "feim" from his mind that brief moment and did her best to file the overflow of FADE away for later processing. But a few whispers distracted her.

"Elana is your name… or Elan?"

Her mind shoved at his presence as Mirmulnir came to aid her. "Be strong Dovahkiin! Cast him away! Crush his soul like biting flea!"

"You traitor!"

"She is mine, Sahloknir!"

Rage, desperation, and perhaps a little confusion drove Elana's mental strength as she shoved against the second dragon. You will not torture my mind as well!

As she pressed against the dragon's soul, it almost felt like pressing down on a wiggling snake. Wisps of it peeled off, smoky debris. Leave me. He fought harder as she pressed harder, the combined weight of her and Mirmulnir leaving Sahloknir's efforts in vain.

When his existence winked out, the fog-like remains slowly sinking into her own consciousness, Elana opened her eyes back to Delphine.

"It's true isn't it? You really are Dragonborn. I owe you some answers, don't I? Go ahead. Whatever you want to know. Nothing held back."

Elana almost growled before asking, "Who are you and what do you want with me?"

"I am one of the last members of the Blades. A very long time ago, the Blades were dragonslayers and we served the Dragonborn, the greatest dragonslayer. For the last two hundred years, since the last Dragonborn Emperor, the Blades have been searching for a purpose. Now that dragons are coming back, our purpose is clear again. We need to stop them."

Elana sighed. "What's our next move then?"

Tension seemed to release from Delphine at her words. "The first thing we need to do is figure out who's behind the dragons."

"Alduin."

I know. Do you think she'll believe me?

"No…" he conceded grudgingly.

Delphine continued. "The Thalmor are our best bet. If they aren't involved, they'll know who is."

"Why are the Thalmor after you?"

"Before the Great War, the Blades helped the Empire against the Thalmor. Our Grand Master saw them as the greatest threat to Tamriel. At the time, that was true. Maybe it still is. So we fought them in the shadows, all across Tamriel. We thought we were more than a match for them. We were wrong."

"What makes you think the Thalmor are behind the dragons coming back?" I can't believe her. I mean, such blindness. I can't prove it's pointless to chase the Thalmor so she won't believe me.

"Nothing solid. Yet. But my gut tells me it can't be anyone else. The Empire had captured Ulfric. The war was basically over. Then a dragon attacks, Ulfric escapes, and the war is back on. And now the dragons are attacking everywhere, indiscriminately. Skyrim's weakened; the Empire's weakened. Who else gains from that but the Thalmor?"

"So we need to figure out what the Thalmor know about the dragons. Any ideas?"

"If we could get into the Thalmor Embassy… It's the center of their operations in Skyrim. The problem is; that place is locked up tighter than a miser's purse. They could teach me a few things about paranoia."

Elana nodded slowly. "So how do we get into the Embassy?"

"I'm not sure yet. I have a few ideas, but I'll need time to pull things together. Meet me back in Riverwood. If I'm not there, wait for me. I shouldn't be long. Keep an eye on the sky. This is only going to get worse."

Elana had barely opened the door of the inn when Delphine accosted her. "I don't think you were followed. Come on, I have a plan."

She was dragged back down to the room.

"I've figured out how we're gonna get you into the Thalmor Embassy."

"That didn't take long."

"I've been doing this for a long time, remember? While the Thalmor's been looking for me, I've been watching them."

Elana shrugged. "So what's your plan? How do I infiltrate the Embassy?"

"The Thalmor Ambassador, Elenwen, regularly throws parties where the rich and connected cozy up to the Thalmor. I can get you into one of those parties. Once your inside the Embassy, you slip away and find Elenwen's secret files. I have a contact inside the Embassy. He's not up for this kind of high-risk mission, but he can help you. His name's Malborn, a wood elf, plenty of reason to hate the Thalmor. You can trust him. I'll get word for him to meet you in Solitude, at the Winking Skeever – you know the place? While you're doing that, I'll work on getting you an invitation to Elenwen's little party. Meet me at Solitude stables when you're done meeting with Malborn. Any questions?"

The Dragonborn shook her head. "I'll meet you in Solitude after I meet Malborn."

"Sounds good. Be careful."

"Really? You're who she picked? I hope she knows what she's doing."

Elana was tempted to slam him to the table right then and walk out. This would be a pointless mission anyway, but perhaps some Thalmor could get taken out along the way. But no, she would play nice.

"Here's the deal. I can smuggle some equipment into the Embassy for you. Don't plan on bringing anything else into the Embassy with you. The Thalmor take security very seriously. Give me what you can't live without and I'll make sure it makes it into the Embassy. The rest is up to you. Bring whatever you need to move silently and quickly."

She paused and contemplated all the things she was holding. "I'm ready."