Irileth
The first time she entered Dragonsreach through those large doors, I couldn't believe my eyes. Before, I had seen several men that were tall and muscular. Bretons, Imperials, Redguards, and more than a few Nords. But never in my life had I seen a woman as big as her. She looked like she could be extremely lethal with the great sword she wielded on her back.
Before she had arrived, my Jarl, Balgruuf was arguing with his brother, Hrongar, and the steward, Proventus over what had to be done about the attack on Helgen. Word had travelled fast that the entire place had been wiped out, and worry was written all over the Jarl's face about what to do. He very much advocated for sending troops to Riverwood to protect it, while Proventus disagreed, saying that moving troops that close to Falkreath Hold could result in rising tensions between us and them.
I generally stay out of the business, preferring action over words. But, in the middle of the argument, the large doors opened and in came this...woman. She looked like she had been bred from nord and giant together and looked like she was capable of fighting through the guards of Whiterun to get here. I pulled my own sword free just in case she was dangerous and approached her to keep her from interfering in their talks.
"Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving visitors at the moment." As she turned her questioning eyes towards me, I scanned her and saw that she wore a mish mash of iron armor that looked like it was too small for her massive frame. Anybody who was decent with a sword could easily take her down with a few stabs to the open areas. If they could get inside her massive range with that great sword that is.
"I come from Helgen with news of the dragon attack," she said in an urgent tone. Despite how quiet she spoke, her voice felt like it could rattle the plates on the table.
But more than her appearance, and more than her voice, I was stunned by her words. Taking my sword, I sheathed it at my side and stood straight. "That explains why the guards let you in. Come on then, the jarl will want to speak to you personally," I said as I walked back up the stairs to the dais. She followed, silent again and stepped up to the three arguing men.
Even for the three locked in heated debate, it was impossible not to notice her presence when she stepped forward. Jarl Balgruuf immediately held up his hand to silence the other two as the nord woman approached. "Who's this then?" he asked curiously.
She spoke again, getting right to the point of the matter. "I was at Helgen when it was attacked by a dragon. Now, the entire city is little more than ruins, and the dragon looked to be flying this way."
My jarl's eyes widened in panic and he hit the arm of his wooden throne with a fist. "By Ysmir, Irileth was right!" he snapped, then immediately turned to Proventus, his steward. "What do you say now Proventus? Shall we continue to trust in the strength of our walls? Against a dragon?" he asked, his tone radiating annoyance.
Typically, I enjoy seeing the pompous steward getting his just desserts from the jarl. But the matter at hand was too urgent for me to sit idly by and enjoy the stewards fumbling. "My lord, we should send troops to Riverwood at once! It's in the most immediate danger if that dragon is lurking in the mountains."
Immediately, Proventus interjected, much to my annoyance. "The Jarl of Falkreath will view that as a provocation! He'll assume we're preparing to join Ulfric's side and attack him!" pleaded the man. But thankfully, Balgruuf was having none of it.
"Enough!" he snapped, silencing the man. "I'll not stand idly by while a dragon burns my hold and slaughters my people!" he said forcefully before turning to me. "Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once!" he ordered as he stood from his seat.
The balding man, from all appearances very annoyed at having his advice thrown to the wayside, simply bowed his head. "If you will excuse me, I'll return to my duties," he finished begrudgingly.
"That would be best," said the jarl as he allowed the man to leave. He turned to our new visitor as I stepped away and did as ordered. Moving upstairs to the council table, Commander Caius was already standing there waiting for orders.
When he saw me arrive, he immediately stood at attention. "Irileth?"
"Assign someone to lead a detachment of troops down to Riverwood. There's been signs of a dragon attack, and the Jarl wants to make sure the people of Riverwood have sufficient protection in case it attacks," I ordered as I moved one of the small markers on the map down to the area marked with the town's name.
The commander went wide eyed, to the point where it looked as if his eyes might roll out of his head. "You can't be serious! A dragon? A...real one?" he asked, his voice betraying his terror.
"I do not believe I misspoke," I said in a firm tone as I stared him down.
"N-No...of course not. I'll get on it immediately!" said the man as he began moving down the stairs and towards the front of the keep. Hrongar stepped up to me as we watched him go.
"Why is he commander?" asked the nord man, who crossed his large arms over his chest. "Tell him a skeever is loose in the dungeon and he starts quaking in his boots. With the way he cowered, you'd think you asked him to go there personally."
"Do me a favor if you would. Make sure he does his duty. I don't want any risky behavior to interfere with orders," I said solemnly as I looked up at the jarl's brother. He simply gave a firm nod, then followed the quivering commander out of the keep. Having finished my duties, I went back downstairs and watched curiously as the newcomer and the court mage, Farengar, discussed a curious tablet that she had apparently brought with her. They appeared to be talking with a mysterious cloaked acquaintance of the wizard.
It was then that the opening of the manor doors alerted me again. Once more, I rushed forward to see who it was that insisted on seeing the jarl in this time of chaos, but I was met with a startling sight. A Whiterun guard was on his hands and knees, gasping for air as the two gate guards tried to help him to his feet. "Housecarl...there's been...a sighting!" he gasped out.
My eyes widened as I took a step closer. "Take a breath, slow down, and explain."
"A dragon, at the watchtower to the west," he said as clearly as he could.
Nodding, I waved to the man. "Come with me. We must inform the jarl!" I ordered as I turned to the door guard. "You! Gather my troops and have them meet outside the gate. We will no doubt have to take care of this problem ourselves," I commanded, not waiting for a response as I turned and headed back towards the throne. The first place I stopped was the mage's quarters to alert Farengar, who would no doubt need the information as well. Stepping inside the large doorway, I spoke over their conversation for attention. "Farengar, you must come at once! A dragon has been sighted nearby!" I said before looking to the giant woman. "You should come too."
Immediately, Farengar in his hooded robes stopped his conversation and stepped out from behind his desk and moved towards me with an elated expression on his face. "A dragon? How exciting! Where was it seen? What was it doing?" he asked as if this situation wasn't dire at all.
"I'd take this a bit more seriously if I were you. If a dragon decides to attack Whiterun, I don't know if we can stop it," I said morosely, my expression souring. "Regardless, we must inform the jarl, so both of you need to come with me."
As instructed, they followed me up the stairs to where Jarl Balgruuf was now convening with Hrongar and the messenger. "So, you came from the Western Watchtower?" asked the jarl, who had a grim look on his face.
"Yes, my lord!" responded the soldier.
"Tell him what you told me. About the dragon," I ordered as the three of us arrived.
The man nodded, still talking through his helmet. "That's right. We saw it coming from the south. It was fast, faster than anything I've ever seen!"
The jarl gestured to the man to get to the point. "What did it do? Is it attacking the watchtower?" he asked, somewhat impatiently.
"No, my lord. It was just circling overhead when I left. I...I've never run so fast in my life. I thought for sure it would come after me," said the panicked guard as he let out a sigh of relief.
Balgruuf nodded firmly. "Good work son. We'll take it from here. You head over to the barracks and get some food and rest. You've earned it." The soldier nodded and turned to leave as the jarl faced me. "Irileth, you'd better gather some guardians and get down there."
I nodded in approval. "I've already ordered my men to muster near the main gate."
"Good. Don't fail me," he said, his voice tinted with worry. Hearing it moved me, though I'd never show as much. Even so, his concern for my welfare was touching. He spoke to the giant woman for a few moments before offering me some last words. "One last thing Irileth. This isn't a death or glory mission. I need to know what we're dealing with."
"Don't worry my lord. I am the very soul of caution," I said as I bowed my head, my almost non-existent heart pounding wildly. Finally, I left the keep and moved through the city until I found my men gathered just outside the gate.
As I approached, they immediately began interrogating me. "I heard we're going to fight a dragon. Is this true?" asked one of them. He was a nord that kept his face hidden behind an iron helm with horns sprouting from the top.
"I can't say. There's been a dragon sighting, however if we'll be fighting it is unclear. So far it hasn't attacked anything," I reported, trying to assure the men.
"I real dragon...in my lifetime. I don't know whether to jump for joy or soil my pants," said one of the men, sparking laughter from the others.
"Better bring an extra pair just in case," said another. Even I had to smile at their jovial nature in such a dire situation.
"At least if we die, it will be a glorious send off to Sovngarde," said one of the troop in a grim tone.
"Whether you die to a dragon, or from a skeever is irrelevant. Dead is dead," I said, not wanting the man to bring down the already dark mood. "If we end up fighting the dragon, you're going to live, and kill it. Then you'll have stories for your grandkids about how you helped to slay a dragon."
The man who spoke before nodded; his mood slightly lifted by the claim. Finally, the newcomer approached. I turned to her and she only said one word. "Ready."
"Alright then, let us be on our way," I ordered as I drew my weapon and led our men into the night.
It wasn't a long trek, but each step we took felt heavier than the last. It felt as if we were walking to our doom, and each foot forward was one step closer to our grave. But still, they followed. I had to give it to the nords, their sense of honor was admirable, even if it did border on ignorant stubbornness sometimes.
When we finally made it to the tower, we ducked behind a jutting boulder to get a view before stepping into the fight. And from the looks of it, there definitely was one. Several Whiterun guards lay on the ground, some undoubtedly dead with their bodies smoldering with flame, but others possibly alive. The tower itself had half of its ramparts missing, and a transport cart next to the building was blazing into nothing but ash.
"Looks like we're late to the fight," said one of the men behind me.
"Silence! The dragon could still be around," I ordered in a hushed tone. Turning back to the tower, I sighed to myself as I saw the casualties. "For now, we move quietly and try to see how many are dead. Keep an eye out for the dragon itself." As I moved out, the large woman followed me resolutely. One thing I could say about her is that she most certainly wasn't fearful. The look in her eyes was one of solid determination, and she moved as sure footed as I.
Stepping up to the first body, I gently turned the man over to find him bleeding profusely beneath his helmet. Checking for breathing, I found nothing, and resigned him to death. Looking up, the warrior woman did the same, and from appearances, it looked as if her soldier wasn't any luckier. "May you rest in Sovngarde brother," she spoke in that powerful tone. The other men moved out to do the same, but a loud roar froze them in their place. I immediately drew my sword and looked up to the night sky to see the dragon expanding its wings on top of the tower.
"Men, to arms!" I shouted as it drew its gaze down on us. They hadn't heard it likely, but I did. The sound of the dragon inhaling deeply. My eyes widened as I jumped behind a jutting rock. "TAKE COVER!"
The dragon sprayed fire across the ground, igniting grass, earth, and even one of the soldiers who hadn't moved in time. As the man danced madly with the flames devouring his armor, the strange woman tackled him and began to tear his armor off, relieving him of his flaming garments before they could do any damage. Then immediately, she rose and grabbed the man's bow and quiver. Pulling the string back with little to no strain, she fired arrows at the monster.
From the looks of it, this did nothing but annoy him. But she most certainly got his attention. Turning to the soldiers, I barked out more orders. "Back her up!"
But the woman turned and countered my order, something I wasn't pleased with. "No! Stay undercover until he's on the ground!" she yelled, then turned back and continued to pelt the dragon with arrows.
After a few more the dragon looked as if it had had enough, and began to inhale again, aiming its flaming maw for my position. I ducked behind the stone guard rail as the beast took flight, hoping that I was hidden enough not to be harmed by the flames.
"Fight me!" shouted the woman. The call shook us to our core, and when I looked over the rock, it seemed as if the dragon had even turned away from his attack because of it.
"Dovahkiin!" growled the beast in some unknown language. It flew high then turned and began to speed behind the tower, looking as if it were running away. But the woman dashed into the tower itself. Tired of hiding behind the fence like a coward, I made my way out with my magic ready to assist. But my dark eyes widened immensely as I saw what happened over the next few seconds.
When she had finally reached the top of the tower, she shouted again, "Fight coward!" Her voice carried over the air and land as if she were standing right next to us. The dragon, who was apparently prone to provocation, turned and roared back, his own roar of anger shaking the stones on the ground. He flew up to the tower and inhaled sharply, aiming the attack directly at her. But he never had a chance to breath. "Attack!" she shouted as she sprinted and dove off the tower with her great sword in hand. Thrusting forward, it slid into the dragon's convexed chest.
As soon as the blade connected, the dragon let out an ear-splitting cry of agony and soared to the ground with her hanging on to the weapon for dear life. His landing was less than ceremonious, as his wings glided him back around the tower and he crashed heavily onto his back next to the cart.
Immediately, I raised my sword and shouted, "Men! Now's our chance! Kill it!" and I moved forward to help the daring warrior woman. My men followed, and we rained blows down on the massive beast as the nord warrior twisted the blade still embedded in its chest. He managed to grab one of the men in his jaws and fling him sideways, but as soon as he opened his mouth to breath fire, I raised both arms and unleashed a hellish lightning bolt that paralyzed its attack. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of stabbing and throwing lightning, the beast lay unmoving.
I was exhausted after dodging its claws and teeth, with my magical energy depleted as I looked up at the woman. Her sword had apparently snapped off in the scuffle, and she stood staring at the handle with her white, braided hair fluttering in the wind. I stopped to catch my breath when I noticed it. The wind, it wasn't natural. Raising my weapon again to defend against whatever death rattle the dragon had in store, I felt the wind begin to cyclone around us.
Looking up at the nord woman, she stood, clenching her fists with her muscle bulging in her arms as she leaned her head back and stared wide-eyed into the sky. I too was awestruck as I saw waves of energy form into a dragon-like spirit around her. It expanded its wings and let out one last death cry before it began to collapse into the woman as if she were absorbing its soul. My men gathered around me in fear as they too witnessed the spectacle. When it finally ended, she stood with her arms flexing at her sides, and an intense expression on her face. Finally, she opened her mouth, and all of us were blown backwards by her voice. "FUS!"
It wasn't painless to say the least, and I was more than angered at the attack. Getting to my feet, I grabbed my sword once more but one of the men rushed ahead of me to confront her. "You! You're...you're dragonborn!" he said, his voice almost sounding excited.
Seeing that the nord woman was now on one knee and not preparing any more attacks, I stepped up to his side, balking at the claim. "Dragonborn? What in Azura's name are you talking about?' I asked as I folded my arms over my chest.
The man turned to me and tried to explain. "The very oldest tales, back when there were still dragons in Skyrim. The Dragonborn would slay dragons and steal their power," he said, then turned to the giant woman who jumped from the corpse and now stood before us. "That's what you did, isn't it? You stole the dragon's power, and now you can shout!"
The woman shrugged in confusion. "I don't know. Whatever happened, I didn't do it intentionally. It just happened."
"Then there's only one way to find out. According to the legends, only the Dragonborn can use the shouts without training. So, do it, do what you did before!" he instructed eagerly.
The woman seemed to resign herself to it with a sigh, then closed her eyes and slowly inhaled. "FUS!" she shouted, and sure enough the soldier was hit with a stone wall sound, sending him rolling backwards. Even I was slightly startled at the power as even without being directly in its path, I could feel its power. But despite the abuse he had been through, he hopped to his feet and cheered.
"That's it! It's true! You are the Dragonborn!" shouted the soldier ecstatically. The others seemed in awe, but one of them confronted me.
"What about you Irileth? You're being awfully quiet. Tell us, do you believe in this Dragonborn business?" he asked, crossing his arms skeptically.
I'm not often cornered with philosophical questions like this. I find it annoying when there are more important things to discuss. "Some of you are better off keeping quiet, rather than flapping your jaws about things you know nothing about," I snapped. But it didn't look like they were giving up that easily. Finally, I sighed. "Here's a dead dragon, and that's something I definitely understand. Now we know we can kill them. But I don't need some mythical Dragonborn to believe in. Someone who can put down a dragon is more than enough for me."
One of the men huffed under his helmet and crossed his arms defensively. "You wouldn't understand Housecarl, you ain't a nord."
I don't usually get defensive, but the implication that I didn't understand because I wasn't one of them stung as if I were somehow out of the loop due to the circumstances of being born a dunmer. "I've been all across Tamriel and have seen plenty of things just as outlandish as this!" I growled at the man. "I advise you to trust in your sword arm over tales and legends."
The displeasure of my comment was apparent. But then the woman spoke herself. "She's right. Even if I am this Dragonborn, I can't be everywhere at once to slay dragons. If one attacks while I'm not there, you will have to be ready to take it on yourself," she said, eyeing them all.
I smiled slightly at her agreement, then turned to the others. "She's right. For now, let us return to Jarl Balgruuf and report what happened."
"I don't care what you say. I've now helped kill a dragon, and met a living breathing Dragonborn. My children will have tales for ages," said one of the men excitedly, getting rousing approval from the others as they patted him on the back.
I looked over at the woman who now stood smiling and weaponless. Whatever she was, she was an asset to both Whiterun and Skyrim itself. She would no doubt be the focus of many songs and tales in the future.