Ollric woke early. There were no windows in their little room but it had always been habit to wake just before the sun rose. He didn't spend a lot of his time sleeping, not anymore. He rolled onto his side and his gaze landed on the dragon that lay curled up in the middle of the floor. He had half expected her to be gone or to be standing over him with a knife in her grasp. But she was right where he left her and she looked almost peaceful as she slept. He hadn't been so cruel as to have not offered the one single bed but she had given him that regular look of distaste and instead settled herself on top of his cloak on the wooden floor. Like himself, she hadn't fallen asleep straight away. In fact, she had lain awake for most of the night and he noticed, when she did finally succumb, her breathing was uneven and her eyes flitted back and forth between closed lids, as if she was dreaming of something terrible. His own dreams were black and faded now. There was nothing that could come to him in his mind that he hadn't already faced.
The sound of raised voices and boots against hard wood pulled him from his thoughts and Ollric sat up in the bed, listening intently. The shouts had faded to hushed conversation just outside the Inn. His brow furrowed. He had a feeling whoever was lurking outside their room at such an early hour didn't have the best of intentions.
'Wake up.' He hissed. He jumped from the bed and started to pull on his armour, the enchantments on the black material glowing at his touch. The girl didn't stir and he grabbed her shoulder. She shouted in protest but his hand pushed roughly against her lips and cut her off mid cry. Furious cobalt eyes, still tinged with sleep, glared up at him. 'We have to go. Now.'
'Wo los nii?' ['Who is it?'] She asked. Now she had woken her sharp ears had picked up the voices outside.
'Be silent!' Ollric snapped, his voice a low whisper. 'What did I tell you about using that tongue?'
It was too late though. The voices outside had fallen silent and Ollric had a sickening feeling that what they had just heard was what they came for. She watched him sullenly and pulled on her oversized outfit as he moved about the room. He crouched near the door and drew his dagger from a hidden sheath near his waist. Using the tip, he gently pulled the door open and scanned the room beyond from the gap. At first the inn seemed empty, the doors all closed and the candles burned out. All noises had fallen quiet and he could only hear the gentle whistling of the wind as it seeped its way through the gaps in the wooden building. He felt the dragon come to stand close beside him, her body language blatantly unfazed by this situation. Typical arrogant dragon, he thought, and resisted the urge to roll his eyes, charging in without a second thought.
'Stay close.' Ollric kept his voice low and he started to tell her to stay down like he was but before the words could leave his mouth, the door to the inn burst open and three bodies crashed inside, the snow blowing and howling behind them.
Their swords were drawn and even in the dim light, he could see the flash of the sharp blades and the sheen of the gunmetal coloured armour. Two of them wasted no time in charging through the inn. They upturned tables and flung open wardrobes, paying no mind to the noise they were making and still not one soul emerged. Ollric glanced to the bar where just a few hours earlier the innkeeper had been stood, a smile on his cheerful face. The bar now was empty and clear of bottles and tankards, however Ollric could just make out a pair of boots sticking out from behind it. They shuffled slightly at the racket from the front of the inn and then disappeared from view. His view shifted back to the pair searching the rooms – they were coming closer and closer to his own hiding place. Still one remained at the entrance to the inn and he narrowed his eyes, sheathing his dagger and straightening out.
A set of eyes he didn't expect landed upon him.
'I did not expect to find you here, Dragonborn.' Delphine lowered her own sword and took a few steps towards him. The Blades paused in their search and returned to her side.
'I could say the same thing to you.' Ollric replied quietly. He half moved out of the door but kept it shut, shielding the dragon from view.
Delphine smirked. 'You must have heard of the dragon that was woken nearby.'
He felt the girl tense beside him. He could feel the fire burning inside of her, the rage coursing through the veins. Of course, she must have seen the Blades kill many of her kin. 'Strange place to search for a dragon.'
'And yet, here we both come to be.'
Ollric watched her carefully, out of the corner of his eye he could see the two Blades she had brought edging themselves round the sides of the inn. Her and Esbern must have been struggling for recruits since he had chosen to leave because these two were almost laughable. He hadn't seen Delphine since the day he had told her he refused to kill Paarthurnax – it hadn't exactly been a pleasant meeting.
His hand hovered the hilt of his sword. 'I've seen no dragon. Perhaps you would have more luck searching the skies,' one of the Blades had disappeared from his view, 'rather than a deserted inn.'
The blow came fast and if Ollric hadn't been waiting for it, it would have sent him to his knees. However, a lifetime of executing sneak attacks had paid off and he spun on his heel, raising his own sword just in time to block the Blade's swing. The Redguard under the armour swore and stumbled back, his grip on his great sword faltering. Ollric took the advantage and swung his sword, catching the man on his forearm causing him to drop his weapon in pain. The Nord raised his leg and kicked the man solidly in the stomach. He staggered back and hit the wooden wall behind him with a crack where he slid to the ground and remained, clutching his bleeding arm.
An arrow whistled past his ear and thudded into the wall beside the injured Blade. Ollric turned to find the other recruit aiming her bow steadily at him but he could see the panic in her eyes as her gaze flickered between him and Delphine. Ollric rolled his shoulders and walked slowly towards the pair, his eyes fixed upon his old partner.
'Call them off, Delphine.' He said, his tone a warning. 'This isn't their fight.'
'They are dragon hunters, as you were once,' Delphine spat between gritted teeth, 'this is every bit their fight.'
He raised his arms and laughed. 'I see no dragons, do you?' The girl's bow was still trained onto him, tracking his every move, and she was no more than a girl. Ollric has no desire to kill her or her companion. The feud ran much deeper than just hunting dragons, having Delphine and Esbern watching his every move was irritating and he would love nothing more than to end them where they stood but he didn't see the point in unnecessary bloodshed.
At that very moment, before anything more could be said between the two, the shaking girl had loosed another arrow. Her aim was poor at best and the old iron thing would have only grazed his shoulder but before it could even touch him Ollric was hurled out of the way and he crashed into a table – sending tankards and sweet rolls scattering across the floor. Delphine was shouting in surprise and rushing forwards, the young girl beside her dropped her bow and fumbled for the sword at her side but they were too slow.
'No!' Ollric shouted. He knew it was too late though. The dragon's eyes were two dark slits and she opened her mouth.
'Yol Toor Shur!'
A burning stream of fire engulfed the entire inn. Screams and shrieks reached his ears from behind the wall of flame but he could see nothing beyond the blaze that was destroying everything in its path. Tables, chairs, the floor – all was swallowed by the fire that fell like torrents from her mouth. From where he lay, Ollric wrapped his large hand around her wrist and yanked her against him. His other hand wrapped around her jaw and snapped it shut. A snarl so animal like scratched its way up her throat that for a moment he faltered and she twisted from his grasp and was running for the front door. He scooped up his sword and was soon chasing after her, ignoring the charred corpse of the girl that lay beside the door.
'That's how you thank me for saving your life?'
He heard her before he saw her. That familiar scathing tone drifting through the air. The cool morning was a comfort to his skin after the inferno that still raged inside the inn.
'They were innocent.' Ollric growled. He sheathed his sword. Delphine had apparently scarpered and left her two recruits to die for her own mistakes. He narrowed his eyes at where the dragon was laid on the snow, her arms outstretched like she was making a snow angel. Her chest was heaving. In two short steps, he was upon her and he dragged her to her feet. 'I didn't need your help, dragon.' He spat.
She smirked and let him pull her down the track. The burning inn was starting to attract attention he didn't want. 'Didn't seem that way to me, Dovahkiin.'
'They didn't need to die.' He muttered. At the edge of the town he found his horse waiting. So, this is where it had ended up after abandoning him on the ice plains. It snorted at the sight of the girl in his grip and pawed the ground, backing up slightly. She hissed at it in return which earned a shake from Ollric.
'The Blades.' She growled and spat, her eyes two molten pits. Ollric ignored her and adjusted the horses' saddle. No doubt word would soon get back to Sky Haven and whatever recruits they did have left would be on their tale by the time the sun had reached its highest point. 'Zu'u hind dinok nau niin pah.'['I wish death upon them all.']
Ollric spun where he stood and took her upper arms in his grip. He wasn't gentle and she almost flinched away as he glared down at her. 'Do not forget, dragon, how every single day I am letting you live a day more than you would have were you not in this body. Now get on the horse and shut up or I'll leave you out here to die. Or maybe I'll kill you myself. I'm certain it wouldn't take long.'
Her eyes flickered uncertainly and for once he found her speechless. She couldn't meet his burning gaze and instead she looked down at her bare feet, a crease forming between her eyebrows. Satisfied that he had made his point he released her and gestured towards the horse.
'Get on.'
For the first time since he had met her, a look of fear crossed her face. 'I'll walk.' She stammered.
He shook his head impatiently. 'We have a lot of land to cross, it'll take too long.' He smirked. 'What? You're afraid of horses?'
She scowled. 'No, I just – why would I ride this beast when I have my own wings.'
Ollric raised his eyebrows. He didn't point out that she, in fact, did not have wings and was stuck in the body of a human girl. 'You'll get the hang of it.' He gave her no warning and lunged towards her. She shrieked as he wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her onto the startled horse. Her fingers found the front of the saddle instantly and she held on with white knuckles. He swung himself up behind her and felt her body tense as his arms enveloped her to take the reins. 'Hold on.' He murmured in her ear.
