Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Elder Scrolls Series. That honor belongs to Bethesda.

Author's Note: This chapter has small amounts of sexually themed content and references. It is nothing too vulgar but important enough to be pointed out. This will lead into some of the Struggles the Paladin will encounter throughout my fanfic. Thank you, I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 7: Dragonborn

Gareth

Mahrig's eyes blazed with what looked like fire as the sound escaped from her knocking all that lay in her path away. The dragon that lay before her, only bones now, shuddered with the force that passed them. At first I was convinced that the dragon had somehow possessed her, it would have explained the earlier display of power that transferred from the dragon to her. The idea faded as did her eyes back to their familiar aqua pools. Her face was now calm, and she stared at the dragon before her. I was speechless, I didn't know what to do. Approaching her might have caused the fire to return and I didn't like seeing the fire in her eyes. I felt an emotion I hadn't felt since before becoming a paladin. I felt fear. Am I scared of Mahrig? An awe struck guard approached her with eyes as wide as the plains.

"You're… Dragonborn!"

Mahrig didn't seem to notice the guard at first, but his persistence at gaining her attention prevailed. She glanced toward him with a questioning look.

"What do you mean?" Her nervous composure she normally carried around others began to surface.

"You can shout now right? You couldn't before, that's what you just did, you shouted." The guards eyes wandered to another guard that made his approach. Mahrig began to shift uncomfortably under their gaze. The second guard spoke.

"I seen it too, you took that dragon's power, and then you used it." They were both staring at her in amazement now. Ireleth had heard some of the conversation on her approach and eyed Mahrig suspiciously.

"I'm not too sure about this dragonborn nonsense, what I do know is that over here," she pointed toward the dragon's bones, "is a dead dragon. I can understand a dead dragon. This means we can bring them down if there are more." She turned her attention to me. A couple of the other guards were now in a deep debate on the subject of the Dragonborn. The Dragonborn was an ancient warrior of legend said to have the body of a mortal, and the soul of a dragon. The Dragonborn was the only being that was said to be able to kill a dragon for good by consuming its lifeforce. Ireleth spoke breaking my attention from the guards who explained things a little too fast for Mahrig to keep up.

"As for you Gareth, I would like to personally thank you for investigating the western watchtower. If you had not arrived I would have no doubt lost more men. The guards you tended to can now return to their families." She smiled her rare smile. It wasn't much of a smile, but clearly it was a change for someone as stone faced as Ireleth. I overheard one of the younger guards asking Mahrig to display her shout again.

"Uh, I'm not really sure I should." She backed away nervously.

"You do remember how to right?" The guard prompted her.

"Yes, but...I'm really tired, I should go. This is all a little too much for me right now." She turned facing me. Her face had taken on an even paler shade. The rain was coming down harder now and the flames that had blanketed the area was now just a memory as smoke wafted in their place. I cautiously approached Mahrig. I noticed the way her body wavered as she too approached me.

"My lady, are you alright?" Her eyes found a comfortable spot on the ground and remained there. She wasn't going to speak to me. Ireleth came up beside me and spoke to Mahrig.

"Mahrig, I know this whole ordeal was spur of the moment. The risk you took for us did not go unnoticed. You gave us the advantage we needed to bring the beast down. I will inform the Jarl of your bravery upon my return to Whiterun. For now I'm going to stay here and see what I can discover about this dragon. I know it's just bones, but I've done a lot more with less before." Ireleth turned to me once more.

"I need the both of you to return to Whiterun and inform the Jarl of what has transpired here. He will be eagerly awaiting news from us, so please do rush." With that Ireleth took her leave from our company and made her way toward the enormous dragon bones that spread across the ground.

Mahrig and I had done exactly the opposite of what Ireleth had requested. We took our time getting back to Whiterun. I had slowed my steps to keep at Mahrig's pace. She was obviously deep in thought and kept her gaze low. She never glanced in my direction or spoke a word the whole walk back to Whiterun. What had taken me a 15 minute hard gallop on Arlow took a little over an hour walking at a slow pace.

We had just entered the gates to Whiterun when the ground began to quake. This brought Mahrig from her brooding thoughts as she grabbed onto my arm to maintain her balance. A booming chorus of voices sang through the air. After recovering from the mysterious event we made our way to Dragon's Reach. Jarl Balgruuf was just as shocked to hear the retelling of events as I had been experiencing them. The one thing that grabbed his attention the most, was the part about Mahrig being the supposed Dragonborn. Mahrig would not voice this occurrence, and so I had been the one to offer that tad bit of information. A look of realization washed over Balgruuf's features.

"So, It was you the Greybeards were summoning!" Balgruuf stared wide eyed at Mahrig. A look of confusion was on both mine and Mahrig's face.

"Did you not hear it? The voices summoning the Dovahkiin?" I had heard it, the word Dovahkiin had been familiar I realized. The moment Mahrig and I had entered the city when the quake began. I had heard the word Dovahkiin. Mahrig slowly nodded. She had heard it also.

"You should make your way to High Hrothgar as soon as you are able, the greybeards clearly wish to speak with you. It's been ages since they have openly summoned anyone. A summons from the Greybeards is almost as old as the legends." It was now Balgruuf's turn to lose himself in gossip with the surrounding people. Mahrig's nervous habit of twirling a stray lock of her hair started. After Balgruuf finished his heated debate with Proventus he snapped his fingers and a man appeared from one of the side rooms.

"Ah, Mahrig was it? I would like to thank you for your service to the City of Whiterun. You've been through quite a few trials since entering these gates and even before." Jarl Balgruuf was no doubt talking about the experience she had been through with Helgen.

"I know this isn't much of a token of gratitude for all that you have faced, but please accept this gift." He grabbed the war-axe from the man who had come from the side room and presented it to Mahrig. The steel war-axe wasn't quite as large as a sword, but it could be just as deadly. I noticed the red glimmer that pulsed across the head of the axe and the handle. An enchantment of consumption. This truly was a token of gratification. Balgruuf presented the war-axe to Mahrig who hesitantly accepted.

"Along with the Axe of Whiterun, I would also like to present to you the title of Thane. You have aided the City of Whiterun and proved to be a valuable asset. We would be honored to have you as our Thane Dragonborn." Everyone in the near vicinity, excluding Balgruuf who just gave a small bow, knelt before Mahrig and then rose. Mahrig's face was as red as the gleaming enchantment on her new weapon. Upon leaving Dragon's Reach we were approached by a woman who introduced herself as Lydia, Mahrig's new housecarl she obtained as Thane. Mahrig had explained to the woman that she would call upon her if the need ever arose and we were off.

The Bannered Mare was a bit more crowded than it had been the last time we had rented a room. I recognized a few of the guard's faces. There were men that I had tended to at the Western Watchtower here. The room fell eerily silent as everyone noticed our entrance. Whisper's began to interrupt the silence as I walked over to the innkeeper and presented the coin to rent a room. Mahrig immediately followed the innkeeper to the room, but I was approached by a guard who offered to buy me a drink.

"You, you saved our hides out there lad, allow me to buy you a drink, or two, hells I'll buy you three!" The room erupted in laughter and the bard began to play.

"Thank you, but I do not drink." I kindly declined his offer, but his already heated cheeks should have warned me that he would be the persistent type.

"Oh come on now lad, a drink won't hurt you." He chided.

"After the battle you witnessed you'll be wanting the small escape later." He smiled an all too wide grin. There would be no reasoning with this man. I accepted the offer of one drink. The redguard barmaid brought it to me with haste. A mug of Honningbrew Mead had been what the guard had requested. I took the mug and nodded slightly in thanks to the redguard who proceeded to hurry off into the crowd.

"Well, what are you waiting for, drink up!" The guard made a motion to clink our mugs and then began to down his own mug. I guessed that one mug of Honningbrew Mead wouldn't hurt, after all Mead was a lighter alcoholic beverage. The taste was bitter at first, but the sweetness began to wash across my palate. The more I drank the easier it become to endure the wild burst of flavor. It gave my stomach a warm feeling that I was not accustomed to. My thought process began to slow, and my limbs felt heavy, but in an oddly good way. Before I knew it I had consumed another mug that the guard had requested. I was still under my own influence, wasn't I? I wasn't drunk, no I could still think straight. A third mug was presented to me. I needed to stop, it was becoming harder to reason with myself. I knew I should have said no. I however did not. Mead truly was a light alcoholic beverage, but when consumed in great quantity, it became quite potent.

After finishing my third mug of ale I had realized the sluggish movements of my body caused me to stumble toward the stairs. I needed to reach the room and lay down before my body began making its own decisions. I didn't want to wake up to a night of regret, I had already began regretting my decision to drink the alcohol, but the guard had been right. I certainly did need the release. The past few days had been nothing short of what I assumed experiencing a realm of oblivion might be like. Surely the God's would not spurn me for escaping such a thing, would they? As a Paladin I had taken a vow to not partake in worldly pleasures. That involved anything recreational that could impair ones judgment and other pleasures that Dibella and Mara reserved for destined couples. I had consumed alcohol, but thanks to my inherited Nord blood from my father my tolerance had not reached its threshold. It was dangerously close though and that is why I had cut myself off at three mugs. I didn't partake in the drinking as a recreational purpose, but as accepting a gift and escaping the reality of what had transpired over the last few days. I would no doubt find myself in prayer come morning in the nice and quiet temple of Kynareth.

I walked into the dimly lit room that I had seen the innkeeper lead Mahrig to. It was the only room up the flight of stairs and the largest. The same room we had stayed in the previous visit. I could barely make out Mahrig's form huddled on top of the furs. She didn't move as I entered and I took that as a sign that she was asleep. I walked to the other side of the room where one candle was lit. I searched the room for my bag before realizing I had only brought my pouch that had contained my gold into the city. Before entering the city gates I had gone to the stable and paid the young lad to properly stable the squatting Arlow. The stable boy was familiar with Arlow and knew he had belonged to me. I thanked him and apologized for any inconvenience I may have caused him. I knew the lad was trustworthy and had left my bag with Arlow. Carrying the weight around could leave a man's shoulders aching if done for too long. You would think me to have already been inebriated before coming into the tavern at forgetting such a fact. I sat in the chair and weighed my options. A long stumbling walk to the stables, or the hard floor. It wouldn't be the first time I had slept on the floor without a bedroll, and would no doubt be my last.

I noticed a glint from a pair of eyes staring at me from the bed in the candle light. Mahrig was awake. I couldn't make out the expression on her face due to the shadows.

"Everything alright Mahrig?" I asked. She slightly shifted her position and propped herself up on one arm.

"I should be asking you that question." She replied.

"What do you mean?" After I inquired her response she leaned forward as if to examine me. I could see her face revealed by the candle light. She had a small smirk to her lips. It was the first positive expression she had exhibited since the incident at the Western Watchtower. She spoke.

"That's the first time you've referred to me by my name." She made a sniffing gesture towards the air causing her eyes to slightly widen.

"Gareth, have you been drinking?" Shame, in that moment all I felt was shame. The heat in my cheeks was joined by even more heat that made my face feel like the dragon had returned to finish the job with his fiery breath. I glanced down toward my hands that were clasped on my lap, but danced in my vision. I couldn't admit something so shameful to her, but lying was far more blasphemous.

" I accepted a few gifts from one of the guards. I made sure to cut myself off before I approached my limit." I paused waiting for a response. I didn't dare look up to see if she had accepted my use of the word gift instead of beverage. I heard the wooden bed frame creak and the patter of light footsteps. I looked up to a stunningly beautiful sight. Mahrig had removed her dark gray cuirass and now only wore her light blue robe that was loosely tied to reveal the white cotton dress underneath. Her hair that had been pulled back into a loose braid now lay across her shoulders and tumbled down in ashen locks to her mid torso. Her eyes were staring at me curiously, the soft blue pools questioning my own green ones. In the candlelight Mahrig could have rivaled the Goddess of beauty. Dibella had no doubt had a hand in the creation of Mahrig, that much was apparent to me.

A new heat rose to my cheeks and probably displayed all across my features. I had let my thoughts wander into forbidden territory. This act may have been even more shameful than my drinking had been.

Mahrig

Gareth's face was flushed with the evidence that he had consumed a good bit of alcohol. I had been so wound up in my own self doubt and pity that I had not recognized Gareth's struggle too. He was a Paladin. He wasn't supposed to delve into taverns and get drunk like commoners. Something must have pushed him to that point, and I was curious to see if he would confide a bit in me. I pushed all of my problems out of my mind. Gareth had helped me through so much and now it was my turn to aid him in his time of need. I feared anything I could have said would make him ashamed of his current state, so I settled with a simple question.

"Do you want to talk about it?" His lazy gaze trailed away from me and settled on the candle.

"There is nothing to talk about, I'm still in full control of my thoughts, my body is just a bit heavy." His reply sent a pang to my chest. He didn't want to share his feelings with me. In these last couple of days I had come to consider Gareth a friend. I had never given myself the luxury of getting so close to someone. I had always feared that doing so would make me weak and they would become a liability. My biggest fear had been that my previous captor's would find out and use them as a bargaining chip to force me to come back. With Gareth though, it was different. He was fully capable of taking care of himself, and I doubted that if any of my past caught up with me that my captor's wouldn't dare mess with someone as well respected as a Knight of the Nine, at best they would try and persuade him. I could let my guard down with him as long as I didn't reveal too much about myself. Gareth wasn't offering me the same opportunity. I painfully realized that he had no reason to. I hadn't exactly been forthcoming with my emotions either and right now he was in a vulnerable state. He probably figured that he would let more go than he meant to. I stepped back and sighed. There was no use in talking to a reflection of myself. It would seem Gareth and I weren't that different.

I walked back over to the bed and sat down. Gareth stood up and balanced himself with his arm against the wall. When he was sure that he had his balance he began removing his armor. His gauntlets were first, and then his boots. I could tell by his muffled grunts that he was struggling to remove his pauldrons. One of the buckles had wedged itself to the backside of his arm and up under the edge of the pauldron. He was having difficulty reaching the buckle with his other arm due to the bulky torso piece he wore. I stood up again and made my way over to him. I motioned toward the buckle offering my help. He nodded.

"Thank you." He replied when the strap slithered loose. I made my way to the other side after setting the first Pauldron on the chair. I unfastened the buckle that secured the second pauldron and placed it beside its match. The next part was the tricky part. I needed to help Gareth take his bulky torso armor off. His already sluggish arms would prove difficult enough to lift.

The use of plate armor was not to be taken lightly as I soon discovered. There were too many accessory items for me to keep up with. I hadn't noticed most of the additional parts that needed to be removed until Gareth began slowly disassembling his armor until all that was left was his chest plate. What trickery is this? I realized in that moment that you needed to be well trained to be able to dress and undress plate armor, maybe even other types of heavy armor. To my eyes it had looked like it was one piece that would be difficult to remove.

Gareth began the strenuous act of lifting the plate chest piece over his head. I grabbed the bottom and tried to help him by pushing upward. The chest piece was very heavy, even though Gareth, with his sluggish movements, did most of the lifting. His endurance must have been extreme to be able to wear that armor for prolonged amounts of time. I was secretly amazed. The chest piece was off, and now I was painfully aware of how close our bodies were to each other. One deep breath was all it would take for our bodies to make contact. My breath halted and I looked up to the blushing Paladin who might have had too many beverages. My obvious blush was because of an entirely different reason. He stood in his white cotton shirt and his leg plate armor still attached. I stepped back realizing that I was invading a comfort zone he might have.

"I'm sorry." I mumbled. He chuckled and replied.

"No need to apologize, it was necessary. Normally I would have leaned forward to help the chest plate slide off, but I don't think my lack of balance would have allowed that." He glanced down and began removing the plate metal from his legs. His dark brown pants came into view. I turned away, all of a sudden feeling like I was peaking on him. It felt entirely inappropriate the way my eyes had yearned to wander over his figure. The lean strong figure that I had been a mere inch from touching. I shook the thought from my mind and made my way back over to the bed. I sat down still averting my eyes.

I heard the floorboards creak. Out of the corner of my vision I caught gareth's figure set down and lean against the wall. I looked around for a moment searching for his bag. He was no doubt going to offer me the bed again, but he was in no shape to be sleeping on the floor.

"Where is your bag, and your bedroll?" Gareth let out another chuckle as he ran his hand through his dark locks of deep brown hair.

"I foolishly left my bag at the stables on Arlow. The weight was starting to wear me down." His comment seemed so trivial. He could wear the plate armor all day, but it was a bulky bag that wore him out? He truly was a mystery. I grabbed one of the furs that sprawled over the bed. I stood up and fluffed it out until I was satisfied and then sat down. There wasn't much support from the fur, but it was better than the hardwood floor. I had began to lay down when Gareth interrupted.

"What do you think you are doing?" I tried my best at a laugh and replied.

"Tonight you sleep on the bed, I had it last time. It's only fair." Gareth shook his head.

"No Mahrig, A gentleman would never allow a lady to sleep on the floor and claim the bed." He retorted. If he wanted stubborn, I could give him stubborn.

"This isn't up for debate Gareth, you are taking the bed and I'm sleeping on the floor. You need your rest, especially after today. You used a big portion of your energy healing those guards alone and you deserve a good night's sleep." Gareth sighed loudly and pushed himself from his sitting position. He blinked a few times after standing up, presumably from dizziness, and walked toward where I had laid out the fur. Without warning he grabbed me up in his arms causing me to lose my breath momentarily.

"Wait Gareth, what are you doing?" I squealed.

"Being a gentleman." He replied as he staggered under my weight with his already heavy limbs.

"You are going to injure us both!" I swatted his chest but that only made him chuckle again.

"I'm much more confident now that my heavy armor is gone. See?" As if on queue his step faltered sending us both toward the bed. Gareth clumsily maneuvered my body bodyweight so that I wouldn't hit the wooden frame.

We landed among the furs with my body directly underneath his. The force from the impact made me gasp. Gareth grunted as he pushed himself up onto his elbows. Our legs dangled awkwardly off the edge of the bed. We were both silent. Gareth's gaze halted my breath. His eyes traced my lips, my chin, down the length of my neck and to my collar bone that was exposed through the V neck of my cotton dress. I began to breath under his painful stare. A heat began to invade my lower body, a painful tension that caused my breathing to speed up. Gareth's eyes wandered to my heaving chest that was now vigorous with panting. I felt a hard pressure against my leg. I could hear a loud gulp in the otherwise silent room from the now rigid Paladin. He quickly pushed himself off of the bed and made his way to the fur that lay sprawled out on the floor. He laid down and faced away from me. What in Oblivion was that just now? The heat between my legs didn't disappear as I had hoped it would. It lingered quite some time as I replayed the events that had unfolded from the moment Gareth had tripped to the instant he had pushed away from me. The foreign feeling was almost painful and I didn't know how to make it stop. My lower body was clenched with tension, or anticipation? I laid back on the furs of the bed and just stared at the ceiling. I pushed it away from my thoughts and tried to focus on the low hum the lute made from downstairs. I'm not sure of the moment I had finally fallen asleep.