Disclaimer: Don't own Skyrim.

A/N: So! Here's another chapter. Thanks to all the reviewers. I don't know if this matters, but my personal theme song for Alduin is He Who Brings The Night by Two Steps From Hell. It makes me think of him every time I listen to it. So yeah. Anyway, as always, please review. Enjoy. :)

Chapter 6

The dream started the same as it always did. Running through the thick mists of Sovngarde. But instead of being afraid and desperate, all I felt was a sense of urgency. Like there was somewhere I had to be; someone to help. I heard the beating of wings, and looked up to see Alduin's dark underbelly, his tail trailing whip-like behind him as he flew. The urgent feeling grew stronger as I watched him disappear into the mists.

As the mists began to clear, the great horned head rose up out of the fog. Just as it was about to breathe a jet of flame at me, there was a roar. The black head looked up towards the sky, and an immense feeling of hope filled me. The beating of the other dragon's wings cleared the mist a bit, and I caught a glimpse of the ancient dragon hovering over Alduin.

The dragon opened its toothy maw and an eruption of flames engulfed Alduin's body. The black dragon roared in fury, but the dream was interrupted before I knew what was happening.

"Freya, wake up." I jerked my head up from where it had fallen, wiping the drool from the corner of my mouth before looking up into Silas' face. He looked amused again, a small smirk forming on his lips. "Reading, huh?"

My eyes narrowed at him, but before I could form a retort, my mouth opened in a huge yawn. I stretched my arms up high into the air, groaning in pleasure as my vertebrae popped and cracked back into place.

"This isn't the most interesting book," I said sheepishly. I stood, massaging a crick in the back of my neck.

"I can imagine," Silas drawled. "What are doing here? You mentioned delivering something earlier."

"This guy Calcelmo is obsessed with Dwarven artifacts. He asked me to bring him a Dwarven greatsword," I replied, hunting for food.

"Okay, so where's this Dwarven greatsword you're bringing him?" he asked smartly.

"I haven't made it yet," I mumbled around a mouthful of sweet roll. I heard a quiet "Ah" and then Argis walked into the room.

"My Thane," he began, but I held a hand up. His next statement died on his lips.

"How many times do I have to tell you that 'My Thane' isn't my name?" I asked tiredly. We'd been over this many times before, and still he insisted on calling me by my title instead of my name.

"I'm sorry M- uh, Freya," he stammered. "It's good to see you alive and well."

"And you, Argis." I replied. "I have some business to attend to, but we'll be back later."

I shoved the last bite of the sweet roll into my mouth and breezed hurriedly towards the door. I heard Silas' quiet footsteps behind me, and turned to him as I shut the door. "He makes me uncomfortable sometimes," I tried to explain the reason for leaving so quickly. "Having a housecarl is awkward. Especially when that housecarl is male and sleeps in a room in your house."

Silas chuckled, nodding. I couldn't help but think that he would be a much better housecarl than Argis. I wouldn't mind him sleeping in a bed in one of the other rooms. Hell, I wouldn't mind him sleeping in my bed. I tried not to think about it too hard.

I led the way to the blacksmith, trying to decide if I wanted to make new armor and weapons while I was there. I had thought about making the armor the Dremora wore, but I wasn't sure if I was up to the challenge. It looked challenging, and I had no idea where I would find enough Daedra hearts to make it.

When we arrived at the shop, I noticed that, as usual, Ghorza was doing all the work and Tacitus was staring off into space.

"Hello, Ghorza," I greeted her warmly. She stopped hammering on the piece of armor she was fixing and nodded to acknowledge my presence. "Can I buy some things from you?"

"What do you need?"

"Umm… Two Dwarven metal ingots, two steel ingots, two iron ingots, and three leather strips." I watched her as she bustled around her shop, gathering the things I needed. "That'll be 117 septims."

I dug in the pouch at my side, producing the coins and counting them. I grabbed another handful, counted them, dropped four coins back into the pouch, and handed the rest to Ghorza. I took the items, ignoring the incredulous look on Silas' face, and turned to the forge.

As I worked, I thought. My mind flitted from one subject to another, eventually landing on Silas. I knew that when went to defeat Alduin in Sovngarde, I would have to leave Silas somewhere safe. I couldn't take him with me, because I didn't want to endanger him more than I already was. I didn't need any distractions when I faced Alduin.

I hated to think about it, but when the trap at Dragonsreach was ready, I would have to leave Silas behind. When I spoke to Jarl Balgruuf about readying the trap for Odahviing, he had looked at me like I was crazy, but he had agreed nonetheless. I didn't want to drag more people than necessary into a room housing a caged dragon. Silas would have to stay somewhere else.

I hesitantly made plans to head to Dragonbridge when we were finished here in Markarth. I was expecting a courier to find me sometime soon and tell me that the trap was ready, but until then I was going to visit the places that I loved. I might not get to visit them again, I thought.

I remembered my dream, and wondered why it had suddenly changed. I wished that Silas hadn't woken me so that maybe I could figure out why the ancient dragon was attacking Alduin. Were the other dragons rebelling? Or was it just my subconscious trying to lull me into thinking I wasn't alone in the fight against Alduin?

As I put the finishing touches on the sword, I tried to remember the last time I had visited Dawnstar. It felt like years, but I knew it had only been a few months. It was a frigid, windy place, but watching the sun rise over the harbor on a clear morning was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. I might never get to see that again.

When I was finally done, I lifted the sword, eyeing it in the sunlight, searching for any imperfections. The blade was dull, but I didn't think Calcelmo was going to try to kill anything with it, so it didn't need to be sharp.

"A fine piece," I heard Ghorza say from across the shop. I looked to Silas, who was leaning against one of the wooden poles holding up the roof. I think I may have drooled a bit. His eyes were closed, long lashes casting crescent shaped shadows on his cheekbones. His dark hair fell back, exposing a silvery scar that started halfway down the side of his neck and disappeared beneath his shirt. I made a mental note to ask him about it later, but I doubted I would remember.

I thanked Ghorza for letting me use her forge, and tapped Silas on the shoulder to wake him. His moss colored eyes snapped open, and I smiled up at him. I led the way to Understone Keep, walking slowly so that Silas could observe all there was to see.

As we entered the Keep, a strong smell hit my nostrils. Ancient earth and mold were the predominant scents. I took the path to the left, and found Calcelmo working on something at his station.

"Calcelmo. I brought the greatsword you asked for," I said. Calcelmo continued working, as if he hadn't heard. I threw an exasperated look at Silas, rolling my eyes, and tried again. "Calcelmo," I said, louder this time.

When he still didn't look up, I contemplated using the first Word of Unrelenting Force to get his attention. Instead I walked over to him and punched his shoulder. He jumped in surprise, then looked at me like I was a creature he had never seen before.

"Can I help you?" he asked. I hefted the greatsword so that he could see it, and he gasped. "You've brought it!" he said excitedly, snatching it from my hands. He mumbled to himself about how it "looked like new" and was a "spectacular find".

He turned back to me after setting the sword gently on a table. "Ah, yes. You're reward. I trust 200 septims will just about cover it."

"It's worth twice as much, and you know it," I barked back. He stood, seeming to consider, before he nodded.

"Is 300 septims a fair price?" I nodded, and he handed over a large coin purse. I smiled at the weight, tossing it up one handed and catching it again.

"Nice doing business with you," I said, turning to leave. Calcelmo mumbled a response, but was too quiet for me to make out what he said. As we stepped out into the fading daylight, I felt satisfied with the day's accomplishments. The sword had taken me longer to forge than expected, but was well worth the effort.

I looked up at Silas as he stood next to me, gazing out over the city. At that moment, I was content. Ever since the Greybeards had summoned me, my life had been so busy that I never had time to just stop and admire the beauty that was right in front of my eyes.

"Is there a problem?" Silas asked, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. I blushed, realizing that I had been staring.

"No, there's no problem, I was just… uh…" I coughed. Silas laughed.

"You're one of the strangest people I've ever met," he said. The statement hung on the moist air. I wondered if it was a compliment or an insult. And then he looked at me, and he smiled that slight, barely there smile, and I knew it was a compliment.