Author's Note: Hey sorry it's been a while. I have finals coming up so I can't update for awhile, but soon I won't have that issue because summer's almost here! Until then enjoy this chapter. I don't own Skyrim. Enjoy!

The Way of The Voice

I was wiped by the time we came down to Ivarstead. Arngeir marked on our map where Ustengrav was located. It was not close. Lydia saw the look on my face and suggested we get some horses from the stables. I gave her the most happy look I had on my face before Helgen. "I lov-," I stopped short, "uh, I mean, good idea." Shite. Smooth one, Will. She didn't seem to hear me though, as she already started in the direction of the stables without glancing back. I breathed a sigh of relief and followed her. Soon we were on the road again, this time with horses underfoot. I never thought I'd be thanking the gods that the roads were filled with bandits whom we've killed in defense and raided gold from.

"What's it like?" Lydia asked suddenly. I frowned.

"What's what like?" I asked.

"You know," she gestured towards me, "Shouting."

"Oh, that." I scratched my head in thought. "Um, like regular shouting, I guess. Minus the whole magic-coming-out-of-my-mouth thing."

"That's kind of the part I meant." Lydia tried again with difficulty. It was like this was the longest conversation she ever had with someone that wasn't about combat and adventuring. "How does it feel, and all that?"

"Oh, well…" I struggled to think of a response. "It's all very strange, you know? Just saying a word in another language and causing magic to happen because of it. I mean, if you told me a week ago that not only was I a good fighter, but I could summon magic just by raising my voice, I'd call you mad beyond help." Lydia had to smile at that.

"I see." She said. We rode in silence for a while. I closed my eyes and let the warmth of the sun hit my face. I felt relaxed for the first time in a long time. Then my horse broke wind.

"Gods damned animal." I muttered. I could swear I heard Lydia giggle, but when I turned I saw no hint of this. Great, I thought, not only is she stuck in my head, but now I'm hearing her voice too. Honestly when would I have ever heard her giggle.

We finally reached Ustengrav after some time, fighting off bandits and wild animals along the way. After securing the horses, we made our way into the tomb. "I'll lead." I said to Lydia. She nodded and drew her blade. Once inside, we walked through cautiously. I was especially nervous about the skeletons. When Lydia asked me why, I responded "Because they tried to attack me once." She gave me a weird and confused look for a moment, but kept an eye out on the dead men, just in case. Suddenly I heard a voice call out and a ball of fire heading towards us. "Get down!" Lydia cried. We hit the ground in time to see a fireball soaring over us. Why, oh why would there be spell casting bandits down in a tomb? My rotten luck, I thought. I had an idea. I got up and shouted "FUS… RO!" The bandits flew back several feet, slamming into the cave wall. One got impaled by another's weapon, and another one hit a torch hanging on the, causing him to go up in flames. It was easier after that. The hard part was where they got up to, which explained why they seemed to be just waiting there. Tons of traps lay in wait. Jets of flame burst out of the walls and floors, while mechanisms in the walls worked the spikes coming in and out, in addition to the gates opening and closing. I spotted a lever on the far side of the room beyond the traps. An idea sprang to my mind. "Wait here." I said to Lydia. I ran up to the first row of fire spitting holes. When the flames retracted for a moment I Shouted "WULD!" I blurred past the fire trap and almost stumbled into the next one. A few moments, and some close calls later, I pulled the lever and the traps were switched off. After Lydia rejoined me, we continued through.

A few traps and puzzles later we came to a room filled with cobwebs and bones of those unfortunate not to get past. "I've got a bad feeling about this." Said Lydia. I agreed and unsheathed my sword. Instantly, giant spiders came out from behind the webs, pincers ready to crush us. I dodged to the side and slashed at two of them at once. I turned to see Lydia blocking one with her shield, while stabbing another one. I picked up a dagger I saw lying among the bones, and threw it with all my might at the spider. The dagger lodged itself in between its eyes, and the spider fell dead. "Well that wasn't so hard." I grinned, only to see Lydia's shocked expression. "What?" I asked.

"Dead men." She responded. I turned around to see the bones around us getting up, holding weapons in their hands.

"Shite," I said, "I was afraid this would happen." I gripped my sword tightly. "WULD!" I Shouted, and sped towards the center of the skeletons, my blade slicing through any in my way. These Shouts can be very useful in the battlefield, I thought as I brought up my blade through another skeleton's ribs. I turned to see another one behind me raise its sword, ready to strike down. The Lydia's blade cut through its neck, and it fell to the ground. "You should watch your back." She said.

"Then what would you watch?" I teased. She grinned before turning her attention back to the undead men. Soon we were standing over a pile of bones.

I was about to sheath my blade, when something beyond the thick webbing on the wall caught my attention. There seemed to be a certain hum and glow emanating from the wall. I quickly realized what it must have been and began hacking away furiously at the webbing to reveal ancient runes. A Word of Power. The burning flash came and went faster than before. I must be improving in my ability to read Dragontoungue, I thought. I told Lydia what it was. "Try it out." She gestured, taking a few steps back. I took a deep breath. "Feim!" I tried, but nothing happened. Lydia frowned. "Are you saying it right?" She asked.

"Yes." I replied, slightly annoyed. "I think I need to absorb a dragon's soul again in order to use it." This was a nuisance to me. All this power, and I can't even use it until I absorb its knowledge from a dragon or Greybeard. Sighing, I turned and went down the corridor, Lydia trailing behind. We reached a great room with waterfalls and statues of dragons coming out of the indoor lake, surrounding the path. At the end of the path stood a pedestal with a small chest. "I've never seen anything like this before." Lydia awed. We came up to the chest. This is it, the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, I thought excitedly. I opened the lid… to find a note. What in the hells? The note read:

Dragonborn,

I need to speak with you urgently, rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood, and I'll meet you

- A friend

I showed the note to Lydia. "This could be a trap." She said, cautiously.

"It probably is," I agreed, "but we don't have much of a choice. Whoever this 'friend' is also has the Horn, and I need that to complete my training. We have to go."

We finally made it to the Sleeping Giant in Riverwood, two days later. I was exhausted as we tied up our horses to the post and went inside. Lydia wanted to lead, but I refused. If there was any danger, I would take it head on. Plus, I didn't want her to get hurt on account of me, regardless of her duty. We made our way to the innkeeper. "If you want a room talk to Delphine." He said pointing to a blonde serving wench. I went up to her. "I'd like to rent the attic room, please." I said.

"Attic room, huh?" She said, giving me the once-over look. Lydia had her hand poised to whip out her sword at this. She must be really protective. "Well," Delphine finally said, "we don't have any attic rooms, but you can have the one on the left." She gestured to the door. "Make yourself at home." I paid her and headed to the room with Lydia.

"I thought we needed the attic room." She said to me, once I closed the door.

"So did I," I said, "but I think that may have been a password of some sort." Something was bugging me about that Delphine woman. I definitely saw her before, but where?

Soon the door opened and Delphine stepped inside. "So you're the Dragonborn everyone's been talking about."

"You?" I asked. "You're the one we're meet…" I stopped and a sudden realization dawned on me. "You were that woman back in Whiterun who was helping Farengar with that Drangonstone I got from Bleakwood." She nodded.

"I believe this is yours." She said, pulling out the Horn from within her dress. "We need to talk, follow me." Delphine led us to another room across the inn. She shut the door behind us and opened the closet door to a secret cellar. "Now we can talk." She said defending the stairs to what appeared to be a small workroom, filled with books and equipment, all for what appeared to be battle with great beasts. "The Greybeards seem to think you're the Dragonborn. I hope they're right."

"So you're the one who left the note" I asked.

"Surprised?" She asked. "I must be getting good at this harmless innkeeper act. I didn't go to all this trouble on a whim, I needed to make sure it wasn't a Thalmor trap." She took out the Horn and handed it to me. "I'm not you're enemy." She declared.

"I'll believe that when I see it." Lydia snarled. "How did you even know we were going to get the Horn unless you were following us?"

"I knew when I heard the summons." Delphine explained. "From there, it was obvious that they'd send you to fetch the relic of their founder as a test. I just intervened a bit." She turned to me. "Please, I just need you to hear me out. You can trust me"

"Says the thief." Lydia muttered. I raised my hand to silence her, or at least to let her know I had it handled.

"I'm listening." I said.

"I'm part of a group that's been looking for you," Delphine said," well, someone like you for a very long time. If you really are Dragonborn, that is. That's all I can say for now."

"Why do you need a Dragonborn?" I asked.

"We remember what most don't. That the Dragonborn is the ultimate dragonslayer." She answered. "You're the only one that can kill a dragon permanently by devouring its soul." She paused. "Can you do it? Devour its soul?"

"That's what happened the first time." I answered.

"Good," she said, "then you'll have the chance to prove it to me soon enough…" Something was wrong here.

"What's the part you're not telling me? I asked. Lydia edged closer, ready to pounce on Delphine if necessary.

"Dragons aren't just coming back." Said Delphine. "They're coming back to life. They weren't gone somewhere all these years, they were dead. Killed off by my predecessors. Now something's happening to bring them back to life and I need you to help me stop it."

"Do you know how crazy this all sounds?" Lydia asked.

"Believe me I know," Delphine answered, "I felt the same way years ago."

"How do you know the Dragons are coming back to life?" I asked.

"Because I visited their ancient burial grounds and found them empty." She answered. "And I know where the next on will come back to life. We're going to go there and you're going to kill that dragon. I f you succeed, I'll tell you anything you want to know." I thought about this for a moment.

"Where to?" I asked.

"Kynesgrove," Delphine pointed on a map, "if we can get there before it happens, maybe we'll learn how to stop it." She stood up straight. "If my calculations are correct we'll need to be there in a few days, meet me there, or don't bother showing your face around here again." With that she pointed to the exit for us to leave.

"What do you think?" I asked Lydia.

"I don't trust her completely," she said, "but if what she said is true, she's desperate, and she really does need us." She paused. "Or maybe just you."

"Alright," I said, taking a look on my map, "If we hurry we can bring the Horn back to the Greybeards first before we meet up with Delphine." I looked at Lydia. "Let's kill a dragon."

Author's Note: So I know what I said happened in the tomb, didn't really happen that way exactly, but if you haven't realized, I'm trying to do a more abridged version of each dungeon and quest to skip over some of the boring stuff, while keeping in the important parts. Same reason why I said Will and Lydia got horses in Ivarstead, even though I don't even know if there's a stable there. I'm just trying to speed up traveling a bit. See you next time!