p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"He looked out at the expanse of Skyrim, stretching before him on all sides like a patchwork puzzle blanket./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Thm-hmm… It is a beautiful sight, is it not?"/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"Ralof nodded, knowing his words would be wasted until they landed at the Throat of the World. His mind was elsewhere, as it was; news of Mercy's departure on Odahviing's back had reached him mere hours before the dragon had come to "collect" him. Odahviing had said that one so closely bound to the Dovahkiin should be there when she returned from her hunt./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;" /p
blockquote style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"
p dir="ltr""You seem so confident, yet she has gone to Sovngarde. No-one returns from that fair land, save an immortal." Mikhael growled./p
p dir="ltr""Or a dov. Mercy is mortal in flesh, yes, but she is still of the dov. You underestimate her, human." The dragon lowered his head, to give the Redguard the full force of his gaze. After Mikhael paled almost the the same pallor of a Breton, Odahviing turned that petrifying gaze to Ralof. "And what of you, friend-of-Khajiit? Do you also doubt your champion?"/p
p dir="ltr""I have seen too many strange things, I wouldn't put it past Mercy to defy death itself." Ralof answered softly./p
/blockquote
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"Feeling the wind slow around him, Ralof came to himself, seeing High Hrothgar far below; he could barely glimpse the shockwaves in the clouds, marking the shouts of the Graybeards. The mountain peak loomed ever closer, and the faded shapes of other dragons circled the frozen stone. Shivering, Ralof pulled his cloak tighter around himself./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Stay close, Mid-Joor." Odahviing rumbled, angling toward the mountain. Ralof hummed quietly, the sound lost to the whistle of the wind./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"They landed on the stone. Odahviing let Ralof down onto the cold ground and sheltered him from the gaze of the other dragons with one massive wing. The ancient one, Paarthurnax, landed on the chiseled stone Word Wall, staring intently at Ralof and Odah; Ralof shuddered, kneeling in the snow to make himself look smaller and huddling in on himself. Above them, other dragons were making their descent to the stone to await the knell of either Alduin or Mercy./p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;" /
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"Time passed. Ralof wasn't sure how much, only that every one of the dragons save Paarthurnax and Odahviing were as still as stone. Odahviing was thrumming in some unknown song, and Paarthurnax was shifting restlessly on his stone wall. Ralof shivered, silently begging Talos and whatever other gods would hear for Mercy's life./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"Suddenly, the air filled with a static, like lightning was about to strike. There was a sensation that made his skin crawl, like two worlds were merging for a split second. The traces of a shout echoed among the suddenly alert Dov; the very stone seemed to start humming with anticipation, as light filled the cleared center of the mountain-peak. the light coalesced into a massive draconic form, then shrank into a more humanoid one./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"The last word of the shout cracked through the air like lightning, and the figure collapsed to the ground./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Mu los vomir!" One dragon shouted, leaping into the air./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Alduin Mahlaan!" Another roared, joining his brother. Others loosed various shouts, but they were lost to Ralof. He was focused on the Khajiit laying in the snow./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"Odahviing nudged him forward, breaking him from his stunned silence./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Mercy!" Ralof cried, bounding forward to her side and lifting her up out of the snow./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Rrr…" She shivered in his arms, the start of his name purring from her lips as she pressed against him./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Hmm… her return to the living seems to have left its mark. Take her home, Jur. Have her return to me when she is well enough to walk the path alone. Till then I will see to bringing my wayward brethren into the fold of the Way of the Voice." Paarthurnax rumbled, taking wing. Odahviing came down from his perch, lowering his head so that Ralof could easily balance Mercy on his back. The Nord climbed up behind Mercy, wrapping one arm around her and gripping one of Odahviing's spines with the other hand./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""I will take you to her refuge; when she wakes, tell her that she will remain my thuri. I have no desire to be turned to the Old One's tyrannical 'Way'." The dragon rumbled, taking wing./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"Ralof nodded, squinting as the wind whipped up into his face. He pulled Mercy closer, watching the world below speed past./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Thm-hmm… It is a beautiful sight, is it not?"/p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"Ralof nodded, knowing his words would be wasted until they landed at the Throat of the World. His mind was elsewhere, as it was; news of Mercy's departure on Odahviing's back had reached him mere hours before the dragon had come to "collect" him. Odahviing had said that one so closely bound to the Dovahkiin should be there when she returned from her hunt./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;" /p
blockquote style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"
p dir="ltr""You seem so confident, yet she has gone to Sovngarde. No-one returns from that fair land, save an immortal." Mikhael growled./p
p dir="ltr""Or a dov. Mercy is mortal in flesh, yes, but she is still of the dov. You underestimate her, human." The dragon lowered his head, to give the Redguard the full force of his gaze. After Mikhael paled almost the the same pallor of a Breton, Odahviing turned that petrifying gaze to Ralof. "And what of you, friend-of-Khajiit? Do you also doubt your champion?"/p
p dir="ltr""I have seen too many strange things, I wouldn't put it past Mercy to defy death itself." Ralof answered softly./p
/blockquote
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"Feeling the wind slow around him, Ralof came to himself, seeing High Hrothgar far below; he could barely glimpse the shockwaves in the clouds, marking the shouts of the Graybeards. The mountain peak loomed ever closer, and the faded shapes of other dragons circled the frozen stone. Shivering, Ralof pulled his cloak tighter around himself./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Stay close, Mid-Joor." Odahviing rumbled, angling toward the mountain. Ralof hummed quietly, the sound lost to the whistle of the wind./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"They landed on the stone. Odahviing let Ralof down onto the cold ground and sheltered him from the gaze of the other dragons with one massive wing. The ancient one, Paarthurnax, landed on the chiseled stone Word Wall, staring intently at Ralof and Odah; Ralof shuddered, kneeling in the snow to make himself look smaller and huddling in on himself. Above them, other dragons were making their descent to the stone to await the knell of either Alduin or Mercy./p
hr style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;" /
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"Time passed. Ralof wasn't sure how much, only that every one of the dragons save Paarthurnax and Odahviing were as still as stone. Odahviing was thrumming in some unknown song, and Paarthurnax was shifting restlessly on his stone wall. Ralof shivered, silently begging Talos and whatever other gods would hear for Mercy's life./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"Suddenly, the air filled with a static, like lightning was about to strike. There was a sensation that made his skin crawl, like two worlds were merging for a split second. The traces of a shout echoed among the suddenly alert Dov; the very stone seemed to start humming with anticipation, as light filled the cleared center of the mountain-peak. the light coalesced into a massive draconic form, then shrank into a more humanoid one./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"The last word of the shout cracked through the air like lightning, and the figure collapsed to the ground./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Mu los vomir!" One dragon shouted, leaping into the air./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Alduin Mahlaan!" Another roared, joining his brother. Others loosed various shouts, but they were lost to Ralof. He was focused on the Khajiit laying in the snow./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"Odahviing nudged him forward, breaking him from his stunned silence./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Mercy!" Ralof cried, bounding forward to her side and lifting her up out of the snow./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Rrr…" She shivered in his arms, the start of his name purring from her lips as she pressed against him./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""Hmm… her return to the living seems to have left its mark. Take her home, Jur. Have her return to me when she is well enough to walk the path alone. Till then I will see to bringing my wayward brethren into the fold of the Way of the Voice." Paarthurnax rumbled, taking wing. Odahviing came down from his perch, lowering his head so that Ralof could easily balance Mercy on his back. The Nord climbed up behind Mercy, wrapping one arm around her and gripping one of Odahviing's spines with the other hand./p
p dir="ltr" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;""I will take you to her refuge; when she wakes, tell her that she will remain my thuri. I have no desire to be turned to the Old One's tyrannical 'Way'." The dragon rumbled, taking wing./p
p style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.8003997802734px;"Ralof nodded, squinting as the wind whipped up into his face. He pulled Mercy closer, watching the world below speed past./p