On Sacred Wings

27th of Rain's Hand, 4E 205.

Harry left early in the morning. He had a long way to travel and needed to do so quickly. Urzant sat outside of the longhouse to greet the morning sun. It was a tradition for the wife. A hope for a new life. Harry spoke quietly to her for a moment and learnt from her the location of the meeting before disappearing from the hold. She knew they would see each other again soon.

Harry travelled up into the mountains where snow still clung to the ground. Katla had been here a long time ago and done this herself. Now it was his turn. In these mountains lived a hunter that had dedicated his life to Kyne. To pass her sacred trial Harry would have to start here. He knew that these trials would take him across Skyrim so he wasn't sure how he would travel to make it back to the orcs in time, but at least he could speak with the old man. It was getting late when Harry finally arrived. He knocked on the door to s small hut and a young man opened it.

"Who is it, lad?"

"A traveller," the young man said.

"Let them in."

Harry walked into the hut and up to the old man. "I'm here to go through Kyne's Sacred Trials," he said.

"Ah, a young one who already knows of the old legends," Froki said. "Interesting."

"Katla sent me here," Harry said. "She passed the trials many years ago."

"Spirited young woman that," Froki said. "It makes sense that she would send others my way. That also means you know why you are here?"

"I do," Harry said.

"I will anoint you with the symbol of the wolf, the crab, and the skeever," Froki said. "This will compel the guardians to appear when you reach their lairs. Return here once you are done."

"Thank you," Harry said. He kneeled and Froki applied the mark upon him. He could feel a power more ancient than magic pulling at him. It wasn't irritating and he could ignore it, but there was a district need to travel west. He left Froki and his grandson to their own devices and started heading back down the mountain.

"Back and forth. You jul, humans, never do sit still."

Harry lifted his gaze and drew a deep breath. Before him sat a being that looked almost like a cross between a phoenix and a dragon. Its wings were feathered and its snot looked more like a beak, but there was no denying it. Paarthurnax had spoken of them. This was a jill.

"Drem Yol Lok, You bless me with your presence," Harry said as he bowed.

"Ah, the little one can tinvaak, speak. How interesting," the jill said. She spread her wings and moved down so she stood right beside him. "Are you the one they call Dovahkiin?" she asked.

Harry shook his head. "I am Dovahkiin, but when they speak of the Dovahkiin they speak of my sister," he said.

"Zu, I see," the jill said.

"I have a long way to Wundun, travel. I would love to tinvaak, speak, with you more, but I need to get going," Harry said.

"You are on a quest mal dovah, little dragon. This is good. Kaan is pleased," the jill said. "Zu'u Yolsu."

"Zu'u Harry," Harry responded.

"I will carry you on your quest. Kaan believes in cooperation," Yolsu said.

"Thank you lot, great, Yolsu," Harry said.

Yolsu moved so Harry could climb up on her back. She started asking him questions about what had happened in Skyrim the past few years, and Harry answered to the best of his ability.

"So there might be a chance the dovah have calmed some. Now with Alduin gone maybe the others will become more peaceful. We have waited for that," Yolsu said.

"I hope you are right. Some of them are still a bit aggressive," Harry said.

Yolsu laughed a peal of rumbling laughter, and Harry held on to her tightly. She flew in silence for a while after that. "Where do you need to go?" she asked.

"West," Harry said.

"I will bo, fly, to the plains of the horse lord. Then I will land and rest," Yolsu said.

"That sounds great," Harry said.

"You should rest some mal dovah," Yolsu said.

Harry did as he was told. He got as comfortable as he could and fell asleep. He woke up once Yolsu landed and got down from her back before falling asleep again.

28th of Rain's Hand, 4E 205.

"Land here," Harry said suddenly. He could feel that they had reached the den of the wolf guardian. It was somehow not surprising that the guardian lived so close to Lakeview Manor. Harry considered sticking his head in there to get some food.

"Thank you Yolsu," Harry said before heading down a bit. A big spirit wolf appeared before him. Harry sat down facing it. He wasn't afraid, and he wasn't about to just kill it. He didn't kill wolves if he could help it. He sent out a wave of calming magic. "You are a magnificent creature," he said. The wolf came closer. Harry sat still. You didn't pet a wolf. They were proud creatures. "We can respect each other," Harry said. "We are both hunters. We both fight to survive. You are a good hunter."

The wolf sniffed Harry's hair and disappeared with the wind.

Harry rose and walked back to Yolsu.

"You respect the ah, the hunter," Yolsu said. "This is good."

"My den is near here. I wish to travel there," Harry said.

"Do that mal dovah," Yolsu said.

…

"I did not need to see that Rashall! Naya you have a room. Use it," Harry shouted as he walked away from the house. He needed to bleach his eyes. "Let's leave now," he told Yolsu. "My Kaaz den mates are mating in there and I want no part of it."

Yolsu laughed as Harry climbed up and they took off towards the skies again. "We need to go north," he said.

They found the guardian of the Mudcrab and the Skeever before landing to rest. Now Harry would have to return to Froki. He was forever grateful to Yolsu for flying him around. This would have taken him ages otherwise.

29th of Rain's Hand, 4E 205.

They landed outside of Froki's hut and Harry received the marks of the next three creatures. If he was surprised that Harry had returned so quickly, he didn't show it. The following few days they flew all around Skyrim. Harry fought the guardian of the Sabre Cat and proved his strength. He showed calm before the Guardian spirit of the mammoth and was given a piece of ivory. He packed that into a small box that was much bigger on the inside. Yolsu showed interest in the box and Harry explained to her that different creatures and plants even had been offering him things that he was slowly gathering together in this box. He figured that maybe one day they could be used to create wands. Then they got into talking about magic foci.

The guardian spirit of the bear was grumpy and didn't want to be disturbed. Harry showed patience with them and eventually the bear gave their blessing.

Harry and Yolsu returned to Froki and he sent Harry to find the guardian of the troll.

The troll didn't appreciate company and was the only spirit that Harry had to kill. He built a pyre and burned the body spreading the ashes on the wind. Once again Harry returned to Froki, and he received an amulet from the old man.

6th of Second Seed, 4E 205.

Harry was sitting on a snowy ledge in the mountains. He needed to catch up with Urzant and the others. By now they must have surely left the stronghold.

"You look thoughtful young one."

Harry turned his head towards the voice. It was a woman. She looked like she could be Katla's sister, but she looked frailer somehow. Her long brown hair reached the ground. Her eyes were a soft green colour reminiscent of a dewy glade in spring. She did not look like she belonged up on the mountain.

"There is much going on right now," Harry said. He looked back out over the mountains and his gaze travelled to the top of the Throat of the World where Paarthurnax lived.

"That is true." The woman walked forward and took in the sight of Skyrim her beloved land. "Are you happy?" she asked.

"I am," Harry answered.

"Do you miss your old life?"

"Not really."

"But you miss the people."

"Some of them," Harry's thoughts went directly to Hermione and Neville. Though he even missed Malfoy in a way now that he could look back at his life with different eyes. Their rivalry had been so silly. They would probably have made good friends if he could just curb that pureblood upbringing.

"What about here? Will you miss this place?" the woman asked.

"Not the place. Just the people. I can find similar places back home if I want to experience that, but nothing can replace the people I know and love here," Harry answered.

"What if they could come with you?"

"That would be nice," Harry said. "But I know I live on borrowed time here. I know I have to go back. I don't like it, but I know I have to go. It is getting easier and easier to accept."

"It is good to know that you accept what the future will bring," she said. "That gladdens me."

"I'm just grateful to have gotten this opportunity, to begin with," Harry said and she smiled brightly at him. They fell silent and Harry looked out over the Rift. When he turned back again she was gone.

7th of Second Seed, 4E 205.

"I will bo, fly, you wherever you wish to go from here," Yolsu said the next morning. "Then I will wundun, travel, across Skyrim and take a look at how things are. Maybe soon there will be baby, jill and dovah once again."

"That would be much appreciated," Harry said. "Could you take me back to my den? I believe that those I must meet will pass by there."

"Then that is where we will go," Yolsu said.

8th of Second Seed, 4E 205.

Harry and Yolsu arrived at Lakeview Manor the next day. Harry said goodbye to Yolsu. He was sad to see her go. She had been good company, and she had given him a female perspective on the dragon situation. Before she left she plucked a feather from her wings and gave it to Harry. He packed it away carefully.

Then he headed up towards Helgen. Hopefully, he would catch up with Urzant and the others there.