AN: Thanks for reading, if you're this far!

It had been four days since the dragon attack, and we'd been taking shifts waiting for Isabelle to wake up.

The three of us were stunned when we saw the skin burning off of the dragon, but even more so when we saw what looked like golden waves flowing towards the girl. When they touched her, she began screaming as if she were being burned. Aela tried to run towards her, but Skjor stopped her. When the waves dissipated, so did Isabelle's screams.

We ran to her, with Aela reaching her first. She fell down beside Isabelle and held her head in her lap. She kept trying to wake her up, but was unsuccessful.

My instincts told me to take her to the priestess in town, so I immediately grabbed her up and began running. The only thought in my mind was that I had to save her.

When I busted through the door with the mangled girl, Danica immediately told me to lay her down on one of the beds.

For the past four days, we had been taking shifts staying with her. Aela refused to leave her in case something happened, so Skjor decided that we would take shifts. This was the only way Aela would agree to leave and get some sleep and eat. In the weeks that Isabelle had been with us, she had grown to be like a sister and protégée to Aela.

I had been reading a book on Kynareth, when I heard Isabelle groan. I dropped the book and looked at her, to see two eyes looking right back at me.

"You're awake. I've got to get Danica, I'll be right back." I said before hopping up and trotting out to retrieve the priestess.

We returned to Isabelle in record time. Danica asked her all sorts of questions about what was hurting, what year it was, etc. After administering a high-powered healing potion, Danica left us alone.

"How long have I been out?" Isabelle asked in a raspy voice.

"Four days. You had us worried, what with collapsing and all." I said, thinking about how terrified I was that she had been killed.

With a sheepish grin, she offered a small apology. She began to try to sit up and I immediately began to hover over her, not sure what to do.

After getting her into a sitting position, she began to cough. After calming down a bit she asked me for some water. As I was leaving the room, I heard a small sigh.

The first thing I was aware of was a light breathing to my left, and the occasional turn of a page. I let out a small groan as I opened my eyes, and heard the book fall onto the floor.

I was lying in a bed inside of what looked to be the Temple of Kynareth. As I looked to my left, I was met with the sight of a haggard looking Vilkas.

What is he doing here? I wondered, still not quite awake.

He began speaking at a fast and jumbled pace and ran out of the room. I thought he left, but he quickly returned with the priestess I had seen while visiting the temple.

She proceeded to ask me a lot of seemingly random questions. When she was satisfied she turned and left.

I began to try to sit up, not liking looking weak in front of Vilkas. He stood up looking unsure as to what he was doing, but we managed to get me into a sitting position. At the change in position, I began to cough as if I had been inhaling the smoke from working a forge for fifty years. When the coughs subsided, I sent Vilkas for water and sighed.

So much for getting Vilkas to warm up to me I thought glumly.

I went after the dragon, mainly to help the men at the tower. But I would be lying if I said I wasn't trying to impress Vilkas just a little bit. But of course, I would faint in front of him!

In speaking of Vilkas, why was he sitting here with me? He doesn't particularly like me, so there has to be some explanation! I thought, unsure.

Vilkas came back in with a pitcher of water. I greedily drank from the cup he gave me. He cleared his throat, and I knew he was probably about to give me the scolding of a lifetime. I wasn't disappointed.

"What made you think it was a good idea to fight a dragon, alone, and without telling anyone where you had gone?" He said in a eerily calm voice.

"I couldn't just ignore that the thing was attacking the watch tower." I replied in a surprisingly calm voice.

I could tell his temper was rising. "You could have been killed! Do you realize that? Did you even think about anyone else when you ran off?!" he said loudly.

"Yes, I did. I thought about all of those men that I would hopefully be saving!" I replied hotly.

With a growl, he replied "What about us? Hmm? What about Aela, and Skjor? What about Farkas and Ria? What about Kodlak? What about me?!"

I sat stupefied as he stormed out. What did he mean by THAT? I thought trying not to get my hopes up. Then I remembered everything else he said. Do they think that I don't trust them enough to ask them for help? I worried.

I hadn't thought about anyone when I ran off. It would tear Aela and Farkas apart if something happened to me. They had turned into my surrogate siblings during my weeks as a Companion. Then there was Kodlak, who saw all of us as his own children. Skjor was like the uncle that you knew cared, but didn't really show it. I began to feel like a pile of crap thinking of all of the people that I probably had let down.

While drowning in my sorrows, I didn't hear Aela enter the room. I was immediately trapped in a bear hug. I jumped in surprise and pain, as she squeezed my injured ribs.

"Don't you ever do something like that ever again!" she said hotly. I felt like I was being scolded by my mother. Again with the scolding! My head was hung in shame.

"I'm not sure if I want to hit you or congratulate you." At this my head raised and I looked at her weirdly.

"What?" I said in confusion.

"You killed the first dragon anyone has seen in centuries. People are calling you the dragonborn. And I agree with them, after seeing you absorb the brute's soul." she said proudly.

Shocked, I asked her what she was talking about.

"After you killed the dragon and collapsed, the dragon's skin began to burn off as if it was on fire. Then what we assume to be its soul, flew into you. It was just like the legend." she said in awe.

I didn't know what to say. I remembered the excruciating pain after collapsing, and the feeling of being invaded. If I focused, I could still feel the presence in my mind.

Aela began to catch me up on what I had missed, which hasn't really been much. Then she asked me why Vilkas looked so angry when he stormed out of the temple.

My face burned. I just groaned and heard Aela laugh.

"You have a way of riling him up. He's always had that temper, but you seem gifted in making him angry!" With a hearty laugh, she rose to leave. But before she could I had to ask her if she was mad at me.

At my question she turned around and looked at me like I was stupid.

"We don't get angry at bravery. That's kind of what made us famous; our bravery, that is." she told me looking at me strangely, before walking out.

Why did Vilkas get so angry then? I wondered with rising hopes.

AN:Don't forget to review!