Leola's blue eyes scanned her surroundings, as the crowds of people before her clad in black strained to hear Ulfric's speech. She stood at his side on the steps of the palace, beside the elegant coffin that had been built for her mother. The sides of the coffins were adorned with a strange and beautiful language, engraved into the cold, gleaming stone walls that surrounded her mother's body.

She hadn't seen her mother, as Ulfric seemed to have gone to great lengths to keep the body away from young Leola. The funeral plans had been very sudden, and it seemed that all of Skyrim had arrived to pay their final respects to her mother. It left the young woman baffled as she gazed across the sea of people. None of them looked mocking or uncaring – all seemed to genuinely care about her mother, and all seemed to genuinely grieve for her.

Ulfric's speech amazed Leola. He spoke of great battles he had fought alongside her mother, of her power and prowess on the battlefield, and of her powerful magical abilities. He spoke of her kindness, of her beauty, and of her selflessness. He also spoke of her being something he called Dragonborn – a human born with the soul of a dragon, able to command their great power. Many people nodded in agreement as he spoke of Leola's mother singlehandedly defeating the great dragon Alduin, the destroyer of worlds, and it was all the young Nord could do to keep her mouth from falling open in awe.

The city was open to all those wishing to come and honour the life of their hero, and the province had certainly taken advantage of that. Everywhere she walked after the service, she was bumping into unfamiliar people from all ends of Skyrim. She did have to admit that many of the young men and women she was encountering were quite attractive, but her mother's funeral wasn't a place where she wanted to find a life partner.

"Excuse me? Are you Leola Stormcloak?" asked a male voice, and the young blonde turned in surprise. A tall, slim man stood behind her, with tousled dark hair and dark brown eyes so deep you could fall in and drown. She blinked her blue eyes in surprise.

"Er, no, my name is Leola though," she said softly. "I'm no relation to Ulfric."

"Oh," said the man, frowning. "My deepest apologies. He mentioned in his speech today that you were the Dragonborn's daughter, and with the way he spoke about her I kind of assumed that he was your father. My name is Aventus Aretino, it's an honour to meet you," he said, bowing deeply. Leola quirked an eyebrow as he rose again.

"Why?" she asked softly.

"I met your mother once when I was very young, I remember her being a remarkable person," said Aventus with a smile. "She did me a great favour, as I recall."

Leola was quiet for a few long seconds, gazing up at the handsome man who spoke so fondly of her mother. "I don't know anything about what my mother did," she said in a soft voice. "She seemed so normal to me. She was like any other mother – she read to me, she taught me, she made all my gowns, she took me out for walks… she never taught me to fight or anything like that, she didn't even have weapons around the house, I had no idea she was some sort of warrior, and I swear by Talos that if I have to hear that song The Dragonborn Comes one more time…"

Leola paused, feeling her cheeks heating up as she realized how passionate she had become. It stung her heart to know that her mother had an entire life she knew nothing about – and now, she was going to piece together what people could tell her to find out just who her mother really was.

"I would imagine she wanted to protect you," Aventus said with a warm smile. "Look, this probably isn't the best time to ask, but I need your help with something."

"With what?" Leola asked, frowning curiously as she gazed up at him.

He spoke slowly, very clearly picking and choosing his words with care. "Your mother…was in possession of something…that belongs to some friends of mine," he said to her. "Now that she's gone, we need it back."

Anger flashed in Leola's blue eyes as she looked up at him. "You're seriously coming up to me at my mother's funeral to ask me to give you back something of yours that she had?" she snapped, and Aventus held up his hands defensively, taking a small step back.

"Look, if you help me with this simple thing…I'll tell you everything I knew about her," he said, smiling a bit. "I know it's a bad time to ask, but it's rather urgent."

Leola felt herself perk up somewhat at hearing his words. "Really? Everything you know?" she asked softly.

"Everything," he replied, smiling.

After a few moments of silence, deliberating, Leola gave him a reluctant nod.

"Alright. What is it that you're looking for?"

"It's a dagger," he replied. "It would be black, with a curved blade, and it may or may not be glowing."

Leola stared at him. "Where would I find a dagger? I just told you she didn't have weapons around the house," she said, rather frustrated.

"Did your mother leave you anything?" he asked, clearly trying to be gentle with the now-orphaned young woman. "I was told it would be somewhere in town, just not where."

"Well, Ulfric did say that my mother told him…no, it wouldn't be," Leola said, quickly shaking her head.

"Told him what?" pressed Aventus.

"He said that she left me a house here in town, and that all her possessions are in it for me to do as I please," she said to him.

"That would be it, then," said Aventus with a nod. "Lead the way."

A light sigh escaped Leola's lips. He had shown her the house, but she hadn't gone in yet. She had the key with her, so she turned and began down the little path that would take them to the house.

"Why is it so important that you get this dagger?" Leola asked as Aventus walked along beside her, smiling kindly as he did.

"I'll explain, I promise," he said to her. "It's part of telling you everything I know about your mother. You just have to trust me until we find it."

Leola didn't say anything else, simply stalked along with Aventus in tow. The large, elegant house appeared as they rounded a corner, sitting alongside a couple of the other larger homes in town. Leola passed through the fence and unlocked the door quickly, unsure what she would find inside.

The door swung open to reveal a large room, which had a long dining table and a staircase. To the right was a doorway that seemed to lead into a rather unstocked kitchen, and a handful of shelves with seemingly useless items stood around the main room.

"Upstairs, perhaps?" Aventus inquired, obviously noticing the same things that she was.

"Probably," Leola said. She moved forward, beginning slowly up the staircase. Her eyes went wide as she and Aventus reached the top and she gazed around. Mannequins clad in all sorts of armour, mounted heads and weapons, display cases with even more weapons…the entire upper floor of the house appeared to be an armoury.

"Incredible," murmured Aventus, moving slowly around. Leola was quiet, watching as he peered into every display case, taking the time to admire each weapon that was mounted on the wall. "Leola, this is amazing."

"Another testament to my mother's secret life," Leola muttered angrily, folding her arms over her chest.

"This is it!" exclaimed Aventus as he paused, crouching before one display case. He carefully unlatched it and lifted the glass lid. Leola watched as he delicately pulled out the sleek black dagger from within, turning it over in his hands before, satisfied that it was what he was seeking, wrapped it in a cloth and tucked it away.

"Now," said Leola as he rose to his feet again, "tell me everything you know."

Aventus smiled as he looked at her, giving a firm nod. "Alright," he replied. "Let's sit down, and I will tell you everything I know about your mother."