Chapter Fifteen

The four Greybeards stood in a circle around the centre of the room. One of them came forward and spoke softly.

"So, a Dragonborn appears at this day and age in the turning of events." The Greybeard raised his gaze to study Alinja's face. "Tell me, Dragonborn, why are you here?"

"I am answering your summons." Alinja said, her voice echoing throughout the empty halls.

"First we must see if you truly are Dragonborn," the old man requested. "Shout at us. Let us taste of your voice."

Alinja glanced at Erik who smiled and nodded supportively. She stood with her legs apart and closed her eyes, summoning her power again. Feeling the familiar feeling rise she opened her eyes and mouth and let the power pour out of her.

"Fus!" The transparent purple light of force spread towards the Greybeard who stumbled back a few steps.

The Greybeard looked at her with astonishment. "Dragonborn…" he breathed. "It is you. Welcome to High Hrothgar. I am Master Arngeir. I speak for the Greybeards. Now, why have you come here?"

"I want to find out what it means to be Dragonborn." Alinja answered with honesty.

"We are here to guide you in that pursuit." Arngeir's voice was calm and smooth. "Just as the Greybeards have sought to guide those of the Dragon Blood that came before you."

"You mean I'm not the only Dragonborn?"

"You are not the first. There have been many of the Dragon Blood since Akatosh first bestowed the gift upon mortalkind. Whether you are the only Dragonborn of this age…that is not ours to know." He then bowed respectfully. "You are the only one that has been revealed to us thus far. That is all I can say."

"I came here because I heard you summoning me." Alinja repeated.

"We are honoured to welcome a Dragonborn to High Hrothgar. We will go our best to teach you how to use your gift in fulfilment of your destiny."

Alinja took a confident breath in. "I am ready to learn."

"When you Shout," Arngeir explained, "you speak the language of dragons."

"That could explain why I could understand what that dragon before." Alinja concluded.

"What do you mean?" Erik asked.

"When the dragon spoke, it must have talked in dragon, but I know what it said. 'I am Mirmulnir. I will kill mortals. No mercy.'"

"Most impressive, Dragonborn." Arngeir commented. He cleared his throat and continued his lecture. "Your Dragon Blood gives you an inborn ability to learn Words of Power. All Shouts are made up of Three Words of Power. As you master each Word, your Shout will become progressively stronger." He looked at one of the other Greybeards and gestured to him. "This is Master Einarth. He will teach you the Word, Ro, the second Word in Unrelenting Force. Ro means balance in the Dragon tongue. Combine it with Fus—force to focus your Thu'um more sharply."

Master Einarth stepped forward, bowed and looked at the floor. He then summoned the power within himself and spoke the Word of Power.

"Ro!" He said softly. It was not a full Shout as it did not shake the walls, but it was more like a concentrated magic aimed at the floor.

To Alinja's surprise symbols appeared on the floor. Arngeir beckoned to the floor. "Go to the Word, Dragonborn."

Alinja slowly stepped slowly to the glowing symbols. She felt a familiar tingling course throughout her body as she and the word reacted to each other. Then a surge of power shot to her and she stumbled back.

"Ro!"

The Word of Power sank into her soul just like when she found the wall in Bleak Falls Barrow. Arngeir looked pleased.

"You learn a new word like a master." He said, beaming. He then gestured at another Greybeard. "Follow Master Borri to the courtyard outside and we can continue your training."

The Greybeards taught Alinja another word 'Wuld' which was part of the Words for 'Whirlwind Sprint'. Alinja felt new power increase within her as her excitement grew. When she and Erik first started adventuring, she never expected to be named the Dragonborn. Just thinking about the word made chills run down her spine.

As her training for the new Word of Power ceased, Arngeir sent her, Erik and Meeko on a quest to retrieve a special totem. He explained that it was part of her training to find it and return it to High Hrothgar. He told her that it was the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, their founder.

"Stay true to the Way of the Voice and you shall return." Arngeir bowed and bid them farewell.

"It's gone?!" Alinja cried. They were at the end of the dungeon that had supposedly housed the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. "Shouldn't it be here?" She looked in around the statue of a hand with its fingers curled around an invisible horn.

"Alinja," Erik walked up to the hand, "there's a note here." He released the note from the hand and opened it. "Looks like it is addressed to you."

"Me?"

"Well the Dragonborn." He read the note aloud. "Dragonborn—I need to speak to you. Urgently. Rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood, and I'll meet you—a friend."

"We came all the way here and the horn isn't even here." Alinja complained, sighing heavily with exhaustion.

"Well, whoever this mysterious 'friend' is, they must have the horn." Erik concluded. "Come on, we should go to the Sleeping Giant Inn, then." He grinned at Alinja and pinched her cheek. "Stop pouting."

The three companions creaked open the door to the Inn in Riverwood. It was just like the Inn back in Rorikstead. Wooden floors and walls; a high roof with wooden beams supporting its weight; a few tables with benches were lining the walls. There were very few people in the in, even though it was the early evening. A bartender leaned on the counter on the far left hand side of the Inn, whilst a Breton woman in a faded, light blue dress and tied back blonde hair was sweeping the floors and chatting casually to the bartender. When the companions walked in the woman turned around and greeted them.

"We don't get many travellers here in Riverwood." She said as she continued to sweep. "I'm the innkeeper here, if you're looking to stay the night, I've got a free room."

Alinja cleared her throat. "Yes, we'd like to rent the attic room." She said, doing her best not to look around to see if there was anyone who turned their heads at any familiar words.

"Attic room, eh?" the woman stopped sweeping and took a good look at her. "Well, we don't have an attic room, but you can have the one on the left." She pointed to a door behind the three of them and they nodded, Alinja giving the innkeeper ten coins before leading Erik and Meeko to the room on the left.

"They don't have an attic room?" Erik asked when they were finally alone. "Did we read the letter right?"

"I—" Alinja was interrupted by the door opening behind them and the Innkeeper walked in.

"So you're the Dragonborn everyone has been talking about." She interrupted. "I think you're looking for this." She lifted her hand and revealed the horn.

"Yes," Alinja eyed the Innkeeper suspiciously. "You're the one who took it?"

"Surprised?" She grinned. "I guess I'm getting good at my innocent Innkeeper act." Her expression then hardened. "I need to talk to you…" she glanced at Alinja's company, "alone."

"Surely—" Erik started.

"It's okay, Erik." Alinja cut in. "I'll be fine. She just wants to talk."

"Alinja…"

"Just stay here with Meeko, I'll try not to take long." She gave him a quick smile and followed the woman out of the room.

"My name's Delphine," the Breton said as she lead Alinja to another room. "Close the door." Alinja was ready to make a wise crack relating to why she should be the one to close the door, but decided to keep quiet and did as she was instructed. "Good, now we can get started."

Delphine opened a wardrobe and pressed the back to reveal a hidden door leading down into a basement. "What is all this?"

"I'll explain in a minute," Delphine started to walk down the stairs. "Follow me."

Alinja bit her tongue and continued to follow the Breton. The basement room was small and looked like the other rooms, except for a large table in the centre as well as an alchemy lab and a few weapons scattered throughout. Delphine walked around the table and lay her hands on what looked like a map.

Finally Alinja looked at the woman. "Alright, you have me down here, what do you want?"

"Relax, Dragonborn." Delphine said with a tired voice. "I am not your enemy. I'm actually trying to help you." She cast her gaze down to the map. "I need to know if I can trust you first—"

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"If you don't trust me, you were a fool to come down here in the first place."

This woman was infuriating! Alinja almost walked back up the stairs. She had all she needed and she had to get back to the Greybeards. It had already been a day and a half. "What do you want with me?"

"I've been reviewing over the Dragonstone you got for Farengar…" she looked smugly at the Nord.

"I thought you looked familiar." Alinja said, suddenly recognising her. "You were the woman Farengar was talking with."

"So you were paying attention."

Alinja sighed. She was having a hard time not punching the wench in the face. "What did you find out?"

"I found out that dragons…" she hesitated, "dragons aren't just appearing…they're coming back to life."

Alinja froze. So the legends of the Great Dragon War were true. The dragons were all killed by her ancestors. Thousands of thoughts and possibilities sifted through her mind. If dragons were once killed and they are coming back to life…how do we know that killing them won't trigger a cycle? She thought back to the dragon she'd killed earlier. What if in another thousand years, it came back to life? She supressed shaking her head in disbelief.

"H-How do you know that?" Alinja questioned.

"I followed the map of the dragon burial sites to one of the burial mounds." Delphine gazed at the map as if she would suddenly find an answer. "I found it empty."

It's the end of the world. Alinja thought to herself. "What are we going to do about it?"

"I've been studying this map and I've figured out that there is a pattern with each dragon resurrection." She lifted her gaze to Alinja's. "This is where you can prove to me that you are Dragonborn. You can 'devour' a dragon's soul can't you?"

"Yes," Alinja replied, "that's how I found out I was Dragonborn."

"Good," Delphine pointed at a point on the map, "then we are going to Kynesgrove. It's near Windhelm. I've figured out that this is where the next dragon is most likely to rise." She stood back. "Once I'm sure you're Dragonborn, I will answer anything you have to ask."

Alinja thought for a few moments. She looked hard at Delphine, trying to decide whether she was telling the truth. "Okay." She said finally. "When are we heading out?"

"The sooner the better." Delphine replied. "Are you ready?"

"…Yes." Alinja nodded.

"Good, go upstairs and I'll meet you there. I need to change into my travelling gear and get a few things ready." She said.

Alinja obeyed and trudged upstairs. I few minutes later, Delphine appeared and the four of them were off to Kynesgrove."

"No! You don't want to go up there! A dragon! It's attacking!" A woman ran down the path to Kynesgrove, fear vibrant in her eyes.

"Where is this dragon?" Alinja asked hastily.

"It's up on the hill." The woman gasped for breath. "It landed on the old burial mound. I don't know what it's doing up there, but I'm not waiting around to find out!" She continued to ran frantically down the path, screaming warnings.

"Come on!" Delphine cried. "We might already be too late!"

Alinja, Erik and Meeko followed Delphine past a few wooden buildings and up the path to the burial mound. As they were rounding a corner, she could hear the flapping of a dragon's wings. She traded glances with Erik as they both recognised the familiar noise. When they were in view of the mound, Alinja's heart skipped a beat. Hovering over the burial site was the black dragon from Helgen. Its glistening pitch-black scales contrasted against the grey clouded sky like an abyssal pit; its eyes, the only colour in the monochrome grey scene and glowed red hot like the lavas of Oblivion. Its giant wings flapped to keep it lifted off the ground, each movement splitting the air with the ease of a flying arrow.

Alinja swallowed the lump forming in her throat. She couldn't cower out now. She summoned her Nordic bravery and continued forward. The black dragon rumbled like thunder and continued its stare at the burial mound. Then, it spoke in the strange language Alinja had heard the other dragon speak.

"Sahloknir, ziil gro dovah ulse! Slen tiid vo!" The sky cracked with thunder as the dragon roared.

The four companions stumbled and lost balance as the ground shook violently and the mound where a dragon was supposedly resting, cracked and finally broke. Large chunks of Nirn were cast upwards and the humans and dog were forced to dodged them as they fell. Suddenly and to everyone's disbelief, a grey shape crawled out of the ground.

"A skeleton?" Alinja was breathless as the skeletal form of a dragon fully emerged.

It ignored the companions staring at it with fear and confusion and cast its gaze up towards the black dragon. Then, bits of fire began to spark around its body, engulfing it with the same flames that left the body of the dragon killed earlier. Flesh started to grow onto its bones and then skin and scales and before long, a full dragon was standing before them.

"Alduin, thrui! Boaan tiid vokriiha suleyksejun kruziik?" The dragon spoke to its kin.

"Geh, Sahloknir, kaali mir." The black dragon replied.

Suddenly, the black dragon turned its great head and stared straight past Alinja's eyes and into her soul. Flashes of her nightmare returned to her and she could feel her legs shaking.

"Ful, losei Dovahkiin? Zu'u koraav nid nol dov do hi." Alinja just stared back at it, not understanding the language as she once had. The black dragon growled. "You do not even know our tongue, do you?" Alinja's eyes widened as it spoke her language suddenly. Its voice was amazingly deep and rasp and everything about it screamed evil. "Such arrogance, to dare take yourself the name of Dovah." It turned its head back to the newly resurrected dragon who was examining its wings. "Sahloknir, krii daar joore."

Just as the black dragon was about to fly off, Alinja gained confidence with anger. How dare this dragon place fear in her. How dare it create a nightmare for her to mock her thoughts. And how dare it resurrect another dragon to terrorise the ones she loves as well as the rest of Skyrim. She thought back to the Whiterun guard and how fearful he was when he was telling his story to the Jarl. She used this anger to glare at the abyssal dragon. She summoned the power within her.

"Fus Ro!" She Shouted at the black dragon, but to her surprise, it went straight through it.

The dragon looked at her with disinterest. "Pahlok…" it grumbled. Then it opened its mouth. "Fus Ro…Dah!"

Dah? Before Alinja could figure out what the added word on the end of its Shout was she was forced back off her feet and flew backwards a few metres and landed heavily on her back. Winded, she gasped for breath as Delphine, Erik and Meeko rushed to her aid.

"Pahlok." The black dragon repeated and flew off out of sight.

The resurrected dragon slowly turned its head to stare at the humans and dog.

"I am Sahloknir!" It boomed. "Hear my Voice and despair!"

Alinja scrambled to her feet and her, Erik, Delphine and Meeko stood off with it. The humans readied their weapons and Meeko barred his teeth. Sahloknir drew its head back and opened its mouth.

"Move!" Alinja shouted and they scrambled as the dragon breath fire.

"Yol Toor Shul!" It Shouted.

Alinja ran around the back of the dragon and swung her sword at its hind left leg, slicing deeply into its hide. The dragon screeched in pain and it swept its tail to the side, in an attempt to knock her off her feet. Alinja jumped and avoided the thick tail attack. Erik and Meeko attacked one of its wings and Delphine attacked the other one. Sahloknir tried to take off into flight, but Alinja stuck her sword into its tail and it shrank back in agony. Releasing her weapon, she ran around to the front of the dragon and stared it right in its yellow-green eyes. Sahloknir retracted its neck and sprang forward to crush Alinja in its jaws, but she swung her sword horizontally and sliced the side of its head.

Just as it was distracted by its new wound, Alinja leapt onto its head, grabbing hold of its iron hard horns and stuck her sword into its right eye. Sahloknir roared with confusion its vison was cut in literally in half. In its confusion, it shook its head violently and Alinja was thrown off and she landed on her back. Seeing through one eye it saw her weakness moment and took advantage of it. Sweeping its tail at the attackers attacking its tail, they were knocked off their feet. With three of the companions not an immediate threat, Sahloknir looked back to Alinja who was trying to get to her feet. It knocked her off her feet again and loomed over her. Just as it was opening its mouth to pour fire over her, she gripped her sword and shoved it upwards. It was sent through the top of the dragon's mouth and into its brain. The working eye of the dragon rolled back into its head as it fell limp. Alinja rolled out from underneath the dragon and stood up.

"Is everyone okay?" Alinja called.

Erik, Delphine and Meeko slowly walked up to her. Erik looked at Alinja as she wiped her blade clean.

"Looks like you didn't even need us." He chuckled.

"Haha," Alinja laughed. "I guess they should call me Alinja the Slayer."

"You already have Dragonborn." Erik retorted.

"Dragonborn you are…" Delphine breathed as the dead dragon lit up with the familiar flames.

Rising from its body, the flame wafted over to Alinja and engulfed her before fading into the air. Alinja felt the power within her grow as the dragon's soul was fused together with hers.

"I owe you some answers don't I?" Delphine said.

Alinja faced the Breton and stared her right in the eye. "Who are you and why are you looking for me?"

"A very long time ago, the Blades were dragon slayers, and we served the Dragonborn, the greatest dragon slayer. For the last two hundred years, since the last Dragonborn emperor, the Blades have been searching for a purpose. Now that dragons are coming back, our purpose is clear again. We need to stop them."

"Who are the Blades?" Alinja had never heard of them before. Not even in the old legends of the Dragonborn.

"Exactly." Delphine looked somewhat despondently at her feet. "Nobody remembers our name these days. We used to be known across Tamriel as the protectors of the Septim Emperors. Those days are gone, though. For the last two hundred years, we've been searching for the next Dragonborn to guide and guard, as we are sworn to do. But we never found one. Until now."

"Well, what do you know about dragons?"

"Not a damn thing." Delphine looked back up at Alinja. "I was just as surprised as you to find that big black dragon here."

Alinja looked off to the side. "It was the one that attacked Helgen, when Ulfric escaped from the Imperials."

"Interesting." Delphine lifted a finger for her chin, thinking. "Same dragon…" she then threw her hands up, impatiently. "Damn it! We're blundering around in the dark here! We need to figure out who's behind it all!"

Alinja folded her arms. "So what's our next move?"

"The first thing we need to do is figure out who's behind the dragons. The Thalmor are our best lead. If they aren't involved, they'll know who is."

"The Thalmor are the ones backing the Empire, aren't they?" Alinja remembered the gossip Mralki used to tell wondering travellers back in Rorikstead.

"Correct," Delphine said, "they're the faction that rules the Aldmeri Dominion. They're the ones that almost destroyed the Empire during the Great War, thirty years back. There's no worse enemy to humankind in Tamriel. The Empire barely survived the last war. The Thalmor don't intend to lose the next one."

"Wait, what makes you think the Thalmor are bringing dragons back?"

"Nothing solid…yet." Delphine replied. "But my gut tells me it can't be anything else. The Empire had captured Ulfric. The war was basically over. Then a dragon attacks, Ulfric escapes, and the war is back on. And now the dragons are attacking everywhere, indiscriminately. Skyrim is weakened, the Empire is weakened. Who else gains from that but the Thalmor?"

"So we need to find out what the Thalmor know about the dragons." Alinja shifted her weight to one leg. "Any ideas?"

Delphine walked a little way away from them, her back turned to them. "If we could get into to the Thalmor Embassy…it's the centre of their operations in Skyrim. Problem is, that place is locked up tighter than a miser's purse. They could teach me a few things about paranoia…"

"So how do we get into the Thalmor Embassy?"

"I'm not sure yet. I have a few ideas, but I'll need some time to pull things together. Meet me back in Riverwood. If I'm not back when you get there, wait for me. I shouldn't be too long. Keep an eye on the sky. This is only going to get worse."

*Dedicated to Steve Irwin. An inspirational animal lover. May you Rest in Peace.