Asmara and Lydia walked into the Sleeping Giant Inn, it appeared exactly as she had remembered it. It was mid-afternoon when they arrived, they had stopped in Whiterun the night before to get some well-deserved rest before heading out again. Asmara spent the night with the Companions once again while staying there, and she believed Kodlak saw that as her final answer. She saw the benefits of being apart of the group and would be foolish to turn it down. Some of them were already beginning to see her as family. Farkas stayed at her side every time she visited and Aela was proving to be as good of a friend as Lydia. Asmara realized that night how important it was to surround herself with friends like Farkas, Lydia and Aela. As complicated as her life had become, they seemed to make it all much easier than it would have been if she attempted to face everything alone.

When they approached the bar, the barkeep was cleaning out some tankards as he asked if they needed anything. "Actually, we were looking to rent the attic room." Asmara said, pulling out her coin purse. The bearded man looked at her, a peculiar expression drawn on his face. He looked over her shoulder at a blonde Breton woman in blue, who was sweeping around the fire pit that was centered in the lobby.

"Delphine, do we have an attic room?" Her head popped up and she looked at Lydia and Asmara, narrowing her eyes. She set her broom against one of the wooden supports for the ceiling and walked over towards them.

"Attic room, eh?" She continued to asses them, crossing her arms. "Well… no we don't have an attic room, but you can use the one on the left. Make yourself at home." She pointed to the room Asmara had rented from her previous stay. Asmara and Lydia had exchanged a look, suspicion rising in their expressions. Asmara handed the barkeep ten septims and they both slowly turned away from the woman, who now had her hands on her hips and was eying them doubtingly. They entered the room and closed the door, not wanting to draw attention.

"Well, that was a waste of ten septims." Asmara stated dryly. "Now what?" She took a seat in the chair against the right wall and Lydia sat on the bed across from her.

"I don't know my thane, that woman was acting awfully suspicious." Asmara nodded in agreement. As if the woman had heard them, the door opened and she quickly entered before shutting it behind her. The two women eyed her in confusion.

"Which one of you is the Dragonborn?" Lydia and Asmara shared a look. "There is no time for being a reluctant hero, so who is it?" Asmara spoke up.

"I am. Why are you asking?" She said inquisitively. The woman walked to the locked chest at the end of the bed, and pulled out the artifact they had been looking for a few days prior. Their eyes widened when they saw what it was and Asmara quickly stood from her chair, Lydia following shortly after.

"I think you're looking for this." She handed Asmara the horn and she eyed it carefully before placing it in her pack. "We need to talk. Follow me." Lydia gave Asmara a hesitant look before they both reluctantly followed the mysterious woman out of the room and across the lobby. They entered another rentable room, this one significantly larger than the other. The bed was much nicer than that of the other room; it was covered with a green wool blanket with a wooden frame that had poles coming from the headboard. It had two end tables on either side with horn-shaped lamps. There was a desk and a few more tables spread out around the room and a wardrobe near the far right corner. "Close the door behind you." Lydia did as she asked and the woman continued as she opened the wardrobe, then revealed a secret staircase behind the wall built into it. "Now we can talk."

They followed her down the stairs that led into a large square room, lined with stone walls and wooden posts for support. There was a large table with a map of Skyrim laid out on it and Asmara noticed a single book lying next to it. Asmara recognized the symbol to be close to that of which represented the Empire. It was a Dragon, its wings forming into a diamond-like shape with its head and tail extending from the middle, looking similar to a snake with just enough detail added to the ends to give it the essence of a dragon. The woman rounded the table and placed her palms flat on the surface, her arms spread out on each side of the map in front of her. "The Greybeards seem to think you're the Dragonborn. I hope they're right."

"The Greybeards have said so, but many have seen proof of what she is capable of." Lydia spoke out.

"Well, if you'll forgive me if I don't assume that something's true just because the Greybeards say so. I just handed you the horn of Jurgen Windcaller, does that make me Dragonborn too?" Asmara was not arrogant about the title the Greybeards had given her but she did not appreciate the woman's attitude towards her.

"You'd better have a damn good reason for dragging me down here." Asmara stated, crossing her arms as she spoke.

"This was the only way I could make sure it wasn't a Thalmor trap. I'm not the enemy, I already gave you the horn. I'm actually trying to help you. I just need you to hear me out." Asmara looked at Lydia and she shrugged. Asmara lifted her chin slightly before she spoke.

"I'm listening…"

"When I heard about the Dragonborn, I knew the Greybeards would send you to Ustengrav. They're nothing if not predictable. I'm part of a group that has been looking for you… well, someone like you, for a very long time. If you really are Dragonborn that is, but before I tell you anymore, I need to make sure I can trust you."

"And how do I know if I can trust you?" Asmara countered.

"If you don't trust me, then you were a fool to walk in here in the first place. When you showed up here, I knew you were the ones the Greybeards sent, and not some Thalmor plant." Asmara still found the woman rather suspicious, and she couldn't ignore the sinking feeling in her gut.

"Wait… the Thalmor? What do the Aldmeri have to do with this?"

"We are very old enemies. I think they have something to do with the dragons returning."

"What makes you believe the Altmer have such powerful capabilities?"

"It isn't important, what is important is that you might actually be Dragonborn. They will search for you too."

"So, why were you looking for me?" Asmara asked, all to hesitant with the talk of the Thalmor.

"We remember what most don't - that the Dragonborn is the ultimate dragon slayer. You are the only one that can kill a dragon permanently by devouring its soul. Can you do it? Can you devour a dragon's soul?" Asmara answered hesitantly.

"I, uh… I wouldn't call it devouring…"

"Many in Whiterun saw her absorb a light that emanated from the dragon they had slain. They had immediately called her the Dragonborn then, and it was shortly after that the Greybeards summoned her." Lydia answered.

"Well, I'll see for myself soon enough." Asmara's eyebrows shot up and her eyes widened.

"What do you mean by that? What is it you are hiding from me?" Asmara demanded. Delphine sighed and looked towards the map on the table.

"Dragons aren't just coming back, they're coming back to life. They weren't gone somewhere for all these years. They were dead, killed off centuries ago by my predecessors." Asmara shook her head in disbelief.

"What could possibly bring them back to life?" Asmara asked, concern in her voice.

"I'm not sure, but I need you to help me stop it. I've visited their ancient burial mounds and found them empty."

"Burial mounds? You mean the stone mounds littered throughout Skyrim?" Asmara's brows bunched together in confusion. Delphine nodded as she continued.

"Yes, and I've figured out where the next one will come back to life. We're going to go there, and you're going to kill that dragon." Asmara startled at her words and held her hands up to stop her from continuing.

"Wait… wait… wait. You do know you sound tad mad? How in the Kynareth's name did you come to this conclusion?" Asmara's nerves were on edge, she wasn't about to go fight another dragon just because this woman had a hunch.

"You should know… you got the map for me."

"What map? That one?" She pointed to the map on the table, never having recognized or remembered doing such thing.

"The Dragonstone you got for Farengar, it's a map of ancient dragon burial sites. I've looked at which ones are now empty. The pattern is pretty clear." She pointed down at the map as she continued, "It seems to be spreading from the southeast, starting in the Jeralls near Riften. The one near Kynesgrove is next if the pattern holds." Asmara crossed her arms again, mulling over the information that she just received. She thought back to when she returned to Farengar with the Dragonstone, and she recalled a woman dressed in leather armor and a hood speaking with him when she arrived. She hadn't paid her much attention then, but as the memory becomes clearer, she realizes it was the woman standing before her. She had no idea the Dragonstone had been a map, though she honestly couldn't understand any of the markings, not as if she had paid any close attention to those either.

"So you want me to go to Kynesgrove to kill a dragon that may or may not still be dead when we get there in hopes this pattern of yours stays true? You have not particularly gained my trust or what even feels like my time. You had me ask to rent a nonexistent room in your inn, after stealing an item the Greybeards sent me after, leaving me a more than mysterious note in its place and now you just want me to go hunt down a dragon with you." Delphine looked at her, her expression not changing. "You truly must be mad. Any sensible person would have left moments ago, yet I am still here. Why is that?"

"Because, as the Dragonborn, you are meant to do this. The dragons need to be stopped and you are the only one who can do it."

"You seem so sure of what I am supposed to do, yet the Greybeards feigned ignorance on the matter."

"That is because those old men don't want you to use your power to its full potential. They would rather stay up on their mountain and read books than actually help with the real issues that are going on below." Delphine's voice grew slightly harsher with her words, and with that Asmara grew more frustrated.

"Give me one good reason I should go with you." Delphine replied immediately.

"You need a dragon soul." Asmara tilted her head in confusion. "There was a word wall at Ustengrav, no doubt you saw it." Asmara's breathing deepened as Delphine continued. "I know you need a soul to attach to the word, and I haven't heard of any recent dragon slayings. So I know you have that little tick that's in the back of your head, waiting for a meaning." Asmara could feel the word Feim scratching at the back of her skull. She would ignore it at times, but it would always come back like some sort of rash. Asmara stared at the woman for a moment, she badly wanted to walk out and tell the woman to go kill the dragon herself but she couldn't ignore the word itching to get out. She turned to look at Lydia and she looked back expectantly.

"I will follow you wherever you wish my thane." Asmara nodded and turned back to Delphine.

"I am going to go return this horn to the Greybeards. It is only then I will meet you at Kynesgrove to slay this dragon. You just better hope you're right." She turned to walk out the door, Lydia following behind her. She wasn't sure she was ready to fight a dragon, but if she stopped with the Greybeards first, they may be able to give her more insight on the issue and maybe who this Delphine woman was. Of all the things she found uncertainty in, there was one thing she knew for sure. The dragons were back and she was the only thing in all of Skyrim that would be able to stop them.

The visit with the Greybeards had been quick. They taught her the last word of Unrelenting Force, so now her shout was more powerful than ever. She had only ever used it while in High Hrothgar, but she could feel her voice growing stronger. Her throat was not as strained and the shout was louder as well as more forceful. Master Arngeir had warned her about growing her new gift too quickly, making it more dangerous and she took his warning to heart. He assured her in the time it would take between learning new shouts, she should learn at a steady enough pace so that her voice would not overwhelm her.

After teaching her the rest of the shout, they had spoken to her in the dragon tongue. Lydia had to step outside as they spoke. Asmara had been placed in the middle and their shouts had caused the whole place to rumble and shake from the force of it. During the shouting ceremony, they gave her the title of Stormcrown. She was now Ysmir, Dragon of the North. She was unsure how she felt about the title as never having one before, but she could not help feeling a small sense of pride in the name. They had said dragons were very proud and she began to feel the part of the dragon within her that had been dormant all these years. With it, she worried. Dragon's were also cruel and some emotionless, she hoped that she could hold on to her humanity and not give in to the power as Arngeir had warned. She also tried to not be fearful of it, Delphine had told her that there was a greater use of her power and as much as she already disliked the woman, she knew there was some truth in her words. After the ceremony they welcomed her to return to High Hrothgar if she ever needed any further training or had any questions. She took advantage of their offer, mentioning to Arngeir that she believed it was the Dragon Tongue she heard in her dreams.

"For the past year or so, these dreams have resurfaced. I am haunted by dragons who speak the language, but… I cannot understand. I wish to know what they say. Perhaps use it later when it is needed against the dragons." Asmara told him.

"You are Dragonborn. It would only appear natural that you dream of the language and of your kin. The Dragonborn was always believed to have the soul of a dragon. Perhaps it is memories that you see that allow you to hear the language in your sleep. If you wish to know their meaning, you must meditate on them."

"But I cannot. Even now, a word rolls around in my mind, searching for meaning. It almost hurts when I concentrate on it. How am I to understand?" Asmara pleaded with him.

"Shouts are different. They are words of power, not just simple words that are part of the dragon tongue. In time, the language will make more sense to you but the shouts themselves have too much meaning for you to fully grasp without the help of absorbing a dragon's soul." Arngeir explained. "Though we cannot point you down the path you should take, we know that the only true way for your dragon soul to become fulfilled is through the slaying of dragons. But it is your choice to do so."

"Then if I choose this path, will you help me?" She asked.

"We can aid you in finding words of power. We know little of the return of the dragons, thus have little to no information to provide. Though, it would be presumed they guard their words if any have come to know of your existence."

"Then point me towards a word." She said, holding out her map for him to mark a location for her. He looked over the map thoughtfully, and pointed to a location.

"We have a felt a whisper of a word here. I know of a dragon altar that is located there. It is more than likely you will find a dragon guarding the word here." She looked at the location he pointed at and found it was located in the mountains separating Hjaalmarch and Whiterun Hold.

"Thank you Master Arngeir. I am appreciative of the help you are willing to give." She bowed slightly before leaving the temple in the sky and heading towards Kynesgrove where she anxiously hoped to find relief from the word taunting her in her mind.

By the time they had arrived there was a snow storm flurrying around the small village and it only worsened Asmara's anxiety. She was not completely prepared for a battle with a dragon, but so far there were no signs of any. They stepped inside the Braidwood Inn, shocked at the similarities between this inn and the Sleeping Giant in Riverwood. It was warm though, and that was all they had cared about. Lydia did not have an issue with cold as a Nord, but Asmara was freezing. Lydia brought over two bottles of mead for them, and they sat near the roaring fire, warming their hands.

It was only moments after they had settled in, that Delphine appeared. The Breton woman looked almost blue from the cold and Asmara pitied her more so than herself. Breton's had no tolerance for the cold whatsoever, and even Asmara was acclimated to the climate slightly, so she had at least built up some resistance to it. Delphine shook her head, brushing the snow off her hair. She joined them by the fire, still shivering. Asmara chuckled at the woman, who glared at her from the noise. She took a drink of her mead to keep from laughing at Delphine's reaction further. Asmara bought her a bottle of mead and started on a second one for herself as did Lydia.

"So, no sign of a dragon yet." Asmara said before sipping from her bottle. Delphine shook her head, still shivering from the cold. "We will wait til morning, if none has appeared by then we are heading back to Whiterun." She looked to Lydia, "We may have to stop in Falkreath Hold to catch that bear, we will take the road to the Southwest to get there, then make our way north back to Whiterun." Lydia nodded, accepting of the plan.

A few hours had gone by and Asmara made sure to only stick to the two bottles of mead, afraid of fighting a dragon, let alone fighting one with a buzz. She made sure to cut Lydia off as well, even though the woman assured her Nords could hold their mead better than other races. Just before Asmara was about to call it a night and head to her room, a loud roaring sound came from outside. Shortly after, someone busted through the inn doors, yelling about a dragon.

"Is the Dragon attacking?" Asmara asked the young, frightened woman trying to catch her breath.

"Well, no. I don't know what it's doing but I'm not waiting to find out." She said with a shaky voice. Asmara, Lydia and Delphine quickly grabbed their weapons and dashed out the doors to hear the dragon up at the hill by the burial mound.

"It looks like your hunch was right. I suppose I owe you something." Asmara said with surprise in her voice to Delphine.

"You can owe my by killing this dragon and proving your Dragonborn." Asmara nodded and they all ran up the hill together, remaining cautious about the dragon flying atop the hill. She could not tell what he was doing, he seemed to have no intention of attacking the village. There was a shout that echoed in the air and when they looked up, a stream of purple and blue light was coming from the ground where the burial mound was. They picked up their pace and she could hear the voice of the dragon as they approached.

"Sahloknir! Ziil gro dovah ulse!" Asmara looked to the black dragon in recognition and she felt her heart sink. It was the same black dragon she saw at Helgen, whose red eyes were haunting her dreams and whose voice she heard in her sleep. She froze and Lydia bumped into her, and then stopped looking at Asmara in concern.

"My Thane? What's wrong?" Lydia asked, looking between Asmara and the dragon.

"That dragon… it is the same that attacked at Helgen." She had forgotten how large he was. She remembered the dragon at Whiterun, but he was nothing in comparison to the demon that was before her now. Lydia tried to shake her, grasping her attention. Asmara slowly continued her ascent up the hill, crouching down, attempting to stay hidden. The dragon continued speaking when they reached the top of the hill, seeing the light emanating from the dragon burial mound.

"This is worse than I thought." Delphine said, she was shivering again and it showed through her voice. Asmara hoped it was because of the cold and not her fear of the dragon, though she would not blame her for being terrified of the beast.

"Slen Tiid Vo!" At the last words, the ground shook beneath them and they turned towards the dragon mound. There was a skeletal dragon climbing from its depths and Asmara's eyes widened in shock. The dragon crawled onto the ground outside the mound and spoke to the black dragon that had awoken it.

"Alduin, thuri! Boaan tiid vokriiha suleyksejun kruziik?" Asmara tried to comprehend what they were saying. As she had pondered the words only one stood out. Alduin. She knew that word but it had no meaning to her. As the dragons began to speak, she realized it was a name. The black dragon's name. She was unaware these creatures had names or any type of identity but for some reason it did not shock her. While she thought on their words, they turned their heads towards them. Alduin chuckled as he spoke to her.

"Ful losei Dovahkiin? Zu'u koraav nid no dov do hi" She only recognized the word Dovahkiin, as Dragonborn. She still did not know what he was saying, and fear rushed over her as he continued to speak to her. "You do not even know your tongue, do you? Such arrogance, to dare take yourself for the name of Dovah." He redirected his attention to the other dragon who's scales and skin had slowly formed during the conversation. "Sahloknir, krii daar joorre." Alduin quickly fled as the other dragon had risen; now flying above them.

"What did they say?" Delphine yelled over the wind and roaring dragon.

"I am not sure, but I think we should either run or try and slay this dragon because I do believe he has every intention of killing us at the command of the other black dragon." Asmara ran out into the opening near the mound and drew an arrow. The dragon flew behind her and she turned as it landed. The dragon inhaled and she quickly ran and slid underneath it as it exhaled fire. She ended up on her back, under the dragon's stomach and she fired her arrow into the soft spot. The dragon took to the air once again and she got to her feet, readying another arrow. Before the dragon could go far, she aimed another arrow and discharged it, once again hitting the soft underbelly of the beast. She looked forward and saw Lydia had her bow in hand and was also firing at the dragon. She saw Delphine behind her but did not see if the woman was doing any damage before the Dragon flew over them, shouting fire at them. Asmara ran into the hallowed burial mound before the fire could reach her and as the dragon passed she fired another arrow aimed at its wing. The dragon reared and landed in the mound. Asmara stepped back as it readied another shout towards Lydia. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them and exhaled the words came out of her with a force.

"FUS RO DAH!" Thunder crackled around them and the dragon stumbled from the force. Asmara quickly withdrew and arrow, then aimed for the eye as he breathed fire towards Lydia and Delphine. Her arrow hit her mark and the dragon roared in pain. The dragon quickly turned, its tail coming straight at her. She ducked, refusing to have a repeat of her last dragon fight, and the dragon began moving around wildly from the pain in its eye. Lydia ran to the dragon, her sword drawn and stabbed just beneath a wing as Asmara continued to support her from afar with her bow. The dragon would not take flight again due to its slight blindness and they quickly subdued him. He finally fell to the ground, causing the earth to shake beneath him. Asmara placed her bow back over her shoulders and walked towards the dragon. The body began to turn to flame and ash as the familiar orange and purple light rose from it. The light swarmed around her and she was nearly blind from it until it became a dim aura that she absorbed. When it was gone, she suddenly had a clear mind, the word Feim finally having meaning.

"Fade…" She murmured with a breath of relief, as she stared at the skeleton that was all that remained of the dragon.

"I… it's true, isn't it? You really are Dragonborn." Asmara looked towards Delphine and she slowly nodded her head, still staring at the dragon. "I owe you some answers, then, don't I? Go ahead. Whatever you want to know. Nothing held back." Asmara finally looked away and gave her attention to Delphine, noticing Lydia was by her side again. She had a lot of questions for this woman, and she was about to make sure she received every answer she wanted.

Delphine had made some decent points, but Asmara was still unconvinced the Thalmor were to blame for the dragons return. As terrible as they had become, she was sure that the dragon's return was not something the Thalmor was capable of. Asmara almost attacked Delphine when she insisted they infiltrate the Thalmor Embassy in Solititude. Lydia had to hold her back from smacking the woman. Though she explained that the group she belonged to, The Blades, were made to protect and help the Dragonborn, she sure wasn't keeping up her oath in that respect. She made sure to Delphine she would want no part in retrieving anything from the Thalmor, and if she was so convinced they had something to do with it that she should do it herself.

The Thalmor were guilty of many things, but this was not one of them. Asmara was not about to put herself in that situation over a so called hunch that was obviously driven by vengeance. That woman could not have possibly been completely straight in the head. Though when she mentioned the Civil War it made Asmara tense at her words. In that aspect, what Delphine said had made sense. She was there along with Ulfric, both of them set to be executed. That would have meant the end of the waryet the dragon interrupted the execution and the war was back in full force. The Thalmor definitely gains an advantage from Skyrim's weakened state. She did not know much about the reasons for fighting the war but she knew that Nords were fighting each other and it would only help the Thalmor gain more control. Even if Ulfric did win, the Empire would be weak enough for the Thalmor to become more involved. She knew enough from her mother about the Great War and what had happened in Cyrodiil over twenty-five years prior. She was only a babe then, but it seemed her mother continued fighting the Thalmor, even as she grew older. They already held a firm grip on the Empire and she believed Skyrim's Civil War was tightening it. She wanted nothing to do with it, but the more she pondered the repercussions of it, she thought she may have to get involved if she was indeed as powerful as Delphine her to believe. Though, Master Argneir's warning continued to echo in her head and she put all thoughts of the war aside. There was a reason the Greybeards had stayed out of it, and she would have to see if it was a truly valid enough reason for herself. With Delphine's influence and the new matters she brought to her attention, Asmara's life just became far more complicated.

A/N: Okay so this is what I've rewritten so far. I know we're not quite caught up with my last version but I hope it's enough to hold you guys over for a bit while I get working on the rest of the story. Don't forget to Review and Favorite!