A short note before you start reading this: You might notice that the speech of Delvin Mallory has changed. I will rewrite it in the previous chapters as soon as I can. I decided that it's time to stop making excuses that I'm not a native speaker and face English head on. Dialects are also a part of it, so I tried my best to imitate his Bri'ish accent. That said, I still had to make it understandable, so not all the T's are omitted and not everything is changed. Anyway, I hope you like the chapter. Onward to glory! :)
Chapter 34: Riding the Storm
The night was nearing its end when Aislinn finally appeared back in her own, tangible world. She had to commend the Guardians of the Scroll, for not only they had teleported her back safely, but also provided her with temporary invisibility so she could pass the elves, who were still waiting for her, unnoticed. Not too many of the hostages remained alive after Andariath Torelloy's little display of cruelty, but she turned her eyes away from the sight, knowing that she must proceed if she was to save at least a portion of Skyrim citizens. She was well outside of the area lit by the elven torches when her figure appeared out of thin air, casting a nearly infinitely long shadow on the damp ground as the first rays of sunlight made their way over the horizon clouded slightly by a violet haze. She looked at the sky and frowned.
Normally, she would welcome the clear sky with open arms, but at this moment, she found the vast sea of blue and violet above her head very inconvenient. She walked a little further, treading carefully so her feet would not carelessly lead her into a swamp. Several mudcrabs were resting in a pool just a few steps ahead, but luckily they did not pay her much attention. A pair of fireflies circled one of the pines to her left and she took a moment to admire them. Skyrim fireflies were known to appear at any hour imaginable, but even when the sun was high up and drowned them in its glow, they still managed to outshine it. Aislinn found it fascinating and never missed a chance to spectate this amazing sight.
After a while of walk, she arrived in a place surrounded by pine trees and a large rock. She looked across the nearest swamp, knowing that an entrance to the Guild's secret passage network was located there, and contemplated where Farkhali might be at the moment. Then she studied her surroundings thoroughly, watching out for any sign of movement or any presence at all.
"Laas Yah Nir," she whispered, searching for life force around her, but nothing beside mudcrabs and occasional insects seemed to lurk in the area. She took a deep breath, for she knew she would be making a risky move in a few moments, and threw one quick glance at the sky again. And then she Shouted.
"Od Ah Viing!" And she waited.
She was sure the elves she had left behind had heard her, and perhaps the ones in Morthal, Solitude and the surrounding towns and villages, though there weren't many, as well. If, by any chance, Odahviing failed to hear her call or respond to her, she would soon have to face many enemies and fight her way through their ranks. She did feel strangely energized after her latest encounter, but that did not mean she had the confidence to fight an army of elves wielding powerful magic and enchanted weapons all by herself.
She did not dare move, listening to every rustle of the wind, every splash of the water. A cone fell down from one of the pine trees and she winced, holding her breath. A silent buzz of dragonfly wings almost made her jump up in the air, and she exhaled shakily upon realizing what had caused it. The waiting was insufferable, but then she heard the familiar humming in the air as the creature above swung its wings with godlike might. She sighed with relief and raised her head, but then her eyes widened with unpleasant surprise. The dragon casting its shadow upon her was not Odahviing.
"Come on, you must be kidding me!" she groaned and took out her bow, instantly nocking an arrow.
She waited for a moment, hoping that the beast would be friendly, but it only used the lull to attack with a cone of frost. According to the dragon classification she had studied at High Hrothgar, it was a legendary, the rarest and most dangerous of them, its bright purple scales shimmering in the morning sun. She frowned with concentration and steadied her hand in aim, silently cursing her luck. The frost enchantment cast upon the bow would have no effect on it either, since this was apparently a frost dragon.
She quickly released the arrow and sidestepped the deadly spray of ice particles at the last moment. At least something went well. The arrow hit the mark, piercing through the thin membrane of skin which covered the lower side of its wing. She was still breathless from calling Odahviing and could not Shout again to pin the reptile to the ground, so the only way to ground it was rid it of the ability to soar. But it was easier said than done, for the actual damage the arrow had done was minimal and the dragon simply ignored he wound, roaring wildly, more in rage than in pain.
Another arrow flew up, but the dragon estimated its path and sped up, making it slide harmlessly along its tail scales. Three more arrows went its way and only one hit its target, but it only made the dragon realize it was hurt. Rage now turned into fury and the beast attacked twice as fiercely, making Aislinn run around frantically without the chance to shoot back. At last, she found a rock which she used as a temporary shield and quickly nocked another arrow, standing at the ready for the moment the dragon would appear in her sight. She strained her ears and listened cautiously, calculating its direction, and released the bowstring when she spotted its head.
Her estimate was perfect. The arrow buried itself in its stomach, making its way right into the dragon's heart. The reptile roared in pain and swooped down to attack with its claws and giant jaws, but the effect of the wound showed itself quickly and made it numb, unable to control its own body. It fell down on the ground, just a few feet from Aislinn, and a cloud of dust enveloped it immediately. The Dragonborn quickly switched to her twin blades and lunged at the beast fiercely, killing it in two swings at the head. She exhaled deeply and looked up again, only to give out a cry of despair as all the color retreated from her face. She had fought two dragons at once, and she had come out with bruises and wounds which she would remember for the rest of her life. Still, the experience might have been worth it and she believed she could take them on again if it came down to it. But a swarm of dragons, a number so great that the sky turned dark from one horizon to another, was an entirely different thing.
"I am dead," she said to herself. "It's over." Her voice was strangely calm, emotionless. Normally, her mind would be racing, trying to find a solution, but now it betrayed her, the feeling of utter defeat erasing every thought until only void remained.
The dragons were closing up on her and she knew they would soon release their magic, burning and freezing her to death at once. Then, flames rained down upon them and they roared, turning their heads upward. A mighty dragon circled above them and his crimson scales reflected the sunlight, making it seem as though the creature was made of pure gold. Aislinn gasped and clenched her fists as the other beasts swarmed around it, but he evaded them easily, turning left and right, dodging their attacks and making his way toward her.
"Dovakhiin," he called to her. "Your Thu'um is as strong as always."
"Good to see you too, Odahviing," she shouted to the fray, her voice loud and clear over the humming of dragon wings and their cries.
The dragon approached her in a breathtaking speed, stretching out his leg, and she grabbed it swiftly. Soon, her feet left the ground and she was flying in the air. Odahviing took a sharp turn upward and darted toward the skies. At last, Aislinn felt her breath return and, deciding that this was not the time to take risks, Shouted immediately.
"Feim Zii Gron!"
She felt her body lighten as it became translucent, and exhaled shakily as a shower of flames poured through her the moment after. A dragon's head entered her body and she suppressed the need to throw up. Odahviing fought against the air, speeding up so Aislinn's ears throbbed as the wind blew around her. He dragged her far above the mass of winged bodies, up where the thick layer of clouds would normally be, and then he called to her again.
"Let go, Dovakhiin!"
"What?!" It was the only thing she managed to articulate.
"Just let go! Trust me! That is how you joor say it, correct?"
Aislinn looked at her hand, tightly gripping the huge claw, and hesitated for only a slight moment before releasing it. Her body stopped in midair for a split second before initiating its fall back to the ground, but the crimson dragon made a quick turn and leapt down in an instant. He folded his wings and outran her, then spread them again and slowed down, catching her before she reached the attacking dragons again. Her fingers tightened around one of the horns on his neck and he sped up again, making for the south.
"They're going for the chase!" she exclaimed, glancing over her shoulder, but she felt a deep grumble in the dragon's throat.
"Who do you think I am, Dovakhiin? I might have recognized your strength, but that does not mean I will succumb to every other dov there is. I was once the right hand of Alduin, second only to him, and the only one who could ever compare to me was Paarthurnax, his own brother. No other dragon will ever match my speed or agility. And besides, I do not plan on letting such nikriin bask in the light of victory."
"Nikriin?" Aislinn asked in a confused voice and finally looked around, scanning the land below and feeling her fear being replaced by sudden excitement. She would never get tired of the sight of the snowy mountain tops shining in the sunlight, the rivers which looked like thin ribbons with mirror-like surface, crossing the land rippled by rocks and trees, the birds who soared above it all, but never as high as she did. She loved the feeling of the wind in her face, albeit cold and biting into her skin, and the freedom she felt whenever she could glide its currents. There were no limits up in the sky, no fear and no responsibility. Her life was only hers then.
"The word that most closely describes this would probably be coward," Odaviing explained as he flapped his wings, still gaining speed. "Dovah attacking in numbers? That is a disgrace. They tainted the name of the dov."
"No offense, but the dragons don't have a good reputation anyway," Aislinn said with a sheepish smile. She had the feeling that her dragon companion laughed at that, but since she was not sure of how a dragon laugh would sound, she could not be certain.
"So, Dovakhiin, where are we going to?"
"Riften. Or, more precisely, a little south of Riften. There is a cave with a carved stone pillar before its entrance. But I'll need you to wait there for a while. According to the Guardians, there is supposed to be a storm the day after tomorrow. I will need you to fly me somewhere then."
"You will need me to fly you through a strun?" Odahviing asked, and it was the first time that Aislinn heard a trace of genuine surprise in a dragon's voice. She assumed the word he used was the equivalent to a storm in the Dragon Language, and so her answer was simple.
"Exactly."
"It is true that you are strong, Dovakhiin, but you still have a joor's body. Riding a storm is hazardous even to a dovah, but to you, it might prove deadly."
"I trust you, Odahviing," Aislinn said gently. "I really need you to take me through so no enemy of mine notices where I'm headed to."
"Very well," the dragon replied. "But be ready, Dovakhiin, for the storm is not an enemy you can defeat. Not even the strongest of us can. It is the very manifestation of the gods' power, and one of the few things that not even Alduin could conquer. He may be the World-Eater, but he fears the gods just as much as mortals do."
"Isn't that the very reason he is the World-Eater?" Aislinn asked, shrugging in her thoughts as she could not do it while holding onto Odahviing's horns. She looked over her shoulders quickly and noticed that the chasing dragons had turned into a number of small dots somewhere far behind them.
"This thought never occurred to me before, but it is true that I have not had so much time to contemplate it, especially not compared to the likes of Paarthurnax. A year is a very small amount of time to a dovah."
Aislinn nodded, not realizing that her current mount could not see the gesture. She threw another quick glance behind and saw nothing of their pursuers, but Odahviing did not slow down, keeping the pace fast and steady. Aislinn felt the wind blow into her face through the gaps in her helmet, and her short hair stuck to it from the inside, spreading into a soft layer. She turned her head, squinting left and right, and noticed that the land below them had changed considerably and soft, rippled clouds had appeared on the south-eastern horizon.
"Are they still chasing us?" she asked.
"Perhaps. They are bound to stop shortly, however. They cannot get too far from Labyrinthian."
"Why not?"
"As I understand it, Alduin gathered them there to gain control. He will not risk another betrayal again. If any of them tries to leave, they will be… dealt with. The Dragon Priests did not have it that different. In the end, they were constricted to a certain area unless they were explicitly told to travel. Now the restrictions are extended to the dovah as well. I do not think this is going to last. We are too proud of a race for this."
"Alduin is just a vengeful spirit at the moment. How could he…"
"He has his ways," Odahviing said and suddenly the tempo of his wings changed. He slowed down considerably, and Aislinn could see the mighty summit of the Throat of the World, slowly passing on her right. The endless woods and groves of pines and birches covering the majority of the Rift filled the land below, the golden color of the birch leaves contrasting the deep green pines. Occasionally, a roof of a house, a tower or a mill replaced them, and in their midst, the glistening trickle of the Treva river traversed them, making its way from Lake Honrich to Lake Geir. The usual white screen of mist covered the city of Riften, only the top of the Mistveil Keep protruded from it in a single line of wood. Odahviing turned toward its south edge where a road ascended to a gentle slope, ending at the mouth of a cave with a carved stone pillar standing before it. He circled the city and landed as softly as a dragon huge as two large buildings could, breaking two birch trunks in the process. Aislinn slid down from his neck and tumbled clumsily upon landing, fighting a buckle on her backpack which snagged on one of the dragon's horns. He turned to her with his head tilted to the side.
"The guards will probably try to hunt me down. We are not exactly on good terms," he told her. "I will have to stay somewhere safe."
"There is a Dragon Mountain just a few swings to the south," she replied, nodding her head in the particular direction. "It should be empty if what you said is true and Alduin really gathered all the dragons in Labyrinthian. If you stay there and return for me two hours before sunrise, it should be enough."
"Then I will see you then," the dragon hummed. "Lok Thu'um, Dovakhiin."
"Erei un grind, Odahviing."
Aislinn watched the great reptile take off, a stream of cold wind blowing in her face and making her blink as the giant wings swung through the air. Then she turned and walked a short distance to the cave. She entered it and walked down the familiar tunnel leading to the Nightingale hall, and a cacophony of voices welcomed her as she stepped into the wide area beneath the narrow passage and took off her helmet.
"Boss!" shouted Vipir the Fleet and jumped to his feet, quickly followed by a few others. Delvin Mallory, seated just beside him, was one of the few who did not stand, although he raised his head and gave Aislinn a scrutinizing look.
"Hello there," she greeted timidly and curled her lips in an almost unnoticeable smile. The bald man raised his eyebrows and so did Vex who appeared behind him, tossing her blonde hair elegantly to her back.
"Well, well, look at this," Delvin drawled, seemingly calm, and took a sip from a mug that lay before him. "Good job, boss, yeh gave all Skyrim a fright of their life, sent the second best thief t' fight dragons in hot pursuit on a bloodthirsty stallion that would scare all of Oblivion out of its foundations had it the chance, an' now yeh appear on the threshold like nuffin' ever happened, wide smile on yer face, and Bryn's nowhere t' be seen. Just what in Oblivion is happening 'ere?"
"Brynjolf should show up soon," Aislinn said. "He's with Lucia, I'm sure he'll take her here."
"The Khajiit say the stallion has been spotted in the Pale, though," Vex objected sharply. Aislinn froze.
"The Pale? What in the name of Nocturnal is he doing there?"
"No idea, boss…"
"I'll kill him. I'll skin that man alive. My daughter is with him!"
"Calm down, boss," Delvin said soothingly. "I'm pretty damn sure Bryn wouldn' put yer daughter in danger. Let's see wha' he's planning t' do."
Aislinn sighed and shook her head, but said nothing. She had a very bad feeling about this. She pinned her eyes to the spot where the water from the waterfall touched the surface of the pool below and inhaled.
"And where is Karliah?" she asked tersely.
"She decided to provide our enemy some quality entertainment," Vex smiled mysteriously. Aislinn raised her brows and gave her a questioning look, but the thief just shrugged.
"So, boss, how's your mission progressing?" Delvin beckoned to an open seat but Aislinn just shook her head and leaned against the closest wall.
"I'm getting there," she replied wearily, "but I still need someone to read the scroll. I'm leaving Skyrim before tomorrow morning."
Even Delvin now jumped to his feet and propped his hands against the table to balance himself. "Leaving Skyrim? Where? Why? How?!"
"I need to find a Moth Priest. I'll fly a dragon."
"Boss, are yeh insane? That's… that's madness! The borders are heavily guarded! Not even a dragon is gonna make it!"
"That's why we'll fly in a storm when no one can spot us."
"A storm?!" several astonished voices exclaimed at once.
"Oh, I really want to see Bryn's face when he learns about this," Vex sang with an angelic smile. Aislinn shot her an annoyed glance.
"That Bryn took my daughter to the Pale," she snarled. "I don't ever want to hear him complaining about my decisions again."
"All right, all right," the blonde retreated, raising her hands in a defensive gesture. "So, is there anything you need us to do, Guildmaster?"
"A lot, actually. I need some normal clothes in which I can hide a dagger, a detailed map of Cyrodiil and as much information as you can give me."
"Boss, yeh want to travel unarmed?"
"I don't have a choice. No one is probably going to expect me in Cyrodiil, but if I am to keep a low profile, I can't swagger there in a full set of daedric armor!"
Delvin let out a resigned sigh. "Guess there's no poin' in arguing with our boss. Let's jus' make it as easy for 'er as we can. I'll give yeh all the maps I can find 'ere. Riften is pretty barren these days, but we could ask ol' Wylandriah to enchant a dress or two. Vex, can yeh go and take care of that?"
"Am I an errand girl now?" complained Vex, knitting her brows. Delvin gave her a reproachful scowl. "Fine, I'm going."
She paced to the exit, waving her arms around her elegantly. Her eyes met Aislinn's as she passed her, and suddenly, shivers ran down the Guildmaster's spine. Regardless of what she did, the blonde never quite seemed to like her, always treating her with cautious respect. Aislinn sighed, but Delvin made her quickly forget Vex's attitude as he approached her and tugged at a protrusion on her daedric armor.
"That said, boss," he spoke to her in a low voice, "I'd like t' talk to yeh abou' a few things."
Aislinn nodded and the two of them made their way to the back of the room and further into the living quarters. Samuel greeted the Guildmaster with a respectful bow and she smiled at him, waving her hand. They entered a bedroom and Delvin lit up a candle, placing it on a wide desk located in one of the remote corners. The last time Aislinn had been here, there had been no desk.
"I made this my temporary office," Delvin explained as he closed the door behind him. He walked across the room, back to the desk, and opened one of its many drawers, swiftly groping about it. "The map should be sum'where 'round 'ere… anyway." He pointed toward one of the beds and Aislinn nodded, seating herself on it comfortably. "Yeh asked me abou' those rotstones… I already sent a message t' Karliah, but I've found out even more since then. They are sumfin' that Mehrunes Dagon gave the elves to defea' yeh, supposedly, and they affect dragon blood. However, they should only affect it when it's connected to a dragon soul. A cer'ain Dunmer who specializes in Daedra studies told me that there's a limit to Dagon's power too. Yeh should be un'ffected, bu' yeh're not. Boss… if yeh don't mind my asking, is there anythin', anythin' at all, that makes yeh different from ordinary 'umans?"
Aislinn furrowed her brows and bent down, cupping her face with the palms of her hands and propping her elbows against her knees. She stared at a dark stain on the wall, reminiscent of an owl's head, and exhaled deeply. "I don't know if I can elaborate on this. I'm… I'm not even sure about the things I know. Something… something happened to me in the past. Something that made me who I am now. But I don't understand it yet. I've seen too little of it."
"Well, it's yer life anyway. It's jus' sumfin' to think of."
"Thank you, Delvin."
"Welcome. Bu' guess what. I go' even more juicy stuff for yeh. This par'icular Dunmer also informed me of a resistance movemen' within the Thalmor ranks. When I was looking for information abou' yer kid that yeh so conveniently saved out of that prison, I came across two guards who weren't so much guards bu' more like secret agents. They kept yer daughter safe and delayed all the information streamin' be'ween Elenwen and 'er lackeys. I think they're dead now, but there're more. Funny thing is, they seem t' have their nest in the Pale. An' guess wha'?"
"Brynjolf's there now."
"Exactly."
"I hope everything goes well then. Do you think he knew?"
"No, I don' think so. It took me a while t' get there myself. I don' s'pose Bryn on the adventurous side would get more information than me."
"Don't tell me your pride would get hurt," Aislinn uttered teasingly and curled her lips in a mischievous smile. Delvin scowled, but quickly hid it under his ever so positively neutral mask of indifference.
"Anyway, boss," he said, as though the previous line had never been spoken, "I'd say that one more thing migh' interest yeh."
"Do share," the Guildmaster encouraged, straightening her back and stretching her arms, which was quite a difficult task, being clad in the heavy daedric armor.
"Now that yeh're going t' Cyrodiil, you might wanna know who provides most of the supplies for the stinkin' elves."
"I suppose they can't manage everything by themselves," Aislinn mused, "and since you're talking about Cyrodiil, let me guess. The East Empire Company?"
"Bingo. Their main headquarters're, of course, in the Imperial Ci'y, which is no' so imperial now that the Emperor's dead." Aislinn frowned and a clutch of guilt tugged at her conscience. "We don' operate much in Cyrodiil, bu' we obviously keep track of things down there. If yeh can ge' there by any chance, do anything yeh can t' cut'em off."
"I'll see what I can do," Aislinn said with a nod.
"Ah, 'ere it is," Delvin smiled triumphantly as he pulled up a number of papers from the drawer. "It's quite large so I had t' spli' it into more pages, bu' it's pretty detailed. 'ere yeh go, boss. Study it carefully."
Aislinn nodded again and Delvin finally excused himself, leaving her to process the flood of information she had been given. She sat at the desk, bending down to take a closer look at the map. Delvin was right, it was quite detailed and elaborate. With this, she could navigate through Cyrodiil with ease – if, of course, something had not changed since this map had been created.
The hour was nigh when Vex came and woke Aislinn up from her slumber. The Dragonborn sat up slowly, stiff and still weary, but aware that she must leave shortly. All had been prepared in her backpack – the map, fresh supplies, several scrolls if worst came to worst, a spare set of clothes, a pair of enchanted life-draining daggers, and a thin piece of something that was supposedly a bedroll.
"It'll keep yeh warm, I'm most sure of that," Delvin had assured her while handing it to her. "B'sides, it's not so cold in Cyrodiil anyway."
She looked up at the blonde who was holding a dress in gold and green colors, with several buttons holding it together on both sides. Aislinn frowned, as she found the garment very impractical, and let out a helpless sigh.
"It's what you wanted," Vex said indifferently and shrugged. "At least you don't have to worry about it being ripped. It's enchanted so it can sustain one or two hits. No more though."
"The fact that it's Wylandriah who enchanted it doesn't put me at ease, though," Aislinn commented dryly. "I wouldn't be surprised if that woman self-destructed on her way to 'enlightenment'."
"Don't worry, it has been tested. The same with the other one." Vex nodded toward her Guildmaster's backpack. "The worst that should happen is that the fabric changes its color."
Aislinn raised her brows, shooting Vex a disconcerted glance, but then took the dress from her and put it on. Vex chuckled.
"What?" asked Aislinn with a frown.
"Nothing. I just thought how funny it's going to be when Brynjolf learns that you went to Cyrodiil, riding a dragon in an enchanted dress."
Aislinn gave her a questioning look but no explanation seemed to come out of Vex's mouth. She shook her head and sighed, walking across the room to check the contents of her backpack once more. When everything seemed to be in place, she joined the blonde and they exited the room together, making for the vast hall with the waterfall. Samuel stopped them on their way, waving at Aislinn.
"Hey, boss," he called to her, obviously proud that he could call his Guildmaster boss.
"Sam," Aislinn nodded.
"I prepared something for you. I made these myself." He handed her a number of thin, elegant darts, carefully carved out of ebony and soaked in various poisons. "These," he pointed to the ones painted in blue, "are stunning. The red ones inflict pain but don't do too much damage, but the black ones are very deadly."
Aislinn looked at the boy with a troubled look in her eyes. She cursed herself in her thoughts for making him this way, for bringing him up as a thief capable of creating such a weapon.
Brynjolf was right, she thought to herself bitterly. I never think things through.
She took the darts from him with a feigned smile and resisted the urge to embrace him.
After a quick meal and a word with Delvin and Vex, she took on a warm coat, waved at her guildmates and left the Nightingale hall, heading to the spot where she and Odahviing had split ways previously. It was still dark and the sky was clouded by a thick blanket of clouds. Occasionally, bright light shone through them as a serpentine line of lightning blinked in the heights. It was starting to rain and thunder roared through the land like a dragon cry, echoing from mountain to mountain. Aislinn shivered.
Now that she had to face the storm, the prospect did not look at all appealing to her. Her imagination played with her and presented thousand possible ways of dying up there, and she did not like either of them. Fortunately, the wind in the treetops and the humming of great dragon wings interrupted the flow of her thoughts. She looked up to face Odahviing who was approaching her slowly.
"We meet again, Dovakhiin," he greeted.
"Drem yol lok, Odahviing," she replied and took a few steps backwards to make room for the giant reptile. He landed with a loud thud and crouched so she could access his neck easily.
"My friends from the Guild gave me this." She lifted a set of leather belts, carefully tied together to form a harness. "Could I use it so I don't fall midway through?"
"I must admit I do not like the idea very much," the dragon said, "but do what you must. If it helps you defeat Alduin, I suppose it will be well worth it."
"Thank you, Odahviing," she nodded.
"A Dovakhiin should not thank," he responded. Aislinn took a while to stretch the belts and fasten all the buckles, and in the end, Odahviing looked like a fully domesticated mount. They spent a moment discussing the details before Aislinn finally seated herself on top of his neck, grabbing the temporary reins and attaching her feet to them. Suddenly, she felt uneasy, restricted, and by the nervous jerk of Odahviing's head, she assumed that he felt the same.
"Listen well, Dovakhiin," he spoke then, his voice muffled slightly by the rain growing stronger every second. It did not take long until Aislinn was soaked to the bone, despite the thick coat she wore. "Make sure you always look ahead and read the currents. There is no point in fighting the elements, so we are going to look for those going south and ride them. But there is one thing which could complicate the whole matter. There are bound to be occasional whirlwinds, and once one of them swallows you, there is no telling where and in how many pieces you end up. That said, whenever you see one, hold on tight, for it means we must fight it and enter a different current. I believe you know a ward spell. Save it for the lightning. My scales will protect me, but you joor with your frail bodies need to be shielded."
"All right," said Aislinn, swallowing hard as she tightened her grip around the reins. She was beyond anxious, bud did not let the fear take over her. Never in her life had she planned something so dangerous. Even by her standards, her strategy equaled sheer insanity, and she closed her eyes inadvertently as the dragon carrying her soared to the sky.
Bryn, I'm glad you're not here right now, she whispered in her thoughts, and suddenly, she had to chuckle to herself. Bryn. Yeah… just Bryn.
The land grew distant, and the lights from the city of Riften, as well as from the surrounding mills and farms, flickered before Aislinn's eyes for a short moment. Then, a dark grey haze shrouded them and suddenly there was water everywhere. Aislinn had to strain her eyes to be able to see anything, and even so she could not see too far ahead. It had gotten cold and a strong gust of wind made her wince, pushing against her frame. She pressed her body to Odahviing's spine as closely as she could, his sharp thorns blocking her way, and cocked her head to the back so she could watch the path before them. The clouds around them moved surprisingly fast, swirling around and performing their deathly dance. Then there was a collision somewhere below them, and a roaring thunder temporarily deafened both of them. Aislinn gritted her teeth and resisted the urge to cover her ears.
The humming of the pouring water and dashing clouds was strangely quiet, compared to the previous rumble, and it made the Dragonborn even more anxious than before. She squinted ahead, trying to read the current they were riding at the moment. Odahviing's wings kept flapping steadily, paddling the air in a swift but composed pace. The dragon seemed calm, cautiously looking around without moving his head ever so slightly, taking the path of least resistance while using his tail as a rudder.
A sharper sound came from ahead and it took Aislinn only a split second to realize that the swirling particles in the clouds made to crash against each other. It was the exact same thing as she had explained Lucia before, and now she had to react to it swiftly as a crooked line of lightning appeared and pounced upon her. She quickly put up a ward, immediately shattered as the energy touched it, but it was enough to keep her safe. Aislinn panted and grabbed the reins again, just in time to avoid being tossed to the side. Odahviing took a sudden turn to the right and she immediately understood why.
A giant vortex spread before them, sucking in whatever came to its way. The closer they came, the stronger the wind blew, and Aislinn could imagine that it could as well tear her body apart. She pressed closer to Odahviing's body, ignoring the pain from the sharp protrusions on his back, and gasped as a fresh flood of water poured over her, blinding her eyes momentarily. The wind kept whistling in her ears and she shivered in the cold, and everything worsened even further when her mount sped up and penetrated the wind wall before them. Everything was thrown into chaos and Aislinn winced when another bolt of lightning missed her by inches. Suddenly she started praying for her life.
Odahviing turned again and joined a current. For a moment, everything was quiet. And then Odahviing Shouted.
"Yol Toor Shul!" his mighty voice roared through the air. A cone of flames sprung from his lungs and darted forward.
"What are you doing?!" Aislinn yelled, trying to make herself heard over the storm. A lightning bolt struck the area just before them and she closed her eyes.
"Directing the lightning, as you can see," he answered.
Heating up the air before us so the lightning strikes sooner, she realized as she stared forward, blinking wildly when a stream of water and ice shards attacked her eyes.
The current delivered them to another whirlwind and once again, Odahviing took a few sharp turns to eschew being swallowed alive. This time, Aislinn did not manage to raise a ward and the lightning struck her with its full force. She gasped and squeezed the reins as the protective magic of her dress deflected the bolt.
"Great," she murmured to herself. "That's one down. Hopefully just one."
Soon she stopped feeling her own fingers, trembling furiously in the cold, praying for the wild journey to be finally over. She was not sure how long she would be able to last, but then she suddenly heard Odahviing's voice, and it sounded strangely distant to her.
"We are approaching your destination, Dovakhiin," he informed her. "Be ready when I tell you to let go."
"All right," Aislinn breathed wearily and pulled a dagger out of her shoe, careful not to injure herself as it was fastened tightly. She quickly cut the stirrup leather and felt her feet come loose. A part of her reveled in the sudden freedom while the other one shivered in fear. She grabbed the reins in hurry and waited. A strong blast of wind almost swept her down from the dragon's back, but she held on to him tight. At last, he called to her again.
"We are here, Dovakhiin. Now is your time. I will meet you down there in exactly seven days."
"Then I'm going, Odahviing. Take care." She took a deep breath. "Feim Zii Gron!"
And with that, she jumped.
The flight was terrifying. A current of wind took over her and made her go in circles, shaking her wildly. A roof tile flew directly through her head, and then she felt the Shout wearing off.
Please… she begged in her mind. Please!
Just before turning solid again, her body touched the top of an oak tree. She cried out in pain as the branches whipped her, exhausting the enchantment of the dress immediately. Fortunately, they slowed her fall just enough to land in relative safety, only covered in few scratches and bruises. She exhaled shakily and fell to her knees, burying her face in her palms.
When she finally dared to raise her head and look around, the rain had turned into a mild drizzle and several blots of blue showed through the clouds. She was in a grove of pine and oak trees, sitting on the ground covered in a thick blanket of withered leaves and needles, and before her stretched a road leading to a gate in a massive stone wall surrounding a city. Only the sharp silhouette of the local chapel loomed over it, proudly displaying itself to her eyes. There was no mistaking it. She was standing at the threshold to the city of Bruma.
Sooo much studying for this chapter. Seriously, the maps, the landscape, the language, everything took a lot of effort. But in the end, I think it's worth it. And so, ladies and gentlemen, that long night which lasted seven chapters is finally over (have you even noticed?). And our Aislinn arrived to Cyrodiil, so we're back to Oblivion! :D
Now I'm really, really looking forward to what you have to say about it. That said, I got some really awesome comments from you on the last chapter – and on some of the previous ones too!
Sister Nightingale:Thank you very much for your comment! Now that you mention it, you're right! I haven't thought about it, but it does feel like the Department of Mysteries. Hmm, seems I'm easily influenced. :D
And, of course, thank you for your kind words, they were really encouraging!
Pietersielie:You're not completely wrong, but I think it will still take a while. Well, you've seen it yourself. As always, thanks a lot for your lovely review!
Twillin:Well, what should I say? More Aislinn, yep. Looking forward to your reaction and thank you, as always. :)
Jakeice10:Wow, thank you so much! So much admiration, now I really have to try my absolute best!
An Anonymoose:Don't be sad. As you can see, I couldn't get rid of Paarthurnax completely. I love him too much for that! :D
Thank you very much for your comment, I hope you like the story. :)
Also, many thanks to everyone who favorited and followed. You guys are making little meerkat happy. :)
And, as always, thanks to dart for the beta. He's always there, guys.
So that's all from me today.
Stay tuned!
Mirwen