"Here's your stupid claw." Lucan jumped as I slammed the golden claw onto the counter, his eyes wide as he stared at the artifact.

"You- you found it?" He picked it up and stroked its various facets, then began laughing. "You actually found it!" Lucan tipped his head back. "Hey, Camilla! C'mere!" The sound of footsteps on the wooden floor above me stomped for the stairs, followed by the annoyed voice of his sister.

"Lucan, if this is about Faendal, you can't-" Camilla froze on the steps, staring wide-eyed at the claw in Lucan's hands. "The claw! I- thank the gods!" She damn near shoved me to the side and snatched the artifact, caressing it as though it was a fragile figure as opposed to a hunk of magic metal impervious to damage.

I straightened my cuirass with a huff. "Thank me," I grumbled, crossing my arms irritably. "I almost died in that ruin; the least you could do is treat me with a semblance of respect." At first staring at me with an idiotic dumbfounded expression, Camilla shook off her consternation and gave the claw back to Lucan.

"Of course, of course!" She grasped my hand and shook it, apparently with all the strength she had in her spindly little body. "Thank you so much!" Camilla's head whipped around as she surveyed the shop, clearly searching for something before snatching a pouch from under a very surprised Lucan. "Here you are!" She tossed the pouch of septims to me, and I swiftly caught the small bag with my left hand. "Thank you again!"

I opened and closed my mouth, trying to find the words. My head panged with the headache that had been growing since the incident with the magic wall, and I rubbed my temples with a groan. "Yeah. Whatever. Now-"

"You're taking too long." A strong hand clasped around my bicep and yanked, earning a squeal as I was dragged out of the shop.

"Bishop!"

"I need a drink."

I pulled myself free and brushed off my armor pointedly. "You know you're entirely capable of doing things yourself, right? You and your big-boy legs can walk where you please."

Bishop shrugged. "Yeah, but I prefer drinking with a beautiful woman at my side." He waggled his eyebrows. "And-"

"Shut up." I pushed him and stomped toward the inn. "Let's get you a drink before I kill you."

Closer to the inn, two children I recognized as Dorthe, the daughter of the blacksmith, and Frodnar, son of the lumbermill owners. Dorthe had her hands on her hips and a disbelieving expression while Frodnar looked excitedly mischievous. "Wait, a costume?" Dorthe said suspiciously. "...You're not serious. Again?"

A sigh to my left let me know that Bishop had become slightly annoyed. "They're not starting this again," he groaned, rolling his eyes at the children. Curious, I tipped my head.

"Starting what again?"

Bishop motioned to the kids. "Those little... rugrats... have dressed their damn dog up like a frostbite spider twice that I know of, and I've never stayed in Riverwood for more than a day or two at a time." He gestured to the outside of the inn where the sadly familiar stupid drunks remained. "Scared the shit outta the drunks so badly that one of 'em jumped into the other's arms." He laughed to himself. "Not that I care overall, it just gets old after a while."

I stared Bishop down, then looked to the drunks. "You're kidding. Seriously?"

"You've got to believe me, ladyship. Terribly sorry." He sighed again, though it was definitely more annoyed this time. "And since the drunks are still there, we should give them a wide berth. Don't want them touching you or giving you shitty compliments, now would we?"

"Nope." I kept my face a mask. "That's your job."

"You're damn right, it is." Bishop kept his stupidly happy grin as he sauntered over to the Sleeping Giant. "To the inn!"

...

"Ah, you're back." Delphine eyed me oddly. "You're that visitor, been poking around."

"Hmm." I looked to the left where Bishop was clearly pondering something. "Nope." He grasped my arm and yanked me out of the Sleeping Giant inn, nearly slamming into the blacksmith as he walked away. Although I clawed at his gloved hand, the ranger continued to act as though I wasn't there.

"Bishop, if you don't let me go, I'll cut off your testes while you sleep!" I threatened, half-intending on following up. Outside of Riverwood's gates, Bishop finally let me go, dropping me unceremoniously into the dirt path. A cloud of dust flew up, and I coughed heavily as I took to my feet. "What the hell was that?" I crossed my arms. "I was looking forward to a good night's sleep."

"And you'll get one," Bishop promised, refusing to look my way. Instead, his golden eyes were turned north. "Just not in Riverwood." It took my sleep-deprived mind a moment, but when I realized what he was saying, I groaned depressively.

"But why?" I whined, aware I was behaving like a child. "The inn is right there!" Above my head, the sky thundered, hailing an oncoming storm.

Bishop gestured to the road ahead. "And there's another one in Whiterun not an hour's walk away." His voice was pleasant, though his face was stern. "Go ahead, sweetness." After a few seconds' contemplation, I decided he had his reasons and stomped along the path. Of course, acceptance didn't equal understanding.

"Fine, but tell me, sweetness," I said venomously, kicking a rock into the river, "why we walked into the Sleeping Giant and then proceeded to walk right back out, especially when you threw a fit over not getting a drink with me." I ignored the road and went straight through the trees. If we cut across the country as opposed to taking the well-trodden path, we could take at least fifteen minutes off our journey.

The ranger opened his mouth to reply, but a flash of lightning followed by thunder swallowed his words. A drizzle started to fall, and I quickened my step. Beside me, Karnwyr's slow walk turned into a trot. Bishop pushed a branch out of my way, but if he was expecting a word of thanks, he wasn't going to get it. "Well, princess, if you must know, I'm sick of those innkeepers watching you like a damn hawk." I was more than slightly surprised by his revelation and turned to look, noting that his amber eyes were dark in the overcast weather.

The rain started to fall a little heavier.

"The man behind the counter- Ornar, Ordfar, whatever his name is-"

"Orgnar," I reminded Bishop.

"Right. Orgnar." He rolled his eyes. "His name isn't important, princess. That bastard stares down all the pretty girls like they're scraps of meat." I tried to make a lighthearted comment, but a fierce glance from the ranger shut me up. "Let me finish, ladyship."

The sky crackled again, releasing more rain to a regular fall, and Bishop's expression hardened.

"The bitch?" Bishop continued, keeping an eye on the sky. "Orgnar may stare, but she watches you, and I mean watches you. Fuck if I know why, but I've never seen her without her old ass staring you down like a jackal watches a rabbit. It's starting to get on my nerves, ladyship." He wasn't lying; that much was certain. His face was tense, and the fine veins on his neck were standing out ever so slightly. "If I saw her right now, I might kill her." Whatever the innkeepers had been doing, I'd been entirely ignorant of it.

I licked the water from my rain-wet lips, not missing the way Bishop's eyes followed the movement. "I never noticed," I admitted, feeling awful small.

Bishop snorted derogatorily. "Of course you didn't," he scoffed. "You never do. I've got to be ten times more observant, or else you'd get distracted and walk into a bear's den!"

"I'd never do that!" I snapped in response, my hackles rising. "I'm calling bullshit. You really think I'm that helpless?"

His face softened slightly. "...No, I don't. I'm just-" He seemed to be scrambling for the right words. "It's obvious you had your own problems with people in your past, which is why I can't figure out for the life of me why you're so damn trusting of them." He got in my face, and my eyes widened without my consent. "People. Can't. Be. Trusted." Bishop backed up. "Not a single one of them." He looked back north. "Let's get going. Now."

...

The rain had turned into a full-on deluge by the time we reached the Whiterun gates. The torches were extinguished, undoubtedly from the heavy rainfall. I took the lead from Bishop and started running ahead, but the guard shoved me backward before I could so much as touch the door.

"Hands off her," Bishop snapped, hand on his bow. I shot him a pointed glance and faced the guard. My patience wasn't as thin as my ranger companion's, but with the rain, it was stretched.

"What's going on?" I demanded. "This storm-"

"The city's closed with the dragons about," the guard informed with an edge to his heavily accented voice. "Jarl's orders. So, official business only."

I blinked slowly, trying to think through the rain. "Dragons? I- I know about the dragons. I was in Helgen when it attacked."

The guard drew back. "You were in Helgen?" he said in surprise. "How did you survive such a thing?"

"Lots and lots of luck," I replied. "I'd be happy to tell the Jarl about it, but I can't do it from out here."

"Hmph." The guard returned to his formerly irritated stance, crossing his arms and leaning on his right leg. "Fine. I'll unlock the gate, but don't think we won't be keeping an eye on you two." He looked down. "And your dog." The fur on Karnwyr's neck went up, but to our credit, the wolf didn't react otherwise as the guard went up and jammed a key into the lock. "There you are. The Jarl is in Dragonsreach. It's the highest point in the city. Can't miss it."

"Thanks." I pulled Bishop in before he could, once again, start a fight with a guard.

He yanked himself free and pointedly brushed off his black leather armor. "Look at you and your silver tongue, princess." He lifted a brow. "You could put that to good use on my-"

"To the inn!" I announced, thankful that the cold rain was able to prevent my cheeks from getting hot. "I need to sleep Bleak Falls Barrow off." Bishop raised an eyebrow, clearly amused, but waved me along. I tipped my head, thinking.

"I know that look," Bishop said. "That's the look of trouble."

I shook my head. "Don't go there." I took a deep breath. "Why don't we go tell Jarl Balgruuf about the dragon first?" I suggested. "He could take preventative measures while we take a long, well-deserved rest."

The ranger instantly became sour. "I came all this way, dealt with your bitching, walked miles through the rain, just so you could once again put a bunch of strangers' lives over your own?" My mouth opened and closed as I scrambled for a response, unsure of what to say. With a groan, Bishop pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ever the philanthropist... Ladyship, why, oh why, do I follow you around?"

"Because you like the view of my ass," I said carelessly, turning around and staring up at Dragonsreach.

After a pause, Bishop sighed in annoyed acceptance. "True enough." I turned around and stuck it out pointedly before stepping into the rain-soaked streets of Whiterun. I noticed that while Karnwyr was following me, the ranger was remaining stubbornly still.

"Coming?"

"After this debacle? Ladyship, I'd better be."

...

My eyelids were heavy with both exhaustion and rain by the time we made it to Dragonsreach. Bishop removed his jacket to squeeze the water from while I was left dripping onto the expensive carpet. The nobles around us were staring at us in disdain, clearly displeased by the two peasants that had dared cross the threshold.

I looked through the crowd to see the Jarl speaking with two people: a middle-aged Imperial male dressed just as pompously as the rest of them and a red-eyed Dunmer female done up in the same style of leather armor I had on. They spoke in hushed tones, obviously not wanting their words to be heard by the rest of the snooping nobles.

I went ahead, ignoring the judging stares of those around me. As I approached, the Dunmer's head snapped toward me, body tensing up and instantly going hostile. She drew her plain steel sword and advanced, sizing us three up. I waited by the fire in the middle, trying not to moan at the warmth.

"What is the meaning of this interruption?" she snapped, blue-gray fingers tight on the sword's leather-bound hilt. "Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving visitors."

"He'll receive us," Bishop snipped, "whether he likes it or not." While the gray-skinned Elven woman became even angrier, I shot my ranger a glare and cleared my throat.

"Sorry, sorry. Ignore him." I watched her cautiously just in case Bishop's remark had sparked a fight. Thankfully, although he'd been disrespectful, she was just wary and prepared to defend her Jarl. "I was at Helgen. I have news about the dragons that's more than rumors and conjecture."

The Dunmer froze. "You were at Helgen?" She backed away a bit, my words running through her head. "Hmm. That explains why the guards let you in." She tapped her chest with her free hand. "My name is Irileth. I am the housecarl of Jarl Balgruuf. While I'll allow you to pass and speak with him, if I suspect even slightly that you intend to harm him, I'll separate your heads from your bodies faster than you can say 'mistake.' Understood?"

I nodded. "Understood."

"Good." Irileth tipped her nose upward. "Come. Jarl Balgruuf the Greater awaits."

As I stepped up the stairs, the Jarl's sharp eyes on me, Bishop decided it would be the perfect time to whisper a snarky comment into my ear. "Jarl Balgruuf the Cheese Grater?" I couldn't help a snort of laughter, quickly following by slamming my hand over my mouth and covering it with a forced cough.

"E-excuse me, my Jarl." I continued to fake a cough, stomping on Bishop's foot out of sight. At that, he poked my side discreetly, managing to turn the cough into an annoyed groan. Now sick of his behavior, I whirled around and glared at the ranger. His shit-eating grin said everything as he backed away, allowing me to return my attention to the disgruntled Jarl.

"What is this?" the blond noble gruffed, stroking his chin as he slouched. "Who are you to come stomping into Dragonsreach without an invitation, behaving like children on my steps?" I managed to hide the impulsive thought before Irileth cut me to pieces. Then again, I doubt either Bishop or Karnwyr would let her.

"My name is Alessia," I introduced, then gestured to my companions. "And this is Bishop and Karnwyr."

Unimpressed, Balgruuf stared ahead. "Well, Alessia and Bishop, I trust you have something vitally important to tell me?" His voice darkened. "Important enough to interrupt me in the middle of council?"

I dipped my head in a semblance of respect. "I have news from Helgen, about the dragon attack." The Jarl's thick yellow brows shot up.

"You were at Helgen when it was attacked?" he clarified.

"Yes."

"Then you saw the dragon with your own eyes?" He sounded doubtful, and I couldn't stop my nostrils from flaring in irritation.

"Yes, I had a great view while the Imperials were trying to cut off my head," I said hotly, curling up my lip. I expected Balgruuf to make a comment on my reaction, but instead, he was only interested in my behavior.

"Really? You're certainly... forthright about your criminal past."

"I'm not a crimin-!"

The Jarl held up a hand and stared at me sternly. "It's none of my concern who the Imperials want to execute, especially now. What I want to know is..." He leaned forward and set his chin onto his clasped hands. "What exactly happened at Helgen?"

I swallowed, my throat dry. "The dragon destroyed Helgen a few days ago," I said, "and last I saw it was heading this way." Balgruuf appeared equally shocked and triumphant.

"By Ysmir, Irileth was right!" His head swiveled to face the man to his right, who I'd frankly forgotten was there due to his silence. "What do you say now, Proventus? Shall we continue to trust in the strength of our walls? Against a dragon?!" he challenged.

Relieved at the Jarl's belief, Irileth sheathed her sword and approached him. "My lord, we should send troops to Riverwood at once," she suggested. "It's in the most immediate danger. If that dragon is lurking in the mountains..."

"No, no!" Proventus cried out, shaking his head animatedly. "The Jarl of Falkreath will view that as a provocation! He'll assume we're preparing to join Ulfric's side and attack him! We should-"

"Enough!" Balgruuf boomed, voice carrying through the great hall. His interruption instantly silenced his advisor. "I'll not stand by while a dragon burns my hold and slaughters my people!" While Proventus shrank back, properly abashed, the Jarl faced his housecarl. "Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once."

Irileth put a fist to her chest. "Yes, my Jarl." I didn't miss the smug glance she shot Proventus. He frowned and turned away, hiding a pout.

"If you'll excuse me," Proventus said lowly, "I'll return to my duties."

Balgruuf inspected him for a moment. "That would be best. And you two," he followed, looking to Bishop and me. "Well done. You sought me out on your own initiative. You've done Whiterun a service, and I won't forget it." He reached to his side and pulled out an iron axe, weighing it in his hand before offering it to me. "Here. Take this as a small token of my esteem." I took the axe, entirely disappointed at the reward for surviving a fucking dragon.

"What, that's it? An-" I elbowed Bishop before he could go any further and piss off Whiterun's leader. Balgruuf kept his eyes on me.

"There is another thing you could do for me. Suitable for someone of your particular talents, perhaps?" Balgruuf lifted his left brow, waiting for my decision. Then again, when it was the Jarl asking, you couldn't exactly say 'no.' I dipped my head in acceptance. "Go to that room on the far left and meet with Farengar, my court wizard. He's been looking into a matter related to these dragons and... rumors of dragons." He waved me off. "I'll be there soon. For now, tell him I sent you."

I waited for him to continue, but when he simply stared ahead, I took that as a dismissal. Bishop seemed more disappointed than I was while I trudged to the wizard's hideaway. "That was it?" the ranger growled to me. "A vague thank-you and a shitty axe followed by an order?" He rubbed his temples. "Ugh. This is why I don't like those in power- among other reasons, of course."

"Why do I smell wet dog? Frothar, if you've brought another mutt into my laboratory, I swear I'll blow this one up, too!" The wizard's pompous voice was definitely just a hint as to what I'd have to deal with once I actually spoke to the bastard.

"One more person calls Karnwyr a dog, and I'll put an arrow through their neck," the ranger growled. "Try me." Just as irritated as before, I strode into Farengar's room with the rain-soaked wolves at my heels.

The wizard seemed entirely unimpressed and stared at me with intense scorn, eyeing me up with just as much dislike. "Two more 'brave heroes' seek my counsel?"

"Counsel?" Bishop snorted. "Hardly."

Now more frustrated, Farengar put his hands on his hips. "Ah, right then. I suppose you've come to Dragonsreach to discuss the ongoing hostilities, like the rest of the 'great warriors'?" He laughed to himself while Bishop gritted his teeth. Instead of cutting him open like I'd have preferred, I forced my hands to stay still as I relayed the Jarl's message.

"The Jarl sent me," I told him. "He said you had a project you needed help with."

Farengar blinked slowly, looking me up and down derogatorily. Somehow, I managed not to sock him, before or afterhe started to laugh. "My project? You think you could help me?" He continued to guffaw crudely, the sound echoing throughout the hall.

"I wonder if he knows he's humiliating himself," Bishop murmured into my ear. I nodded in agreement and cleared my throat.

"Look out, Farengar," I warned. "You're about to step in your own Shock Rune." The wizard stopped in his tracks and glanced around rapidly, eyes sweeping the floor while Bishop seemed equally confused.

"What? I never even cast..." Realization spread across the wizard's face. "Ah, I see. You have some knowledge of the Higher Art. Please forgive my earlier rudeness." While it clearly wasn't truly apologetic or even humble, I accepted it just to get on with this mundane quest the Jarl had sent me on. "I am so often interrupted by visitors wandering in, I can occasionally become quite savage. Now, what did you say you wanted?"

I stared at him, wondering if he was joking. He'd just laughed over my 'offer' for help, yet hadn't even listened? "The Jarl sent me," I repeated. "He said you had a project you needed help with."

Farengar's head bobbed up and down. "Oh, yes. The Jarl must be referring to my research into the dragons. Yes, I could use someone to fetch something for me... well, when I say fetch, I really mean delve into a dangerous ruin in search of an ancient stone tablet that may or may not actually be there."

My nose crinkled up, and I heard Bishop chuckling beside me. "What does this have to do with dragons?"

The wizard's eyes widened. "Ah, no brute mercenary, but a thinker- perhaps even a scholar?" He started pacing around, his tone turning from degrading to thrilled. I felt Bishop tense up beside me for whatever reason, but paid attention to Farengar. After all, the sooner I figured out what he wanted, the sooner I could finally go get some sleep. "You see, when the stories of dragons began to circulate, many dismissed them as mere fantasies, rumors. Impossibilities. One sure mark of a fool is to dismiss anything that falls outside his experience as being impossible. But I began to search for information about dragons. Where had they gone all those years ago? And where were they coming from?" He stopped in his tracks and stared me down. "And that's what I intend to find out."

"All right, what are we getting and where are we going?" Bishop grumbled, clearly more annoyed than even I was with the wizard.

Farengar, strangely enough, seemed wickedly pleased. "Right to the point, eh? Leave the thinking to your betters."

"That's enough," I enunciated, cracking my knuckles. "Quit the attitude and leave him alone." I glanced at Bishop, then patted Karnwyr's head. With my short outburst, the wolf had begun to bare his teeth in warning at the wizard, meaning it would be my fault if Karnwyr ended up chewing on Farengar's bones.

Farengar peered at me as though he hadn't expected my retaliation. "Apologies."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "So, what do you need us to do?"

"I..." Farengar's mouth again curved up into a smirk. "Ah, I learned of a certain stone tablet said to be housed nearby- a Dragonstone, said to contain a map of dragon burial sites." I snapped my head over to look at Bishop, whose face said everything. "Go to the ruin, find this tablet- no doubt interred in the main chamber- and bring it to me. Simplicity itself."

"And where would this tablet be?" I said pointedly, still looking back and forth between Farengar and Bishop. He can't be talking about that stupid tablet I insisted on bringing along.

"Bleak Falls Barrow. Now, I know there's an awful lot of conjecture about that old Nord ruin, but-"

"Hold up." I physically turned Bishop around, ignoring his grunt of protest, and pulled the tablet from his pack. "Do you mean this old stone?" Farengar's eyes lit up, and if I didn't know better, I'd swear he was about to do a Khajiiti dance out of sheer happiness.

"Ah! The Dragonstone of Bleak Falls Barrow!" he squealed, snatching the stone from my hands. "You already found it!" He nodded approvingly. "You two really are cut from a different cloth than the usual brutes the Jarl foists on me."

I sighed. "I got you the Dragonstone. What next?" Bishop made a frustrated noise, as though he couldn't believe I was pressing for something else. Frankly... he might have had a point. He probably wanted to sleep as much as I did.

"That, mister and milady, is where your job ends and mine begins. The work of the mind, sadly undervalued in Skyrim." With that, the wizard whirled around and set the tablet onto his desk, instantly beginning to pore over it. In the meantime, Bishop yanked me out of Farengar's office.

"I've got something to say to you, ladyship," he growled. "First off, what the fuck was that?"

Pretending I didn't know what he was talking about, I stared at him with wide, innocent eyes. "What was what?"

Bishop's brows furrowed. "Don't play that shit with me. I know you well enough by now to know when you're bullshitting."

I might have been offended- if he hadn't been right. "...Oops?"

"Asking him for more work when we just went through a fucking ruin and trudged through a storm?" Bishop squeezed out water from his sleeve onto my head to make a point, and I slapped his hand away.

"Hey!"

"Oops," the ranger said mockingly. He stared me down, big amber eyes gleaming with frustration for a moment before he groaned and pulled at his face. "Ladyship, you're a trial." He dipped his head toward the wizard. "On a slightly different note, I didn't know you knew magic." His voice turned sour. "That might have been useful in that fucking ruin."

"I don't know magic," I corrected. "I know about magic and wanted to knock that fucker off his high horse." I was rewarded with a laugh from the ranger, lifting my spirits. I unconsciously smiled, but it soon faded once Irileth ran by with terror creating even more lines on her face.

"Farengar! Farengar!" she cried out, slamming her hands onto the desk. I didn't hesitate to hurry over, my curiosity piqued. Although clearly sick of my need to poke my nose everywhere it didn't belong, Bishop followed me with a muttered curse. "Farengar, you need to come at once! A dragon's been sighted nearby!" She eyed Bishop and me out of the corner of her eye. "You should come, too."

Bishop's face scrunched up as though he'd sucked on a lemon. "Oh, you've got to be FUCKING KIDDING ME!" he shouted, kicking the nearby trash can across the room.

I placed a hand on Bishop's chest, trying to ignore the way his muscles tensed underneath the sturdy black leather. My mind went somewhere it shouldn't have, especially in such a dangerous situation. "Calm down," I told the ranger, removing my hand. "We should at least hear her out." He grumbled under his breath but at the least didn't say anything aloud.

As opposed to Bishop, Farengar appeared ecstatic. "A dragon!" he exclaimed, abandoning his research in favor of following Irileth. Bishop, Karnwyr, and I trailed just behind. "How exciting! Where was it seen? What was it doing?"

"I'd take this a bit more seriously if I were you," Irileth admonished crossly. "If a dragon decides to attack Whiterun, I don't know if we can stop it."

The Dunmer woman led us up the steps to the upper level, where Balgruuf and a guard were standing together. The guard was visibly shaking, and I gathered that he'd seen the dragon. I wondered briefly if it was the same dragon I'd faced back in Helgen. Balgruuf began speaking once Irileth was again present.

He cleared his throat. "So, Irileth tells me you came from the western watchtower?" the Jarl clarified.

Still shuddering, the guard nodded. "Y-yes, my lord."

"Tell him what you told me," Irileth urged, "about the dragon."

"Uh..." Straightening up, the guard took a deep breath and started to calm down a bit. "That's right. We saw it coming from the south. It was fast... faster than anything I've ever seen."

Jarl Balgruuf stroked his beard. "What did it do?" he queried. "Is it attacking the watchtower?"

The guard shook his head. "No, my lord. It was just circling overhead when I left. I never ran so fast in my life... I thought it would come after me for sure."

Balgruuf patted the guard's shoulder. "Good work, son. We'll take it from here. Head down to the barracks for some food and rest. You've earned it." He faced his housecarl and started to give instructions, and a pit settled in my stomach. "Irileth, you'd better gather some guardsmen and get down there."

"I've already ordered my men to muster near the main gate."

"Good. Don't fail me." He faced me, and the bad feeling only grew worse. "There's no time to stand on ceremony, my friend. I need your help again. I want you to go with Irileth and help her fight this dragon."

"...What?!"

Balgruuf continued as though I hadn't spoken. "You survived Helgen, so you have more experience with dragons than anyone else here. But I haven't forgotten the service you did for me in retrieving the Dragonstone for Farengar." While I still stood with my mouth open in shock, the Jarl strode over to his table and wrote something on a piece of paper. "As a token of my esteem, I have instructed Avenicci that you are now permitted to purchase property in the city. Here is your proof." I took the paper, tempted to rip it up and throw it over my shoulder.

Bishop scoffed behind me, echoing my thoughts. "What a reward."

Ignoring Bishop as though he hadn't even spoken, Balgruuf retrieved something else from beside his desk. "And please accept this gift from my personal armory." He placed Whiterun guard's apparel into my arms. While it was undoubtedly better than the shitty leather armor I had on, it still managed to piss me off. The Jarl, finished with me for the time being, started speaking to Farengar.

"I should come along," Farengar insisted. "I would very much like to see this dragon."

Balgruuf's refusal was loud. "Absolutely not! I can't afford to risk both of you. I need you here working on ways to defend the city against these dragons."

"Don't do it, ladyship," Bishop pleaded behind me. I turned around and crossed my arms.

"Don't..."

"Don't go off to fight a fucking dragon!" Bishop snapped. "Did you miss the part where we almost fucking died back in Helgen?!" He watched the Jarl and wizard walk away. "A dragon is beyond deadly, princess."

I swallowed, trying to think. He was right, a dragon was deadly. He also knew I was feeling the need to go face it. "If we kill it, I'll bet the pay is good," I squeaked, my forced smile fading in the power of his glare.

"Pay?! Ladyship, that's beyond our pay grade!" he snapped, hands on his hips. We eyed each other down for probably a full minute before he straightened up and scream-groaned into his hand. "Fucking hell... you're gonna get yourself killed one of these days, ladyship. Mark my words."