12th of Heartfire, 4E 201

"So let me get this straight," Lydia called out, just as she was able to duck underneath the swing of a bandit's battleaxe. "The sun blacking out last year was you?"

"Correct," Valkyrie replied, parrying another bandit's axe with her newly acquired katana. The weapon and armor Eorlund had fashioned for her were astounding, beyond anything the Dragonborn thought possible. To say she felt unstoppable was rather an understatement. She circled her sword, loosening the vagabond's grip on his weapon, and promptly delivering a vicious punch to the jaw, before her blade entered through his gut and out his back.

"And this Serana," said the housecarl, now blocking another blow with her shield. "Who is she again?"

"Someone I'm well acquainted with, if you catch my meaning," Valkyrie replied with a smile, spinning around, her katana severing clean through another bandit's neck. "Don't worry, you'll meet her soon enough."

The remaining bandits, all three of them despite there having been at least a dozen when the Dragonborn and her housecarl arrived at Ustengrav, appeared nothing short of enraged that these two were carrying on a friendly conversation, all the while barely even paying attention to the fact that they were tearing through them with little effort. Suddenly however, one cutthroat's dagger came far too close to Valkyrie's gut for her liking, the Dragonborn only barely being able to dodge out of the way. Rather than expend even more energy fighting the fool head on, she let out a Shout,

"FUS RO DAH!"

The bandit flew backwards, landing hard and leaving a skid trail in the mud. One final bandit came swinging at her with a sword from behind, and Valkyrie didn't even bother to look back as she easily sidestepped him, delivering a kick to the back of the bandit's ankles, sweeping his feet out from under him. The Dragonborn's katana had pierced the bandit's heart before he even hit the ground. Lydia had casually walked back to Valkyrie's side, wiping what blood she could off her armor as the both of them stared down the final bandit that had landed on the shore of the swamp.

He slowly rose to his feet, caked head to toe in mud, staring down the Dragonborn and her housecarl with fury in his eyes. But then the bandit shook his head, and threw his war axe to the ground, before turning around and walking off into the marsh. "Fuck this," they heard him say, and the two women couldn't help but share a laugh.

"So, Serana," Lydia said as she sheathed her sword. "She's not the jealous type, is she?"

"I don't think so?" Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. "Please tell me you're not getting ideas."

"Oh, no," the housecarl threw her hands up. "Women don't interest me like that. I just don't want there to be any jealousy issues with us traveling together."

The Dragonborn chuckled. "I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"I do have one more question, though."

"Ask away."

"Is she a vampire?" Valkyrie opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Usually everyone she told about Serana hadn't thought enough to ask about this particular subject, but clearly Lydia was smarter than that. "I knew it," came the housecarl's next words.

"Is this going to be a problem?" The Dragonborn asked, only slightly defensively.

"As long as she keeps her teeth away from my neck, then no," Lydia asserted. "I thought for a minute that maybe she had enthralled you, but you seem too strong for that." Valkyrie was rather surprised at her bodyguard's reaction. Most Nords heard the word vampire and started frothing at the mouth, ready to grab their torches and pitchforks. Perhaps Lydia was simply putting on her housecarl attitude, but the Dragonborn decided not to press the issue.

"Well," Valkyrie wasted no time changing the subject, now looking on at yet another ancient Nordic burial cairn she was being forced to traipse through. "The bandits may be gone, but I fear we're not done fighting for the day."

"Oh?"

"Tell me," Valkyrie continued. "Have you ever fought a Draugr?"

"No?" Lydia's brow furrowed and her eyes widened. "What exactly is a Draugr?"

"I did warn you about fighting undead," the Dragonborn smirked. "These crypts are full of walking corpses that have no thoughts other than killing. So I need you to be on your guard."

"Understood," the housecarl nodded, and the two headed for the main entrance of the crypt, a moment later surrounded by pitch darkness and moldy, dank air, causing Lydia to let out a cough.

"Yeah, I know," said Valkyrie as she summoned a fire in her hand. "If I never set foot in one of these again it'll be too soon."

"I didn't realize you were a mage as well," said Lydia, now suddenly with an unlit torch in her hand.

"I'm really not," said the Dragonborn, setting the tip of the torch alight. "I only know a few basic spells to get me out of a tight spot. Where did you get that torch, by the way?"

"You're not the only one Farengar made a magic satchel for."

Three more undead hit the ground, what little life that had been left in them extinguished by Valkyrie and Lydia, both of whom wished only to see daylight again. The Dragonborn moved to wipe a bead of sweat from her forehead, cursing every last undead monster that walked the halls of these damned burial cairns. "So..." Valkyrie placed a hand on her chin, popping the bones in her neck. "This whole time I've been pretty forthcoming about myself. What about you?"

Lydia let out a grunt, ripping her blade from the neck of a Draugr. "What do you want to know?"

"Umm..." Valkyrie pondered as the flames returned to her palm, and the two continued to wander amongst the seemingly endless halls of the crypt. "What made you want to sign up for the city guard?"

The housecarl laughed. "It wasn't really a choice."

"What do you mean?"

"I was conscripted," said Lydia, who now garnered her Thane's full attention. "What, you didn't know?"

"No, I didn't," said the Dragonborn. "Why were you conscripted?"

"Good thing we have a ways to walk still," the housecarl replied. "I assume you don't normally live in Whiterun?"

"I mean, I guess I do now, but... no."

"It's more or less the country's trade capital. The taxes are higher than anywhere else in the province," Lydia explained. "All the guards you see walking around are peasants who can't pay them, so they have to serve the city in other ways." Valkyrie was shocked, but Lydia continued. "Truth be told, it's not that bad. I had a roof over my head and food in my stomach."

"I guess," said the Dragonborn. "I'm still surprised, though. Balgruuf doesn't seem like the conscripting sort."

"Well, he's in a tough position," Lydia responded, waving a cobweb away from her face. "How much do you know about the war?"

"I've heard it's not really a war yet," Valkyrie said. "But other than that, I know Ulfric is claiming to be Dragonborn and killed the High King because he wants the throne."

"I mean yes, all that is true," Lydia continued. "The important part is that Balgruuf is the only Jarl that hasn't declared support for either Ulfric or Elisif."

"Wait, who's Elisif?"

"Torygg's widow," answered the housecarl. "She's only eighteen, still just a girl, but the Empire wants her to rule in Torygg's stead."

"Hey, I'm not much older than her, but the Greybeards think I'm the next Tiber Septim," Valkyrie laughed. "Anyway, why hasn't Balgruuf picked a side?"

"So the Stormcloaks claim the Empire turned their backs on the Nords when they banned the worship of Talos," Lydia continued. "But they want to reinstate it, as well as bring back the old Nordic pantheon."

"So they'd be worshipping Ysmir," the Dragonborn clarified.

"That's what I'm told," said thehousecarl. "The Empire claims they signed the treaty to protect Skyrim from the Aldmeri Dominion, but not too many Nords are buying it. They want to permanently stamp out the old Nord gods and put the Eight Divines in their place."

"What do you think? Or... believe, I guess?"

"If you're asking about my faith," Lydia answered. "I don't know, I believe in the Gods. Honestly, other than the dispute about Talos or Ysmir or whoever, they're all the same deities with different names. I don't see the point in fighting over them."

"So it's just about religion?" Valkyrie asked. "That's pretty stupid."

"I agree, but there's something else," the housecarl continued. "The Stormcloaks also believe that Ulfric is Dragonborn, and therefore it's his right to rule not just Skyrim, but the Empire."

"So he claims," said Valkyrie with a hint of annoyance. "How much do you know about Ulfric?"

"Not much," Lydia shrugged. "He's something of an enigma. Only his inner circle and his most devoted followers really know the details about his life."

"And how does Balgruuf fit in?"

"Well, he publicly guaranteed religious freedom for everyone within the city walls," said the housecarl. "Basically, he's stopping worshippers of the old Nordic gods from being arrested, while also preventing violence against followers of the Imperial faith." The both of them were silent for only a moment as the turned around yet another corridor, before Lydia spoke again. "I'm surprised you don't know about any of this. Haven't you lived in Skyrim your whole life?"

"I was training with the Greybeards at High Hrothgar while all of this was happening," said Valkyrie. "I can't imagine Ulfric will let it slide once he finds out there's another Dragonborn running around."

"I'd imagine not," Lydia answered, before the pair of them turned yet another corridor, this time coming face to face with a rather ornately decorated door. "What's this?"

"This is the main chamber, looks like," the Dragonborn answered. "We'll have the horn and be out of here very soon. Thank the Gods." Unsheathing her blade, Valkyrie very carefully pushed open the chamber doors, expecting more Draugr waiting just beyond, because why would there be anything else in these blasted crypts? Instead, she was taken aback, as upon entry, torches along the walls began to light themselves, as though her arrival had been expected. The room itself was eerily empty, except for a single sarcophagus towards the other end, a statue of a human hand rising out of the top.

Valkyrie cautiously stepped forward, her hand still firmly on the hilt of her katana, expecting something, anything to jump out at her, but nothing happened. Upon closer inspection, it looked as though the statue was meant to be holding something, judging by its shape, but in the center of its palm was only a neatly folded scrap of paper. Valkyrie's eyes widened. "Where's the horn?" She asked aloud, looking over every inch of the coffin. "There's no way someone else was here before us."

"I have no idea," said Lydia. "What does the paper say?"

Valkyrie quickly grabbed and unfolded the letter scrap, and the words written on it made her seethe. "You've got to be fucking kidding me," she said.

"What is it?" the housecarl asked, concerned.

"Dragonborn," she read the letter. "I need to speak with you urgently. Rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood and we'll talk."

"Well," Lydia rubbed the back of her neck. "At least we know where to go next. Whoever left this note definitely has the horn."

"Yeah," Valkyrie sighed, before a flash of realization hit her. "Come to think of it, I think I know who took it."

"Really? Who?"

"When I got back from Bleak Falls Barrow," the Dragonborn explained. "There was a woman in Farengar's study, she was asking him a lot of questions about the dragons. I don't remember her name but he told me she runs the inn in Riverwood."

"And you think it's the same woman?" asked Lydia.

"Has to be," Valkyrie said as she tore the letter in half. "Seems our inkeeper has some explaining to do."

15th of Heartfire, 4E 201

The sun had just set when Valkyrie and Lydia stepped inside the main foyer of the Sleeping Giant. It was nearly empty, Valkyrie noted, except for a boorish Nord behind the bar who seemed to be sleeping on it, and a Breton woman, who peeked out of one of the rooms to see who had entered. Though she hadn't seen her face at Dragonsreach, Valkyrie immediately recognized the woman that had been questioning Farengar about the dragons. The Breton approached both of them, and where most others wouldn't have seen it, the Dragonborn saw the way this woman carried herself as someone who wasn't to be trifled with.

"Welcome to the Sleeping Giant," said the woman in a friendly enough tone. "I'm Delphine, I run the show here. What can I do for you?"

"I remember you," said Valkyrie, crossing her arms. "You were at Dragonsreach when I brought Farengar the dragonstone."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, stranger," Delphine said flatly. "I haven't been to Whiterun in months."

"Look, my friend and I have been riding non-stop for three days to get here," the Dragonborn sighed. "We're tired. So I'd really appreciate it if you didn't play dumb with me."

"I'm not playing anything," the Breton fired back, unfazed. "If you're tired, feel free to rent a room. Otherwise, if you're just here to cause a scene, I'd appreciate it if you took it somewhere else."

Valkyrie rolled her eyes before uttering a "Fuck it," and reaching into her satchel to pull out a small purse of septims. If she had to play along, then so be it. "May we please have the attic room?"

Delphine gladly took the coin, but stared at the both of them as if they had two heads. "Attic room?"

"That's what I said, yes."

"We don't have an attic room," the Breton turned to walk away. "But you can have the one on the left. Make yourself at home."

To say Valkyrie was confused was an understatement. She turned to Lydia, who only offered a shrug. She knew she hadn't been mistaken, the note in the tomb had clearly specified the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood. Why was Delphine trying to act like she didn't know anything about it? Unless perhaps there was another person who worked here that could have taken the horn? The Nord sleeping on the bar seemed like an unlikely candidate, but the Dragonborn supposed she couldn't quite rule anything out. After pondering for a moment, however, she decided she'd rather find her answers after a full night's sleep. Valkyrie reached into her satchel and pulled out another handful of coins, handing them to Lydia. "You mind getting us something to eat?"

"Not at all," said the housecarl, and Valkyrie promptly marched to her room and collapsed on the bed. She could have fallen asleep in record time had Lydia not returned moments later with two bowls of stew. As much as the Dragonborn wanted to drift off, the growling of her stomach practically forced the Dragonborn to sit back up. The pair of women only had a few bites of stew each before there was a knock on the door, causing Valkyrie and Lydia to exchange glances.

"Who is it?" asked Valkyrie after swallowing.

The Dragonborn wasn't sure if she should have been surprised or not, when Delphine entered not a second later, quickly shutting the door behind her. "So," the Breton said, eyes intensely fixated on Valkyrie. "You're the Dragonborn I've been hearing so much about."

"And you're the one making me think I'm crazy," said Valkyrie. "You were at the palace when I gave Farengar the dragonstone."

"Yes I was," said Delphine.

"Why did you pretend otherwise?"

"Because I'm dangerously paranoid," the Breton shot back, and Valkyrie honestly couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not. "But," she continued, now reaching into her own satchel placed at her hip, a moment later revealing a simple war horn made of stone. "I think this belongs to you," she handed it over, and Valkyrie quickly took it.

"So you did take it," Lydia said with a mouthful of food.

"Correct," said Delphine, suddenly eyeing the housecarl oddly, before turning back to Valkyrie. "We need to talk. Privately."

"Whatever you have to say to me," the Dragonborn said, putting the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller into her pouch. "You can say in front of her."

"Are you really doing this right now?" asked Delphine. "I still don't know if I can trust either of you."

"Sounds like a personal problem," Valkyrie shrugged, before she felt a finger tapping at her back. Lydia had only just gulfed down another mouthful of stew.

"Valkyrie, it's fine," said the housecarl. "I could do with some shut eye, anyway."

"Are you sure?"

"Go on," said Lydia, moving over to sprawl out on the bed. "I'll be here when you're done."

The Dragonborn sighed, reluctantly nodding to Delphine, who led her out of the rented room, across the main foyer of the inn, and right past the sleeping Nord at the bar. They entered into another room opposite Valkyrie's that was every bit as plain and unassuming as any other inn room she had stayed inn over the course of her travels, but then the Breton suddenly stopped in front of a wardrobe. She turned back to Valkyrie. "Lock the door," and the Dragonborn sighed, doing as she was asked. As soon as the click of the door sounded out, Delphine opened the wardrobe, revealing no clothes inside, but a hidden passageway, a staircase leading downward, and suddenly the Dragonborn was a bit more interested.

Valkyrie followed Delphine down the stairs, into a small chamber that almost looked like an armory. There were weapon racks across every wall, laden with various swords, axes, and bows. A large chest off to the side, and a wooden table in the center of the room with a map of Skyrim laid across its surface. Delphine moved to the other end, leaning down onto the table and eyeing Valkyrie intently. "Alright, now we can talk," she said, and Valkyrie offered no response other than to cross her arms. "The Greybeards seem to think you're the Dragonborn," said Delphine. "I hope they're right."

"They are and I am," said Valkyrie plainly. "Why does that concern you?"

"Like I said, I hope they're right," the Breton dodged the question. "But you'll forgive me if I don't assume something's true just because the Greybeards say so. After all, they thought Ulfric was Dragonborn years ago, too."

"You didn't answer my question," Valkyrie attempted to steer the conversation back.

"And I will in due time," Delphine answered calmly. "Just not yet."

"What's with all the cloak and dagger?" The Dragonborn asked.

"Can't be too careful," came Delphine's quiet response. "Thalmor spies are everywhere."

"Well," Valkyrie now leaned down onto the table herself. "You don't have to worry about me turning you in to the Thalmor. But you'd better have a good reason for dragging me here."

"Listen, I didn't go through all this trouble on a whim," Delphine said sternly. "I needed to make sure it wasn't a Thalmor trap. I knew the Greybeards would send you to Ustengrav if they thought you were Dragonborn."

Valkyrie groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Well, here I am. You have my full attention."

"I'm part of a group that's been looking for you..." said the Breton. "Well, someone like you for a very long time."

"You mean a Dragonborn?"

"Yes," Delphine nodded. "But before I tell you anymore, I need to make sure I can trust you."

"Trust me?" asked Valkyrie. "You're the one dodging questions here. How do I know I can trust you?"

The Breton laughed. "If you didn't trust me, then you were a fool to walk in here in the first place."

"Not like I had much of a choice, considering you stole the horn," the Nord fired back. "Why are you looking for a Dragonborn?"

"I'll tell you everything you want to know," Delphine said. "After I make sure you're really Dragonborn."

"No!" Valkyrie slammed her fist against the table, but the Breton was unbothered. "You're going to tell me now, or I'm going to Shout you into the wall and leave."

"And what good would that accomplish?" asked Delphine. "Listen, if you really are Dragonborn, then I'm on your side. I can tell you don't like being kept in the dark, but I have to do so for my own safety."

"Because the Thalmor are after you?"

"Exactly."

The Dragonborn sighed yet again, wishing only that she wasn't constantly being drawn from one bit of madness to another. Even with the Dawnguard, her life had never been so chaotic, but perhaps this was simply the new normal "Fine," she relented. "What do you want?"

"You and I," the Breton smiled. "Are going to kill a dragon."

"That's all?" Valkyrie said sarcastically. "Sure, let's just go find a dragon. They're so easy to track down, after all."

"If you're finished," Delphine interjected, now pointing at the map on her table, which Valkyrie noticed had various locations marked. "I'm pretty sure I know where the next one will attack."

"And how do you know this?"

"Dragons aren't just coming back," Delphine continued, now suddenly grim. "They're coming back to life."

"Yeah, I assumed as much," Valkyrie said. "That's kind of the only explanation when an extinct race of creatures starts showing up."

"Enough bluster," the Breton rolled her eyes. "The dragonstone you got for Farengar is a map. It reveals locations of dragon burial mounds."

"Interesting," the Dragonborn now scanned the map herself. "So where is the next one, supposedly?"

"Right here," Delphine pointed. "Kynesgrove. Small village just south of Windhelm."

"And do you know when?"

"If our wizard friend's calculations are right," said the Breton. "In three days."

"And seeing as Windhelm is about a two day ride from here," said Valkyrie, now ready to turn right around and head back into the inn. "We can leave in the morning."

"In the morning?" Delphine's brow furrowed. "I think we should leave now."

"Well, you aren't the Dragonborn, are you?" Valkyrie smirked as she headed back up the stairs. "I'm exhausted. On top of that, I rented a room here. I intend to sleep in it."

18th of Heartfire, 4E 201

The hold of Eastmarch was dreadfully cold. Valkyrie had expected as much, given that their designated village was verging on the northern most part of the province, but ever since crossing the border from Whiterun hold, the Nord's teeth had been chattering relentlessly, not helped by the fact that snow was now beginning to fall from the sky. Much of the ride had been spent in silence, neither Valkyrie nor Lydia being able to get a straight answer about anything out of Delphine, and the Breton herself didn't seem the talkative type anyway. The three rode on, coming to a crossroads that, from off in the far distance, Valkyrie could see what she assumed to be the city of Windhelm just across the river, with tall stone walls surrounding just as Whiterun had.

Valkyrie knew she still needed to question Ulfric, and she still had to return the horn to the Greybeards and question them, as well as Gods only knew whatever it was Delphine had in store for her. "Come on," the Breton suddenly said, cracking the reins of her horse. "Kynesgrove is this way."

Valkyrie and Lydia followed suit, their own horses quickly speeding to a gallop. The road quickly gave way from stone to dirt, growing more jagged and irregular until the three women finally entered the small village of Kynesgrove. As soon as Ivory's hooves touched ground within the small collection of huts, however, Valkyrie immediately felt a change in the air. Something was off, wrong even, and a feelin of dread and uncertainty permeated her senses. The snow began to fall down much harder and heavier, almost in an instant, and suddenly the Dragonborn could barely see in front of her face.

"Something's definitely happening," she said to Delphine, raising her hand to block the snow and wind.

"Damn it," said the Breton as the three of them rode to what they assumed to be an inn, hitching their horses. "We might be too late."

"You think the dragon already resurrected?" asked Lydia as she drew her sword from her horse. No one had the chance to answer the housecarl, as from the mist another woman came barreling, clearly distraught and running from something. The woman nearly plowed into Valkyrie, but managed to stop herself just before losing her balance.

"You three need to get out of here!" The woman said, panicked. "A dragon is attacking!"

"Well, that answers that question," said the Dragonborn, a hand on the hilt of her blade. "Where's this dragon?"

"Up on the hill," the frightened woman said. "It flew over the village and now it's circling the old dragon mound. I don't know what it's doing there, but I'm not waiting around to find out!" With this she rushed past the three of them into the inn and slammed the door behind her. Valkyrie, Delphine and Lydia wasted no time braving further into what now almost appeared to be a blizzard, their weapons at the ready. They followed what little of the main road they could make out between little visibility and much of it being covered by snow, all the while the feeling of dread in Valkyrie's gut only grew with every step.

As they reached closer to the top of this hill, the sound of great wings beating the air made itself known, followed by a bestial roar. This roar sent a wave of terror through Valkyrie's senses like nothing she had ever experienced. She knew this was a dragon, she had heard them before in battle, but something about this particular roar was different. As if she felt it in her very soul. And yet the Dragonborn continued to march upward, as if pulled in by something greater. Then she saw it.

Despite barely being able to see in front of her face, she saw this dragon quite clearly. Easily twice the size of the dragons at Helgen and the watchtower, its massive frame nearly eclipsed the entire sky from her view. Its scales darker than pure ebony, sharper than blades, as well as twisted and jagged. The dragon from her nightmares.

"Alduin..." Valkyrie said aloud, stepping in front of Lydia and Delphine. Despite the noise of his wings, it was clear Alduin noticed her, and glanced in her direction, his eyes burning like pure fire, and what could almost be mistaken for a look of disdain and contempt across the dragon's maw. This Alduin then turned his gaze back to the ground, where a small set of Nordic ruins dotted the landscape. Alduin then finally spoke,

"Sahloknir, ziil gro dovah ulse! SLEN TIID VO!"

His voice was terrible, invasive, Valkyrie hearing it inside her own head and in the depths of her being. It was worse than when she spoke to Hermaeus Mora, and yet the Dragonborn was frozen with fear. The last time she had faced a dragon, her courage had overtaken her so much that she had attempted to fight it singlehandedly. But this dragon had rendered her unable to do anything except watch in terror. As soon as Alduin had finished Shouting, bones emerged from the ground, toppling the ruins, and out of the dirt crawled a living skeleton of a dragon. But no, after only a moment above ground, the skeleton began to glow, much how the dragon Mirmulnir had done upon its death, and a pattern of blue and white scales began to materialize over its body.

The dragon also let out a roar, before bowing its head to the black dragon above. "Alduin, thuri!" the dragon's booming voice sounded out. "Bonaan tiid vokriiha suleyksejun kruuzik?" This dragon was different in every way. Its voice angered Valkyrie, and made her want to fight, dominate, destroy. She clenched a fist, now suddenly ready to charge into battle, until Alduin spoke again.

"Geh, Sahloknir. Kaali mir," he then turned back to Valkyrie. "Ful, losei Dovahkiin? Zu'u koraav nid nol dov do hi." She still didn't understand a word, but could pick up that this black dragon was disgusted with her, and despite her terror, only made her want to fight even more. "You do not even know our tongue, do you?" asked Alduin. "Such arrogance, to dare take for yourself the name of dovah."

"Enough!" A whirlwind of emotions now swirled in the Dragonborn's mind. She was terrified, enraged, and desperate for answers all at the same time. "Let's get something straight," she yelled at the massive black dragon. "I didn't ask for this. Now tell me, who are you and what do you want?"

The dragon laughed, and Valkyrie couldn't help but flinch at the feeling. "What I want, pathetic joor, is for you to die!" He shifted his gaze back to the blue and white dragon. "Sahloknir, krii daar joore!"At last Alduin flew higher into the air, quickly disappearing into the blizzard, leaving the three women alone with his underling. Valkyrie had no clue what he had ordered this dragon to do, but it was a safe guess that they were about to be prey. The beast moved its wings, raising up into the air and letting out a ferocious roar, but the Dragonborn was ready. She had killed dragons before, she could easily do so again.

The dragon began to circle overhead, and Valkyrie quickly drew her bow from its harness, taking aim for its wings, but was unable to get a clear shot before it suddenly dive bombed at them, its maw and rear claws ready to shred her apart. She managed to roll out of the way, and the dragon's claws skidded slightly on the ground before it flew back into the air. "Aim for its wings!" She gave Delphine and Lydia the same advice she had given the Whiterun guards, hoping that these two were a bit more competent.

The other two women did as they were told, all three of them now flying arrows at the dragon, but it moving only too fast for any of them to make contact. Valkyrie decided she would need a new approach, putting her bow back on its harness and drawing her blade, summoning a ball of flames in her hand. She only had to land one hit and the dragon would come crashing down. Suddenly the beast came to a stop just above where the three of them were stationed, and exactly two arrows made contact, one sticking into each of the dragon's wings. But this only served to anger it, and before Valkyrie could even attempt to Shout it out of the sky, the dragon let forth a Shout of its own.

"FO KRAH DIIN!"

A wall of pure ice came from the dragon's maw, and Valkyrie spun on her heel, running in the opposite direction to try to avoid it, along the way tackling Delphine who had been just behind behind her, both of them barely escaping being frozen alive. The two of them quickly returned to their feet, and Valkyrie was struck with an idea. "You have arrows?"

"Yeah," grunted Delphine.

"Alright," Valkyrie readied her magic. "I'm gonna light them on fire."

"What?!"

"He's gonna start gloating soon," said the Dragonborn as the beast above them let out another roar. "While he's distracted, put every arrow you have into his wings."

"And just how do you know what he's going to do?" demanded the Breton.

"Pitiful!" came the dragon's deafening voice a moment later. "Tiraaz! I had hoped the Dovahkiin would be more suleykaar grah!"

Valkyrie only smirked as she carefully placed her palm on the tips of Delphine's arrows, and the Breton quickly drew, aimed and loosed one, making direct contact with the monster's wing. The dragon roared yet again, and in the span of a few moments three more arrows flew and landed in the flaps of skin that kept the beast airborne. Valkyrie readied herself to Shout the beast out of the sky, only for it to dive straight at her yet again. She shoved Delphine as hard as she possibly could, and the Breton was able to be missed by the dragon's frame crashing into the earth. Valkyrie meanwhile, Shouted at the ground rather than the dragon, a quick "FUS RO!" propelling her into the air and onto the back of the dragon's neck as it skidded through the dirt and snow.

"How's that for pitiful, you son of a bitch!" She yelled at the dragon, getting in a few blows from her sword as the beast regained its composure. As it stood up from the ground, it quickly began flailing its head about, trying desperately to shake the Dragonborn off, but her grip on its horns was like iron, and she viciously struck at the top of the dragon's skull, blood splattering all over her sword and armor. From the corner of her eye she spied Lydia also getting close to the dragon. She saw the monster's head lurch forward, its maw attempting to snap the housecarl within its teeth, but she managed to side step and retaliate with a bash of her shield right on the side of the dragon's head.

The beast quickly responded by reeling its head back and smashing it into Lydia's body, sending the valiant Nord flying and coming to a roll some distance away.

"Lydia!" Valkyrie screamed in concern for her friend, and the dragon took the opportunity to tilt its head back, and suddenly thrust it forward, finally throwing the Dragonborn off of it. She hit the ground hard, but by this point was running on pure rage and adrenaline. She was back up in seconds, just in time for the dragon to rear its head back once more, clearly readying for a Shout. "Oh no you fucking don't!" was the last phrase Valkyrie uttered before her blade was plunged right into the dragon's throat. Her teeth gritted, the Dragonborn could swear she almost let out a snarl as she twisted the blade, before pulling it upward and slicing into the beast's neck, its entrails spewing out onto the ground.

The dragon went almost entirely limp, its massive body twitching and shaking the ground around it for a few seconds before it finally stopped moving altogether. Valkyrie's breathing was heavy, as though she were still in battle, and when the dragon's body began to glow just as Mirmulnir's had, the Dragonborn closed her eyes and welcomed it with outstretched arms. She felt the energy wash over her, and just as before, heard the dragon's voice in her own head.

Zu'u Sahloknir. Aal hi kos dur.

It was over. The dragon was dead, the blizzard had disappeared almost instantly, and if what everyone had been telling her had any merit, she had taken its soul. But whereas before, Valkyrie felt scared and unsure, now she felt invincible, immortal, and the beating of her heart was only growing faster until the Dragonborn put a foot onto the dragon's skeleton and Shouted into the wind,

"ZU'U DOVAHKIIN! ZU'U LOS PAH SULEYKAAR! ZU'U NIIS KOS VIIK!"

The ground below her shook with every syllable, and as soon as the words had escaped her mouth, Valkyrie suddenly felt very lightheaded and uneasy. She took her foot off the dragon's skeleton and stumbled backwards, before falling down onto her backside. "Wha-" She truly had no idea what had come over her, only that for the briefest of moments she had felt invincible, immortal even. "What the fuck was that about?" She asked aloud to nobody in particular, before realization suddenly hit her. "Oh fuck, Lydia!"

She stumbled to her feet and rushed to where her housecarl lay, bleeding heavily and wheezing. "Shit," Valkyrie said as she kneeled down. "Shit shit shit shit," she knew the bleeding was coming from Lydia's abdomen, but was panicking, unsure of how to stop it. The Dragonborn checked her satchel, cursing when she discovered she was out of healing potions. "Come on Lydia, stay with me," Valkyrie said as her hand began to glow a brilliant hue. She set it over her housecarl's midsection, and for a moment nothing happened. Blood continued to flow freely, staining Lydia's armor, and Valkyrie could feel tears beginning to well in her eyes. They had only just met barely a week prior, there was no way she was allowing Lydia to die like this.

Suddenly Lydia took in a massive, albeit pained breath followed by a few coughs. "Fuck," the housecarl groaned as her hand jumped to her stomach. "This... hurts a lot."

Despite her friend being in pain, Valkyrie was unfathomably relieved. "Alright," she said. "Well, you're not going to die just yet, but this is beyond my Restoration skill."

"Ah, it's... nothing," Lydia tried to play off her injuries, trying and failing to sit up. "I've hurt myself worse during training."

"Hey!" Valkyrie snapped. "Now isn't the time to be playing tough, okay? You're hurt, and you need to get somewhere safe so you can rest."

The housecarl jokingly saluted. "As you command, my Thane." Valkyrie grabbed Lydia's hand, helping the injured Nord to sit up against a large stone, before turning back to face Delphine, who had wandered over, eyes wide and jaw dropped, completely silent.

"Delphine?" Valkyrie asked, before the Breton quickly dropped to one knee.

"It's really you," Delphine almost whispered. "Please forgive me for doubting you, Dragonborn. I... I had almost lost hope that-"

"No," Valkyrie cut her off. "None of that. On your feet, Delphine."

"Sorry," the Breton did as she was instructed. "Got a bit carried away."

"You can... say that again," Lydia grunted.

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

"You're damn right you do," Valkyrie crossed arms. "Who are you and what do you want with me?"

"I'm one of the last remaining members of the Blades," said the Breton, and Valkyrie squinted her eyes, struggling to remember where she had heard that name before.

"That rings a very faint bell," the Dragonborn said. "Uhh... fuck, don't tell me."

"I'm surprised you've actually heard of us," said Delphine. "Most folks don't even remember our name these days."

"My adoptive mother was a history buff," Valkyrie smirked. "But if I remember correctly, weren't the Blades bodyguards to the Emperor before the 4th Era?"

"Sort of," explained Delphine. "More specifically, it's the duty of the Blades to protect and serve the Dragonborn."

"And so here I am," Valkyrie said quietly, more than a little annoyed that there was now apparently another group that wanted to worship the ground she walked on. "So what do we do now?"

"Well, the way I see it we have two options," said the Breton. "Either we continue to investigate why the dragons are returning, or we go after the Thalmor."

"The Thalmor?" The Dragonborn's eyebrow raised. "You're crazy."

"Why is that crazy?" asked Delphine. "The Aldmeri Dominion is a blight on Tamriel and the Empire."

"Maybe, but why are you so interested in taking them down?" Valkyrie asked.

"Because they smashed us during the Great War," Delphine scowled, looking down at the ground. "The Blades thought we were more than a match for the Thalmor, but we were wrong. They crushed our forces, signed that damned treaty that spat on the sacred name of Talos, and ever since the war ended, they've been hunting down every Blades agent they can find."

"Well, we can't defeat the entire Dominion with just the two of us," said the Dragonborn. "So I think we should focus on the dragons for now."

"Right," the Breton nodded. "Well, regardless of what we do, we're going to need to find Esbern."

"Who's Esbern?"

"An old colleague of mine. He was the Blades' loremaster," Delphine explained. "When we fled to Skyrim after the war, he told me that if the Dragonborn ever appeared, I'd find him in Riften." She laughed. "At the time, I thought he was insane. I knew the Dragonborn was never going to return and fulfill his prophecy, but here you are."

"Hold on, did you just say prophecy?" Valkyrie was unable to contain her groan. Yet another fucking prophecy that was sure to have her facing mortal peril.

"You say that like you've dealt with this kind of thing before," Delphine suggested.

"Long story," the Dragonborn sighed. "What's this prophecy all about?"

"Honestly, I have no clue," the Breton shrugged. "I never paid attention to Esbern's ramblings, but I know it involves you and the return of the dragons."

"Wonderful."

"We can head to Riften whenever you're ready, Dragonborn," said Delphine.

"I'd appreciate it if you just used my name," said Valkyrie. "And also, Lydia's in no condition to be waltzing around the city looking for this guy."

"She's not wrong," Lydia let out a laugh, followed by a few coughs."

"So what do you want to do?" asked Delphine.

"Well," the Dragonborn rested her chin on her hand. "Riften's not far from Ivarstead, and I'll be headed that way regardless since I still need to return the horn to the Greybeards." She shifted her gaze back to the Breton. "Can you get Lydia back to Whiterun safely? I'll get Esbern myself and we'll all meet at my house there."

"I can do that," Delphine nodded, before placing a hand on Valkyrie's shoulder. "Be careful, and keep an eye on the sky. Gods protect you."

"If you're... going to Riften," Lydia managed to choke out. "Talk to Brynjolf."

"Who's that?" Valkyrie asked.

"Someone..." she coughed. "I'm well acquainted with, if... you catch my meaning."

With that, the Breton marched over to an injured Lydia and proceeded to help the woman to her feet, an arm going over Delphine's shoulder as the two of them hobbled back down the hill towards the small village, with Valkyrie in tow. It wasn't long before the Blade and the housecarl had set off on their own, leaving the Dragonborn alone once more. Unsurprisingly, this only shifted her thoughts towards Serana and how desperately she missed that damn vampire. Valkyrie mounted Ivory and cracked her reins, riding off from the village and onto the main road, her only thoughts occupied by reuniting with Serana once this was all over.

Valkyrie had only ridden a few minutes down the road before she spied a group of riders coming towards her, about six of them, one in front flying a striking blue flag with an an emblem of a bear painted across its surface. Before the Dragonborn could begin to question where she had seen it before, all six horses surrounded her, and she quickly placed a hand on the hilt of her blade, ready for trouble. All six were clad in leather and fur, also painted blue and clearly put together from scraps. There were four Nords, and to Valkyrie's surprise, two Dunmer atop each horse. Before she questioned why there were Elves among this group, she recognized the Nord just across from her.

"Ralof?" Valkyrie asked. "Is that you?"

"Indeed, it's good to see you agai-" the Stormcloak began, but was quickly cut off by the Dunmer next to him.

"Enough!" said the Elf. "Are you Valkyrie of Karthwasten?"

"I am," she said in a rather defiant tone. "Who in Oblivion are you?"

"Salryn Fedris," the Dunmer answered with disdain. "Second captain of Eastmarch regimen, in service to the true High King of Skyrim, Ulfric Stormcloak."

"Interesting," the Dragonborn was now suddenly more invested in the conversation. "I wasn't aware Ulfric had allied with the Dark Elves."

The Elf named Salryn paid no attention to her comments. "Ulfric Stormcloak has requested your presence at the Palace of the Kings in Windhelm."

In any other circumstance, Valkyrie would have been annoyed, possibly even angered that she was being sidetracked yet again. But a chance to finally speak with Ulfric? That was worth the diversion, at long last she had the opportunity to get some answers about why this man was proclaiming himself Dragonborn to the entire province. Valkyrie's hand left her blade hilt, and she calmly nodded.

"Alright, then. Lead the way."