Authors note; I own nothing please don't sue. I have no excuse for how long this took, my apologies.

Bold text is dovahzul. There may be harsh language if you are under the age of 18 don't consume.

As Katrine crept down into the entrance hall of the fane, she could hear raised voices. A man and a woman.

"These thralls become more stupid each time you raise them," said the man distaste colouring his words.

"Feel free to grab a pick axe and lend them a hand!" Spat the woman beside him.

Katrine gently nocked an arrow Lydia's words about killing people outside of combat ringing in her ears as she weighed trying to kill these Necromancer's or convincing them to leave somehow. She was saved that chose when loud shouts from further down.

"It sounds like the others have found something,"

The two Necromancer's rushed of further into the fane, Katrine turned her gaze to the thralls haphazardly mining away at a stone wall.

'They are already dead, you would just be sending them to their peace,' she told herself reading her bow once again, looking at the backs of the thralls. Before she could make a decision Katrine head a cry from further in and the thralls fell to the ground, as the magic extending their life faded.

She shouldered her bow and pulled out her dragon bone sword and continued deeper herself into Ustengrav, passing the bodies of the fallen Necromancer's and dealing with the draugur that were responsible for their deaths.

It was an easy trek following her vision down the hall until she came to a rather large cavern. The path down from the door was quite broken and she was set upon by skeletons as she reached the bottom, but they were easily dealt with a simple"Fus!"

The path she was meant to take led her on a bridge to the right, however she made a slight detour down another path that led to the bottom of the cavern where a word wall was located, 'What Mama does not know will not hurt me she thought as she took in the word Feim.

Once back at the main chamber she was met with a puzzle. The way ahead was bard with a setof three portcullis gates, one after the other and directly in front of her was three stone pillars that seemed to radiate magickia, Katrine warily stepped around them and over to the gates that blocked her way.

She looked around for a lever or pull chain that would raise the gate button only one she could see was on the other side. She was just wondering if she could reach it with her sword or something to open the way for her when she head noise from behind her.

She tuned and dogged to the side as a skeleton shot an arrow at where she had been. She realised that this would be the perfect opportunity to test out her new shout , the only downside to it was that she could not hurt anything while under its effect.

Deciding to test out the pillars she managed to goad the skeleton to run in between them, the only thing that managed was for the gates to raise. "Gods damn it!" she cursed her own stupidity as she felt her shout ware off.

Deciding to end things quickly she took a breath "Fus Ro!" she gave a slight smile as the skeleton was blasted apart.

She looked over at the gates, now closed. "It must only raise them for a short time," she said to no one in particular, then started and looked around seeing that she was still alone she wondered to herself if she was going crazy. Because for a moment she felt like there was someone with her.

She shook her head, positioned her self in front of the pillars and sprinted forward, then cursed as she ran into the gate. Not fast enough she thought rubbing her head. She thought for a moment before she smacked herself on the forehead and walked back around to the first pillar.

She readied her self then sprinted though, as she passed the last pillar she shouted "Wuld!" she closed her eyes as she fully expected to 9nce again hit the gate and get smacked onto her back from the force of the impact, however as the shout ended she felt herself just standing still on her two feet.

She opened her eyes and smiled as she found herself on the other side of the gates, she turned and watched with astonishment as the gates closed and then re opened themselves. She shook her head and decided not to waste anymore time wondering how that worked.

As she made her way deeper into the fane she found herself having to uterine the whirlwind spirit shout several times to safely get over pressure plate, which unfortunately for her woke up some frostbite spiders. After that encounter she was glad of her mother's insight in packing cure poison potions.

She burnt her way though a thick web, thinking as she did about how she hated spiders, that led her to a long corridor at the end of which had another portcullis gate. Though this one had a pull chain on her side of the gate, which she was grateful for.

As she entered the large chamber, she looked around in awe, 'This is definitely the burial chamber,' she noted the impressive looking sarcophagus at the end of the chamber on a raised platform. The path that led to the platform was bordered by water that probably came from the lake.

All in all it mostly matched what she had seen in her vision, all that were missing were the strange carved statues she thought as she began to stride into her chamber, a swagger in her steps. No sooner had she finished that thought the chamber began to rumble, Katrine quickly drew her sword as statues that rather resembled birds rose from the water.

Katrine stood ready a moment longer in case any thing else happened, when nothing did she sheathed her sword . She was glad no one saw that, still she was certain that whomever put in that particular feature did it in order to prank anyone who entered.

She continued down the walkway already picturing the look of pride in Master Arngeir eyes and perhaps even her mother might acknowledge that she was no longer a child but a capable adult.

As she got closer to the pedestal where the horn was supposed to be she stopped dead in shock then rushed forward. The horn was gone, in its place was a note.

"Dragonborn," it read. "I need to speak to you, urgently. Rent the attic room at the sleeping giant inn in Riverwood, and I'll meet you. A friend."

Katrine cried out in rage, the voices of the Dragons in her head now raging in her ear. It felt like her blood was burning and she needed to hold in her magickia otherwise she was likely to set the barrow on fire.

She took a calming breath and sat down, legs crossed and begun to meditate to calm the Dov inside her like Master Arngeir taught her. After a few minutes the voices of the Dragons subsided inside her and eyes still closed she got to her feet, took another deep breath and opened her eyes.

She looked around the chamber for anything that could point to who took the horn, but there was nothing aside from some already dead draugur. Looking over the bodies she wondered two things, the first thing was who killed them? The second what could draugur possible want with soul gems or gold for that matter?

She found a secret exit behind the sarcophagus that led to a room with a chest and some burial urns. Feeling slightly petty she looted those as well, feeling slightly pleased that at least she would not be leaving the barrow empty handed.

But what was she to do about the horn, heading to Riverwood wasn't totally out of the way, it might add an extra day too their journey back to High Hrothgar. But that was only if they immediately found the thief and they did not want anything in return and what if it was a trap from the Thalmor.

Could the Thalmor do this? Would they? Would they traipse though an ancient Nordic crypt, leaving alive Draugur, spiders and skeletons, steal the horn and leave a note for the dragonborn just to get to me? She wondered .

Elenwen would, she looked down at the note in her palm it didn't match the hand writing from the last note, as far as she could remember. But she would not put it past Elenwen to get someone else to write a note for her.

But how would she have known about the horn? Katrine shook her head and continued on the path out of the barrow, Lydia will have some insight.

As she pushed opened the doors to the barrow and breathed in a lung full of fresh dusk air, as she tried to rid the smell of crypt from her nose. As she did she caught the sent of meat cooking.

"What ever that is please tell me there is enough for me," Katrine called out to Lydia as she climbed the stairs.

At the top she stopped cold as not only was Lydia sitting by a campfire, but so was the young bandit boy. Very much alive, only now he was dressed in a black over shirt with red across the shoulders, black trousers and pinned to his chest was a similar pendant that she had seen in her mother's keepsake box.

"Ahh Lydi, are you seeing this?" Katrine asked wondering if she had begun to hallucinate.

"Yes I see him as well, " said Lydia as she massaged her temple.

"It's nice to meet you in person Katrine, your mother has told me all about you," the bandit boy said giving a smile that dripped with mischief. "I've also kept my eye out when I could, for your mother's sake, also mine your name sake is my God mother after all,"

Lightening flashed inside Katrine's head as she put two and two together "Mama told you to follow me,"

He nodded at her, his grin widened "Catch on quick,"

Lydia interjected with "I'm sorry, are we just not going to talk about the fact that you were dead? You said you would answer that when Katrine got here as well as help with the next part of the journey, though Devines only know what you mean by that?"

"Oh that," he said waving a hand " I merely stopped my heart and my breathing, it's a simple thing to do when your omnipotent and can alter time matter and space," He explained "So is changing your shape to look like a fox," he said giving Katrine a slight wink.

Who is this person, please tell me Mama did not make any deals with a Deadra for my protection, she thought.

The bandit boy, person, whatever he was laughed as if he heard something funny and said to Katrine "No I'm not a Deadra or anything like that, I'm just an old friend of your mother's, call me Junior and as for that question about what I'm helping you with next, well Katrine why don't you show Lydia what you found in the barrow,"

Katrine handed the note to Lydia, who frowned as she read.

" You know this could be a trap," said Lydia looking up from the note.

"It isn't," said Junior "The person genuinely wants to help,"

"Who is it?" Asked Katrine going over in her head who would want to talk to the dragonborn that bad.

Junior shook his head "I can't tell you that, I'm not supposed to interfere short of stopping Katrine from dying the only thing I can do is speed your journey up a little, but trust me when I say you want to follow this path because if you don't cataclysmic things will happen,"

And with that sentence the world shifted and became a blur and when Katrine's eyes righted she, Lydia and their horses found themselves outside of the bridge leading into Riverwood.

Katrine took stock of herself and found that she felt as though she had eaten a full meal and could taste roasted rabbit on her tongue, she looked to the sky and started as she realised it was still dusk.

She looked at Lydia who appeared to be trying to wrap her head around the same fact that Katrine had come to.

As Lydia looked to Katrine she decided to go with the situation headed into Riverwood with Lydia and the horses following behind her.

They hitched their horses to a post outside the inn and headed indoors, inside everything looked normal the Breton inn keeper greeting them at the door.

"Don't get many travellers to Riverwood lately, what can I get you?" She asked while her demeanour was friendly and open Katrine was caught in those eyes, they were too focused. If Katrine was a woman who gambled she put this woman at the top of the list of suspects.

Lydia not catching Katrine's suspicion mealy told the innkeeper "We would like the attic room,"

Katrine watched as there was a subtle widening of the innkeeper's eyes and the faintest intake of breath.

"Attic room eh, well we don't have an attic room," she said "But you can have the one on the left, make yourselves at home," and with that she walked off leaving Katrine and Lydia to place their stuff in the aforementioned room.

"What now?" asked Lydia as she closed the door behind them.

"What do you know about the innkeeper?" asked Katrine

"Delphine?" asked Lydia who looked at Katrine as if she couldn't understand where she was going with her question "She has run this in for at least twenty years, why do you ask?"

Katrine shook her head "Her eyes are too focused for just some innkeeper and her reaction when you mentioned wanting the attic room,"

Lydia smacked her forehead "I thought she was just surprised that someone asked for a room, I didn't even think,"

"It is alright Lydia, after all we just travelled a hundred kilometres in an instant, perhaps your brain just needs time to catch up," smacked Katrine.

Lydia gave her a dirty look "What now then do we wait for her to come to us?"

Katrine shook her head "Just in case I am wrong and you are right let us go and mingle until it is appropriate to be seen heading to bed,"

They went out into the tavern's main hall and begun to mill within the locals. Katrine got into a conversation with Gurdur and Hod, while Lydia spoke with an elven hunter called Faendal.

As they gossiped Katrine kept glancing about the tavern for anything that seemed out of place and the only thing that even caught her attention was that the innkeeper kept shooting glances at Lydia.

Because of course I cannot be the Dragonborn, thought Katrine internally shaking her head, It must be the heavily armed warrior. Although that does actually make sense, she thought getting back into the conversation she was having, this could work to our advantage.

When it became late enough that the locals started to mill out Katrine and Lydia made there way into their room for the night.

"She kept looking at me, did you notice?" asked Lydia.

"I believe she thinks that you are the Dragonborn," Katrine told her.

Lydia looked mortified at the idea "Well it does make a certain sense," said Katrine "Your are older, more heavily armed, were as I am less armed look more like your apprentice then anything and you were the one to ask for the attic room," she explained "But I do believe we can make this work for us just until we know what she wants, after all if she thinks you are the Dragonborn she will not be expecting me to shout at her if things go bad,"

They had been resting in bed with Katrine going over her book on two handed weaponries when a knock sounded on the door.

Katrine nodded to Lydia "Who is it?" asked Lydia.

"It's Delphine the innkeeper, may I come in," came the reply.

"Sure," Answered Lydia as she pulled out a silver dagger and held it behind her back, Katrine doing the same with Nyérë.

The innkeeper entered the room her eyes locked on Lydia "So you're this Dragonborn I've been hearing so much about, I think you're looking for this," she said as she handed a simple looking war horn to Lydia.

Lydia gently handed it to Katrine "Here apprentice put that safely in your shoulder bag,"

Katrine bit the inside of her cheek as she tried not to smile "Yes oh noble Dragonborn,"

Lydia shot Katrine a sidelong glance before she turned back to Delphine "What is all this about?"

But Delphine just shook her head "Not here, follow me," said Delphine as she turned and walked out the door "Your apprentice may come if she absolutely must,"

Delphine led them across the tavern into what was a fairly standard room, though larger than most rooms in a tavern. She stopped in front of a large, floor length wardrobe then looked back too Katrine who had been the last into the room.

"Close the door,"

Katrine did as she was bidden, as soon as she had done so Delphine opened the wardrobe and slid open a false back that led to a set of stairs leading down into a basement, to which the were led down to. "Now we can talk," said Delphine as she lit a wall sconce and moved over to a table in the centre of the large room "The Grey-beards think you're the Dragonborn I hope they are right,"

Katrine's eye quickly took in the room on the table that separated Lydia and her from Delphine was a map easily recognisable as of Skyrim, though the icons and symbols were unknown to her. There was also an enchanting table, a small table with the equipment for alchemy set up, a training dummy, various weapons on racks including one that contained, and this sight caused Katrine's eyes to widen some Akiviri katanas.

Katrine was pulled out of her thoughts by Lydia "You took the horn?"

Delphine smiled "Surprised?" She asked "I've gotten quite good at my harmless innkeeper act,"

Lydia crossed her arms "What do you want with the Dragonborn?"

"Well, I didn't go through all the trouble on a whim," said Delphine as she rubbed her eyes "I needed to make sure you weren't some Thalmor trap," she said venom dripping in her words, a clear distaste of the Thalmor evident.

The Thalmor were after her too? Thought Katrine, then it came to her. The katanas, the dislike of the Thalmor and her knowledge of the Dragonborn, she is a Blade.

"I think we should hear her out," said Katrine just as Lydia had opened her mouth to say something.

Delphine gave Katrine a half smile, while Lydia looked her exasperated and sighed "Fine let's hear it,"

"Like I said I heard you might be Dragonborn," explained Delphine "I'm part of a group that's been looking for someone like you for a very long time, that is if you are Dragonborn," she finished, still seemingly unconvinced.

"Why did you take the horn?" asked Katrine, hope to change the subject.

"I knew the Grey-beards would send anyone they thought was Dragonborn there, their nothing if not predictable," She explained as she rolled her eyes, "I knew when you showed up here you were the one and not some Thalmor plant,"

"You said the Thalmor might be after you?" Questioned Lydia.

Delphine nodded, and went slightly pale "Yes we're old enemies and if my suspicions are correct, they might have something to do with the dragons returning," she told them then shook her head "But that's not important right now, what's important is that you might be Dragonborn,"

Lydia clicked her tongue in an impatient manner "Why are you looking for the Dragonborn?"

"We remember what most don't, that the Dragonborn is the ultimate dragon slayer," explained Delphine "You're the only one who can kill a dragon permanently by devouring it's soul, can you do it?" she asked desperation leaked into her tone "Can you devour a dragon's soul?"

Katrine gave a firm "Yes," as Lydia seemed to struggle with how to answer the question. Delphine seemed to except Katrine's answer as Lydia's. "Good, then you'll have the chance to prove it soon enough,"

"So, what aren't you telling us?" asked Lydia who had managed to find her voice again.

"Dragons aren't just coming back, they are coming back to life," Delphine told them "They weren't gone all these years, they were dead killed off centuries ago by my predecessors and now something is bringing them back to life and I need your help to stop it," she explained.

Katrine stood there stunned, dragons coming back to life? That sounded like something out of a story book, it sounded –

"This bitch is crazy," muttered Lydia "What makes you think they are coming back to life?" asked Katrine over the top of Lydia's mutters, she really hoped her question had covered what Lydia had said.

Based off the dark look levelled at Lydia she guessed not, Delphine however carried on as if she had heard nothing "I've visited ancient burial mounds and found them empty," she explained "And I've figured out were the next one will come back to life, we're going to go there, you're going to kill that dragon and if we succeed then I'll tell you what ever you want to know,"

"How did you figure this out?" Asked Katrine, curious.

Delphine gave her another half-smile "You should know, you got the dragon stone for Farengar remember?" Katrine nodded "Well, the stone was a map of ancient dragon burial sights, I've looked at the ones that are empty and if what I'm seeing is correct the pattern seems to be spreading from the south east starting in the Jerals near Riften, the one in Kyne's Grove is next if the pattern holds,"

"So, I suppose we are off to Kyne's Grove" said Katrine clapping her hands together. Lydia sighed "I have a bad feeling about this, fine we leave at first light tomorrow morning,"

As they set out the next morning Delphine, who had changed into a leather armour set, said to them "I don't recall asking for your names?"

"I'm Lydia and she's Katrine," said Lydia simply.

They had decided the night before that they would continue the farce of Lydia being Dragonborn, at least until they had all the details.

As it turned out Delphine was a very talkative companion, Katrine had always assumed the Blades would be dark and mysterious like the novels she had read about forest rangers. But she liked to talk or perhaps she had spent so long hiding her identity that now she was around people who knew she was now unloading years of keeping to herself, as they made the two-day ride two Kyne's Grove.

Kyne's Grove was a little outpost village. If you could call it that, really it was a mine that had a tavern on the outside of it five minutes outside of Windhelm.

As they approached, they saw a woman running in their direction as if the hounds of Hircine was chasing her.

"Something's wrong," stated Delphine.

"Ah, you think?" shot back Lydia.

Katrine ignored their banter as she leapt off Ali and grabbed the clearly terrified woman by the shoulders, sending a quick calming spell into her.

"What is wrong?" she asked.

The woman, less panicked but still afraid said "You don't want to go up there a dragon is attacking,"

"A dragon where did it go?" asked Lydia as she joined Katrine in dismount.

"I don't know, I saw it flying over the old burial mound and I'm not sticking around to find out what it wants," said the woman as she made to flee but Katrine held her tight and sent a stronger wave of calming magic into her.

"You listen to me and listen well," Katrine said firmly, she could feel her magic seeping into the woman's veins. She was bordering what would be considered illegal in terms of mind magics but the situation was dire. "Go to Jarl Ulfric, tell him that Lady Katrine Kvatch said that a dragon is attacking the burial mounds above Kyne's Grove and that she requests as many soldiers as he can spare, now go!"

As the woman raced off towards Whindhelm Delphine regarded Katrine "Kvatch?"

"Now is not the time, come on," said Katrine as she gave a signal to Ali to go hide, Lydia followed suit with her horse.

They raced up the path to the burial mound with Katrine in the lead, not even bothering to hide who was in charge, till she caught sight of an image pulled directly from a nightmare of hers.

The great, midnight black dragon that she had seen once before. It was of course that dragon from Helgan circling the burial mound.

Katrine's eyed widened with fear as her brain comprehend a terrible fact, it had gotten bigger.

Delphine and Lydia came up to crouch beside her, with Delphine giving out a low curse "Lorkan's eyes! Look at that big bastard, keep your head down let's see what he does," she said as she crept closer.

Katrine grasped Lydia's arm before she could move "That is the dragon from Helgan, it has gotten bigger,"

Lydia's eyes widened, she looked at the dragon "If it comes to it and it looks like we are going to lose we run, I don't care what she does," As she nodded towards Delphine who had found a large rock for cover.

"Oh I am not foolish enough to fight that dragon, do not worry about that," said Katrine as they moved to join Delphine in cover.

The dragon was chanting in dovazul at the mound, some kind of ritual, thought Katrine a d then her eyes widened in realisation. Please do not let him be doing what I think he is. She tried to keep closer to hear the words he was chanting, but Lydia held her fast. "Don't even think about it, or I share I will tell your mother!" she hissed.

It didn't matter because the dragon had begun to chant louder "Phantom sky hunt, ever bound spirit,"

He then shouted at the mound "Slen tiid!"

Flesh against time, thought Katrine, oh no he is raising them.

Just as she finished that thought the mound burst open and a skeletal dragon called out. It was then if they were watching the soul being absorbed in reverse, scales and flesh appeared to burn back onto the bones of a dragon and soon they were faced with two dragons.

The second dragon spoke to the first in, what perhaps only Katrine could pick up on, a reverent tone.

"Destroyer, Devour, Master, My master has the time come to revive the ancient realm?"

"What are they saying?" asked Lydia.

"shh," Katrine hissed back as she heard but did not quite understand what had been said., or at least the reality of it.

The black dragon spoke and with every word Katrine felt a sense of dread as well as something tickling the back of her head, she was missing something and it was terrible whatever it was.

"Yes, Phantom sky hunt, my most trusted ally," and then as if he sensed Katrine, he tuned his maw towards her. "So, my false Dragonborn, I don't recognise you as dragon,"

Katrine realising that even if she were to run, he would not let her, pulled herself out of Lydia's grasp and walked out of cover to stand before him. "It matters not to me if you recognise me as dragon the souls I have inside me do, perhaps you would like to join them?" she said with more confidence than what was probably sensible, certainly more than she felt.

"So, you do know our tongue and yet you do not know what before you, such arrogance to dare take for yourself the name of dragon?" He chuckled, Katrine frowned what was she not seeing. The knowing on the back of her head was getting worse and the Dov inside her were twisting in fear, what could be causing this reaction in them?

The larger of the two dragons turned to the second "Phantom sky hunt, kill the mortals!" he ordered and with a heaver beat of his wings he took to the sky and flew away with a speed that staggered Katrine.

At least we don't have to fight that one, this one's roughlythe size of Mirmulnir maybe even a little smaller, she thought as she ran back to cover. "Get ready, same plan as last time get it to land," she said to Lydia who looked like she wanted to throttle Katrine.

"Except there are only three of us," said Lydia, as she inspired of herself notched an arrow.

"Not for long," said Katrine as she spied Ulfric running up the path, he was followed by Ralof, Amela, Wufurth and several other Stormcloak soldiers.

"Ulfric, tell any archers to aim for the wings!" She cried out, he gave her a smile and nodded to her and then begun issuing commands.

They were relentless in firing arrows or in Wunfurth's case spells, but this dragon had begun to prove itself as difficult as Mirmulnir.

An idea flashed into Katrine's mind like a bolt of lightning, "Cover me," she said to Lydia as she leapt from cover, she ran to the cluster of tall trees, hearing Ulfric cry out to her as she did. As well as the sound of wing beats coming towards her.

"Fiem!" she shouted, just in time as the ice breath overcame her now ethereal form. She leapt onto one of the trees and climbed as fast as she could till she found a sturdy enough branch that was also high enough for what she needed.

"Come dragon, face your death or prove yourself coward before me!" she taunted.

That certainly got his attention as he begun to fly lower to where she was.

"Dragonborn, your voice is no match for mine!"

She waited till he was close enough then with her dragon bone sword in hand she leapt from the tree, time seemed to slow as she heard those below shout with fear. Time righted as she brought her blade down into the dragon's skull, the shock enchantment crackling as she did.

Both she and the dragon crashed to Nirn with a great deal of force with the air being knocked from her lungs, she was winded for a moment before she had the strength to look at the downed dragon.

She saw the lights of the soul rush towards her as the scales and flesh were burnt away from its body, she heard the dragon whisper in her ear "I am Sahloknir, Dragonborn," oh Phantom sky hunter was his name she thought as she blacked out wondering why that felt important, as two strong hands lifter her from the ground and the world turned to blackness.

Second authors note; For Nan taken to soon, rest in Sovengard your fight is over.