POV: Briljof

"So… Queen of Thunder?" I asked as we made our way towards Dawnstar.

After we had landed our small boat back to where we had taken it originally we got on our horses silently before leaving. Not a single word was said between us as we travelled a solid few leagues with no problem. Just the sound of our horses feet hitting the ground and the mist around us with the chitter of small instincts. Looking at Brealla she was looking at me with a bit of stinkeye.

"Don't tell me, you don't like that nickname. It's a good one," that seemed the wrong thing to say as her hands went bone white on her horses reigns as she held them tight. Her eyes narrowing as they zeroed in on me and her lips pulled back in a snarl. All with lightning sparking to life on her body. The whining of the horse at the electricity pulled her out of her anger but she still looked ready to murder me despitre pushing down her anger. The reason wasn't hard to figure out why; I've seen the same reaction on some veterans in a bar.

"I'm sorry for being insensitive… If you ever wish to talk about it," her anger was abated at that and the words weren't platitudes either. She lost someone when she earned that name, who I don't know but they mattered to her.

"Thank you for the words but I'm fine. Happened early on in war, I've had my time to make my peace," she was not fine but I wasn't going to push anything on her at the moment. We weren't exactly in the mood to keep our heads on straight if we went down this road.

"Alright, how much you wanna bet that we'll be dealing with Serana's father in the future?" that got her attention as she hummed and thought about the question for almost a minute.

"Define dealing with in this sense."

"Killing him, or at least fighting the man," my answer got a scoff from her.

"That's a gods damn suckers bet. No way we'll be lucky enough to not fight that man. Not with the luck we've been getting. Knowing us when we get to Winterhold w-"

"I swear to everything under the sun if you finish that thought I will find a way to put you in Oblivion," she gave me a cheshire smile but didn't continue her statement. She was not as superstitious as I am. Shows too when every time she's said something she summons the exact thing or result.

"You are too superstitious Briljof," she responded but her words were absolutely a tease to me. At least that's what they sounded like.

"No I am not. Literally everything that could go wrong for us has. There has been no time off, no relief, no times where we didn't say something like that and it didn't come to bite us in the ass. I am just the right amount of superstitious."

"Is it a soldier thing? You people are the only one's I've met who are like that. No mage I've known has ever been superstitious."

"Well maybe your people should be. With how much bullshit you put the rest of us through you should be. Maybe, just then, you might have some common sense not to fuck with things that are out of your realm."

"Hey!" she cried. "I resent that. I'm not one of the idiots fucking with shit they shouldn't be," I gave her a half hearted glare at her words and she instantly buckled. "Okay, I admit it's mostly mages… Okay, it's always mages but there have been times where that's gone the right way for us. Half the advances in medical and contruction style magic is because of those."

"That does not make it any better Brealla!" she had the audacity to laugh at my words. Which earned a glare from me but she didn't say anything beyond that. "Y'all have fucked us so many time regardless Brealla."

"I will make no comment."

"That's almost as bad," she full heartedly laughed at that and I was happy to hear that. Was about time that she laughed happily.

Not saything else we moved towards Dawnstar at a sedate pace getting there around late evening. Once we got there we got a single room and planned on going to sleep. That is until we realized it was a single bed. I tried to argue for her to take the bed but she wasn't having it. So we shared the bed. An event that led to her cuddling the absolute crap out of me. Couldn't move an inch as she held me like a horker on a rock.

I would've said it was annoying but I had an amazing night of sleep. Being cuddled was just natural after doing that for so long in the desert. Even as we left the inn and saw the sleep deprived looks of the rest of the hold we were completely refreshed. Brealla having a pep in her step as she smiled as we rode. I couldn't exactly pin down why but I had a decent idea after the last week or so. The thought wasn't exactly an appealing one.

Well, the thought was definitely appealing if I just looked at her long enough. Her brightly glowing red hair. The fiery attitude to never give in, the determination and will to continue on. Her smile, the way she walked, her ability to fight. Still, I was hesitant. Not because I didn't want her but because was this her… or the dragon inside her taking over. Because as I looked over the past week and some change everything was obvious. She liked me in a way to bed me and not just as friends.

Was this her being possessive as she viewed me as hers like a dragon would. Or was this her being true and I just couldn't tell. That was the scary part. Because at the end of the day I just didn't know. Gods did I wish I knew though because if her feelings were true I would mount her like no tomorrow. She truly was beautiful and everything I could ask from a mother but it was just hard to tell. Not to mention the fact that two prophecies were hanging over our heads.

Pushing those thoughts out of my mind I focused on the ride and followed behind Brealla. Still looked at her ass every chance I got but I couldn't really be blamed for that. That was my gods given right as a man to ogle. Doing anything else would require her permission if I was to stay pure in the gods eyes but beyond that I was in my right. Even on horseback she absolutely rocked as well. That I have no recourse with admitting.

Regardless, once we reached Dawnstar the people there looked terrible. Like they hadn't slept in ages but that wwasn't our place to ask. We weren't in the business of involving ourselves unless asked. Well, that was a lie but for now we wanted to keep it that was as much as possible. We already had far to much on our place to do anything within a reasonale margin. Two prophecies hanging over our head along with the Thalmor actively hunting me. There wasn't much else we could truly focus on besides that.

We spent the night at the main Inn of Dawnstar. Unfortunately they didn't have any rooms with multiple beds for the both of us so we got a single bed. I opted to spend the night on the ground but as we settled in for the night Brealla threw open the covers and looked pointedly at me. I thought about it for maybe a second before crawling into the covers with her.

Even with her being the Dragonborn she was still a very good little spoon. Cuddling into my chest as her back and body hummed. It was a euphoric feeling to feel her as her entire body hummed as I cuddled her. Won't lie, was one of the best experiences I've had. Most of my experiences in that area have either been when I've been raped and they didn't care or from whores. Neither being an optimal partner for something like that.

We woke up the next morning untangling ourselves from each other before walking to our horses and leaving. The morning snow already coming down but we pushed through it and made our way to Winterhold. The journey wasn't all that hard beyond being annoying as we had to go through all that weather. The snow soaking into both of our garments regardless of the protection against them.

Forced us to heat up at the Winterhold Inn before we could go any farther even with the college less than a few hundred feet from us. When we did warm up we left and made our way to the bridge. When we did get there a completely different person was there to greet us. Some dark elf I didn't recognize.

"I am Brealla and this is my Companion, Briljof. We will be entering the College," Brealla told the dark elf with authority only to be rebuffed.

"I don't care. My job is to watch the bridge and subsequently the gate to the college. You must show that you are capable. Coast a simple lightning bolt spell on the engraving on the ground."

"I will be your fucking teacher now, back off and let us pass," Brealla ground out as lightning stared sparking along her body. I had to stop her from doing anything, fucking hells. She on a hair trigger these days from her draconic nature.

"Just get Savos. He'll explain all and we'll wait here," I spoke to the dark elf as I continued to hold back Brealla. The elf in question looked both shocked and scared before nodding her and leaving the both of us there. The moment she left our eyesight I pushed Brealla away, her lightning still shocking me even thought I had been just holding her.

"You need to get a fucking grip Brealla. Control the damn Dragon," I practically shouted at her as she stared me down. Her eyes promising blood but her face contorted into uncomfortable shame. Taking a few deep breaths she seemed to come under control.

"Fuck… I'm sorry Briljof," she whispered out the last few words looking completely ashamed of herself. I just had to feel sorry for her too in that instance as she was fighting against things beyond her control. Against beings and gods that wanted to control her soul and I couldn't find it in me to argue.

"You're okay Brealla. It happens okay," I placated her soothingly as I brought hre into a hug. "We all go through things like this but you have control the Dragon that's in you. Otherside you will become worse than the Thalmor. Far worse," she looked about ready to rip my throat out after my words but after a few seconds she got herself under control and nodded her head. Comparing her future to the Thalmor seemed to do the trick as she seemed to undershand how much she could fuck up in the future. At least for now it did.

With my piece said she stayed silent until the dark elf returned. Letting the both of us into the College. While Brealla went to visit the big wigs and important people I went straight to the library. The greeting was far less than I expected as an orc called me to him from behind the main desk. Only reason I joined him was because he was dressed like a mage and was seated behind the desk. The only possible reason for that was that he was a high ranking member of the college.

Turned out to be true too as he looked at me. Man didn't say a word initially but I could just tell. Anyone could tell that the man had seem his fair share of bullshit in every way. Even in war if the scars on his face had anything to say about that. Was kind of impressive I never heard about him during the war or after with how he held himself. He held himself as someone who had killed hundreds of men and definitely had the attitude about himself. The no gives a fuck, you will listen to me attitude.

"My name is Urag Gro-Shub and this is my library," he spoke in a gruff voice looking me dead in the eyes. "These books are my life and occupation. You harm any of them in any way and there will be a price to pay. Do not make me answer that call, you will regret it in every way. As will your lover."

"Loud and clear sir. I won't disappoint," I instantly referred to him as sir because that was the only way I could. Just the way he spoke and his entire demeanor demanded the respect and I absolutely gave it to him. We would probably be here a long while afterall.

We were there for over a month. Brealla spent most of her time teaching and learning everything that she could. Savos even took her under his wing and started teaching her. As she began doing magic with him and up to know there was a far noticeable difference. The her from before was exceptional but now… Now she was god tier. Regularly doing spars with Savos and putting on a show for both teachers and students.

To be honest I never doubted her in the slightest to get that powerful. To get that powerful that fast was something completely else though. I expected her growth like that after a year or so of fighting dragons but sparing Savos, a Grand Master, regularly seemed to completely changer her power trajectory. Was like looking at two completely different people as well.

She was so much more controlled after the month we've had here. I don't know if it was the non influx of dragon souls that helped her but I didn't care. She was so much better now than before. She just was though we were still sleeping together in the same bed every night. Though that might've been my suggestion but she had absolutely nothing against it. Which was something I could get behind.

Beyond that she was a surprisingly good teacher too. I never expected her to follow that mold but she was truly a good one to the students. She helped teach them everything from top to bottom and was never rude to them. She always tried to help every single one of them. Staying out late some nights to do so on some of their 'projects'. The one called J'Zargo, the Kajit, was insistent on his explosions and even though he was good at them god were they annoying. Damn cat never knew when to take a day off. He'd do them from sun up to sun down and often times beyond that.

As for me I spent a decent among of time with Sergius. He was the resident master of alchemy and I say that lightly. He was almost the complete antithesis of me. He knew nothing of the theory and very little about the affects of plants and animal part he didn't know but actually making potions the man was an absolute master. Actually making potions was the mans perfections, it was actually incredible. I learned everything I could from the man and if he wasn't such an idiot when it came to theory most of my time would've be dedicated to him.

As such my time wasn't and the excess time left me with a lot of time for myself. Almost all of that time spent in the library by me researching everything that involved Dragons and Dragonborn. There was precious little there though, there was really nothing to be honest. Yet, I searched in a vain attempt to either goad people into believing I found something or to make someone make a move. Neither happened.

Backing off I just began reading around the library. Still researching everything that had to do with Dragonborns and the crisis we were currently going through but more than that. I found that my family had a crest from several hundred years ago. Wasn't that well known obviously but the cresty was there and I took no time in commissioning the local blacksmith to put the engraving on my clothes. A simple cross was all the engraving was but when I saw my my clothes it felt like more. I can't say why because in my heart of hearts it didn't make sense and still didn't.

So there I sat reading my book waiting for Brealla to join me as she said that she had found something to tell. However, as I waited I saw her running up the spiral staircase. I didn't pay that any mind as she had used that staircase to talk to Savos. However, once she came down the stair case about 10 minutes later she looked like a complete ghost. There was only one thing going through my mind there. Not again. Sure enough I was proven wrong.

"They found something in the excavation of Saarthal," Fuck.

"FUCK."