The bath had been filled with scorching hot water, and Ysara had sat chest deep relaxing in its warmth. The adrenaline in her body had still been nigh high, her limbs still shaking as if she was still in the heat of battle.

The dragon wasn't particularly a strong one, or at least to her. A shout had been enough to make it land, and she could begin to unleash herself onto it. She had to keep a clear head, not trying to bludgeon the beast. But truth be told, she had lost herself in the battle, letting her anger take over.

After the dragon was forcefully landed by her shout, she had begun to viciously mutilate it and stab at it with her katana. A wave of anger had taken over her, almost as if she was unaware of what she was doing. She had begun to just stab away as the dragon cried and moaned helplessly under her grasp.

Covered in dragon blood, Vidrak had been utterly speechless at the sight of her which made her feel uneasy. A mixture of shock, worrisome and unease in his warm expression. She could feel her limbs still shaking from the fight, her anger still bubbling inside her and the intrusive feeling to punch a hole in something and scream out to the gods.

Maybe the whole situation was getting to her.

She had been clean for quite awhile now, just lounging in the tub of water to relax her muscles and dive deep into her thoughts. Ysara inevitably stood from the bath, water dripping down her body and onto the floor.

A towel had been folded nice and neatly for her, two of them to be exact. She had wrapped the towel around her torso, and used the other towel to wrap around her head. Luckily she had brought two sets of armor along the trip, and she had paid a small child looking for some extra coin to clean her clothes. She even threw in enough septims for the kid to eat for a couple days.

Her clean armor had now been folded neatly, and stacked next to where the towels left for her. She had quickly dried herself up, not wanting to waste more time before they could get to Ivarstead. She wanted this ordeal to be swift, and which she knew would be a blessing if there were on. She just couldn't believe Alduin had returned so soon.

Ysara had expected herself to be long dead, and walking the Halls of Valor or returning to the Hist when the World Eater returned. She had buried his face into her hand, before sighing. So many questions no, yet all of them unanswered.

Surely Paarthurnax must have some answers for her.

She stepped out of the bathroom, letting the door shut behind her. Putting the neatly folded towels on a counter, she nodded to the woman at the desk before leaving a few septims as a tip. Stepping out into the cool air of Riften, it had been a warm sunny day with a slight breeze. Just the right temperature for her, letting her take an inhale of air. She stepped onto the wooden walkway in an attempt to find Vidrak.

He had mentioned going to sit out by Lake Honrich, saying he needed space and time away from everything that had transpired. But knowing Alduin, time wasn't exactly on their side.

She danced around the fact that she had lost her mind in battle, almost going battle crazy when she laid eyes on the dragon. Remembering the battle cry she let out, when she successfully lured it out of Riften, and began to attack it relentlessly.

She could feel every inch of morals written in her gone in a split second. She'd never lose herself like that in a fight, not even fights she barely made it alive out of. Ysara always perceived herself as calm, collected and level headed. She certainly wasn't that at all this morning. Ysara lost composure.

Bidding good evening to some folks of Riften that greeted her, she made her way towards the exit nearest to Lake Honrich, in search of Vidrak.

A stroll down the road and she could visibly spot Vidrak, sitting on a rock staring out at the lake. He had his weapons by him, and shoes kick off next to his equipment. The rock he was sitting was engulfed by a slight couple feet of water, letting him rest his feet into the warm water.

It gave her a flash of nostalgia, as kids she'd do the same thing. She'd usually have a book in her hand or she'd be empty handed; just letting her feet dangle in the warm waters of Argonia.

He seemed to be pondering about something, but she couldn't read minds. So she assumed it was what happened earlier, her mood slightly darkened but it didn't sour her completely. She had walked closer to where the Nord soldier was sitting.

"Hey," she made her presence known. Vidrak had glanced behind his shoulder, with a nod. He had slightly shifted over, giving her some room to sit. She had walked to where he was, before she kicked off her boots and let her bare feet into the warm water. Relaxing her. "Us Argonians can breathe underwater."

Vidrak raised an eyebrow with curiosity. "Really?"

Ysara nodded. "Narzul and I, when we were younger, used to have these sorts of competitions. One of them was, who could stay underwater the longest. One time, he and I stayed underwater for two days. I won, he got hungry."

She chuckled at the memory, remembering Narzul screaming obscenities at her for winning. Vidrak slightly chuckled at the memory, before he had looked down at the water.

"Why did you come out here, of all places?" Ysara questioned, looking towards the sun that hid behind some clouds now darkening the spot they were located in.

Vidrak let out a breath of air, before he signaled towards the lake scenery.

"Before my brother was born and even when he was a toddler, my father used to take me traveling with him. And every time, no matter where we went. Hammerfell, High Rock or even Cyrodiil. We'd always stop by lakes, put our feet in for a moment or two. We called it "lake breaks.""

Ysara urged him to continue. Vidrak had opened his mouth to speak. "My father always use to say, 'a lake is all you need to clear your mind.'"

Silence had ripped through the breezy Riften air between the two. Ysara wasn't one for apologizing, in fact; she was the worst apologizer ever. But she mustered the strength with a deep breath, and a hefty exhale.

"I'm sorry you had to see that side of me, Sir Vidrak." Vidrak looked over at Ysara, her eyes were on him, holding some sincerity. There was a pregnant silence between them, holding each other's stare.

"You don't need to apologize," he simply said, still looking into her orange orbs. It had seemed something had been in the air for the two, considering how deadpanned he had sounded.

Ysara sighed. "I do. It was unlike me to lose control in a battle like that."

"We all have our low points."

He shrugged, not breaking contact. Enourmed by her orange eyes. He had not seen eyes such as hers, in any woman.

He only just met her a few days ago, and they've only been traveling for a day. He was astonished at how beautiful a woman could be, Argonian or not. He'd seen his fair share of women from other races. Orc, Elves, Khajiit and even Argonians. But none of them possess the beauty Ysara held. In only that short amount of time, and he knew she was a strong, capable woman. He felt a feeling he hasn't felt since his teenage years.

Another pause happened between the two warriors, before Ysara had sighed in relaxation. She hardly knew this man, they had just met two days ago. Yet, something about him made her gravitate towards him. A sense of longing. Perhaps he was just one of the most handsome men she had ever laid eyes on, or maybe it was just lust. Maybe it was more.

She snapped out of her, pulling away from Vidrak's vicinity. Letting herself breathe the air she had been holding she hadn't realized she withheld.

"We must start our way to Ivarstead," Ysara suddenly said, making Vidrak break contact. He looked a bit down, as they shared a little moment.

You cannot get attached, Ysara! Stay focused.

She shook the thoughts from her head.

…

Rain had eventually fallen upon them.

They were just halfway to Ivarstead before the two took shelter in an abandoned shack. Luckily, no homeless or bandits had been using it at the time as it was cleaned out. Letting the horses settle outside directly under a tree branch to keep dry for the rest of the time it was going to rain.

Ysara loved the rain. Not because water was mainly all she grew up with, but because of the refreshing smell and feeling it would bring. Followed by the beautiful sunshine when the sun came out of hiding for the shower.

Vidrak had volunteered to scope the place out, make sure there weren't any stragglers or people that would try to kill them or worse. She sat in the shack, hood still covering her face and soaking wet armor clinging uncomfortably to her skin.

Were the Greybeards oblivious to what was going on? She knew she heard a whisper shake the very ground of Skyrim when she was still in her quarters at the college, but did they know Alduin had returned? Was it them that wrote her the second letter?

A lot of unanswered questions filled her mind, as she tried to answer them on her own but it was no use. She heard a couple few steps along the dirt, before they had stepped onto the broken wooden floor. Vidrak had wiped the rain from his face, his hair laying down damp from the water that fell from the skies.

He shifted, before sitting down opposite of her, back against the wall. He had sighed deeply, before he pulled a cigarette from his pocket. He had ignited it, letting a cloud of smoke from his mouth before he had put his hand out, offering her to take a puff.

"I do not smoke." She simply declared, watching him nod and return to leaning his back against the wall.

"Me neither. Or, I try not to." He took a puff. "Y'know I always chastise my brother for smoking. Almost makes me feel like a hypocrite." He took another puff, before slowly blowing it out once again. "Know anything about dungeons, Dragonborn?"

She flinched at the title again, before letting it pass. "Far more than I'd like to admit."

"Seen any weird things happen?" Vidrak asked.

Ysara chuckled. "I'd be telling you stories all day."

"Most interesting?" Vidrak changed it, hoping to get it out from her. She glanced at him with her orange orbs, before she closed her eyes and breathed.

"After I escaped from… before I became Dragonborn, I wandered around Skyrim for weeks. Slept in caves, inns, handmade tents. I explored a lot in that time. I had stumbled across the ruins of Arkngthamz. I had met a spirit who had been trapped down there." Ysara began, remembering the entire journey the two shared. "Her name was Katria. Before she died, she had ventured to the ruins to find a way to prove her former protege had stolen her work and published it in his own book. But an earthquake struck, opening the ground and falling to her death."

Vidrak had barely taken a puff of the cigarette as he had been intently listening to the story. Maybe there's something interesting about her after all.

"I had to go around Skyrim with her, finding these shards to prove that it was her work and not his, eventually we found all of them. Turns out she had been right, and he was a fraud. After that, she didn't want anything else but to rest. She bid me farewell, wherever my travels were to take me."

Vidrak didn't say anything else, as the story began to take an emotional toll on Ysara. He watched a lone tear drop from her eyes as she continued.

"First thing I did was make sure the kaoc that stole her work was punished. I visited him, and demanded he tell the truth about him stealing work. When he didn't, I stabbed him in his knees and he obliged." Ysara winced at the memory of her younger self ignoring his pleas and cries for mercy. She gave it to him, but not before getting a couple punches and kicks in. "After that I searched for her. Sovngarde, Soul Carin. I couldn't find her."

Vidrak gulped. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"You might ask, why do I care about someone that died years before I came to Skyrim?" Ysara implied, wiping the lone tear from her face. "She was the first person that truly impacted me. That truly made me understand that sometimes, you face an untimely demise."

Vidrak bobbed his head up and down slightly, agreeing with her. Ysara had glanced at his muscular arms. Scared embedded all around them from close calls of the battlefield. Something she knew too well.

The rain had stopped, and all that was left was droplets of rain spitting from the skies of Skyrim. Ysara looked up through a hole in the ceiling, feeling the rain come to a halt.

"The weather has cleared up," she said, standing from her sitting position. "Let us make haste to Ivarstead."

…

The crisp air of Ivarstead hit them as soon as they were a mile away from the town. Ysara had noted down to bring along potions and conjure spells so she doesn't turn into an icicle.

Vidrak had mentioned knowing someone here who'd watch their horses, and it had made her wonder how he knew so many people around the land. Then again, he was Ulfric's right hand man, and top soldier of the Stormcloaks.

He took the lead, as they eventually met up with Vidrak's friend, who vowed to watch the horses until their return. Vidrak had paid him a hefty amount of septims, dropping the coin purse in his hand. The chubby faced man smiled gleefully, and had taken the horses in his care.

"Locals reported seeing the dragon around Lake Gier. Mostly at night time." Ysara informed. She had rolled her head to the side, earning a sharp crack from her neck with a groan of satisfaction. She looked towards the sky, realizing the sun was beginning to set. Already, it had been a long day. And this was already the second time today she'd have to slay a dragon. She glanced back up at Vidrak, who had a neutral expression on his face as he looked around the town of Ivarstead. "Who'd we leave the horses with?"

"Hamvak. I've let him watch my horses for years when I stop by." Vidrak answered.

"Beeko of yours?" Ysara asked, as they walked into the quiet streets of Ivarstead.

Vidrak raised an eyebrow at the foreign word. "Beeko?"

Ysara sighed. "It means friend."

"Like I said; I did a lot of traveling as a kid. You meet people." Vidrak brushed off. "Met him on one of my expeditions around the land when I was younger."

The two had stopped in the middle of the village, looking towards the skies. Quiet. Too quiet for Ysara's liking. She took a couple steps further, trying to hear any sort of noise a dragon could make. But nothing could be heard, and no drag could be in sight.

"I don't see a dragon." Vidrak had informed, making Ysara roll her eyes. Obviously. She looked towards the sun once again, and it had started to look like it was dimming down. Starting to set, so that the moon can take over the night shift.

"Let's wait it out." Ysara said, earning a nod from Vidrak. She felt a tap on her shoulder, making her spin around. Vidrak gestured in his direction, signaling to follow him.

"I know a tavern around here," he said, leading the way. "I know the owner, Wilhelm. he'll let us wait out there."

The pairs had made their way too a shady looking bar, and Vidrak had held the door open for her. She had nodded to him, hopefully it wasn't so he could get a look at her tail and ass.

The tavern was medium sized, with a few customers in it whose eyes diverted onto them. Ysara felt uncomfortable walking towards the counter where the owner had been waiting for them.

A few people nodded in Vidrak's direction, greeting him but not her. She's used to that, especially living in Skyrim. Argonians are usually met with aggressive behavior from other races. Vidrak had stopped near the counter, Ysara stopping just behind.

A little bell had been placed on the counter, and the man that Vidrak mentioned had seemed too busy under the counter to notice they were there. He rung the bell, before something had collided with the bar with a large bang followed by a subtle groan.

The man had stood to his full height, with a look of pain and annoyance before he spotted Vidrak. His pained face immediately dropped upon spotting the Nord warrior next to her.

"Well, well, well." The man had dragged his words along. "If it isn't Vidrak Bloodsnow."

Vidrak had put on a rather dashing smile. "The one and only."

He squinted his eyes, leaning more on the counter. "Last time you were here, you knocked a regulars tooth out and glassed a drunk."

"They provoked me." Vidrak declared, crossing his large arms in defense.

"I don't care for excuses, Vidrak. This is my tavern, what I say goes. I don't want neither of you starting trouble tonight. If there's an issue, you come to me. Last thing I need is a guard telling me shards of glass were being pulled from someone's head again."

Ysara had looked at Vidrak with a puzzling expression, her eyes aimed onto him obviously looking for an explanation. He quickly gave her a look and a shrug. The man had gave him a look that was unreadable, and his eyes laid upon her, with a curious gaze.

"I don't think I've seen you around here before." The man observed.

"I've been around before," she said, crossing her arms. "Don't stay long enough to make friends."

"Well, welcome." He nodded contently, before his sight diverted back to Vidrak. "What can I get the two of you?"

Vidrak had looked down at Ysara, towering over her a few inches. She barely came up to his chin, which she realized she was short for an Argonian. Her race was usually in the six foot range, but she seemed to be hit with a curse. She was a whopping five-six. Smallest in her village, unusually small for an Argonian.

His face had a hint between ineptness and genuineness. "Would you like a drink?"

Is he asking to buy me a drink? She's never had a man pay for her drink before…

Mentally pushing those thoughts aside, she nodded slightly unknowingly about what to say. He seemingly understood what she meant, turning around and he had ordered the two of them small mugs of mead in which he paid for it, his courtesy. Dropping a few septims on the tabletop, he had grabbed the two mugs before signaling her to follow him.

The two made their way to a two seat table in a dark corner away from everyone, she had seen some of the men in the bar eyes follow her until she made it to the table.

Brushing her tail to the side, she let herself lower onto the not so comfortable seat whilst Vidrak had passed her a mug. She nodded with a small smile before she took the cup with her hand, sipping on the mead he had ordered for them. It was a more light type of mead, not one that would mess with her senses, but one that would give her a good buzz.

It tasted a bit like honey. It's not her favorite flavor in the world, but it still hits the spot.

She shouldn't be drinking on the job, but she's been stressed out lately. And it doesn't help that another dragon battle was inching closer to the time. Or another dragon could be destroying a village, many of the thoughts ran through her mind. People could be in trouble, and here I am in a tavern drinking.

She could see the sun setting when they first entered the tavern. She had seen Vidrak take a huge sip of his mug from the corner of her eye, wiping off the leftover dampness on his lips.

His eyes had darted around the tavern, watching their surroundings. Something she was doing as well, his blue crystal eyes darted from person to person, it was mainly Nords in the tavern.

Ysara had darted her look back towards the man. "Thank you for the mead." She thanked him, taking another small sip of the mead. "Not too many men are keen on buying us Argonian women a drink without wanting to get in our pants."

A chuckle had emerged from him, it was gruff and soft at the same time. She could feel his gaze upon her, as if he were studying her. A silence lingered in between the two, and the only thing that could be heard was the quiet distant chatter they had blocked out.

"You don't need to thank me." He sipped his mug, smacking his lips as he set it down. He had his powerful arm draped across the table, his veins covered them, almost as if they'd pop out of his arm with the lightest flex.

His muscular arms had been covered in battle scars, a story telling each one. She could see the slices, stabs and cuts that had turned into scars over the years. There was one in particular that had intrigued her, she must've stared too hard because she heard another chuckle.

"Wondering how I got all of these?" He asked amused, twirling his arm to reveal new scars. "Life of a warrior, you tend you get them at the most unexpected times. It's at least better than a stub, yeah?"

"Xekuul." Ysara said in foreign tongue, seemingly forgetting the language barrier between the Nord and Argonian. "It means correct."

"Is Nord language foreign to outsiders?" Vidrak asked with a hint of curiosity.

Ysara shrugged. "Some of it is, I know a lot of Argonians who only speak Jel. I am fluent in most languages. I've read and studied hundreds of books on sayings and languages for races as a teacher, although there are some words even I cannot pronounce correctly."

Vidrak seemed to smirk a bit, making Ysara squint her eyes in suspicion.

"Which words?"

"I will not allow myself to be embarrassed for your amusement, Sir Vidrak." With that, she had gotten a good laugh out of him. It sounded youthful, and had sparked a turn in her stomach which she desperately tried to stuff down. She quickly thought of ways to change the subject, before she lifted her cup to her mouth. "So, how'd you come by this place?"

"Ulfric sent me and a small team to clear out Shroud Hearth Barrow," he explained, toying with the mug. He had spun it around in small circles on the table before he had stopped it, placing his rough hand on the top of it.

He continued. "Stopped by. Two drunks wouldn't leave this grieving father alone. Apparently he had lost his daughter some time before, and just wanted to drink and be left alone. So these two drunks had kept harassing him, he had stood to defend himself but one of them punched him. So I stepped in." He took another sip of the mead. "Knocked the man's tooth out and smashed an ale bottle over his friend."

Ysara couldn't help but chuckle, watching the Nord gulp the last of his drink. She still had a good amount left in her tankard, she usually likes to savor the beverage. Vidrak looked over at her with curiosity.

"So," he started, twirling the mug around. "What does an Arch-Mage do?"

She pondered at the question, taking a small sip of her drink before she leaned back into the chair draping a leg over the other.

"Well, I do magical research most of the time to plan our lessons with the other students. Sometimes I take upon lessons, and teach them myself. I've employed mages from all over the country to travel and teach at Winterhold."

"You run the college?"

She shook her head. "Not so much as run it, don't want it to be a kind of dictatorship. When I was first appointed, I made it clear that everyone's say in the matter was heard, and that the college would be run the way we all would want it to run. I simply just reinforced that way of thinking."

"Last I heard, Winterhold hated the college." Vidrak said.

Ysara nervously laughed. "Yeah, it took some time to improve the relationship between the town and college. But I made it my mission to do so, same with relations with Arcane University. It involved a lot of politics, but you adapt as time goes on."

"Arcane University? I knew a lad that attended there." The Nord shook his head, slightly impressed. So I'm talking to the Dragonborn, political and a magical genius? Fascinating. "Interesting."

"But," she blurted out, finishing her mead with large sip. "I am the figure of authority at the college. Everyone relies on me there, and it's where I feel the most welcome and wanted over there. I don't take it lightly."

"Sounds like you've done a good deal to me, the accomplishments you made doesn't sound like an easy job to a solider like me."

Ysara had let a small smile adorn her face, letting herself melt into the gaze of Vidrak's. The two had stared at one another for a second, before Vidrak had coughed into his fist awkwardly. He smiled at her, before looking at the tavern owner, serving drinks.

"I'll go grab us a bottle or two for the trip, yeah?" Vidrak said, tapping the table rhythmically and darting towards the tavern counter.

She set the empty cup aside, letting herself lean onto the table more. She rested her chin on her face, breathing in slowly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a man, almost staring at her. She had glanced over, watching him drink an enormous amount of alcohol, seething it down with a thud. He had slid out of seat, wobbly before he had leaned into the wall with his forearm to keep him from falling over.

He looked like an imperial man, his eyes a beer red and his ugly mouth twisted into a grin as he inched nearer towards her. He had finally stopped a few feet in front of her, just staring her down. Possibly taking in her features, which made her burn with anger. How disrespectful.

"May I help you?" She asked impatiently, but the drunk man nodded before he burped.

"Yes you may actually," he sniffed, wiping his mouth before he burped again, he was an older and wider of a man. A beer belly had shown itself even in his thick clothing from the chilly weather of Ivarstead. "You caught my eye over there. What's a pretty little lizard like yourself doing in a place like this? We don't get too many Argonians around here; much less pretty ones."

The term 'lizard' made her sneer at him, which made his ugly smirk turn into a frown. He had taken a few steps towards her, and her hand had instinctively went closer to her kitana.

"I am simply passing by with my...friend. We are traveling." She tried her nicest not to sound bitter, but her voice didn't exactly hide the feeling. Th man had nodded with a grin, before grabbing the chair left by Vidrak and sitting in it. Ysara was hit with a wave of feeling uncomfortable with the man now sitting a few feet from her, with only one desire in his mind.

The man burped, before putting his meaty hands on top of the table. "Say, you Argonians as horny as the stories make y'all out to be?"

A uncontrollably feeling of anger and embarrassment had built up in her, and she was now drowning at the imperial man who also frowned back upon seeing her expression. Ysara admitted, she had real bad anger issues when pushed too far. And this man, was certainly pushing his luck with his objection and racist remarks.

"I do not have time for such ridiculous questions." She spat out, making the man frown even more. He took leaned towards her, he had stretched his fingers out.

"I don't think I like your tone, lizard." He sneered, rolling her neck, before he an expression with an ugly smile took over his face. "How about this; you make my night over in that room over there. And I'll give you some coin, then you can crawl back to whatever swamp you slithered out of."

"Xho keelu nee kuuda." Ysara insulted the man with the Jel language, making him raise an eyebrow in anger and confusion. He roughly grabbed her arm, and ripped her from her sitting position. There, she snapped.

Ysara had growled, scratching his face with her short but sharp painted claws. The man had dropped his grip on her, holding the side of his face in shock and pain, before Ysara had cocked her fist back aggressively with power. She felt the man's cheek crumble under the sheer power of her punch to his face, and it had knocked him over to the ground where he laid for a moment unconscious.

The music had stopped, and now all eyes were on the Argonian who had just knocked out a man half her size. His two buddies had been in shock and awe at the power of the the undersized Argonian woman. She heard a few footsteps, and had peered over her should at Vidrak with two mead in his hand. His face had a mixture of confusion and worrisome. Blue eyes had locked orange eyes, in an attempt to hear anything.

"What happened here, Ysara?" He said, his guard up now looking towards the two man who had been in front of Ysara.

"Ugh..." the drunken man moaned, holding his jaw in his hand. "That fuggin lizard broke my jaw..."

The man had felt his jaw, and Ysara could very much see the purplish welt that was adorning the old man's face. He had groaned with an angry growl, before two of his buddies had grabbed him by his arms and dragged him away. She had went to open her mouth, but their contact broke when the owner of the inn had spoken up.

"Dammit, I told all of you no more fighting! Now look at what you've done-"

A loud and sharp dragon roar had been heard in the distance, catching both Ysara and Vidrak's attention. The citizens of Ivarstead had all pushed their way out of the tavern, and were running in all types of directions.

Ysara and Vidrak had darted towards the door, leaping over fallen chairs and knocked over tables until they finally hit the air of Ivarstead.

A dragon had been roaring, and looming around the lake in the distance. The dragon had soared around the lake, giving off time for Vidrak and Ysara to get within distance to battle it.

"Be ready, Sir Vidrak!" He heard the woman scream next to him, with fire in her eyes. "You'll be on the front lines with me!"