Elle was very interested to hear more about this dragonstone and the information it contained, eagerly awaiting an answer to Nil’s question when Irileth charged in and announced the dragon’s presence. Unlike the wizard, who seemed to be very excited, a sudden fear gripped her and she turned several shades paler, looking at the dunmer woman in horror as she explained. Her expression had gone from a happy intrigue to dread in a matter of a few words. No, this couldn’t be. Helgen was supposed to be the last that she saw of the creature, and now it was here? The dreams, the claw, the shrine, the dragonstone that she just so happened to pick up, the creature itself. Something was going on, and she didn’t like it. Not one bit.

I know you.

She slowly turned her head to look up at Nil in pure terror as he spoke to her. The last part of his question caused her heart to drop to the pit of her stomach. That was what she feared, but there was no way that was possible. “It couldn’t- I- I’m just- I’m not-” she stuttered, but she couldn’t find the words to finish her thought, and everyone had started going up the stairs. It took her a moment to make herself follow, but she quickly tagged after Nil, assuming a place beside him as she listened to the exchange between the Jarl and the guard before he turned and spoke to her. He wanted their help fighting the dragon??? Just because she had made it out of there didn’t mean she knew how to kill the beast. Far from it. She wanted nothing to do with his, but she didn’t know how to decline. She couldn’t say no, no matter how much she wanted to. She took the axe that was thrust into her hand, still a bit bewildered and trying to find a gracious answer. “Thank you, um, that’s very-“ but Nil had interrupted, which she was very glad for. She would’ve made a fool of herself if she had continued.

“I should come along. I would very much like to see this dragon,” Farengar requested as Irileth turned and headed for the stairs. “No,” Jarl Balgruuf shook his head, “I can’t risk both of you. I need you here working on ways to defend the city against these dragons,” he instructed. “As you command,” Farengar replied obediently, though clearly discouraged. Maybe she would have had the same reaction a few days ago, but now, she wanted to run in the opposite direction as far and as fast as she could. “Head to the main gate,” Irileth said to Elle and her taller companion, “We’ll leave as soon as the rest of the men have gathered.”

Eilonwy stood quite still for a moment, before turning on her heel and striding down the stairs at a rather alarming pace, the axe still clutched in her hand. It was useless to her, far too heavy for her to wield and she was no good with an axe anyway, especially one of this caliber. She halted abruptly at the bottom of the stairs and handed it to Nil as she said quietly, “You can have it, I don’t want it,” then she continued forward towards the doors. If she was going to do it, she wanted to get it over with quickly. She wouldn’t be of much help anyway and would most likely just be off to the side while everyone else fought the dragon. It probably wouldn’t see her as a threat anyway, not with warriors like Nilovas and Irileth around. She was so much smaller compared to everyone else, it would be a miracle if it even noticed she was there.

That thought was comforting as she made her way to the double doors that led back out to Whiterun, the afternoon air quite pleasant and clear. It hardly agreed with her mood, but she supposed it was better than rain. She headed down the stairs that led up to Dragonsreach back to the courtyard containing the large dead tree. She paused for a moment, taking a seat at one of the benches and saying to Nil, “You go on ahead to the gate, I’ll be there in a second.” She wanted to take a minute to wrap her head around this and trade the rather banged up armor for the leather that she had been presented with. It was much more comfortable and fit her quite well, which was a relief. If she was going to have to fight this beast, she didn’t need to be trying to deal with armor that was too big for her. She dearly hoped it wasn’t the same one from Helgen, but then again, how many dragons were out there? So far, there had only been news of the one, and that’s what she dreaded more than anything.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before getting up again and continuing through the town toward the gate. By the time she got there, Irileth was already there with the rest of the force, which didn’t look nearly big enough in her opinion. She went to stand next to one of them while the dunmer spoke. “You heard right, I said dragon!” Irileth was saying as she paced in front of the group, “I don’t much care where it came from or who sent it. What I do know is that it’s made the mistake of attacking Whiterun!”

“But Housecarl… how can we fight a dragon?” one of the guards piped up, his brow knitted with concern and uncertainty.

“That’s a fair question. None of us have ever seen a dragon before, or expected to face one in battle,” Irileth stood still and rubbed her chin thoughtfully, “But we are honor bound to fight it, even if we fail. This dragon is threatening our homes… out families. Could you call yourselves Nords if you ran from this monster? Are you going to let me face this thing alone?”

“We’re so dead,” the guard next to her whispered to his friend as Irileth continued.

“But it’s much more than our honor at stake here. Think of it - the first dragon seen in Skyrim since the last age. The glory of killing it is ours, if you’re with me,” she stated, trying her best to raise everyone’s spirits. The guards murmured in agreement, nodding and muttering to one another. “Now, shall we go kill this dragon?” Irileth asked, raising her voice.

A general yell of agreement rose from the men, although Elle wasn’t feeling as enthusiastic. The dunmer’s little speech worked for them, but she was still feeling like she was nailing the lid on her coffin. Irileth smiled, turning towards the gate as she said, “Let’s move out.”

Everyone followed in a group after her, Elle trailing at the rear as they broke into a jog once outside the city gates. Elle could feel her heart rate rising as they made their way to the road, and not just from the exercise. She was scared, very much so at this rate. She wasn’t in the heat of the moment, adrenaline pumping through her veins like in Helgen. No, this time she was voluntarily walking towards this thing that had haunted her nightmares and had been nearly everywhere she turned since her escape. It was getting weird, too weird to be coincidence anymore. How in the world was she connected to dragons? She was a nomad from a little family that never belonged anywhere and the most experience she had with the creatures was what she read and the stories she was told. Now suddenly, she couldn’t seem to escape them. She would have brushed it off, but Nil hadn’t heard the war cries or seen the letters on the shrine. As far as she knew, he wasn’t having any dreams about them either. What were the odds that she would pick up that slab of rock and carry it with her and it turn out to be a map of dragon burial sights? it was almost too much to wrap her head around.

She didn’t really notice the rolling hills and general beauty as they head towards the last place the dragon had been seen. She could see a tower appearing int he distance, and not much seemed to be wrong with it at first. There was no sign of the monster anywhere in the sky. Maybe it had flown off again. However, upon closer inspection, she was sorely mistaken. They came to a stop about fifty yards from the devastation, Elle covering her mouth with one hand at what she saw. Now, the destruction in Helgen had been far worse, but she hadn’t really taken the time to look at it, and she had been outside the walls by the time the attack was over. Now she could see what happened when these beasts attacked. The tower was in ruins, though still standing. broken walls and rubble were strewn everywhere, fire crackling on the ground and smoke curling from nearly everything. There was no doubt that if they got closer, they would probably see the bodies of the men who had been left behind.

“No signs of any dragon right now, but it sure looks like he’s been here,” Irileth said, shaking her head as she looked at the scene before turning back to the group behind her, “I know it looks bad, but we’ve got to figure out what happened. And if that dragon is still skulking around somewhere.” She started towards the tower, sword drawn, and ordered, “Spread out and look for survivors. We need to know what we’re dealing with.”

It seemed pretty obvious to Elle. The dragon had swooped in and laid waste to the place before taking off again. Clearly they were dealing with something that was too much for them to handle. If an entire city full of imperial soldiers couldn’t fight it off, how could we hope to make it out alive? Still, she drew her sword and followed, swallowing her fear and trying to keep it from her face as she headed after the others toward the ruined western watch tower. She moved forward, looking around at the ground, gripping her blade tightly. She drew close to the tower, climbing up onto the broken bridge when suddenly a single man rushed at her from inside yelling, “No! Get back! It’s still here somewhere! Hroki and Tor just got grabbed when they tried to make a run for it!” he cried frantically.

Her eyes widened and she looked up at the sky as a familiar bellow rent the air. “Kynareth save us,” the survivor breathed, looking at her dead in the eye, “here he comes again.”

Suddenly, everyone was shouting and running around, looking up at the sky in search of the creature. Elle stood rooted to the spot, looking up and trying to figure out where the sound had come from as chaos ensued. She could hear Irileth trying to call for order and barking commands, but she was more focused on trying to pinpoint where the thing was so she didn’t get fried.

-

Elle calmed her breathing and shut her eyes for a moment. It was over, the creature was dead. But wait, what about- Her eyes snapped open again and she looked around for Nil. As far as she knew, he had been burned alive. However, she was a little surprised to look up to see him looking down at her with one extended, no worse for wear, albeit missing some clothing. But at the moment, she was to relieved that he was in one piece, accepting his hand and getting to her feet, and, without really thinking about it, hugged him tightly as she said, “Thank divines, you scared me half to death.” She looked up at him, realizing he probably wasn’t comfortable with the gesture, before letting him go and turning around to look at the dragon silently.

When the Breton embraced him suddenly, Nil stiffened, unused to and surprised by the spontaneous action. His cheeks darkened even further, if such a thing was possible, as he stood there awkwardly, too uncomfortable and out of his depth to be able to react. Is this a… normal thing for mortals to do? If so, I really know nothing of their culture, he wondered, looking at Eilonwy with confusion evident in his features—as well as the overwhelming amount of shame he currently felt. Once she had relinquished her hold on him, however, his focus then turned to the dead dragon, curiosity warring with his slight mortification as he looked towards its carcass.

The other guards were starting to cautiously approach now, realizing that the creature wasn’t moving ever again. She stood still for a moment, before walking forward intending to pull her sword from the dead beast’s corpse, when something strange happened. The moment she got close, she noticed a flake of hot glowing ash loose itself from the dragon’s hide and float rapidly upward, more following shortly after in increasingly larger chunks. Soon, the body was disintegrating right before her eyes, the scales and flesh burning up and disappearing into the air. She stumbled back abruptly when a sudden rush of air hit her in the face, bright streams of lights originating from the ribcage of the fallen dragon rushing toward her, exactly like the ones from the strange dragon shrine from the barrow. She was too shocked to move, the golden light filling her vision and a sudden surge of heat rising in her chest. Her ears rang and her head felt like it was on fire, but with the bizarre sensation came a feeling of sheer, raw power coursing through her veins that both frightened and fascinated her at the same time. Her insides felt like an inferno, as though someone had set her heart ablaze and the flames had spread through every inch of her. In her mind, she could see flashes of random images that made absolutely no sense, and the sensory overload was too much for her to even begin to make sense of them at the moment. The onslaught was overwhelming both physically and mentally, and she had no idea how to stop it.

Then suddenly, it was over. The light disappeared and her sight was extremely blurry, her body still tingling from what she had just experienced. What that was? She had absolutely no idea, because her head felt as though it had been thrust into a forge and her limbs felt heavy, as if they were made of iron. She slowly sunk to her knees before slumping forward, coming into abrupt contact with the earth, the darkness crawling into the corners of her vision not giving her much choice on whether she remained conscious or not.

Nil stared in shock as the dragon’s skin began to flake off and smoulder, unsure of what on Nirn was happening to its carcass as it continued to disintegrate, the skin sagging and scales dropping off of flesh in a rather unpleasant manner as it rapidly decomposed. His awe and horror was only doubled when, rather suddenly, a bright light shot out from the creature’s corpse, the beam flying past him and ghosting across his skin before beginning to make their residence in his companion. It appeared as if she was literally glowing, surrounded by a maelstrom of cacophonous and colorful wisps of light—the half-dunmer had never seen anything like it in all his years, and didn’t know what to make of it. Was Eilonwy in trouble, or was this simply a part of dragon slaying? He certainly wasn’t the one to know the answer, and found rather frustratingly the only action he could take was to watch her cautiously to see what ight unfold.

As the lights around his comrade finally faded away, he watched the small breton sway in place before sinking to her knees, appearing unnaturally drained as she fell face-forward into the dirt. She appeared to have gone completely still for a moment, and unease rose within the demiprince as he cautiously approached her, having no clue if it was safe to even attempt such a thing. She seemed to only be unconscious, luckily, but there was no telling what… well, whatever it was, had done to her. He raised his gaze to look at the other guards who had managed to survive the battle, wondering if they were just as clueless as he was. The overall expressions of the men and women who had fought alongside them seemed to be ones of awe—and perhaps even reverence?—, but the silence that had fallen over the group had yet to be broken.

One of the guards, a middle aged fellow with a dumbstruck look on his face, slowly walked over to the dunmer and the fallen girl and shook his head in amazement. “I can’t believe it…” he said, stopping a few feet away, “She’s… she’s dragonborn.”

“Hm?” Nil replied, at first not quite comprehending what the fellow was suggesting, “Wait. Her? Really?” However, he added silently Well, it would certainly explain a lot of recent events. And, in fact, it’d answer every question I have other than that of my own memory loss. But is whatever just happened to her normal for one of her… Kind? I’m not sure what to even make of this, if she does happen to play such a role in the world of men.

The guard nodded solemnly as he sheathed his sword, “How else do you explain it? She absorbed the dragon’s power. In the legends, the dragonborn is the only one who can truly slay a dragon by capturing its soul. If that’s not the case with your friend here, then I’m not really sure how to explain it,” he said, glancing over at Irileth who marched up with a puzzled expression on her face. “Dragonborn or not, the beast is slain, and that’s good enough for me. We should return and tell the Jarl that Whiterun is safe,” she stated, crossing her arms and eyeing the Breton girl on the ground almost warily now.

As the guards and their captain continued to theorize, Nil was paying only the smallest amount of attention to their conversing, focused mainly on the fact that his companion had yet to awaken. Was it possible that whatever killing the dragon had done to her might be causing her harm? He frowned as he stared at her still form for a few minutes, wondering over whether or not he should do something—if he could do anything. However, it was equally as difficult to ignore how humiliatingly vulnerable he was at the moment, and in a moment of extreme self-centeredness he decided that, if Elle did happen to wake up in the near future, he’d prefer she not see him like this. And, for that matter, he’d rather not test whether or not Whiterun would arrest a man for public indecency.

The other guards were now coming forward and murmuring to one another as they tried to figure out what had just occurred. One of them, noticing Nil’s current state, wordlessly offered him a cuirass that he had taken off of a fallen comrade. “She’s not dead, is she?” another piped up, the first guard kneeling down beside Elle, turning her onto her back, and holding two fingers to her throat. “No, she’s alive, just unconscious,” he announced. “Enough,” Irilieth stated, “it’s time we returned and explain what happened,” she ordered, turning on her heel and starting back the way they had come.

Deciding not to ask where the guard had found the spare uniform, Nilovas took it with a nod of acknowledgement, pulling on the cuirass with little difficulty, thankfully. However, although it was more than wide enough to fit him, length-wise, it was a bit short, but it’d have to do for the time being. Without another word, he approached Eilonwy’s still form, lifting her off of the ground and carefully hoisting her over one shoulder. She didn’t look like she’d be waking up anytime soon, and he figured that, seeing as there had been some sort of temple to the Divines in the city, if she was injured in any way they’d be the most qualified to help her. He quickly overtook Irileth, his strides quick and purposeful as he made his way back to the poorly-walled city, feeling more concern for the small mortal than he was comfortable with feeling. He’d stepped in to protect her without much of a thought—sure, that meant he’d repaid his debt to her, but somehow he found that didn’t seem to matter much now. In that moment, he had been acting fully on instinct, not out of duty. Something within him, even now, felt the need to protect her, as foolish and nonsensical as the notion was. A traitorous thought arose within him at this, The Breton mentioned something about having friends. About me having made them. Perhaps… she considers herself among them? And she’s proven her use as an ally, finishing off the dragon. Maybe it would be wise not to fight this oddity. He would have to attempt to speak with her on the matter later, however, as ensuring that she was not in any immediate danger was more important than his shoddy attempts at working out any supposed ‘relationship issues’.

In a matter of mere minutes, the demi-prince began to rapidly approach the outskirts ‘crown jewel’ of Skyrim, so focused on his task that he barely registered the murmurs of random farmhands and traveling merchants as he passed through. But it would be difficult for even him to ignore the sounds that came next.

“DOVAHKIIN!”

The ground shook with all the force of an earthquake and the cries of confused cityfolk filled the air as Nil stumbled, fighting desperately to stay upright whilst wincing at the severity of the clamorous cry. ”What in Oblivion…?” He muttered, torn between bewilderment and annoyance as he cast a wary glance at the suspiciously clear skies. Had another dragon—perhaps even the black dragon—come to contend with Eilonwy as well? If so, Nilovas was fairly certain his companion was in no condition to fight another one of the beasts within the same day. But upon realizing there were no flying, fire-breathing lizards in sight, a state of utter perplexion overcame the half-dunmer. Whatever it was had clearly been speaking in the Dragon Tongue. Could it be that someone else who could use the Voice now knew of Elle’s existence?

Elle remained very still throughout the whole conversation going on over her head, but while they were bickering about what she was and what they were to do about it, she was fighting battles of her own. There was a dragon inside her head, and it wasn’t happy to be there. She wasn’t trying to slay it this time, she had nothing to kill it with, merely attempting to subdue the angry beast. It wasn’t like before, when she had help and a weapon, she and the dragon were more evenly matched this time, in a way. But whenever it landed a blow or injured her, the pain wasn’t simply local to the area, or even in her body. It was like it surrounded her, like the air was full of that pain that originated in her head, and it was an awful and strange sensation. The two wrestled with one another for what seemed like ages before she was finally able to emerge victorious again, both too exhausted to continue. It was all very perplexing, but it didn’t feel like a dream, even though she was quite aware of the fact that she was unconscious. However, she didn’t get to dwell on it, because a loud voice thundered the same words that this dragon spoken had before its death.

DOVAHKIIN.

The Breton’s eyes snapped open abruptly and she inhaled a sharp breath as she tried to sit up and pinpoint the source of the voice, only to find that she had been slung over someone’s shoulder and was no longer anywhere near the dragon’s corpse. She clung desperately to said person’s back to keep from falling off as she sucked in a few shaking breaths as everything that had just happened came rushing back to the forefront of her mind. She had just slain a dragon. She, a tiny Breton bookworm with hardly enough skill and courage to face a few bandits, had just killed a legendary creature and taken its power… somehow. She wasn’t entirely sure what that was all about.

The moment that he felt Elle move, Nilovas stiffened in surprise and embarrassment, recovering quickly before carefully removing her from his shoulder and placing her on her feet as if he’d been setting down a kitten. Keeping a hand on her shoulder upon noticing how shaken she seemed, he asked quickly, “You all right? What happened there?”

His concern was genuine, and he scowled frustratedly at this realization, not at all comfortable with this relatively foreign feeling. Nevertheless, he really did want to know what on Nirn had just transpired—he was feeling a bit out of the loop regarding this whole dragonborn business. He had so many questions he wanted to ask her, but for the time being, held off, knowing that the more he asked, the more overwhelmed she’d be, rendering her unable to answer anything. Assuming she knew even any of the answers, that was. It seems the more I’ve tried to disengage myself from one problem, I’ve managed to entrench myself within something much more complex, he thought to himself tiredly as he observed Elle warily, ready to catch her should she collapse again.

Elle held on tightly to Nil’s arm with one hand to steady herself, the other raised to her temples as she reordered her thoughts, looking up at Nil after he set her down with a blank, doe eyed expression for a moment. She had registered that he had just asked her a question, but a more important thought just occurred to her. The word she had seen on the dragon wall in Bleak Falls Barrow, the one that had glowed when she approached, she could say it, where she couldn’t before, despite knowing what it meant. She wasn’t sure how or why she knew that, but the word registered with her now, she could speak it properly, she could feel it. “I can say it,” she stated, “The one from the shrine, that word, it makes sense,” she told him, realizing she could stand on her own two feet and letting him go. However, she figured that her statement probably didn’t make much sense to him, but there a few things that struck her in that moment. She had heard tales of warriors that could absorb the souls of dragon and harness the power of their Thu’um without training, the dragonborn. What had just happened to her sounded eerily similar to the ancient Nordic myth, but at the same time, it didn’t seem quite possible. But, I guess there’s only one way to find out, she thought to herself.

She turned facing the side of the road away from Nilovas so that he stood to her left, remaining motionless for a moment. It truly seemed improbable, she was the most unlikely of candidates, but she wasn’t sure how else to explain this. Something inside of her had changed, for better or for worse. She narrowed her eyes slightly and sucked in as much air as her lungs could hold.

“FUS!”

The shout left her mouth like a small clap of thunder, a strong force striking the plants and stones before her, flattening the grass and scattering dust in the process. The power surprised her and she took a stumbling step backward, her eyes wide with shock as she looked over at Nil with disbelief written across her face. She had no words to even begin to describe or explain how and what she was feeling at the moment, and all she could do was stand frozen in place. There was something thrilling about it, but she was also terrified of herself, the fact that she was capable of such a thing was frightening to her. It may have just been a little shout in comparison to what it could become, but even that potential was something that she wasn’t sure how to handle or accept.

“Hold on, what?” Nil replied to Elle’s bizarre claim, completely uninformed about her odd experience in the barrow. He'd seen her looking oddly at a prominent wall in the last room of the ruin, but what had she possibly learned from that? It made absolutely no sense to him, as the most logical conclusion he could make from her exclamation was that, somehow, thanks to the dragon’s soul, she could now knew the meaning of some word off of the ancient epithet. What good did that do anybody, least of all her? There had to be more to being Dragonborn than that. Was it possible that not only did she know what a specific word meant, but that she also understood it the way a dragon would - and therefore could use it the same way?

The half-daedra’s conjecture was swiftly proved correct when a deafening sound escaped from the Breton’s lips, a sound so deep and primal that he barely recognized her voice behind it. He was struck speechless by this display of power as the grass flattened and dirt flew into the air under the influence of her Voice. What was there that he could say to discovering his once unremarkable companion was capable of something like this? Nil was equal parts awed and horrified by this newfound knowledge; a mortal was capable of doing something he couldn’t, and they were standing just a few feet away from them, having just realized their strengths. But, as Elle didn’t promptly become a power-hungry madwoman eager to destroy everything in sight, or do anything but look to him in equal disbelief and confusion, Nil realized how ridiculous his fleeting fear of her new ability was. She was not at all the type to go about using such a talent to cause unnecessary harm, and so when he found a way to respond to her, he did so with a laugh, albeit a slightly shaken one, “Well, you certainly weren’t lying. That was… something.”

However, now that Elle was up and appeared fine, Nilovas didn’t want to tarry too much longer before returning to Dragonsreach—he didn’t doubt there would be a reward for the two for killing the dragon, and perhaps there was someone within the court who might know more about Eilonwy's abilities. “The Jarl will probably want to know about this—or he’ll have heard it, or someone will have told him about hearing it. We should head back into the city before it gets any later,” he remarked, starting towards the gates once more, although he did cast a glance over his shoulder to see if his companion was following suit.

Elle’s expression was still rather dazed as she looked back at Nil when he chuckled, his response both surprising and puzzling. But she didn’t say anything, staring at him quietly, still trying to wrap her head around what she had just done and what it meant. He didn’t seem too fazed, aside from the slightly uncertain expression and nervous laughter. Her thoughts were too preoccupied to really read into his body language and general behavior right about now. She hardly registered when he suggested they continue and started walking away from her. She nodded slowly in agreement and started to shuffle on behind him as she replied, “Yes, yes of course.”

She really was trying to get it together, but it was a lot to take in. The most excitement she had ever experienced before two days ago was a bandit attack; this sort of thing was what she read about, something that seemed so far off and in an entirely different realm. She wasn’t a warrior who ran around fighting monsters and seeking glory, but now she felt like she was in one of her books. She half expected this to be a really crazy dream and to wake up safe in her bed back home, but this was real, it was really happening. And suddenly the events of the last couple days were starting to fall into place, the coincidences now taking a more purposeful mantle in her memory alongside everything that had happened from Helgen all the way up to now. The dragon attack, the way the beast looked at her, the dreams, the shrine, everything. But she still didn’t know why, and that bothered her. She also still wasn’t sure how Nilovas fit into all this, why he had made the decision to stick with her.

She followed a few steps behind Nil, her face had going from hazy to intensely thoughtful by the time they neared the gates of Whiterun, and here she stopped for a moment and called, “Nil?” and waiting for him to turn around and face her, asked, “What am I?”

It was a simple question that she was afraid that she already knew the answer to. She just didn’t want to be the first to suggest it out loud. Honestly, she didn’t want to be anything other than what she already was. She had been content, a simple and flexible path laid out before her. Divines knew that all changed the moment she tripped over that Imperial soldier. Now she was gallivanting around the countryside with a half-mer slaying legendary creatures who were supposed to be long extinct and absorbing their power. Or something along those lines. She still wasn’t sure what had just happened.

Nilovas paused at Eilonwy’s question, replying in a deceptively detached and simple manner, “I don’t know why you’d have to ask that. I would think it was obvious to you that you’re a particularly tiny mortal that asks far too many questions.”

If Elle bothered to look at him after he said this, however, she’d see the half-mer desperately attempting to fight off a small grin. Nilovas was relatively certain the mortal knew—or would soon figure out, anyway—that she was Dragonborn, although what that entailed was of far more interest to him than that mere fact. She seemed to be the type to lean towards using her powers to more benign ends, but even those with the best of intentions could go astray, if they didn’t burn themselves out first. The demiprince supposed that it would be quite a problem for Nirn should she expire before she knew how to use her powers, not to mention why an individual such as herself appeared in this particular age. Very few Divine-favored individuals were ever brought into existence without good reason.

Elle tilted her head and wrinkled her nose at him in irritation at this response, but she could tell by his expression and tone that he was just trying to lighten the mood and make her feel better. Which, she had to admit, seemed a little out of character for him. She crossed her arms and marched past him with the defiant response, “I’m not that tiny, you’re just weirdly tall.” She could sit and stew in her thoughts later, for now they needed to alert the jarl that the dragon had been slain. She didn’t want to add anything about her part in it, really, but she had a feeling she wouldn’t be able to escape that at this rate.

She pushed through the heavy wooden gates into the city, following the cobbled road back up to Dragonsreach, although this time, she took more time to look at her surroundings, as the last few times she had blazed through with more pressing matters to accomplish. She liked the look of the place, nothing extravagant, but still well put together and orderly. Even though she had never been here before, there was a homey familiarity to it that she couldn’t put her finger on. At this point, she was just trying to distract herself from the feeling of incredibly raw power warm in her chest. Once they reached the doors to the great hall, she paused again and turned to Nil. “Um, why don’t you tell him?” she asked, clasping her hands behind her back.

( dammit i accidentally double posted XDDD)

-

Elle frowned and opened her mouth to protest, but sighed instead and dropped her arms to her side. "You're right," she admitted begrudgingly, "Let's get this over with." She pushed open the doors to Dragonsreach and walked across the wooden planks and up the stairs, skirting around the giant fire in the center of the room. "Good, you're finally here!" the steward, Proventus said to her, once again ignoring Nilovas, "The Jarl has been waiting for you." Elle nodded at him, her anxiety starting to increase as she approached Jarl Balgruuf, who was saying to a red haired warrior in hide armor, "You heard the summons. Who else could it be? The Greybeards..."

Upon seeing Elle, the warrior raised an eyebrow. "We were just talking about you," he stated, his accent thick, "My brother needs a word with you."

"So, what happened at the watch tower? Was the dragon there?" he demanded, directing his query toward the small Breton.

"Um, well," she said, wringing her hands, "The watchtower was destroyed, but we killed the dragon," she stated, deciding to leave out the fiasco that happened after the beast's death.

"I knew I could count on Irileth," he beamed, relief in his voice, "But, there must be more to it than that."

She looked over at Nil with a frown before admitting, "When the dragon died, I think- I think I absorbed some kind of power from it."

"So it's true! The Graybeards were really summoning you," he stated, a new look of interest in his eyes.

"The... Greybeards?" Elle tilted her head and furrowed her brow in confusion. As far as she knew, she hadn't received any summons from anyone. But then she remembered the shout that woke her up. She thought it had been in her head, but apparently everyone else had heard it too.

"Masters of the Way of the Voice," the jarl explained, "They live in seclusion high on the slopes of the throat of the world."

She assumed that this "Way of the Voice" was dragonspeak, so it made sense that they might somehow be involved in all this, but what she meant to them, she had absolutely no idea. "Whatever could the Greybeards want with me?" she asked, having a hard time believing any of this at the moment.

"The Dragonborn is said to be uniquely gifted in the voice - capable of using the souls of the dragons they slay to learn their language and harness their power without prior study," he replied, "If you really are Dragonborn, then they will want to speak to you."

"Didn't you hear that thundering on your way back to Whiterun? That was the Graybeards summoning you to High Hrothgar!" the jarl's brother exclaimed,"This hasn't happened in... centuries. Not since Tiber Septim himself was summoned from-"

"Hrongar, calm yourself!" Avenicci interjected, "What does any of this Nord nonsense have to do with our friend here? Capable as she may be, I don't see any sign of her being this 'Dragonborn'." Honestly, Elle was more inclined to agree with the grumpy steward on this one, but everything that the other two were saying made sense and fit with everything that had happened the past three days.

"Nord nonsense?" Hrongar repeated indignantly, "Why you puffed up- These are our sacred traditions that go back to the founding of the First Empire!" he argued.

"Hrongar," the jarl warned, "Don't be so hard on Avenicci."

"I meant no disrespect, of course," the steward defended, "It's just that..." he looked her up and down as if presented with a child wielding a wooden sword, "What do these Greybeards want with her?" She had to admit, she was wondering the exact same thing, but she didn't like the tone he used or the way he was looking at her. She may not seem like much, but he also seemed to have forgotten that she had just slain a dragon, and that irritated her.

"That's the Graybeards business, not ours," Jarl Balgruuf gave him a look before finally directing his attention back to Elle, "Whatever happened when you killed that dragon, it revealed something in you, and the Greybeards heard it," he stated, "If they think you're Dragonborn, who are we to argue?"

Elle stood quietly and listened in silent disbelief, casting glances over at Nil occasionally as the jarl continued, "You had better get up to High Hrothgar immediately, no one refuses the summons of the Graybeards. It's a tremendous honor. I envy you, you know. To climb the 7,000 steps again... I made the pilgrimage once, did you know that? High Hrothgar is a very peaceful place. Very... disconnected from the troubles of the world. I wonder that the Greybeards even know what's going on down here. They haven't seemed to care before." Here he paused, and shaking his head concluded, "No matter. Go to High Hrothgar. Learn what the Graybeards can teach you. You've done a great service for me and my city, Dragonborn. I name you Thane of Whiterun, the highest honor that is in my power to bestow. I assign you Lydia as a housecarl, and this weapon from my armory as a badge of honor. I'll also notify my guards of your new title. Wouldn't want them thinking you are part of the common rabble," he chuckled, "We are honored to have you as Thane of our city, Dragonborn," he nodded his head at her respectfully, then turned to Avenicci, "Now, back to business. We still have a city to defend."

Prevents bowed his head and replied, "Yes my lord."

For a moment, all Elle could do was stand there and stare blankly as she listened and was handed the gift. She resisted the urge to flinch every time he referred to her as 'Dragonborn', still not entirely sure what that title meant, or if it was something she even wanted or was ready to uphold. But, now quite overwhelmed and realizing that they had been dismissed, she turned and started shuffling back the way she had come.

-

Elle moved in a manner that was automatic, so much going on in her head that she was barely aware of where she was going and that Nil was still at her side. She was feeling so many things at the moment, that it ended up feeling numb, and that showed on her face. So it was true. She was Dragonborn. Of all the people in the entirety of Tamriel, she felt that she was the most unlikely of candidates. The Dragonborn was supposed to be a mighty warrior, an epic and legendary figure that struck awe and fear into the hearts of all who opposed them and force the very dragons themselves to bend to their will. She was none of those things, could do none of those things. She avoided fighting when at all possible, and up until the past few days, hadn't had to deal with much more than a few wolves and some bandits. How was it that she came to possess such power?

Her trail of thought was interrupted when Nil spoke, jerking her back to reality. She stopped walking to turn and listen to him. What he was saying certainly made sense, and made her feel slightly better. He was right, who were they to tell her what to do? She owed these people nothing, this hadn't been her choice. She could very well just ignore the Greybeards and return to her life. She wasn't ready for this kind of responsibility, she would never be ready for it. But there was something in the back of her mind that was well aware that this was a turning point, a hugely pivotal moment, that everything would be different from now on. She just didn't realize how drastic that change would be, not yet anyway. Her uncertainty only grew the more her companion spoke, and that translated to her expression as she looked away and focused on rubbing some of the dirt off of her armor as she continued to listen.

However, they were promptly interrupted the the sharp order of a guard, and she quickly turned her head to watch the man approach and start bickering with Nil over the armor. The guard was clearly more concerned with the demi-prince and didn't pay Elle a second glance, which was fine with her, but she was growing angry with the fact that he had accused and attacked Nil, right after the half-mer had put his life on the line to slay a dragon that he didn't have to aid in killing. Technically, neither did she, but they both had anyway. She didn't interject, at first, but she had had enough, and with everything else she now had to worry about, this seemed a very petty thing.

"Sir," she snapped sharply, suddenly becoming aggressive, stepping in between Nilovas and the guard, "My friend here just helped defeat a dragon, and his armor was damaged in battle so they lent him what you see now. If you don't mind, we'll be on our way. Good day," she finished harshly, her tone extremely passive aggressive and quite stabbing before she turned and continued away. At this moment, she didn't have the patience to deal with something so small, and had absolutely no tolerance for Nil being treated that way. If not for him, she wouldn't have made it this far alive, that she was sure of. She didn't know what was going to happen now, what she should do, and she was sure Nil wouldn't want to deal with all of her Dragonborn drama, as much as she hated to admit it to herself.

-

Elle paused when the guard tried to argue with her, turning around and clenching her fists with every intention of arguing when the second guard stepped in and diffused the situation. She relaxed again, watching the pair hurry off before looking up at Nil when he spoke with a shake of her head. His expression and tone were something she didn't really expect of him, but it put her more at ease."Think nothing of it. I owe you way more than that," she replied, tone much more gentle now. She was overreacting, she needed to get a grip on herself and figure out what the hell she was supposed to do next.

However, at the mention of food, she realized just how hungry she really was, her stomach growling to remind her that she had barely eaten anything all day. "I'll say," she agreed, following him at a brisk pace to keep up with his long strides. Although, what she really wanted was a drink, but that didn't seem like a very good idea at the moment, not with how unstable her emotions were. She needed food and rest so she could get her thoughts in order and make a plan. What concerned her most was the fact that she might part ways with her new companion, that with the knowledge of her new identity, that he would want nothing more to do with her. It seemed silly, but despite their various tiffs and rather different character, she had grown quite fond of him and was worried that he would be repulsed by her title and the undoubted dangers that would probably come with it.

She shook her head as they approached one of the stalls, the smell of food filling the air and temporarily banishing all other thoughts. She could worry about that after she was full and had had more time to absorb all the information that she had just been bombarded with.

-

Eilonwy trailed after her tall companion, trying to focus on her hunger rather than the warm feeling of raw power like hot ashes still simmering in her chest. While Nil spoke with the Bosmer, she let her eyes wander the marketplace, her gaze landing on an inn, the Bannered Mare. There would definitely be something to eat there, plus she would need to rent a room anyway. Her first day in Whiterun had been extremely eventful, and she was exhausted. She made her way up the steps to the front door, pausing to look over her shoulder at the half-mer, who had finished his transaction and seemed to be looking for her. She waved to get his attention and beckoned for him to follow her before pushing her way inside out of the crisp air. They would probably let him prepare his venison in the kitchen, at least, if she had anything to say about it. She didn't really want to be a Thane, she wasn't even sure what that entailed, but if she could use that title to pull some strings for her friend, well, what else could she use it for?

She stood in the doorway for a moment to survey the scene briefly before walking over to the counter where a nord woman smiled at her warmly. "And what can I do for you, young lady?" she asked and paused wiping down the counter with the tattered rag in her right hand. Elle offered her a weary smile in return and said, "I'll start with a hot meal, whatever's cheapest." The woman nodded, "Of course, have a seat anywhere and I'll have it right out to you."

The young Breton nodded gratefully before retiring to an empty table, plopping down in one of the chairs with a sight a planting her elbows on the wooden surface, resting her face in her hands and closing her eyes for a moment. She was exhausted and sore from the hectic events of the past few days, especially their encounter from this afternoon, and she was half hoping she would wake up and it would all be a dream. But this was far too real for that. She was Dragonborn, and now she had to discover what that really meant and what she was supposed to do with that title, that power, what she was supposed to be. She was also trying to figure out how Nil fit into all this, if he even wanted to continue to be a part of it. They had developed a friendship in the short time they had known each other, but she didn't think that bond was near strong enough to keep him around, not after something like this.

-

Elle lifted her head when the sound of something being set on the table before her thudded softy, looking at the innkeeper who simply flashed her a smile as she walked away without a word. She looked down at the roast chicken and leeks on the wooden plate before her and her stomach growled when the smell hit her nose, reminding her how hungry she was. She refrained from digging in for a moment, noticing that Nil had not yet returned, and elected to pick up her plate and move to the kitchen, peering around the door way to see him seated by the fire. She hesitated a moment; she wanted to ask him what he planned on doing next, specifically, if he was going to leave her, but she didn't know how to bring it up without sounding weird or clingy. Honestly, she had grown pretty attached to him, and as of right now, he was basically her only friend in all of Skyrim and she was terrified of taking on all of this alone. She didn't know what to do, and while he may not either, maybe he would at least have some insight. Sure, she could throw a few fireballs and conjure a familiar, but as far as power went, he knew far more about wielding it than she did. But she couldn't ask that of him, he had no loyalty to her or any reason to risk his neck for her. Still, she didn't plan on just letting him go so quickly. They may have been unwillingly thrown together at Helgen, but after all they had endured together in such a short time, well, that had to count for something at least.

With a small exhale she stepped into the room and pulled up a stool beside her taller companion and sat down, eyes on the coals. "Hi," she greeted, planning on saying more, but at the moment, that's all she could manage. There was a lot to talk about and she didn't know where to start, or even if she had the energy to begin such a conversation. "I- um," she paused, setting her plate on her lap wringing her hands for a moment before glancing over at him, "Where do you think you'll go from here?" she asked slowly, her tone suggesting that she was afraid she knew the answer. At the very beginning of their acquaintance, he wanted nothing more than to go back to wherever it really was he hailed from, but now she was having a hard time getting a read on him. There was no earthly reason he could have wanted to continue following her around, he certainly had nothing to gain from it. He had made his disdain for mortals clear, so why he had continued to help her help the people of Skyrim was a mystery to her.

-

As hungry as she was, Elle forgot her food existed for a moment as she awaited his response with bated breath. He was silent for so long that it made her more anxious and worried than she really needed to be. Her eyes followed him as he stood and finally spoke, her expression clearly crestfallen when he mentioned going home, casting her gaze to the ground. But when he continued, she knitted her brows in confusion and looked back up at him. It made sense that he would be curious about her identity as dragonborn, being someone of considerable power himself, however it was his mentioning that he actually enjoyed her company that caught her off guard, at least she was pretty sure what he had actually said was Nil speak for he had taken a shine to her. It made her smile slightly, especially when he made his intention of sticking with her clear.

"Really?" she asked in disbelief, clearly not expecting this answer. "Yes!" she exclaimed and stood up, but quickly caught herself and cleared her throat, "Uh, I mean, I'm not so sure about figuring out this Dovahkiin stuff on my own, and your help would be greatly appreciated," she said, taking on a more serious tone, "If I'm being honest, I'm not sure what I should do now. I wasn't even aware dragons existed up until a few days ago, and now it's my destiny to go fight them, which I'm am not exactly equipped to do."

Here she paused and pursed her lip before admitting with a small laugh, "I was actually going to ask if you wouldn't mind sticking with me, at least for a little while longer."

There were countless times within the past few days where she would have been surely dead if not for the half-mer. From Helgen up until standing between her and an enraged dragon a few hours ago, he had risked his safety for her time and time again. She had done her fair share of helping him too, and found it rather funny how well they clicked as a team, despite their many differences and being virtually opposites of one another. Besides, if she wanted or trusted anyone to help her with honest intentions, it was him. Anyone else just might want to use her for their cause. She had no idea how to handle power, and he certainly did, so maybe he could help her get a grip on all of this. There was no way she would be able to do this alone.

-

Elle looked up at him and smiled at his response, but it faltered when he mentioned the Greybeards, her expression becoming more thoughtful as he laid out some options. Honestly, with all the chaos, she had completely forgotten that he was wearing a guard's uniform, laughing slightly at his disdain. "It would probably be best if we got you some real armor before we do anything else," she replied, picking up her plate and sitting back down again, "But food first," she added, taking a bite out of her chicken. She really was starving, having a light breakfast and skipping lunch due to the whole dragon attack.

She was quiet for a minute as she ate, lost in thought. She was extremely relieved that Nil would stick with her, but now she had to decide what she wanted to do next. She had wanted answers about the dragons, and the Greybeards could offer them. Since the threat only seemed to be growing, that information was going to be vital. Maybe she should find out what she could and what her role in all of this was before she jumped to any conclusions about not wanting any part of it. She didn't, but then again, innocent lives could be at stake here. If there was anything she could do to prevent the dragons from tearing Skyrim apart, she at least had to try, even if she didn't feel like she was up to the task. She now had a friend by her side, so that certainly helped her confidence and calmed some of her fears.

-

Elle glanced over at her taller companion, offering him a sad smile when she noticed how distraught he seemed over the state of his venison, but made no remark. She was too consumed with her thoughts. And yet, as otherworldly as he was, he was doing a pretty good job of keeping her down to earth throughout all of this and unknowingly keeping her fears from running away with her rationality. She would have surely had a mental breakdown by now if he hadn't been here, or very likely, dead.

She finished her food in silence, feeling much better with a full stomach and a decision concerning what she would do next. Blue eyes focused on the flames, she finally spoke, "I need to go see the Greybeards," she paused a moment before deciding to explain herself, "The dragons aren't going to stop coming, and they're probably the only ones with any concrete answers about what I am. I don't think this is something I can run from," she looked over at Nil to see what he thought.

Yes, she was scared, but she was too overcome with curiosity to slink back home and pretend none of this ever happened. She had always read about great heroes who possessed amazing power, but she certainly never expected to be a part of anything like that. Now it seemed as though she didn't get much of a choice in the matter. Still, there was this strange ache in her chest, nothing physical, more like an innate desire to know more what it meant to be Dragonborn and what she was really capable of. Her mind went back to Helgen, the moment the black dragon had stared at her with beady red eyes. It had known her, and recognized something in her. Whether or not it had attacked because of her, she didn't know, but that's why she needed to see what the Greybeards had to say.