"BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURP! Ahh now THETS sum fine mead!" Belched an overweight drunken nord. He was quite a fat slob who on all accounts had to be one of the most disgusting, most pathetic Nord short of a beggar. The amber colored mead dripped freely from his red bushy beard and made him resemble someone drooling profusely from just waking up. "WENCH! I DEMAND E-NUTHER!" It was amazing for as loudly and often that he yelled that his rotten, loose front teeth didn't fall out when he did so. His balding scalp gave way to spagetti-like strands of grey brown hair and he smelled far worse than a skeever that just rolled around in swine feces.

"My name is not wench, it's Saadia!" spoke the very attractive Redguard woman whom Hulda found under rather mysterious circumstances. Saadia rolled her eyes and instead of fulfilling the belching drunkard's wishes, went behind the counter where Hulda stood so the counter could act as some kind of barrier while Saadia attempted to grab the drunk’s flagon. "You've had too much already and you owe us a hefty tab as is. Pay your tab and leave, Olgrulf!"

This made Olgrulf quite angry at first but his anger quickly dissipated, replaced with a wide very sadistic lustful smile. He shoved the flagon that Saadia was reaching for aside and was quick to grab her arm and pull her hard into the table to bring her face right up to his nasty huge zit covered face. “I Prefer mah wemenz pale and quiet-like, bet fer yah I’ll meck ahn exceptun!” He spat out, the more the disgusting drunkard talked the more his disgusting saliva spewed out of his mouth mixed with the remnants of ale. Saadia’s face became drenched in it and she had to close her eyes in order to avoid getting any of the disgusting liquid in them as well. Her other hand gripped a sharp bottle opener located underneath the counter.

“That’s enough Olgrulf, I’ve already contacted the guard, I suggest you pay up and let Saadia go then get out, you’ve overstayed your welcome!” Hulda angrily exclaimed however she kept her distance from helping Saadia get free considering Olgrulf became known in a short time in the area to be short tempered and extremely violent.

Ogrulf cocked his head, his eyes temporarily left ogling Saadia’s breasts to stare straight at Hulda and scoffed at her. “Shut yer mouth wemun! Sides no wemun shud own eny likkur joint, tis a MAN UNLY preffeshun!” Both he and his buddies let out a few agreeing chuckles with each other, Ogrulf obviously being their disgusting fat leader. “Sides I rekkun yall dun deserv this ere tavern, yall are jes sum trollups thet gut this ere stablishmunt frem yer Man wen e’ die.”

The following slap felt like it vibrated the entire grounds of The Banned Mare. Even the sexist “oven-seeking” disgusting bard Mikael, a typical lazy Nord boy who thinks himself a man for having sex with every single female he sees fit, place down his lute to check out the commotion.

Saadia was half tempted to spit in his face while she was at it. The initial shock of being hit was enough for Ogrulf to let release his grip slightly and Saadia was able to quickly pull away and grab a towel to wipe off her drenched face.

“YEW BLOODY TROLLUP! YER GOING TO PAY FOR THAT, WHEN ME AN MAH BOYS BE DUN WIT YEW, NUT EVEN ARKAY KEN REKONIZE YER BODAY!” He slammed his chairs out of the way while his buddies quickly gathered behind him. He reached for his weapon which was little more than a wooden club with a few metal spikes on it, complimenting his ugly caveman look so very typical of barbicans.

“Pfft, what a crybaby”

Ogrulf’s in his rage quickly turned to the source of this voice. His buddies as well as the tavern regulars followed his sight to a lone female figure clothed in hooden robes of far more extravagant detail than any priest or mage was seen wearing. Even from a distance one could tell her skin to be fair and light with very distinct silver lips as if one painted the color of the moon right on them.

“What did yew sey wench?!” Ogrulf demanded and walked a few steps from the bar and flexed his shoulders while cracking his neck, a usual signal that one is prepared for a good melee fight.

“On top of being a complete slob, you lack any form of manners and it’s amazing you progressed through life so far that age causes you to bald. You can’t get more ale so you whine and moan then you grab a lady you feel is far weaker than you but yet you still can’t get sex even if you were paying. You smell worse than any pigskin and one would think you just blew a big one in your oversized adult diaper. It’s amazing disease hasn’t claimed your pitiful life by now. On top of it you are so ugly that when placed next to common plains Giant you would make him the winner of a beauty pageant by default. You’re warty face makes you look like a spider has laid her eggs all over them and they appear fit to burst. Even worse your weapon is so pitiful it’s like you found it in the forest and glue some spare shrapnel to them, so very pathetic.” Her multi-colored eyes barely glanced at him while she looked over at his so called men. “Hide armor? One can barely classify what you so called men wear as armor, it barely covers anything a tavern maid wears more clothing. It’s amazing the cold weather hasn’t caused what you deem your precious gems to fall clean off”

“Yer lucky yew be a purty one, ruther then kut yer mouth cleen off I rekkun eet be put to bettur use.” Ogrulf spoke and he came closer to this mysterious silver-lipped vixen.

“You come any closer and neither you or your so called boys can ever call themselves men again.” She stated while displaying quick prowess with a very fancy dagger that looked like it was made of pure silver yet had diamonds, rubies and a few emeralds engraved into the hilt. The dagger looked more ceremonial than anything feasible as a weapon. It was also thin and very sharp and in terms of appearance put even the elven and glass daggers to shame.

Ogrulf briefly took his eyes from this strange disrespectful hooded female to look at her fancy dagger, “En I be taken that there purty nife of yers, could fetch a purty price round these parts I rekkun.” And with that he charged like a rapid raging lunatic. He swung his sad little wooden club much like a toddler swings one of their toys. His fighting style was exceedingly sloppy. His boys quickly backed their boss up some of them using weapons far better than their boss. One, who was dressed in leather armor carried a nice steel sword that the silver lipped woman could tell could do significantly more damage than the wooden club. The thrust from his sword was enough to make a clean cut through a large stone Flagon when it missed the hooded girl. However it did get partially stuck in the wooden table which allowed her to hit him with a needle laced with a paralyzing sleeping potion which took him out of the fight.

Because 2 of the 6 minions of Ogrulf were too focused on her, they didn’t see their buddy knocked unconscious by the hooded girl and they tripped over him and fell, slamming into another table this one having a bowl of fresh cabbages in it. The bowl tipped over and the cabbages rolled off hitting 1 of the thugs where it hurts most, in the nuts. The other thug got hit by a cabbage on a pressure point to the right of his jugular vein, temporarily making him grasp for air before rendering him too unconscious. The nimble cloaked girl was quick to dart these two with her fine needles which resembled hair clasps that most non-Nord female fancy nobles would place in their hair. This left 3 minions and Ogrulf himself left standing.

Believing that the four of them cornered the mysterious girl with the silver lips between the inner stone walls of the Banned Mare, in its side kitchen between its cooking spit and the food prep table, Ogrulf ordered 2 of his men one with a red Mohawk and the other with a blue goatee to go one way using his arms and nodding while his buddy with a buzzed cut tried to strategically place themselves between the doorway to the buildings main room and the side door. “Looks like yer outta room gurlee, best giv up now, an ey promise yew tat puunishmant will be quick nut slow!” He smiled reveiling very disgusting teeth.

Her multicolored eyes showed little to no emotion save for the dagger she pulled out of its sheath. “I’m so sorry my dear it looks like I have to sully you, do not worry I shall clean you and make sure your edge is sharp by the end of the day.” And with that she kissed the tip of the dagger’s tang while holding on to the hilt. Without even looking at the buzz cut thug, she threw the dagger and it ended up impalling buzz-cut man’s hand to the wall before unleashing its shock and light enchantment, causing the electrified thug to glow, a fair warning that this particular dagger is not to be confused with a typical “ornamental” useless dagger.

Ogrulf swung his useless wooden mace however the silver lipped girl leaped up and was able to do a triple flip in mid air by tucking her legs to her body and holding them with her arms. She landed on a set of stone mugs balancing herself with just the tips of her big toes. Then much like a flamingo of warmer, wetter lands, she lifted one knee up and spread her fingers before fiddling with what seemed like nothing. “You two should duck” And she proceeded to do a long pulling motion. The 3 bandits that she previously stuck with those paralyzing needles actually had near invisible strong line to them and they were pulled with the string.

She immediately jumped and swung horizontally across one of the thick cast iron bars belonging to the cooking spit in order to avoid the 3 bandit bodies that came flying through the door way knocking red Mohawk and blue goatee to the floor leaving only Ogrulf, spitting with rage as that of a tired bull who couldn’t swat an annoying bee of his nose. He failed to realize that she had hit him with 3 paralyzing needles after having hit the remainder of his men with them. His adrenaline alone was countering the affect the poison was having.

For the first time she was actually impressed with something about this disgusting ogre of a man, and his name didn’t help this generalization either. Not many can resist the poison, it wouldn’t matter though. Due to his consecutive drinking day after day and being consistently lazy and having no disregard for his personal looks but believes all the ladies he wishes to bed must be gorgeous, he also has very little stamina to keep up the adrenaline for any length of time. The problem was is the building they were currently occupying as well as the amount of people in it made fighting very difficult in the tiny quarters. Nope she would have to use something different.

While she was considering her options, Olgrulf reached for the dagger she had previously threw that paralyzed one of his men. He never got within arm’s reach of it. Using the similar strong line, she pulled her precious dagger back to her. “Poor Samantha, how dare you come near her” and she paused fighting to wipe the blade clean of the blood with a soft non scratch cloth that one would make a baby blanket out of.

“YEW STOOPID B-“ He never got a chance to finish that all too pitiful derogative sentence. In the middle of charging her again, Olgrulf slipped over one of the fallen dishes and it sent him flying so he landed face first into the stone wall just right of the doorway leading into the main room where the silver lipped girl was standing.

She casually walked over to the counter where Hulda and Saadia were standing. Now that the thugs were unconscious and on the floor Hulda felt a bit brave. She began scolding the silver lipped girl for the giant mess but the silver lipped girl simply dropped a huge coin purse full of many septims. Regardless Hulda, being a typical Nord, began making racial comments “Most of us would call someone we regard with suspicion as being a milk drinker, in your case you looked like you were bathed in it.”

Without even flinching the silver lipped girl looked upon Hulda with those strange, beautiful multi-colored eyes. “A simple thank you would suffice though…” She said looking upon the damages “How are you going to describe yourself when the guards walk in, you –DID- say a bunch of men were being disruptive and needed to be handled to guards correct? I see no such thing” Hulda first looked confused then was about to make another comment, typical of cowards that don’t contribute to the fight and yap at those who have saved them though not without damages, quickly replaced that scoffed look with one of utter shock.

The poison used on those needles was no ordinary poison. For it changed all of the thugs genders to female but not only that altered their appearance to make them all attractive. In the case of Olgrulf, his new appearance was that of one very attractive orc one whose lips could close over the teeth and resemble almost high elfish but with a greenish tint skin and buff muscles. The idea of this poison was to make male rapists become very attractive females so they may experience the same pain they have inflicted unto women yet unto themselves with all the pain that brings from being ridiculed form a pregnancy forced upon them by the act which leads them to being segregated and ridiculed, labeled as a prostitute and all the names following.

The poison was secretly developed by members of the silver lipped girl’s race who secretly disguised themselves as members of the main human and elven races during the Alessian Rebellian of the first century. It was designed to make those horrible male Aldmeri overlords feel the same pain they inflicted onto the servant girls unto themselves. At the time there was no cure, however following an accumulation of knowledge of members of the silver lipped girls home, one was made in later years and both the recipe of the poison and the cure are guarded as a close secret.

In short the thugs were female now. This was when the Whiterun guard finally stormed in to find out about the commotion. Took them long enough despite the fact the fight itself lasted just short of five minutes yet the initial verbal assaults as well as the attack on Saadia lasted a good time before.

When questioned by the guards, some of the regulars tried fabricated their own version of events trying to make them the heroes. However each of their stories were centered around the thugs being a gang of males that were causing trouble. The unconscious 7 on the floor, 1 leader 6 minions, were all female though and none of them could explain it. However they all pointed to the mysterious cloaked silver lipped girl with the multi-colored eyes.

The guards approached her then especially with Hulda’s thankless pestering that the color of the girls skin alone was abnormal and that she had something to do with the whole thing.

Just then members of the Companions entered the Banned Mare. The sound of a very interesting fight attracted them, as well with several guards storming the place. Along with a very attractive, rugged long hair man named Farkas and his equally attractive brother Vilkas. With them walked in a rugged woman dressed in ancient nord armor and is considered deadly with a bow. Aela was soon followed by an odd small breasted nord with autumn red leaves colored hair and light freckles.

“Dovahkin,” Stated the silver lipped woman the newest member of the companions, “I have been waiting a long time to finally meet you.”

~~To be continued~~

The female Nord with the hair of autumn leaves looked upon this strange elven-ish woman and raised an eyebrow. Her companions stood in front of her protectively, quick to not trust a strange looking elf.

“You do not smell like anyone I have met and your clothes are beyond strange” Aela half growled.

“You mentioned Dovahkin, there hasn’t been a dragon blood since Martin Septim sacrificed himself 200 years ago to stop the Oblivion Crisis” Vilkas spoke, the smarter of the two twin brothers.

Before any of the companions could speak the silver lipped elven woman spoke “Vilkas and Farkas, my you two have grown and become exceptionally handsome human males.” In front of their eyes she took her bloodied dagger and wiped it with a soft, embroidered silken cloth she took out from her odd and intricate robed-armor. “Please before you two say anything else, I wish to speak with Kodlak. For there is much to disguss, especially since I caught you before you have absorbed your first dragon soul.” She then went over the bodies and through the kitchen to leave out the side door with the quad of companion nords following close behind.

Farkas moved a bit faster than usual, faster than Aela. He caught up to her just as she reached the gaint doors of Jorrvaskr. “Aela’s right, you smell funny, and you know a lot for a stranger.” He said this while being so close he was somewhat pinning her between him and the door.

“And you smell like a wet dog. You would be a much cuter puppy should you take a bath for a change.” She said and quickly slipped inside the mead hall of the companions. She whisked past the younger members of the companions, made easier since Athis and Njada were in another duel. Her cloaked figure did get the notice of a pair of old wrinkly eyes belonging to that of Vignar Grey-Mane. He watched her lithe form hop over the railing and go towards the basement. He also watched her being followed closely by Aela, the twins, and the new whelp.

“It can’t be” he said to himself, and walked after the group.

….

Down below Kodlak was in the midst of an argument with Skjor. Lately Kodlak, known as the harbinger, had dreams and desires of ridding himself of his wolf blood. Kodlak had long earned the honour of that position as well as the respect that went naturally with it. Kodlak, like most of the circle, was a werewolf and had been so for a very long time. In his older age though, he grew wearier especially after contracting the Rot. In the past year he increased his search for a cure from Hircine’s curse.

“I’m telling you there is no better glory than the hunt, the increased sense in smell, the feel of your prey being shredded by your claws. Why do you insist on giving that up?” Skjor went on, in yet another futile attempt to convince Kodlak to cease his desire of curing himself of Lycanthropy.

“While I do not deny the temptation that comes with this, I do yearn for a better death of where my soul can rest. I long for the halls of Ysgramor, not the forest of Hircine.” Kodlak stated.

“You were always a truly honorable man, tis rare to find that in a Nord. If Sovngarde is what you seek, then I know you shall find a way to enter its golden gates” Both men turned to face the silver lipped woman who finally removed her hood to expose her long violet-silver hair and really pale skin. She moved her flowing locks away from her elven ears, the tips landing in long fur-like hairs that matched the color of her hair. “It’s been a long time Kodlak. Hello Skjor” She gave a half hesitant smile.

“Aelein…” Kodlak shifted in his chair to get a better look at the pale elf he had half hoped not to see again, “I thought you had returned home, or wherever that is for you”

“I thought the wilds would of claimed you long ago” Skjor snarled.

“I grew up in the wilds, Skjor. You should be thankful that the years passed have allowed many to forget how you were found in the first place.”

By this time Aela, Farkas, Vilkas, and Andrea whom Aelein had previously referred to as Dovahkin, had caught up to the elf.

Vilkas eyes widened a bit as the site of her stirred up a memory, a vague and not very clear memory. He almost missed Aela walking past him in a somewhat rush.

“You know this one, harbringer?” Aela looked confused, “Her scent is unknown to me.”

“Aye child, this was before your time…” Kodlak started only to be interrupted by Vignar who just then came into the room,

“Aye most of you were naught but pups. Twas before the war too” He approached and gave a grand big smile for Aelein, “Hello Aelein.”

“Vignar…time has not been kind to you” She said with a look of disgust and then threw him a pouch that contained a small, old Cyrodillic-like whine bottle filled with a blueish liquid. “Heh, I’ll leave you all to get reacquainted, I’m going to go enjoy this now.”

Andrea as well as the younger circle members looked all a bit confused. “Is he skipping?” Farkas cocked his head curiously, never seeing the old man that exited about anything before.

“He never grew up I see” Aelein frowned.

“Just what was in that bottle?” Asked Vilkas, “Smelled like ale, but the color is not any I have seen before”

“It’s a really strong liquer” Skjor stated, “Many of the previous companions would fight over it. Her people make it, really strong and really good. However,” he clenched his fist tightly “Not one of us were able to recreat it in any of the breweries”

Aelein turned her attention to Skjor “I told you long ago, no Nord will be able to make it. Out of any human I have met only two have ever come close. Brother and sister, one a pure vinter the other a cross between an Alchemist and a Vinter. However their 399 is still truly a wonder. Both redguards though, amazing.”

“Why are you here?” Kodlak asked plainly. Though he did have a sense of distrust, he also knew whenever she showed up she always seem to arrive with strange news and it was usually not very good. “You told us long ago you wouldn’t be able to return until…”

“The twins are grown and the dragonborn comes.” Aelein finished while polishing her dagger. She then looked at Andrea, “Her to be precise, but it seems as I have arrived slightly early.”

Kodlak looked to at the new whelp he had just allowed into the Companions not more than 2 hours ago. After a quick spare match and some brief introductions, as well as having the younger Circle take care of tours and what not, he had sent them over to The banned Mare after receiving reports of trouble. He then widend his eyes a bit and then realized that the spark he saw in the whelp’s eyes was a power soon to be releasing itself as the destiny to do so drew very close. He grew a bit sad when next he looked at Aelein. He noticed the forlorn look on her face when she looked down the hall towards Jergen’s old room, which was now being used by both Farkas and Vilkas. Kodlak wanted to comment on this but knew he should hold it until the twins weren’t within earshot.

Aelein noticed this too and instead approached Kodlak pullying out a leather bound journal tied with a small leather strip and handed it to Kodlak.

“What’s this?” He asked opening it. His eyes widened in shock a little when he read some of the first lines before quickly looking up at her. She was now standing over him and leaned in to his ear and whispered low enough so the twins couldn’t hear “Please, consider it a payment for helping raise them, the twins” she then looked at the two twins and smiled. You could almost visibly see Vilkas’s human “fur” ruffle while Farkas cocked a confused eybrow and tilted his head.

“I need to head to Dragonsreach,” stated Andrea, “Alvor asked me to speak to the Jarl on his behalf, It’s the least I can do after he gave me food and a bed to rest in” She stated to Kodlak, he nodded in agreement.

“I’ll go with you, I think you are going to require my aid.” Offered Aeliein, “Besides, I’m sure you three half a lot of questions for your elders.” Aela glared at Aelein and looked upon the elf with the most suspicion. And with that the elf followed Andrea out of the room.

…

While on the way to Dragonsreach despite Andrea’s protests about her following, Aelein was quick to cloak herself up once more. She was quick to put on some gold color paint so that she resembled an altmer. In the process, she added a bit more color to the most visible parts of her hair.

Andrea cocked an eyebrow and without even looking at the newest companion, Aelein spoke. “The elder companions are the only ones who know my secret outside of my clan. However I know theirs to. The world thinks the Nords killed off all of us and what were left were changed. However there were those of us that survived and evolved. I can freely tell you this because you will eventually be joining me, going there. After such a long time, my exile may now be over.”

…

“Exile?” Even Vilkas, known as the brains of the twins, was confused.

“Indeed. She was exiled from her clan, which she described to us of mostly magic users, magic that the majority of Tamriel forgot. Magic that attracted the Psjiic Order, more powerful than the Aldmeri Dominion.” Kodlak began.

“However they are no ordinary mages. They are not weak.” Skjor spoke, “We would of kept it a secret from you had she not came back.”

“Agreed, they are not weak at all.” Kodlak had a worried look in eye that bothered even Aela, “Their primary patron is Kynareth, and they honor all of the nine divines. Not one of them worships daedra.”

“But what are they? She was no ordinary elf. Too pale for a dark elf, too tall and fair for a wood elf, and too white for a high elf…” Farkas stated

…

“We are Snow Elves and human Akaviri that turned from our original ways and views. We changed and evolved, rather quickly with the passing of time. We became an entirely different race. Not simply like the Bretons, the man-mer. Not all of us were killed by Ysgramor, the betrayer and demon of Altmora, nor did all the survivors become the Falmer.” Aelein spoke

“The snow elves died out long ago! And the human Akaviri were all eaten by the snake people!”

“In a sense that is true however some of the pure-blood mother race survive to this day. I am only generation 3, and 550 years old. When I say we evolved, we evolved. We age far slower than other elves. Some of us are blessed to retain the knowledge of the past and prepare for the future, those are chosen directly by Kynareth and Akatosh. They no longer age after their blessing, and like dragons become frozen in time, forever to ride its currents.”

…

“Dovahmer. Dragon Elves.” Kodlak stated plainly.

“DEMON OF ALTMORA?!” Aela loudly exclaimed, barely able to hear the rest, “HOW DARE SHE SPEAK OF OUR FOUNDER, HONOURABLE YSGRAMOR, OUR PATRON IN SUCH A WAY!!”

“And Wuuthrad?” Vilkas asked. For the weapon was used by Ysgramor himself in killing the Snow elves. Yet today it was in pieces and the companions mission to find all the pieces so it could eventually be restored.

“Destroyed by them,” Skjor stated and at the same time punching the nearby wall, “During the Oblivion Crisis, Before Martin Septim’s sacrifice. And then spread all over Skyrim.”

Before the angry young circle members could respond, Kodlak spoke again.

“Aelein was not part of that group. She does, however, know who was and who lead them. I saw the truth in her eyes when we confronted her about it shortly after realizing her secret. She said if we could defeat her in combat, no matter what form we took or how we did it, she would tell us.”

Skjor then continued, “It was the only battle up until this point in time that I saw Kodlak loose. We all lost, even in the form of Hircine’s children.”

“Heh, a pitiful snow elf? We can beat her…” Began Farkas, but was cut by Kodlak.

“DRAGON Elf” Kodlak said with emphasis on ‘dragon’ “She became one of them, and showed us a form of Kynareth that the Nords shunned off long ago back when many more of us suffered the curse of Machoism.”

“You expect us to believe she turned into a dragon, a thing of legend?” Scoffed Aela, who despite the fact she and everyone else harbored respect for Kodlak the thought of a snow elf alive AND with the ability to become a beast of legend was just maddening to comprehend.

“Long ago we both thought that, but then they returned. The dragons have returned. Helgen was lost to a big black one…” Skjor spoke.

…

“Alduin..” Aelein spoke, “World eater, scourge of Sovnguarde, devourer of the living and the mortal dead. His refuge, Sovnguarde, the one place of Aetherius reserved almost solely for the Nords.”

“Almost solely?” Asked Andrea.

“Dragonborns have always been the exception and they were almost always Imperial, though the very first was Nedic. Blessed Alessia first of the dragonborn, brief mistress of Akatosh and the one who introduced the eight divines, now nine, to the world. She was forgotten by the Nords who even butchered the dovah speech to exclude important women throughout history. Not even Kynareth, who gave mortal kind the gift of the voice, was exempt from their feminine purge.”

With that description both Andrea and Aelein stopped in front of the large double doors leading to Dragonsreach home of Jarl Balgruuf the Greater. “I have said too much for now, Dovahkin. I shall wait for you here, the quest you receive here will be one of your most important. Please hurry.”

And with that she jumped the wooden fench that kept most from falling into the small pond kept on the exterior of Dragonsreach. Andrea opened the doors and went inside.

Aelein then took a few, brief moments of quiet meditative peace while she washed her silver jeweled dagger in the water…

End of Chapter 2.

“My dear Samantha, we must take you to a grindstone to be sharpened soon.” Aelein spoke silently to herself while drying off her silver gemmed dagger. After drying off her silver dagger, she took out a really fancy large circular locket that fit in her entire palm. Truly the work of a master artisan, the locket was made with mostly silver and had a center inner circle that was made of gold. In the very center was a rather large flawless diamond. Around the diamonds in the golden circle were eight smaller round circle gems in an alternating pattern of Sapphires and Amethysts. On the outer, silver ring, another set of gems. Once more eight gems but this time they were in an oblong shapes and alternating between Emerald and Rubies. If you looked at the locket the same way you were to look at a clock or sundial, the Emeralds were in the 12 3 6 and 9 positions and were larger than the rubies where were in the 10.5 - 1.5 - 4.5 and 7.5 positions. On the tail end of the locket was a clip that allowed the locket to open or close but it had to be open a certain way. The top end of the locket held an even fancier assortment of gems that attached to a golden ring that held the silver chain. The gems were fashioned like a flower. The center gem was a amethyst in the shape of a sphere. To its left and right were a set of cylindrical cut emeralds. The whole piece glew brilliantly, like a royal crown but fit inside the palm of one’s hand.

A set of brown eyes immediately spotted the beautiful piece of artistry. His eyes were only distinguishable from his skin as they were a lighter shade of brown. He was exceptionally dark for a Redguard and he wore the Nord’s taste in hideous Noble clothing. He had some brown fancy linens with a long light brown quilted coat wrapped around his shirt and pants. On his feet he wore boiled leather shoes. He adorned himself in the finest silver and gold jewelry he could find and afford.

Aelein barely paid him any attention, to her he was just another human noble. Human Nobles were unlike elven nobles and vampiric nobles. Human nobles didn’t live long and most felt the world owed them. The ones in Skyrim, namely the lesser nobles, tended to be the most annoying. But Nazeem wasn’t like other nobles. He felt entitled to everything short of the Jarl’s palace and position ever since he made a little money through owning a farm. The amount of money he made wasn’t enough to cover his self-entitled pampering so he took money meant for saving up for a good house and clothing equivalent for his wife whom he treated like crap. In the end his wife wore rags and befitting a peasant not even a working class while he spent everything on himself.

Nazeem decided he wanted Aelein’s locket. Because Aelein, despite her current appearance resembled a High elf, was an elf Nazeem felt as though the guards would take his side due to the war commonly blamed on all high elves. And with that…

“GUARDS! GUARDS! THEIF! THEIF!” Squacked the self-entitled Redguard. When the guards came up wondering what was going on he continued to squack “SHE STOLE MY LOCKET I DEMAND YOU GET IT BACK FOR I AM THE JARL’S PERSONAL ADVISOR!”

“What an annoying little liar” Aelein spat, “Why would I steal my own family heirloom?” She got up and glared at the annoying Redguard.

“Please,” Stated Nazeem, eager to get that locket for himself, “You elves took skyrim from the Nords, you’ll steal anything, even mighty Talos!”

“Yeah He’s right, you high elves think you’re so high, you took our son of Skyrim from us!” Stated one guard.

“Yah, she’s probably lying about the locket too!” As guard number two said that both him and guard number one approached Aelein.

“LEAVE.HER.ALONE!” The guards and Nazeem looked towards the booming voice which came from Farkas bounding up the steps. Following close behind was his brother Vilkas.

“Companions!” Both guards nodded to the twin brothers in respect. “We were just about to deal with this theif” They spat at Aelein.

Both Farkas and Vilkas easily recognized the murderous look in her eyes, they didn’t remove themselves from Nazeem’s lying frame. Both Farkas and Vilkas slightly shuttered after hearing the short, yet important tale from Kodlak who seemed to still be holding quite a bit of information back.

“That’s right” Nazem sassed and put his lef arm at his hip and pointed towards Aelein, who was now clenching her fist angrily. “She stole my locket” He had his nose stuck up in the air, yet theoretically it was very far up his rear end. “I shall give you two a reward for getting it back to me” He kept up the lie.

Even Farkas, who was renowned for being slow, could sniff out this lie. Before Aelein could say anything more Vilkas spoke up. “This woman is no thief for she is a Companion!”

“Boys what are you doing?” Aelein asked when Farkas was helping her up to the Bridge.

“Poppycock! Everyone knows your newest member is that Nord lass from Cyrodil.” Nazeem stated, slightly taken aback that 2 of the Companions strongest came to the elf’s aid.

“My brother means from 35 years ago” And with that Farkas took a protective stance in front of Aelein.

“I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself” Aelein spoke, feeling a mixture of confusion as to why these two became suddenly protective of her when not more than an hour ago they were beyond suspicious and hostile and the sense of annoyance because she felt that these two males mistook her for a standard damsel in distress.

“We protect our own,” Vilkas stated, also taking a protective stance in front of Aelein “By the way what is this about?” and he looked at her.

“He wants my locket, a family heirloom and the only thing my family has left of my Grand-Uncle.” Aelein stated and held the locket protectively to her chest.

“Liar! It’s mine! She stole it from me!” Nazeem continued to croak.

Yet the guards were now unsure. “She’s from the companions, they have never stolen from us” and both guards nodded. “How come Kodlak has never spoken of her? We trust you companions but she is an elf!” They both stated.

“It was five years before the great war” Aelein stated with an overwhelming headache. She was reminded why she detested human settlements so much

“I have an idea,” Vilkas whispered to Aelein, “But I’ll need your locket”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he won’t steal it” Stated Farkas.

Aelein hesitantly gave it to Vilkas. “You better not.”

“Ah now that’s settled, hand it over.” Nazeem stated walking towards Vilkas. “And guards while you’re at it, throw that piece of elven trash in the dungeon!”

“Hold it right there.” Vilkas stated, stopping Nazeem in his tracks. “If you’re the rightful owner surely you can explain what this locket looks like.”

“And when exactly she stole it from you” Farkas added.
Nazeem was taken aback but tried to keep up his lie. The guards nodded to each other thinking this was a fair statement.

“Yes you didn’t even explain to us what this locket looks like” The guards spoke.

“She stole it from me one hour before the commotion in The Banned Mare. With all the ruckus she proved difficult to find. I thought she had left the city. But on my daily walk to the Cloud district to advise the Jarl on important political matters, I find her washing away her crime in the Jarl’s pond.” Nazeem lied. Nobles, especially minor ones, tend to be rather good at that.

“You still didn’t describe to us what the locket looks like” Farkas half barked.

“I was getting to that, mind you. Patience is a virtue” Nazeem stated.

“And silence is golden.” Aelein stated under her breathe. Farkas and Vilkas could hear the preditor stir within her.

“It’s a silver locket you see, been in MY family for generations. It is adorned in all these fancy gems with a long silver chain.” He stated beginning to move closer.

“Oh if it’s been in your family that long then why don’t you tell us what’s inside of it” Aelein stated. Farkas and Vilkas both looked at her confused.

Nazeem stopped momentarily. “Why it’s broken, havn’t been able to open it for years really. It was passed down from my father you see. Been hoping to catch Eorland on a good day so he could fix it” And he started coming closer again.

Aelein whispered to Vilkas “To open it you merely move the clip to the left on the bottom there” and she pointed, Vilkas nodded. And with that she spoke up “There are two pictures in there. The top one is of My grandmother and her brother and sister, my Granduncle and Grandaunt. The bottom picture is of me 35 years ago with the man who worked very hard to win my heart and trust.”

Vilkas then moved the switch to the left just like Aelein had said. His eyes opened widely as he stared in shock. Farkas looked over too see what could make his brother go wide bug eyed and even his jaw almost hit the floor.

“Oh would you look at that, you fixed it for me” Nazeem stated, trying get himself out of the lie. The guards were immiedtly suspicious when they saw the locket open and Nazeem’s lies began to unravel.

Nazeem tried to grab the locket from Vilkas’ hand which would of resulted in Aelein loosing all patience and killing the man right then and there but instead Vilkas took care of the problem.

A loud crack was heard as Vilkas punched Nazeem directly in the face and sent him flying back. “You lying filthy piece of cow dung!” Vilkas and Farkas were both beyond irate with the pathetic little man. Vilkas gave the locket back to Aelein, who quickly closed it and hid it in a pocket within her robes.

“How dare you hit me!” Nazeem stated as he tried to get back on his feet. The guards came over to help him up, “Guards I demand you throw them all into the dungeon!”

“Shut up Nazeem! The only reason why we don’t throw you in the dungeon for waisting our time is because we are required to give only 1 warning to nobles even ones who live out of a tavern.” And the guards escorted him back to the Drunken huntsman. Before they left they nodded in their apologies to the twin brothers.

“He will die for that.” Aelein stated, “I do not forgive something like that.”

The twins were in a bit of an angry shock. Angry at Nazeem, and even angrier that Kodlak made no mention of this.

“You knew our father” Farkas stated and looked directly into Aelein’s eyes.

“Yes.” Aelein stated. “Many years ago”

“He disappeared when we were but lads” Vilkas stated. The picture brought pain to both the young men’s faces.

“I was already gone by then.” Aelein said, she too had a look of pain in her eyes.

“You never even looked for him?” Farkas asked, of the two he loved his adopted dad so much. Vilkas tried to hide the pain away though. Vilkas felt betrayed but Farkas was left confused. Both had questions.

“He chased me away.” Aelein stated, “In fact it was him that lead the Companions to attack me once he found out what I am, who I am”

“But the picture in the locket, has you and him in it. You were already…”

“White, yes. He was under the impression I was an albino high elf. They all were actually.”

“They?” Vilkas asked.

“Jergen wasn’t the only one vying for my attention. Kodlak and Skjor were too. And to an even more annoying extent, Vignar.” When she said Vignar’s name she shivered as he creeped her out the most. “Jergen was just the most persistant. Too persistant” Both brothers watched a tear come down her eyes.

“You didn’t come for the companions…” Vilkas stated.

“No. I came because when I was exiled I knew I had to make my way here, to the place where Wuuthrad was taken and destroyed into many pieces during the Oblivion Crisis. I came here because I knew I would have to find two boys, one of them in particular who would vouch for and drag the last known dragonborn into the Companions when the time was right.” Aelein looked at Farkas when she stated the last line.

Farkas and Vilkas looked at her in partial disbelief. “I arrived early though. Those boys were not yet born. My clan knows things many should not know, for if the wrong people were to have that knowledge they would be more powerful and more dangerous than the Thalmor are now known. Your father, Jergen, decided that he didn’t want to leave me alone” She then took the look of an annoyed girl. “He hassled me every single day. Determined to hunt and run with me. He was also more determined to get me to join the Companions. However I refused that every time.”

Vilkas and Farkas looked at her, part shocked part angry and part confused. “I, like many of my clan, HATE YSGRAMOR. Demon of Altmora. Murderer and rapist of women and children.” Aelein had anger in her eyes and clenched her fists tightly. “Your ancestors were little more than parasites. We helped them survive here, then some of their own cause trouble with us. They use that as an excuse to murder us in the thousands, take our homes destroy our ancient cities. They drove many underground for them to become mutilated by the dwarves. And worst of all, they killed my Granduncle, a last source of hope for my people. As if taking his body from us and hiding it in an unmarked half dugged burrow wasn’t enough only to allow it to be robbed and destroyed the moment he died and his sons took over, they also stole something from his body. Something up until 35 years ago we thought was lost.” Tears came down her face. Before the twins could say or do anything more she continued, “Your people know him more as ‘The Snow Prince’. Despite his strong bond with my Grandmother and my Grandaunt, he didn’t listen to their warnings he wanted to fight for his land. And he would of succeeded to had he not killed the wrong Blacksmith who brought her 12 year old daughter, Finna to the battle that day. 12 year old little Nordic girl kills a member of my family and a leader of our people, yet you reaped the rewards and forgot all about her. She never lived to see her 18th birthday. We wanted something to honor him by and we wanted the one thing that truly belongs to us, to my family. We thought she had it.”

“The locket.” Farkas stated.

“Yes.” Aelein continued. “I wasn’t born yet you see. But my Grandmother, who still lives, she sent out a small but very effective party. Some of those members still live to this day.”

Vilkas shifted uncomfortably. He could see the hatred of the Nords in her eyes, and of Ysgramor in particular. “We knew the locket would not be on his body. As you can see it’s too valuable. Whoever took it kept it a secret and hid it so well. We thought the girl had it as she was closest to him, my Granduncle. His name was Patherion, prince of my people much like a High King is to you. But his presence along commands more respect, more honor than any of your High Kings had in a long while.”

“The girl, Finna…” Vilkas began

“We murdered her and her entire village. Because of what she did on the battlefield, her status from Blacksmith went to Noble. She was given a clan, a house despite being young and not 18 yet and the village was named in her Honor…” Aelein took a sigh “Finnavoria”

“Never heard of it” Farkas said bluntly.

“You know it now as Falkreath, we named it that. It’s snow elvish, it means ‘In death you repay, your home and your worldly possessions to rot away’ You can understand why the Scholars have kept the translation out, even the Nords who knew our language at the time. In short, Falkreath means ‘The place of death’”

Farkas and Vilkas Both looked at her at to the ground in silence. None took noticed to Andrea, who had just come out shortly before Aelein began this history of the past. “We wanted to leave the children alone, but knew with so many of us killed and raped by Ysgramor only for them to burn the evidence away leaving us with nothing to bury nothing to honor our dead, the children they died too. We did leave the children’s bodies mostly alone though. When the party my Grandmother sent killed the entire village we dressed the children as to what our young would look like. Using our own clothes, the party brought them along because they were going to kill this village and then continue on to our new home specified by my Grandmother. They dressed the children up in the snow elven clothes and added cute ear pieces, ear muffs, in the shape of elven ears and then put wigs on them. They also put some of salvaged burnt and broken toys from the children taken from us and added them to your nord children’s bodies.”

Aelein paused and continued. “The adults and young adults weren’t so fortunate. We stabbed metal rods into their heads where their ears were and we added green leaves to them in the shape of elf ears. We then impaled all of their bodies on stake. On their garments we embroidered the words ‘Fel eilto na riven alos fal’ which roughly translates to ‘At least we give you the bodies of your dead, but not before we remind you of what you took from us’”

Aelein then noticed Andrea, who came and stood beside Farkas and continued to listen to Aelein. “She looked a lot like you Dovahkin,” Aelein said but then continued “We found out she was engaged to Ysgramor’s most favored son, who also was there and he too was killed. Ysgramor was still alive at this point in time so the party knew he would send a contingent at some point in time. On a note found neaby him we learned of a stone that Ysgramor gave his favored sons, those who proved themselves in battle and what not. He called it “The Seeker’s Stone” meant to seek out Wuuthrad in case of Ysgramor’s death and the weapon fell in to the wrong hands. We took that stone and the note, in his very handwriting which we still have preserved to this day. But we left him in the worst state. I’m told they carefully separated him and cut out his torso, replacing it with a replica of Wuuthrad, namely the elven place holding the weapon’s “blades” as you say. They also castrated him and threw that muscle into the river, the same river where they chopped up Finna’s body into many pieces and fed them to the slaughterfish. That river has dried up considerably since then. We did leave a note near the son’s body. We wrote it in their language not ours that time. ‘You killed someone of great honor and respect to us, and hid his body from us. You stole something of great culture value to us. Now we took Finna, whose body you’ll never find, and we took your son on top of slaying this village. We also took the stone you gave to your son. May the name Falkreath forever remind you of what you took from us in greed and in lust. For this place will go down in history as a place of death.’”

“Why did we never know this, no history book known has this information in it.” Andrea spoke, the only brave one of the trio.

“Because we left nothing for them to track us down with, Andrea, we were already long gone. That party made it back to our home with no one killed. Ysgramor sent out many to avenge his son’s death and Finna’s, yet none were successful and they kept the name hoping for answers. No elf trusted him or the nords of that day though. Survivors of that party that destroyed Finnavoria and renamed it Falkreath also gathered a few more members. 200 years ago that party took Wuuthrad and shattered it into many pieces. It was seen as an act of great honor to us and great embarrestment to the Companions. We knew where to find it as we had the stone. That stone was given to me upon my exile; I was to follow it to a particular powerful shard, the hilt of Wuuthrad itself which is in Kodlak’s room.”

Andrea tilted her head a bit, most of her scholarship came in learning in Cyrodil before she came to Skyrim, “Something tells me you knew about the Oblivion Crisis before the whole world did”

“Yes, indeed we did. Our whole clan knew. For you see our clan is strong, stronger than Orcs. We don’t worship Deadra, we worship only the Nine Divines. Holy Kynareth our mother and her husband Akatosh take favor on us. Outside of Whiterun, we are the only known place in Tamriel to have a full Shrine to her, ‘The Grove’. Because of what we achieved and evolved into, we attracted many Daedra. Mehrunes Dagon is quite possibly the worst and more annoying than Sheogorath. Even Daedric princes need to practice their ‘toys’ especially when they plan to form a full on invasion even with the help of The Mythic Dawn. He chose us. We closed 2 great gates and many smaller gates. We have the remnants of one of the siege crawlers, this was the machine used to destroy Kvatch in Cyrodil in 3E 399. However he only got to destroy on teeny tiny farm started by the dark elven family ‘Sateenve’ They didn’t like any of the houses in Morrowind and got fed up with the Tribunal. They packed up and left, got lost in the snow where we found them and invited them in to our clan, but they had to follow our rules. They agreed and rather liked their adaption and change. They weren’t in their farm at the time, they were in the city selling wares and buying product as well as general shopping. Mehrunes Dagon summoned the gates there culminating in the great gate which rose up and destroyed the Sateenve’s very home. At that point we went on the attack. We started by killing off his initial wave of dremora and strange daedra including Xivilai’s and massive reptilian like Daedroths. Because of the advancements we have made we were able to quickly find out how to close them. Closing gates at that time was like a “coming of age” it brought great honor and respect. For each gate we closed we saved the sigil stone and added it to what is now known as “The hall of Sigil” glorifying our many accomplishments. It angered Mehrunes Dagon greatly in the process.”

Aelein bent down and touched her hand to the cold, snowy soil. Vilkas, Farkas and Andrea watched in shock as Aelein used a strange magic which warmed the land and suddenly the small area became full of vines, flowers, things you typically see in the warmer parts of skyrim and in cyrodil. “Kynareth taught us many magic that was thought to be lost. We formed a school called creation for the good spells and decay for the bad ones, all routed in the bigger Nature school. When we went into Dagon’s realm, it was full of lava, fire and decaying buildings. His daedra were particularly loathesome to look at, especially at that time. They are a lot better looking now though after seeing a few mages conjure them here in Skyrim over the past 35 years. When he invaded us, we invaded him. We used spells like this creation and began turning each gate we conquered into small beautiful forests filled with pretty pink flowers and we turned his daedra into pretty red elves with flowers in their hair. Upon each tower before we took the sigil stone we would add a giant stone heart. We got rid of all the lava and replaced it with water. In the heart we carved the names of the divines, with Kynareth being the greatest and biggest. Dagon essentially became the equivalent of the candy man to kids. Once he figured out that we weren’t allergic to “his candy” he stopped coming and left. So we followed. It was very fun for us. Not one of our clan was lost to an Oblivion gate.”

If it weren’t for the magic she was demonstrating to the three of them, they wouldn’t of believed her and would see her as being full of crap. “I wasn’t allowed to go far from home at that time, I was very important. So I had to stay behind while many of us went to Skyrim to close down gates, while ignoring the screaming nords in their villages because most couldn’t figure out how to close them. We were more focused on protecting specific Nordic barrows and areas of skyrim from the gates. You will see them soon, they are called Word Walls. We didn’t want Dagon destroying them, despite the fact we found fun and honor in destroying his gates and generally ticking the guy off. Though in doing so we discouraged many daedric princes from messing with us, however not all leave us alone. Sheogorath and Meridia still give us trouble from time to time. Surprisingly of all he did, We don’t view dagon as the worst daedric prince. We view Meredia as the worst. She is a fallen lesser Aedra and her story largly ties in to us, my clan.”

She then looked at the twins “But this is where the tale of Jergen and I come in. Despite the honor and respect I got in my clan, I did something that got me exiled. I can’t explain it to any of you yet, about why I was exiled. But I can tell you that I can only return by bringing the dragonborn to our clan. The divines themselves wish this after you save Skyrim. To prepare for you, Dovahkin, I first had to meet them.” Aelein said while looking at the twins, “I arrived early and Jergen really desired my company. When I told him what I told you three about why we hate Ysgramor and the companions so much, he gave me this locket. His ancestor’s took it from Patherion’s body. In doing so it protected itself by covering itself in a rusted look loosing it’s glam. But his ancestors saw this and still kept it, encouraged to keep it a secret because no one would believe that a locket would curse itself with ugliness for being taken. It was passed down mostly from father to son and sometimes father to daughter or mother to daughter. Eventually it was given to Jorgen, who gave it to me. The moment it touched my hands the rust gave way and its beauty returned. I opened it for the first time in many era’s and saw my grandmother, my grandaunt, and the man I had previously known only through artwork of what we could remember, my Granduncle. Snow prince to you, the Nords, but Patherion ‘prince of us’ to our clan. I cried and Jergen held me for many hours. I didn’t give him the stone right away. That wasn’t until after I lead him to you two” Aelein looked down at her arms. “I used to hold the both of you in my arms,” she looked at Vilkas in particular “When I breast fed you two, something unique to females of our clan even if we don’t have children yet You, Vilkas, would push your brother Farkas out of the way. Farkas, you preferred Jergen more”

Farkas used this to glare at his brother while Vilkas looked stunned with an awkward look to his face, Vilkas wondered if this is why he always seemed to have a higher intelligence than his brother and most other nords he talked to save for the Elders.

“It was a nice quiet time for me. I got to experience a taste of what I always wanted, a family. Kids to raise someone nice, warm and loving to return to and lay in his arms… It went against every principal too. A Nord, a companion and child of Ysgramor, and on top of that a descendant of the thief that stole something of high cultural significance to us. And yet the [&@%!] somehow got me to care for him. Once again my heart got me in trouble. I made the mistake of giving him the stone one day and telling him how to find Wuuthrad. I told him a bit about myself, he didn’t take it so well.”

Aelein was biting her lip and tears streamed down her face as she remembered that day. “I thought maybe my people, my clan were wrong about Nords. And this was before the great war, about a year before. I thought I could let my guard down outside of my clan something which is highly illegal due to the need to keep our secrets. He accused me of being the one that broke Wuuthrad, when I wasn’t even allowed to go far from our city. I know who did though. It resulted in a giant fight, one that both of us would regret. I never wanted to fight him or the companions, and I was so angry and hurt by Jergen’s betrayel. Jergen, I almost killed him. You don’t know what he did to me before that or during the fight. But when I pinned him to that tree, I forced him to change back to human. He saw the tears in my eyes and that’s when he finally showed regret. He knew what he did he could never undo. This picture I have of him was taken, before we met you two. I had to leave you two behind because I knew you two would help the future dragonborn.”

Vilkas then had an epiphany. “Jergen, he was very depressed when last we knew him. He disappeared when we were lads. I think…….I think he was looking for you.”

“I never saw your father again after that night. The companions blamed me for that only to learn later of their mistake. There is still tension there, I only came back to find you Dovakiin, and in all fairness to you two, I don’t want to stay here.” She said with the latter of the sentence being directed to Farkas and Vilkas “I do thank you for your help in saving my locket from that despicable cow pie skinned man. But I would rather not speak of Jergen anymore and I would like to accompany Andrea alone without any of you.”

Andrea nodded. “I will go with you, you were right, the jarl has me on an important mission.”

“It is one of your most important, Dovahkin.” Aelein said. “But before we go I have one thing I need to do” and with that she formed a white ball of magic in her hand and sprayed some powder from a pouch she carried into the magic ball. She then shot it out and it exploded without harming anyone. “Only you, Dovahkin, and the members of the inner circle of the companions are immune to the spell I just cast. Save for Nazeem, it just erased the memory of the past hour it took for me to tell you all of this. In other words I erased the memory which is why I knew I could freely tell you this outside.

Aelein was quick to grab Andrea’s hand, for an elf she certainly was strong enough to drag the slightly bulkier nord forcibly away from the wolf twins. “We’ll be back much later,” Aelein said, “We’re heading off to Bleak Falls Barrow, way up on the mountain overlooking Riverwood.” She knew the twins couldn’t come as they, being circle members, had some duties they needed to attend to. For now she could avoid them.

When they were far from Whiterun and on their way to Bleak Falls Barrow, Andrea decided to question Aelein a bit.

“How did you know about Bleak Falls Barrow? You didn’t follow me inside to learn where I was being sent.” Andrea asked,

“That’s not all I know, I also know.” Aelein stated, “I also know Lucan Valerius and his sister Camilla sent you to the same barrow to retrieve the golden claw”

“And how do you know that?! You weren’t at Riverwood when they asked me to retrieve the golden claw a bunch of bandits stole from them” Andrea came off as a bit demanding. Sure Aelein was old and knew a lot of history, but how could this odd dovahmer know so much?

Aelein was only half listening to Andrea, her skepticism was typical of anyone outside of Zeyelden, especially post-Oblivion Crisis Nords. Instead she was sniffing the air and listening to the trees swaying in the wind. “I’ll answer your questions later, right now this land is telling me that there is a group of Thalmor approaching from the road leading near Riverwood, and the trail we need to reach Bleak Falls Barrow” She then removed her Altmer makeup and looked back at Andrea “I don’t know about you but I worship the nine divines, that includes Talos. Plus I don’t wish to travel along these roads to reach our destination, for it will be much too slow especially given the fact that though the wildlife won’t bother me they will certainly bother you due to viewing you as food.”

“Say what? How do you know all of this, what are you pla…oh my,…” Andrea’s eyes widen and her face held a high level of shock and surprise.

Aelein had shifted into a giant creature that looked like a cross between a fox, a cat and a wolf. Her head was very slender and she had large ears. Her paws were huge and her legs were less muscular than a wolf but a lot stronger than that of a cheetah. She had a long cheetah like tail that ended in a tuft of hair. Her muzzle was long and slender like a wolf’s and her coat of fur resembled that of her hair, save for it having a touch of pinish red and crystal blue. She had the same eyes and looked down upon Andrea. ”Do not be afraid, Dovahkin. Hop on”

Andrea didn’t have much of a choice in the matter as Aelein took her giant muzzle and picked up Andrea then placed the shocked Nord on top of her fur-filled back.

“WHAT SORT OF MAGIC IS THIS?!” Andrea finally somewhat shouted out.

”Long forgotten magic. Ayleids once used it long ago when they worshipped light, water, earth and air. Fire was seen as light’s corruption. Kynareth reminded us of it. Maybe she will allow us to teach it to you some time. But for now you must hold on tight”

“Hold on tight, wait you can’t be se………………aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah” Andrea had to hold on tight and press her full body into Aelein’s fur. Aelein had single jumped the large cliff overlooking the field behind Honeybrew Meadery. It would of taken at least an hour to walk all the way around. Aelein was running so fast that Andrea, for a just a brief moment, saw the rather large group of Thalmor walking on the road from Riverwood with what looked like two stormcloak prisoners. It was so fast if you would of blinked you would of missed it.

Aelein bounced and jumped a lot, the motion build up would of slammed Andrea down hard had she not already been pinning herself to Aelein. The scenery moved so fast it began to cause Andrea to suffer motion sickness. Just when Andrea couldn’t take it anymore, Aelein stopped.

“Couldn’t you….*cough*….become a…..*wheeze*…..horse instead?” Andrea struggled to say while holding her belly trying to keep her lunch inside.

”Skyrim horses are too slow. Besides, we’re here.” Aelein said, Andrea looked up just as Aelein was scanning around the entrance to Bleak Falls Barrow and noticed they weren’t alone. Five bandits each looked up at Aelein’s Fire Rox form in complete shock. ”Looks like we are not alone.”

Andrea jumped down from the creepy elf’s back and then readied her hands only to discover she was feeling rather dizzy. The brief moment of weakness was enough for the bandits to break out of their daze.

“KILL HER!” the head bandit said, “And kill that, whatever that is.” He pointed towards Aelein.

Aelein briefly looked down at Andrea, ”You know, back home, we have competitions where riders prove both their worth and their Fire Rox’s worth by running over large lakes of lava.” she said partially ignoring the bandits for a moment.

“What’s a fire Rox?” Andrea asked getting her composer together.

”It’s the form I’m currently taking. Natural Fire Rox’s are a gorgeous site to behold. Naturally immune to fire and have mostly a flamey orange-yellow coat. Rare coats are a blue flame-white. They can run across lava and water as easily as a Cyrodillic Cheydinhal Black Horse can cross the land. You did well for your first time.”

“I am not going to ride you again.” Andrea stated and blasted a firebolt at the nearest bandit that came charging with a ‘RAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWRGH’ sound.

Aelein ran after two and grabbed one in her giant muzzle only to throw him off the cliff She use dher tale, while turning around, to send him flying into the opposite direction, nearly hitting one of the bandit archers in the process.

”You might have to. For when we go to my clan there are many dangers, lava included. It’s built to prepare for a future invasion. Some of the dangerous obsticles there are natural and have been there for almost as old as the land itself is. Others we have added over the course of many era’s. Some are randomly placed by the Aedra themselves. Fate is one thing you can’t deny, Dovahkin”

A few firebolts and pouncing of Aelein’s current form later, almost all of the bandits had been destroyed. The last one, injured, ran into Bleak Falls Barrow only to be mauled by a skeever running from two other bandits. The skeever got shot with an arrow shortly after killing the cowardly bandit.

Aelein warped back to her elven self, her clothes till intact. Andrea was more surpised that the elf could transform into something so large and fast only to warp back and have her clothes still intact.

“How are your clothes still intact after you transformed into something so large?” Andrea asked.

“It’s part of the Druid magic school. As you master it you can transform into what you are wearing and then transform back with clothes still intact unlike the were’tribes like werewolves. However beginner druids have a harder time and tend to destroy what they are wearing so it’s best practiced in beginning clothes and armor. They keep our seamstresses, tailors, and armorers very busy” Aelein said simply, rather proud.

“Are all of you this strong?” Andrea asked
“No, just a few are especially the leaders of each major section of the clan and thus the clan as a whole. We still train all those born in Zeyelden from birth in preparation from an Invasion we know will happen in the near future. We refuse to lose our last and only home, even from the Nords”

Before Andrea could question the Dovahmer any further, Aelein opened up the doors and went inside Bleak Falls Barrow. Andrea quickly followed. The girls arrived into a crumbling room filled with skeever corpses and the bandit that ran away.

They heard two bandits up ahead talking about yet another bandit that had gone further in. Rather than worry about their dead comrades, they were more concerned with the treasure that lay within and wanting it for themselves yet they didn’t want to go after it because they felt it would be suicide.

“Arvel has already gone in ahead, wolf went in after him.” The male said

“I don’t really care what they do as long as they come back with the treasure and share. I want my share!” The female stated.

“I should warn you the bandits shall be the weakest enemies here side from the Skeever’s” Aelein warned in a whisper.

Andrea nodded. She also noticed that Aelein, who displayed magical prowess was not relying on but rather daggers and string.

“I’m not going to bother with these, just going to knock them out” She said. She shot two of the silver pin hair clips, these ones coating with a sleeping paralysis poison, and knocked out the bandits.

“I won’t always be traveling with you to these burrows dovahkin, for there will be some you must travel alone. I suggest checking the jars when you have time for gems and lockpicks. You must also be aware your ancestors put up many traps that still work to this day.” She addressed. “But for now we must move with haste, the Thalmor are sure to have sensed our magic. Fortunatly there is almost always a second way out with these larger barrows.”

And with that they made their way down the large hall, past many broken doorways and the path eventually came to their first spiral staircase. Three skeevers came, of which the girls took care of rather quickly. “We should be approaching the first puzzle soon” Aelein spoke and they made their way down the winding staircase. At least a thousand years old the wood was remarkably stable and intact.

At the bottom of the stairs and through a few cobwebs, they came to a crumbling room filled with faces on the walls that each had a symbol in their mouths. A lone bandit stood on the bottom level in the center by a lever. Andrea was prepared to throw a firebolt at him but Aelein stopped him and whispered to her to watch.

The bandit pulled the lever and countless arrows came through the trapholes and killed him almost instantaneously. Andrea looked shocked.

“You’re a Nord but not one from Skyrim. Your ancestors made many of these burrows. And they made many of these almost childlike puzzles to open doors and keep others out. Main thing to realize about this kind of puzzle, with the pillars, is the answer is typically in the mouths of these Nordic faces. Up on the second floor the middle piece is missing, it’s down here on the first. They say Snake, Snake and Whale.”

Aelein went to the left of the door where the moveable pillars war. “Starting from left to right,” she said to Andrea, motioning her to come over, “We want to move these two to snake and the third to whale.” Aelein moved the first two while Andrea moved the third.

Now leave them be and we go move the switch. Aelein then pulled the lever and the metal gates opened.

“That was easy” Andrea stated.

“They get harder, but only slightly. Some have 6 moveable pillars and depending on which one you move the other five will move on you as well. Those tend to be the trickier ones. The nords have more puzzles too. From this point we have to be careful as draugr should be within.”

“Draugr?” Andrea asked.

“They are the mummified remains of long dead Nords that the divines themselves ban from Aetherius. It was mostly for worshipping Alduin and his evil dragons. They were known as the dragon cult.” Aelein clenched her fists tightly, “And part of the era that killed many of us off. Nords saw it as some kind of rite of passage in death to be mummified.”

They fought a few more skeevers before going down another winding staircase. This time splashing in a slightly watered cavern very thick in Skyrim’s frostbite spider webs.

“Hello, Hello is anyone there?” A voice called out. “Is that you Harknir? Bjorn? Saline?”

“Someone’s there!” Andrea stated.

“Yes stuck in a mother’s web” Aelein said. Unknown to Andrea, Aelein could hear the voice of the spider.

‘Ssso hungry. More food comesss. My children shall feast.’’

“Help me! Set me freee!” Arvel the Swift called out. Andrea and Aelein both entered the room through one of the two doorways. The other doorway was covered in roots from trees and plants that have long taken over most of the barrow.

As Andrea and Aelein moved closer, Aelein was quick to pull Andrea out of the center circle. Andrea was about to rant at Aelein for that until Aelein pointed up. Andrea followed her hand and down came a gigantic female spider. All around the room were her egg sacks with very valuable spider eggs that can be used to make valuable alchemic potions.

This spider was so hungry that Aelein could no longer understand her, let alone even attempt at communicating with her which is what a druid is capable of doing. Surely the animals outside of Zeyelden competed harder for food and space that they were more aggressive and harder to speak with.

Her mandibles were as swollen as they were leaking with wet sticky venom. She was strong enough to claim this section of the barrow for her own. Skyrim’s frostbite spiders could ward off many enemies from Falmer to old dwarven constructs and apparently Draugr, even the strongest Draugr still had issues with the spiders apparently. This one was one of the larger ones, a mother. Luckily for the two of them her children hadn’t hatched yet.

She did however make things easier for the girls by webbing up Arvel the Swift, the thief with the Golden Claw. Unfortunately the big female spider webbed him up in the only available doorway which they needed to access to make it further in the barrow.

For being so large she webbed herself down from the never ending ceiling with grace. Aelein wondered about the interior of some of these barrows and how they usually never seemed to match the exterior.

The foul ten legged creature, standard eight legs that spiders have, and an additional two legs in the front which functioned as a sort of ‘hands’. Despite being so large the mother spider moved with extreme grace and speed.

“No, not again, don’t let it kill me! Help! Help!” Arvel shouted.

The spider seemed to sense something about Aelein but she was too hungry to care. She attacked Andrea first, attempting to pin the Nord spellsword to the floor. Andrea whacked at the oversized arachnid’s legs, cutting one off.

The Arachnid screamed in pain, if you can call a blood curdling twisted high pitched screeching hiss a scream. Aelein used a stone shelf against the wall as leverage to do an aerial summersault onto the arachnid’s back.

“I’m sorry, my friend. I shall honor you in death by giving one of your unborn children a good home.” Aelein stated.

Working together it wasn’t long before the girls were able to kill the giant arachnid.

Andrea lifted an eyebrow at Aelein. Aelein looked at Andrea confused, wondered if she needed to explain that higher ranked druids, such as herself, often had a hard time finding true animal companions that could fit a variety of climates. One might think a skyrim bear or sabre cat would suffice but they, as strong as they were they were usually slow and solitary and couldn’t handle a really hot climate for long lengths of time. Frostbite spiders, despite their name, are one of few animals that can handle a variety of climates and they were faithful IF they are raised from eggs. They also lived longer than bears, sabre cats, or even wolves. Also they could be enchanted and exposed to magic to be made stronger, especially in their first year of hatching, which aided them in being a higher druid’s companion. Plus they could easily hold their own against werewolves and other were creatures.

Andrea shook her head while watching Aelein place the egg safely in a magical pouch filled with warm sand. The egg would be protected no matter what damage would be inficted and safe from being swung around like if Aelein needed to run.

“You killed it! Now free me!” Arvel the Swift continued to pester the two girls until they came closer. Arvel’s eyes narrowed when he saw Aelein. “You! The treasure is mine! I rightfully stole this claw! And only I know how it works!”

“What is he talking about?” Andrea asked looking at Aelein suspiciously.

“Oh? I caught this guy and the group of bandits we defeated intending to sack The Riverwood Traders where they would surely kill everyone to and from sacking the store including the owners. But I convinced them that the Golden Claw is the only thing of value as it leads to a greater treasure, here in Bleak Falls Barrow.” Aelein said.

“Which it does, and only I know how it works. I made sure to burn the papers too!” Arvel said gloating despite being strung up in a dead spider’s web.

Aelein rolled her eyes, Arvel may be a dunmer but if there is one thing she knew is he knew less than he let on.

“Why would you tell him to steal?!” Andrea demanded to know.

“It’s better for a bandit to steal than someone who wishes no crime on her hands. Stealing is bad” Aelein said. “I encouraged it because it’s better for one of these rare claws to land in their specific barrow than to have them melted down or torn apart by overly rich people. You may not believe this but these claws act as keys for very specific doors.”

“The hall of stories! Ancient Nords built them to keep out thieves and grave robbers. But I’m smart, I alone know how it works, free me and we’ll work together to get it.” Arvel said, he would say anything to get out of the spider web.

Andrea glared at Aelein, under her breath she said “You are so explaining this to me after”

Aelein frowned and put up a pouty face, “This whole day has been spent in explaining. I suppose I’ll add this as the two things left to explain to you today. The other one will cause the whole world to eventually address you as Dovahkin, not just me. And perhaps then I can give my voice box a rest.”

The girls worked together to get Arvel out of the sticky situation, where he proceeded to laugh at them, call them fools, and run off.

“Why that little…!” Andrea stated angrily.

“He’s a bandit, they do that. He won’t get far though.” Aelein responded.

The two girls didn’t have to go very far. For the bandit stirred up a room full of Draugr and a spike-gate trap. Trying to run from the zombie-like mummies, Arvel ran over a pressure plate and was immiedetly impaled and slammed to the stone wall. The gate went to reset itself.

Andrea was the first to burst into the room, a look of shock at seeing her first spike gate/ Nordic Trap.

The Draugr saw her and began charging with their axes and swords at the ready, they were just low ranked foot soldiers compared to the other Draugr.

And then Aelein entered the room. The Draugr froze in their charge to attack Andrea when they spotted the odd Dovahmer. “SNOW…ELF!” They managed to say despite their zombie-ness proof that they are no ordinary zombie creatures. They immiedietly charged for Aelein instead.

Andrea managed to burn one to ash, she then summoned a ghostly wolf familiar which distracted another long enough for the nord to impale it through the chest before removing her sword and beheading the foul creature.

Aelein side stepped the much slower ancient Nord, which shouted at her to die. She then stabbed it in the back of the neck and drove her dagger up, splitting its skull in two. It fell do the floor and the blue trapped soul finally left the creatures eyes. “Dovahmer” She correct.

Andrea looked at the fallen bodies while Aelein held one of the ancient Nordic swords in her hands. “Over one thousand years ago these were used to wipe out my people to the point of near extinction. Now they are used to kill the random unweary adventurer and the standard grave robber. Over one thousand years and still functional, but yet so weak.” She then angrily threw the sword so it shattered into a million different pieces against the wall. “And today’s human population continues to question why we hate the Nords so much.”

“Not all Nords are evil” Andrea said feeling the need to defend her race of Skyrim.

“No but your race is very war hungry, even after all these years we still consider them primitive especially in comparison with other races even Argonians and Khajiit” The site of this place, of very bad memories, Aelein knew she was going to enjoy killing the killers of her race.

Aelein then approached the body of the dead Arvel and shuffled through his clothing before she found the claw. “Good its unharmed I was worried for a moment that the idiot might of harmed it.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you encouraged him to steal it.”

“I told you before, it’s a key. Eventually we are going to come across a giant door with pictures of animals on it, some of them include dragons. There are only 10 keys some made out of rare precious metals. Over many era’s my clan has worked to keep the claws and the barrows intact, because we knew a Dovahkin would eventually emerge that would aid us. You will understand before we leave this place” Aelein said. She then pointed the miffed nord to a chest on the rubble to the right of the gate.

“Careful with the chests in barrows, they tend to be traps.” She said.

Andrea went over and opened it, found a few gold necklaces and some ancient septims that can still be used to this day. “How are we getting past that, safely?” Andrea asked pointing at the gate.

“It’s pressure sensitive, if you don’t wish to step over the plates or if you are running for your life and don’t see it, you can always disable it. Since they are so old even something light can be used to disable it.” Aelein spoke. She took a smaller Nordic ancient axe and placed it on the pressure plate. The gate swung once then returned to its position. Aelein pressed her foot to the pressure plate and the gate didn’t move again. “Let’s go, the Thalmor don’t normally enter creepy dungeons especially non-elven ones, but I know they are curious.”

And that is sort of how the majority of their journey through Bleak Falls Barrow went, kill a few creepy Draugr that shouted at Aelein beign a snow elf here, avoid some traps there, and along the way gather a few treasures. Eventually they came to a gigantic wall that Aelein had spoken about earlier.

“Hall of stories, and now this door.” Andrea was beginning to understand Aelein’s reasoning.

“Yes, and this will be the only time we can go through this door because we need to give this claw back.” Aelein then took out the claw and showed it to Andrea. “When you do these doors it’s important to note that the door’s code is found on each of it’s claws which are very specific to the door. We have done our best over the years to ensure the claws are in their respected barrows, though some are easier to obtain than others which will activate traps. Still they have a tendency to disappear from their barrows but without them the way won’t be unlocked.” She turned the claw over to show the pattern, Bear, Dragonfly, Owl.

“So from the top to the bottom,” Andrea began,

“You turn it, Bear, Dragonfly, Owl. Then you insert this claw” Aelein nodded.

Andrea then followed and then took the claw, which found the right spot and turned itself before the ancient clogs of the door moved and allowed the door to open by pulling itself down slowly.

It opened to a giant room that was exposed to the outside. Birds and bats alike flew up to avoid the coming battle. Andrea noticed some empty sarcophagi and wondered if there would be another large group. She could also hear a low chant, which got louder as they approached the main part of the room where a large, strange wall stood.

“You can hear it, can’t you? The chant resonating from this room, from that wall, you can hear it.” Aelein looked at Andrea, who was at a loss for words.

“Yes, I can hear it. But how do you know?” Andrea asked finally finding the words.

Aelein smiled, “Today, Dovahkin, your destiny truly begins.”

They walked to the center of the room, crossed the bridge over the shallow river, and climbed the steps. Both girls noticed the center sarcophagus. “The leader sleeps in that one” Aelein said.

“What do I do?” Andrea asked, the chant was overpowering at this point.

“The wall recognizes you as do I, approach it. The words will come to you the knowledge however must yet be unlocked.”

Andrea nodded and approached the wall. The words glowed blue and then the ancient magic unlocked, flooding the young Nord in an array of colors. With the magic absorbed, the ancient sarcophagus behind them slammed open and out a stronger Draugr emerged.

((Who comes to die))
“Wo meyz wah dir?!” It demanded in the ancient dragon tounge. It’s eyes befalling Andrea at first.

((Brave Nord and dragon elf))
“Kril bron ahrk dovah fahliil” Aelein stated which made the large creature turn its attention to her.

((SNOW ELF! DIE DISHONORABLE BEAST!))
“OD FAHLIIL! DIR DUKAAN SUNVAAR!” It shouted and came charging. Andrea went to slice it but it swung the sword right out of her hand. It partially ignored the Nord to get at the dragon elf, which was a running theme for the draugr of this barrow. It was really sad actually, Andrea was feeling a bit jealous that she wasn’t getting as much love.

Aelein dodged the swing and threw a needle into the draugr’s eye. It let out a curdling scream before it stopped to pull the needle out, and out with it came one of the creature’s eyes. It then glared angrily at elf who regrouped with the Nord. “OH no, MOVE!” Aelein shoved Andrea out of the way when

’FUS RO DAH!’ Aelein was thrust into the air and sent quite a few yards where she was originally before being slammed into the dragon wall. Dazed, she rubbed her butt in pain and paused fighting to crank her spine back into place. “Oww that hurt”

Andrea didn’t have time to be shocked; she blocked the twisted remains of her long dead ancestor from reaching the temporarily stunned dragon elf.

Soon back on her feet the dragon elf was able to distract the Draugr long enough before Andrea was able to behead it shortly before it shouted again.

On its body a stone tablet dropped out. Andrea looked at Aelein and then “What WAS that?!” she demanded.

“Oh, one of the strong shouts? Th’uum. You’re going to be doing that soon. Be thankful that only the powerful draugr can shout, the dragons are the only others to do so in Skyrim, well outside of Zeyelden that is.” She walked over and picked up the dragon stone and placed it in Andrea’s hands.

“This is what we came here for. Dragon stone, map of where the Nords killed quite a few of Alduin’s followers.” Aelein then helped Andrea to her feet.

Andrea wanted to ask, to demand more knowledge. But Aelein was quick to drag Andrea out. They took the back entrance, which Aelein closed once Andrea passed through.

“The Thalmor have already entered by now, they will be making their way to this room. We need to leave, now!” Aelein was more determined to leave. She and Andrea made their way to a small treasure room, which they were quick to loot before Aelein quickly set up a trap. The two made their way outside to an opening which allowed them to enter the mountain side where Whiterun was clearly visible.

They no sooner crossed past the western watchtower before Aelein’s tripwire was activated and a loud explosion was heard to where they just were. “High Elves move fast” Aelein said. Andrea, up until now, doubted they were being followed. She had a lot to learn from this odd elf.

From there they made their way back to Whiterun, and once again Aelein put up her Altmer disguise.

End of Chapter 3.

“I will meet up with you later,” Aelein began, “I have to sharpen Samantha, my dagger.”

Andrea was about to say something but Aelein gave her a look to scoot. Aelein then paid Adrianne Avenicci a few septims to use her grindstone where Aelein could sharpen her silver dagger.

They would have to stop by Riverwood later to deliver the golden claw. But for now Andrea had to be shoo’d off to Dragonsreach.

…….

Arriving at Dragonsreach, Andrea opened the doors to the inside. She made her way to Farengar Secretfire with the dragonstone in hand. While approaching the side room he was in she overheard him talking to a mysterious figure in leather armor and a hood.

“You see the terminology is clearly First Era or even earlier. I’m convinced it is a copy of a much older text. Perhaps dating to just after the Dragon War. If so I could cross reference the names with later texts.” Farengar spoke to the hooded figure.

“Good, I’m glad you’re making progress. My employers are anxious to have some tangible answers.” The womanly voice of the hooded figure called out.

“Oh, have no fear. The Jarl himself has finally taken an interest, so I’m now able to devote most of my time to this research.” Farengar responded.

“Time is running, Farengar, don’t forget. This isn’t some theoretical question. Dragons have come back.” She responded

“Yes, yes. Don’t worry. Although the chance to see a living dragon up close would be tremendously valuable… Now, let me show you something else I found… very intriguing… I think your employers may be interested as well…” Farengar got cut off by the hooded woman before he could finish.

“We have a visitor” She stated, noticing Andrea.

“Hmm? Ah yes! The Jarl’s protégé! Back from Bleak Falls Barrow? You didn’t die it seems.” His statement was rather obnoxious, as was the manner he continuously addressed Andrea.

She went and handed him the Dragonstone, the hooded elder woman kept her well trained eyes focused on the young Dragonborn the entire time.

“Ah! The Dragonstone of Bleak Falls Barrow! Seems you are a cut of the usual brutes the Jarl sends my way.” Farengar obnoxiously responded when he took the Dragonstone in his hands. Andrea briefly wanted to punch him for being obnoxious, she wondered if this was the reason Aelein avoided coming in to Dragonsreach.

“I got you the Dragonstone, what next?” Andrea asked.

“That is where your job ends and mine begins. The work of the mind, sadly undervalued in Skyrim.” Farengar answered. He then continued. “My… associate here will be pleased to see your handiwork. She discovered its location, by means she has so far declined to share with me.” He then turned back to the hooded woman in leather armor and began to speak to her. “So your information seems correct after all. And we have our friend here to thank in recovering it for us.”

Andrea briefly wondered if she should add Aelein in this as Andrea didn’t do this alone, however Aelein seemed to be adamant about keeping her secret in the Circle of the companions only so Andrea refrained from saying anything.

“You went into Bleak Falls Barrow and got that? Nice work.” She said to Andrea. She then turned to Farengar “Just send me a copy when you deciphered it.” Andrea wondered if the lady meant the text they were originally discussing.

Just at that moment, Irileth, the Jarl’s Housecarl and personal bodyguard came running in. The young Dark Elf wasted no time “Farengar!” She exclaimed, “Farengar! You need to come at once! A dragon has been sighted nearby.” She then looked at Andrea, “You should come too.” That was more of a command than a suggestion though.

“A dragon! How exiting! Where was it seen? What was it doing?” He asked excitedly like a child realizing he was getting candy or going to the fair.
“I’d take this more seriously if I were you. If a dragon attacks Whiterun, I don’t know if we can stop it.” Irileth said this with more fight than unsurely or worriedness. “Let’s go.” And with that she began to lead the group of three. The hooded woman quetly went the opposite way towards the door of Dragonsreach that lead back out to Whiterun.

Andrea followed them out of Farengar’s study and up the steps to the floor that housed the Great Porch. Jarl Balgruuf the Greater was up there waiting for them, as well as a Whiterun guard who was partially out of breath from having taken a rather long run.

They got up there just as Balgruuf was addressing the guard. “So Irileth tells me you come from the Western Watchtower?” He asked.

“Yes, my lord.” The guard said and approached

“Tell him what you told me. About the Dragons.” Irileth directed the guard.

“Uh… that’s right.” The guard began, “We saw it coming from the south. It was fast…. Faster than anything I’ve ever seen.”

“What did it do? Is it attacking the watchtower?” Balgruuf asked with a mixture of anxiousness and worriedness as wella s general curiosity.

“No, my lord. It was just circling overhead when I left. I never ran so fast in my life…I thought it would come after me for sure.” For a Nord at least he admitted of his partial cowardness. Still it was a good thing he made it to Whiterun to bring the news.

“Good work, son. We’ll take it from here. Head down to the barracks for some food and rest. You’ve earned it.” Balgruuf responded, praising the guard for the information. He was truly a man of honour and worthy of respect. He then addressed his Housecarl. “Irileth, you’d better gather some guardsmen and get down there.” He suggested.

“I’ve already ordered my men to muster near the main gate.” She responded. She took her duties as housecarl very seriously, she often made decisions on such matters before Balgruuf could think of them.

“Good. Don’t fail me.” Balgruuf spoke. Andrea thought a ‘Thank you’ would be nice or at least a congrqats on his housecarl being point and ready.

With that Balgruuf looked at Andrea and then spoke “There’s no time to stand on Ceremony, my friend. I need your help again. I want you to go with Irileth and help her fight this dragon. You survived Helgen, so you have more experience with dragons than anyone else here. But I haven’t forgotten the service you did for me in retrieving the Dragonstone for Farengar. As a token of my esteem, I have instructed Avenicci that you are now permitted to purchase property in this city. And please accept this gift from my personal armory.” And with that Balgruuf gave Andrea a randomly enchanted armor chest piece.

Farengar then took the chance to speak up, “I should come along. I would very much like to see this dragon.”

Bagruuf turned to face Farengar “No. I can’t afford to risk both of you. I need you here working on ways to defend the city against these dragons.”

“As you command.” Farengar said, disappointed.
Bagruuf then focused on Irileth again. “One last thing, Irileth. This isn’t a death and glory mission. I need to know what we’re dealing with.”

“Don’t worry, my lord. I’m the very soul of caution.” She stood up straight and tall as she said this. Immiedetly after, she took and ran for the door.

Andrea quickly followed her. They ran down the steps and then exited outside. They ran down more steps, the sleeping tree, then ran till they got to the gate. Irileth then began to give a little pep talk to her men. While she did so Andrea looked around.

Aelein wasn’t at the Grindstone anymore grinding. Andrea looked around but couldn’t see the strange elf. Regardless she had to focus on the task at hand now.

…
Aelein had noticed Andrea as well as the Jarl’s housecarl run by. Not even a look her way either. She knew what they were now planning to do and she knew before this day was done that Andrea would have even more questions to ask her. Part of her wanted to be there for the Dovahkiin but knew it was against rules and this was a big part of the Dovahkiin’s story. Plus Zeyelden frowns on killing dragons due to living peacefully at them and the fact powerful druids such as herself could shift into them.

Despite her train of thought she did take notice of the leathered armor hooded woman, who had already come down from Dragonsreach and who had headed to the in. The hooded woman had stopped when she saw Aelein, who is currently in the guise of an Altmer. Her eyes narrowed at Aelein and she in turn acted like the hooded woman wasn’t there, like she hadn’t seen her. Aelein made her way to Fralia Gray-Mane’s jewlry stand. Fralia was about to refuse service to what she perceived as a high elf until Aelein pulled out the necklace she was wearing from under the neckline of her dress-robes. On it had every single member of the 9 divines. However the center Jewel was Kynareth not Akatosh or Talos. They were more adorned with gems and colores, as well as detail than the Nordic amulets. Also each Jewel in the center, a large jewel, contained a carved in image of the divine, like the paintings in Cyrodil.

Both Fralia and the hooded woman had shock expressions on their face then both took another look at Aelein, abeit the hooded woman from farther away. She did however watch the transaction between Fralia and Aelein.

Aelein handed over a note that contained an inventation and a drawing. She also handed over a Parcel filled with 100,000 Septims, which was spare change to her considering she had been doing a lot of trading and saving. Fralia opened the note and a look of surprise came onto her face. She almost fell looking at the parcel of coins. Aelein then stated “It’s been enchanted so none can steal this from you.” She was referring to the bag of septims. “I hope you and him will consider. Keep it in house though.”

Fralia nodded “I will speak to him immediately, thank you?”

“Silver-Dragon. He will know what it means as will the companions. We’ll speak more on it later though, the next few days and even weeks will be busy, I hope this helps. Do not worry though I will get her to help and we will leave a nice bruising for them but for now keep up the façade that you know nothing.”

Fralia nodded eagerly. She would of given Aelein a hug.

The hooded woman watched all of this and raised an eyebrow. She watched Aelein walk off and put her own hood. The hooded woman followed Aelein to behind a few buildings but still within the walls of Whiterun for a bit of privacy. The hooded woman threw a dagger at Aelein but Aelein dodged.

“For a supposed Blade, you are rather slow.” Aelein stated removing her hood.

“How do you know that?!” The woman demanded.

“I know many things,” Aelein began, “However I shall refrain from speaking of them to you, as you have not earned them.”

“You are no Thalmor spy,” She said and removed her hood to get a good look at the elf better.

“My clan despises them as much as your currently dead organization does.” Aelein spoke, she was now crouching on a ledge part of the stone wall.

The woman’s eyes slanted and she somewhat glared at the elf.

“The question is, Delphine, who are you? Are you a Blade defender of the dragonborn or just some pitiful dragon killer.” Aelein’s eyes got serious and Delphine knew she wasn’t dealing with any ordinary elf, “Because if it’s the latter then my clan will have issues with yours. You should know that you are not the only Blade survivor and not all of your lore was lost at Cloud Ruler Temple. There are copies…” She began.

Delphine’s mouth opened to question. She was, however, cut off from Aelein.

“Now is not the time for this discussion. We both have work to do.” Aelein then displayed some acrobatic prowess and jumped in the air, flipping, before landing on one of the roofs and quickly vanished leaving Delphine stunned there. Delphine then took off, but knew she would see that elf again.

…

After Irileth’s speech and a jog from Whiterun, Andrea had slightly beaten the guard group to the meeting point at a large rock which had a view of the western watchtower. When the small group Gathered Irileth began to speak.

“No signs of any dragon right now, but it sure looks like he’s been here.” She stated while using her hand to block the sunlight in her eyes. With that she turned to face her men. “I know it looks bad, but we’ve got to figure out what happened. And if that dragon is still skulking about somewhere.” She then unsheathed her long sword, a queue for the men to do the same. “Spread out and look for survivors. We need to know what we’re dealing with.” She ordered.

The men immediately did so and began to head to the small rubble clearing around the western watchtower.

Andrea decided to check out the tower itself, or what remained of it. She ran up the broken ruble which made itself into a makeshift ramp. Out came running a guard wearing no helmet.

“No! Get back! It’s still here somewhere! Hroki and Tor just got grabbed when they tried to make a run for it!” His voice was a mixture of yelling and fear-talking. He was in a crouching-sneaking position.

“Guardsman!” Irileth stated and then asked/demanded “What happened here? Where’s this dragon? Quickly now!”

“I don’t know!” He responded.

Just then a roar was heard in the distance, not as loudly as the Black Dragon that had provided Andrea a way to escape her own mistaken execution.

“Kynereth save us, here he comes again…” the scared guardsman said.

Andrea felt a twisted sense of familiarity when the leathery wings came beating, a very distinct sound from the wind. The ground shook like an earthquake as the dragon came closer.

“Here he comes! Find cover and make every arrow count!” Irileth ordered. Andrea’s very first fight against a dragon would now begin.

Mirmulnir came and hovered, he circled a few times before landing by one of the guards that had accompanied the group from Whiterun.

He snapped his large jaws at the guard trying to tear him in pieces. The guard however was smart and backed off hitting the Dragon in the face with a few arrows.

Andrea used this time to cast a few lightning spells at the dragon, mostly it was sparks and a teeny lightning bolt. Irileth however had slightly stronger magic and was casting from a distance.

Mirmulnir roared and took to the sky once more. “YOL! TOOR! SHUL!” With that flames escaped his mouth and he rained down molten fire rain on most of the group but went in a single line.

One of the guards managed to pierce his wing with a fire arrow which the dragon ironically set aflame himself with the last dragon shout. It burned a hole in the dragon’s thin membrane and made it difficult for the dragon to keep to the air.

Andrea and Irileth both saw this and casted more spells at the weak spot in Mirmulnir’s wing. The dragon roared in pain as the magic worsened the hole and caused much of the flesh to melt away. He was forced to land.

He swung his mighty tail knocking a few guards off their feet, nearly severing one of the guards legs in the process as the scales were knife sharp. He once again shouted and burned a few others, though with healing they would be fine.

He lashed out at Andrea and bit her sword while in her hand and pulled her closer to him. He then lifted her up in the air and then let go, slamming her to the ground her sword landing inches from her torso. She got up and pulled the sword out then charged, slicing at his face.

He went to go bite her arm bit Irileth blasted him with a bolt of lightning. The guards continued to pelt the dragon with arrows.

Andrea put away her sword and instead her left hand glew white while her right hand glew blue, she hit the dragon with a mixture of shock and frost spells. He roared in pain and was quickly depleting in health.

Working together, with Andrea doing quite a bit of damage, Mirmulnir’s health came near to zero. He then realized whom he was fighting. “Dovahkiin! No!!” He shouted Before stretching out one last time in the air and then only to crash to the ground.

Irileth soon caught up with Andrea. “Let’s make sure that overgrown lizard’s really dead.” The dunmer stated. She then looked at her men “Damn good shooting boys.”

Suddenly the dragons body began to engulf into flame that didn’t hurt Andrea.

“Everybody get back!” Irileth exclaimed and ordered when seeing the flame. Andrea just stood at the body drawn to it.

The flames engulfed most of the dragons body leaving a few scales behind and a lot of bone. It turned into this wide assortment of lights and colours before finding Andrea and swirling around her, into her very being. She suddenly understood how to use the power she had acquired in Bleak Falls Barrow. Contrary to popular believe she didn’t absorb all of it, some of the soul had escabed to elsewhere.

When it was over the guards including Irileth looked upon Andrea in complete shock and wonder. They gathered around her.

“I don’t believe it, you’re…you’re dragonborn! Like the ancient legends!” One said running up.

“Dragonborn! There hasn’t been one since…since Talos!” Another stated.

The guards grouped around Andrea, Irileth close behind. “I don’t know what happened…” She stated.

“There is only one way to tell! Shout! It’s said that a dragonborn can shout in the dragon tounge without having practiced the Th’uum before hand!” One of the original guards stated.

She did so “FUS!” And with that she felt a surge of power escape from her mouth.

“I don’t believe it! Dragonborn!” One guard said

“The Th’uum! She summoned the Th’uum!” Another said.

They then asked Irileth what she thought of the whole thing and Irileth responded with “Here is a dead dragon, this I understand.” They wondered if she didn’t believe them but Irileth countered with traveling all over Tamriel and seeing many things.

Regardless Irileth told Andrea she needed to go back to Dragonsreach and report back to the Jarl. Irileth said she would have to stay behind to help clean things up.

Andrea took some bones and left over scales from the dragon’s body, and also some septims which the dragon must’ve ate at some point. She ran back to Whiterun.

When she got near the Stables she nearly fell over as a group of older men voices was heard.

“DOVAHKIIN!” The voices shouted. Andrea looked to the tallest mountain from where the voice came. That is what Aelein kept calling her.

She now knew she had more questions like: How did Aelein know?! Regardless she made her way back to Whiterun and Dragonsreach.

…
At Dragonsreach Andrea was surprised to see none other than Aelein inside the building, which the elf had previously been avoiding. She was being pelted with questions mostly from Farengar, and was having a hard time answering them and Balgruuf’s at the same time.

Balgruuf was also talking to his brother, Hrongar particularly about the Greybeards call when Aelein had interrupted them with “DOVAHKIN!” The Dovahmer ran, launched herself into the air with help from the wall, summersaulted about 3 full spins worth before landing a mere five feet from the Nord. “You have done it, awakened yourself since last we spoke I can tell.” She said this in a Please-Get-Me-Out-Of-Here tone mixed with a I’m-Very-Happy-For-You tone.

"Aelein?" Andrea asked. But before the Nord could get more out of the elf, Hrongar and Balruuf both boomed.

"So it's true!" Hrongar.

"Indeed it is! Such a Great honour and such a thing hasn't happened since Tiber Septim!" The Jarl stated.

"To be summoned by the Greybeards!" Hrongar stated.

Both the Jarl and his brother summoned Andrea to speak with her about this and to question her on what had happened.

"The strange elf has told us a great deal many things since we brought both her and that strange hooded woman in here for questioning!" The Jarl stated. Andrea looked at Aelein inquisitively and noticed she was now being pounce-tackled by Farengar again who was downright hugging her this time, the elf in turn was yelling at him and zapping him with electric bolts to get off desperatly trying to keep herself restrained.

"Indeed she has." Hrongar stated.

"YOU STUPID NORD!" Everyone turned their attention from Andrea to Aelein, who's cape just got ripped off of her by the exited Farengar, a rare Nord Mage. She was seething at him and then blasted him with a strong bolt of ice magic, freezing him to the far wall. "THIS WAS MY MOTHER'S!" In his exited frenzy, he had managed to rip Aelein's cloak when he pulled it off and she was livid. This was Andrea's first time on seeing the elf so publicily emotionally angry. Tears were swelling in her eyes but before she got the chance to finish off the idiot mage, two really strong and powerful hands grabbed hers, stopping her from casting. Rather than cast any amount of punishment her way they turned her around and with arms wrapped her in an embrace.

"The cubs told me what happened, the drunken idiot and his sidekick have been expelled from the Companions." Kodlack Whitemane stated, who did his best to get here quick after dealing with the drama, allowed the pale elf to cry. "I know what you may be thinking, but not all of us are the same." He said to her petting her hair to calm her noticing the tiny scales and fur-like hair addorning the back of her ears.

"Farengar!" The Jarl stated in a sudden very angry tone, "YOUR ROOM, NOW!"

"But..." Farengar Secret fire whimpered

"ARE YOU QUESTIONING ME, BOY?! YOUR ROOM OR IT'S OFF TO THE DUNGEONS WITH YOU!" Balgrulf was very angry with how Aelein was just treated by the estatic mage. The mage in question went back to his room.

Aelein, still in tears knelt down and starting picking up her cloak and the beaded buttons that fell off of it. Kodlak helped her with it. “Why you are helping me now, ”Aelein stated looking up at him with a mixture of distrust and overall sadness, “You said so yourself, I’m a…”

She was cut off when Kodlak put a finger to her lips. “I was wrong, come lets get you a new cape.” He helped her up. “We apologize, our Jarl. I will be escorting her out.” In a display of his strength despite his joints, he picked up the elf and carried her out of Dragonsreach, down the stairs and back to Joorvaskr.

Watching them leave, Jarl Balgruuf shook his head. “First a Dragon Attack, Then the Greybeards summoning the Dovahkin, and a living breathing Snow Elf! Though I am ashamed of my court mage for harassing her with questions and touching, I’m at a partial loss at words.” He admitted. “And she called you the Dovahkiin, it was as if she knew.”

“She called me that the first time she laid eyes on me, my Jarl.” Andrea stated.

“That elf is a mystery to me, but to have one here. I will keep her secret and I order all my subjects to do the same Vignar and Brill have been warned on pain of death should they do anything to advertise it. Also Nazeem as well, it seems he has had a little squabble with our pale friend. Regardless I think we will be seeing more of her kind soon, and I think much of it has to do with you. The Greybeards call it was for you and her appearance leaves me now doubt. I took that journey once but the Monks refused to teach me, I envy you.”

“You have been silent ever since we have left Dragonsreach.” Andrea started conversation yet again trying to get answers for the umpteenth time and had been unsuccessful thus far. They had been walking for days, not once did Aelein use her abilities but rather fought like a normal Tamrielellian. Meaning she didn’t use her strange magics nor did she speak in the Dragon Tongue.

Aelein, however, remained silent as she kept walking forward, towards the building barely seen in the harsh snowy wind.

“Nor have you told me why you were in Dragonsreach…” Andrea continued

Aelein, again, said nothing.

“Being pelted by questions from a crazy mage…” The Nord was adamant.

Andrea could almost see the aura of Aelein’s patience dribble away.

“Who was practically humping you in public…” The Nord was being very, very annoying.

Aelein’s hands clenched tightly, if not for her thick gloves she would have been drawing blood.

“Who tripped and ripped your cape and…” Andrea was immiedetly cut off by Aelein

“IT BELONGED TO MY MOTHER!!!” Her eyes glared hatred to the Nord. The ground practically shook as she shouted that.

’She speaks’ Andrea blinked before saying “We can always get it repaired?”

“IT’S OVER 600 YEARS OLD!!! YOUR SPECIES HAS ALWAYS MADE DUMB FIGHTERS MAGE OR WARRIOR, NOT ONCE HAS YOUR RACE PRODUCED A FASHION DESIGNER OF HAUTE COUTURE STANDING!” If she were yelling at anyone else, they would of assumed she was a crazy elf weak and easily defeatable. Andrea, strangely, just stood her ground.

“Geesh I’ll grant you some of Skyrim Nords are grand racist ignorant jerks and most are in a stupid mindset of being superior to every race but even elves have their flaws. It’s just a piece of cloth it’s not like…” Again Andrea was cut off by Aelein.

“IT WAS GIVEN TO HER BY TIBER SEPTIM HIMSELF!!!” There was a mixture of rage and sadness in her eyes. Andrea could see Aelein was fighting back tears as she tried to keep the salty liquid in her eyes.

Andrea immediately shut up; it was if she realized just how important the cloak was.

“It was…the mark of exile for her… when she became his lover” The tears were winning against Aelein, they started to fall in driblets.

“But I thought Barenziah…” Andrea started

“This was before Barenziah. Tiber Septim was in his early teens, which was still considered youth even then. Barenziah wasn’t even born yet.” The driblets steadily increased to droplets.

Andrea remained quiet and slowly nodded her head as she was listening.

“My Mother, Auraneil, wanted an army to face my Grandmother. She was tired of how things were run. You think the chaos of the Great War 30 years ago and it’s affects today, added with the dragons, the stupid racist nords and every other race fighting each other is bad? In the 2nd Era it was so much worse. Historically Alessia might have been the first Dovahkiin, but women were still treated as slaves by the men. My mother wanted to unite the land, as did the Eight at the time. They helped her find Tiber shortly after helping her escape her ‘Princess Duties’ and thus secretly escape from my home, Zeyelden.” It was one of the few times she addressed her homeland, but Andrea could sense something deep about this description.

“The women of my family starting with my Grandmother and Great Aunt are fighters and rebels. We are not rich dumb weak pampered spoilt brats. My Grandmother is a mother-blood a full Snow Elf as they were before the change. She and my great Aunt were victims of the Nords assault. They saw the beginning of this and realized what was going to happen that the elders before them were denying. The trauma and effects, especially loosing my Grand Uncle Patherion, left her paranoid. My Grandmother became unaccepting of all other races save one, the first race made up of the Dead Dancers and the Metal Men. My mother, Auraneil was uninterested in marrying any of the ‘worthy’ Snow Elves. She wanted a strong man, someone who would make a difference and to remembered for the rest of history. She also wanted to prove to my Grandmother that she could be a ruler too. My mother wanted to be something more than just the ‘Queen’s Daughter’ and with help of the eight eventually sailed to Atmora.” Aelein held Kodlak’s robe close.

Aelein had told her a great deal of things that could easily be considered unbelievable, little did Andrea know this was just the beginning and not the most unbelievable story of all.

“The Septim bloodline didn’t disappear after Alessia’s line, nor did it disappear with Reman whose bloodline was secretly the Septim line even unknown to them. Even when Reman and his heirs were killed off, ended by the Morang Tong, his blood didn’t disappear as the Daedric Lords hoped. The bloodline survived through Divine intervention. The Divines knew about Tiber, and Akatosh himself desires certain members of that bloodline to be on the throne of Tamriel, what is again known as the White Gold Tower. They Divines not only sent my mother to Altmora they also aided her finding him. He was known as he is now, Talos.”

Both girls made a shelter of snow and a campfire. Andrea continued to listen on to this Tale.

“She took two disguises, one as a Gypsie Dancer the other as a wandering male wanderer. The latter disguise was used by my mother to defeat Talos’s elite guards. However even upon first meeting, he could see through her disguise. He was suspicious at first when she told him her story and how she looks for a strong man to have a child with. He somehow knew he was meant for greatness, but he never took it as a pride but rather something he was meant to do. She reminded the young Dragonblood about the Greybeards and the voice. He couldn’t study in Zeyelden but he could with the Greybeards. She traveled with him to here, where he studied. Because she was a woman she wasn’t accepted in as she could only shout in her woman voice not her male disguise. He felt that appalling but he did find love in her. She helped train him to fight and be the warrior king he is now known as. They did fall in love, and she did get what she wanted but it wasn’t meant to be. When he became ruler he was expected to have a human wife. History has him as having 2 children, 1 with an unknown woman and one with Barenziah who he forced abortion. In reality he had 3. The unknown woman was an Imperial and someone who my mother also trained. In one of the most honorable things she could do for my mother was to help her leave quietly and remain unknown to this day while the focus was shifted to the unknown imperial woman. Christina Yulan is still thanked in certain schools in Zeyelden to this day, one of the few ways my mother can repay Christina’s kindness.” Aelein spoke of the imperial woman who lived long ago in high regard.

“But you’re only 550 years old.” Andrea blinked, and even for an elf that is old but young for the Dovahmer.

“I have an older brother.” Aelein looked at Andrea.

“Wait…you’re not saying…” Andrea’s opened widely.

“I am indeed. My brother is Tiber Septim’s direct son with my mother. He has the appearance of a Dovah mixed with Snow Elf, the Mother race. I cannot give you his name right now, but he does live. And he was part of the group to destroy Wuthraad, despite not being born in the first era when the massive drama of our race happened, We share different fathers but we are brother and sister.”

“A living Septim?! He could be Emperor, he holds direct claim!!” Andrea was shocked and excited about the news.

“No he couldn’t!” Aelein snapped back, “We’re supposed to remain secret remember? And besides you do realize that the child will be the same race as the mother, not the father?” Aelein looked at the Nord with disbelief. “There will be a Septim ruler; the bloodline is not truly dead. It’s just recovering in a special spot on Aetherius. You have a future mission and will greatly aid in that bloodline returning in a grand Boom back to Tamriel. I can’t tell you the specifics yet. But back to my Mother’s cloak.”

Andrea nodded, as a mixture of hurt and curiosity filled her eyes and face.

“Naturally my Grandmother found out. She has ways even I do not know of. She was furious about the union and even more furious to how successful Tiber Septim was and had become. My Grandmother ordered my mother back else my Mother’s powers and child would be stripped from her. In the case of the latter, my older brother, he would have been killed had my Mother not returned. Tiber was heartbroken, and with his new responsibilities he couldn’t go with her. He had that cloak made for her and he wrapped it around my Mother’s pregnant form in one last loving embrace before she departed back to Zeyelden. My mother was just as heart broken, and for the sake of my brother to live, she could never see Tiber again. Barenziah would become something similar to what my mother was to him. My mother never truly loved another man since, sure she had me but that was nearly a century later or so and it was more of a drunken brief twist. At times he still trys to be part of my life.” Aelein stated.

Andrea slowly realized just how special that cloak was but Aelein had more to tell. “When Tiber and my mother were forced apart, something inside her died that day, she became harsher and very distant from my grandmother and it caused a rift in the royal family. She loves both my brother and I but just can’t show it a way a real mother can. The kindest thing she did for me was be the sole mortal person to defend me. And just like Tiber did to her before, wrapped me in one last embrace as she put that cloak around me. She gave herself to the Court of Zeyelden, and thus died in my place so that I may live. Talos and Kynareth themselves both made psyical appearances that day. It was only with them did my Grandmother realize how wrong she was for killing her own flesh and blood.” Aelein said, the tears were now just flowing like a waterfall creating a river.

“YOU’RE GRANDMOTHER HAD YOUR MOTHER, HER OWN DAUGHTER, KILLED?!?! WHAT DID YOU DO THAT WAS SO BAD?!?!” Andrea shouted, flabbergasted.

“I can’t tell you that right now, you’re not ready” Andrea began, “But Talos was beyond [&@%!]. He regretted what he did to Barenziah and he was very sad yet proud when his descendant Martin sacrificed himself and knew his bloodline would not be seen again for many years. But when he saw his first love killed in the mortal plane he rained hell on my Grandmother and on Zeyelden. It allowed me to escape even if I wasn’t his flesh and blood directly, I still was his first love’s daughter. Even after 2 era’s have past he still remembered her. Through messages I was asked to return. But I refused until I did my original mission, finding the last Dovahkin, you, and training to help free Zeyelden. Now it’s more than that, it’s about restoring the honour. The divines don’t look kindly on my Grandmother right now, but they do look kinder on me.” Aelein figured there were parts of this that Andrea wouldn’t believe. “I worked in the shadows a lot longer than the remnants of The Blades do today. I waited many, many years for you. And both Talos and I want my brother to succeed in bringing back the Septim Bloodline. However it’s only possible with you to be trained in The Way of the Voice, the Th’uum. You will have to defeat Alduin, I can’t tell you how to do that. And afterwards, when you’re ready, we will go to Zeyelden where you will have a much different experience and tougher adventurer ahead of you.” Aelein stopped her tears then and melted the Igloo that the two of them had built.

“I don’t understand.” Andrea stated.

“You will in time Dovahkin.” And while pointing to the doors of High Hrothgar, “For now we both go through them, you will take your first steps from them.

“But what about your cloak?” Andrea asked, finally realizing how special that cloak is to Aelein.

“Kodlak is watching over that with special care. He knows it’s worth to me and he gave me this cloak, his special hunting cloak of great worth to him. He will hold it until I return to Whiterun while you are on your many adventurers. I won’t always be with you in your growing up phase of the Th’uum especially here in Skyrim, but I will be watching your progress and making notes.” Aelein stated. “For now we must go meet the Greybeards.

Aelein motioned to the doors of High Hrothgar and motioned for Andrea to lead. Andrea was in the middle of saying something in regards needing to see Zeyelden sooner than later, and thus missed seeing Aelein looking over her shoulder to the path they just came and give a suspicious glance to what appeared to be an empty tundra wilderness.

Not even the bushes rustled while a pair of rusty amber eyes stared directly at Aelein’s multi-colored eyes of blue and green. A gleaming twisted smile that not even Aelein could see decorated this individual’s rusty peach skin.

Aelein turned and followed Andrea inside shortly after she put some kind of salts on the porch that wouldn’t be blown away by the wind or washed away from the snow due to the angle of the porch and the extended roof keeping the snow from touching it. It was while doing this that Aelein pulled out a flower with a note attached written in what the world would recognize as the ancient Falmer language. If one could read it in English, it stated “Not just yet, beautiful orchid. Bloodstained paths are ahead, yet first I must contend with Diplomatic duties. I have a special offering just for HIM, and it’s probably why you are here. For now tread lightly, the Nords here may be stupid but they do possess a drunken mob mentality.”

The mysterious figure picked up this flower, and smiled this time one filled with respect and aww. “You’ve gotten stronger and more Alert, dear Aelein.” The mysterious figure, clearly a woman by voice, whispered. She left a little message of her own; a beautiful blood red crimson orchid which glew in the Dark. The flower was slightly succulent. It rested in a vase.

…………

The two young women entered High Hrothgar where they were met by the four elder Nord men known as the Greybeards. Out of the four; Borri, Wulfgar, Einarth and Arngeir, Arngeir was the only elder to speak being powerful enough to control his Th’uum. “Our summons was for the Dragonborn. Yet two of you arrive?” He questioned concernly.
((Greetings, I be no enemy. I have Awaited long for Dragonborn to return to the world.))
“Drem Yo Lok, I Kos niid Hokoron. I Lost Saraaned Lingrah Fah Dovahkiin Wah Daal Wah Fin Lein.” Aelein spoke to the robed men. She removed the hood and displayed to all in that room that she was a member of an Elven race long thought dead at the hands of Ysgramor. Andrea looked at Aelein and then spoke “You have either got to teach me that language or only talk in common speak because I do not understand you.” Andrea stated at Aelein.

“Patience, Dovahkiin for now the Greybeards wish to have a taste of your voice.” Aelein spoke, sitting down, she began to cradle the pouch of warm sand that incubated the frostbite spider’s egg she had taken from their exploration of Bleak Falls Barrow.

“We do indeed…” Arngeir said, the four other Greybeards made note of Aelein sensing a strong Th’uum presence about her. For now they turned their attention to Andrea. The following two hours that followed was Andrea proving herself to the Greybeards, which culminated in her learning of Whirlwind sprint as well as astonishment from the Greybeards save for Aelein. Andrea received some history lessons before then being sent off alone to retrieve the Horn of Jorgren Windcaller.

Before she left Andrea looked at Aelein, who shook her head to let the Nord know the Dovahmer wouldn’t be accompanying her on the trip this time. “I must hatch my companion. I will see you in about a week, or two.” Aelein said. The Greybeards also nodded to this as they themselves had questions for Aelein. She was no dragonborn, they could tell, but with Andrea gone they could feel the power of Aelein’s Th’uum, on top of ancient long forgotten shouts that no longer existed as part of the ‘Main’ Dragon language. This also included several Druidic shouts of Kynareth herself.

….

Sometime after Andrea left the Greybeards looked upon Aelein and had several questions. Aelein looked at them and because of her egg which she was secretly making resistant to the Th’uum (which no one but her and the divines above) she desired only Arngeir to speak. They followed her outside when she signaled them too and walked to the middle of the large circular clearing, looking up to the path that lead to the Throat of the World, where Parthurnax roosted.

“You know the Dragon Language and can speak it almost fluently. We also sense the Voice Is strong in you yet you be not the Dragonborn.” Arngeir stated. Aelein only looked at him as an elder would a child, which technically is what they all were to him.

Aelein only responded with “Ek Faad Gol” (Her Warm Earth) It was a shout, one that the Greybeards didn’t even know about as it belonged to a time where the Dragon language included more females and warm-ness. With the demonstration of her Th’uum, the snow began to melt to water and the immediate area became as warm as the Nibenian Summer of Cyrodil. She gathered her voice again and this time shouted “Kaan Laas Feykro” (Kyne Life Forest) Roots suddenly appeared from the now soft, warm earth. They quickly began to bloom and grown until a small forest with trees and a few bushes stood in the spot the circle once displayed.

The Greybeards stood partially speechless. A thunderous voice then boomed so only the Greybeards could hear it. Their Master, Parthurnax heard Aelein’s Th’uum and sought answers. This is what allowed Arngeir to speak, or rather ask Aelein a few questions. “Our Master, Parthurnax, like us, wishes to know this Th’uum where you have learned it and why we have never heard of it before.”

Aelein looked Arngeir straight in the eye and only stated “Tell Parthurnax that Aazdunah has sent her blessings. “Ek Zel Los Mol. Hi Fenni Kos Maaran, Rek-Saraan” (Her Love Is Strong. You will not be alone. She awaits.) Then she returned to the common tounge English. “I wish to rest a bit, for my companion shall be hatching soon. Soon the magic of the Th’uum began to wear off and it was as if the sudden trees dissipating were giving life to the land with their dust. The circle again appeared but there was a strange green glow about the area. It was perfect for the birth of a new Spriggan.

The Greybeards wanted to protest and continueing questioning but Parthurnax allowed Aelein to rest for he would like to speak with her, for now though there were several things she had to keep hidden until Andrea was ready to learn them.

They all knew the conversation would continue in the morning. Aelein quietly went outside the front doors were the blood orchid was, a flower she knew well and that it was from the figure following them. It would be invisible to those that weren’t ready to see it or understand it, a protection mechanism if you will from the being that created them. She picked up the flower and was shown to a private room where she made her chambers for that night and possibly for the next two weeks. The Greybeards and Parthurnax alike were treated to a rare singing from Aelein as she waited for the spiderling to hatch.

She whispered to herself so that only her and the divines could hear. “I have been waiting a long time for you to return to me, Aloxia, Anekazaziel Tremalainveian, Welcome back my friend, may this form be stronger than your last.” Aelein spoke this to the spider that was now in her hands, fresh from the egg. Despite being only a few seconds old it looked up at Aelein as if it knew her well. The female spider then made a coo’ing voice. “Your soul is the same, your body is different,” Tears streamed from her face, “I have missed you.” She petted the spider as if the young frostbite spider was a cat. She hugged the young spider and whispered to her “At least I have you back now. I owe Kynereth so much now. . Though the spiderling couldn’t speak she did squeak and Aelein carefully removed a leaf of the Crimson Orchid and fed it to the spider, while feeding a little of her blood to the plant to keep it happy and healthy until the soil could be changed and added in the perfect acidity.

She would need a new name now, one that would throw off those who would seek to harm her and keep Aelein in a depressed un-fighting state. They both knew it too. “How about Zaziel, you’re back” She asked the spiderling. The spiderling cooed at this name. Aelein smiled, “Zaziel but in private, Aloxia. Your kittens are safe I have kept it so. But how I did so got me exiled. We will be returning soon, I found the Dovahkiin.”

Aelein knew that the Dovahkiin, Andrea, would soon know why Aelein was exiled

………………..

The mysterious woman who had left the Dovahkin and the Dovahmer back at High Hrothgar, left a very obvious trail for man that was following her. Her latest ‘Artwork’ was that of the Plain’s Giant. With her scythe she demonstrated how easily it was to twist the giant elven-like thing of hair and leathery skin. Her scythe being sharp enough to cut through rawhide and bone like a knife through butter. She had the giant twisted around its own club, which stood vertical with the land. It was topped off with its own blood and body being used to make a impromptu blood-fountain. The blood spilled from its screaming face, out through its nose and formed a large pond like puddle around it. Because of the manor it was killed and a maximized blood flow, the man, which she recognized as a ranger, knew exactly what group she hails from.

“A Blood Orchid of Sithis, only your members can be so violent and make anything you kill to be a giant bloodbath.” He stated, knowing full well that she knew he was there.

“Ahh but the Orchids thrive on them.” She smiled wickedly to him. Her golden amber eyes resting on his form.

“With respect, Orchid,” He raised his clawed hand a symbol he was a Dovahmer that hadn’t been purified to the Mother Race, Snow Elf, “I was merely sent to ensure you not give away our home so soon.”

“The Princess is Strong and Angry.” The woman interrupted, “It wouldn’t be wise for you to visit her just yet. Besides I have a mission to do. See you later, sooner than you think.” And with that she took off, leaving the green haired dovahmer ranger looking on.

He smiled then took off towards High Hrothgar. A Blood Orchid of Sithis may be more than a mere murderer, but they are also competent and secreative outside of Zeyelden. He wouldn’t have to worry about her just yet. In the meantime the ranger had a princess to find and see.

On his way up, he passed by Andrea, who was on her way down. She was heading to the Marshes of Morthal in Eastmarch. Her green hazel eyes looked upon his before being set on the path ahead. One look at her and the ranger could sense the Thuum from within her. “Dovahkiin...” he whispered under his breath before he continued up the mountain. “Unbelievable, the princess actually found her.” He smiled and then summoned up his spiritual Hawk to follow the Dovahkiin.

With that done he continued upwards, past the broken bodies of forest and ice wolves and even one frost troll before making up to High Hrothgar. He set up partial camp in frozen bush, which was actually up the nearby cliffs to a large enough outcropping which doubled as a vantage point to view the Greybeards courtyard below. It would be sometime before he would get the chance to reintroduce himself to Zeyelden’s lost princess. Princess Aelein didn’t know it yet, but the gods themselves punished Zeyelden and its Queen extensively when she had her own daughter and Aelein’s mother killed and Aelein exiled. Now even the Queen wishes for her granddaughter returned. However only a Ranger and a Druid could understand the pain of what was lost and the cost to have it returned.

The ranger knew Aelein wouldn’t go anywhere until the Dovahkiin returned from her excursion. It was one of the missions that the Dovahkiin had to do alone, and strengthen herself up. The Dovahkiin for all accounts was still just a child and needed to build up her strength. He would have to wait for her to return to High Hrothgar before he could approach her and Aelein.

………….

It would be two weeks before Andrea returned. In this time the Ranger kept his distance despite by this point he knew Aelein or at least her young Frostbite Spider knew of his presence. The Blood Orchid woman returned to, she had been shadowing Andrea though not as a Mark but to protect her from some random Thugs and Dark Brotherhood assassins, each with a note. In the Dark Brotherhood’s case, it was a joke. Since when did the Dark Brotherhood start giving out notes?! it could be the biggest evidence used against them if they were caught and tried. Regardless Introductions would have to be made. And the Princess seemed a bit calmer, which could be either a good thing or a bad thing.

When the Ranger and the Blood Orchid saw the Princess returning with the horn, they gave her a respectable distance. For this is when the Dovahkin is said to be recognized by the Greybeards. Aelein, who was inside at the time, took her young Frostbite Spider who wouldn’t be able to withstand the Greybeards voice just yet, and together they went outside where she could protect her young animal companion.

There was a silence, and what passed by as minutes seemed like an eternity. Finally Andrea appeared in the Courtyard with the horn of Jorgen Windcaller, just after the Greybeards officially welcomed her. She stepped out for some fresh air before she would have to return the Horn of Jergen WIndcaller and answer a mysterious note she found.

Once she caught her breathe, both the Ranger and the Orchid watched her stomp towards Aelein before demanding what her friend was doing with a Frostbite Spider, who was feeding off a dead cow. Aelein instinctively put herself between Andrea and the Frostbite spider. Andrea could of sworn she heard Aelein hiss at her.

“I wouldn’t move any closer to her, if I were you.” The ranger called out as he approached the girls in the courtyard, his spiritual hawk returning to him.

“Yes, she would actually kill you before you could even think about harming her animal companion.” The Mysterious Woman, aka A Blood Orchid of Sithis, said aloud as she too approached the two girls.

Andrea looked at Aelein, and could tell that Aelein was serious and that the mysterious woman was telling the truth. It was just a moment, however before she questioned who they were, Aelein decided to introduce them by questioning them.

“I was under the strict impression that Blood Orchids of Sithis were to remain in Zeyelden and that Rangers were to stay to guard the Druidic Tier from the Queen’s Invasion.” Aelein stated, her hands pulling out some very thin needles known as Senbon. She then threw the Senbon, needles, towards the Blood Orchid, who countered with daggers of her own while replying with “Sithis himself gave me the orders to do so.

Unbeknowest to Andrea, it is custom in Zeyelden for a Past or Present member of the Blood Orchids of Sithis to greet each other by trying to kill each other without killing each other. It was actually more of an art than what appeared to be two people trying to murder each other, which is what this scene greatly looked like. Zaziel, Aelein’s spider, instinctively moved towards the Ranger. The Ranger, in turn, placed himself to protect the young Spiderling. To Andrea, he began to explain. “You know, most people just great each other with a handshake and sharing each other’s names, friends sometimes greet each other with hugs as do lovers. Members of the Blood Orchids of Sithis guild, however past or present, feel the need to greet each other by trying to kill each other. Myself, I prefer the Old Fashioned Handshake, much less blood and drama, my name is Ralphen by the way” Ralphen spoke and reached out his clawed hand toward Andrea, who only stared at him, then his hand, then back at him. “Andrea” She said before asking, “What’s with the claws?”

“He’s a Dovahmer, like me.” Aelein stated, still fighting the other woman. She blocked two consecutive extremely fast kunai strikes with her silver dagger before arching her wrist in a block then lock motion before bending herself backwards and giving the position needed for a roundhouse kick, which had the momentum to knock the woman’s kunai from her arms before Aelein fell towards the ground, twisting herself around and catching herself on the ground before tossing some senbon that had the invisible thread attached.

“With respect Princess, you’ve been purified and are thoroughly considered Snow Elf now.” The Crimson Orchid said as she landed on one of the many pole-like obelisks which dotted the Greybeard’s Courtyard which they used for training purposes. She then pulled out an unusually thick wooden rod out of her coat before smiling at Aelein, who recognized it as a Snath off one of the ‘Shadow Scythes’ used by higher ranking members of The Blood Orchids of Sithis. Sure enough this woman moved her long nailed fingers over the Snath which soon increased in length before being tipped in what looked like a steel blade. The Scythe, on first appearance, resembled a Farmer’s Scythe but without the two handles that farmers use as grips for cutting grass and wheat. It also wasn’t spear like, which was what War Scythes resembled. Rather it looked like a plane steel blade attached to a wooden Snath. That’s when she ‘Awoke’ the blade. “Pleasure to meet a guild sister, Blood and Shine Voideye, to our friend please say Hi” A black, liquid-like smoke wrapped itself around the weapon, warping and evolving it into something more demonic and dark, the Snath now made of material that looked like onyx and the blade looked and hade the chime of Obsidian. As the scythe was swung, it seemed to freeze the very air around it.

“Voideye?” Aelein calmly asked, “You must be the half Daedra known as Macy that I have heard about through whisper.” Aelein took her left hand over Samantha, her silver dagger and spoke a similar incantation like Macy with her Voideye. “Blood and Shine, dear Samantha,
A guild sister wishes to experience your two beautiful sides.” The jewels on Samantha began to glow and the whole blade shivered before splitting itself into two thinner yet sharper silver halves. The jewels themselves grew magical cloth which wrapped themselves over Aelein’s arms. The scabbard also split in two and transformed into a locking and unlocking mechanism for the blades, locking them into place. When the transformation was complete, Aelein’s dagger had transformed into two individual arm blades with launcher, small but deceptively deadly.

Andrea, watching this, looked down at her regular steel sword. She gripped it and then looked at Ralphen, who had previously retracted his hand. When he saw that she was looking at him, he decided to explain a bit more “That’s another perk, you could say, about the Blood Orchids of Sithis members. Once they get enough experience in the schools of Chakra and Ninjutsu, and they reach a certain rank in their guild, get access to what they call ‘Void Blades’. I’m not sure what goes on behind it but I do know that their blades evolve and awaken into powerful weapons. You won’t see this outside of Zeyelden, in fact those two probably shouldn’t demonstrate their weapons here. It’s one of Zeyelden’s many secrets, rather The Blood Orchids of Sithis secrets.” Ralphen continued to watch the fight as the two members past and present continued to go at each other with no clear sign of winner or loser.

“You know an awful lot about a guild you are not part of.” Andrea spoke suspiciously.

Ralphen smiled. “It’s best not to talk about that just now though.” He spoke to her.

Somehow, in the process of Andrea and Ralphen speaking to each other, Macy somehow got Aelein in a lock with her Scythe. Normally Obsidian rivals that of Ebony and Daedric, and can usually cut through lesser metals such as silver with relative ease. However, in this case Aelein took such good care of her silver dagger that the metal and the weapon itself wasn’t giving in even an inch to the darker metal.

Andrea was getting extremely bored watching this and she knew she didn’t have enough time to sit here all day watching these two assassins go at it toe to toe and not give one inch to each other. Finally she just let out a frustrated sigh and said “To Oblivion with this.” And that’s when she threw her Sky-Forge Steel Sword with the finesse as an assassin throws a dagger. The weapon was thrown with such force and velocity that it cut Macy’s Scythe clear in two before the Steel Sword landed in the frozen soil just mere inches from falling off the cliff.

Both of the fighting girls and the Ranger stared at the Dovahkin with disbelief. In the case of Ralphen, he stood pointing at the Sky Forge Steel. He had never seen Steel defeat Onyx or cut a Blood Orchid ‘Void Blade’ clear in two and wouldn’t of believe it possible had he not seen it. Macy hissed in a tone that had annoyance anger and shock all mixed into one. Because her Scythe was now split in two, it couldn’t revert to its wooden rod state which made it convenient to carry. Aelein just looked at Andrea and blinked.

“You two are done.” Andrea spoke in a no-nonsense no-patience, down-to-earth business tone. “I have much to discuss and also Aelein, you are going nowhere until I get the story of why you are here. And by that I mean why you were exiled as well as why the two of you,” She looked directly at Ralphen and Macy when she said this, “Showed up and why I’m now forced to babysit three strangers that can’t fit in well in any place of civilization here in Skyrim for any length of time. And you,” She spoke in a demanding/ordering tone at Aelein, “No more avoiding telling me of your past. Also what’s up with the spider and is it going to be a threat?”

Aelein sighed and knew there was no way around it, especially with a Strong Willed Nord Woman who is capable of breaking Zeyelden weaponry with some other-worldly strong steel.

-End of Chapter 5-