“Esbern,” squealed Delphine, running into the man and wrapping him in a tight hug. “It is so good to see you again, old friend.”

 

“And you, Delphine,” said the old man, holding Delphine at arm's length so he could get a good look at her. “And as beautiful as ever.”

 

“Liar,” said a laughing Delphine, though she had obviously liked the compliment. “And I see the people I sent after you found you.”

 

“They treated me, very well,” said Esbern, a wide smile on his face.

 

Delphine gave Nora a questioning look, and Nora shrugged. Delphine knew, and if she didn't approve that was just too bad. Last night had been between Esbern and herself.

 

“We have much to talk about,” said Delphine, taking Esbern's hand. “But not here. I have a place.”

 

Delphine led the way to her secret room, though Nora had to wonder how secret it now was, with so many people coming and going. Esbern looked around the room, then pulled a book from his

pack and lay it on the table.

 

“The Dragonborn is looking for a weapon to use against Alduin, and I think I know where to find it. Or at least the information about it.”

 

“What are you talking about, Esbern?”

 

“Skyhaven Temple,” said the old man, as if that explained everything. Delphine gave him a blank look.

 

“The ancient fortress of the Akaviri,” said Esbern. “Where they kept their knowledge of everything to do with the Dragon Wars.”

 

“And you think we might find something that points to a way to defeat Alduin?” asked Nora, now very interested.

 

“Yes. And I think I know the location, given to me by this book.” Esbern opened the tome and started to read. “On an island where the Karth River separates and then rejoins.” He pointed to the map on Delphine's table. “Here, at Karthspire.”

 

“I've been near there,” said Nora, frowning. “The people of the Reach say it is bad business. Lots of Forsworn, Hagravens. Dark magic.”

 

“You think you can handle that?” asked Delphine.

 

“Sure, though it's not going to be a walk in the park.”

 

“Then that is where we need to go. So what, four hundred miles.”

 

“Closer to four thirty, Delphine,” said Nora, tracing the way. “A little longer with curves in the road.”

 

“The Dragonborn demonstrated her teleportation skills to get us here,” said Esbern, looking over at Nora. “So how long, Nora?”

 

“Twenty-nine jumps,” said Nora, doing the calculations in her head. “About two hours with rest breaks.”

 

“And without rest breaks?” asked Delphine with raised eyebrow.

 

“I have to have the rest breaks, Delphine. This spell tires me out like no other. I will be in no shape to fight if I push it, and there's no telling when I might make a mistake. You don't want to materialize high up in the air. Or inside of rock. So we do it my way.”

 

“Two hours, Delphine,” exclaimed Esbern, looking at Nora. “Amazing. Instead of the seven or eight days it would take by horseback.”

 

Nora thought she could do it in three with Thundering Hooves, but no need to complicate the matter with too much information. “If we start off in an hour, we can be there by noon. Plenty of time to take that Forsworn camp, then find the way into this Skyhaven Temple.”

 

*     *     *

 

Nora went through twenty-eight teleports, bringing ten people and ten horses with her, leaving the rest in Riverwood. She didn't want to have more than she could handle, and felt she was nearing that limit with two more people. Maybe she was being too cautious, but better that than risking disaster. If they decided to explore the region from the Akaviri base, she could work her way back to Riverwood and then to Markarth, wasting only half a day.

 

She stopped one teleport short of her target, and Delphine seemed to be in a rage that her instructions were not being followed.

 

“Why are we stopping here?” she asked when more than the minimum time passed with no jump. “We're almost to the Karthspire, and I want to get this done.”

 

“We'll move when I'm ready to move,” said Nora, returning the woman's look. “You can ride ahead if you want. Should only take you forty minutes, and I'll meet you there.”

 

“I am in charge of this mission,” growled Delphine.

 

“Wrong. Right now you are a passenger. And my party does not jump to your commands. We are in support, yes, but my people do what I say, not you.”

 

“But, this is a Blades Mission.”

 

“Delphine,” said Esbern, holding up a hand. “You're dealing with a Dragonborn. The legends say they are strong headed. Dominant. It's the dragon blood. You can't argue your point and expect to win.”

 

Nora didn't think she was all that dominant. Well, sometimes, but she liked to be the submissive in bed with most men. Only she hadn't been with Esbern. But then he had needed someone to lead him.

 

“Okay, Dragonborn. We'll do it your way, this time.”

 

Nora thought they would do it her way the next time as well. Delphine wanted to be in charge of Nora. And while the Dragonborn was willing to let the woman help her, she was not willing to be turned into a good little soldier.

 

After fifteen minutes Nora felt like she was fully recharged both with stamina and magicka. It normally didn't take near that long, but teleporting, as she had said, took a lot out of her.

 

“We'll be materializing on the main road, near the branch over the bridge to the Karthspire.”

 

“Why not closer?” asked Delphine.

 

“I can only teleport to someplace I've been. Or someplace I've seen. I could teleport us right into the camp if it's in my line of sight, but I think that a bad idea, so I won't be doing that.”

 

“Why not into the Temple?”

 

“Because I haven't been there,” growled Nora. “Haven't you heard anything I have said. And since it’s in the mountain I can't see it. So we have to go in the old-fashioned way. On foot. Everyone ready.”

 

Head nods all around, and Nora cast the spell, the world going dark, then appearing again, and the party was right on the money, a few feet from the road leading over the twin bridges across the Karth. And a dragon overhead, roaring out its displeasure at the new invaders.

 

Well, so much for the element of surprise, thought Nora, getting quickly off her horse and smacking it in the rear to send it running away.

 

The party spread out and started sending arrows and offensive spells up into the dragon, which swept over and unleashed a stream of fire. Hitting Delphine and Esbern, who had stuck together, making the best target for the beast. Esbern, on his knees and hurt, started casting healing, the golden light surrounding his body. The dragon wheeled in the sky, coming back for another run, aiming right for the pair. A badly burned Delphine was struggling to get to her feet and face her death.

 

“Hit it with every you have,” yelled Nora, sending Ice Spikes into the dragon, which by flying straight and low was providing the perfect target. Her ice spike, burying itself into the side of the beast, was joined in an instant by three more as her other mages cast. All the mages hit it again, and the dragon roared its pain and anger and flapped high, breaking off its attack. It wheeled to the north, over the Forsworn camp, taking more magic damage from their mages. And proving that it was not an ally of those people.

 

The dragon went into a hover over the camp, letting loose a long blast of fire over the defenders. Nora was all for that. It wasn't hitting her people, and was hurting those she would have to later fight. It flapped higher, leaving many fires burning in the camp, and started back her way. Probably attracted by Nora's dragon blood. Her archers hit it with arrows, while she and the mages threw cold at it. Nora switched to Lightning, linking her and the dragon with a shining bolt of electricity.

 

It swerved a bit, going after Delphine and Esbern again. Esbern was on his feet and pouring healing into Delphine, but if the beast hit them again it might be all for naught. She hit it with another bolt of lightning, maintaining the spell and pumping electricity into it, while the other three mages kept up throwing ice spikes. Eldawyn switched spells, and an Ice Storm appeared ahead of the dragon, obscuring its sight on its chosen target and damaging it in passing. The dragon staggered in the air, flapping hard to gain altitude and get away. When Valkyrja arrows from her four archers all hit and penetrated its chest. With a croak the dragon's wings folded up and it fell into the Karth beside the bridge.

 

The dragon started burning, and its energy flowed into Nora, filling her with pleasure and pain, lifting her into the air while she cried out her ecstasy. She landed on her feet, the overflow going out in a burst, her vision clearing.

 

“I never thought I would see the like,” said Esbern, stumbling up, still hurt but stable. Delphine was in his wake, the burns on her face still apparent.

 

“A couple of you round up the horses,” ordered Nora, though a few of the beasts, well trained, were already running back to their masters. That would give them three or four horses to round the rest up with.

 

Nora poured healing magic into Delphine, Eldawyn joining her, while Sofia and J'Zargo healed Esbern.

 

“Why did it keep attacking Esbern and myself?” asked Delphine.

 

“Because you idiots stuck together,” said Nora, letting out a sigh. “They always go for what they think will be the best targets, and two people standing close is something they can take out with one blast. If you didn't notice, my people spread out, not giving it a good target.”

 

“But...”

 

“I tried to verse you on our tactics, but you just waved a hand and refused to listen. Well, now you know what we do and why we do it.”

 

“The Dragonborn is a tactician, Delphine,” said Esbern. “Best listen to her.”

 

Delphine sent an angry glance the old man's way. Nora had the impression that if she said it was raining Delphine would deny the water falling from the sky. Kind of petty, but the woman was a control freak. Probably having to do with hiding out for so long, having to have everything lined up just as she wanted it. Well, things were different now. Nora trusted herself and her friends, and Delphine had yet to be numbered among those.

 

“We'll go to cover among those trees on the first island,” said Nora, pointing across that bridge to the small body of land that linked the two bridges across the river. “Get the horses hobbled, rest for a moment, then sneak toward the camp.”

 

“And if they come for us?” asked Delphine, clearly not liking a plan not of her making.

 

“Then we turn that bridge into their funeral pyre,” said Eldawyn, knowing her friend and her stratagems well.

 

The party spent fifteen minutes in the copse of trees, enough time for the Forsworn to hopefully think the party had just been caught up in the dragon attack and had moved on. Once they settled the party would be able to surprise them again, then hit them with long range firepower, avoiding the arrows of those powerful bows.

 

“Let's go,” she said, leading the party quickly across the bridge and into another stand of vegetation. It looked like no one was paying attention to the bridges. Why would they? They were Forsworn, a mighty gathering of mages and warriors, and this was their territory, where they were supreme. Arrogant bastards, and Nora was going to use that arrogance against them.

 

They got within arrow and spell range of the lower camp. The Forsworn were occupying a multi-level camp, a number of platforms linked by hanging bridges. One went from the main camp to an area on the mountain, out of sight from where they were. Another went over the stream branch to a multi-level stone structure with stairs built into the rock. She estimated there were thirty or more Forsworn, not counting the numerous smoking bodies lying around, victims of the dragon attack. More than half of the living Forsworn were tending to those bodies, if stripping them of all their belongings could be call caring. There were two major clusters of bodies, maybe seven or eight Forsworn by each, and she signaled to her mages, assigning targets. The three archers would engage targets of opportunity.

 

“What do you want us to do?” asked Esbern, at least having the good sense to see what Nora wanted.

 

“When we start our attack you can summon one of those noisy things. Then send whatever offensive spells you have.”

 

Nora started off by summoning a Golden Saint. The things still creeped her out, but they were fair to look at and it gave her another archer, while drawing enemy fire. From what she understood they truly didn't die, but were simply banished back to their realm, whether that was Meridia's of Sheogorath's didn't really matter. As long as there were more available she would keep calling them up.

 

The Saint went immediately on the attack, firing arrows into the Forsworn. Esbern's Frost Atronach started stomping toward the camp, gathering more attention. Nora and Eldawyn both cast Fire Storm at the largest concentrations of Forsworn, the slow-moving masses of flame getting there right after the fireballs of Sofia and J'Zargo.

 

The Saint was gone, felled, and Nora summoned another, then sent another Fire Storm spell into the center of the camp. The other mages sent fireballs, Esbern joining in with Ice Spike, one of the only offensive spells the Conjurer had command of.

 

The Forsworn archers fought back, sending arrows from their powerful bows at anything they could see. Some fireballs came out at them, one exploding on top of Eldawyn and Jordis. The women were partially protected by their enchantments, but it still had to hurt. Elda sent a series of fireballs at the platform across the river, striking back at those magic users. J'Zargo and Sofia joined in, drawing all the attention of those mages while they still had attention.

 

“Close action,” ordered Nora, throwing one last fireball, then on her feet and running forward. She shouted Slow Time, then ran up the stairs at the Forsworn who saw her coming. Arrows came her way, dodged or swatted aside. Arrows flew past her from behind, Jordis, Lydia and Elesia firing on the run. Valdimar struggled to keep up with the fast moving Dragonborn. Nora cut down a Forsworn, then another, before a glowing shaft hit her right thigh and penetrated through the armor and into her flesh.

 

Nora cried out and stumbled, her right leg no longer working fully. She raised her buckler to take a strike from hammer that drove her down to her knees. The man raised his hammer again, to take three arrows through his chest. The Dragonborn called up another Saint, which drew its sword and engaged the next Forsworn. Valdimar trudged by, his ebony hammer crushing a woman running forward with a serrated sword. The Dragonborn struggled to her feet, gritting her teeth against the pain and limping forward, throwing offensive spells at everyone she could see.

 

“Hold up,” said Eldawyn, catching up with her. “Let me take care of that wound.”

 

“Caught me off guard,” said Nora through gritted teeth. It went through the fleshy part of her thigh, missing bone and artery, but it hurt like a bitch. Eldawyn poured healing magic into the wound, then tried to pull the arrow out. Nora cried out. It had a serrated head, and wasn't going to come out the way it went in without more tearing. Nora broke of the shaft, leaving the rest of the arrow in place, and then stumbled on.

 

The Forsworn up on the Karthspire were now sending arrows down, and her mages took them out with spells. Nora limped across the bridge to the part across the river.

 

“Where are you going?” called Delphine. “The Temple is the other way.”

 

“There's a Hagraven here,” said Nora through her pain. “I can feel her, and I'm not about to leave her behind me.”

 

“A Hagraven,” said Delphine, just before the dark magic hit her.

 

“Get the fuck down,” yelled Nora, reaching up and pulling the injured woman to cover. She then crawled up the steps and to an overlook, watching as the dark magic came at the place where they had been. She cast Fire Storm, sending it on its way, then following up with fireballs until the dark magic stopped. She then lay against a stone wall and caught her breath.

 

“We need to get that arrow out, my Lady,” said Lydia. “Otherwise, the wound will get infected.”

 

“I don't get infections,” said Nora, shaking her head. “But it does hurt like hell, and I can't heal fully with it in there.”

 

Her people helped her out of her armor, laying it aside. The legging had a hole in it, one that she hoped the armorer at the castle could fix. Well, the question as to whether or not bows of lesser quality than the black bow could penetrate it was answered.

 

“What were you thinking, Dragonborn?” asked Delphine, now healed of the magic damage by Esbern. “You should have let your vassals handle the assault.”

 

“First off, Delphine, they're not my vassals. They're my friends, and their lives are very important to me.”

 

“But they can't do what you can,” said the woman in exasperation.

 

“This is going to hurt, my Thane,” said Valdimar, ready to push the arrow through. There was a lot of blood on her thigh, more oozing out, and the wound throbbed from the foreign object within it.

 

“Go ahead.”

 

Valdimar put his gauntleted finger on the shaft and pushed hard. The arrow penetrated through the back of her leg and caused her to cry out.

 

“Sorry, my Thane. Now my hands may not be quite right for this part.”

 

“I'll handle it,” said Elesia, pulling out what looked like advanced tech forceps from her pack. Her people moved Nora around till she was lying on her stomach. Elesia gripped the blood slimmed head of the arrow in the forceps.

 

“Cry out if you need to,” said Elesia, just before she pulled hard and the arrow slid out of the wound.

 

It hurt like hell, but Nora was going to be damned before she yelled out. She bit her lip until she tasted blood. And then it was out and she took a deep breath. Eldawyn and Sofia poured healing magic into the wound, which closed up in moments. More magic knit the muscle.

 

“Well, that's going to leave a nice scar,” said Delphine.

 

“Not even,” said Nora with a smile, the pain gone.

 

She put her armor back on and prepared to go for the prize. J'Zargo and Lydia appeared, satchels full of loot in their hands.

 

“J'Zargo and Lydia found much in the Hagraven's nest,” said the cat, holding up his heavy satchel.

 

“Where's Jordis and Sofia?”

 

“They went for the horses,” said Lydia. “Don't worry, my Thane. We have everything under control.”

 

Nora got back on her feet, testing her leg, which performed as expected. By the time they got to the Karthspire platform, after looting the main camp, the horses were coming through up the steps. Jordis saw to picketing them, making sure each mount had a bag of oats.

 

“I watered them before bringing them up,” said the girl.

 

“Good job,” said Nora. She hadn't been a horse person before coming here, that species of animal extinct in the Commonwealth. But she believed in caring for them, since they were living creatures and so important to her explorations. “Anyone volunteer for horse guard?”

 

No one raised a hand, not surprising, since something new was ahead. She thought it over, then named Jordis and Sofia as the guards, since the two had brought the horses up. “As soon as the others get a good look inside, I'll send some people out to relieve you,” she told the disappointed pair.

 

“Wouldn't you rather have all of them with you?” asked Delphine, still trying to exert control. “It's what I would do.”

 

“But not what I would do,” said Nora. “I don't want to come back out and find my horses dead and eaten.”

 

“You don't even need them anymore,” continued Delphine, the exasperated expression back on her face.

 

“I do need them. I can't teleport everywhere.” Yet, she thought. “And I'm responsible for them.”

 

“But, inside..”

 

“There can't be more of them in there than we faced out here,” said Eldawyn, coming to her friend's defense. “And I think eight of us will be enough. Even with two amateurs.”

 

Delphine looked like she wanted to say something to the elf, but Esbern put a hand on her arm and she thought better of it.

 

As soon as they entered the cave Nora knew they were not alone. Lamps were lit and food was sitting on the tables. She held up a hand to stop her party, then cast Invisibility, moving silently into the cave. There were six Forsworn, including a Briarheart, waiting in ambush. She moved behind them, then pushed her blade through the back of the undead leader, severing his spine. As she became visible she shouted Marked For Death into the other five, staggering them, weakening them. She swung her blade and took the lives of two others. By that time her archers had come into view and put arrows into any survivors.

 

“I think we had too many people,” said Eldawyn as she led the rest of the party to Nora. “But better too many than too few.”

 

They moved on into the caverns, stopping at a walkway that ended against three standing stones. There was a lever, and the stones could be turned, and Nora was certain that triggering the switch without the stones being in the proper position would activate some kind of trap.

 

“Any suggestions?” she asked Esbern.

 

“Well, that sign there is the ancient Akaviri symbol for dragons. So I would try that one.”

 

Nora nodded and moved the stones until the dragon symbol was facing out on all of them. She pulled the lever, and a walkway suspended from the other side fell into place, opening the path. They walked up several ramps to get to a room that had a number of square flagstones with different symbols on them. She couldn't see any fire spouts, so figured this one was a shock trap.

 

“Probably the dragon stones as well?” she asked of Esbern, who nodded.

 

Nora stepped out onto a dragon stone, waiting for the trap to spring. Nothing. She stepped on another, then changed directions to move forward, then to the side again. Switching directions multiple times to get to the chain, she pulled it, then stepped onto one of the other stones. “Safe,” she said, and headed for the other opening to the chamber.

 

That tunnel led to a large room with a stone head at the end and a seal on the floor with the dragon symbol. Esbern hurried behind, looking everything over. “I think this seal needs blood to open. But not just any blood. The blood of the Dragonborn.”

 

Figures, thought Nora, grimacing at the thought of shedding more blood this day. She pulled her monomolecular blade, not as sharp as it had been from deterioration, and cut deep into a finger, squeezing the blood onto the seal. It glowed for a moment, then the stone head rose up and revealed another tunnel.

 

“Maybe,” said Delphine, but Nora wasn't in the mood to listen. She charged into the tunnel, aware of the base reliefs on the walls but not really interested. She could hear Esbern behind her, commenting on the beauty of the Akaviri reliefs he was looking over.

 

There was a large table in the center of the room, with plates and glasses thick with dust. And on the far side of the room, between two wide stairways leading up, a huge bass relief.

 

“Come in here,” she called out.

 

“Esbern,” said Delphine in a peeved tone. “We're here to find a weapon to defeat Alduin, not look over ancient artwork.”

 

“Patience, Delphine. You always were rushed.”

 

Nora smiled. Even Esbern was seeing the bad side of Delphine. If the woman kept it up she wouldn't have any friends.

 

“Look at this,” said Nora, as Esbern hurried up with torch in hand.

 

The old man walked the length of the relief, commenting on what he thought it meant. It stopped at the end, then went back to the center, where a large dragon that had to be Alduin was in battle with some of the ancient Nords, who were projecting something from their mouths.

 

“And here we have the ancient Nords shouting at Alduin. That must be it. They were using a shout to defeat the world eater.”

 

“Have you ever heard of anything like that?” asked Delphine, looking at Nora. “A shout that could defeat a dragon?”

 

“No. But maybe the Graybeards know.”

 

“Well, good thing they've already accepted you into their little cult. I'm sure they wouldn't let me and Esbern in.”

 

“Just what do you have against the Graybeards?”

 

“Nothing,” said Delphine in a tone that said she had everything against them. “It's just that if they had their way they would have you sit up there on their mountain and contemplate the sky, or your navel, or something. They want you to be afraid of your power.”

 

“Didn't seem to work for Tiber Septim,” said Lydia, sitting at the table. “And if my Thane were afraid of power, she wouldn't have advanced so fast at the College of Winterhold.”

 

“The young lady has a point, Delphine,” said Esbern.

 

“Oh, great. Everyone gang up on me,” said Delphine, storming out of the room, Esbern following.

 

Nora explored the complex. It was dusty, but it contained quite a lot of treasures, among them fine armor and weapons. There was a barracks with beds, as well as a number of private rooms that must have been for officers. A large dining hall and a magic laboratory with enchanting and alchemy tables. A perfect place to build a small army, and she would have considered it if not for the castle she already had outside of Whiterun.

 

Through the door at the top of the stairs was a large grassy courtyard overlooking the Reach. There was no egress from it, there being sheer cliffs on all sides, but that didn't dissuade Nora from an idea. She explored the courtyard some more, finding covered practice areas with targets for swordplay and archery.

 

“I'll be right back,” she told her people. “Someone get a fire going out here so we can cook.”

 

“What about the kitchen?” asked Lydia.

 

“If you want to spend hours cleaning that place before you cook, be my guest. But I would like to have food on the table sooner if possible.”

 

With that she cast teleport, appearing on the small plateau outside the cavern.

 

“How is it?” asked Jordis when she saw Nora.

 

“It's dusty, but it has everything the Blades need,” she told them, leaving out how argumentative Delphine had been. “And there's a place for the horses on another plateau. Let me show you.”

 

The two women threw the saddles and bags back on the horses so they could take everything, then Nora teleported them all to the grassy space. Lydia already had a fire going, and as soon as Nora and the horses appeared she unloaded the spit from one of the beasts. They unsaddled the horses and let them graze, while several of the party pulled dried foods and potatoes from saddle bags and started on preparation. Within an hour they had a fine meal, and moved into the Temple to eat, finding Esbern and Delphine already sitting at the big table in the center.

 

“I'm sorry,” said Delphine, looking at Nora. “I'm just so anxious to start getting the Blades back as a going concern, and the way that stupid Nord Dragonborn got himself killed makes me anxious around you. Esbern had explained how you are not him, and I promise to not treat you like a child in the future.”

 

“Apology accepted,” said Nora, putting filled plates in front of both Blades.

 

“So Nora. When will you be seeing the Graybeards again?” asked Esbern.

 

“Soon.”

 

“You need to get to them as soon as possible,” said Delphine, looking down as Nora turned a jaundice stare at her. “Sorry. Of course it's up to you as to when you go see them. But they might hold the secret of the weapon against Alduin.”

 

“I understand,” said Nora, nodding. “But I have a lot more preparation to do before I face that monster.”

 

“But...”

 

“Delphine. The woman will face Alduin when she is ready. Leave it be.”

 

“Okay. But let me ask you another favor, Dragonborn. There is a war ahead, even after Alduin is gone. The Thalmor will need to be handled. And having the Blades behind you will only be to your advantage. So anyone you find that you can't use, but have the skills to be a warrior, consider bringing them to us.”

 

“I'll do that,” said Nora. After all, the Blades, especially with Esbern to temper Delphine, could be a valuable ally. “And, of course, I keep killing dragons wherever I come across them,” she said emphatically. “Every soul taken is one less ally for Alduin.”

 

The group ate and drank into the night, telling stories from their pasts. Delphine related how the Blades were in the thick of things against the Thalmor, before they were betrayed from the top. Everyone contributed a tale, though Elesia stayed silent.

 

“You, my Lady,” said Esbern, looking Elesia in the eye. “You didn't tell us where you come from. And such unusual eyes.”

 

“I, uh.”

 

“Oh, go ahead and tell them Elesia,” said Nora, smiling. “All your friends know, and it's not like they're going to scream it from the rooftops of Whiterun.”

 

Elesia nodded, cleared her throat, and looked at Esbern. “I'm not from this world.”

 

“From Nora's?”

 

“No sir. A different world. More advanced that Nora's, though hers is on the verge of catching up with us.”

 

“Another world,” said Esbern, who had already had his horizons expanded much in the last couple of days. “How many are there?”

 

“Thousands that we know of,” said Elesia. “Maybe millions.”

 

“As large as Nirn?”

“Nirn is actually a relatively small world.”

 

“Small? And what are you doing here?”

 

“Originally I came to observe the Dragonborn. I thought it was the Nord when I came, but I realized when it was apparent that he was such a failure that I had been sent to observe Nora. She's, well, we have records on many heroes across the multiverse, and my job was to record her adventures. I read up on her and did my job as specified, at first. Only, I couldn't just stand by and watch people die, so I joined in. I'm afraid I will not be welcome back at home after this.”

 

“Such a sacrifice,” said Esbern, sighing. “Well, I am glad you felt we were worth saving. Anything you can tell us about the time ahead.”

 

“Uh, no. I can't. If I tell you what happens, it might change what you do, and it won't happen. If that makes any sense.”

 

Esbern thought for a moment, then nodded. “Makes sense. Well, do what you must to support our Nora.”

 

Nora retired to a room she claimed, along with Eldawyn and Valdimar. The man gave them what they wanted. Eldawyn preferred a soft hand most times, even from a man, and that was what she got. Nora wanted a beast this night, someone to ride her hard and put her away wet, and she got that as well. Afterwards they all lay on the large bed, Valdimar sleeping soundly from his exertions, Nora and Eldawyn speaking quietly.

 

“You have to be more careful, my dear,” said Eldawyn, playing with Nora's fingers as they lay facing each other. “You need to stop rushing in. Wait for your warriors to close up with you, so they can defend you.”

 

“I, hate to think of others dying because I held back,” said Nora, closing her eyes and seeing the faces of the dead.

 

“They will die when their time comes,” said Eldawyn, kissing the back of Nora's hand as she held it to her face. “I know you didn't believe that on your world, but here it is true. All of these people, even one self-centered Altmer, are here because they love you, believe in you, and all of us are willing to give our lives so you can fulfill your destiny if that's what it takes. You were wounded today, despite this wonderful armor we all have.”

 

“It was only a leg wound.”

 

“This time. But the next it might go through your heart, or your eye and into the brain. You can heal almost anything, my dear, but I think if your heart or brain is hit that might end it.”

 

Nora nodded, thinking of what the woman was saying. She had taken rounds through her lungs, liver, and kidneys, and they had all healed within a couple of days. She had even been nicked in the heart, and her body had healed that minor wound almost instantly. Getting her heart sliced in twain by an arrowhead would probably be fatal, and a major injury to her brain could make her into something else. Not the Nora that everyone knew.

 

“I'll try to be a good girl in the future,” she said. “But it's hard.”

 

“I know.” Eldawyn stretched, then made a face. “You know, I like a man, even though it is messy. Sloppy even. When its fresh and warm its fine. But I can't stand the feeling of their dried, stuff, on me.”

 

“Well, then why don't we lick each other clean,” said Nora, smiling.

 

“Sounds like fun,” said Eldawyn, turning on the bed so she could present herself to Nora while she worked on her friend.