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17th of Last Seed, 4E 201. 

Slowly, bright amber coloured eyes blinked open through a building headache. A deep breath was taken in an attempt to calm the spinning. Katla moved her arms slowly and noticed the heavy iron cuffs locking her wrists together. She was a prisoner. Great. She moved her hands slowly. The cuffs were shoddily made. A good yank would probably rip them apart. Though, it wouldn’t make her life any easier, so it was probably better not to. 

"Hey, you. You're finally awake.”

Katla looked up and focused through the thumping pain against her temple. He was dirty and dressed in Stormcloak blue. That wasn’t great for her. “It would seem that way,” she muttered. 

"How did you end up in this mess?" the dirty Nord asked in a friendly manner. He almost sounded like they weren’t on their way to their deaths. Katla knew this road. She knew it led to Helgen and the Imperials were likely to just kill the lot of them just to be sure no Stormcloaks survived this. "Damn Khajiit," she swore. “I would guess my companion picked something up he shouldn’t have. Slippery bastard most likely managed to shake them after leading them to me.”

Rashall had disappeared somewhere, only to return with soldiers after him. Sometimes she wondered why she kept travelling with him. Most people would not choose to put their trust in a Khajiit, especially one like Rashall, but Katla wasn't most people. She knew him well enough to know that he was nearby. She looked up and scanned the forest carefully. 

They had met several years earlier, along the road between Riften and Windhelm. She had just passed him by, two travellers heading in opposite directions on the road. That was until Katla had felt his hands in her pockets. She had tackled him to the ground roughly and pulled her large battleaxe from her back as she growled menacingly. 

"Hey, sweetheart, I meant nothin’ by it. Ya're such a lovely lady. I just couldn’ help meself," Rashall said somewhat nervously. He should have known better. Women usually weren't that broad shouldered. He could feel his ribs bruising from that impact. 

Katla glared at him. “Yeah, that might work on the tavern wrenches, but I'm not desperate,” she said sharply. “You can take those honeyed words to Oblivion.” She shifted her axe and his eyes widened in proper fear. Oh, he could possibly get away from her, but just the fact that she had noticed him was rare enough. She was quicker than he expected, and that could easily be the death of him. 

Rashall tensed as the axe rose above him when he heard voices coming their way. He dared to turn his head as a band of bandits appeared. That was just his luck, wasn’t it. He held his breath as the woman stepped over him. An arrow bounced off her armour and her eyes narrowed. 

Katla could leave the thief. He wasn’t likely to go after her again, no matter how desperate he was, he would probably be glad enough to simply be alive. The bandits were not going to give up once they made their minds up. Bandits were predictable like that. Her axe glinted in the sun as she swung it. Blood splattered across the ground as the axe separated the head from the body of the first bandit. 

Once upon a time the blood and death had bothered her. Now she simply felt sorry they had to end up in this situation. She would fight to survive. She wasn’t letting them kill her, just because she didn’t have the heart to kill them. That might be cold, but it wasn’t like they were giving her much choice. 

The fight was over quickly. Katla looked at the mess around her feet as she shook blood from the blade of her axe. Something would take care of them if she left them there. She reached back to put her axe away when a groan sounded right in her ear. She turned around and bounced back quickly. 

The thieving Khajiit stood with a dagger jammed between the shoulder blades of another bandit. He pulled it out and watched the man collapse with a sneer. He was not impressed. 

"Thank you," Katla said calmly. She put her axe away. It was interesting to meet a thief who didn’t just run away at the first sign of trouble. "Are you up for earning some coin? I could use an extra set of hands." If he was desperate and needed the money, it was a good deal for him. If he had just wanted to test his skills on her, he could say no. Either way, someone who had already protected her without motivation was intriguing to her. She placed her hand over a knife in her belt. He could decide to attack her too. Though, that would have been wiser to do while she was fighting earlier. 

Rashall grinned. "Beats gettin me head chopped off," he said. She was big and tough. She was good in a fight, and she was willing to see past his kleptomaniac tendencies. All of those things were bonuses in his eyes. 

To begin with, their relationship had been purely professional. Katla was travelling to gather materials in order to further her skills as a Blacksmith. She wanted to find other Masters. The ones she had learnt under in Skyrim had taught her what they could, and she wished to broaden her view. That would take them out of Skyrim. 

“I ain takin that,” Rashall said a few weeks in as Katla handed him a money pouch. "Ya've grown on me, girl. As long as we share loot…" He smiled playfully at her as his tail swayed back and forth behind him. 

"You're suggesting a partnership instead," Katla said. She certainly wouldn’t mind. She had found that she enjoyed his company. 

"Somethin like that," Rashall said with a shrug. 

Katla shook her head and laughed. "Sounds good to me, sneak thief," she said teasingly, earning herself an even broader smile. “You know, I’ll just keep going once Greyham has taught me what he can.”

“I certainly don mind,” Rashall said. “We can go all over if ya want.” 

They had. They went from city to city, country to country. Wherever Katla could find a Master willing to teach her was where they had stayed. Sometimes when she found a good one, Rashall would leave for weeks at a time, but he would always return to her. In that way he was a reliable companion despite his less than legal activities. 

Over the years, Katla had found that she cared less and less about his nimble fingers and sharp daggers. People were corrupt. At least with Rashall she knew she could trust him. He had saved her life more than once, and he never let her take the fall when he got her in trouble. It didn’t matter what he would have to do to get her out. That was why she wasn’t worried, despite the iron cuffs around her wrists and the dirty Stormcloaks around her. They might be heading for their execution, but he would be there. Rashall wouldn't let her die. She focused back on the Nord who had been talking to her. 

"How about you?" Katla asked. “I can tell that most of you are Stormcloaks. I know about the unrest, even if it has been a few years since I set foot in Skyrim. I take it the War isn’t going great.” She didn’t support the Stormcloaks, but she was no fan of the Imperials either. 

It wasn’t the gruff soldiers that answered her, though. “Yeah, these guys are Stormcloaks, but you and I aren't. We don’t belong here.” He looked like he might be a man down on his luck. 

Katla’s eyes narrowed for a bit as she studied him. Thief most likely, and not a good one either. She knew what to look for after years travelling with Rashall. He did not have the tells. She probably showed more proficiency herself than he did. She had helped out enough when she felt it was justified. “We might not belong with them, but we aren’t innocent either,” she said before leaning back. Her amber eyes moved vigilantly. She didn't show that she had seen Rashall, but he was out there. She just didn’t want the soldiers to know. She looked at the man who had spoken to her. “I’m no fan of the Thalmor,” she said. “I don’t agree with the Stormcloaks' methods, but I have nothing against you.” Her eyes narrowed as she tried to place him. “You look familiar,” she said. “From Riverwood are you?”

The Nord nodded. “I am, lass,” he gave her a sharper look. “I’m Ralof. You from around there too?” He had a better look at her, but he couldn’t remember any girl who looked like her. 

“Family farm named Sunweaver. It was destroyed in a skirmish many years ago, and I took up a trade. These days there is nothing left of the farm. My parents never cared to rebuild. My brother joined the Stormcloaks and got himself killed, last I heard anything,” Katla said. She didn’t blame them for her brother’s death, he had made his choice. No one else was to blame for that. 

“Oh, you’re the daughter that left, Katla right?” Ralof said. He had a vague memory of a girl big enough to brawl with boys several years her senior. If he recalled correctly, she had been sharp and dangerous even back as a wee girl. He doubted she had mellowed. 

Katla nodded. She turned to the man next to her. She had never met him personally, though she had made weapons for his men back in the day. “Then we have Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak,” she said. “Take joy in the fact that we will most likely not die today, Jarl of Windhelm.” Her voice had fallen, so the coachman wouldn’t hear her. 

“You sound certain,” Ralof said, his tone suspicious. 

“I have my reasons. I trust my companion, even he sometimes gets me in these messes through his own actions. He would never let me get killed, even if that means he has to kill every Imperial in Helgen,” Katla said. “He has a flair for the dramatics, though, so keep your wits about you.”

“That’s some friend you have there,” Ralof said. “Are you certain?”

Katla nodded. “He has his ways,” she said. 

“I hope you are right,” Ralof said as the carriages rolled into Helgen. 

“General Tullius, sir! The headsman is waiting!” a soldier called as they passed the gates. 

“Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh. Divines, please help me,” the thief pleaded. 

“Look at him, General Tullius, the Military Governor,” Ralof said acidly. It was clear enough that he disliked the man. “See, he even has those elven bastards with him. I bet they had something to do with this.” 

Katla shrugged. She had no love for the Thalmor. She could understand his hostility. The Elves had some strange ideas. That didn’t mean all elves were a problem, though. 

Ralof was silent for a moment before he turned to Katla “You know I used to be sweet on a girl from here,” he said. 

“Watch it. You are starting to sound sentimental,” Katla said. She caught sight of something over his shoulder and gave a small nod. Rashall was standing in the shadow of a guard tower. “Looks like the gods are watching over us,” she said softly.

Ralof’s eyes widened. “Sounds good,” he said. 

“Quiet back there,” the Imperial soldier driving the carriage called back to them. It would seem he was paying more attention now that other people could see him.  

Katla rolled her eyes. It was sloppy and unfocused. She wasn’t impressed by any of this. They had so many openings, which was good for her, of course, but she still felt like they could have done a better job. 

People moved inside as the carriages got closer. Parents forced their children into their houses. They didn’t want them to see the executions. That was probably for the best. Even if very few people were executed, someone was bound to die that day. 

“Get these prisoners out of the carts,” a soldier called out as the carts stopped. “Move it!”

Katla waited for her turn before setting her feet on the ground. She could see Rashall moving up behind the executioner out of the corner of her eye. She felt safe in the knowledge that he was there. 

“Step towards the block when we call your name. One at a time,” the Imperial Captain said. 

“The Empire loves their damn lists,” Ralof said irritably. 

“You don’t say,” Katla murmured. She almost found his irritation amusing. She was not as bothered by this as he was. 

“Ulfric Stormcloak,” they called out. “Jarl of Windhelm.”

“It has been an honour, Jarl Ulfric,” Ralof said.

Ulfric moved over to the execution grounds. His eyes narrowed as he saw something moving in the shadows. Could the woman be right? Was there a man over there?

“Ralof of Riverwood,” the Imperials called, and Ralof walked after Ulfric. 

“Lokir of Rorikstead.”

“No, I'm not a rebel. You can't do this!” Lokir the thief shouted before he took off running. 

Katla sighed and shook her head. Idiot. He would have had a better chance of surviving if he had stayed put. Now he was a pincushion. Running really was not an option. 

“Wait,” the Imperial looked at his list and then back at Katla. “You there, step forward. Who are you?”

“Katla of Sunweaver Farm,” Katla responded. She could have said more, but she didn’t really feel like giving them her life story. 

“You picked a bad time to come home to Skyrim, kinsman,” the Imperial said. “Captain. What should we do? She's not on the list.”

“Forget the list,” the Captain said. “She goes to the block.”

Katla sighed. Lokir was right about one thing. Their supposed crimes didn’t fit the punishment. Either way, she wasn’t about to complain. That would just make things harder for Rashall. She did as she was told and followed the Captain over to the others. 

“Ulfric Stormcloak. Some here in Helgen call you a hero,” General Tullius said. “But a hero doesn't use a power like The Voice to murder his king and usurp his throne.” He crossed his arms. “You started this war, plunged Skyrim into chaos, and now the Empire is going to put you down, and restore the peace.”

Katla wanted to grimace. It wasn’t that easy. Killing Ulfric wasn’t the answer. The people of Skyrim didn’t want the Empire. They didn’t want to slave away under elven overlords. Ulfirc was just one man opposing them. There would be others even if he died now. 

A strange roar tore through the still air. 

“What was that?” 

“It's nothing. Carry on,” General Tullius said dismissively.

“Yes, General Tullius,” the Captain said. “Give them their last rites.” She had turned to the local priestess. 

As the priestess started talking, the Stormcloak soldiers got restless. One man just told them to stuff it. The talk of the Thalmor’s Eight Divines irritated him. “For the love of Talos, let’s just get this over with.” He walked forward and knelt down. The axe swung and his head rolled. 

“Next is the Nord woman from Sunweaver. Get over here,” the Captain called.

Katla walked forward and knelt before the block. At least they hadn’t waited longer for her turn. That gave some possibility for her earlier claim to be true. She leaned forward. Any time now would be good, Rashall. She grimaced as the wet blood of the soldier touched her neck. 

The executioner raised his axe. 

Katla’s eyes widened as a dragon landed on the nearby guard tower. What the heck? The great beast roared, and she pushed herself away from the block so the axe that came sailing towards her would miss. The sky darkened above their heads. A ball of fire hit the ground only a few meters away. She tore the cuffs off as Rashall reached her. “Shoddy work,” she mumbled. 

“Only ya,” Rashall said as he held out her battleaxe to her. “Ya know ya want ‘em to be bad.”

“Thanks, you mangy cat,” Katla said irritably as she grabbed the axe. “Did you have to wait until the last second? That could have ended poorly.”

Rashall looked sheepish. “I just kind of… Well, it would've been epic if…” He sighed. “Ya know, I don really have a good excuse.” He felt just a bit bad about that. He didn’t really want her to worry. He looked around. “The way I took it was destroyed. I know another way out, though.”

“Let’s go there and get out,” Katla said. “If legends are to be believed, that is the World-Eater Alduin. I’d rather not fight him unless we have to.” She knew the old legends by heart, more so because she listened to those who wished to tell them than because she had an interest in them. 

Rashall nodded swiftly. He would trust her on that. She knew far more about things like that than he did. He moved ahead of her and led the way between houses, through tight spaces, over burning logs, under the Dragon’s wings and past many Imperials and Stormcloaks. They headed down into the Helgen dungeons. They were out of the fire and the direct threat of the dragon. That was good. Others had been shouting as they passed earlier, so they moved quickly as they continued through the dungeons. 

That was until they reached the main prison room. It was set up like a torture chamber, and Katla’s gaze turned steely as she walked up to the nearest man and bashed his head against the wall while Rashall moved past her and killed the second man. 

“At least that means they won’t be hurting anyone else,” Katla said darkly before they kept moving. They reached a cave and found several Stormcloak soldiers lying in wait. “We are not your enemies. The Jarl should be on his way,” she said. 

The man leading the soldiers looked her over. He wasn’t too keen on attacking someone who didn’t wear Imperial armour. They could be a potential ally. Especially since the woman was a Nord. “Go on,” he said. 

Katla offered him a nod before moving along into what looked more and more like a cave rather than anything man made. 

“There's a bear over there?” Rashall said softly.

“Let’s not mess with her if we can avoid it,” Katla responded. They had already killed some spiders earlier. She didn’t feel like killing an innocent bear who just wanted somewhere safe to stay. They sneaked by and headed outside. 

“This is better,” Katla said after drawing a deep breath of fresh air. She looked up at the sky as he heard something moving overhead. “Here comes the dragon,” she whispered as she moved closer to the mountainside with Rashall by her side. 

They waited until the dragon was just a speck on the bright morning sky. 

“Our things are over here,” Rashall said once he felt safe in the knowledge that the dragon wouldn’t notice them any more. 

“I want to go by the house before we continue, just to see that everything is still there,” Katla said as they started heading down the road.

“Sounds good,” Rashall said. “We can drop some things off.” He looked around to make sure there was no one else around. “Then what do we do?”

“Head over to Whiterun. That dragon was heading in that direction. They need to be warned,” Katla said. She wasn’t overly excited, but someone had to do it, and they were prime candidates. 

Rashall nodded slowly. “Ya don think the Imperials will deal with that?” he asked. 

Katla shrugged. “The Jarl is neutral,” she said. “He is trying his best to not join the conflict as far as I know. You know as well as I do that the Stormcloaks are just going to head back to friendly territory, and the Imperials will go back to Solitude and then maybe write a missive.” She shook her head. “It’s going to take weeks before Whiterun gets any news.”

Rashall groaned. He had not missed the political climate of Skyrim. The mess created by the Stormcloaks and the Imperials was just ridiculous. He didn’t disagree with Katla, but why did they have to get involved?

They made their way down the road and continued west towards their home. They hadn’t been back for quite a while, this time. Rashall had stayed with Katla more or less the whole time. 

“I’ll check on our neighbours,” Rashall said as they reached Pinewatch just south of their house. Bandits lived there, but he had early on struck a deal with them that kept Lakeview Manor safe. The bandits looked after the manor while they were not around, in exchange for quite a large sum of gold. 

Katla continued up to the house. Everything looked mostly the way they left it. At some point, a giant must have attacked, but the bandits had quite obviously killed it before it had killed their cow. “Hello Gertie, girl,” she said as she reached the pen. “How are you doing?” 

Gertie mooed in response. She followed Katla with her gaze as the Nord walked over to the front door and unlocked it. 

It was dusty. Katla looked around and sighed. They would have to clean before they could do anything else. “Oh, well,” she breathed. It wasn’t that much of a surprise. Houses did collect dust, after all. 

When Rashall joined her, she had already wiped down most surfaces with a damp cloth. She was so glad they didn’t keep things on their shelves when they weren’t home. “How are the neighbours doing?” she asked. Not that she really cared about them. They were bandits, after all. 

“Disagreeing with each other,” Rashall said non-comically. He wasn’t impressed with their behaviour. “I made sure none of 'em would break their promise to us, but I really don care about the rest. If they kill each other, that’s up to 'em.” He grabbed a broom and started swiping. “We don have any food here,” he pointed out. It would have spoiled by now if they had left any. That was why they had made sure there was none. 

“We can fish,” Katla responded. “While we get cleaned up. I really want a bath.” She brushed dried blood from her neck. “Especially after this morning,” she said, disgust lacing her voice. 

“Yeah, I can understand that,” Rashall said. He considered apologising for taking so long, but he knew Katla didn’t care about that now. He was better off not doing that again. 

They finished cleaning the house before heading down to Lake Illinata. Katla started washing while Rashall sat down to fish. He caught a pair of fat salmon and headed back up to the house. He would rinse them and start cooking them before getting cleaned up himself. Fish scent clung to everything, so he was better off cleaning after. 

Katla took over the cooking as she got back to the house and sent him down to the lake. They had left potatoes in the ground outside, and a few were still edible. She cleaned them off and cut them into slices. She would fry them off in some butter. It was a good thing they had packed well before leaving Cheydinhal. They still had quite a few good things with them. She rummaged through the packs and got some vegetables and garlic, among other things. 

“It smells good,” Rashall said as he came back. “We’ll eat, and then we should wash our clothes. I don think I have anything clean, and the stuff that's been lying around here'll be musty.” His nose twitched. He really didn’t like the smell of clothes that had been lying around for years. 

Katla nodded. “Sounds like a plan,” she said as she looked around. “We probably should try not to be away for several years at a time,” she said. “It makes quite a mess.” 

“Do ya have anything else ya wanna do in some other part of the world?” Rashall asked. “By now we have been everywhere in Tamriel. There really isn’t all that much more to see.” He certainly wouldn’t mind sticking closer to home. Lakeview was built with their needs in mind, and he really liked it. 

Katla chuckled. She knew he hadn’t been that happy during parts of their journey. Especially when they had gone by Elsweyr. He didn’t like his homeland. It was too hot and sandy for him. She hadn’t minded as much as he did, but then again she had an easier time cleaning the sand off, and his fur was adapted for colder weather. He might have adapted better if they had stayed longer, but that could have ruined his coat for the cold winters of Skyrim. It had been an ongoing discussion while they stayed further south. 

They made the table and looked things over before settling down to eat. They had been on the road for a long time. Just getting a chance to sit by a table was nice. It would have been nice to stay for longer, but Katla felt like she ought to let Whiterun know what had happened to Helgen. She would stay a day to let her clothes dry and to fix their gear, but then she really should be off. 

“Will you come with me?” Katla asked as they cleared the table.

“Mights as well,” Rashall said before disappearing upstairs so he could collect her things for the wash. He headed downstairs so he could grab the buckets they kept there for when they wanted to fill their tub or wash barrels. Katla joined him and poured some of his cleaning solution into one of the barrels. She grabbed some of her things, and dumped them into the barrel. 

“I think I ripped somethin yesterday,” Rashall said. “Will ya look my stuff over tomorrow?” 

“I was planning to, yes,” Katla said as she rubbed her clothes against the ribbed inside of the barrel. She pulled things out and handed them to Rashall so he could rinse everything before hanging it up. 

As evening fell, Lakeview Manor was filled with drying clothes. 

Rashall and Katla sat down by the fire once they were done. They didn’t need a fire for heating yet, but it would dry their clothes faster. Katla stretched slowly. “It’s good to be home,” she said. “I wish we could just take a week, but dragons showing up again kind of needs to be dealt with.”

“If ya say so,” Rashall said. “I’m just worried ma associates have messed up completely while I've been gone. I’m gonna have to check on ‘em soon.” He would stick with her for a bit first, so he knew she would be fine. Especially since they were going to Whiterun, a city she hadn’t been back to since her early teens. 

“As long as you are careful,” Katla said. 

Rashall nodded slowly. “Sure, I’ll do me best,” he said. “You know what it is like.” He sighed. “Let’s head to bed. We should get up early tomorrow. Gertie needs milking. I’ll go hunting while ya fix our gear. We need some meat.”

“Sounds good,” Katla said as she stood up. “See you tomorrow.” She headed upstairs to her bed and laid down. A sigh left her lips. It was good being home. 

19th of Last Seed, 4E 201. 

After a day of mending gear and refilling their bags with some new meat, Katla and Rashall headed towards Riverwood following the White River. The road went there as well, but it disappeared up in the mountains while the river ran straight towards Riverwood and the bank was easy enough to traverse that they often preferred going that way. 

Riverwood was a bustling little town with traders and a warm, inviting Inn. They would often deal with them rather than head over to Falkreath, as both the lumber mill and the local store were run by rather decent people. Speaking of the local grocer, Lucan and Camilla could be heard arguing about something. From what they could hear, some bandits had been by and stolen some kind of gold claw. Rashall and Katla didn’t pay them much mind. They had more important things to deal with. 

Wolves howled and attacked them only a short distance from town. Something must be wrong for them to attack so close to a settlement. Rashall scared them off. He had coated a dagger in a poison that induced fear, just so they could deal with animals without killing them. All he had to do was nick them. 

“This brings back memories,” Katla said as they looked out over the fields around Whiterun. She had avoided the capital of the Hold to the best of her ability ever since she left to go to Windhelm all those years ago. She didn’t want to run into her parents again. She didn’t need the reminder. They had moved there after the farm burned. Her parents had thought she would just provide them with everything they needed. She didn’t work that way. At least her brother had tried. She had given him some gold to get the hell out of Whiterun. Then he joined the Stormcloaks and got himself killed. She didn’t know anything else about her family. She had left Skyrim with Rashall after that. 

“Somethin’s up,” Rashall said as he studied the guards on the wall of the city of Whiterun. They were glaring down at them as if they weren’t supposed to be there. They seemed hostile. Maybe that wasn’t all that surprising, all things considered. “I’ll stay out here,” he said. “I see a couple of friends over there I wanna talk to.” He motioned to a caravan of Khajiit. 

Katla nodded. She knew how hostile people could be to Khajiit. It was understandable that he didn’t want to go into the city. She didn’t blame him, and she didn’t need him to hold her hand. It had been closer to thirteen years since she last walked up towards Dragonsreach, but she knew the way all the same. 

The guards approached her as she approached the inner gate. “Turn around, traveller,” he said. “Official business only.”

“I was at Helgen when the Dragon attacked,” Katla told him. The hand on the axe by his belt wouldn’t help him if she decided he was in her way. It was at least a bit better than she had seen elsewhere. She could give them that. She met his eyes for a long while as he considered what to do with her. She knew they would be desperate for news by now. 

“You better head up to Dragonsreach and talk to the Jarl then,” the guard said finally. He opened the gate for her and moved aside. “You better hurry.”

Katla moved past him, her shoulders tense. She wasn’t looking forward to walking through Whiterun. Her steps were reluctant as she walked in and looked around. Not much had changed. 

“Katla?” 

The warrior paused and turned slightly. Her eyes fell on a woman standing by a familiar forge. This was where she had started her career. Her eyes narrowed as her brain supplied her with a name. “Adrianne? Is that you?” she asked as she walked closer to the forge. The smile she received was all she needed to embrace her childhood friend

“It’s been forever. Where have you been? Everyone thought you had died,” Adrianne said. “Last I heard, you went to Windhelm.”

“I studied under a Master there,” Katla said as she pulled back. “I needed to leave. After the Farm burned… The way my parents acted. I just… I didn’t want to carry their shame on my shoulders. Freja helped me. She knew it needed to be done, but we didn’t really feel like telling anyone. I’m glad you stayed.” They had both apprenticed under Freja Tall-Shield once upon a time. Only one of them could take over the shop, and everyone had thought Katla was the one that would. Instead, she had disappeared. 

Adrianne offered her a small smile before she looked back at the forge. “I did,” she said. She looked back at Katla. “I have missed you.” She reached out and placed a hand on Katla’s shoulder. There was longing in her grasp and hope in her eyes. 

Katla smiled sadly but fondly at her. “I have missed you too, Anne. I’m back. Hopefully, we can meet more often now. I live in Falkreath Hold, only a few hours from Riverwood,” she said. Adrianne was one of the people she had missed the most the past few years. They had been close as girls. They had played on the fields of Whiterun together as far back as she could remember. 

"What brings you here?" Adrianne asked. She knew the guards weren’t letting anyone in.  "As I understand it, the Jarl closed the gate to outsiders."

"I was at Helgen when the dragon attacked," Katla said. She wasn’t sure she wanted to tell Adrianne why she had been there. Her father was the Jarl’s advisor, unless things had changed in the past few years. She loved her friend, but she didn’t want anyone to get the wrong impression. 

"Oh, so you are heading up to Dragonsreach?" Adrianne asked. She paused for a moment. "Balgruuf is Jarl now," she said. "He has been the Jarl for quite some time. He came back from service when his father died. He… He asked for you, but there was nothing we could tell him other than that Viktor had joined the Stormcloaks and you were gone." She looked like she wasn’t quite sure what else to say, and Katla couldn’t blame her. 

Balgruuf. Katla smiled softly. He had left to serve the Legion. They had been children then. A little girl’s first love. He had promised her he would return to her. A foolish but sweet notion. It would seem he had kept his promise, but she hadn’t been around to see him return. “I see,” she said calmly. She wasn’t a little girl any more. The love she had once held for Balgruuf hadn’t faded as such, but she knew better than to hope for something lost so long ago. 

"Father is up there. He is the steward, still. He'll recognize you," Adrianne said. "Good luck." While she wanted to spend more time with Katla, she knew that the information she had was important, and she should get going. 

“Thank you, Anne,” Katla said simply before walking on. She headed up to the market district slowly. Children had grown into adults and some of them had clearly spawned, as she saw several children around. 

It felt strange to be back in Whiterun. She used to travel these streets with her father while her mother gossiped with the other women. Everything changed when the farm burned. No one had died, but their livelihood was gone. She had been the only one with an income. She would have happily helped rebuild the farm, but her parents hadn't wanted that. They had grown tired of farm life. Her mother figured that they could make it in the city. 

They couldn't, they had nothing to contribute. After several hundred gold Septims had gone down the drain, Katla had stopped giving her parents money. She was not going to live her life supporting her parents when all they did was shop and drink. She had always wondered where the hard-working people she had grown up with had gone. That’s why Freja had supported her decision and sent her off to a colleague in Windhelm. Katla had worked there for another few years before she met Rashall and left Skyrim altogether. 

Things would have been different had she stayed, but she liked who she had become while travelling with Rashall. She didn’t need to take shit from anyone. She was a warrior, and a dangerous one at that. She would never regret leaving. Her eyes travelled towards the great hall overlooking the city. 

Dragonsreach was old. They said it had once been built to trap a dragon. If that was the case, then why was most of it made out of wood? Katla had never understood that. She walked through the Temple District slowly. The Gildergreen looked like it was sick. She wondered what had happened as she passed it to climb the stairs up towards the great hall.  She reached the big front doors and walked inside. 

As she headed up the stairs and across the hall, a dark elf made her way towards her. This was a warrior. It wasn’t a woman Katla knew. Maybe Balgruuf had met her during his time in the Legion. She moved like she knew how to fight. Not like the guards on the way up to the citadel. 

"What's the meaning of this interruption? Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving visitors," the Dunmer said suspiciously. Her hand rested on her sword as she looked Katla up and down. This was not the usual rabble. This woman was strong, and she stood relaxed but ready. If she was attacked, she would retaliate. She was dangerous. Her fingers flexed nervously. 

"I come from Helgen. I was there when the dragon attacked," Katla responded. While she was starting to get tired of repeating herself, she knew better than to dismiss this woman. 

"Well, that explains why the guards let you in," the Dunmer said while dropping her sword back in place. "Come on then, the Jarl will want to speak to you personally." She didn’t really want anyone this dangerous closer to the Jarl, but it couldn’t be helped. The pommel of her sword rested in her hand again as she took her place next to Balgruuf once more. 

With deliberate and slow steps, Katla walked up towards the high chair. Last time she had walked this way, it had been Balgruuf’s father sitting in that chair. Balgruuf had introduced her as his girl. She sighed and would have rolled her eyes at the ridiculousness of the memory if she wasn’t distracted by the argument between Proventus and the Jarl. Proventus was Adrianne’s father. He had been fine with Katla until the farm burned. After that he had grown distant. That wasn't important at the moment. For now, he was asking Balgruuf not to do anything rash. 

The Dunmer leaned in as Katla got closer, and Jarl Balgruuf turned his head to look at the new arrival. "Who is this then?" he asked. 

Katla shook her head at the insanity of it all. “I was at Helgen when it was burned to the ground. It was a dragon,” she said. 

“Are you certain?” Proventus asked. 

The glare he received. It was far from the first time this man had questioned her intelligence. “I had a good view from the Imperial chopping block. Apparently, it is a crime to cross the border now. Last I checked, the Imperial army doesn’t have the right to kill citizens without the input from the Jarl. 

“Citizen,” the Dunmer said. 

“I am a Master Blacksmith,” Katla said. “Trained across all of Tamriel.” She met the Dunmer’s eyes. “I was trained by Beleren Sadras,” she said in Dunmeri. “But if Whiterun would rather not have me, I’m sure I can find a place elsewhere.”

"Heard your brother joined the Stormcloaks." 

Katla turned slightly to look at the Jarl’s younger brother. She found it funny that he recognised her when his brother had not. His hand was resting on his axe. He had to know that wouldn’t help him if they truly decided to attack her. None of the boys in Whiterun had ever won over her in a fist fight. “I heard the same. Never did meet him, as he joined the rebels. I also heard he died in their service. At least he wasn’t kneeling to some power-hungry Thalmor,” she spat. 

"And you just up and disappeared," Hrongar said. “Some say you went to Windhelm too.” 

“To learn from another Master,” Katla said. “Freja wanted me to go.” Her eyes narrowed. “Are you accusing me of something, Hrongar?” She saw movement in the shadows and knew her companion was there. Anyone stupid enough to attack her now was a dead man. That allowed her to relax. She turned back to Balgruuf. 

He was studying her intently while tapping his fingers against the armrest of his throne. Something was nagging at the edge of his memory. Her abrasive tone and the way her shoulders squared set off a strange feeling in his chest. Who was she? “What happened at Helgen?” he asked. His other thoughts regarding her would simply have to wait. Though, he had noticed that his brother seemed to know her. 

“A dragon attacked and rained fire down upon the city. Closing your gates isn’t going to protect you if it attacks here. Your city is built out of wood, Balgruuf. It will burn to the ground if a dragon attacks,” Katla said calmly. “Last I saw, the dragon was headed in this general direction.”

“By Ysmir, Irileth was right!” Balgruuf said sharply and looked up at the head of his security. She gave him a look that must mean something to him. He rubbed a hand over his eyes, tiredly. He rose from his throne slowly. "What do you say now, Proventus?” he asked. “Shall we continue to trust in the strength of our walls? Against a dragon?”

“My lord, we should send troops to Riverwood at once. It's in the most immediate danger. If that dragon is lurking in the mountains…” Irileth said. At least the appearance of this stranger seemed to have forced the Jarl to act. 

“The Jarl of Falkreath will view that as a provocation! He'll assume we're preparing to join Ulfric's side and attack him,” Proventus said. Could the Jarl not see how foolish that was. 

“That would be a problem if I wasn’t his most eastern outpost after Helgen,” Katla said. She glanced over at Rashall who nodded once. “I can get a message to the Jarl.” Rashall was his Thane. They could deal with the drunken idiot on that throne. He wouldn’t dare go against Rashall. He helped the Jarl with some tricky business a while back and earned the title. Actually, if she recalled, she had been busy learning from a smith in Bravil at the time. 

“I see. That would be good,” Proventus said as he calmed down considerably. 

"If that is dealt with, then Irileth; send a detachment to Riverwood at once," Balgruuf ordered. "I will not sit idly by while dragons burn my hold and slaughter my people." He felt locked away, sealed in. He wished he could act. The warrior moved again, and the fire caught in her amber eyes. 

Katla. He had finally realised why she seemed familiar. He paused as she met his eyes. "Would you mind helping me with something?” he asked. He wanted any reason for her to come back. He needed her to return. So many years had passed since he had returned to find her gone. He wanted to know what had happened. Why had she left? Why had she never responded to his letters? Had they even reached her?

Katla shrugged. "I have nothing else to do," she said casually. "What do you need?" She didn’t really mind helping him. She could do him a favour for old time’s sake. He moved up next to her, and she could smell the cleaner that the servants used on his clothes, mixed with whatever soap he had taken to using during his time in the Legion. 

"Farengar, my court wizard, has been looking into Dragons lately. He tells me he could use some help fetching an ancient stone tablet of some kind," Balgruuf said. He could feel the warmth wafting off Katla and his throat dried. She had grown up the way he had always known she would. Some boys wanted to call her ugly. They were just sore she could kick their arses. His fingers twitched. He wished he could reach out to touch her, but he knew doing so might cost him fingers if it wasn’t what she wanted. They walked into one of the side rooms, where a busy-looking wizard was pouring over some old tomes. "Farengar I have found someone who can help with that dragon tablet of yours," he said loudly. He desperately needed a distraction. 

"Ah, really," Farengar looked up as Balgruuf reluctantly left them to return to his other duties. He had done what he could for now. Katla would return. Hopefully, he could speak to her more then. "So the Jarl thinks you can be of use to me? Oh yes, he must be referring to my research into the dragons," the wizard said. 

"I would assume so," Katla said shortly. Mages came in three categories for her. Intelligent, annoying and dead. So far, most of them fit the last two groups. She had a feeling she knew where Farengar was ending up. 

"Hmm, yes, I could use someone to fetch something for me. Well, when I say fetch, I really mean delve into a dangerous ruin in search of an ancient stone tablet that may or may not actually be there," Farengar said distractedly. 

"I see, that shouldn't be a problem," Katla said. She wanted to leave. Why had she agreed to this again? She had already concluded that her feelings were foolish. "Where do you need me to go?" Just tell me so I can leave. She looked back at the shadows and met Rashall’s eyes. He rolled his eyes and shook his head. ‘Why?’ he mouthed. 

Katla shrugged. She didn’t have a good answer. She focused back at the wizard, glad that he seemed both unorganized and oblivious. 

"Straight to the point, I see? No need for tedious hows and whys. I like that. Leave those details to your betters, am I right?" Farengar said, not realising that he just hit rock bottom of the annoying pile of mages and one more misstep might just cost him his life. 

Katla raised an eyebrow. "The ‘why’ is because Balgruuf asked me to do it, and the ‘how’ I should be able to figure out. It can't be that complicated," she said. “It isn’t like dungeon delving takes an intellectual. It just takes someone who can read the room and think on their feet.” She didn’t like this man's attitude. He assumed her intelligence simply because she chose not to ask tedious questions that would most likely lead to nowhere. "Now, how about you tell me where I need to go to fetch this thing you are too busy to obtain yourself." Not that the wizard would survive. 

Farengar looked somewhat confused for a moment before he simply shrugged it off. "I have tracked the tablet to Bleak Falls Barrow, just north of Riverwood," he said. 

"Good, then I'll get going and leave you to your research," Katla said. Finally. She left the wizard and headed down the stairs, where she had to avoid bumping into a boy of about nine years old. 

"Oh, great. Another wanderer here to lick my father's boots," the boy said as he saw her. 

Katla let the words register. So Balgruuf had at least one child. A rude one at that. Had he completely missed teaching the boy manners just because he didn’t want to be as cruel as his father? She didn’t condone hitting children, but they needed to learn that they couldn’t act however they wanted either. Her fingers twitched as she kept walking. She would not stand for comments like that in the long run, and she knew how to teach a child how to behave. 

A smile played over her lips as she saw Rashall move out of the city over the wall, while she headed back down the streets slowly. She had a tomb to delve into. At least that was something to do. Her mood could certainly benefit from taking out some undead. 

Outside the city, the warrior joined up with the thief. 

“Took yar damn time,” Rashall said more for the guards than Katla. 

Katla rolled her eyes. “I need to let off some steam,” she said as she walked up next to him, and he fell in line with her so they could head back up the road. 

“Good thing they need us in a barrow,” Rashall said. “I was almost worried ya would shorten that pompous arse. Why are we helping him?” His ears twitched as he studied her face. 

“A moment of weakness,” Katla said. “Balgruuf asked, and I figured I could help out for old time’s sake.”

“You were sweet on him, weren’t ya?” Rashall asked. 

“A long time ago,” Katla said. “Now, I don’t know.” Was she interested in reigniting that old flame? A child’s love. It wasn’t like she had ever found another to take his place. Was he even available? She sighed. “We shall see,” she said. At least she wouldn’t be expected to produce heirs. A good thing since she couldn’t. “What did the caravan have to say?” she asked. 

Rashall huffed. "Somethin's goin’ on in Riften. I really should get over there and check on it. They aren't speakin’ to the caravans no more, and I checked with my contact here. Things are goin’ badly for the guild," he said. “I’ll do that after this tomb divin’, though. I ain’t leavin’ ya when yar angry.”

“Annoyed. Anger takes too much energy,” Katla said. She picked up her pace. “If we hurry, we can get it over with today.” 

“If ya say so,” Rashall said. 

With that, the two of them went back the way they had come that morning. They headed up in the mountains north of Riverwood and found a decent amount of bandits by the barrow. None survived the encounter with the two seasoned adventures. Heavy iron doors sealed the barrow from both weather and wind. 

Katla walked up to them and pushed. The screech as the doors gave way and opened was deafening. As good as the doors had been at keeping things out, they had not been able to keep the ceiling from caving in. Rubble and water covered the floor. 

A few dead bandits lay strewn around together with some skeevers, and further in the bandits seemed to have made some kind of makeshift camp. 

Rashall sprinted ahead. Hidden in the shadows, he slit the throats of a pair of bandits that were standing by their little camp talking. 

"They mentioned a golden claw," Rashall said as he fell in next to Katla again. 

"If we find it, we might as well bring it back to Lucan," Katla said. It would make the man happy and keep his sister out of trouble.

Rashall rolled his eyes. Sometimes, Katla was such a goody two shoes. Still, he loved her for it. He looked behind them. It was clear. 

Spiderwebs filled the corridor as they continued. The roots of trees had broken through the stone and slithered over the ground and through steps in sets of stairs. Several times they came across dead skeevers, and every time they did, Rashall bent down and cut off their tails. 

"Do you have to do that?" Katla asked in disgust. Dead skeever did not smell fantastic, and he was collecting a lot of it. 

"They make decent poison," Rashall defended himself. 

Katla just sighed. She knew there was no point in arguing with him when it came to alchemy. She was just glad that potions of health did not contain something as disgusting as dead animal parts. 

Eventually, they caught up to a bandit and Katla readied her bow. She was about to shoot the man in the back when he pulled a lever and darts shot out of the walls, killing him. She sighed in annoyance. Well, at least he was out of their way. 

"Well, I can't say I expected that," Rashall said, unconcerned. 

They entered the room and looked around. To their right was a set of stairs, and to their left were carvings of animals. 

Two eagles and a whale. 

Rashall walked over to the carvings. "These can be spun around," he said. "They have three different animals on them." 

"Let me guess," Katla said. "An eagle. A whale and a snake." 

"Yepp." 

"Snake. Snake. Whale." 

"Combination, huh," Rashall said as he spun the pillars around. 

"Yes, and he must have been blind because it is depicted opposite of the entrance," Katla said as she pointed. 

Rashall turned around and looked. He snorted out a laugh. Sometimes one had to wonder about the intelligence of some people. 

Katla walked up, pulled the lever, and the gate in front of her opened. She shook her head and sighed as she walked through it. A spiralling wooden staircase took them down further underground. Skeevers came running at them from nowhere. Neither Katla nor Rashall bothered using any weapons. Skeever skulls weren't that thick. It was quite easy to just grab them and bash their heads against a wall. 

More spiderwebs greeted them. A voice called out as they broke down enough to enter the next room properly. They hadn't been stealthy since this was a barrow, and they were most likely just going to kill anything they ran across, so it wasn't strange that the man who called out had heard them. 

"Wanna bet there are spiders down here?" Rashall asked as they rounded a corner. 

"Not with those odds," Katla said as she gestured towards thick chunks of web blocking a doorway. She watched as Rashall cut through the web. They moved into the next room slowly, weapons at the ready. 

"And here comes the spider," Rashall said. He moved forward. His sword gleaming from light streaming in through some cracks as he moved so fast the spider didn’t have time to react before it lay dead. 

In the webbing covering the next doorway hung a man. 

"Now, that's what I'd call a sticky situation," Rashall said as he approached the man. 

"Yeah great. Could you cut me down before anything else shows up?" the Dunmer responded rudely. 

Rashall shrugged. "Sure, why not," he said. He sliced through the web and the Dunmer dropped to the ground. "I'm not sharing this treasure with anyone. Suck it, losers," he called before running off. 

Katla and Rashall were hot on his heels. Not because they cared all that much about the treasure, but rather because they knew how stupid it was to just run through old tombs. They wanted to see what would happen to him. 

It turned out running both attracted mummified Nords also known as draugr and didn't allow you to notice the apparent trap that…

A heavy iron grid filled with spikes slammed into the bandit as he stepped on a pressure plate on the ground. His body stuck to the spikes, and blood dragged along the ground as the trap reset. 

Katla moved into the room and chopped the heads of the pair of draugr that had awakened. Then she bent down and picked up a golden claw off the ground. "I guess this is the claw, then." She weighed it in her hand. "It's not solid gold, but I would guess the mix has quite a lot of gold in it," she said. She threw it over to Rashall. The dead man was of little concern to her. He had ensured his own demise. That wasn’t her problem.

"Yeah it's definitely valuable," Rashall said. "I understand why Camilla and Lucan were upset when it was taken. It's probably worth more than most of their stock." 

"At least they will get it back," Katla said. 

"You mean we shouldn't keep it," Rashall said. He studied the claw. "It's probably one of a kind." 

"Rashall please," Katla said. "I don't care if there is no other artefact like it. We will return it. What are we supposed to do with a golden claw?" The amount of useless trinkets he brought home could probably fill two chests, on their own. 

Rashall sighed. Katla knew he liked to just gather things. He guessed he would just have to live without this one. Or go back and fetch it in a month or two. Katla wouldn't care then. She would roll her eyes and sigh at him. That was all. He knew that as long as he didn’t drag her into anything, she was quite content to just leave him to his vices. 

They continued further into the crypt. Draugr rose from their resting places to attack them as they passed. Rashall's sword moved swiftly as he cut them down. Most didn’t even get up before he had rendered them useless. 

The sound of running water reached their ears moments before they reached a small stream. A coffin opened and a draugr stepped out. 

Katla's battleaxe was soon buried in his chest. She kicked him off and walked over to a gate. She opened it up, and they followed the stream until it reached a drop. A small tunnel brought them down to the bottom of the chasm. 

Katla drew her bow again as she waited for Rashall to disable the trap. He was better at avoiding the swinging blades, blocking them, than she was. She walked into the room as the blades disappeared and raised her bow. Arrows flew and hit several jars filled with some kind of burning substance. The floor lit up and draugr walked to their death across the flames. 

"Hand me the claw," Katla said as they reached another hindrance in their path. A strange-looking door stood before them, circles upon circles. In the centre sat a mark that looked a lot like the claw would fit perfectly. Above them in the circles were carvings. Much like the pillars, earlier these could be turned. 

"Order?" Rashall asked as he touched the rings. 

"From the centre owl, moth and bear," Katla said. She waited for Rashall to change the circles, and then she pushed the claw into the centre. She turned it. The circles spun and the door lowered.

They walked through the doorway and into a large cave. Bats flew out around them as they approached. 

A strange chanting pulled Katla towards a large monument of some kind. A dragon head crowned a wall filled with symbols. Katla reached out for one of the words. "Fus," she whispered. It seemed important somehow, but she wasn't sure why. She was pulled out of her confusion by Rashall. 

"Draugr!" 

Katla turned around and caught a sword against her gauntlet. She grimaced as the blade cut through the metal and into her arm. She raised a leg and kicked the undead back before reaching for her battleaxe. A powerful wave accompanied by words hit her and she lost her weapon. She dodged as the draugr tried to hit her again. Behind the draugr, Rashall moved up with his sword drawn. He stabbed his blade straight through the draugr’s chest and twisted the blade.

Katla backed off and grabbed her axe off the ground, snappishly. She swung it in an arch and chopped the draugr’s head off. She was pissed off. She should have paid better attention to what was going on. 

“We should have a look at that wound of yours as soon as possible,” Rashall said as he walked up to Katla. He wondered what had happened, but assumed that she would clue him in once she had calmed down.  

“Let’s get out of here first,” Katla said. She bent down over the coffin the draugr had risen from and picked up an old stone tablet. “I guess this is what Farengar wanted,” she said before leading the way out of the cave quickly. She wanted out of there. 

“That’s a view,” Rashall said as they stepped out to the chilly night air. "It took all day.” 

Before them lay Lake Illinata. The moons reflected on the clear surface. Out of view from where they were standing on the other side of the lake lay Lakeview Manor. It would take them hours to get around the lake to go home. With Katla's arm wounded, she shouldn’t swim across. 

Rashall helped her get her gauntlet off, and then he looked at the cut. “At least it ain't deep,” he said. He pulled a vial out of his pouch and cleaned the wound before he bandaged it up. “We’ll have to stick to this side of the Lake tonight. I’ll get us some fish to eat. Can ya get out of the armour on yar own?” He wasn’t overly worried about her. She was made of sturdy stuff. 

“Yes, I’m fine,” Katla said. “It doesn’t hurt that much. I can get this off myself.” She started pulling at the straps. It didn’t take long for her to get the chest plate off. She would have to make some kind of quick fix on her broken gauntlet. Maybe Adrianne could deal with that when she got back to Whiterun. 

Once out of her armour, Katla got a fire going. She could see Rashall out in the water. For some reason, he preferred to go swimming to catch fish. A fond smile caught on her lips. She wasn’t sure what she would do without him. Rashall was the only family she needed. He was more important to her than her parents or her brother had ever been. She moved past him as he returned. It was nice to work with someone you didn’t have to share words with to make yourself understood. 

Rashall watched Katla from his position by the fire as she cleaned up while making sure that she didn’t get her arm wet. She was probably the sturdiest woman he'd ever come across. Wounds didn't bother her. She could easily carry him for miles and had done so in the past, but she was also very considerate. He was a Khajiit, so his nose was rather sensitive, one of the reasons Khajiit actually chose to stay out of cities. Katla washed herself on a regular basis. That was more than you could say for most humans. 

A big part of him worried what would happen if she did find love with Balgruuf. Would he lose her? He knew their feelings for each other were very different from what she might gain from the Jarl. He could feel a bit jealous of that. Katla had been solely his for almost six years, discounting the time they had spent apart for various reasons. 

"What are you thinking about?" Katla asked when she returned. 

"How much I don look forward to Riften's stench," Rashall responded in an attempt to avoid his own emotions. "Ya've spoiled me. Ya're too cleanly."  

Katla snorted. "Better than getting that parasite they had over on Betony," she said. "I mean, they had to seal the island." She stretched out and sighed. 

Rashall nodded in agreement. He was glad they hadn't made it to the island before that order was given. He had heard that Khajiit that got the parasite had to shave off all their fur. A shudder passed through him at the mere thought of such a disgrace. He finished cooking the fish, and they ate before calling it a night. 

20th of Last Seed, 4E 201. 

They passed by Riverwood early the following morning and dropped off the golden claw. Lucan was overjoyed to have it back, and just a little relieved that he could now stop his sister from running off and getting herself killed by bandits. 

By midday, Rashall and Katla were back outside Whiterun. This time, Rashall went with Katla as she headed into the city. He might slip into the shadows eventually, but he would walk by her side for now. 

Katla waved at Adrianne as they passed by her forge, and they went up the street and through the town’s square. Her eyes were steely towards anyone who commented on Rashall’s presence by her side. He had every right to be there. 

"Me fingers twitch, Katla," Rashall said softly as they passed a preacher. He was screaming about Talos and making the otherwise pleasant little garden outside the Temple to Kyne rather unfriendly. 

"I know, dear," Katla said. As much as she disliked the banning of Talos worship, men like this preacher highly irritated her as well. "Let's just pass by for now," she said. "And you can't kill him." She knew that he would do something no matter what she said, but there were more options in his arsenal than death. More fitting options at that.

They walked up the stairs to Dragonsreach and headed inside. Rashall slipped into the shadows and watched Katla’s back. No one was hurting his sister if he could help it. 

Katla looked up at the raised throne and bowed her head to Irileth before she headed down towards the wizard’s quarters. He wasn't alone when they reached him, so she hung back. She noted the eagerness in the woman’s voice as she spoke to the wizard. She wanted information on the dragons. She was pressing him, saying that the dragons had arrived, and they didn’t have any time to waste. She looked up and noticed Katla and Rashall. "It looks like you have visitors," she told Farengar. 

"Hmm?" Farengar looked up from his books and saw Katla. "Ah, yes, the Jarl's protégé! Back from Bleak Falls Barrow?" he said. "You didn't die, it seems." 

Katla gave him a blank look. She did not like him. "I have the stone," she said. She was no one's anything… in Dragonsreach at least. She pulled her backpack off and retrieved the stone tablet. "Here you go,” she said. 

"Ah! The Dragonstone of Bleak Falls Barrow!" Farengar exclaimed. "Seems you are a cut above the usual brutes the Jarl sends my way. 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."

Katla almost rolled her eyes. She really wanted to give a biting reply. She would happily leave this man to his insane research and just walk away. 

"So your information was correct after all," Farengar told his associate. "And we have our friend here to thank for recovering it for us."

"You went into Bleak Falls Barrow and got that?" the unnamed woman said. "Nice work." Then she turned to Farengar. "Just send me a copy when you've deciphered it," she told him. She passed by Katla as she left. 

Katla turned to do the same as Irileth came running down towards them. "Farengar! Farengar, you need to come at once," she called. "A dragon's been sighted nearby." She noticed Katla as she turned to run back. "You might as well come, too," she said. This was one of the times when she wanted someone as dangerous as this woman around. 

Katla looked over at Rashall and shared a look with him that said more than a thousand words. They weighed their options and decided that it was probably better to get involved. As they walked up the stairs to Balgruuf's war room, Irileth berated Farengar for not taking the threat seriously enough. When they reached the top of the stairs, they could hear Balgruuf. "So, Irileth tells me you came from the western watchtower?" he asked a guard. 

"Yes, my lord," the guard responded. 

"Tell him what you told me about the dragon," Irileth said as she walked up to stand next to the Jarl. 

"Uh... that's right," the guard said as he collected himself. "We saw it coming from the south. It was fast... faster than anything I've ever seen."

"What did it do?" Balgruuf asked worriedly. "Is it attacking the watchtower?"

"No, my lord. It was just circling overhead when I left," the guard responded. "I never ran so fast in my life... I thought it would come after me for sure."

"Good work, son. We'll take it from here. Head down to the barracks for some food and rest. You've earned it," Balgruuf said. "Irileth, you'd better gather some guardsmen and get down there." He looked slightly panicked, which wasn't surprising since there was apparently a dragon just outside his city.

"I've already ordered my men to muster near the main gate," Irileth said. 

"Good. Don't fail me," Balgruuf said, then he turned to Katla. "I hate to ask for your help in this, Katla.” He didn’t want to see her hurt. It would pain him greatly if she was injured from this, but knowing her, she was one of the best that could be sent against that dragon. He couldn’t say anything, though. He had no idea how she felt about him, and he didn’t want to assume anything. “Please help me defend my city. I am running out of options.” 

“It’s worth a try,” Katla said. “Come on, let's get out there and see what we can do," she told Rashall, who stepped out of the shadows, causing Balgruuf to take a startled step back. He watched them leave together. He shouldn’t be surprised, really. Katla had never been one to judge based on race. 

Balgruuf turned to his court wizard as the man mumbled about the dragon. “You are not going,” he said harshly. If he could have seen Katla’s smile at that command, he would have felt all warm inside. 

As far as Katla was concerned, it was probably for the best that Farengar didn’t come with them. Sometimes, most of the time, enthusiastic researchers were a big hindrance in the field. She was glad not to deal with him. “Got anything you think could knock down a dragon?” she asked as she looked over her shoulder at Rashall. They were heading down the stairs leading down from Dragonsreach. 

Rashall shrugged. "I've got some stuff that could give a giant major problems. Do ya think that's good enough?" he asked. He looked through his vials. It wasn’t like he even knew how to prep to fight a dragon. They had never done it before. 

Down by the gate, Irileth had gathered the guards. She was speaking to them as Katla and Rashall joined up with the group. She looked back at them and nodded. Her eyes drifted over the Khajiit. Had he been up at the Longhall? That was a security risk she wasn’t even sure how to protect against. She couldn’t deal with that now, however. It would simply have to wait. “Let’s go,” she said. 

Katla grabbed her bow and knocked an arrow on the string as they made it past the outer walls. She turned to Rashall who coated the arrow with a slimy substance, sprinted forward beyond the guards, and took aim at the dragon by the guard tower. She took a deep breath to steady herself. 

The arrow sailed towards the dragon and buried itself in the beast's side. At first, nothing seemed to happen. Rashall reached Katla and prepared another arrow for her. Katla raised her bow to fire that one as well. 

The dragon’s wings failed, and it fell crashing to the ground with a heavy thud. 

Katla and Rashall rushed forward. Katla's heavy battleaxe swung in a wide arch as she reached the dragon. She buried it deep in the beast’s neck. 

Rashall vaulted over the dragon as he grabbed his sword. He stabbed the dragon's stomach, or at least where he thought the stomach was, with a poisoned blade, hoping his concoction would do its job. 

The dragon twitched once before Katla’s axe descended on its neck once more, then it lay still.

Katla pulled her axe back and wiped the blood off the blade as she looked over the mountain of a body to check that Rashall was okay. “You good?” she asked as he made his way back to her. 

“Yeah, no problem,” Rashall said as he looked her over. “Felt almost a bit too easy.” 

They turned towards Irileth and the guards when one of them called out. Rashall had his hand on the hilt of his sword as they turned around to see that the dragon was glowing. The light gathered and slammed into Katla’s chest. She took a step back and felt Rashall’s arm steady her. The word, the one she had read from the altar the day before, came back to her. Fus. It could push things away from her. 

"What happened?" Rashall asked as his hand moved to clutch her shoulder. "Are ya okay?" He looked her over. Nothing seemed different as far as he could tell. 

"I'm fine," Katla said. “A bit dizzy. I…” She knew the stories. Had she really just…? She looked at the body of the dragon. She could feel the power of that light within her, running through her. It was different, and it was warm and… she drew a deep breath. "Fus," she shouted, and a wave of power left her. 

"Well, that's certainly somethin’," Rashall said. He had felt the rush of the wind past his ears, but he had been safe, standing as close to Katla as he was. He kept her steady. 

"You are Dragonborn," one of the guards said, and Rashall’s eyes narrowed on him before he looked up at Katla. He wanted confirmation from her. She would know. 

Katla sighed softly as her head stopped spinning, and she rested her check against Rashall’s temple. It might have been nice to be normal. Nice but boring.