Eyes Opened

Hitting the Books

There was a small tense electricity in the air. You looked up from just beyond your book, sitting on his bed with your legs folded and your back against the wall. He was deep into reading. Vilkas, the man who seemed to do anything to make you smile was spending his entire night reading about the Dragon Born simply to put your mind at ease. Your eyes were locked on him as you thought about the way you acted when you finally got back. Tilma is upstairs right now cleaning up the mess you made from your emotional outburst. Your own voice echoed in your mind, your raised voice as thoughts of you smashing at least one dinner plate against the wall. This was unfathomable. You thought about how you could even be anywhere near a prophecy like this, so far what you learned had nothing to do with the war, the very reason you were here. Dragons coming back were enough to make anyone uneasy, let alone the light that surrounded you from the one you fell. You took in a soft breath. "[Y/N]... are you okay?" You shook yourself out of the stare, looking up to him now. Slowly you nodded. "Are you sure? You were staring. Please talk to me." You watched as he stood up from his desk, only to sit next to you.

"I..." You took a moment. "It's just that this is too big for me. I've read about the blades before, but it never was going to come close to me, so why would I pay attention. This Dragonborn... I... can't be. There's no way. Then I shouted..." You closed your eyes, hugging the book and your legs close to your chest. You thought about how the words just came up in your mind, the power that went through you then forced one of the guards onto his back. "I just keep reading, Vilkas. All the myths, legend and lore... all the things a Dragon Born does. The ultimate dragon slayer. Eats the soul of a dragon? Is that me?" You sighed. "Last year I was a healer who dabbled in enchantments... now... I'm supposed to eradicate an entire race? With their souls as well. I know I use soul gems but..." You let your legs loose, they fell limp to the side. "I never consumed a soul while enchanting."

He sighed, before pulling you into a tight hug, his arms around your shoulders. "Shh..." He soothed you with his voice, leaning back against the wall with you. "You are your own person. It is true that you've changed a lot. You initiated that change. This however isn't something anyone now would be prepared for. Remember how the others acted when we saw the dragon in Riverwood?" You nodded slowly. "No one was prepared for it, yet you and I kept them calm. You've got a really good head on your shoulders and when you apply yourself you can lead others."

You shook your head. "Not without you. You're smarter than me, you keep control of more than I could. I can barely care for myself." You chuckle a little, before pushing yourself into his embrace. He was warm, comforting and just made you feel like a better person than you thought you were.

"Yes, even without me." He chuckled. "Though thank you for the compliment. You can keep track of more than you think. Take enchanting for instance, or your potions. You remember what every ingredient does. It's amazing to watch." He smirked. "And not just because you're bending over." You pushed his shoulder a little, before both of you laughed lightly together. "See? You're still the same. You may be this Dragon Born, but only you decide what to do with it. Dragons are coming back, there's a war that been going on... I've done a lot to keep you clear of it, actually." He saw the question forming on your mind before he nodded. "I only sent you on jobs that I knew had the lowest risk of crossing paths with imperials or stormcloaks. It's already bad enough that we helped the Gray-Manes and the Battle-Borns think we're Stormcloaks..." He shook his head.

"You did that...?" He nodded. "So the war is worse than I've seen."

"There was a battle for Riften just the other day. Skjor said he was almost caught in it. Aela went to his rescue when she heard." You smiled a little. "The war is nothing we need to be concerned with. Unless there is a battle for Whiterun we will not act. That is probably why they haven't acted yet, knowing we're here and we have our own code and set of rules."