"Joor, zah FRUL!" I Shouted, and a whirling blue cyclone of light and sound wrapped around the great World-Eater's body. Alduin flapped his wings madly, but he gained no altitude. He crashed to the ground, spraying dirt and pebbles over myself and the other Nord warriors.

"Dovahkiin!" Alduin bellowed. "I am Al-Du-In! World Devourer! I cannot be vanquished by you or any mun!"

"Niid, Nivahriin vith!" I said. No, cowardly serpent! "I am Dovahkiin! The Last Dragonborn! And I will vanquish you! You will no longer plague Skyrim or Sovngarde!"

"Yol, toor SHUL!" Alduin Shouted, and a tornado of fire flew from his scaly maw.

"Look out, Dragonborn!" Hakon One-Eye, one of my fellow warriors, yelled. I dodged the torrent of flames just in time; the intense heat blew past my back, searing me through my armor.

"Dragonrend is wearing off, Dragonborn!" Gormlaith said to me. "The World-Eater will soon be able to fly once more!"

"No, he won't." I sucked in a deep breath. "Joor—"

Tumbling. I was tumbling through the air. I thrashed and spun, looking for something to lock my hands on. But I was falling through a deep and dark abyss. Nothing lit my surroundings. I could not see.

Then, something cut through the darkness. A... voice? A familiar, bass voice reached my ears as I tumbled.

"Wake up, new blood!"

My eyes flew open. Panting, my gaze darted around. I was back in Skyrim, underneath Jorrvaskr. Safe in my bed. My fellow Companions all stared over me, looks of concern in their eyes.

And standing right over me was Vilkas, one of the most-respected Companions ever. His voice was the voice that woke me.

"All right, the rest of you go train outside," he said, looking at the others for a moment. "Ylva will soon be joining you."

The others reluctantly left. Ria shot me one last worried look, then followed the others.

"Are you all right, Ylva?" Vilkas asked once the others had gone. "The others, they were trying to wake you for several minutes. You wouldn't wake."

"It was only a nightmare, Vilkas. I'll be all right."

"You said something about Alduin. Why would you be dreaming of the World Eater?"

I sighed. "I survived Helgen, Vilkas. Alduin attacked Helgen. I watched him burn the stronghold to the ground. He called down fiery rocks from the heavens, and they tore through everything with the fury of gods. I barely escaped. Anyone would be haunted with the things I saw."

"That was almost two years ago. Would that still haunt you?"

I nodded and stood. Close by on a dresser, I found a wash basin halfway filled with water. I splashed some against my face. The cool water woke me up and washed the sweat from my face. I dabbed my face on a small towel next to the basin, then turned back to Vilkas.

"Do you believe the stories?" I asked. "About the Dragonborn traveling to Sovngarde and killing Alduin there?"

"I believe that, but I don't believe that the Dragonborn is a woman."

"I never said—"

"I know, but the most popular story is that the Dragonborn is a young girl, barely a woman."

"Do you have something against women?"

"Far from it. I respect women who raise their swords in battle. I just have a hard time believing that one could be the savior of Skyrim."

I clenched my fists and bit my lip. He didn't know that I was the Dragonborn. I shouldn't hate him for his ignorance. I wanted to be angry, but I knew I couldn't be. He didn't know. Just like the rest of Skyrim didn't know.

And I'd prefer to keep it that way.

Of course, the gods were cruel and didn't seem to think it would be good for my identity to be concealed forever.

Heavy footsteps thundered down the halls. Farkas and Aela the
Huntress poked their heads into the bedroom. Farkas had fear in his eyes, but Aela had a bloodthirsty gleam in hers.

"Vilkas!" she said. "The guards have spotted a dragon circling Pelagia farm! The Companions have been called to stop it!"

"Then what are you waiting for?" Vilkas drew the massive two-handed greatsword off his back. "We must hurry if we are to stop the beast!"

"I need to go with you," I said in a quiet voice.

"What?!" Vilkas turned to me. "No. That's not an option. You can't go with us."

"Who here among you has actually seen a dragon up close?"

No one answered.

"That's what I thought. I just told you I survived Helgen, Vilkas. I know how to fight one. Please. Bring me with you."

"Vilkas, this new blood hasn't proven herself yet," Aela said. "This could be her Trial."

"I thought Kodlak had—"

"We don't have time to argue," Farkas said. "I say the new blood comes with us." He pressed his right arm to his chest, saluting me. "I would be honored to have you by my side, Shield-Sister. We fight together!"

"Well said, Farkas," Aela said. "Come, Companions. We must hurry if we are to kill this beast."

I nodded and donned my armor as fast as I could. Since it was light, it came on easily. Once I had my helmet on my head, I fastened my sword belt around my waist and drew my weapon from its sheath. The blade gleamed in the candlelight. This was the blade I had used to kill Alduin. It wouldn't be long before another dragon fell to my blade.

With a sudden drop in my stomach, I realized that the Companions would soon see who I really was. They would soon know that I was Dragonborn. Even if I didn't use my Thu'um against the beast, I would absorb its soul into my body, thus destroying it as only a Dragonborn could.

I had to hope they wouldn't hate me for concealing this truth from them.

"Now that we are all ready," Aela said, interrupting my thoughts. "Let us go defeat a dragon. We shall bring honor to the Companions on this day!"