As the dragon's circled higher and higher, Serana and I moved across the ice to an outcropping of rocks. I cursed the fact that I had a crossbow instead of a regular bow, I really loved it, but it didn't have the range of my Dwemer bow. I watched them flying around, figuring they were sizing us up. As long as they didn't attack us, we would leave them alone, I said as much to Serana.
I was going over all the spell's that I knew that would be affective against dragon's. Ranged spells as well as a couple conjuration spells. Slipping my gauntlet off, I felt through the pouch that held the enchanted rings I had, very glad that I had carved symbol's into each. It really helped to find them in the dark or as now, with only one hand. I pulled two out, one with a protect against fire enchant the other protect against frost. seemed the most likely that I would need. I slipped them on, one per hand and waited.
One of the dragons can in fast from out of the sun, I caste a Storm Atronach spell and a stoneflesh spell to help protect me. I then readied a lightning bolt, if it got close enough. As it came in it shouted it's spell at me, and I felt weaker for a moment, it then shot a blast of fire at me. Serana was steadily hitting it with Ice spikes and a Flame Atronach that she had summoned. As it veered off, I cast a healing spell and dug into my other pouch for a potion that would help my stamina and health regenerate faster.
The second dragon came in from behind us, but had to fly around to the side as the stone Word Wall was blocking it from a direct shot at us. I was ready with a lightning bolt, I got off two spells before it shot out a firey blast of it's own, but that was deflected off of my by a ward that I caste. As Serana hit it with a couple ice spikes it seemed to stagger away from us in the air and then the first dragon came back. As it landed in front of me I pulled my crossbow, which was already loaded and shot it with one of the specialty bolts as it exploded in a icy blast I put up the bow and pulled Kruziik Dilon out, before the cloud of ice had dissipated I was at the beasts head.
I slashed at it's head once and then moved down it's side and gave a great over head swing at the beasts right wing, severing it. As it reared up onto it's hind leg's, I slashed at it's belly with all my strength and ripped open a gashed that caused it's gut's to spill onto the ice. I heard it shout in it's own launguage , but for once didn't understand the words it was saying, I took it to be a name though.
Serana yelled to watch out and I felt the ice quake under me as the other dragon dove beneath the ice. I tried to move to the solid ground by the Word Wall, but the second dragon came up from under the ice. He was shouting at me "Aus Bah Sil Biinah Fah Fin Dinok Dii Zeymah, Naaslaarum" before I could really get a grip on what he said, he shouted "Yol Toor Shul" at me, which I understood quiet well. I caste a ward just as the blast of fire hit me. I thought quickly and realized I could speak or shout back at him, so I gathered up the energy and shouted " Fo Krah Diin" back at him. I had heard these word's from a frost dragon, understood them and figured it was worth a shot. I watched as he was incased in ice, he froze for a moment and then took off. His wing's sent loose snow and ice at me, blinding me for long enough for him to take off into the sky.
I put my hand over my eye's and squinted in the direction the dragon had gone. I heard more than saw the ice spike Serana sent after the dragon and sent one of my own in the same direction. This time I made it back to where Serana stood next to the Word Wall. She asked if I was ok and I told her I was fine as I closed my eye's and felt the tear's stream out. I caste a healing spell and my eye's stopped stinging.
I hear the dragon roar and lament over his brother's death, in that moment I remembered what he had said, Sil Biinah, soul sister. Jarl Balgruuf had said something about being Dragon born and one of the dragon's Marcurio and I had slain had called me Dovahkiin, I had paid attention to neither. So Auriel had a sense of humor. As I watched the dragon fly back and forth and rage about his brothers death, I too lamented his brothers death, as I would his. I knew he would attack eventually.
He disappeared beneath the ice again, only to burst out directly in front of us just as the sun was started to dip beneath the mountain. Both Serana and I were ready, She sent ice spike after ice spike, I sent a dual caste lightning bolt and then shouted "Fo Krah Diin" at him again. This time the ice completely encased him and he didn't break free. I whispered " Drem Zeymah" as I felt his soul leave his body and be absorbed into mine. I knew then and there, that it would be very hard to ever again kill another dragon.
I looked at Serana who was gazing back the way we had come, shrugged when she turned to look at me and started in the direction that I knew the last Way Shrine was in. when it was dark enough I started tripping on mounds of frozen snow, I caste a light spell and kept going. I looked out in the direction I knew I was going and tried to remember exactly where the dragon's had crashed into and out of the ice. I did not want to stumble on weakened ice. When I though we were nearing one of the area's I bent slightly to the right, but knew we wouldn't be able to go to far to the right as there was a waterfall going down to the level the last shrine was on, but much further back.
As a thought occurred to me, I stopped and asked Serana if she wanted to lead the way, because her eye sight should be much better than mine at night. She replied that under normal conditions, she would have suggested it, but with all the ice and snow and very bright sun over the last two days, her eye's were very sensitive and she was probably seeing much worse than I was.
I sighed and caste another light spell and kept going. About the time I saw the top of the Way Shrine, I decided that we would go back to the valley and spend the night again and probably the majority of the next day. So I preformed the ritual again and again we stepped through to the valley.
This time however, I had left wood in the fire ring ready to be lit, so I cast a fire spell and kept it going til the wood was on fire. I told Serana that I would make due with cheese, bread an apple and honey-nut treat for dinner. We both fixed our tents, I ate and then laid down, Serana was already breathing deep and even, which told me she was in the trance that passed as sleep for her.
I laid their and thought about the day. Bjorn would laugh his fool ass off at the irony of my being Dragonborn. I heaved a great sigh when I thought about what the Thalmor would do if they found out. This was a complication I really didn't need in my life right now or ever really. I had thought the voices in my head were annoying when I didn't understand them, now I wish I could go back to blissful ignorance. I suppose as Jarl Balgruuf had suggested I should go see the Greybeards. I had been up the 7,000 step's before, Bjorn had wanted to make the pilgrimage, even though he knew the Greybeards wouldn't want to talk to him. I fell asleep with that thought on my mind.
The next morning I told Serana we would stay here for the day and relax, I was tired and I could see that she was also. So I hunted herb's and other plant's of use and killed a rabbit to roast for dinner, I really needed nothing larger than that. I did alot of walking and thinking, also some prospecting as I found a couple mineral outcroppings in the valley. I did run across a sabre cat with unusual markings, but instead of killing it, I caste a calming spell on it and it went on it's way.
I decided that after we had delt with Serana's father, I would tell Isran that I had some thing's I wanted to do. He would fuss about it, I'm sure, but it would give one of the others a chance to get out and about and learn to do his "special project's". I would also pick up Marcurio, I think he would enjoy the climb up to High Hrothgar much more than Serana would. Plus her brand of irreverence for people she should show some respect to, was kind of getting on my nerves.
It would also give me a chance to take it easy, as Marcurio was never in a hurry to go anywhere and if their was a pretty bar-maid involved, he would rather just stay a couple days. All these things decided, I went back towards the camp, finding a deadfall along the way and chopping some of the wood for our fire tonight and chopping more for the next person that might come along and need it.
I got a very good night's sleep and had a lovely dream of being in Bjorn's arm's again.
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