We all turned, and I dropped to my knees next to Vilkas as he spoke. I pressed my hand to his cheek and smiled. "Hey, you," I whispered. "How are you feeling?"

"All right, I suppose. What's happened? Has Farkas done something wrong?"

I chuckled. "No. The carriage driver who brought us back did. He's been bragging about the meeting the Dragonborn."

Vilkas's face slackened. "Ylva, I'm sorry."

"Don't be." A soft smile curled on my lips. "It isn't your fault. I already told the driver to forget about it, but I don't know if it'll make any difference."

"Do you think word will spread past Whiterun?"

"Probably. Especially if the caravan outside the walls heard about it." I moved my hand, so it now rested against his forehead. "But it'll be all right. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before someone said something."

"All the same, Ylva, it isn't fair to you."

"Life has never been fair to me. You know that. I never wanted to be Dragonborn. I never wanted this weight. But I got it, and I've accepted my responsibility. I never wanted to be Harbinger, but it's a title I now bear, and I bear it with honor. I'm not going to sit around and feel sorry for myself just because my secret got spilled. And you shouldn't feel sorry for me, either."

Vilkas gave a small nod. Then, he tried to sit up. "Did Danica say when I could go back to Jorrvaskr?"

I shook my head and pushed him back to his bed. "I suppose I could ask her." I stood up and looked around the Temple.

It was strange, but all the acolytes and Danica were missing. Not one of them roamed around the Temple. "Strange..."

"I'll go look outside," Aela said, then she walked to the door. She was just about to open it when Danica rushed in. She leaned against the door, her hood nearly falling off her head.

"Danica?" I asked.

"Ylva, you cannot go out there," she said, standing up straight. "All the citizens of Whiterun are waiting for you to leave. They all want to get a glimpse of the Dragonborn."

I groaned and slapped my palm to my face. Uttering a few choice curses in the Dragon Tongue, or Dovahzul, I walked towards the door.

"Ylva, where are you going?" Danica asked as I pushed past her.

"To show them what happens when you anger the Dragonborn." I shoved the doors open, and I was immediately mobbed by a dozen people.

"It's the Dragonborn!" Nazeem, a Redguard nobleman–and Whiterun's local kiss-up—shouted and pointed to me. Funny, before he knew I was the Dragonborn, he always insulted me and acted as though I were just another lowly peasant.

Amren, another Redguard, nodded and smiled. "Yes, it is! Great Dragonborn, thank you for saving us all!"

There were others who said similar things, but I didn't think much of it. I pushed past the crowd, or I at least tried to. I didn't get very far before Heimskr grabbed my arm and started shouting praises to Talos for sending another like himself to Tamriel.

Grumbling, I yanked my arm out of his grasp and turned to the clouded sky. "Lok, vah KOOR!"

All those around me dropped to their knees and clapped their hands over their ears as the thundering Thu'um left my lips. I smirked smugly at their fear.

Serves them right.

But their fear turned to awe as they raised their eyes to the clearing sky.

"Look!" Amren said, pointing. "She has cleared the sky for us! All hail the Dragonborn!"

They all joined in, saying, "All hail the Dragonborn! All hail the Dragonborn!" over and over.

They backed me against the Temple's door, all reaching out to touch me, as if having any form of contact with me would convey some sort of blessing.

The door swung open behind me, and I fell into the Temple. Someone wrapped their hands under my arms and dragged me away from the mob that was trying to spill in the Temple after me. Danica stood in front of them, hands on her hips.

"I will not have Kynareth's Temple turned into a madhouse!" she said, pushing the mob back. "Get out! All of you!"

Once she had successfully repelled the group back, she shut and locked the door. Straightening her robes, she leaned against the door and stared at me. "Ylva, what were you thinking?"

With Farkas's help—since his hands were still holding my arms—I rose to my feet. "I... I didn't expect... that."

I turned, pulling away from Farkas, and walked over to Vilkas's bed. He was sitting up, looking almost normal. He beckoned me over, and I sat down next to him. He put his arm over my shoulders, and I leaned into his side. I closed my eyes, trying to keep from having another unattractive outburst.

"Is this what my life is going to be like now?" I whispered.

Vilkas turned his face into my hair, kissing the top of my head. "Not if I can help it."

I opened my eyes. "How am I going to get out of here without getting mobbed again?"

"We'll think of something," Aela said.

"The crowds should die down after a while," Danica added, stepping away from the door. "Maybe sometime after dark, you and the rest of the Companions can make your way back to Jorrvaskr."

"Even Vilkas?" I asked and sat up.

Danica nodded. "He's free to leave. But he can't exert himself in any way for the next few days."

"Don't worry." I patted my hand to his chest, smiling at him. "I'll keep him out of trouble."

"Why should we have to wait until nightfall to leave?" Farkas asked. "I'll go bash a few heads together and see how they like it."

I couldn't help myself. A sharp bark of laughter escaped me. Farkas's solution for everything: punch people until they gave in.

"Harbinger?" Farkas asked.

I covered my mouth with my hand and tried to control myself. "Sorry. That was just really funny. If only it would work."

"No harm in trying."

I smiled. "Thank you, brother, but I don't think it'll make any real difference. My Shouting didn't deter them. I don't think your fists will, either."

"Before they found out about your true nature," Aela began, tapping her chin, "they treated you as another face in the crowd. A simple Companion, then the esteemed Harbinger. But now that they know about you, they must believe you're somehow a goddess incarnated within a mortal's body."

"Yes, so it would seem." I drummed my fingers against my leg. "Perhaps after a few months, the heat will die down, and life might go back to normal."

"We can hope," Vilkas said, taking my jittery fingers into his grasp.

"All this talk is well and good," Farkas spoke up, lightly punching one fist into his other open palm, "but it doesn't help us get out of here."

"Don't worry, Farkas," I said. "We'll head back to Jorrvaskr soon."

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A/N: Yay, Vilkas is better! 😊 All is right with the world! Well, almost. Because now the word's out! Ylva's the Dragonborn! No secret there anymore! Now she has to cope with being the world's biggest celebrity. That's going to be another adventure in itself.
With the story soon drawing to its close, I will be starting it all over again, but this time in Vilkas's POV! So, YAY! I will try to get the first chapter to that written and published just as soon as I wrap this story up. But, as any good author knows, beginnings are hard, and it may take me twenty-billion times to get the start right. 😂😂😂 Also, while this story is almost over, I have another surprise coming for y'all, but it's a secret, so I can't tell y'all just yet. Y'all will all know soon enough, I promise.
Anyway, as always, thank you for the votes, comments, and kind words of praise! I appreciate it!
Peace out for now!
~WG 💙