The next morning I wake up feeling groggy and my ankle is hurting even more. I force myself to get out of bed and I'm glad to find a comb on the end table. I comb out my auburn hair and I wash my face with water from the wash basin. I quickly smear some herbal gel on my ankle, wrap it with a bandage and I down a healing potion...I'll need it for my next long walk.

I find the Greybeards milling around the monastery and I seek out Arngeir. He's standing by the statue in the main hall, looking lost in his thoughts. I clear my throat and he turns his gaze to me.

"Is Alduin really dead? I didn't absorb his soul when I died," I ask him worriedly.

Arngeir frowns, looking uncertain. "Perhaps, perhaps not. Dragons are not like normal mortal creatures, and Alduin is unique even among dragonkind. He may be permitted to return at the end of time to fulfill his destiny as World-Eater. But that is for the Gods to decide. You have done your part,"

All that work for nothing? I try to conceal my disappointment from Arngeir. "I will be on my way now. Thank you for letting me rest here,"

"You're always welcome, Dragonborn," Arngeir replies.

He packs me some bread and apples for the journey and I have a big drink of water and then I begin my walk all the way down the mountain. It's a peaceful walk down the mountain and I'm glad to have time to mull over my plan of action. First thing's first, I need to speak to Jarl Balgruuf and tell him that I've sorted out Alduin. Then I really ought to visit Delphine and Esbern, even though I don't want to. However, they did help me out to begin with...so I owe them one last goodbye.

When I finally get to Ivarstead, the village at the bottom of the mountain, I feel suddenly dizzy and nostalgic. But nostalgic for what? It does feel very good to be back on Nirn, but it feels almost surreal. It feels like killing Alduin and going to Sovngarde was a lifetime ago, not a day ago.

"You okay there lass? You look like you need a warm bed and some mead," a guard asks me.

"I'm okay," I reply. "Just tired,"

"You were up at High Hrothgar," the guard observes. "Trying to get the Greybeards to speak?"

"I was slaying Alduin," I say honestly, not caring about his reaction. All I want to do is get to Whiterun and find something useful to do with my life. Maybe I should be a mercenary?

The guard laughs. "You're a little girl, not the Dragonborn,"

"I can prove I'm the Dragonborn," I say, feeling annoyed.

I save this country and this is my thanks? I'm not even from Skyrim! I'm from High Rock...well, not exactly. I mean, I'm definitely Breton but I've never actually lived in High Rock. I grew up in Raven Rock, a small town on a small island called Solstheim in Morrowind. The home of the Dunmer/Dark Elves.

"Go on then," the guard rolls his eyes.

I look up at the sky, which is grey and there's a light drizzle. "Lok...VAH KOOR!"

The clouds clear and then the sun shines brightly. The villagers look at me, awestruck, and the guards stare at me with disbelief written all over their faces.

"Dragonborn! We are honoured to see you! And I apologise for not realising before," the guard says to me.

"It's alright. I've just had a gruelling battle and I must be on my way...home?" I trail off.

Where is my home? Is it Raven Rock? Is it High Rock? Or is it here in Skyrim?

I wave goodbye to the guard and I set off in the direction for Whiterun. There aren't any carriages in Ivarstead and I've no desire to visit Riften as the city is overrun with corruption and I cannot stand Maven Blackbriar. Plus I want to get to Whiterun. Skyrim is a big province, but the cities are located relatively close together. It's only about three or four hours to Whiterun from Ivarstead, as I know a quick shortcut that involves a steep footpath down the mountainside. I could always take the pass through the mountains, but that would involve going past Helgen...

The journey to Whiterun takes about three hours and my body feels almost numb from the pain I'm in. I don't know why I've suddenly become so weak. Maybe I still haven't fully recovered from fighting Alduin...but despite the pain, it is good to be back in Whiterun. Maybe I should just settle down here? I sit down on a bench and I pull off my Dwemer boot. I rip off the bandage I placed on my ankle earlier and the swelling has gone down a little, which is good to see. I throw the bandage away, put my boot back on and walk up the steps to Dragonsreach. 

The guards all exclaim when they see me and try to get my attention. I ignore them and walk across the wooden bridge. I'm let into the palace and the guards there greet me politely, though a few seem to distrust me after I let Odahviing go free and I rode away on his back. I walk up to Jarl Balgruuf and give him a quick bow.

"Alduin is gone...Skyrim is safe again," I inform him.

"You have truly done us a great favour," Irileth, the housecarl, says to me.

"I would like to offer you the title of Thane," Jarl Balgruuf says to me. "I do have need of one in my court,"

"Thank you, my Jarl. But I will have to decline, for now. I want to see all of Skyrim and do some more good in the world before I settle down properly," I explain.

"I understand," the Jarl nods his head.

I leave Dragonsreach and I head down to the plaza, where the beautiful tree called the Gildergreen is. I feel so proud to know that I helped restore it. I look over to my left and I see the mead hall, Jorrvaskr. That's where the Companions live. They're honoured warriors and Ysgramor was their founder. I take a deep breath and then I make my way over to the mead hall and I slowly push the doors open.

It's warm inside and smells wonderful. There's a long table in the centre which is loaded with food and tankards filled with mead. The walls are decorated with shields and all around the walls are weapon racks, displaying lethal-looking blades and axes.

Then I notice two people locked in a brawl and I hear a man mutter: "They're at it again?"

I hang back until the brawl is over. A Dunmer man (the loser) is taken aside by a blond Nord warrior with bloodshot eyes and he helps the Dunmer with his bleeding nose. The Nord woman he brawled looks triumphant but still angry.

I'm approached by a tall woman with reddish-brown hair. She has green warpaint on her face, a quiver of arrows and a bow on her back and hazel eyes. She is breathtakingly beautiful.

"What's your business here?" she asks.

"I'd like to join the Companions," I say, trying to sound calm.

"Oh? We don't just take in any milk drinker who stumbles in. Talk to Kodlak if you think you have what it takes to be a Companion," she replies.

"Great. Where can I find Kodlak?"

"Down there," she points in the direction of a flight of stairs leading down to what I presume are living quarters for the warriors.

I follow her direction, glancing around nervously. Why am I feeling nervous? I slayed Alduin not twelve hours ago. I am fearless.

The living quarters feel somewhat familiar to me, but I draw it down to nostalgia of being back in Whiterun. The quarters are made up of one long main corridor with several rooms and other corridors leading off from them.

The first room I see looks like some kind of communal dormitory. As I progress down the main corridor, I come to two side corridors. On the right side there are two rooms adjacent from one another and it was exactly the same on the left side. I keep going until I come to a room at the end, which has the door still half-open. I can hear two people talking. I linger outside the door, curious.

"But I still hear the call of the blood," I hear a man with a thick Nordic accent say.

"We all do. It is out burden to bear. But we can overcome," an older-sounding man replies.

"You have my brother and I, obviously. But I don't know if the rest will go along quite so easily," the first man sighs.

"Leave that to me," the older man laughs.

I knock on the door, having overheard enough. The older man prompts me to come in and I step inside the room. The two men are seated at a table and the younger man looks slightly disgruntled when I walk in. He's a few years older than me with longish dark hair and icy light blue eyes. I presume the older man is Kodlak, the one the woman told me to seek out.

"I'd like to join the Companions," I try and stand tall. Not easy when you're my height.

Kodlak smiles at me kindly. "Would you now? Here, let me have a look at you. Hm, yes...perhaps. A certain strength of spirit,"

"Master, you're not truly considering accepting her?" the younger man exclaims. I glare at him. What does he know? I could easily outdo him in battle.

"I am nobody's master, Vilkas!" Kodlak reminds him. "And last I checked, we had some empty beds in Jorrvaskr for those with a fire burning in their hearts,"

"Apologies. But perhaps this isn't the time. I've never even heard of this outsider," Vilkas looks at me suspiciously.

Doesn't even know me!? I saved his damned life and his damned country!

"Sometimes the famous come to us. Sometimes men and women come to us to seek their fame. It makes no difference. What matters is their heart," Kodlak replies.

"And their arm," Vilkas mutters.

Kodlak nods. "Of course. How are you in a battle, girl?" he asks me.

"I can handle myself," I shrug. Now isn't the time to brag about Alduin. They probably won't take me seriously.

"That may be so. This is Vilkas, he'll test your arm," Kodlak gestures at the young man, who looks none to pleased.

"Let's go, whelp," Vilkas says and brushes past me.

"Do not take his harshness to heart, my girl," Kodlak says kindly. "What's your name?"

"Skylar," I reply. "Excuse me, I should go after Vilkas,"

Kodlak's eyes widen slightly but then his face returns to neutral and he waves me to go out. I follow after Vilkas, not wanting to annoy him further.

"So, what brought you to the Companions?" I try to start a conversation with him.

"That's a story for later," he replies. "I don't get close to strangers," we leave the main bit of Jorrvaskr and he leads me out the back door and to the training courtyard. There's a porch with a few tables and chairs and then the yard itself has practice dummies and a few archery targets. The Dunmer man from before is practicing with a sword and his blond friend is using a giant war hammer.

I can't use two-handed weapons for the life of me. I'm more efficient dual-wielding one-handed weapons. I also can't use bows very well.

"Now what?" I ask Vilkas.

"The old man said to have a look at you, so let's do this. Just have a few swings at me so I can see your form. Don't worry, I can take it," Vilkas sounds bored.

I launch at him suddenly, dual-wielding my stalhrim axe and Dwemer sword. Vilkas is taken aback but back retaliates with a swing from his greatsword. I dodge it, kick him in his legs and he he's knocked to the ground, the weight of his sword hindering him. I point my little sword at his neck and then I grin at him and sheathe my weapons.

Vilkas gets to his feet, looking even more displeased with me. "You're good...you might just make it. But for now, you're still a whelp to us, new blood. So you do what we tell you. Here's my sword...go take it up to Eorland to have it sharpened. And be careful, it's probably worth more than you are," he hands me his greatsword and I try not to wince from how heavy it is.

"Hey, watch it," I say angrily. "You may be a big deal around here, but I-" I catch myself off guard. We're not going to brag about Dragonborn powers just yet I remind myself.

"Oh no, have I offended you?" he asks mockingly.

"Fus ro done with you," I roll my eyes and I walk away from him. I walk up the stairs, my blood boiling with some anger. He can't talk to me like that! I'll show him who's the more powerful one...

I shake off the thoughts. I cannot let the power go to my head. Paarthurnax resists the dragon nature of destroying everything and dominating all. If he can do it, I can do it. I musn't let my arrogance get ahead of me.

The forge is brilliant. There's a feeling of mystery and magic about it and a giant statue of an eagle above it. There's a man about Kodlak's age working the forge, who I presume is Eorland. He looks up at me and seems surprised to see me.

"Colette?" he asks, like he recognises me.

"Um, no, my name is Skylar," I frown, feeling a little weirded out. "Who's Colette?"

"My apologies. You look like somebody I knew a very long time ago. Now what brings you here?" Eorland folds his arms, completely changing the subject. 

I hand him the greatsword. "Vilkas wanted me to give you this," I explain. Eorland takes it and I'm glad to get rid of the heavy weight.

"I'm guessing you're the newcomer then," he examines the weapon.

"Oh, does he always send newcomers on errands?" I ask disdainfully.

Eorland laughs. "Don't worry too much about it. They were all whelps once, they just might not like to talk about it. And don't always do what you're told, nobody rules anybody in the Companions,"

"I was just obeying orders..."

"That attitude would get you far, if you were some stuffy merchant or a Jarl's footstool. Around here, you'll want to learn to live your own life. Remember, nobody rules anybody in the Companions," Eorland advises me.

"How have they managed to get along all this time then?" I wonder.

Eorland shrugs. "Well I'm not sure how they've managed it, but they have. No leaders since Ysgramor...Kodlak is Harbinger and he's a sort of advisor for the whole group but every man is his own. Every woman, her own," 

"Are you a member?" I ask.

Eorland shakes his head. "Not actually a Companion myself, but none of them know how to work a forge properly, and I'm honoured to serve them. I work the Skyforge...best steel in all of Skyrim. Probably in all of Tamriel,"

"It looks wonderful," I say, admiring the weapons around the forge. "I think I need to be going, in case there's any more work for me to do,"

"I have a favour to ask. I've been working on a shield for Aela," Eorland picks up a shield lying near a workbench. "My wife is in mourning and I need to get back to her soon. I'd be much obliged if you could take this to Aela for me,"

Didn't he just  tell me not to always do what I'm told? But he did just say his wife was in mourning...

"Of course," I nod my head and I take the shield. "Um, who's Aela?"

Eorland laughs. "The archer woman. Tall, red hair. She's hard to miss,"

The shield is enormous and heavy...it's also about half of my height, which I suppose isn't too difficult.

"Bye, Eorland," I call to him and then I make my way back to Jorrvaskr, trying not to drop the shield or trip over. I somehow make it down the steps alive and I blindly stumble in what I hope is the direction of mead hall.

"Need a hand?" I hear someone ask.

"I'm okay!" I reply.

"That shield is twice as big as you...you can't see over it!" a woman laughs. I set the shield down and there's a pretty Imperial girl smiling at me. "I'm Ria. Are you looking for Aela by any chance?"

"My name's Skylar. Yeah, I'm looking for her," I introduce myself.

"Oh, I think she's down in her room. Be careful with that shield! And welcome to the Companions!"

A/N:

I know it's slow-going but the story does pick up soon enough. I promise! 

These books are going to be in a series, with about maybe six in total. I've already got most of them written, so you guys won't be waiting around for updates too much. And Skylar isn't the protagonist of all six stories, it changes. Plus it's not all going to be focused around The Companions and Jorrvaskr because that would be boring. 

Featured picture is Sebastan Stan/Vilkas/Farkas

Peace.