Diaries of a Dragonborn

Nova | 36 | Nord Dovahkiin

[dragonbornodyssey]

riftenriffraff

“What person wouldn’t want to hear the tale of your dragon-fighting?” Cyril asked, a smile forming on his face again. The nagging feeling of concern was still there, but they were… friends. Or acquaintances. He wasn’t too sure where their relationship stood at this point.

“I still can’t say I understand it,” he admitted, offering her a shrug and leaning back in his seat a little. “I suppose I can… appreciate it, though. You practically being a hero and all.”

The Imperial quieted down for a moment, taking a thoughtful swig of his drink and attempting to sort his feelings and thoughts on the situation. This entire time, he had assumed Nova was something of a mercenary, a sellsword. Maybe even a simple bounty hunter.

A dragon slayer was not on his list. Though that was mostly because he liked believing dragons were a myth. Or at least extinct. Now here was someone telling him not only had they seen more than one with their own eyes, but they had killed some as well - and he believed her.

Worst of all - he was worried about her. Genuinely worried. Which was worrying all on its own. Her safety wasn’t his concern - and yet now it was. Or perhaps it always had been and he had simply ignored it.

“Any other heroic secrets you’re keeping from me, then?” Cyril asked, glancing over the top of his drink and raising a brow, attempting to lighten the mood and clear his head.

“Daughter of some forgotten king? Descendant of Tiber Septim himself? Saved a school of children from mad necromancers?”

Nova let out a chuckle and sat her goblet on the table. She hadn’t expected him to understand, she doubted anyone in their right mind would, but what he said next was nice to hear (even when phrased that way).

The silence between them was comfortable, and she relaxed back into her seat as she thumbed the stem of her goblet. His next question, however, had her straighten up slightly and made her face stiffen.

“Well,” Nova drawled and leaned forward on the table, unsure if she should tell him the truth or just make something up. She knew what he did for a living, and had a decent idea of what that entailed. It was only fair she brought him up to speed regarding her way of life. “You’re not so far off with the Tiber Septim part, actually, and if you laugh, I will punch you,” she threatened jokingly, pointing a finger at him while trying to stop the smirk from spreading across her face.

“Tiber Septim, and several men and women before him, were Dragonborn, and so am I,” she said sounding more than a little reluctant. “That’s why I’m hunting dragons,” she added, averting her eyes from him and focusing on her goblet instead. “Those who are Dragonborn have the ability to absorm a dragon’s soul when it dies, permanently killing them.”

[brielleroux-archive-blog]

Vikings - Short Sentence Starters

“Why did you not tell us earlier? Did you not trust us?”

“There will come a time when you will be responsible for our people.”

“I have something I only trust you to do for me.”

“Now that I see them up close, they seem so much less frightening than I supposed.”

“Harsh are the gods!”

“I always believed that death is a fate far better than life, for you will be reunited with lost loved ones.”

“I see you are making yourself comfortable here as well.”

“Forgive me, but it seems to me that our destinies are already locked together.”

“This adventure was doomed from the start.”

“Well, there is never much use in arguing with you.”

“The gods are mistaken.”

“We’re all fated to die on a certain day, yes?”

“But do not think I offer nothing in return; I tell stories.”

“Power is always dangerous. It attracts the worst and corrupts the best.”

“What if I ordered you to stay here?”

“Tell me, why should I ever trust you again?”

“Who needs a reason for betrayal?”

“You two are very different, yet both strong.”

“Our whole lives are just stories.”

“I have a duty; I am a responsible person.”

“You betrayed my trust, but most importantly my love for you.”

“We’re all free to do as we please.”

“Wherever you go, I will follow.”

“Why do the gods give with one hand and take with the other?”

“You cannot warm up a dead man.”

“I always knew in my heart that I would see you again.”

“I want to know what is essential to life. What is really important.”

“We women bear heavy burdens.”

“I have no answers, only truths.”

“I will make something truly astonishing.”

“You don’t think of anybody but yourself.”

“I feel trapped in all this happiness.”

[dragonbornodyssey]

“And I’m singin’ in the rain, just singin’ in the rain!”

That was most definitely a ghost. A singing ghost. Nove looked down at her drink just to clarify how much she’d had to drink, which surely couldn’t have been enough to justify what she was seeing. Instead of saying anything, the Nord merely stared at Bounty, her mouth slightly open.

[dragonbornodyssey]

Heal [Dalamus/Nova]

[dragonbornodyssey]

dalamusrex

It was true; sometimes Dalamus could be overt about his ties to the Guild. But she already knew he was a vampire, and he figured his thieving was the least of her concerns. The mer monitored her heart, but with this being a public place, it was difficult. If she had any strong feelings about what he had said so far, he had not sensed it. Now and then, he sipped his wine–mostly it was to keep up appearances, but he did enjoy tasting something other than blood once in a while.

The mer nodded as she spoke, assuring her that he was listening. “A friend, hm? What is the name of this friend, if I may ask? I have no intention to pry, of course, but I know most of the town and it would be.. interesting to know if we have a friend in common.”

“His name’s Cyril,” she replied, studying the mer’s face in an attempt to determine whether they knew each other, and if they were friendly.

“I met him in Riften some time ago. We shared a few drinks, chatted for a bit, and we’ve met up every time I’ve been around Riften,” she told him with a crooked smile.

[dragonbornodyssey]

“I love the sound of rain on the roof.”

“Aye, me too,” the Nord agreed with a nod. “Sadly, I don’t hear much of that here in Whiterun.” she added with a slight frown.

[dragonbornodyssey]

(Roark) “I love the rain.”

“Rain’s alright, if you like getting everything you own wet,” Nova mumbled into her tankard before she took a sip, glancing over at the Imperial.

[dragonbornodyssey]

“If you don’t come back inside, you’re going to catch a cold.”

“I appreciate the concern, but I can’t wait until the weather’s better,” Nova offered somewhat apologeticly. “I’ll be fine.”

[dragonbornodyssey]

(Cyril) “The roads are flooded. Looks like you’re stuck with me.”

“Smooth move, Silver. Smooth move.”

[dragonbornodyssey]

“Lightning never strikes in the same place twice... so they say.”

“Then they are wrong,” the Nord stated with a light chuckle and shook her head. “I’ve seen lightning strike the same place more than twice.”

[dragonbornodyssey]

“I think there’s a leak in the roof.”

“I think you’re right,” the Nord said as she held out her hand, palm up, and felt a drip as she looked up. “Looks like an easy fix though, just plug the hole with something until it stops raining and we can take a look outside.”

[dragonbornodyssey]

(BIllie) “Watch out for the mud puddles.”

Nova was about the leave the inn, but as soon as she opened the door and saw the state of the roads she made a quick decision to turn back and return to her table.

“Keep the tab open, will you?” she asked the inn keeper before she ordered a new ale.

[riftenriffraff]

“So is that what you do, then? Fight dragons for a living? I can’t say it sounds boring, but it must be… tiring, at the very least,” Cyril said, frowning slightly. A dragon was capable of destroying an entire city. Of burning everything in its path and leaving nothing but death in its wake. As much as he might hate to admit, Cyril was genuinely concerned.

“Surely there’s better work than that, though? Companions are a fun sort, from what I’ve heard. Guard duty’s boring - so says my brother - but he seems pretty pleased with his job. Why not do something else?”

[dragonbornodyssey]

It sounded stupid when he said it like that. Who in their right mind would willingly fight dragons, right?

“More or less, but it was a decision made for me,” she confessed with a shrug. “It’s not the only thing I do, but more and more dragons are flying about these days,” she said before she leaned forwards slightly. “I’m sure you’ve seen the large burial mounds around Skyrim,” the Nord began, “they belong to the ancient dragons, and Alduin can bring them back to life, so for each burial mound there is a dragon flying about soon.”

She let out a sigh and shook her head before a short, slightly forced laugh, escaped her. “What am I doing, I’m sure you don’t want to hear me ramble on about dragons,” she chuckled before she poured herself some more wine. “Anyways, now you know what I do for a living,” Nova said and looked at him from over the top of her goblet as she drank,

[riftenriffraff]

“You fought a dragon,” he repeated, clearly surprised at the mere thought of it. Not that she seemed incapable, no, just that she would risk her life fighting a creature that was supposed to be made of nothing by myth.

“That’s… either a much braver or a much dumber thing than I would ever do,” he said finally, a small smile on his lips. “Perhaps both.”

[dragonbornodyssey]

A part of her wanted to tell him the rest, just lay all cards on the table, but another part of her told her it was a bad idea. After a bit of dwelling, she decided what to do.

“Definitely both,” she agreed with a laugh and looked down at the wine in her glass before she set it aside and leaned forward. She was about to tell him everything, when she suddenly got cold feet and reached for the wine again, downing a few gulps. Why would he believe her anyway?

“Regardless of whether it was brave or stupid, it changed my life, I’m just not sure if it’s for better or worse,” the Nord admitted

[riftenriffraff]

“If I’m so mediocre, then perhaps you should try your luck find a more talented and attractive teacher. But I warn you now, you could wander Nirn forever and never find them,” he teased, grinning at her. 

The Imperial did fall quiet when she finally started to talk, as he was genuinely interested. His brows furrowed slightly at her words, and he wondered if her family had survived. At this point, he felt it would probably be best not to ask.

“A dragon,” he repeated, and sat back in his chair, mulling over something to himself. “Do you mean the dragon? The one supposedly raising other dragons from the dead? Or was it another? You hear talk of things, but I’ve never caught sight of any - fortunately - so I’m not sure what to believe.”

[dragonbornodyssey]

She laughed at his comeback and idly shook her head at him. He could be impossibly unbelievable sometimes, but that seemed to just add to his charm. 

“Aye,” she answered with a short nod. “Most people call it Alduin, from ancient Nordic legend,” she told him and frowned slightly “I saw a different dragon near Whiterun shortly after the attack on Helgen, and it threatened to destroy the whole city. I joined the city guard and a handful of other volunteers in fighting it.”

[dragonbornodyssey]

Heal [Dalamus/Nova]

[dalamusrex]

He could not help but crack a small smirk of his own at her teasing. A playful tease was something he knew how to handle. “Yes, well, as you have seen, I am not very good at first impressions. I tend to ‘go for the jugular’ at even slight provocations.”

Dalamus sipped at the glass of wine before answering her question. “Life is complicated. Especially recently. Love troubles. But, I have friends and family, and I thought I never would. So I suppose I cannot say it is all bad. I live in Riften and work for the Guild. What of you, though?”

[dragonbornodyssey]

She was surprised when he admitted to working for the Guild so openly, but hid it by drinking some more ale, downing half the bottle in a few gulps. If she was being honest, she hadn’t expected him to have much family to speak of either, but that was something she intended to keep to herself.

“I live here in Whiterun, and I’m a mercenary,” she told him as she palced the bottle back on the table. “Riften you say? I have a friend who lives there,” Nova admitted with a tint of intrigue seeping into her voice. Perhaps Dalamus knew Cyril?

[dragonbornodyssey]

Heal [Dalamus/Nova]

[dalamusrex]

A slightly nervous chuckle escaped him at her thinly veiled threat, and he followed her without another word. He, too, was not comfortable with smalltalk, but the silence between them was also strained and uneasy. Going from near-enemies to.. whatever they were, was not a smooth transition.Still, she seemed willing to give him a chance, and he did not want to squander it.

Dalamus was a bit more relaxed when they finally sat down across from one another. Being in a public area assured him that neither of them would cause a scene if they knew what was good for them. When she extended her hand, he offered his own and clasped it, hoping his chill was not too off-putting. “Good to meet you, as well, Nova. Correctly, this time. My name is Dalamus. Ah, and thank you for the wine.”

[dragonbornodyssey]

Nova shook his hand firmly before letting her hand fall back in her lap while the other rested around the base of her ale. “You know, you should try meeting people like this more often,” she teased, “saves you a lot of trouble.”

She leaned back against the chair and took a few gulps of her ale, savoring the taste with half-lidded eyes. 

“So... how’s life? Or.. unlife, maybe,” she asked with a casual shrug and looked at him across the table.

[dragonbornodyssey]

Heal [Dalamus/Nova]

[dalamusrex]

Red eyes widened and blinked in surprise at her words. She believed him? And she did not insult him? Or attack him? Hm. Apologies still confused him, but at least he seemed to have done this one adequately. The vampire relaxed and let out a small puff of breath he had not realized he had been holding.

“If I had been in your position, I doubt I would regret it, either. I harbor no ill will towards you for that.” She was even offering to spend time with him! Perhaps this apology thing was not as difficult as he thought. “I would like that, actually. Neck or wrist? Jesting. Just jesting.” He cleared his throat uncomfortably and answered, more appropriately this time, “I can drink water and wine just as well as anyone.” A small smile appeared before his expression regained careful neutrality.

[dragonbornodyssey]

“How about my fist instead? I’ve heard I make some pretty good knuckle sandwiches,” she scoffed at his ill-timed joke before she motioned for him to walk with her. 

Smalltalk had never been one of her talents, and she found it increasingly difficult to come up with a suitable topic while they walked towards the inn. At the door, she walked in first and held the door long enough for him to follow but not long enough to make her stop. 

As she passed the bar on her way to the table, she ordered two ale for herself and a bottle of wine for Dalamus, telling the barkeep to keep the tab open before she grabbed the three bottles and settled for a table away from the others. 

“So,” she began and pulled the stopper from the first bottle, “how about we get to know each other like civilized folk?” She extended her right hand towards him and introduced himself; “My name is Nova, nice to meet you,” she said with practiced courtesy and a matching smile.