Skyrim: Shieldmaiden of Jorrvasker.

Part Two: The Thundering Voice.

I.

It was cold and dark.
I saw nothing but felt everything.
I felt the cold, but I also felt the heat. The burning painful heat.
A sharp pain went through my skull, and I fell to my knees. When I looked up, a robed figure, adorned on his head a great helmet with many sharp spikes and blades coming out of his crown. When he turned, his face was covered by the helmet as well, with beautiful details coming down the face, like a long beard or a ritual mask. But there were slits for eyes, where I knew that this man was looking into my very soul.
"Who enters my realm of Apocropha?" The voice boomed, loud and clear. But he studies me, "Ah, you are Dragonborn......but you have not been aware of it yet."
I try to speak, to ask questions, but I feel my mouth burn, on fire. I can't speak, I can't even scream.
The Robed Figure shakes his head, he turns to two monstrous insect looking creatures by his side. He waves his towards me and scoffs, "She isn't ready for me yet. Send her back, she will await my arrival with the rest of Tamriel."
I suddenly feel a new pain shooting through my body, and as I try to scream with no avail, I can see as the servants of the Robed Figure, cast lightening from their finger tips. Through the pain, I see the Mysterious Man, climb on the back of a dragon......
The pain overcomes me and the vision fades to black. There is no sound, no sight not, just darkness. Then a blood curdling roar screams in my ears as a giant black Dragon leap in front of me. His eyes were as red as blood and I could see in those eyes, the world burning and being devoured by more of his kind, the dragons.
"DOVAKIIN." I hear a strange set of voices boom in the horizon of the dragons and then the black dragon turns to me, with his maw open--

I wake up in a cold sweat, screaming, trying to alarm the rest of the Jorrvasker that the Dragon was here.
"Taniiaae! Its alright, wake up!" A familiar voice sounds in my ear and I feel two warm arms wrap around my body as I open my eyes and realize I was in my own room.
"Shhhhh."
I gasp for air as Sinding comforts me. He lies shirtless in bed with me. We had been sharing the same bed now over a month, ever since I brought him back to the Mead Hall. Yet, we both have not made ourselves known to each other yet. I was still in my little shift, keeping my modesty with him. I clutch my chest as he kisses my ear, and lets me squeeze his hand.
"Was it the same dream, my love?"
I nod, swallowing, feeling tears burn my eyes, "Yes. The same one. Except, this one felt more real than the time before."
The brief pounding of my quarter's door makes me jump, and before I can answer, the door burst open. Aela the Huntress, her mate Skjor, Vilkas and Kodlak Whitemane, our harbinger, all walk into my room. I pull my blanket over my chest, and advert my eyes as Aela scouts around the room, "We heard screaming, and came as quickly as we could." She motions towards Skjor. They often 'hunt' together at night and patrol near Whiterun. Being of the wolf blood, their had excellent senses.
Kodlak kneels by my bed, and takes one of my hands, and looks into my eyes.
"It was the dream again, wasn't it, my child?"
I nod, finding the courage to now speak, "Yes, same dream. Except, someone appeared in this one."
Kodlak raises a brow, "Who was in this one?"
I shake my head, "He never said his name. But he said that I had intruded in his lair of Apocropha."
"Apocropha? That is the realm of the Daedric Prince Hermaous Mora." Vilkas says, pacing the room.
Hermaous Mora?
"Isn't he the deity of knowledge?" I ask.
Skjor sneers, "Deity? This being is the thief of knowledge."
Kodlak lets go of my hand and rises from his knees.
"I will speak to Danica, our priestess of Kynereth tomorrow. See what she might know about your dreams. For now, go back to sleep, if you can."
He motions for the others to leave me, Aela gives me one last look before the door closes and its dark in the room again.
I lie back down on my back, Sinding lays up on his side, gently caressing my shoulders.
"I've had these nightmares for nine nights now, Sinding." I whisper. "I don't understand them, and they frighten me because.....I feel like it's a sign."
Sinding exhales, "Maybe it is. Maybe its not. But it is strange. Ever since.....ever since you were transformed into the wolf, you started to not dream. You said so yourself."
I nod, and I tilt my head towards him, "You said you never dream, and I've heard the others mention the same thing."
Sinding nods, and through the darkness, I can see a gleam in his eyes, "its something the beast in us have to deal with. We don't ever feel fully rested or dream.....but what you are fighting, is an entity of its own."
I nod, " I just want it all to go away."
Sinding lays back down, and wraps his arm around my stomach, and pulls me closer to him. I feel his warmth, and it comforts me. I hold his hand against my chest and exhale.
"I may not be able to make the dreams go away, but I can make you feel safe." Sinding whispers.
"I know." I say softly.
I hold his hand even tighter.