The Last Dragonborn

Chapter 6

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I came awake sputtering water. I thrashed trying to get to the surface, not realizing in my panic I was already there. The cold hit me next. It was crippling and forced the air from my lungs. It seeped into every part of me. My eyes were full of water as hot tears streamed down my face.

This part of the river had a strong current. I fought weakly, knowing if I didn't get myself to shore I could be washed out to sea. I didn't know where I was. How far had I already gone?

"Stop fighting me!" Ralof's angry voice made me pause and I realized what I had assumed to be the current was Ralof's arm wrapped around my torso as he towed me towards shore.

I allowed myself to relax. Whatever our differences, I knew Ralof would never let anything happen to me. My brain was too foggy to realize he would never have known who I was when he dove into the river after me. To his knowledge I was only the dragonborn, my cowl made sure of that.

My consciousness slipped again and somewhere near my ear I heard Ralof curse again.

"FUS RO DAH!"

The shout startled me. I thrashed awake, fighting my way back to consciousness. That was not my Thu'um nor one I recognized. There was something about it however, I could feel it deep in my chest. It pushed aside all thoughts of sleep and the cold and settled inside of me.

Pushing aside those strange thoughts I forced myself to focus. Any creature capable of Unrelenting Force was a dangerous foe and I needed to be ready to fight. Ralof would need me. I tried to work my arms and take control but my traitorous body wouldn't listen.

"Relax Dragonborn," Ralof grunted, coughing and spitting water as he towed me towards the shore. "Ulfric has come to fight the dragon."

Ulfric

It was Ulfric's thu'um that had shaken me to my core. I also suddenly remembered the dragon. I couldn't believe I forgot about the dragon. It's anger was still a ball of fury in my chest, but it wasn't hungry anymore. I felt bad about the guards who had been eaten. It was my fault. If I had just been faster, better some how. When I made mistakes, people died.

In a detached way I realized Ralof was shivering violently from the icy water but I wasn't. I knew this was bad. I also wasn't feeling any pain, and I should have been. I had fallen off the bridge and hit the water with enough force I should have crushed every bone in my body. I tried to crane my neck up to see how far I had fallen but couldn't see from this angle.

I was so warm and so tired. I had been fighting dragons for so long. Surely Ulfric could handle this one dragon himself. He had an entire army after all. My eyes drooped closed and I lost time.

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"She's barely breathing!"

"Get that mask off her!"

"Is she alive?"

There were urgent voices all around me. Everyone sounded so frantic and I couldn't think why. Why couldn't they just let me sleep? I was a lot warmer than I had been and I was so tired. It seemed like it had been days since I had slept.

"She has to be, she wouldn't have absorbed the soul if she wasn't."

It took me a stupid moment to realize they were talking about the Dragon's soul. That's what had woken me. It's lingering warmth in the center of my chest was the only thing I could feel. My head moved, but I didn't think I had done it and suddenly I could feel cold air on my cheeks.