Rona's Story: An Epic Skyrim Romance

Chapter 46 Meeting With The Jarl

Rona dropped her swords and collapsed onto her knees in the snow. She pressed her hands to her face and took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She couldn't stop shaking, even when Bishop wrapped his arms around her and embraced her. She was sure nothing could stop the absolute terror wracking her body and mind.

Alduin knew now. He knew about Bishop. He would stop at nothing to tear him apart in front of her. How could she protect him?

The chanting from the Word Wall was steady and constant, but she ignored it. It didn't matter now. It wouldn't be enough to stop Alduin. Nothing was enough. Bishop said, "Ladyship... Rona. They need your healing hands."

She took a breath and remembered the others and their wounds. She pushed herself off the ground and numbly climbed the steps. She looked over to where Athis and Njada lay, their wounds mildly healed, as Kodlak and Aela made them drink some potions. Farkas and Vilkas were down below, looking on at Torvar's body. And Skjor approached, carrying Ria who had enormous puncture wounds in her stomach and chest. A dragon had bitten her and crushed her insides, killing her.

Rona did everything she could to push back her tears as she focused her magic and continued healing the severely wounded before moving on to fixing up the scrapes, burns and bruises on the others. No one spoke. Two had died, two severely injured. Njada had lost her sword arm, she could still train with her left, but it would be an uphill battle for her. Athis looked like he was on death's door, with shallow breathing and severe blood loss. The members of the Circle were hardly wounded though. Maybe the beast blood had spared them.

When she'd finished her healing she wandered away from the group, heading up a path, leading to the edge of the mountain. There was a tall watchtower to her right. She walked towards it, but did not go inside. Instead she found a spot at the edge of the mountain and sat down in the snow, not even caring how cold it actually was and ignored her shivering. She pulled her knees up and pressed her face to them. She kept taking deep breaths and exhaling slowly.

After a few minutes she heard some boots crunching in the snow by her and looked up expecting to see Bishop standing at her side. Instead it was Kodlak. He sat down beside her, throwing an arm to his knee and said, "It's a difficult line of work we're in."

She just nodded. If she said anything now she would break, she just knew it.

"Much more difficult line of work being the Dragonborn," he looked over at her, his kind eyes full of concern for her, "It is okay to mourn those we have lost in battle."

Her chest heaved and her lips trembled. Was he trying to make her cry?

"You don't always have to stay so strong for everyone else. You may be the Dragonborn, Rona, but you are still human. You are allowed to feel what comes naturally to you," he assured her. It was okay to feel sad and scared and everything in between.

Her face cringed and she gave a deep sob, setting the anguish in her heart free. He reached out to her like a caring grandfather and she cried in his arms. Her breath became sharp and heavy and her tears flowed endlessly. She started mumbling almost nonsensically, "Why did they pick me? I'm not strong enough. I can't do this. I don't want this. How can I beat him? I don't know how. I don't know what to do. I can't save them. I can't protect them." She cried and cried some more, letting her fears and sorrows go.

Kodlak chuckled gently, "I always did envy the girls. So in touch with your emotions, so able to easily express them." She sniffled and looked up at him, brows knit tightly together and he looked into her face and said, "You are much stronger than you think. What you did today, you should be proud of. You saved many lives."