Skryrim: A Forgotten Past

Chapter 2 - Bloodlines

I stumbled through the dark wooden door and shut it behind me with the last of my strength then I slid down the side of it and fell into deep sleep. When I awoke the room was pitch black and I was hurting so badly. The only light was streaming through a crack in the roof which lit up a small patch of the cobble floor. I dragged myself to the light and pulled myself up onto a chair.
"What happened back there was unexplainable. I mean I lashed a shout at the royal court! The only person able to do that is a dragonborn. But I can't be Dragonborn it's impossible.....Isn't it?".
Suddenly a whispering voice from the shadows spoke "it's far from impossible child".
I jumped as she seemed to appear from nowhere.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realise someone lived here, my mistake". I clambered onto my feet and headed to the door.
"Wait!" She shrieked. "You said you wanted to know about dragonborns, right?".
I stopped for a moment.
"You know about dragonborns?".
The old woman chuckled.
"I used to work with one, a talented assassin she was".
"She?"
"Yes, Heteri she was called".
'Heteri I've heard that name before'
She waddled over to the hearth and set it alight, blazing a golden illumination across the rusty old shed.
"She was the one who slayed Alduin too" She explained.
"You knew her personally?" I asked rhetorically "wow".
" She has a tomb just outside of Whiterun, I couldn't attend the funeral obviously due to the price on my head but I would have been there in better circumstances".
"Who are you?" I asked politely.
"Ah yes, forgive me child, I'm Astrid".
She pursed her lips for a moment bowing her head. She tilted her head slightly to the side and rose to her feet.
"Dear god, don't you know you're bleeding?"
I peered down at my ankle where it had been pierced and was now cascading a crimson river on the floor beneath me.
"Oh my god I'm sorry!" I rushed.
"Your apologising for bleeding?" She laughed. "Come on I'll fix you up".
After she treated my wounds and I managed to get plentiful rest she brought me into the kitchen for some food. I ate it all.
"Thank you Astrid, you've been too kind" I alleged.
"Anything to help Heteri's family".
"What?"
"Oh, I forgot to say, sorry".
"I'm related to a dragonborn?!". I shrieked.
"Yes child, it's probably why you were able to perform the shout" She answered. "It's in your genes".
"That means im.... dragonborn?".
"It must". "Try the shout, if it's really true".
I inhaled and exhaled slowly and tried to bring back the memories of anger and pain. I could feel it again, burning in my soul. I let out a gust of power that nearly knocked Astrid from her feet.
"It's true Tarliah!, you're dragonborn".
I couldn't believe it, all this raging power was mine. I had it in my blood and it was all mine! I just had to learn to control it.