I ended up starting with Alduins story because his inspiration hit me like a ton of bricks.

Nobody hate me for the end of this chapter; I love Paarthurnax, but this is an entirely plausible theory that I decided to use for this story because I love drama. Fae at the end is entirely in character, but don't fret, this first chapter is not an accurate representation of her for the entire story; she will get herself under control again and go back to being a precious baby.

Review please!

- Razzella

|| Chapter One ||

Skyrim © Bethesda

Faelynn, Arvakr © Razzella

When misrule takes its place at the eight corners of the world,

When the Brass Tower walks and Time is reshaped,

When the thrice-blessed fail and the Red Tower trembles,

When the Dragonborn Ruler loses his throne, and the White Tower falls,

When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding,

The World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn.

I was getting worse.

I stared at my hands as I sat in my room at the monastery, trying to contain my dragons' soul that had literally been clawing me apart from the inside out. I had read stories of the Dragonborns going "mad" as the first – Miraak – had. There were countless ones through the ages where a dovahkiin would lose his mind and start behaving as more dragon than man and it appeared I would be one of them.

And here I was, my room destroyed, sitting in the midst of it with this goofy sneer on my face while I read through this damned book that I had yet to rip the pages out of in favor of eyeing my hands for ten minutes. I knew I was sick – diseased, really – but how to cure a disease of the soul? You didn't. You couldn't. Humans knew nothing of the soul, in reality, and to cure one was absurd. I would have to seek out otherworldly assistance, and there wasn't a single source I was willing to ask.

Gods, I was in trouble.

I stood then, making my way outback and exposing myself to the cold terrain with semi-wild eyes. I knew my hair was wild even by animal standards; having it blow in the harsh winds was only furthering my disheveled appearance – but I didn't care. My soul was screaming – a loud, ringing echo in my ears that was demanding I find… something. What was I looking for? My eyes flittered across the courtyard, feeling myself growing more agitated as I stood there.

"Shut up!" The earth shook beneath me as I pressed my hands to my ears, screeching into the howling winds that lead to Paarthurnax. There was a tug in that direction; I hissed, staring down the winds that were blocking my path.

"Lok Vah Koor!" I stormed up the mountain, finding the ancient being sitting before his human sibling, speaking softly. Of course Alduin was up here right now. Of course he was. My poor attitude was apparently noticed by the larger of the two males and Paarthurnax turned to me with worried eyes. I saw his very soul squirm as I laid my eyes on him; I wondered if he knew I suddenly felt the urge to suck that soul right out of his body.

"Shir gein? [Dear one?]" Paarthurnax spoke slowly, seemingly alarmed at my appearance. I didn't look that bad, did I? Alduin, on the other hand, had a smirk slapped on his face that did strange things to my stomach; I was suddenly feeling even more aggressive, despite the way my mind had quieted being near the two brothers. I was suddenly unable to remember why I was here; instead of anger, it had been translated into something more… intimate upon meeting Alduins red gaze. Flashes of ideas that I somehow knew could not have been from me began overtaking my thoughts and I shook my head fervently, face flushing.

"Paarthurnax," I managed to force the name from my mouth breathlessly, despite it not at all being the one I wanted to say. "I need help."

He eyed me with interest, his head cocking to one side as he moved closer to me; I forced myself to return his attention. Our eyes met and I was able to calm myself for the most part, but my jittery movement was apparently alarming to him. I could feel Alduins gaze on me as I stared at Paarthurnax, fists clenched at my sides. Alduin was the one to actually answer my plead for help.

"Hi genun wah kos ko frin." Rage boiled over.

"Excuse me?" The words were a low hiss, and I could tell Paarthurnax was suddenly uncomfortable with my presence from the way he backed away.

"Do you not speak our tongue? I was under the impression Paarthurnax had managed to teach you, at least. I said: you appear to be in heat."

"I know what you said," My voice raised in pitch as I spoke, eyes blazing. "I don't know what it means." I corrected his assumption, turning my full body towards him as I resisted the urge to stalk towards him.

"Humans do not go into heat." I stated simply, sneering at him.

"Well, you're not exactly human, are you, dovahkiin?" He hummed, red eyes narrowed slightly as he sized me up. I stiffened at his words, straightening and managing to reign in my emotions; schooling my features I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I'm not one of you if that's what you're insinuating." He was in front of me – quite literally – before I could even fully exhale at the end of my sentence and I, admittedly, stumbled backwards in quite a hurry and ended up on my ass in the snow. It was in that moment Paarthurnax intervened, his tail landing between myself and Alduin with a rather loud thud. Both our gazes shifted to him as he stared at us with obvious amusement.

"I never imagined this would be how this conversation went." He admitted, chuckling as he offered me a knowing look. "But your soul is in fact yearning for a partner, shir gein. [dear one] We dovah know it as frin [heat], and it is not very dissimilar to what you recognize it as." I wanted to be angry, but all I could do was feel frightened. So what did this mean for me?

"It is mainly different in the fact that it is a spiritual event more than physical for dovah," He purred in amusement, watching as horror flickered across my face. "Our souls naturally crave an equal when we come of age; it is unsurprising that you would begin feeling such urges. You should begin engaging in battle with those around you to test their – "

I started laughing, then, somewhat hysterically, and both men jumped at the sudden sound.

"You have to be joking to think I would ever – I'm not going to – what the fuck, Paarthurnax?" I laughed loudly and leaned back on my palms before outright collapsing in the snow.

"It is not a laughing matter, kulaas [princess]. Female dovah have been known to go mad if they do not take a mate." He warned and I couldn't help but wonder why he thought the rules of dragons would apply to me?

"I'm not a dovah." I said it loudly, but not unkindly. My laughter laced through my words as I shook my head, feeling for the moment as if I was actually in control of myself. I could still feel the heat itching through my entire body – it felt like dragon fire, to be honest – but I could suddenly feel a weight lifting from my chest the longer I was in his presence. I began to relax.

"I'm not a fucking dragon, Paarthurnax. I'm not bound by the same rules as you."

"You are more dragon than man." Alduin finally spoke, and I felt myself unnerved by his analysis as I glared.

"And you're more man than dragon, aren't you?" I sneered mockingly, only to be startled when the male had suddenly pinned my arms to the ground; effectively keeping me firmly in the snow as he snarled down at me.

"Hin zahr los qiib, to Zu'u vust lorot do pruz brah fah nii. [Your mouth is endearing, though I could think of a better use for it.]" I gasped, feeling the flames burn brighter under my skin as I stared up at him.

"Hi los veistul. [You are vile.]" My voice cracked as I struggled weakly, briefly wondering why the fuck Paarthurnax had not offered me any assistance.

"Ahrk hi los brit, meyus dovah. Druv krif hin lund? [And you are beautiful, foolish dragon. Why fight your nature?]"

"Because it isn't my nature!" I finally screeched, struggling a bit more beneath him. Unfortunately for me, this forced him to rearrange himself above me; forcing us into a more intimate position. His soul was glowing like a bright red halo around him, and a sudden relaxation of my limbs left my heart pounding in my chest. Wait – did he call me beautiful?

My eyes widened in realization and I openly gaped, wondering what the fuck was happening. Odahviings words rang through my head then: "He has proclaimed he will claim the female dragonborn as one of his mates."

"Much better," Alduin purred, far too close to my sensitive ears. "Just relax, brii. [beauty]." His eyes met mine and, against my better judgement, I found myself mesmerized. Gods, he was beautiful, wasn't he? I pulled myself together, repeating over and over what Odahviing had said. I was not some trophy. He would not claim me. How dare him!

How dare him! My anger rekindled and I reared my head back, before it collided with his abruptly. It wasn't a lot of force, but it was enough for him to be startled; in that time I managed to wriggle one hand free long enough to punch him square in the jaw before stumbling to my feet.

"You do not know me," I hissed out, eyes narrowed at him. "Don't assume I am so easily swayed. I haven't forgotten who you are." I then proceeded to glare at Paarthurnax, who had watched the short spectacle with curious eyes, before tearing down the mountain again.

I was losing my mind.

Arngeir had not commented on the state of my room, but I knew he was concerned upon catching my gaze in the hall. I wondered if Arvakr was having the same problems as me – maybe that was why he was so bloody attached to Delphine. I wondered if I could come to such an arrangement with someone, but the idea was rapidly smashed. I refused to give into this. I was the bloody dragonborn for god's sake. I was quite literally known as the slayer of the World-Eater – a legend among men. It would be unbecoming of me to start behaving like a horny teenage girl now. Or ever, really.

But even so, the longer I isolated myself, the more loudly the echoing screeching was. I hadn't expected my dragons' soul to start literally screaming into my head when I failed to give in to it; this had been going on for days. I hadn't eaten, much less slept, in days, and it was beginning to show in the dark rings around my eyes, and the fact I had yet to bathe since my run-in with Alduin and Paarthurnax a week ago. I couldn't think; I had been literally destroying my room – and then cleaning it – and redestroying it over and over and over again because it was the only productive thing I could do, until I couldn't even do that anymore.

Not to mention I was quite literally burning from the inside out. The flames that I had felt licking at my skin were suddenly too hot for me to rationalize. Part of me wanted to throw myself into the snow in attempts to cool down, but having tried that before I locked myself away, I knew that the snow would simply melt away and there I would be in a puddle on the ground.

But none of this compared to the real problem I was experiencing – the one thing at the forefront of my mind. Sex. It seemed childish and barely believable, but it was true. All I could manage to focus my mind in on was sex, though allowing the fantasies would drive me into a frenzy that was barely containable through "normal" means. No, that's a lie, it wasn't even containable then. It was just momentarily paused until the next time I couldn't control my wandering thoughts.

My body was throbbing with need and I couldn't reign it in no matter how many prayers I sent out, or how many times I meditated. My breasts were sore, my stomach was constantly in knots – constantly reminding me I was so close – and my senses were sharp enough to hear a pin drop three rooms down. And Gods knew I could fucking smell him every time he passed my door. Alduin. I swear he was doing it on purpose because he was always moving so fucking slowly down this hall; his scent invaded my room and senses like he was standing directly in front of me.

"Gods, please make this stop." I found myself sobbing one evening as I debated how painful it would be to cut my own throat. I wished I had taken Paarthurnax more seriously that day when he had warned me, but here I was, barely able to move without ever nerve-ending in my body screaming, with no knowledge of how to make it stop. How was I even alive at this point? No amount of suffering I had experienced before could ever hope to compare to this. I wanted to die. My tears were evaporating from my face as they fell and I wondered if there was going to be a black, charred place on the ground where I had been for three days now.

"Let me die, please, just let me die." I was whispering similar things over and over to the air, not aware of the presence watching me. I hadn't even heard the door open.

"You're not going to die, dovahkiin." I heard a familiar voice and was able to roll my eyes back far enough to see him leaning in the doorframe; though the image was upside down from my current position, I still found room to admire. Alduins' dark hair was wet – sticking to his face here and there – and despite the amused smirk he was wearing, his crimson eyes were cold. I wanted to snarl, or scream for him to leave, but nothing came out besides a guttural groan. He slinked into the room, closing the door softly behind him, and moving so that he could sit on my bed and observe me.

"I tried to help you," He reminded, leaning back onto his palms as he cocked his head to one side, snickering at me. "We warned you this was coming, brit. [beautiful]" My tears didn't subside, and part of me was panicking. I was supposed to be keeping him in line, but here I was, defenseless and barely able to move, with no way to stop him from doing anything to myself, much less anyone else. I was at his mercy and there was nothing I could hope to do to change it.

"If you had let me claim you earlier, you wouldn't be begging the Gods to kill you now," Alduin purred, his eyes darkening slightly as his smirk widened. "Unfortunately for you, I won't be letting anything kill you any time soon. You may have changed my form, but I haven't by any means lost my abilities." Oh yeah. I had chained us together. I had chained myself to the World-Eater. If I died he could literally just Shout me back into the world of the living, and I would have dragged him along for the ride. How fucking stupid was I?

Sadly, his words were literally going in one ear and out the other at the time.

The only things that were processing was how beautiful he looked with the light from my window reflecting off his tanned skin; the way his scent invaded my senses. He smelled like rain and smoke and I wasn't sure why those two smells together was so appetizing but everything going wrong in me was suddenly stilled when his fingers brushed against my cheek.

I inhaled sharply, initially flinching away before I realized his touch was not meant to be threatening; the second thought to roll through my head was how cold he felt. He rolled his eyes and lifted me from the cool floor, letting out a low growl when he realized how warm I was. Something in his gaze changed for a moment before he took a deep breath and laid me carefully on my bed. I whimpered as the furs rubbed uncomfortably against my sensitive skin; before I realized what he was doing, he had curled around me.

I gasped at the sudden coolness against my back, shuddering as he snickered into my hair. He adjusted his grip so that my head was resting against his arm, cooling one side of my face, and his legs were tangled with mine. Had anyone looked at us and not known the situation, it may have looked as though we were lovers.

"Relax, brii [beauty], I'm not going to do anything to you. Just sleep." Alduin sighed. "Stupid girl. If you had listened I wouldn't be stuck babying you like this. I had thought you would manage to overcome this obstacle," He grumbled, though I could barely hear him. My body was cooling the longer he held me, and his scent had apparently quieted the screaming in my head.

"Do you even know how close to death you are?"

I fell asleep before the question processed.

When I woke, I was alone; while I wasn't surprised at all, I was honestly confused. I sat up groggily, realizing it was morning from the way the sun was flittering through the curtains, and looked around my room slowly. It was clean, so Arngeir had probably picked it up from my last fit after I finally fell asleep. I felt sticky, and with a disgusted look, realized I had literally sweated so much that my clothes were sticking to me now; I promised myself a long bath now that I could move without causing the feelings of electrocution.

I looked to my nightstand and blinked in surprise, taking the mug of water and drinking it gratefully. My stomach growled, and I remembered I hadn't eaten in… a week? I almost spit my water back out at the thought, choking on it before forcing myself to swallow. I had been without a full meal that long, but I had literally had nothing the entire time I had been isolated. Thankfully, Arngeir had thought of this and left me some bread, cheese, and an apple with the water; I scarfed the food down hungrily before forcing myself to my feet. I needed to bathe, and then I would proceed to eat my weight in whatever I could find in the monastery, I swore to myself as I grabbed a change of clothes and headed for the bathing room.

"Dovahkiin," I was startled to meet Arngeir in the hall; he seemed equally surprised to see me. "Thank Gods you're finally awake." I blinked.

"What do you mean 'finally'?" I almost didn't ask.

"You've been asleep for eight days. We were beginning to worry you would not wake." I didn't know whether I wanted to cry or laugh.

"Uhm… I… I'm sorry." I said lamely, not really sure how I was going to explain, when I had no idea why I had slept so long myself. Honestly, I could barely remember falling asleep at all. I remembered being miserable and in pain, but how I got into my bed and comfortable enough to sleep was beyond my memories.

"I'm just glad you are better." The older man said gently, touching my arm softly. "You had a frightening fever; we were unsure what to do. Paarthurnax had us keep you cool with snow, though it dissolved shortly after we placed it." His voice was grave, and I almost wanted to laugh. Of course he wouldn't understand, and I'm sure Paarthurnax had thought it better to spare them the gory details of why I was in such a state.

"Thank you for tending to me, Arngeir." I murmured, feeling bashful for some reason. He nodded.

"Of course, dovahkiin. When you feel better, please come to the courtyard so we may speak." I smiled thinly, nodding, before making my way towards the bathroom quickly. I just wanted to get clean, eat, and rest somewhere cool for a while before they sent me on any misadventures. Really, that was all I wanted. But I knew now they were going to grill me on the how's and why's of my bringing human-Alduin to the monastery instead of killing him. Not because they distrusted me, but because they didn't understand my reasoning. And, truthfully, I didn't understand my own reasoning.

I locked the bathroom door, staring at the natural spring as I began stripping out of my clothes. I just knew this wasn't how things were meant to be. Alduin was not meant to die, and I would rather not throw him forward in time again. Arvakr was supposed to kill him, and he failed, so I did the only thing that seemed rational at the time. I tied his existence to mine. So long as we were tied he wouldn't be able to kill me without dying himself, giving me the advantage. I wasn't certain how I had used a four-word shout, but I had read they were not impossible; as long as he was in human form, he was crippled considerably in power.

I sunk into the water, shuddering as heat enveloped me. I let myself slip under the lavender scented water, wetting my tangled mess of hair. I had personally concocted the smells that filled this room now, after discussing things with Arngeir. The heated water as constantly being mixed with lavender oils because the scent was soothing and did a lot for internal healing and forcing one's self to relax. Or, well, that could have been the weak slow potion I had added it to. It didn't paralyze those who sunk into the water, but it forced them to relax, at least.

"I don't want to do this." I groaned, washing away the dirt and grime before swimming around the large pool. It was a natural spring underneath the monastery – self-cleaning and always warm. One of the few places in Skyrim that I could bathe regularly and not be chastised for wasting water.

Once I had had my fill of relaxing, I quickly dried myself and got dressed before making my way to the kitchen, grabbing some stew that was already prepared – probably Arngeirs doing – and sat at the small table, brushing my hair as I ate my fill. I briefly wondered why it was that I hadn't ran into Alduin yet, but judging from the time, I could imagine he was with his brother. Paarthurnax tended not to let him wander freely; I was pretty sure he even had him sleeping up on that mountain with him at this point. The idea amused me.

My white hair was pulled into a bun as I grabbed my warmest set of clothes; tugging on my cloak I tugged the hood over my head and made my way into the courtyard. The greybeards were gathered there, talking quietly amongst themselves as I approached. Arngeir turned to me with his gentle smile, and I was immediately curious about the tone of the conversation.

"Dovahkiin," He breathed, watching my approach with a kind look. "What is it you intend to do with Alduin?" I knew it. I frowned, turning my eyes to the ground with a sigh.

"I'm not… I don't know." I admitted, not meeting his eyes again. "He was going to win, so I did the only thing I could think to do in the moment." I missed the way Arngeirs eyes widened with realization, but I heard the awe in his voice.

"You had planned to have him die with you." I flushed red, wringing my hands beneath my cloak as I nodded.

"Yes. I had expected him to kill me at the same moment I tied us together," I explained, biting my lower lip. "But he didn't kill me, so… now I… I'm not sure what to do at this point." He nodded slowly, and I could feel his calculating gaze on me.

"You always had an aversion to killing him, didn't you?" I stiffened slightly, shrugging my shoulders.

"I had questioned if there was an alternative to it," I conceded, turning my eyes to his finally. "But please do not think for a moment I did this on purpose, Arngeir." He looked more amused than I had expected.

"Of course not, dovahkiin. I'm only wondering if fate had intended this all along." I raised an eyebrow, honestly confused as he laughed softly.

"Not everything is as it seems." He spoke softly, smiling gently. "Perhaps the path you chose to walk was more to Akatosh's liking." I wanted to laugh, wondering if he realized how absurd that sounded. But then again, maybe he was right – I couldn't imagine anyone would honestly want their son dead, regardless of what sins they commit.

"Is that all you wanted to know?" I asked after a moment, smiling slightly as I awaited his real topic of conversation.

"No, I'm afraid." Arngeir looked sheepish for a moment. "I was going to request you remove Alduin from the monastery." I wasn't surprised. I had been awaiting them to shoo him out – but now I was faced with the problem of where I would take him. If I brought him into one of the cities he could very well slaughter a town full of people if he wanted and there was little I could do about it. He was stronger than me; regardless of his form I was sure his Shouts were far superior to my own.

"I understand." I nodded anyway, though I was unsure what I was actually planning to do. I would figure it out.

"Thank you for everything, Arngeir." Surprising both of us, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders in a quick hug, before giving him a wide smile.

"You are always welcome, Faelynn." I was surprised he had used my name, though I suppose it was his way of reaffirming our relationship was more than that of mentor and teacher. Arngeir had become similar to a father-figure to me; my heart twisted at the idea of leaving him behind, but at his request I knew that I would be away for a long while.

"Thank you."

I made my way up to Paarthurnax, where I was correct in assuming Alduin was also. The large dragon purred in relief, dipping his head and nudging me gently. I stumbled, laughing a bit as I ran my hands over his nose affectionately.

"I am glad you are safe, kulaas. [princess] Arngeir was deeply worried when you would not wake." I flushed pink again, feeling bashful that I had managed to worry everyone. It was a first for me; usually I was quick to bounce back from injuries, so I supposed it was only afflictions of my dragons soul that could actually incapacitate me for long periods of time.

"I'm sorry for worrying you." I cleared my throat nervously, kicking the snow slightly. "The Greybeards have requested I take Alduin elsewhere." I told him, unable to force myself to look at the man in question, instead speaking to Paarthurnax. The ancient dragon did not seem surprised, though he did appear mildly displeased.

"And where do you plan to take him?" I bit my lip, chewing it nervously as I thought.

"I haven't decided yet." Alduin snorted from nearby, and I glanced at him from under my lashes. He seemed agitated I wasn't looking at him, but I refused to budge yet.

"You could lock him in Skuldafn." Paarthurnax murmured gently to me and I visibly winced.

"If he maintains the ability to Shout, it won't do much good." I informed him, shrugging a bit. "Locking him anywhere would not prove useful."

"I still do not understand why he is even still breathing." I thought it was my imagination, but I thought I heard agitation in his words. I had expected disappointment, maybe confusion, but never anger. To hear Paarthurnax speak, he had always loved his brother; it broke his heart to turn on him. I had thought if anyone would accept my actions, it would be him. Apparently he harbored some resentment he hadn't informed me of.

"Yes, brii [beauty], why am I still breathing?" Smug. He sounded so smug. I turned a sharp glare on him, forcing myself not to be embarrassed. There was no shame in losing to a God. There was no shame in being unable to compete with a creature that had existed since the first Era.

"Because you didn't blast me to pieces when I wanted you to." I tried to say it casually, but Paarthurnax still stiffened upon hearing it.

"Faelynn," His voice was an angry growl, and for the first time since meeting him, I remembered Paarthurnax was actually a dragon. Capable of literally biting me in half, had he felt the desire to do so; I felt my heart skip a beat. "What do you mean?"

"She tied herself to me, zeymah. [brother] She had intended to kill me along with her and the other dragonborn." Alduin sounded gleeful and I wondered exactly why he was so excited to share this with Paarthurnax – and why he hadn't done it before now.

"You would have killed me as well." So low. His voice had dropped deeply in pitch, and the rumbling growl was obvious. He was furious. I steeled myself, crossing my arms over my chest as I prepared to explain myself.

But then his words clicked into place in my mind; I felt my heart drop. Nothing I could say would be accepted, because he didn't care. The only thing he had realized was that my death would equal his own. For all his talk of killing Alduin, and how sacrifices needed to be made, he was unwilling to sacrifice himself? Me dying, Arvakr dying – the entire world burning was preferable to his own death?

A word I was not used to associating with Paarthurnax was painted across my mind: selfish.

I was suddenly angry as my eyes flickered over to Alduins'. His knowing sneer was enough to tell me he had known exactly what Paarthurnaxs' reaction would be. I don't know why I was surprised by the realization Paarthurnax was like every other dragon I had encountered, but I was. It was a painful thing to come to terms with.

"You would have killed me." His roar was sudden; he spun towards me with wild eyes. I didn't flinch, despite the strong urge to do so when he leaned into my face, snarling furiously.

"Zu'u meyar hi, Paarthurnax. [I own you, Paarthurnax.]" I seethed, watching as his eyes widened, appearing stunned at my words. He jerked away as though I had slapped him, roaring into the sky again furiously.

"Release me." He demanded, and I tried to control my own pain as he lived up to his name. Alduin was snickering at the festivities, apparently amused that he had revealed his brothers true colors.

"And just what did you think you would do when I killed Alduin for you, Paarthurnax?" I couldn't look at him – instead, I turned to examining my nails. It was cliché and fake, but had I not I would have begun wringing my hands; in front of dragons I needed to maintain a strong front.

He paused, breathing hard at my words as he stared at me. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what he was planning, once you took into account this reaction.

"You waited a long time," I admitted, shaking my head slightly. "Hiding behind everyone else. Hiding behind Kyne, then the humans, then the Greybeards, and me. You wouldn't dare risk your own life to further yourself; it was only natural you should send Alduin forward in time rather than kill him. The humans would have hunted you all down in that time; you couldn't revive them, because that isn't your proper role, is it?"

"Kulaas– " He seemed to have come to his senses, trying to explain now. Back-tracking. I sneered at the attempt, tilting my head to one side.

"You're pathetic. Can you even fight your own battles? Or have you always just let someone else do it for you – I suppose Alduin handled all that for you, until you decided to betray your own blood for someone stronger, right? For a creature so smart, you really are foolish." I looked to Alduin, who seemed darkly amused at my speech.

"Oh, and also, your eyes lie." I informed him as I turned and began walking down the mountain, Alduin snickering as he followed me. I had a fleeting feeling that he may have been impressed with my quick deduction, but batted away such thoughts. After this confrontation, I was certain Paarthurnax would be taking to the skies; my invitation to visit the monastery was probably revoked the moment they heard his roar of outrage. I was proven correct when Arngeir gave me a sorrowful look upon reentering the building.

I gathered my things and fled faster than the night I left Cyrodiil, with Alduin following right behind me.