I'm Really Not the Dragonborn.

"Come on!"

The Nord woman swung her fist and Harin took it like a champ. 

"Is that it? Did you not have any breakfast?" the redhead provoked.

They began trading blows with both of them simply taking hits and shrugging them off like it's nothing. Hits to the side of the head, chest or even stomach. Soon it became a battle of attrition and victory seemed to be on Harin's side and she withstood the fatigue. 

A well placed hit to the chin finally drops the Nord woman down, knocking her out of commission. The crowds cheered, some raising their fists up in the air and others simply clapped their hands, entertained by the brawl. 

Making his way to the redhead, Ibnor helped Harin to carry the Nord woman who was identified as Uthgerd the Unbroken, to a nearby bench. Harin used the Healing spell on herself and all the bruise she had is now gone, like it was never there in the first place.

They sat opposite of the unconscious Uthgerd, waiting for her to wake up, in order to claim the bet. 

"I saw you purposely prolonged the brawl. Increasing your Light Armor skill?" he asked.

"How did you know?"

"I kinda guess. We haven't finished talking about our… Ability."

"From the look on your face, it's like you already know about mine." She eyed him.

"Kinda guess it when you say 'user interface'. I thought that we are very similar."

"I told you that, didn't I? It is not impossible for you to be a Dragonborn too, if I am one."

"I guess we'll have our answer to that soon."

"You know something?" 

"Maybe." 

"One of your abilities?"

"You can consider it as such. I somewhat know of future events." 

"A seer? If you know about the future, it shouldn't pose a problem for you."

"Not really. Knowing the future only makes it complicated. So far, everything that happened is a little bit different from what I know. It shows nothing is set in stone. The things I did today may change tomorrow's events."

"So it is not an active premonition. So, the best way to handle it is to treat the things you know as only a reference, not a certainty."

"Exactly. I'll be honest with you. This is a pleasant surprise. There is more to you than meets the eyes."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" she snarled.

"No offense, but you technically do look like the locals, so one may form a certain perception of you."

"And you know that I can technically and literally, beat you to death and bring you to life, right?" She gives a bewitching yet terrifying smile.

"Indeed you do. Please have mercy on my poor soul." he replied playfully.

"You are lucky I find you cute." she licked her lip.

He smiled nervously seeing that and produced an audible gulp, swallowing his saliva. 

"Hol… Hold on. We… People… People are still around!" 

"Too late. It's time to pay for being cheeky." She grabs his head and goes for his lips. 

Tongue intertwined, they stayed locked together for a while. Only then did she reluctantly let him go. He feels his ears getting hot and there is hunger in his eyes but his mind told him to stay calm. The time went by as they both drowned in each other's eyes. She had a teasing smile on her face while he was lost in her beauty.

"Anyway, how was the meeting with the Jarl?" He tried to change the atmosphere.

"It doesn't end there." she sighed, recounting the meeting.

"Did he introduce you to the court's wizard?"

"How did y…*sigh* You and your broken ability." 

"Like I said, nothing is set in stone. It may or may not happen."

"He told me to get a stone tablet in an Ancient Nordic ruin. So, what's next? Maybe a horde of dried up undead?" she said jokingly. He gave a look hesitantly.

"No. Fucking. Way!" she exclaimed when she saw his wry smile and the pity in his eyes. 

"Language." he chided her.

"Oh, bugger off! Really? Undead?"

"Draugr. Ever heard of them?" He asked and she nodded. 

"That ruin is one of many in tombs built by the ancient Nord to worship dragons. So…" He trailed off, hinting at her his thoughts.

"So they hope to find a clue from the ruins." She continued.

"Exactly. Sadly, no prize for the correct answer." 

"I'll just collect it later, " she shrugged, teasing him again. She only stopped as Uthgerd stirs and wakes up.

"Ysmir's beard, you got the fist of a steel. My head is still ringing. How long has it been since I last felt my blood boil in excitement?" Uthgerd said, massaging her head.

"I believe I've earned that 100 septims." Harin said.

"Indeed you do. Take this. A Nord always keeps their word." Uthgerd said, giving a pouch of coins to Harin. Then she stood up and walked away.

"You must really love to fight," Ibnor interjected from the side, as she passed him.

"The heat of battle is the fire that forges the strongest blade. It's an old Nord proverb. That, and a true Nord never misses a chance to test her worth." Uthgerd replied before leaving the inn.

"Let's go get the room. This should cover the cost." Harin said, dangling the pouch next to her head.

"Don't tell me the actual reason for the brawl is this," he said.

"What? If I can kill two birds with one stone, why not?" She said, grinning. 

He was left speechless. He is honestly amazed by her. Harin ignored him and went to the innkeeper, Hulda, to ask for a room. 

"Tell me why we are sharing the room again?" he asked.

"Why are you being so wishy washy?"

"I mean, You trusted me that much?"

She stopped and stared at him. The look on her face gave the impression that whatever he just said before was the most ridiculous thing in the world. It hurt him more than he could admit. Unable to withstand the imaginary pain that stabs his heart, he asks.

"What?"

"Exactly. What?"

"Fine, pretend I didn't say anything." he sighs.

"Good." She gave a short reply, before getting comfortable, removing her armor and only using plain cloth.

He also took off his armor pieces to get comfortable and put away his tools. Then, he went to sit on one of the chairs, on the mezzanine, overlooking the tavern below. It's pretty late in the day, only a few patrons moving about, while the rest went home and most of the occupants retreated to their respective rooms. The firepit in the middle of the tavern kept the place warm despite the cold weather.

"Bleak Falls Barrow, first word of power. Return here, and Mirmulnir should be up right after. High Hrothgar and Horn. From then on, I should focus more on Riften. She'll do fine up until the Ratway. My only concern is the Thalmor Embassy," he thought. Gears turned in his mind as he focused on formulating plans for the upcoming events. 

"What are you thinking about?" Harin asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. Turning his head, he found her now sitting on the chair next to him.

"Everything else should be okay, but you need to learn the Bound Weapon spell."

"Future events?" 

"Yeah."

"Should I know about them?"

"Only if you want to."

"Nevermind then. Since you've said it should be okay, then it should be okay."

"And… We might battle our first dragon soon."

"How soon?"

"Right after returning the tablet."

"Thats…"

"Yeah, a horde of undead can be considered as a warm up."

"Will it be enough? In a way, with our abilities, the more we battle the better, right?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I agree that the more we battle the better. But at this point, I'll just do my damn best to survive. Whether I make it or not, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it."

"On that note, I'm pretty sure you will."

"I hope so," he gave a hopeful smile.

"I'm going to sleep. We'll be having quite a lot to deal with come morning. Are you coming?" she asked with a teasing smile.

"Go on ahead. I still need a few moments to sort out my thoughts." he replied, reluctantly. 

"Bleak Falls Barrow huh? Looks like we have to stop by Riverwood since the shop here opened late. I really don't like dealing with them, but… hmm.. Maybe I can turn this to my advantage. Free supplies perhaps? Uh, whatever, let's just go to sleep for now…" he thought. 

The next morning...

They were walking out of Whiterun just when the sun rose. Luckily the guards stationed at the gate recognize them and getting out poses no problem. Noticing the familiar path, she raised her curiosity. 

"Isn't this the road back to Riverwood? We are going to Bleak Falls Barrow, are we not?"

"We are, but before that we have to stop at Riverwood, to get some supplies and help a certain shopkeeper." 

As soon as they reached Riverwood, they went straight into the Riverwood Trader. When entering the door they can hear two people currently having a heated argument.

"Well one of us has to do something!" the female Imperial said.

"I said no! No adventures, no theatrics, no thief-chasing!" the male Imperial objected.

"Well what are you going to do then, huh? Let's hear it!"

"We are done talking about this!" the male said before he noticed two customers are currently standing by the door.

"Oh… Ehemm, hmm. A customer. Sorry you had to hear that." The male shopkeeper apologized and made a hand gesture to tell the female Imperial to end the conversation.

"Maybe you can talk some sense into my pig headed brother." she said, making room for them and left the counter. 

"The Riverwood Trader has everything you need in a general store. My sister Camilla or I will be happy to help." said the shopkeeper.

"Did something happen?" Ibnor asked. Harin, hearing that, only scoffed at the side.

"Yes, we did have a bit of a… break-in. But we still have plenty to sell! Robbers were only after one thing. An ornament, solid gold. In the shape of a dragon's claw."

"We could help you get the claw back," Ibnor continued.

"You could? I've got some coins coming in from my last shipment. It's yours if you bring my claw back. If you're going after those thieves, you should head to Bleak Falls Barrow, northeast of town."

Harin, who was listening, raises her eyebrow after hearing the sentence.

"So, this is your plan, Lucan?" Camilla said.

"Yes. So now you don't have to go, do you?" Lucan the shopkeeper said.

"Oh, really? Well, I think your new helper here needs a guide." Camilla retorted back.

"Wh… no… I… Oh, by the Eight, fine! But only to the edge of town!" 

"If you can provide me with a few supplies for the trip, I don't need the coins for the claw." Ibnor said.

"You don't? Well, be my guest then. Take what you need, within reason of course."

Ibnor chose some camping supplies, potions, and some other miscellaneous stuff. Then, they exit the store being led by Camilla.

"You'll have to go through town, and across the bridge to get to Bleak Falls Barrow. You can see it from here though, the mountain just over the buildings," Camilla said, initiating a conversation as they were walking.

"You are not from around here. That makes the two of us." Camilla said.

"Really? Where are you from then?" Ibnor replied, entertaining the young woman.

"I came here from the Imperial province, to work with my brother Lucan."

"Why come here, to Skyrim?"

"It got bad back in Cyrodiil. The war with the Thalmor ruined… everything."

"Good morning, Camilla," a young man greets Camilla as she passes by. He is all smiles when greeting her, but gives Ibnor a stink eye.

"Good morning, Sven." She greeted him back, before glancing at Ibnor and gave an apologetic smile. She seemed concerned about what he'd think of her.

"Those thieves must be mad, hiding out there. Those old crypts are filled with nothing but traps, trolls and who knows what else." she said, changing the topic. However, her efforts are rendered useless as a Bosmer comes and does the same thing as Sven did. It was at this moment when a Nord who was working at the mill decided to give her some advice, as he saw the whole thing.

"You need to choose between the two boys. It ain't fair to Sven or Faendal to keep tuggin' on their heart strings like that." 

"It's bad enough my brother is harping on me to pick one. Don't you start too." She replied.

"I'm just sayin' you should pick one to settle with," the Nord said, shrugging his shoulders. With that, he went back cutting the logs.

"I just want to find a good husband, and start a family of my own." She turned to Ibnor and explained herself. 

"Of course. Marriage is an important matter, right? So you need to pick the best." he replied.

"You do understand me. I'm glad to find someone who understands me so well." She gives a seductive smile.

"You said thieves, you mean there is not just one person who steals the claw?" He said, changing the topic.

"Yes. I wonder why they only stole Lucan's golden claw. I mean, we have plenty of things in the shop that are worth just as much coin." she said.

"How did Lucan get the claw in the first place?"

"Lucan found the claw about a year after he opened the store. He never quite explained where he got it. He's a tricky one."

By then, they reached the bridge at the end of the town.

"This is the bridge out of town. The path up the mountain to the northwest leads to Bleak Falls Barrow. I guess I should get back to my brother. He'll throw a fit if I take too long. Such a child. May Mara bless you for agreeing to help us." 

"How much further do we have to walk?"

"Well, it's a winding road up the mountain just ahead. You'll know you're in the right place once you spot the old watchtower. Once you get to the tower, head north. Bleak Falls Barrow should be just around the corner further up."

"Alright. Thank you."

"Good luck. Lucan and I will be waiting for you back in the shop," She said and winked at Ibnor before turning around and leaving. 

Crossing the bridge, Harin couldn't hold herself any longer.

"What was that?"

"What?"

"Could she be any more obvious than that? Pretending I didn't exist, fawning on you to the point of ignoring her so called admirers. "Lucan and I will be waiting for you back in the shop." she rants while imitating Camilla in an exaggerated manner.

"Whoa, calm down. What's wrong with you?"

"She is annoying."

"She is, but it doesn't warrant you to be this riled up. Are you perhaps… Jealous?" He teased her. 

She grabs him by his collar and stares at him. 

"Jealous? I don't need to be jealous of a skank."

He smiled and cupped her cheek.

"Right. You are more beautiful and better than her. So, you don't have to waste your time thinking about her. There is no point, except being a waste of time and energy."

"Hah, you and your way with words." She said as she let him go. 

The higher they went up the mountain, the more snow fell down and covered the trails. Their cloak now has a layer of snow accumulated on them. Suddenly Harin stopped Ibnor.

"Frost troll up ahead." She warned him.

"I'll be the bait, use fire." He replied. 

Equipping a dagger, he prepares himself. The frost troll roars in pain as a fireball launched by Harin explodes upon contact with its skin, both hurting and surprising it. Turning to the source of the fireball it saw a human rushing towards it with a dagger in his hand. It took it as a challenge and swiped its claw as the human drew near.

Ducking in time, evading the swipe, Ibnor moves sideways and manages to stab the frost troll on its ribcage. The tough hide of the frost troll proves to be a challenge, but with his newfound strength, he manages to inflict a deep cut to it. 

Just as the frost troll wanted to retaliate, another fireball exploded on its back. The fight goes on 

like that repeatedly. Harin would bombard the frost troll with fireballs when it extended its claw on Ibnor and he would distract it with cuts and slashes when it wanted to turn to her. Taking turns, they managed to tire the frost troll until it finally succumbed to the burns and wounds it suffered. 

Harin healed him with the healing spell and he went to collect the colored balls dropped by the forest trolls. They then continued up the mountain until they saw an old watchtower.

"Harin, there's an Orsimer in front of the watchtower." He points to the green skinned Orsimer up in the distance. Harin did a double take and confirmed his suspicion. 

"Yep, bandit." She gave a short answer.

"Do we go silently or openly?"

"I need to raise my One-Handed and Block."

"Openly it is then."

Both of them walk towards the Orsimer, weapon in hand.

"Now ain't this a surprise," the Orsimer bandit said, readying his axe when he noticed them. 

His friend ran out of the tower and joined him, but Harin proved to be a more experienced fighter, making short work of them. The only setback was, even though Ibnor is capable of knocking a man out with a well placed punch, he was still hit by a stray arrow through the leg by an archer on top of the tower, rendering him immobile. Harin yanked the arrow out and healed him after clearing the bandits. 

Ibnor went to grab the colored balls and Harin managed to unlock a chest where the bandits hoard their loot.