After leaving the barrow and the experiences of that journey to retrieve the stolen item for Lucan and Camillia back at the Riverwood Trader, Rigmor suggested, “Guardian, why don’t we go back to camp, get some rest, food and drink, then head into Riverwood to return this dragon claw. We should travel to Whiterun from there so we can warn the Jarl for Alvor.”
She paused then continued, “You know as Alvor said, ‘Riverwood is without protection, if you could warn the Jarl and ask him to send some troops here to help protect us I will be in your debt.” The guardian looked at Rigmor, then replied, “Okay Rigmor, I think you might be right. I feel a little bit exhausted from the experience and especially that dragon wall.”
Rigmor considered this too, then said, “Let’s go, you lead guardian!” After returning back to camp, getting something to eat and drink, then resting. They both got up and the guardian began to chop some new firewood to leave behind so the camp would be replenished from what they had used up.
Afterwards, they both left for Riverwood and returned the golden dragon claw to Lucan and his sister Camillia at the Riverwood Trader. Lucan was grateful for the returned claw and said, “I can’t thank you enough, this means so much to my sister and I. We’ll never forget what you did for us. Well, the Riverwood Trader is back to the way it used to be!”
Rigmor and the guardian left for Whiterun. They made their way up to Dragonreach, the Jarl’s palace when they got there and reported the dragon attack and request from Alvor, the blacksmith for some protection to be sent. The Jarl was very grateful, gifted the guardian with some armor from his personal stores but then a guard ran in and reported the Western Watchtower had been attacked by a dragon.
The guardian had given the Dragon stone they retrieved from the barrow to Farengar Secret-Fire, the court wizard so he could study the map of the dragon burial sites to see if he could learn anything. After the guard returned though they both had been requested to join the Jarl for the conversation. Irileth is a Dark Elf night-blade who serves as housecarl to Jarl Balgruuf the Greater of Whiterun, requested that they all attend. She looked directly at the guardian and told him, “You should come too!”
The Jarl listened to guard and requested Irileth to gather some of the best guards and investigate what had happened at the Western Watchtower. The Jarl then turned and spoke with the guardian, “There’s no time to stand on ceremony, I’d like for you to go with Irileth and do what you can to help them. You’ve seen a dragon and survived, you’re the only one here with experience of what to expect. If you do that I will be in debt.”
The guardian agreed and after calming down Rigmor who was none to happy about investigating a dragon attack they headed out towards the Western Watchtower where the guardian learned something new concerning the power hidden within his blood.
After arriving to a scene out of some nightmare where a large hole had been blasted into the top side of the tower and fire was burning everything around. They all approached and a guard came running out screaming, “Take cover, that dragon is still around somewhere, it grabbed two other guards as they ran to let the Jarl know we had been attacked. “
The guard had been right and the dragon returned. A fierce battle broke out afterwards and several more guards perished in that battle when the dragon burned one alive with its flame and the other was slapped away with the power of its spiked tail.
But the battle between the guardian and the dragon had been legendary. It would be sung about in the halls where the Bards sang their songs for a long time afterwards. Right before the guardian took his final strength, mounted the dragon’s neck and drove his sword directly into its brain. Rigmor remembered hearing the dragon scream, “Dovahkiin, no!”
What did that mean she thought briefly, “Dovahkiin, it must be some kind of dragon word for something it felt he represents.” They all gathered around the dragon to inspect what had happened, not long after something magical began and the dragon began to glow, then burn with a bright fire, a swirling power of light and fire went directly from the dragon to the guardian.
Rigmor exclaimed, “Guardian, what’s happening, what is that light and fire coming from the dragon to you?” But the guardian had been stunned, his blood boiling with the power of this new found power transferred with the absorption of the dragon’s soul and the transfer of its language of power to his being. He remember hearing, “Fus spoken within him and something felt like it came alive in his blood.”
The remaining guards and Irileth gathered around. One of the guards came up and exclaimed,”You must be Dragonborn, you absorbed that dragon’s soul didn’t you?” The guardian who had been stunned to his knees during the process of what had just happened slowly stood up and replied, “I don’t know what just happened? I am not sure.”
Rigmor had stepped closer to him, he looked as if the wind might blow him away. She was concerned but listened with careful attention now to what had been said to him by the guard. Another guard came up and said, “What do you mean Dragonborn?” The first guard replied, “It’s like something out of the old tales, when Tiber Septim wore the Amulet of Kings, and it was said the dragonblood flowed within his veins. “
The other guard replied, “I never heard of Tiber Septim absorbing dragon souls in any of the tales. ” The first guard replied, “That’s because there were no dragons then, this is the first one that’s been seen in several ages.” Another guard said, “Can you shout? It was told in the old tales that those blessed with the dragonblood that could absorb their souls could also shout, that they could speak the language of power and use it to focus the Thu’um, their inner spirit into shouts that would be powered by the dragonblood that flowed through thim, can you do that, have you tried?”
Rigmor had all her thoughts spinning around and watched the guardian closely, protectively. He turned and positioned himself to be able to speak away from the gathered guards, Irileth, and Rigmor. Then with a focus born of this new fire that burned within his blood a word was shouted, “Fus”. There was such as gale of force that came within him that the bones of the dragon were moved some distance away from him.
One of the guards said, “That’s a shout, you spoke with a word of power, you are Dragonborn.” Another guard said to Irileth, “What do you think? You’ve been very quiet so far.” Irileth replied, “I’ve been all over Tamriel and seen all types of things, I would advise you to rely on your sword arms and shield. I’m not so sure about this mystical thing you Nords call the Dragonborn.”
Irileth paused then approached the guardian and said, “You better get back to Whiterun and inform the Jarl of what has taken place here. I don’t know about this mystical magic the guards believe in but I am sure glad your on our side. Anyone that can help take down a dragon like you did is a friend indeed.”
Rigmor who had been silent grabbed the guardian and said, “Guardian, what was that you did? I’ve read about the Dragon Walls, the Shouts of the Dragon Language and the power they held over everyone during the first era. Do you think you’re this Dragonborn and was that a shout of power?”
The guardian replied, “I don’t know Rigmor but I’m okay. We better get back to Whiterun and inform the Jarl about what took place here.” Rigmor reached out to him and looked as if she was about to do something when she turned and said, “Come on Dragonborn or Guardian or whatever, let’s get this done so we can get back to the original plan of rescuing Rose and retrieving my sword and stuff.”
He turned and followed and they headed back to Whiterun. It was then they both heard with a loud rumble and torrent of voices that came down from the highest mountain in Skyrim known as “The Throat of the World”. Rigmor thought she heard it say the same word the dragon had spoken just before dying, “Dovahkiin!” and the grounds shook with its force as it echoed like rolling thunder all the way back to Whiterun.