Dragonborn Rising Ch. 37

I joined Tolfdir and the other students in the main hall. I could barely concentrate on what the old man was saying so was caught off guard when he asked me, "You've been quiet so far. What do you think we should do?"

Caught completely unawares, I looked at my fellow students first before replying. "I see nothing wrong with doing something practical at least."

That made me an instant hit with my fellow students. Tolfdir's reply suggested he wasn't convinced, but I now listened in as my fellow students argued about doing something practical. Tolfdir relented and we eventually spent some time learning about wards. I had no idea what they were but Tolfdir taught me a basic one so I could at least participate in the lesson. We continued training with that the rest of the afternoon. It was nothing exciting, but I got to know him and my fellow students a little bit more. Only at the end of the day did he finally suggest something a bit more adventurous.

"I think perhaps we're ready to begin exploring some of the various applications of magic throughout history. The College has undertaken a fascinating excavation in the ruins of Saarthal nearby. It's an excellent learning opportunity. I suggest we meet there tomorrow morning after breakfast, and see what awaits us inside. That's all for now, thank you."

We'd obviously been at it for a long time as it was dark by the time we walked outside. Heading back to the Hall of Attainment, my fellow students remained on the first floor as I made my way up. Mirabelle was at her desk as always, so it seemed, though leapt to her feet as soon as she saw me. "Hungry?" I asked.

She was, so we headed downstairs for dinner first, joining fellow students and wizards. If they assumed anything between the pair of us, they kept it to themselves. We ate quickly and headed back upstairs. I didn't think we would have any privacy, raising that question with Mirabelle. She simply smirked, waved her hands, and some sort of... I'm not sure appeared. "Now no-one can see in," she whispered, stepping closer to me.

"Are you planning something, Belle?"

"I thought you had the plans in mind, Ragnar."

"Oh, I have a few things in mind."

"And what are those?"

The next kiss definitely shared any feelings we already had for each other, and certainly didn't lack for passion. My hands were quickly exploring her body, her own eagerly exploring mine. I had her robes off quite quickly, glad she only had underwear beneath her robes. Undressing me took a bit longer, and I felt her hands run up and down my arms and chest. "Gods, you are a warrior," she whispered.

I gently rested her back on the bed before she lay flat, continuing to kiss her as I slowly removed her underwear. Once I had her naked, she turned a little shy, wanting to cover herself up. I sat back on my knees and asked her to remove her hands. "You're beautiful," I stated quietly.

And I spent the next however many minutes showing her how beautiful I thought she was, covering every inch of skin with kisses and caresses. She made plenty of noise at the same time, though I don't think either of us cared. Her breasts were not large, but I enjoyed fondling, kissing, even nibbling them. Her stomach was flat. Her legs were fantastic, with more definition than I thought. But it was when I focused on her pussy... She kept her hair trimmed, it was brunette like her hair, and she tasted divine. I'll admit, I nearly came when I started to eat her out, and that's when the mind realised it was Belle, not Muiri.

"Ragnar," she breathed.

I moved up to kiss her. "Belle," I whispered back in return. She opened her eyes and smiled. "That taste is definitely you," I added, which earned nothing but the sort of smile that would make anyone's heart flutter.

"Make me cum, Ragnar," she demanded gently.

Doing that wasn't particularly difficult, considering how turned on she already was. I used my hands to keep her legs spread, only using my mouth. And I loved it when she started to gently gyrate as I ate her out. She continued to breathe my name as I did, and when she started to moan she was about to cum, all I did was focus on her clit. That sent her overboard, and I think she enjoyed quite the orgasm, feeling one of her hand grab my hair to hold me in place, in one moment pleading not to stop, in the next asking me to stop.

"Oh gods," she cried quietly. I kept going until she finally lifted my head from her pussy, so I made do with kissing up her body, feeling her shake and shudder, before my head rested just above hers. She opened her eyes, noticed me, and grabbed my head to kiss me hard.

I can only describe what happened next in one simply way. We made love. I watched her face as I gently slid my cock inside her, watching her lips part before she gasped as I buried myself. Her hands rested on my back, fingers digging in, as I started to slowly thrust into her. "Belle," I moaned quietly.

She lifted her legs, resting them against my side, feet just about resting on my back. "Gods, Ragnar... How big are you really?" she asked quietly.

I didn't reply, simply focusing on being inside her. All thoughts of Muiri had thankfully disappeared. Now I was just with Mirabelle, or Belle. My mind had finally caught up with reality, and I could now appreciate the woman I was now with... or inside. But I knew I'd also fallen for her big time already because of the reminders before.

Knowing I probably wouldn't last too long, I rolled onto my back, taking her with me, and she gasped again upon settling down. "Holy shit," she murmured, before resting a hand on my chest and starting to ride me.

Reaching up, I caressed her cheek, Belle moving her head into my palm. "You're so beautiful," I whispered. She was. I never lied to any girl I was with, but I meant it completely with her.

Her eyes started to flutter as she leaned forward, wrapping my arms around her. "Gods, I shouldn't have these feelings already," she mumbled into my chest.

Gently thrusting into her, I didn't say anything. To be honest, I didn't trust myself. When she lifted her head to look into my eyes, I could read hers quite easily. She was already feeling the same way. I knew I was in deep trouble, but right then and there, I didn't care one little bit.

Running my hands down her side, I rested them on her tight little butt, earning a smile when I gave her cheeks a squeeze. I started to fuck her a little harder, Mirabelle simply resting her hands to either side of me, her face not far above mine. "Are you going to cum in me, Ragnar?"

"Gods yes."

"I'm going to cum again too." That made me smile. "Ragnar, I..."

"You're feeling things?" She nodded. That made me smile instead. "Me too, Belle."

"Hold me after we've both cum."

"Of course."

She came again, watching her body shudder and writhe on top of me. I'd only seen something as beautiful with the women I'd loved before, or still loved now. "Cum in me," she whispered, not complaining when I grabbed her arse tightly and started to really fuck her. All she did was smile, grunting slightly as I did fuck her quite hard, but I came rather quickly as well, feeling the need to hold her tight and really kiss her as I did so. It was such a good one, how it didn't start leaking out of her in other places, the thought made me laugh afterwards.

Resting on my chest later, my fingers trailing down her back, she asked, "Is it the same for you?"

"Definitely," I replied.

"Your other girls, what do they think?"

"They already know all about you, Belle." That made her lift her head, the same smile that made my heart flutter. I caressed her cheek again. "I knew the first time we spoke."

"So did I," she admitted softly.

After cleaning up, she snuggled into me as I held her. There were so many reminders, it took a lot of self-control not to do something completely stupid. I think she understood as well, enough that she turned around for a moment to stroke my cheek and kiss me. "I understand," she stated quietly, grabbing my hand and placing it on her chest, "Belle."

"I know."

"But I understand, Ragnar. And if you need to, let it out."

"Are you sure?" She nodded, and I pulled her tightly towards me. When I felt her hands on my back, gripping me tightly... "Sorry," I muttered.

"No, never be sorry for what you once felt. But I hope you might feel the same way about me one day."

"Oh, those feelings are already there," I mumbled, holding her tight in return.

We fell asleep like that, her head nestled under my chin, holding each other as tightly as possible without being uncomfortable. Waking the next morning, it was amazing how natural it felt to wake up beside her, and after she used magic to light a couple of candles, we made love again. I'm not sure how long it lasted, but I definitely gave her a couple of orgasms, and by the time I'd cum a second time, she suggested with a giggle that we'd probably missed breakfast. That I didn't mind, as we ate together at her desk, both of us still naked, before she suggested I really should meet up with Tolfdir.

Knowing where Saarthal was, having already consulted a few maps, I headed straight back towards Winterhold, heading towards the inn where Aela and Lydia were waiting. They already looked utterly bored where they were, so I suggested that they should just head home. "Look, I don't know what's going to happen here, but if you let Balgruuf know I'm here, a letter can reach me in a matter of days. No point you hanging around."

"You fuck her?" Aela asked. I nodded, and all she did was smile. "And I bet she loved it?"

"It was..."

All Aela did was kiss my cheek. "I'm sure it was," she said softly, "Just don't do anything stupid."

That made me laugh. "I'll be home before you know it."

Lydia then kissed my cheek. "I'll make sure she isn't too lonely."

"And now I have visions in my mind," I stated with a laugh.

The girls packed and I gave each of them a hug and kiss before they mounted their horses. They didn't ask how long I would be, just asking them to let me know if there was any news regarding the council. I figured it would take quite a while to get both sides to agree, their own self-interests taking precedence over a situation which could destroy us all.

After watching them disappear over the horizon, I left my horse by the inn and walked to Saarthal. The snow-capped peaks towered over me as I trudged up the hill, the great white expanse appearing as I crested the hill. I could see the enormous pit where Saarthal had been dug up so headed there, finding a couple of students waiting outside. Apparently Tolfdir was on his way but didn't walk particularly fast. I chatted away with them, getting to know their names and what they were learning. I didn't give away that I was Dragonborn, just letting them know my name and the fact I didn't know a lot of magic. That led to titters of amusement.

Once Tolfdir, he explained what we would be investigating. It didn't sound particularly interesting, but having adventured through a few ruins, I figured we could find some coin or jewels. Tolfdir noticed the sword at my hip. "Expecting trouble?" he wondered.

"Entering ruins like this? Every time."

As we entered the ruin, it was clear they'd been excavating for some time, though whether they'd actually found anything of real importance, I wasn't sure. Tolfdir explained some of the history of Saarthal, as I don't think any of us knew its history. I certainly didn't.

"As some of you may know, Saarthal was one of the earliest Nord settlements in Skyrim. It was also the largest. Sacked by the Elves in the infamous 'Night of Tears', not much is known about what happened to Saarthal. This is an exciting opportunity for us. To be able to study such an early civilization, and the magics they used... Well, are there any questions before we begin?"

No-one did, so we were assigned jobs. I was sent to help someone called Arniel Gane, and like usual, it sounded like a simple task but ended up with me trapped in some sort of room. Tolfdir appeared, and after explaining what happened, he suggested I put on the necklace. Upon doing so, there was a red aura emanating from where I'd picked up the amulet.

"Do you see that? Some kind of resonance between you and the wall. It must be connected to the amulet! I wonder what effect might your spells have?"

I knew a basic fire spell so used that, the wall crumbling away in an instant, the gates opening to allow Tolfdir through. He was immediately interested in the new passage, wondering why it had been closed off. Following the secret tunnel for a few minutes, we ended up in a much smaller room. I immediately recognised the four sarcophagi at each side, and the altar in the middle. I'd been in enough ancient ruins and immediately unsheathed my sword. Tolfdir gave me a look...

Then something weird happened. Tolfdir was busy turning around to talk to me when he suddenly froze in place. There was a form of bright light and a strange looking man appeared in front of me. Judging by the robes he wore, I figured him for a mage.

"Know that you have set in motion a chain of events that cannot be stopped. Judgment has not been passed, as you had no way of knowing. Judgment will be passed on your actions to come, and how you deal with the dangers ahead of you. This warning is passed to you because the Psijic Order believes in you. You, mage, and you alone, have the potential to prevent disaster. Take great care, and know that the Order is watching."

As quickly as he appeared, he disappeared, Tolfdir completing his turn though he immediately guessed something had happened. Explaining what I'd been told, he was just as perplexed as myself, wondering why the Psijic Order would contact anyone considering they had no history concerning Saarthal. I asked who they were, and he told me what he knew about them, which was enough to suggest they'd be powerful enough to contact me in the manner they had.

The sarcophagi in the room did open, killing the four draugr rather quickly, Tolfdir proving his skill with magic. I trusted in my sword arm, Tolfdir mentioning I appeared to be rather skilled as we followed the next tunnel. That's when I let him know who I really was. He didn't express any major surprise, and considering I was still wearing armour instead of robes, he figured I wasn't particularly a mage.

"Why did you join the college?" he did wonder.

"Two reasons. One, a peace council is being convened. Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun is sorting it out, and it will take some time to get it organised. Two, Mirabelle."

That made him stop. "Miss Ervine?"

"Aye."

The old man smiled. "Ah, I understand. She's a fine woman."

We ended up in an ever larger room, full to the brim with sarcophagi. Looking up, there must have been thousands of them. And, of course, as soon as we were halfway across, the gate behind us closed, lids collapsed to the floor, and draugr flooded our position. We turned back to back, warrior and mage as one. I did my best to protect the old man, though I don't think he really needed it, though he thanked me afterwards, once all the draugr were dead, and he was busy healing one or two wounds I'd taken.

"Certainly haven't done anything like this in a while," he stated with a chuckle.

"You get used to it." I paused before asking, "What do you think is here?"

"I have absolutely no idea."

We ended up passing down hallways I'd seen in numerous ruins before, the occasional draugr waking up to fight us. But we eventually made it through to an enormous chamber, and it was there that was discovered a glowing, magical sphere. It was while walking down stairs to approach it that the draugr sitting upon the throne woke up. I'd dealt with similar draugr before, but I was immediately concerned when I swung and my sword went straight through it. So I tried a Shout, and that didn't work either. Raising my shield, I immediately retreated.

"Ideas, Tolfdir?" I called. He tried a magical attack, which did nothing but grab the attention of the draugr.

"The sphere. It must be connected!"

"Do what you think will work. I'll keep the thing occupied."

Whatever Tolfdir did worked quickly, as after another couple of swings, the next one landed, the draugr growled, and I smiled to myself. Then I used my Thu'um, blowing the draugr backwards against the word wall, and I hacked off its head, not wanting to find myself in a long, drawn out battle. After learning the word, I turned back to Tolfdir. "I noticed the glow. I assume it was connecting to you?" he wondered.

"Aye. These ruins usually have this type of wall. I've learned a few words over time."

"Right. Well, what we need to do is figure out what this sphere actually is. It appears inert for now, but what you should do is head back to the college and alert the Arch-Mage regarding this discovery."

I would rather have stayed and he sent one of the other students, but he was confident we'd taken care of the main threats, so I found the usual exit and headed back to the surface. There was still plenty of light, and though the snow was deep on the ground, I managed to jog most of the way back to the college, sweating profusely under my armour.

Explaining what we found to the Savos, the Arch-Mage, was difficult as I had no idea what it was, and quite frankly, he didn't seem all that bothered. He seemed to realise I was one of the new students, though, and I guess to keep me occupied, suggested I head down the library to speak with Urag, thinking he might be able to help.

No idea why I was now central to events, but it wouldn't do any harm to investigate. As I headed downstairs, I ran into one of the Faralda, the Altmer that had originally stopped me when first trying to enter the college.

"Just a warning, Dragonborn."

"Oh, what?"

"Ancano, that Thalmor who is present at the college, has been asking after you."

"Did he say what about?"

"No to me, but a little bit of advice. Mind what you tell him."

"Thanks for the warning. I get what you mean."

That earned a smirk. "Between the two of us, there are rumours about him. That this 'advisor' position he has is a sham, an excuse. That what he's really doing is spying for the Thalmor, trying to feed them information."

"That wouldn't be a surprise at all, but why is he here anyway?"

"Unfortunately, the Arch-Mage couldn't stop the Thalmor having a presence here."

"I won't tell him a thing. Don't worry."

"Good. Last thing we need is more of the bastards showing up."

Urag has information for me, none of it good. Students must have returned during my conversation with the Arch-Mage, as he was already aware that we'd found something in Saarthal, and that what I needed wasn't currently in the library. The book or books I required had been stolen by a former student, and considering he knew who I was, he suggested I'd be just the person to go locate them. I couldn't stifle the groan, earning a chuckle from the Orc, but without any other option, I agreed to do it.

Just as I was about to head back to the Hall of Attainment, thinking I'd spend some time with Mirabelle, I was stopped by Ancano. I'd seen him around once or twice, but now I got a good look at him. Arrogant, sneering bastard was what I immediately thought. Whether he knew exactly who I was or not, I wasn't too sure yet.

"You there. I have questions for you. You were in Saarthal, yes? It has come to my attention that something was found there." I just gave him a withering look and remained silent, noticing his eyes narrow in return. "I know full well that you have. Please do not insult my intelligence. Tolfdir is still there now, is he? I shall expect a full report when he returns."

"Finished?"

He waved a dismissive hand. "You may go now."

I stepped forward straight towards him, only diverting at the last second, making sure my shoulder crashed into him. I know I knocked him backwards, as I was a bigger, broader man. I sensed him turn and he laid a hand on my shoulder. Reaching for it, I grabbed and twisted his fingers as I turned around. "Touch me again, and I'll break more than just your fingers."