The Dragonborn Comes Ch. 15

Being a human in Orzammar made you an immediate sideshow attraction. People would stop and stare, point, whisper. It was mostly good natured. Young children would approach, looking up from far below, just to say hello. Walking the markets resulted in vendors yelling directly at me, wanting me to peruse their wares. I did find their weapons were exquisitely designed, testing one or two, asking plenty of questions about the metal used in its formation. I wasn't as interested in their armour, though they still did their best to sell me some.

It was while walking around by myself, just strolling along without a care, as Orzammar did feel very safe, that I heard a voice calling out for me. I noticed a dwarven woman, or girl, waving in my direction. The fact she was calling out 'Dragonborn' was a surprise. I guess word filtered through fast about who I was. I approached her with a smile. "Hello."

She was rather excited. "Hello. Are you the one they call the Dragonborn, here with the Wardens?"

"I am. How can I help?"

"Do you have any mages with you?" I figured that was a strange question. Even I knew that dwarves didn't practice magic, and told her as such. "I know I can't practice magic, but I can learn about everything else. It's application. The use of lyrium. The study of the Fade. Everything except actually casting spells."

She was certainly enthusiastic. "What are you suggesting?"

"I was hoping I could visit the Circle Tower in Ferelden, and maybe they'll accept me as a student. I know they'd think accepting a dwarf would be strange, but trust me on this, I'm a scholar. They'll definitely want me."

So confident and enthusiastic. It was certainly infectious, as it made me smile. "Well, I mean, I could ask a couple of people and see what they say. I can't promise anything though."

"Oh, could you? That would be great. I'd really love to go. Any reason to get out of here." I blinked in surprise, and was ready to ask her what she meant by that, but I guess I could always find out later. I went looking for Wynne and Solona, walking past Zevran, who pointed me in the direction of something called the Shaperate. Wynne was in there at least, and I asked her about a dwarven scholar being allowed into the Circle.

"It would be highly unusual, but if she's willing to learn, I could write a letter of recommendation. What was her name?" I slapped my forehead. "You didn't ask?"

"No. But I'll be able to find her."

"Give me half an hour. I'll write a letter and you can just fill in her details."

I left the Shaperate thirty minutes later with a letter, detailing what a dwarf could bring to the Circle, and what the Circle could do for the dwarves. Wynne whispered one or two things the dwarves could do for us in return, particularly in regards to lyrium. She then had to explain what lyrium was and how it applied to mages.

I found the dwarf where I had left her. The first thing I asked for was her name. "I'm Dagna."

"I'm Ragnar," I said, holding out my hand. Hers was far softer than I imagined. She noticed my curious look.

"I'm a scholar, not a smith. It's why I want to leave. If I don't, I'll be stuck in my caste forever."

"I don't really understand."

"An outsider wouldn't." Then she smiled. "But I guess I can tell you later. Did your mage friends help you?" I handed her the letter. She got a little more excited with every sentence. "This is perfect! Your friend practically demands I be accepted!" She got so excited, she stepped forward and hugged me. She quickly realised and stepped back, her cheeks glowing red. "Um... Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. It's good news."

"How do I get to the Circle tower?"

"Why don't I escort you there?"

"You'd do that?"

"Sure. It's a bit of a journey, and if you've never been out of Orzammar, it'll be a shock to the system. And considering what is going on here at the moment, I don't think my friends will be doing a whole lot nor miss me if I were to disappear for a couple of days."

She thought for all over five seconds. "Okay! Um, let me get my things organised. When should we go? Tomorrow?"

"How do you tell time in here?"

"We have clocks. We live by surface time simply to ensure our society manages to function."

"Okay, why don't you meet me in the Hall of Heroes tomorrow morning, and we'll go from there?"

"I'll just keep my eye out for the very tall human."

She excitedly wandered off, practically skipping away. I chuckled to myself as I found myself wandering aimlessly until bumping into Leliana. I explained what was going on, and then asked where we would be staying. She grabbed my hand and led me to the royal palace. The guards already seemed to know who we were, walking inside to see Cerys and a couple of the others. She explained that negotiations had only just begun, but that Prince Bhelen had opened the palace to the Wardens and their allies. We would be given a section. I explained I was helped a dwarf head to the Circle tower. "So you'll be gone around three or four days, I guess? It probably won't matter. I have a bad feeling this is going to take a long time to sort out."

I shrugged. "Probably. How does a dwarf cope with leaving Orzammar?"

"Some are happy to leave. Others struggle."

A guard overheard our conversation. "Warn your dwarven friend that once she leaves, she cannot return."

"I think she's aware of that, and I don't think she minds. She mentioned something about caste."

"It's how our society operates, Dragonborn." Yep, everyone already knew who I was, it seemed. "Many dwarves leave Orzammar if they are unhappy in their caste."

"Can't they move between castes?"

"No," he replied bluntly.

"Little wonder she wants to leave," I muttered.

"It is how our society has worked for thousands of years. However, Prince Bhelen does have plans. Change might be slow but he wants progress."

There were a couple of chuckles. "You're well informed for a guard," Cerys stated.

"It's amazing what people will say in front of us, thinking we're not listening. Trust me, we hear everything."

Dinner that night was interesting. Considering the dwarves had no farms, they did rely on food imports from the surface world, so they did have food we recognised, but there were some strange things on the table, that a few of us were willing to try. But it was the alcohol that took your breath away. Literally. It matched if not exceeded the strong ale I used to get in Skyrim, and made any other beer in Ferelden taste like water.

Solona was very excited in bed that night, babbling at length about everything she'd seen. Probably more excited than me, in all honesty. The drink had clearly gone to her head, though, as she quickly passed out, much to the amusement of Leliana and I. It had been a long day, so all we did was cuddle and eventually go to sleep. I would tell Cerys the next morning, just to prove I didn't need to have sex every night.

They both escorted me to the city doors the next morning after breakfast, Solona by one hand, Leliana with the other. Dagna saw me approaching and waved. Solona hugged me first, whispering that she'd miss me, before Leliana hugged me too. Then she said something that confused me. "Have fun."

"I'll be as quick as possible, but..."

"Ragnar, have some fun."

I noticed the look in her eyes, on her face. I felt my jaw drop, which made her giggle. "What?"

"I am saying, if the opportunity presents itself, do what you always do. You're going to be gone for a few days and we won't be around."

I glanced between her then Solona. "You're serious?"

"Look, I could be misreading this, but she's excited for two reasons. One, she's going to the Circle. Two, you're taking her. Trust me, I know how she feels."

I looked at Solona again. "Cerys is talking about recruits, Ragnar. Leliana and I already know you're going to have at least one dwarven lover."

I couldn't help but start to laugh. "My two girlfriends are now organising my love life!"

"I like the sound of that," Solona smiled.

"What? Girlfriend?"

"Yes."

I hugged them both at once, giving each a soft kiss, earning a kiss on my check in reply, before I let them go, said farewell, and heard them call, "Bye, boyfriend!" as I walked towards Dagna.

I offered to carry her things, surprised at how heavy her bag was. She then surprised me by saying no-one knew she was leaving. I wanted to ask why, but I figured she might tell me on the way. Dagna started babbling immediately about everything she wanted to do as we walked through the Hall of Heroes. We hadn't even left Orzammar yet, and I was thinking she was going to wear herself out just through talking. Still, she was a sweet girl and obviously excited. As I said, her enthusiasm just for life was infectious, and she was clearly looking forward to seeing the world. The gates had closed since our entry, so we stood and wait for them to open. I felt my right hand taken by a much smaller hand, glancing to see her suddenly nervous.

Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, I said, "You'll be fine."

"I know. It's just... actually leaving. I've wanted to for so long, but now that I'm doing it." She looked up at me. "Am I making mistake?"

"Is this what you want to do?" She nodded. "Then it's not a mistake. Don't live life with regrets."

"Hmmm. Good advice."

The gates opened, and sunlight filtered in. All other dwarves stepped back and didn't look out. I'd learned that if a dwarf saw the sky, their life could be over in Orzammar. Their society had all sorts of strange rules, but they lived lives by the stone. Looking down at Dagna, she nodded and we strode out together, stopping outside the entrance as she looked up in wonderment.

"I've read about those white things. Clouds, right?"

"That's right." I could see she was squinting at the brightness. "And I guess your eyes will get used to the sun, too."

"It's a little colder out here. I guess pools of lava don't flow freely up here."

"No. A volcano erupting is generally bad news. Come on, I'll show you our transport."

Her excitement increased when I showed her my horse, taking a moment to run her hand over its face and down its neck. I think she even got a little emotional. "I've read so many things about all the animals on the surface. Just seeing one..."

"Now, would you like to ride your own, or do you want to ride with me?"

"Um... You... If you don't..."

"I figured that's what you'd say. Trust me, going tandem is fine."

I threw the dwarf looking after the horses a couple of coins and led my horse out of the paddock. After trying her bag to its rear, I then help Dagna up onto the front before putting my foot in the stirrup and mounting it myself. Grabbing Dagna's hands, I let her take hold of the reins. "I'll dig him in the ribs, then you can help me steer."

As we rode down the mountain, I started to explain everything I knew about Ferelden, and the little I knew about life in the Circle, which wasn't much. She then told me about life in Orzammar, and the more she told me, the more I understood why she was so desperate to leave. "You must have been miserable?"

She glanced back and smiled. "I was just waiting for my knight to arrive and rescue me." Leliana was right, it seemed. "Tell me about being Dragonborn. Are you the hero I think you are?"

"Well, I'm not sure about hero, but I have saved one world before. I've done a few things to help others. I try not to be arrogant about it, though."

"But you could be?"

I laughed. "Between you and me, I could probably have demanded to become the emperor or something. I have a... past, not all of it good. Have some regrets about things I've done. Mostly when I was young. Young and dumb, and thankful those mistakes don't haunt me. I don't do things now to redeem myself. I just try to do what is right." I met her eyes. "Like helping a young dwarf obtain her dream."

The smile she returned was shy and she moved back to rest herself against me. We rode in silence for a little while, mentioning we'd make camp by the lake. That excited her again, saying she'd obviously not seen something like that before. By the time we'd descended the mountain, the weather had warmed up, and it was actually quite a nice day. As the sun was out, I turned off the main road immediately, taking us to the water's edge. I let the horse graze as I formed the tent then built a campfire. Dagna stood at the water's edge, gazing over it. I put my hand in, pleased that it wasn't freezing.

"I assume you've never been for a swim?"

"No, never."

"Would you like to? I'll be with you, so you won't drown."

"I assume you don't wear clothing."

"Would you be uncomfortable if I said you don't?"

She looked me and down. "Definitely not." The confident tone surprised me. Walking back to camp, she made note that there was only one tent. I said there were two bedrolls though. I started to take off my armour, and I could see her eyes watching me, almost unblinking. Once down to my underwear, I gave her a look. I always swam naked, but I barely knew the girl. "Before I do, how old are you?"

"Nineteen."

I dropped my underwear. Her gasp amused me. "You'll need to do the same thing," I suggested.

Her jacket, shirt and trousers came off without hesitation, after her boots. She paused at her underwear. "You don't have to. You can swim in..." Her bra came off before I could finish. "Or you can take it off." She didn't pause with her panties, stepping out of those before she turned and ran into the water. I couldn't help laugh as I followed her. The water wasn't bitterly cold, but it wasn't exactly warm either. But it felt clean and refreshing, cupping my hands to taste it, thankful it was fresh water. The lake probably formed from rivers that flowed down from the nearby mountains.

Dagna seemed to have an idea what to do, though I gave her a little instruction so she'd at least keep her head above the surface. There was a little splashing about as I lay back and floating, glancing to see her do the same thing. It was rather relaxing, particularly as she continued to talk about her life, and asked more questions about life on the surface or my life in Skyrim.

"What about those two woman you were with?"

"They're my girlfriends."

"You have more than one?"

"We have an arrangement. Women are attracted to me, and they know that. I love the company of many women in return, and they accept that."

I heard a splash, noticing her swim towards me. I could just about touch the ground, so planted my feet as she came close. "So, how many girlfriends would you like?"

"Well, I'm happy with two, but... Well, Leliana did tell me to have some fun taking you to the Circle. Did she assume correctly?"

Dagna blushed. "Maybe a little." She was a redhead, just like Leliana, and it was natural, as I'd noticed the hair above her sex. She had big, brown eyes, a cute little nose, and though she hadn't liked her life, working as a smith had given her an athletic build. Her breasts were small, but the glimpse of her arse I'd had when she ran towards the lake suggested it was nice and firm. "Have you ever..." She trailed off, I think because she was going to ask a very forward question.

"Have I ever had sex with a dwarf?" She nodded. "No, I haven't."

Then she smirked. "They're not as unusual as you might think, relationships between humans and dwarves. And think of it like this, Dragonborn."

"Ragnar."

"Okay, think of it like this, Ragnar. I'm a scholar. We could consider the next couple of days a learning opportunity." Shit, she wasn't, was she? She must have noticed the gears in my head turning. She held up her hand, showing four fingers. "That's how many lovers I have had. But they were all female."

"Ah, so you're... bisexual?"

"Yes, but I've just been waiting for the right man."

"And you think I'm it?"

"I've probably read too many fairy tales, but you're the knight who's rescued me. Plus... Well, you're really hot. I mean, totally hot." That made me laugh. "What do you think of me?"

"Well, if we do this, I've been chosen by a rather beautiful dwarven woman."

The smile she returned was incredibly shy. She closed the gap between us, wrapping her arms around my neck. She tried wrapping her legs around me, barely locking her ankles. "I'm a big guy."

"In more ways than one. I'm already thinking about that. Do you mind if I ask you some questions later? About your past?"

"I assume you mean partners and what not?" She nodded. "Yeah, sure, I have nothing to hide."

"I don't mean..."

"I know what you meant. You're a scholar and willing to learn. Just a warning. Some things I tell you might shock you."

"Probably, but..." She trailed off, so I just pulled her in tight and gave her a hug. I felt her shudder. "You're very warm, even in the water." She leaned back, licked her lips, then kissed me. I'll say right now; she was a good kisser. Probably from kissing all those women. And that thought just made me laugh. "What?" she asked, a little embarrassed.

"I definitely wasn't laughing at you. I was just thinking that was a good kiss, and then I thought of you kissing other women."

"And that thought excites you?"

"I am a man. A simple man. I see women kiss, I think 'Yes, I like this'."

We made out for a little longer before the temperature started to drop, so we headed back to camp. I stoked the fire to provide more warmth as we dried off. I kept a towel around my shoulders and back, sitting back against a tree, Dagna having no problem leaning back against me, despite the fact we were both naked. Her skin had more colour than I thought, thinking that they'd be paler, though she explained working by the furnace gave her a tanned complexion. Nothing untoward happened, we just sat together, continuing to chat. She could obviously talk for hours, about everything. She was obviously intelligent. Probably a genius, to be honest.

After dressing, I managed to cook us a little dinner that didn't leave us sick. Dagna then took a bottle of spirit out of her bag. "I've been warned about your booze," I said.

"Just a couple before bed."

The first one went straight to my head. The second one nearly sent me to sleep. It was incredibly strong stuff. Dagna felt it too. Any ideas of doing anything ended as we both crawled into the tent and went straight to sleep.

Waking up the next morning, we had cuddled together under the furs. And I was clearly poking into Danga. I heard her gasp when she woke up, wriggling her butt against me. "By the stone," she whispered, immediately turning to face me, "I saw it yesterday, but feeling it against me... Are all humans so big?"

"No. I'm above average. The gods blessed me in more ways than one, it seems."

She leaned forward again to kiss me, probably thinking I'd be distracted as her hand clearly moved down my body towards me cock. She wasted no time putting her hand beneath the band of my underwear, though her hand wasn't big enough to wrap around my cock. "I don't know if it will fit," she breathed, "But I definitely want to find out."

Smirking, I just said, "I'll just have to get you nice and wet." Then I went corny with, "I've never tasted dwarven pussy before. Had human. Had elven. You can be my first dwarf."

"You're my first male and human. Looks like it's a series of firsts."

"Good thing a very cute dwarf chose me in the end."

We made out for a little longer, and I had a feeling her arrival at the Circle was going to be delayed by another day or two. We eventually had to get up and move, enjoying a little breakfast before packing up camp and departing. Keeping one hand on the reins, I kept my other hand on Dagna, mostly just on her stomach, but she occasionally moved my hand to one of her breasts, leaning back and whispering that she wanted me touch her when naked. Then she'd kiss my neck as I'd lean down to kiss her.