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Whiterun's streets rolled out before her like a river of stone and chatter. Thalia kept her stride quick, weaving through the crowds with the easy grace of a born fighter. She still carried the Dragonstone securely tucked beneath her cloak, the ancient tablet heavier than it looked.
The massive stone keep at the top of the hill loomed above the city — Dragonsreach. Its curved beams and soaring hall looked more like a ship frozen mid-sail than any palace she'd ever seen.
At the doors, a pair of guards in iron helmets crossed their axes.
"Halt. Dragonsreach is closed to visitors," one barked, his voice muffled behind his helm.
Thalia didn't slow. She planted her boots firmly before them and drew herself up tall.
"I've got urgent news for the Jarl," she said crisply. "From Riverwood."
The guards hesitated.
Mentioning Riverwood seemed to do the trick. They glanced at each other, then stepped aside.
"Straight in," the older guard grunted. "Mind your manners."
Thalia smirked as she brushed past.
She didn't mind playing polite—when it suited her.
The hall inside was impressive: banners hung from the high beams, a roaring fire pit ran the length of the floor, and at the far end, perched on a grand throne, sat Jarl Balgruuf the Greater.
He was a man weathered by leadership, wearing a simple circlet and plain armor, a stark contrast to the gilded halls around him. Flanking him were his steward, a weaselly man named Proventus Avenicci, and a few guards.
Thalia approached the throne with steady steps.
One hand rested lightly on the hilt of her battered sword — more habit than threat — and her stormy blue eyes took everything in: the guards' positions, the exits, the small shifts of weight that meant nerves or readiness.
Old instincts. Impossible to turn off.
Balgruuf watched her come with mild curiosity.
"You there," the Jarl called, his voice steady and commanding. "You bring news from Riverwood?"
Thalia stopped a respectful distance from the throne, offering a short, deliberate bow. Not deep. Not subservient. A warrior's bow, acknowledging strength.
"Yes, my lord," she said. "Riverwood sent word — about the dragon attack at Helgen. And while I was handling that, I found something in Bleak Falls Barrow that your wizard might want to see."
She unwrapped the Dragonstone, revealing the etched slab, and held it up.
Balgruuf's eyebrows shot up.
"You… you went into that ruin and came back alive?"
Thalia gave a half-smirk.
"Wasn't that bad. Just a few restless dead and some traps. Oh, and a wall that tried to whisper in my head. Normal stuff."
The guards shifted uneasily at her casual tone, but Balgruuf let out a rough chuckle.
"You have guts. I like that."
He turned his head toward a figure standing near the fire: a thin man in deep blue robes, who had been hovering restlessly nearby.
"Farengar!" Balgruuf barked. "Come here."
The man — Farengar Secret-Fire — hurried over, peering at the stone with greedy, fascinated eyes.
"So you've found it!" he said eagerly. "The Dragonstone of Bleak Falls Barrow! Fascinating!"
He whisked the artifact from Thalia's hands, already muttering about runes and translations as he cradled it like a lost child.
Balgruuf leaned forward.
"You've done Whiterun a great service. And you shall be rewarded."
He nodded to Proventus, who grumbled but produced a small coin pouch. Thalia caught it one-handed, weighing it briefly in her palm — about a hundred septims by the feel.
Not enough for the spear yet, but a damn good start.
Before she could thank him, a second guard burst into the hall, panting and wild-eyed.
"My Jarl!" he shouted. "A dragon! It's attacking! It's near the Western Watchtower!"
The room froze.
Even Farengar stopped mumbling.
Balgruuf was on his feet in a heartbeat.
"Send word to the battlements! Summon the guards!" he barked. Then his eyes snapped back to Thalia.
"You," he said. "You've faced a dragon once already. Come. You may be exactly what we need."
Thalia straightened, her blood thrumming in her ears.
A real fight.
A real dragon.
Finally.
She grinned — a fierce, electric thing.
"Point me where you need me," she said, rolling her shoulders. "I'm ready."