A/N: It's been quite a while again, but here is finally a proper chapter of Hinata the Dragonborn. Plenty of people PMd me about when I'd update. Long story short, real life does not help me write. In fact, when I want to write long proper chapters, I always spend days beforehand doing research and preparing information I would need for that. THEN I'd usually need a few days where I could simply sit down and write with music in the background and without people interrupting my creative process. Of course, I haven't had the chance for such days in quite a while. Research has been going a lot better though

Anyways, here is chapter 8, a little shorter than I expected (it should've included some Companions but I'm long overdue posting, and I stopped at a point that felt like a good place to cut it. I've been trying to add a lot of Hinata's impressions and thoughts to the best of my ability. Some characters have been researched as much as I could to not be OOC, for example Ri'saad, who speaks in First Person and not Khajiit this and Khajiit that. My sister says I make a brilliant impression of his accent and purring voice.

What this chapter took: I spent 1 week modding Skyrim Special Edition to hell. Current mod count is 162. I spent several days playing. I don't think I've even gotten out of the general vicinity of Whiterun, because I literally stopped every few steps to take scenic screenshots what with the gray, murky skies, the mists rolling down the mountain slopes and that general but oh so exact feel of what I imagined Hinata would be going through in Skyrim. I just stop and look at characters, watch what their daily lives are like, listen to the conversations they make. Little things but they mount up over time with that much needed immersion that I am after for this story.

What changed with Hinata the Dragonborn: This story is basically a trilogy with three parts. First part, this one, is called Soul of a Dragon and takes place in Skyrim. It follows Hinata's two year stay in Tamriel (mostly Skyrim) before she finally finds her way back home. The Second part of Hinata the Dragonborn takes place back in her own world, and follows Shippuuden with an experienced and very much shouting Dragonborn Hinata. It is called Will of Fire. The last part of the trilogy, as you may have guessed by now, is called Heart of a Swan, addressing Hinata's ever important (to us fans and shippers) love life, but it will certainly not be all romance, lovey-dovey eyes and kisses. Romance is a thing in this story BUT IT WILL NOT BE THE MAIN POINT. In fact, I will be starting a poll for Hinata's heart and who would win it. Personally I've always been a fan of Hinata and Naruto together, but Kishimoto has always been a bit lacking with his female cast and Hinata was still sort of too weak at the end for Naruto, speaking strictly in terms of character and personality development. The Hinata returning from Skyrim will be 2 years his senior, a fact that I have purposefully chosen NOT to hide because I think it's important to note that both worlds are in separate dimensions, not just separate worlds. I will not restrict the poll to just this and this character. There is time. Let it run wild. I will keep a tally at the end of future chapters with the poll ending more or less with Hinata's return to Hi no Kuni.

Random Chapter Facts:

1. Masser and Secunda are Nirn's two moons. Secunda orbits around Masser or the two share the same gravitational point and orbit around Nirn. It's an unstable type of orbit and strictly scientifically speaking Secunda will be flung out of orbit in the years to come.

2. Bhisha is a real Skyrim character. She was a Khajiit that died during Ri'saad's journey into Skyrim, to Winterhold, in a falmer attack during a snow storm. Her death cry alerted the others in the group and that saved them all.

3. Technically speaking there are no set limits for the age and aging process of Elves. Because there is so much contradictory data about this, I've settled with Bosmer living generally for 450-500 years, if no illness or unfortunate end meets them. For Altmer up to 650 years naturally and Dunmer up to a thousand years.

4. All Skyrim Hold guards are Arnold Schwarzenegger. Even the women. Jokes aside, accents are a thing, even if you come from another world and have miraculously, by some mystical magical unicorn means managed to learn to speak the common local tongue.

The skies were gray again. There was a lingering chill in the air that was not of the mountains and had more to do with the cold front that had a tendency to sweep down south from the northern regions of Skyrim. Despite that, people were already about their business in Riverwood. Being the small village that it was, Riverwood did not have a proper guard station or a building for them to reside in and, as Hinata made her way towards the Sleeping Giant Inn, where she had agreed to meet up with Faendal, her curious pale eyes followed the conversation between the Guard Captain, Alvor the Blacksmith and Gerdur.

It was no small wonder why Hinata found all of that interesting. Things in Skyrim were done differently than how they were done back home. She figured the Skyrim Holds, as the regions within Skyrim were called, were more or less like the Elemental Nations, with the Jarl being more or less like a Daimyo. And yet when the guards were sent, it was up to the locals to provide for them. And that was an accepted and expected behavior. Perhaps it was similar to when clients hired ninja and had to take care of their needs, like food and other accommodations. Or perhaps it was still too soon for her to make heads and tails of how things were run in this strange cold land.

Gerdur was obviously in charge. She was strangely in contrast with her younger brother Ralof in that regard. Even from this distance, she could see their physical resemblance quite well, but Gerdur had been used to take care of things and be in charge for quite a while. She was thinner but also a bit taller than Ralof and her hair was always neatly kept from her face by the braids she so expertly braided. Her expression was also in contrast with the usual warmth Hinata was accustomed to seeing. It was a no-nonsense grave set expression that spoke of little room for compromise. It eerily reminded her of the expression her father would have almost all of the time. Even though she was a Hyuuga, Hinata had always found great trouble deciphering the meaning behind her father's expressions and behavior, maybe because she always felt so intimidated and bothered by his continued disappointment in her.

The Hyuuga heiress shook herself of these negative thoughts and focused on the blacksmith, Alvor, instead. His expression was a lot less severe. He was a man with dirty blonde hair and muscles that easily rivaled Maito Gai's with their impressive girth. Alvor was also a surprisingly gentle and fatherly man if what she had seen of his interactions with his daughter was any indication. Nords were all so naturally physically imposing, even without trying. They were tall, broad-shouldered, fair skinned, strong and sturdy. There was soot on both Alvor's face and his arms, speaking of the fact that he had been working in his smithy since early morning.

Ah, so that was what Hinata had found strange. She had found herself, in the short few days she had been here, to have grown accustomed to the sounds of his hammer hitting the anvil. She wondered how long they'd been talking with this guard captain and what exactly they had been talking about. It must've been important if even Alvor had laid his hammer to rest for this meeting.

"They've been at it for a while now." Faendal suddenly spoke behind her, startling her and making her exclaim a tiny "Eep!" before quickly covering her mouth. She could feel her neck, cheeks, and ears burning with embarrassment. Some kunoichi she was, not even noticing Faendal.

But Faendal was an elf, and she was still too easily distracted and overwhelmed by everything going on around her. Kurenai-sensei always did say she was improving, but she would still need more work before being allowed to go on long-term solo missions. Not that she'd ever be allowed those. As a member of the Hyuuga clan, the heir and a female no less, she knew she'd be stuck in team missions almost indefinitely. Not that it was a bad thing. She always enjoyed spending time with Shino and Kiba, around whom she had found herself feeling the most comfortable. They were the people she spent the most time within the last few years, with the exception of her clan, of course.

Hinata digressed and pursed her lips, trying to stifle down the urge to apologize for her inattentiveness.

"G-good morning, Faendal." she greeted him softly instead. The wood elf nodded curtly in reply to her greeting, his dark eyes never leaving the conversation between Alvor, Gerdur and the Guard Captain.

"The Jarl had immediately sent a whole regimen of his men after you spoke with him. Apparently, they had arrived late at night the same day he had issued his orders. The Sleeping Giant's Inn is overflowing with their horses. Orgnar has been grumbling about it too."

Again, Faendal seemed unusually talkative, but there was also a lot to tell, it seemed.

"What d-do you think they are discussing, F-Faendal?" Hinata asked softly.

"The construction of living space for the guards. Riverwood is not a typical location for a guard post. Not many bandits are interested in stealing great heaps of lumber." a small twitch of his lips told Hinata that, yes, Faendal just did make a tiny, little joke. "Gerdur is negotiating for a better price on her wood. Alvor is mostly letting her do the talking. She is good at haggling. Better than Delphine and Lucan combined when given the incentive."

"She haggles?" the pale-eyed girl repeated, now even more curious.

"She does her best to keep our community afloat. After the signing of the White-Gold Concordat, times have been hard for all of the Empire. Especially hard for the Nords."

"White-Gold- ?"

"I will tell you on the way." Faendal suddenly scowled, looking at her."Why are you not ready to travel?" It was not a reprimand. It was just that Faendal's default expression to all things he could not immediately understand was a scowl.

"U-uhm," Hinata mumbled, worrying her fingers together. How would she explain her problem with the Dragonstone?

"You can't touch it?" Faendal repeated, somewhat puzzled by her request. Not that he wouldn't carry the Dragonstone, but just the way she was so uncomfortable requesting this was enough to pique his concern as well as interest.

"I-it's like the wall," she said, rubbing her arms as some sort of chill ran down her spine at the mere memory.

"I see. You should investigate that. Perhaps you can ask the Court Wizard, Farengar, about this when we deliver the stone tablet."

They readied themselves to leave for Whiterun. With one last glance at the unusually busy Riverwood, Hinata followed Faendal down the spindly road to Whiterun.

"The chill is still bothering you. If you spend long enough time in Skyrim, you get used to it. The weather is actually quite mild this time of the year. It's in the fall and winter that you should really be careful."

"You're not from Skyrim?" she asked.

"No. I was originally from Valenwood, the land of the Bosmer. I was a young boy back when my family and I had to leave because of the Thalmor overthrowing the government. There are a lot of us Bosmer all over Empire lands. Those of us who remained in Valenwood are now at the beck and call of the Aldmeri Dominion. It isn't what my people deserve."

This was not the first time Hinata had heard that wretched by Skyrim standards word, Thalmor.

"W-when we were being brought to Helgen," she started quietly and Faendal focused all of his intense attention to her."There was this tall woman on a horse that spoke with G-general Tullius. R-ralof said she was Thalmor."

"She was a High Elf then. Gold-skinned. Tall."

"Y-yes." Hinata remained silent for a moment, before saying something else. "The Thalmor are bad...very bad, aren't they?"

"The whole of Tamriel is suffering because of them. So, yes, they are very bad. This is why I want you to know about Skyrim and what is going on. The White-Gold Concordat is a treaty that Emperor Titus Mede II was forced to sign with the Aldmeri Dominion so that they don't crush what is left of the Empire. It was signed in the year 175 of the Fourth Era. For comparison, it is currently year 201 of the Fourth Era."

"So... this happened 26 years ago." Hinata surmised incredulously.

"Yes."

"A-and when did you leave V-valenwood?"

"The Thalmor took over Valenwood in the year 29 of the Fourth Era," Faendal replied with the tiniest hint of a smirk on his face.

"N-nani!? B-but F-faendal-san! T-that would make you o-over one hundred and sixty years old!"

"The Races of Mer are longer lived than those of Man. Don't fret over this, Hinata. Such is life here. You should, however, let me finish talking about the White-Gold Concordat, while we are still left in the relative privacy of the roads. And I've told you to call me just Faendal."

"O-of course, Faendal-sa-, I mean Faendal. I-I apologize."

Faendal sighed quietly but chose to focus on his task and not on how timid she was in general. Too timid. If there was one thing the Companions would do for her, it was curing her timid nature. He hoped.

"The treaty asked for the rest of Hammerfel as they had already occupied the southern parts of the province. The second demand was to ban the worship of Talos. Naturally, the Nords felt dishonored by the treaty. Hammerfell, after its release from the Empire, managed to push back the Aldmeri Dominion but at great costs. Thus we are lead to nowadays, where we have the Empire and the Stormcloaks at each other's throats in this terrible civil war. And now dragons are here as well. Did you know that according to Nordic mythology, dragons are the harbingers of the End-times? They should've appeared during the days of the Battle of the Red Ring. Now, those days felt like the End-times."

"Were you part of the battle, Faendal?"

The Wood Elf nodded.

"My father and I were under General Decianus. My father got gravely injured but he survived which my mother still says it's a miracle. He lost his leg in that Battle. My family still lives in Hammerfel to this day. It's a harsh living but they prefer it there. After the Great War ended I couldn't stay there."

"So you came to Skyrim."

"So I came to Skyrim. The woods are ripe with game, the air is crisp and fills the lungs...and Gerdur and Ralof's father used to be a friend of mine back in my Legion days. Arrald was a good sort. An honorable Nord. Saved my father's life at the risk of his own. He helped me build my house when I arrived here and got me a job at the lumber mill. Gerdur still says on occasion that he left for Sovngarde too early and I agree with her. He could not take his wife's passing and followed soon after."

There was a comfortable silence that spread over them as they walked down the road, Faendal lost in memories and Hinata vividly imagining what life must have been for Faendal, the things he must have seen in his travels. She was certain her imagination would hardly compare to the real thing. Such a fascinating discovery – he was around a hundred and sixty years old and looked not a day older than twenty, twenty-five at most! And she had so many questions, most of which she felt improper to ask at the moment.

"You must have noticed by now that Nords do not like elves of any sort, even if we, Wood Elves, have much in common with the Nords especially because of our shared Thalmor antagonists. None are as hated as the High Elves, though. Dunmer, the Dark Elves, have had their fair share of refugees within Skyrim since before I was born and they also suffer from this. It is ironic that Windhelm, the very city of the Stormcloaks, also happens to be the place with the largest Dunmer population in Skyrim."

"The people of Skyrim seem like good people. They shouldn't be fighting each other." Hinata's thoughts were on Gerdur and Alvor, who worked together to keep their little woodcutting community together, rather than bother with the civil unrest.

"They are good people and they shouldn't. I was but a small child when I last had to see a civil war. The people of Valenwood, divided because of the Thalmor. Our freedom should have meant more to our people and yet..." Faendal sighed, somewhat crestfallen. "All I remember was my mother picking me up in the middle of the night. Perhaps there is a reason why I like the Skyrim air so much – the Thalmor are most unwelcome here and thus they haven't had the chance to foul the air with their oppression."

They talked quietly during most of their travel time. Hinata came to understand Faendal felt a deeply set, cold bitterness towards the Thalmor oppressors. She learned more and more of what was essentially the complicated political situation that spanned the continent that was Tamriel. She could not say she understood everything that was going on, but she made an effort to remember most of the Wood Elf's words. After all, Faendal had never been this talkative before and it was obvious he too was putting an effort into informing her, preparing her for what undoubtedly would be a long and tumultuous journey.

Several hours passed and it was nearly noon by the time they found themselves nearing Whiterun's gates. The Khajiiti Caravan was going full swing, with even more people browsing their wares than before.

"Hinata, we could take a look if you still feel like it." Faendal reminded her as they entered the caravan area.

Somewhat reluctantly, Hinata agreed. After all, the caravan would be here for a few more days, if what she was hearing was true, and she doubted she'd have time to visit these Khajiit again after delivering the Dragonstone. She had to return to the Companions afterward and then... Then who knew what could happen? Had she been with Kurenai-sensei and the boys, Kurenai would've allowed them to take a look.

A little detour would not hurt. The caravan was on the way and the girl needed to acquaint herself with the cultures spread all over Tamriel. The Khajiti caravans were a start to that endeavor and he was sure she'd appreciate it.

"Ah!" Hinata suddenly exclaimed in surprise as something furry, pale and small darted by them and the white-eyed girl quickly followed in pursuit.

Faendal gave a resigned sigh. Khajiit, among other things, were most notorious with their sticky paws. Right after the Moon Sugar trade that is. It was not necessarily a good thing to be famous about. In fact, both of these things were less than tasteful. Then again, in Skyrim, anything that wasn't related to being able to twist, say, an Iron pole in twain with your bare hands, or drink at least a barrel of mead, was considered not worthy of respect. By Nord standards. Faendal had understood that things had been improving under Imperial rule. And then that White-Gold Concordat business had happened and now he had to deal with being glared at by any and all Nord that passed by Riverwood. Nords were not particularly quick on the uptake. That is to say, it was not that they were less intelligent than other races, they simply had different views of the world, much like every race on Tamriel had on their own. It took five years of Faendal living in Riverwood before he felt himself actually part of the community. As he ran after Hinata and the catgirl that had stolen her coin purse, Faendal idly wondered if the strange white-eyed girl would ever find her way back to her world. And even if it wasn't a matter of ability, but a matter of time to do so, how long would it take? Would it take long enough for her to be embraced by the Skyrim culture, by the Nords, or will she leave this place? She looked so delicate in comparison to the harsh cold everwinter that gripped the land of the Nords.

"Oof!" the little cat girl groaned as she landed on her butt, her tail raised and fluffed up in tension. "How did you do that!? Ow!"

Hinata had disappeared in a poof of smoke and in her stead, a piece of firewood appeared. Ahead of the catgirl, who was quite nimble and fast by the way, another poof of smoke, almost simultaneous as the first one, appeared and with it Hinata, who lost no time in getting her bearings and charging towards the catgirl, who had been temporarily stunned by the strange, sudden display of one of Hinata's abilities.

Then, with only a slight look of admonishment upon her soft features, Hinata tapped the wrists of the cat girl and she let go of the coin purse as if she had been burned. Well, or numbed. Faendal figured Hinata had made sure the girl wouldn't be able to steal somebody else's belongings. The commotion had attracted the attention of the Khajiit in the caravan as well as the few non-Khajiit opportunists.

"Stealing is not nice, miss," she said as she put away her coin purse.

"Hey! What did you do to my hands! I can't feel a thing!"

"That's a lesson to not try the patience of our future customers, J'disa."

Suddenly all the air seemed to be taken out of the cat girl as she turned her large, expressive yellow eyes towards the source of that voice and her ears flattened to her head.

"Hey Ri'saad, this is really not what you think."

"And what do I think, hmm?"

The Khajiit's voice was deep, soothing and purring, resonating within Hinata's lungs as he spoke. It was the same Khajiit from yesterday, the one who she was certain was the leader of this caravan. There was a certain air of wisdom, of authority around him, that she used to see and feel from her father, as well as Tsunade-sama at times.

The cat girl remained silent.

"J'disa, I have told you that I don't want you to cause trouble, have I not?"

"Yes, Ri'saad." the cat girl pouted, lowering her gaze to the ground.

What made an impression to both Hinata and Faendal was the cat girl's accent. Unlike most Khajiit, hers was that of the natives of Skyrim. Ri'saad's, however, was far more exotic to Hinata's ears.

"Please excuse the girl's mischief. We found her on our way back to our last trip from Markarth to here, to Whiterun." Ri'saad placed his hands on the girl's shoulders and squeezed lightly. "It is...uncommon, let us say, to find one of our own this young and with no one of her family taking care of her."

"I-it is alright. M-maybe she'll learn her lesson now."

"I must make up for this accident. I do not want you two, prospective customers as you are, to be left with a wrong impression of us Khajiit. Please join me for a warm cup of tea. I am certain you will enjoy a bit of respite after your journey in this weather. Come this way, please!"

The Cat man was polite and his voice reverberating and soothing. Despite Hinata's reservations, she and Faendal agreed to join the Khajiit for a cup of tea. Should any trouble arise of it, she was certain she'd be able to see it before it hit them and Ri'saad seemed as genuine as his furry, muzzled face could make him. They followed Ri'saad towards the biggest tent of the caravan and he invited them inside.

The Khajiit had such a fascinating culture, Hinata thought, as her eyes glanced discreetly, curiously in all directions, taking in the various shapes and colors of small trinkets, pots, bowls, rugs and many other things, some of which she couldn't even guess the purpose of. There was one of those tables with distilling equipment she had seen in Court Wizard Farengar's office (it was an office, technically, right?) and also another table that glowed with intricate runes and shapes under her gaze even without the help of her Byakugan. The floor was heavily covered by various rugs and furs, all of which, Hinata was certain, came from all over this continent of Tamriel.

Once more, her gaze moved to their host. He was tall, not as tall as some of the Nords she had seen thus far, but still at least as tall as her Father, with wide shoulders, lean build, with silvery brown fur that was more silver and only slightly inclined towards a faint brown color. Ri'saad's cheeks were heavily adorned with tufts of fur that stuck out in a very particular way that reminded Hinata of the Great Northern Lynx that lived, as the name suggested, in the most northern areas of Hi no Kuni, the Land of Fire, and that, despite her frequent tracking missions in the area, she'd never had the chance to see. They were tricky creatures after all, and given this Ri'saad's looks, she did not doubt he possessed at least some of that same trickiness.

A curious thing was his hair, and yes, it was hair and not just fur, as it was long and straight, reaching to his shoulders and an absolutely exquisite mix of silvers and soft, feint browns that, incredibly, somehow, did not make him look old. Not that Hinata understood what exactly constituted as old looks among cat people, but she was fairly confident in her guess that this man was more or less around her father's age. And that was not old, no matter how many times Kiba insisted on calling her father an old man. Her old man was the phrase he used in particular.

Ri'saad was a cat man of fine taste and even finer clothing. It would be impossible for someone such as Hinata to leave that particular detail unnoticed. In her time spend under Kurenai's tutelage, Hinata had had the opportunity to learn a lot about the whys and hows of people's appearances. Sometimes such information was used in order to create better disguises. Henge was useful in a pinch but unless you were a savant with the otherwise rudimentary ninja skill, like Naruto-kun, it would be nigh impossible to use said skill for prolonged periods of time. Most textbooks said that Henge could not be maintained while asleep, and yet she'd seen Naruto snoozing away in one of his, uh, Sexy Henges, which, come to think of it... how did he even do that?

But, let us return to the original topic at hand. Ri'saad wore sturdy traveling clothes of high-quality expensive material that to Hinata's eyes looked more or less like a wool-cotton blend fabric. Like many of the clothes she had seen here in Skyrim, there were more coarse than the ones back in her homeland. But if Hinata was to compare Ri'saad's clothing to those of, say, Faendal, who had spent a considerable time in Skyrim already, she could easily point out how much finer the weave of the fabric was. Not all of the Khajiit she had seen wore such fine clothing. In fact, Ri'saad was the only one wearing such finery. The other cat people were probably his underlings or people who had joined his caravan in search of better opportunities.

But why was all of this important? It was simple. Presentation was everything. That was one of the first things Hinata had ever been taught about the Hyuuga clan, and about ninja clans in general. People presented themselves in a certain way, expecting to be treated in accordance to that presentation. What Ri' saad presented so far was a man looking for opportunities, who was willing to give of his most likely precious time in order to get more customers. What Hinata understood from this presentation was that Ri'saad wanted something from her and was willing to go to great lengths to arrange such a meeting. The thought came suddenly to her, a product both of her upbringing and her ninja training. It left a bad taste in her mouth and a feeling of discomfort and anxiety that she often associated with reporting to her own father back when she had still been an Academy student. This discomfort, despite her best efforts, always followed her with any of the subtler arts of being a ninja that she attempted to do.

The cat girl, J'disa was quietly, sulkily standing almost behind him, either too afraid or too respectful of Ri'saad to try to escape or do anything else. Unlike Ri'saad, hers was a face full of expressions that were like an open book to her. Had she been part of his plans? No. Had she been an opportunity for Ri'saad? Most certainly.

With a silent gesture the cat girl sat down on one of the furs, near a small rectangular tea table that reminded Hinata of the traditional tea rooms she and her little sister Hanabi would spend their Sunday Afternoons in, talking quietly about this and that, all the while maintaining what was the acceptable behavior for young Hyuuga girls. A moment shared between family, but its preciousness stifled by regulation.

"Please take a seat." Ri'saad said as he walked over to one side of his tent where he had a tea kettle with boiling water already. "You have come just in time, you see. It is not often that I find myself partaking of this particular blend of tea. You see, Elsweyr, the homeland of my people, of the Khajiit, is a land full of wondrous herbs, golden sands, warm breezes and the sun can caress you as well as scorch you within the span of an hour if you are not careful. To think of home while visiting these frozen lands is no easy task, however. And yet... here is this tea that makes me forget that even for a small while."

No one could accuse Ri'saad of not having a silver tongue, Hinata was certain. There was also a certain suaveness to him, a charm that made her feel just a tiny bit more at ease with him.

"There is no Moon Sugar in this tea of yours, is there, Ri'saad?" Faendal asked, his tone as sharp as ever.

"Of course not, friend. This is nothing more than jasmine tea. The same blend my dear mother always used to make. A hard to come by commodity here in Skyrim, I assure you."

Ri'saad served them tea and sat down himself to join them.

"So, what brings a delicate flower such as yourself in these cold lands, if you do not mind me asking? It is not often I see a young girl traveling with such little entourage. It is even rarer to hear that said girl had seen the destruction of a small village to the south. By a dragon, no less."

"Hinata, we are leaving." Faendal stood up suddenly, all pretenses forgotten and a hand on the Hyuuga girl to pull her up.

"Do not be so hasty, Wood Elf. I am merely asking for the truth from the very source. Nords are known to be superstitious folk, but if their Jarl sends his men to defend against such a thing, then perhaps there is at least a grain of truth."

"F-faendal, please sit down," Hinata said quietly, her eyes fixed onto the scowling face of the Wood Elf hunter. He sighed exasperatedly but complied.

"I-it is true, Ri'saad-sa-, I mean Ri'saad, that a d-dragon destroyed Helgen." her eyes glimmered ever so slightly in the light of the lit lanterns within the marquee as she felt her mind replaying that horrible moment when she first saw it... him, the dragon, Alduin, as her head lay on the chopping block."T-they, the Im-imperials, they threw everything at h-him. B-but n-nothing worked."

Fire. Fire from the skies. Smoke, fire and screaming. Was this worse than the Sound-Sand joint attack? Had Alduin attacked the likes of Konoha, it probably would have been. Hinata shuddered at her thoughts, inwardly praying that such a terrible thing would never happen again. She took up her teacup with slightly trembling hands and took a sip. It was a good tea.

The cat girl beside her stared quietly, no longer carefully rubbing her hands and arms and instead focusing those large, glossy eyes at Hinata and then at Ri'saad, unsure what exactly was going on, her gaze switching between the two in quick succession.

"See, J'disa? The truth will always out. Sometimes the truth can be a terrible thing." Ri'saad sighed heavily, his whiskers drooping ever so slightly with the gravity of the previous moment's revelation.

"Poor Bhisha, it seems your ramblings have finally come to a head." Ri'saad shook his head, shedding these dark thoughts in his head and with a loud inhale looked up at Hinata again.

The Khajiit stood up with a quiet heave and headed towards one of the many small reinforced storage chests that littered his tent. He opened one of them and pulled out a small vial of fine, powdered white crystals that looked more or less like sugar.

"Moon Sugar," Faendal muttered almost silently under his breath disapprovingly, but Hinata heard him.

"This is Moon Sugar. In the old rituals of the Khajiit, of my people, this was used as part of the creation of a potion for a sacred ritual. It is said that the potion allowed the light of the moons into the soul. Moon Sugar can also be used for... hmm, for recreational purposes, as you may know. Bhisha liked her Moon Sugar. Bhisha also said the Moon Sugar gave her visions. Before her tragic death, Bhisha told me one thing that stayed with me. Her ramblings were not always coherent, mind you, but she had been oddly lucid that final night before the snow storm. She spoke of a Daughter of the Moon. She spoke of eyes, shining with the Moon's light. She spoke of many things. But, like I said before, most of it was no more than crazed ramblings that sometimes made sense. Yesterday, her ramblings made sense. Yesterday I saw a true Daughter of the Moon, with eyes of Moonlight. There is no doubt in my mind now. Your gaze is seeing as my own, yet it is as if I am looking at duplicates of Jone. The moon Secunda as the non-Khajiti call it. It is of little doubt to me of which moon you are a daughter of. Ma'Jone."

A smirk played on Ri'saad's whiskered face and his golden slitted eyes never left her face as he raised the hand holding the small vial. The smirk was nothing malicious, as it was more curiosity and even a slight bit of awe, yet Hinata still felt an increased level of discomfort by it.

"Your presence here has peaked my curiosity, Ma'Jone. I may not have a sacred potion to offer to you, but I have this vial of high quality refined Moon Sugar. Completely free of charge. For Khajiit, it is very difficult for Moon Sugar to affect us. For non-Khajiit, even a small pinch of this is enough to bring great happiness... as well as great stupidity. And then – exhaustion. To some, like Bhisha, it also brought along visions. In the end, Bhisha died, looking for answers behind her visions. Perhaps you can give such answers."

"I-I am sorry Ri'saad, but I don't think n-now is the right time for this." Hinata apologized, but the large cat man did not say anything. He simply put the vial away and made to open the flap of his tent, as Faendal was standing again, deeply scowling and jaw set, and ready to drag the Hyuuga girl out by force if he had to. As Ri'saad passed by the cat girl, J'disa, he gently patted her on the head, an endearing gesture Hinata did not miss.

"Perhaps we shall see each other again. Please do take a look at our wares. Perhaps you may find something useful. If we are not to see each other again soon... then I hope you will find a warmer welcome in your travels than we have found in ours."

After tea time with Ri'saad, Hinata felt uncomfortable to linger for too long within the Khajiti caravan. It was less because of Ri'saad's offer of Moon Sugar and more because of what he had told her. This Bhisha had visions, he had said. Daughter of the Moon, he had called her. Ma'Jone. Literally meaning Daughter of Jone, Daughter of Secunda. She looked up at the grey skies as if to look at the white counterpart of the moon duo that would be somewhere in the skies, hidden. Ri'saad had been wrong of course. She was no daughter of Jone. No. This Bhisha hadn't called her Moon Daughter. She had called her Daughter of THE Moon, very explicitly implying only one moon. And there was only one moon on her homeworld. And of that moon came many, many myths and legends, some of which so heavily intertwined with history that at this point it was impossible to tell what was actual fact and what fiction. Like any clan, the Hyuuga had shrines and libraries containing a thorough collection of historical facts, stories, myths and legends and what have you, all pertaining to the long journey of the clan through the annals of time.

Hyuuga were one of the most prestigious and ancient clans, if not the oldest clan in existence. It was a point of pride, even for Hinata, that she could trace her history all the way back to the first few generations after the Sage of the Six Paths. Call it arrogance, but even she stuck her chin up proudly in the collective face of the Uchiha, thoroughly rubbing that fact in. Back when there were still Uchiha to do so, of course. They were the other ancient clan with an eye-based bloodline, so, naturally, after the Uchiha made peace with the Senju, both clans found themselves with enough, ahem, free time, to hate each other's guts. That was more or less in Kiba's words.

It was in such ancient texts that the Hyuuga found themselves the first references for them to be Children of the Moon. Hanabi, her dear sister, had been very much a history buff and an avid lover of all things mythical and mystical, and ancient. Despite her distress, the memory of Hanabi's face lighting up and her excited chatter (whenever she could get away with it), made Hinata smile slightly.

Was all of this a mere coincidence? Ninja did not believe in coincidences and neither did Hinata. After all, there was literally zero chance in her mind that waking up, dressed in rags, a world away from home, with no memory as to how she got there, was a mere coincidence. Right now she had too much on her plate as it was. With every passing hour, a sort of dread built up in her stomach the more she learned of the world she had landed in, the more she found out about these Thalmor. How could she have been so careless? People already spoke of her all across two settlements, Riverwood and Whiterun, why wouldn't the Thalmor check up on her, as well as check up on Gerdur and her family. The very thought made her heart clench painfully. If something happened to these people, it would be her fault, entirely.

What was she to do? What could she do at this point? Kurenai-sensei had never prepared her for such a turn of events. Kami, who could be prepared for something like this?

As they finally passed the gates of Whiterun, in all of its bustling, cobblestone paved glory, Faendal simply placed a hand on her shoulder and helped guide her through the crowds. If he had seen her distress, he did not comment on it. To her, it felt as if they reached Dragonsreach in literally no time.

As the guards let them in, the two noticed that Dragonsreach was in some sort of uproar with the amount of activity going on. It seemed as if as time passed and more solid news about Helgen spread, the people of Whiterun Hold were beginning to realize the threat. Jarl Balgruuf was seen on his throne listening to a petition from one of his subjects, with a long line of people waiting behind him. Despite the hassle that Hinata was certain had been going on since early morning, nothing in Jarl Balgruuf's calm and collected behavior spoke of exhaustion of any kind. He was a diligent listener and his steward, Proventus Avenicci, scribbled down furiously whatever the discussion was about. He too displayed surprising stamina when dealing with what was essentially a crisis. In other parts of the Hall, Hinata could see soldiers, well, Whiterun guards, rushing back and forth, carrying crates and supplies, possibly restocking the guard wing and preparing for what was to come. The Dark Elf woman from before was nowhere to be seen, perhaps sent on a mission by the Jarl himself. One of the guards came to them and then lead them to the Court Wizard's office, as Hinata called it.

"He has a visitor so you may have to wait a while." the Guard said and excused himself to return to his duties.

Indeed, Farengar's door was closed but Hinata could still hear the very quiet muffle of conversation from the other side. She contemplated using chakra to enhance her hearing and subtly eavesdrop on the conversation. Just as she vehemently denied herself such an act, the door opened and a woman clad in dark leathers, with a low hanging hood on her head, strode out, not even sparing them a second glance. What had that been all about? The woman left in a hurry with meaningful strides, shoulders squared and cloak billowing behind her. She was intimidating. Faendal's eyes lingered on the woman's figure until she disappeared behind a corner, expression set in that infamous for Hinata by now scowl. Again, he said nothing, but Hinata was left with the impression he might have recognized her or that she looked familiar. She'd ask him about it later when this business with Farengar and Jarl Balgruuf was done and over with.

"Ah, good. You are here! Do you, by chance, bring the stone tablet?"

"Y-yes, Farengar," Hinata replied softly and turned to look at Faendal who was already taking off his backpack so that he could pull out the Dragonstone.

"Wonderful! I take it you would like a reward? You need to speak with the Jarl about that, though I don't think you'd get the chance any time soon. People from all over the Hold have come to see the Jarl. Some even claiming to have seen a dragon themselves."

The Court Wizard pulled up the long, loose sleeves of his robes and took the stone tablet from Faendal.

"Excellent. Truly excellent! Yes. This would help my research nicely. Have you cleaned up the Dragonstone by chance? I am grateful to not have any dust on my desk. Well then, off you go then. I will inform the Jarl of your success and you should be able to receive a reward sometime in the next few days, depending on how many people come petitioning the Jarl. We live in such fascinating times, don't you think?"

Knowing a dismissal when they saw one, Faendal and Hinata took their leave and headed to the exit of Dragonsreach.

"Wait!" they turned around to see that same guard who had brought them to Farengar. He seemed slightly harried by the looks of it, probably running back and forth to find them. "The captain requests to see you. Says he wants to learn more from what you've seen of this dragon."

Faendal and Hinata shared a look.

"Uhm, o-of course." Hinata agreed and they followed the guard. One thing was starting to become a pattern in Hinata's point of view. Unlike in Konoha, where everything was more or less regulated by a certain set of rules, here people were expected to act on their own initiative for the betterment of their society. Not that initiative was lacking in Konoha in any way but here... Here things were just different. Less discipline, more winging it as they went. At least that was the feel she got from the Nords. The Imperials were an entire breed all on their own. They were too orderly and finicky when it came to their administration. Perhaps she was wrong. Perhaps she needed more time to get a true feel of how things were done in this strange new world.

Whatever the case, however, there were no doubts when it came to her helping the guards with their plight. Innocent people were on the line. She did not want to see or hear about a repeat of Helgen. How does one go about defeating a dragon anyway? Did anyone here actually know? Were dragons like the tailed beasts back home? She had so many questions and yet she knew now was not the time for them. There was too much to be done before that. Even as the three walked towards the Guard wing, she felt overwhelmed. Too much was happening, in too quick a succession, with too little time for her to process all of it. How did Jarl Balgruuf handle this with such ease, she wondered. And what of her reaction to the Dragonstone and the Wall in the Bleak Falls Barrow? When would Farengar be free enough to help her with that? If it was related to dragons then surely he would know. Hadn't the Jarl himself say that the Court Wizard was an expert on the subject?

Worries gnawed at Hinata with every step she took. Worries that she had been pushing to the back of her mind to the best of her abilities. She was on a mission, she'd tell herself. Now was not the time. She needed to center herself, stop and just breathe and look around her. She needed to know what was going on, why was this happening to her and how to get back home. For now she had only a single lead. Winterhold.

"The girl is here. Good."

Hinata was torn of her thoughts and looked up to meet the eyes of a tall, middle-ages man with a significantly overgrown stubble and braids in his shoulder-length straight brown hair. His eyes were a light hazel color and there were defined wrinkles about them, showcasing the long periods of time he spent outdoors in the sun, winds and cold. There was a scar over one of his eyes, of a weapon that had narrowly missed the eye itself. The man was a typical Nord, tall and broad-shouldered with impressive muscles (not at impressive as Alvor the Blacksmith's), with large, strong arms and even bigger feet. He was clad in a simple tunic and pants that she recognized as part of the Whiterun Guard uniform's under-armor. His shield lay on one side of him while he held his sword in the hand of his other side. He was sat on a simple, sturdy wooden chair and little before him was a large table with thick legs. Upon the table Hinata spotted a whetstone that he was probably using to sharpen his blade while looking over what was a rather rudimentary map of the Whiterun Hold region.

With a quiet metallic clang, the Captain leaned his sword(a monster of a thing the size of Hinata's leg at least and it was a one-handed weapon!) and stood up.

"You are the girl who survived Helgen, are you not? I heard from my men about you. Bjorn said to make sure to keep you safe."

A few of the guards chuckled good-naturedly as Hinata blushed crimson.

"Ah, look at you, shy thing. Never you mind that now, though. Tell me about that dragon you saw. The Jarl wants us prepared and Farengar will take forever. Maybe between you, me and the rest of my men and women, we can come up with something to protect the good people of the Hold."

Hinata looked up at the Captain's eyes and then her eyes swept across the room, taking in how every single guard was hanging onto her every breath, both morbidly curious and intent on preparing themselves for one hell of a fight. There was no fear, but there was grim anticipation. There was no strict discipline in their behavior, but that was not to say they were not disciplined. The guards had this sort of confidence and camaraderie about them that spoke of many fights under their belts, of experience and of plain to see courage and eagerness for fight and glory, but tempered by the call of duty and by their love for their home and people.

Hinata idly wondered if other ninja villages were like this too, back home. What life would have been for them, similar to Konoha and yet different, with cultures and traditions that were so alike and yet not alike at all. It was fascinating to her, she who was the Hyuuga Heiress, the girl whose very life was the reason why Kumo still vehemently refused to open negotiations with Konoha, who had expected to have a short, superficial ninja career before being married off to a distant Hyuuga cousin for the sake of the Main House's continuity.

Her life had always been one with already predetermined course. And on top of that the expectations for her had always been low, no matter what she did. The thought hurt. Correction. The thought still hurt, even if her father had begun to pay more attention to her and even if her cousin Neji had become a doting guardian in place of the spiteful tormentor that he had been. Things were better and yet nothing had changed at all. Naruto still hasn't noticed her and he was still travelling somewhere with the Toad Sage. A great honor and a great opportunity for an orphan like himself to have gathered the attention of one of the Three, certainly. And yet Hinata had felt nothing but overwhelming bitterness and despair when she had learned that he was leaving. If he were to return now to the village, would he even notice that she was missing? Would he even remember her? A tiny voice in her head told her no.

She had to get back home as soon as possible, there were no two opinions about that.

And yet...

And yet, standing here in this room, surrounded by huge Nord men and women, with a Wood Elf hunter by her side and none of her friends and family from Konoha by her side...

Here, she wasn't Hyuuga Hinata, the sub-par heiress.

Here, she was just Hinata.

Here, she was JUST Hinata.

She was her own person, without the shadow of her Clan to keep the people at bay. Here, they did not ask Kurenai-sensei or Kiba-kun for their opinion or the next course of action. Neither was Shino-kun here to give his unique and often very insightful advice about a problem they were facing.

Here she was all on her own.

And as terrifying as that thought was, it was also exhilarating. She was all on her own, no rules and regulations, no Hitai-ate to paint a target on her back but also no protection from it either. Nobody was hunting her for her eyes or the prospect of high quality ninja progeny with her venerated ancient bloodline.

Was this what missing nin felt like? Not that she was ever going to become a missing nin but the thought was there. This self-sufficiency, the freedom and burden to make all of your own choices and taking the brunt of the consequences that followed. The responsibility that lay solely on herself, with no one else to make it better or worse. Friends were aplenty to make, but so were enemies. But what struck her the most in that moment, was that her world, the view of the world around her, had become so much more than it had been before. Nothing was forbidden, everything was ripe for the taking. Before was a fantastical world of danger and adventure and, in this world, in these harsh lands of snow and dragons, her life, for the first time ever, was entirely in her own hands.

She was free. A freedom the likes of which she had never even dreamed of.

Hinata came closer to the Guard Captain and began her solemn tale of the day Helgen was burned to the ground by a dragon. If there was a bit more confidence and feeling in her voice, perhaps it was only Faendal who had noticed. She did not stutter.