Speak with Delphine
The quest begins as soon as contact with Delphine is established and she has handed the stolen horn over to the player. Afterwards, you are to follow her into a room where she opens a secret door inside the wardrobe. This leads into a sort of planning and preparation room: potions, an alchemical laboratory, a target for archery practice, a large chest with combat equipment, and a map of Skyrim on the table.

Then she carefully begins to explain what this is about. She learned from the Greybeards that you might be a Dragonborn. Since she belongs to a group that has been searching for such a person for a long time, she had to make contact. However, trust is difficult when Thalmor spies are everywhere. Taking the horn was a precautionary measure, just like her disguise as a harmless tavern keeper. She doesn't want to say much more until she is sure she can trust the player.

She says a Dragonborn is the ultimate dragon slayer. A person who can permanently kill a dragon by absorbing its soul. If the player is capable of this, an opportunity to prove it will soon arise. Furthermore, she believes that the Thalmor have something to do with the return of the dragons. However, it is not actually a return, as the dragons weren't simply somewhere else over the last millennia – they were dead. Something is currently happening that is bringing them back to life, and you are supposed to help stop it. She has not been idle either and commissioned Farengar to procure the Dragonstone. Then she visited the dragon burial mounds recorded on it and found several of them empty. Since the dragons seem to be spreading from the southeast, she has found out where the next dragon will return to life: Kynesgrove.

She wants to go there with the player, and he is supposed to kill the dragon. Once she has seen what she wants to see, she will tell you everything you want to know.

Find the dragon burial mound
If you haven't been there yet, the journey to Kynesgrove is long. You can walk there with Delphine or fast-travel to a nearby location and meet up with her. In any case, Iddra will run toward you in panicked fear in Kynesgrove, warning you about the dragon circling over the hill. You should now follow Delphine up to the ancient dragon mound above the small town. The closer you get, the clearer the dragon shouts become. It is snowing and visibility is poor, but time and again you can see a large black dragon circling over the hill, having already triggered something there - swirling energies rise from the grave into the sky.

It is the dragon god Alduin who is calling the dragon Sahloknir into life. The summoning shouts are in the dragon language and can be clearly heard:

"- Sahloknir! Ziil gro dovah ulse!" ★

You can hide behind a rock together with Delphine and witness the event. With a powerful shout, Alduin causes the dead dragon to awaken:

"- SLEN TIID VO!" ★

The dirt of the burial mound is churned up, and a dragon skeleton crawls out. It looks up at Alduin and asks:

"- Alduin, thuri! Boaan tiid vokriiha suleyksejun kruziik?" ★

With mighty beats of his wings, Alduin hovers over the awakened one and replies:

"- Geh, Sahloknir, kaali mir." ★

Then he grants the skeleton new life force, and slowly the dragon Sahloknir materializes in all his glory. Alduin's last shout is an order:

"- Sahloknir, krii daar joorre." ★

Then Alduin turns to the player and thunders:

"- You do not even know our tongue, do you? Such arrogance, to dare take for yourself the name of Dovah!"

Shortly thereafter, Sahloknir rises into the air and attacks with his frost breath, while Alduin turns away and flies into the distance with the words:

"- Ful, losei Dovahkiin? Zu'u koraav nid nol dov do hi." ★

Kill the dragon Sahloknir
Delphine has already rushed forward and is trying to hit Sahloknir with arrows. You should join her now at the latest and attack the dragon. During the battle, Sahloknir attempts to intimidate his opponents:

"- I am Sahloknir! Hear my Voice and despair!"
"- A real fight, then. Good!"
"- My Voice has been silent for too long!"
"- Thurri du hin sille ko Sovngarde!" ★
"- I do not fear you, Dragonborn!"

Time and again, he lands on the ground, offering the chance for a direct confrontation. Eventually weakened, he crashes and is too injured on the ground to take off again. Even though his frost breath inflicts damage and slows down his opponents, he soon dies from his injuries.

Speak with Delphine
Attentively and with amazement, Delphine watches as you absorb Sahloknir's soul. All that remains is a dragon skeleton, which you can now inspect more closely. After proving to be the Dragonborn, Delphine is ready to answer all questions openly. She reveals that she is one of the last members of the Blades, who were once dragon slayers themselves and served the Dragonborn. Since the dragons are returning, it is her duty to stop them, and to guide and protect the Dragonborn. You can tell her that you have already seen the black dragon in Helgen. Delphine is surprised but frustrated that she knows too little about the background and wants to find out first who is behind the dragons. She suspects the Thalmor - the faction that rules the Aldmeri Dominion. To find out more, she wants to find a way inside the Thalmor Embassy.

She hands the player the key to her secret room in the "Sleeping Giant Inn" and sets off. She wants to work out a plan regarding the embassy, and when you are ready, you should meet her in Riverwood. With this, the quest is complete, and the next one starts immediately.

Known Bugs

• It can happen that Delphine attacks the player as soon as they arrive in Kynesgrove. Sheathing your weapon or using calm spells does not seem to help. The reason is not entirely clear, but it could be related to the player's activities within the Dark Brotherhood.

Tips & Notes

• Even if it sounds different in-game: You do not have to leave for Kynesgrove immediately after talking to Delphine. Thankfully, both Delphine and Alduin will wait until you show up. You can easily take your time and complete other side quests, for example.
• As soon as Delphine has changed into her leather armor, both chests are safe containers for the player - even though she uses one of the chests again in the next quest.
• The weather during the resurrection seems to be scripted. It snows continuously until Alduin has left the area. Afterwards, there is bright sunshine.
• Sahloknir uses the dragon shout FO KRAH DIIN (Frost Breath).
• The earlier you attack Sahloknir, the easier he is to defeat. He is at his weakest when he is just crawling out of the grave as a skeleton.
• You can stay out of the fight and let Delphine do all the work. She usually manages, and you will receive the dragon soul either way.