Chapter One

Huffing as she ran behind Hadvar from Helgen she couldn't help but silently rejoice that they had lived. Or that she had lived. During their escape they encountered stormcloak soldiers who immediately attacked. She wasn't a stranger to a fight but wasn't a practiced warrior like they were. One of them actually stabbed her in the back, the wound was deep but clean and she'd bled quite a bit before finding a potion. The health potion she took wasn't enough to heal her completely, it only stemmed the bleeding. Now that they were running full tilt, she could feel the blood flowing freely. She lagged about halfway to Riverwood the blood loss getting to her, her vision was growing dim and everything was black around the edges. She tried to call out to Hadvar to tell him she wasn't going to make it but her voice failed as she fainted; unconsciousness claiming her completely.

Hadvar turned having heard a thud and saw her sprawled on the ground. "Laila!" He yelled rushing over. Rolling her over, his eyes flickered over her features. Still breathing, pale as the two moons, blood soaking through her borrowed armor and down her leg. He needed to get to Riverwood quickly. Picking her up he ran as fast as he could without making her condition worse.

"Uncle Alvor! Quickly my friend needs help, I'll explain later" Hadvar shouted just inside the gates of the village. Alvor stood and rushed to the doors of his house ushering them in and called for his wife Siggrid. Hearing his urgency, she rushed up the stairs and saw the poor nord woman in Hadvar's arms. Getting her on the bed they laid her flat on her stomach. Siggrid quickly went to work healing her. Cutting Laila's armor off, Siggrid cleaned the wound with water as best she could, then rubbed in a salve before bandaging Laila up. Turning to Hadvar she said the rest was up to the gods.

A few days later Laila was healed enough to move without bleeding and ready to make her way to Whiterun to inform the Jarl of the dragon. Hadvar pulled her into a hug telling her she'd see him again in Solitude. She giggled and whispered in his ear "I'm sure you'll see me much sooner in your dreams," and pulled away from him waving as she walked north towards Whiterun. He didn't get to answer her that day.

Laila had a lot of time to think those last few days, practically bed ridden per Siggrid's orders. She considered Hadvar a close friend, her best friend even. He'd saved her life! But she didn't find herself romantically attracted to him, even though he felt that way towards her. Know this she couldn't help but tease him, feeling a little guilty that it was most likely leading him on. She hoped that the few months they were apart would give him time to cool down and realize that he didn't actually like her in a romantic way.

Arriving in Whiterun she was confronted at the gates. "The city is closed due to the dragon being about" the guard told her in a gruff tone. She explained that she'd come from Helgen and had information about the dragon attack. He let her through, stuttering an apology for being rude. She ran through the city noting all the shops: Warmaiden, Drunken Huntsman, Belethor's General goods, Arcadia's remedies, The Bannered Mare. She wanted to go explore didn't have time to stop before seeing the Jarl.

Running up to the keep she was amazed. It was huge only a little smaller than what the Blue Palace should be. She hadn't really seen other holds or halls of the Jarls. She had always preferred to stay out of the cities and towns. Being a drifter, and orphan it was hard to get by in the towns. The civilized way of the people was different to her young mind. Having survived on your own in the wild for so long changed you.

Laila shook herself out of her memories. Right now, she had a job to do. She straightened her shoulders and entered the keep to approach the Jarl. Of course, she would've had his housecarl not drawn her sword. Laila backed up, "I mean no harm" she said raising her hands.

"What is the meaning of this?!" The housecarl asked inching toward Laila.

"I have a message from Riverwood, I was in Helgen when the dragon attacked" Laila tried to stay calm. The housecarl sheathed her sword and Laila started breathing again.

"Very well" the dunmer stepped aside "you may approach."

The Jarl addressed her "What brings you to Whiterun little one?"

She gulped a little displeased at being called little one, "I've come from Riverwood, they need to be guarded. The dragon that attacked Helgen was heading towards the town. They have no wall or guards to protect them!" She pleaded. The Jarl nodded, but his steward interjected saying something about the politics behind doing so. He and the Jarl argued, then the housecarl joined in. The three argued for a while about the meaning of sending guards to Riverwood. The imperials would think they were joining Ulfic's side. Or Ulfric would see it as the acting against him. The Jarl silenced them and instructed his housecarl to send some guards to Riverwood. His people came first. Turning back to Laila he told her that she could do something else for him. They needed to talk to his wizard Farengar.

"Farengar!" Jarl Balgruuf boomed " I think I've found someone to help you with your problem!" Laila turned to Farengar as he explained that he'd heard of a stone called the Dragonstone and he was under the impression it was in Bleak Falls Barrow above Riverwood.

She nodded, "I'll go, I just need to gather some supplies"

After leaving the Keep she made her way to the shops. She sold a few things she'd found along the way in Helgen, and hastily collected wood for Hulga in the Bannered Mare for some extra coin. She also entered Arcadia's remedies and purchased some potions and learned about making her own. That would be useful later on.

A few hours later she was making her way through the Barrow. She had already figured out the pillar puzzle. Walking through a hallway filled with webs she heard a yell, someone was in here. She rounded the corner and saw a gigantic spider come from the ceiling. "Please no! Not again!" A voice pleaded from behind the spider. It had seen her though. She pulled her sword as it came towards her shooting poison. She dodged the first attack but didn't see the second one coming.

It hit her straight in the chest. "Fuck! It burns!" She screeched. Running towards the spider she slid at the last moment getting underneath it and thrusting her sword into its soft belly. Turning on to her knees she wrenched her sword further down creating a huge gash. The spiders gooey green blood drenched her, and she barely escaped from under it as it collapsed.

"Please help me!" The mystery man pleaded. He was wrapped tightly in webbing.

"Who are you?" Laila asked him.

"Nobody please just get me down, I'll help you, I know how everything works. The claw, the door, everything!" He told her. A claw? She thought. Never knew there was a claw involved.

"Alright, hold still" she started slicing at the webs.

He dropped to ground "oh thank you!" He gasped and then ran.

"Hey! Come back here!" She chased after him pulling her long bow off her back. Running and trying to shoot wasn't easy but she managed to get an arrow in his knee. He dropped, clutching his knee. "Give me the claw!" Laila demanded.

He snarled "Over my dead body" as he tried to fight her from the ground. She sighed and quickly put him out of his misery. Looting his body, she found a journal. She read about a claw, Lucan Valerian, clue in the palm of your hand. Well she found the claw now what? Continuing through the Barrow she came to a door with three symbols. Huh now what? Looking back through the journal she reread the answer was in the palm of her hand. Palm of her hand? She looked at her hand. Hmmm... She pondered over her hand. Wait! When she had grabbed the claw the way she held it was palm up, digging through her bag she pulled it out. Yes! There on the top was a bear, then a dragon fly, and last an owl. She walked over to the door and pushed the rings on it until it matched the claw, then shoved the claw into the circle at the bottom and twisted like a key. It opened! Moving on she came to a huge cavern, and heard chanting? She walked deeper into the cavern and saw a wall, that's where the chanting was coming from and it was glowing, too. She was curious as to the chanting and why it was glowing so she got closer, suddenly the world disappeared, she blacked out, falling to the ground. Coming to she spoke a word "Fus."

Stone breaking sounded behind her, Laila staggered back to her feet and turned drawing her sword. A draugr has risen and he looked more powerful than the others she'd fought going through the Barrow. He Shouted at her, knocking her back. She was stunned but rushed forward slashing him with her sword. It took her awhile but she was able to take the draugr down fairly uninjured. She looted everything she could and headed back to Whiterun, stopping at the Riverwood trader to sell some junk she picked up in the Barrow. The owner and a woman were fighting when she walked in. "Ah, sorry you had to hear that, what can I do for you?" The owner asked.

"Uh just need to sell some things. Is something wrong?" She looked between him and the girl, uneasy.

"Oh, well we had a break in a couple days ago but no worries they only took one thing. A golden claw. We still have plenty to sell." He tried to wave it off.

"Wait" Laila pulled the claw out," you mean this? I found it in the barrow" she held it out to him, he took it and set it on the counter.

"Oh yes! That's it! Let me reward you please!" He set a large gold bag in her hands, "please take it." She put it in her sack, its heavy, at least 400 gold.

"Thank you." She nodded and headed out to the road. The sun was starting to set, and Laila still had so much to do.

Back in Whiterun, the sun was long gone, and Laila was exhausted. Despite that, she immediately headed to the Keep and gave Farengar the stone. While he was thanking her Irileth, the housecarl, came barging into his study, asking them to follow her as a dragon had been sighted over the Western watch tower. They followed her to Balgruuf's war room. A frazzled and sweaty guard was relaying what had happened before he ran here. Balgruuf turned to her and Irileth,"you two need to go to the watch tower in case the dragon comes back. Faregar I need you to stay here. I can't lose both you and my housecarl. Continue your research into the dragons." Her and Irileth left the Keep, agreeing to meet at the tower.

Laila got to the tower before Irileth and her guards. As she walked inside looking for survivors, a man came out of hiding telling her she needed to take cover. Ignoring him she jogged outside thinking she heard a dragon roar. She was right and sighted it coming over the mountain from the Barrow, the two moons providing just enough light to see the outline. It was smaller than the one that attacked Helgen, but still fierce. As the dragon flew closer, Irileth and her group showed up. It roared again and again while circling over them to spit fire. Laila nocked an arrow, breathing calmly and following the dragon with her eye sighted down the length of her weapon. With one small breath she let loose and the arrow hit its mark. The dragons eye! It shrieked in pain, the hit forcing it to land. Everyone charged attacking the dragon from all sides and Laila took the head. She blindly beat at its snout, dodging its teeth and fire breath as best as she could. The dragon was putting up a good fight; trying to take flight, gnashing its teeth and breathing stream after stream of fire. Just before the dragon reared up to grab her, she jumped on its head. Gripping the sides of its neck with her knees she started stabbing, able to blind the dragon completely while managing to wedge her sword into its skull. She rode its lifeless body to the ground, to the great delight of the group.