Raven looked up at the auroras that filled the night sky around Tamriel. She could hear the kids running around Riverwood and the sound of Alvor, the town's blacksmith, beginning to close up for the day. It all seemed to so peaceful compared to the wide-set of panic that had just occurred a few hours before in Helgen. She stared at her feet, dangling above river, remembering every single second of the dragon attack. The burning and tumbling buildings, the screaming, the view of the dragon from the headsman's chopping block, and lastly the moment when the dragon let out a shout that tumbled everyone watching. Ironically, if not for the dragon, she would not be alive.

Thankfully her new friend, Ralof, had helped her escape the city and now they rested in Riverwood. However, she would leave in the morning to Whiterun to warn the Jarl and hopefully send some troops to the defenseless town. Her thoughts were shattered by the sound of heavy boots hitting gravel. She stood up from the river bank and quietly walked over to the wall of Alvor's shop. Peeking behind the wall, she saw the familiar Imperial armor that she had seen just hours prior of arriving, only their armor was damaged and has several burn marks throughout the middle of it. She had to tell Ralof. She ran around behind the shop and past the Sleeping Giant Inn. She burst through the door and found Ralof chugging back a mug.

"Imperials! They came up the south road! Not many but still enough to cause some trouble."

Ralof spit out as he choked on his ale. "For the love of Talos are you sure!?"

"Yes I'm sure. It was the woman and man who sent me to the block. And the one in the red and gold."

"General Tullius made it? Damn that old fool. Finally thought he was going to get what he deserved. We need to move. Now!"

"Wait!" Raven grabbed his arm as he moved to door. "I think it's better if we split up. It'd be easier to evade their watch."

Ralof pondered this for a moment before agreeing. "You're right. Plus, I don't think you're not a marked enemy of the Empire. Listen, just get to Whiterun. Warn the Jarl. Goodbye, elf. Talos guide you." Those were the last words from Ralof she would in a long time. She followed him out the door and then headed north, running past the Sleeping Giant Inn, and accidently running into a woman with black hair and orange dress.

"Watch it, elf!" She yelled loudly, loud enough to catch the attention of the Imperial soldiers.

"Hey! You there! Wait!" Quickly, Raven ran, two soldiers hot on her train. By the time she had reached the bridge, they had blocked her only two exits.

"You. You were in Helgen. Set on the block. You have committed crimes against Skyrim and her people! What say you in your defense?"

Without another word, Raven pulled out her steel sword and held it, ready to strike. The woman who had sent her to the block slashed her sword, making Raven move towards another soldier who had his bow raised. He let the arrow fly and Raven easily dodged it as she jump on top of the bridge. She didn't see when the woman's sword came up to her side and tore through her armor and skin like paper, but she certainly felt it. It was what caused her to lose her footing and fall backwards into the river.

The current was strong and managed to her far along before she tried to grab anything. She got her head above the water and looked towards the bridge and saw the Imperials running towards her. She decided the river would be the easiest way to lose them, so she began swimming with the current instead of against it. She kept swimming until she felt something pierce her calf. She let out a yell and tears filled her eyes. She swam on her back as she reached down to feel what had happened. She saw through the water and saw the arrow lodged in her leg. She ignored it as much as she could and tried to keep on swimming. She turned back and saw that her pursuers had stopped following. She was relieved by this. That was until she felt the river underneath her disappear and she suddenly falling through the air. Quickly again she hit water. Only this time, her head connected to the side of a boulder, her vision darkening quickly. The last thing she registered was the view of the figure flying off in the distance, dancing around the auroras.


She tasted mud. Raven opened her eyes. She was face down in the shallow end of the riverbank. Off in the distance she could see light beginning to fill the sky. She lifted herself to a sitting position, the water in her armor dripping off her, and took a look at the arrow still lodged in her calf. The arrow was worn down due to the water and the bleeding around it had stopped. She took out a dagger and cut off the tip before slipping it out at light speed. She took a cloth she had stored in her inventory and tightly wrapped it around the hole in her calf. She shakily stood up and took a look around. There were vast fields of what she assumed were farms. A few windmills

spotted the land and beyond the land was a tall structure behind a wall. She knew that that must be the famous Dragonsreach dungeon. Ralof had briefly described it to her on their way to Riverwood.

Raven stepped out the mud, her fur boots made a sucking noise as she lifted the soggy things out of the water. She found the road and began to follow it. She was walking along a farm when she felt the ground shake. A poof of smoke sparked up from a section where there were vegetables planted. She limped over to the stone wall that cut off garden from the road and what had caused the shaking and the smoke. There was a group of fighters swinging and slashing their swords at a giant.

The woman in the group drew back the arrow in her bow and let it fly into the giant's shoulder. The man with black war paint around his eyes swung his longsword towards the giant's torso but was knocked off balance when the giant's arm came up, blocking the hit. The woman with the bow tried to unhilt her sword but it got stuck, the giant taking advantage to swing at her with his club. She flew back into the brick wall Raven was watching from, the woman's bow laying at her feet. Without thought, Raven grabbed the bow and drew back one of the steel arrows from the woman's quiver. She drew back the arrow and let if fly. It all seemed to happen in slow motion, the arrow spinning as it flew the short distance and sunk itself into the giant's eye. A few seconds after, the giant collapsed, no longer making a move. Raven lowered the bow and rushed over to the woman, who was now sitting up against the wall.

"Well done, outsider. You'd make an excellent shield sister."

"Umm thank you...Are you okay? You hit the wall pretty hard."

"I'm fine. You ever hear of the Companions?"

"No I haven't."

"If you ever head up to Whiterun, stop by Jorrvaskr and speak to Kodlak Whitemane. He can tell your worth just by looking at you."

"Thank you, but I'm just passing through." Raven handed her back the bow and watched as the group slowly walked away down the road, probably to go hunt. She just continued down the road and eventually she the drawbridge and two guards standing at the gate that led into the city. She began to walk up to the gate and she saw one of the guards begin to towards her. When he got close enough he began to talk, "Halt. City's closed with the dragons about. Official business only. Welcome to Whiterun." The gates opened slowly, the now light from the rising sun seeping into the sleepy looking city.