Chapter One

Dragon Fire

Flames everywhere … dead bodies …. The smell of burning flesh …. And the screaming …

Eivyn woke with a start and sat up in the bedroll, he glanced around and when he realised he was still in Gerdur and Hod's house and not in Helgen he let out a sigh and lay back down. Next to him Ralof gave a snore and turned over, Eivyn smiled Talos had indeed been watching over him. Escaping Helgen was not an easy job and if that dragon hadn't shown up he would be dead now.

He stared up at the ceiling and hoped his sister was still in Whiterun awaiting for him to return from Darkwater Crossing, they had no one else and until she married and had a husband to protect her Eivyn was going nowhere.

He managed to get some sleep and was woken later by Froknar and his dog running about. He smiled as Stump ran over and began to lick at Ralof's face. "Insufferable hound" he cursed pushing him away "leave me be"

Eivyn sat up and laughed "I take it you are not an animal lover"

Ralof looked at him with bleary eyes "I am not a lover of anything that wakes me up" he yawned and stretched "and that includes women"

Hod sat some bread and cold meat on the table "Help yourselves to food" he said brushing his hands off "I will be back at nightfall, try to keep out of sight" he said to them with an eyebrow raised

"Hod, you worry too much" Ralof said standing up and heading to the table "now where is the mead?"

"You and Eivyn drank it all last night" he rolled his eyes "you didn't even leave me any"

"Mead wouldn't help you with cutting logs, what if you cut your arm off because you were drunken" Ralof said with a mouth full of bread and venison "work hard now".

Hod grumbled something as he left, Eivyn snorted and joined Ralof. After breakfast he pulled on the clothes that Hod had left out for him. "Are you giving up the Stormcloak cuirass?" Ralof asked with a raised eyebrow "and to think how handsome you looked in it"

"I need to get Whiterun, my sister will be going crazy with worry" he picked up the cuirass and shoved it into the bag Hod gave him "and I can't afford to be meeting Imperials dressed in that"

"You should definetly join the Stormcloaks Eivyn, you have seen the true face of the Empire" he looked down "Hadvar never spoke up of your innocence and that captain doomed you to the chopping block ... if that dragon never showed up" he didn't need to finish that sentence.

"I'm definetly thinking about it" Eivyn said quietly "but since my parents died I have to be there protect Gilda" he looked up "so how do I join up anyway?"

"Windhelm, straight to the Palace of the Kings" he stood and clapped a hand to his shoulder "if I get there before you, I'll put a good word in with Galmar-Stone Fist. He's in charge of the recruits"

"Thanks Ralof" Eivyn smiled "don't forget to mention how good I look in the uniform, I'm sure that will help"

He left the house and walked down the path to the mill to say goodbye to Gerdur and Hod. He shook hands with Hod and thanked Gerdur for her kindness. "I don't know how to thank you" Eivyn said "I'd probably be dead by now without you or your brother"

Gerdur smiled "I don't mind helping out a fellow Nord and you did help save my brother" she grew serious "but there is something you could do for me, the Jarl in Whiterun needs to know about the dragon. If you could tell him for me I would be most grateful"

"Consider it done" he said.

The walk to Whiterun was a pleasant enough one; he didn't meet anyone on the road, there were no wolves surprisingly and he actually whistled as he got nearer to Whiterun. Though the merry tune died on his lips when he heard the clanking of armour, throwing his bag into the bushes, he quickly climbed a tree and hid on a thick branch covered in leaves. His eyes narrowed as he saw three Thalmor soldiers and one wearing a hooded robe lead a man in ragged robes away.

Eivyn and his sister shared a mutual hatred for the Thalmor as their father was taken away and never returned after a questioning of their past in the Great War. After his death, his mother became addicted to skooma and did everything she could to get her hands on some more. Eivyn and Gilda had came home one day to find her dead on the floor and were sent to Honourhall Orphanage in Riften.

He clenched the iron war axe he had looted from Gunjar's dead body in Helgen, but knew he would never be able to defeat all three of them, he looked away until the clanking had gone and climbed down the tree, collected his bag and continued on his way. After just passing Honningbrew Meadery, he heard screams and looked around.

Rushing towards the source of the sound he seen three warriors fighting the giant, knowing his dagger would be useless he drew his bow, still running, he lined up an arrow and fired it at the giants neck. It gave a loud roar and looked towards him; he loosened another arrow and fired it. Distracted, the other warriors managed to bring it down before it reached him. He walked up and pulled both his arrows out and wiped them on his bag.

"They're covered in giant's blood" a red-guard woman said wrinkling her nose "why not just buy new ones"

Eivyn laughed "If I gave up arrows as easy as that, I'd never have any money" he winked at her and hoisted his bow onto his back.

"You'd make a good shield-brother" a woman with red hair and war paint on her face was looking him up and down "a little more training and you would make a good Companion"

At the word Companion Eivyn snorted "Sorry, but your 'barking' up the wrong tree" he gave her a fixed glance "I have no desire to put my life in danger for some measly cut of gold"

She gave him a furious look "How dare you, it is for honour we do what we do not-"

"Aela, leave it" the only male said gruffly "we should get back to Jorrvaskr"

"Torvar's right" the young Red Guard said as the three of them walked away "we have another job to do before nightfall"

Eivyn rolled his eyes, he had heard about the Companions from his father whose brother had joined and warned him not to join as the warrior's iniated into the circle became werewolves. "Nothing should stop a Nord from going to Sovngarde" he had said "never become a slave for a Daedric Lord son".

He followed the Companions to the gates where the guards waved them through but stopped Eivyn, he held up his hands. "What seems to be the problem?"

"City's closed" was all he got and they looked away from him to the horizon.

"Why?"

He got no answer.

Eivyn rolled his eyes "Look, I have an important message for the Jarl" he raised an eyebrow "it's about the dragons"

The guards gave him their full attention and let him in immediantly "idiots" he muttered under his breath, he could have been lying for all they knew.

He kept an eye out for Gilda but never seen her when he made his way up to Dragonsreach, the Jarl listened to his story although his damn steward seemed intent on reminding him about what General Tullious would think if they heightened the protection around the city. Luckily, the Jarl seemed to listen to his Dark Elf housecarl more than him and thanked Eivyn for the warning, Giving him a bow, Eivyn left and made his way down to the Bannered Mare.

He glanced about and couldn't help but feel a little flurry of worry when he never seen his sister. "Exscuse me but is there a woman called Gilda staying here" he asked the barmaid.

"There is, are you Eivyn?" He nodded and she reached behind the bar "she left this for you" handing him a letter that he immediantly read.

"Sheogorath's beard!" he growled and crumpled the letter up, immediantly leaving the inn he had just entered.

Gilda sat on the steps of Jorrvaskr, since beating up Njada in the Bannered Mare and impressing Kodlak and Vilkas with her arm, she had become a member of the Companions without realising it. She knew what her father would say if he were alive today but she kept telling herself that she would never accept the invitation of becoming part of the Circle, she was just gaining skill in defending herself and would stop as soon as Eivyn returned from the mines.

"Is our company not good enough?"

Gilda smiled and glanced around "Not really no"

Vilkas snorted and sat down next to her "Njada still giving you a hard time?"

"Just everytime I'm in her presence" Gilda sighed "oh well, not like I'll be around for much longer so I won't fight her again"

"I'm sure she'll appreciate that" Vilkas chuckled "it's a shame you won't stay … you could be a fine companion"

"Did the almighty Vilkas just give a compliment?" Gilda glanced at him "Have you had too much mead?"

"I'm trying to say I'll miss you, you wench" he rubbed his forehead "this isn't easy for me"

Gilda felt a little flurry, these past few weeks she had come to grow fond of him and it seemed like those feelings were the same for Vilkas but before she could say anything back to him, they heard a lot of ruckus coming from the front door and they both quickly ran around and Gilda was surprised with what she saw.

Her brother at long last had come back and was currently lying on his back while Aela held a sword to his neck. "Eivyn!" she said happily and ran up to him, she pushed Aela's sword away and glared at her "I see you doing that again to my brother and I won't be happy!"

"He's your brother?" Aela rolled her eyes "dear god you are nothing alike"

"Ah, if it isn't my favourite companion" Eivyn smirked up at Aela who gave a low growl in return.

Gilda helped him up and hugged him tight, she leaned back and looked at him worriedly "Are you okay? What took you so long?"

"Long story" he said "is there somewhere we can talk?" he glanced around at the audience "in private?"

"Sure, we can go for a walk" she glanced back at Vilkas but sighed when she noticed he had disappeared "come on, afterwards I'll treat you to dinner"

"So I leave you on your own for a few weeks and you become a companion?" Eivyn asked raising an eyebrow.

Gilda smiled "Trust me, I'm no companion". They headed down to the marketplace walking towards the Bannered Mare when suddenly Eivyn stopped and glared, Gilda looked up at him confused.

"What is she doing here?" Eivyn said in a dangerous voice.

Gilda frowned and looked to where he was staring, a young Nord woman was walking about the stalls and talking to one of the sellers. "Ysolda" she said quietly, "Eivyn, I swear I didn't know she was here"

"I believe you" he clenched his fists "I just wasn't expecting to see her"

Gilda looked at her brother sadly: Ysolda was the first woman he had been with romantically. She had been visiting her aunt and uncle round about the time Eivyn had left the orphanage, Gilda still had a year and her brother promised her a house and food when she came out. He became the thief Brynjolf's protegee and earned money once he joined the Guild. He met Ysolda one day and they fell for each other immediantly, they continued their relationship until Gilda left Honourhall, Eivyn saved every coin he could to get a wagon to Whiterun to visit her but one day he discovered something about her that made him drop all contact. He never told Gilda but she knew it must have been bad if Eivyn didn't talk about her ever again.

"She isn't worth it Eivyn, come on, I want to hear this story" she said taking his hand and leading him to the inn.