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Chapter 1 - Riverwood

Shanti was breaking camp, making ready for the next stage of her tour of Imperial-controlled Skyrim before joining the regular Legion, when a column of smoke from the direction of Helgen caught her attention. What in the Names of the Nine! She hurried her packing, then blinked in disbelief when she caught sight of something black and huge rising from the city while she was shouldering her pack.

Was that a dragon? No, it couldn't be, at least not a black one. A few had survived the Dragon Wars, but the Tongues had defeated and banished Alduin the Black. A very few might still live, somewhere in the remoter mountains, but probably no more than two or three. Four, if you counted Paarthurnax.

She ducked instinctively as whatever it was flew closer, roaring words. Not thu'um, but Calling, wanting to be heard. "Zu'u daal, joorre! Hi fen los dii ont einzuk! Zu'u hin thur, Alduin!"

"Great Divines, no!" But it was - not only a dovah, but Alduin himself, now that she could see him clearly. "I return, mortals," she murmured. "You will be mine once again! I am your overlord, Alduin!"

She had to warn people in Riverwood and Whiterun, then get back home and alert the Legion. But first, and since it was on the way anyhow, she ought to see just how bad the damage to Helgen was, and if there were any survivors.

She scrambled her way down to the road, then trotted toward the city, smelling the stink of burned flesh and stone as she neared. The smoke was still thick, but the fires seemed to be dying. She entered, exploring, hoping to hear or see someone alive, but that didn't happen. She found bodies in plenty, those outside burned to charred, unidentifiable remains, but those inside not in too bad shape.

She hadn't brought armor on what was supposed to be an easy visit around the western half of Skyrim, but with a dragon - Alduin! - on the rampage, she found a set in the Keep that she could adjust down to her size, and put it on. It was the heavy version, where she preferred light, but with Alduin flying around, she wasn't about to be picky. She'd brought her own sword and dagger, of course, both quality steel, so she was in good shape for the trip.

She hadn't gotten very far down the road before she saw a mixed group of Legionnaires, Stormcloaks, and civilians ahead of her, including a priestess in the black robes of Arkay. That was good; it meant anyone injured had been healed. Shanti hurried to catch up with them, and was both surprised and gratified to recognize one of the Legionnaires from Solitude. "Hadvar!" she called. "I'm glad you're okay, but what about the General? And ... and my father?" Hadvar was part of General Tullius' bodyguard, which her father commanded, so if Hadvar had been at Helgen, so had they.

The group stopped, and Hadvar turned around. "Shanti! What're you doing out here, young lady? They made it to the Keep, though not out the tunnel with us, but since the Keep was still standing, I imagine they'd be heading for Falkreach."

"They weren't among the bodies I saw when I looked around the Keep, so I pray you're right."

"Hey, what're you doing in standard Legion armor? You joined up?"

Shanti shook her head. "Not yet, still a Junior, but I didn't bring my own armor along. I found this in Helgen when I went down to see how bad it was. I'm touring the Imperial part of Skyrim, and was camped above the city, when I saw smoke, and then ... a dovah. Alduin."

"You know him?" Hadvar asked. "I know you've devoured everything you could find about dragons, but that much?"

"Well, yes. There's only ever been one black one, the World-Eater. Besides, he identified himself. You must've heard him."

"We heard him say something as he flew west, but none of us speaks dragon. You do, I gather."

Shanti nodded. "The Bards College has copies of the grammar and dictionary the Greybeards compiled ages ago. I got Bard Gemane to let me study them, once Mother assured him I could be trusted with something that old."

"So what did he say?" one of the Stormcloaks asked. "I'm Emund, by the way."

"'I return, mortals,'" she replied. "'You will be mine once again! I am your overlord, Alduin!'"

"That ... um, sounds ominous," a civilian said. "The World-Eater - that means the end of the world!"

"Not necessarily," Shanti said. "At least not if you believe in prophecy, because Alduin's supposed to herald the Last Dragonborn."

"Book of the Dragonborn," Hadvar said, nodding. "But let's get going again. We can talk on the way to Riverwood."

Once they were walking again, he said, "I thought the Tongues defeated Alduin at the end of the Dragon Wars. Apparently not as thoroughly as we were led to believe, though. Did your studies tell you anything of who this Dragonborn will be, or how he'll be discovered?"

"Not really," Shanti replied. "I'm assuming, like everyone else, he'll be a Nord warrior. As to how he'll be discovered, when he kills a dovah, he makes the death permanent by 'devouring its soul'. So until a dragon and the Dragonborn meet, we probably won't know."

"I suppose you're right. So what're you going to do now? We have to warn Riverwood, of course - it looked like the dragon flew right over Bleak Falls Barrow. Then my men and I need to go to Falkreath and hope to find General Tullius and any other survivors. At least I hope he and others survived. Too many didn't."

"On either side," Emund agreed. "We both lost good men, and these are the only civilians we could find alive. Once the truce to get them to safety is over, my men and I will be going back to Windhelm." He hesitated. "Uh, did you see anything of Jarl Ulfric?"

"I don't know him, so I can't say," Shanti replied. She thought for a moment, then said, "And neither of you can alert the Jarl in Whiterun, because he's strictly neutral." She sighed. "I guess that'll be my job, then. Assuming I can get into town, since I'm Khajiit, and we're kept outside the walls."

"That sounds reasonable," both men agreed, and Hadvar continued. "You'll need to get rid of that Imperial armor yourself, or his neutrality alone would keep you out. But if you're in civilian armor, and there to report a dragon, you'll probably be able to get in." He turned to Emund. "Don't you think so?"

The Stormcloak nodded. "Balgruuf's a smart man, cares a lot for his people. He won't keep even a Khajiit out if letting one in helps them. But I also think we should send a few hunters out; Riverwood's a small village, and it's not likely to have enough food for all these people."

"Good thinking," Hadvar agreed. "Two of yours and two of mine should be enough, I'd think." When Emund nodded, both gave orders, and the hunters moved out.

The rest of the group made a left at the first intersection, and a right at the next, heading downhill all the way. Almost immediately, shanti saw three Standing Stones, the first time she'd seen more than one in a single place, and she purred. "Those are the Guardian Stones, aren't they?"

"Sure are," Emund replied, grinning. "Planning to try your luck? You have a choice between Mage, Warrior, and Thief."

"Not Thief," Shanti replied promptly. "Mums and Dad would be horrified. But of the other two, I'm less sure. I know four spells, thanks to the battlemages of the Legion, and I'm pretty good with bow, sword, dagger, and mace, thanks to Junior Legion training." She turned to Hadvar. "I know the Legion has a few who aren't pure mage or warrior, so I'll defer to your judgement. Which would be better?"

Hadvar looked thoughtful. "What spells do you know?"

"Healing, Flames, Sparks, and Clairvoyance. My magica, I'm told, is about apprentice level."

"Hmm. Limited but useful repertoire, and plenty good for an auxiliary. I'd say go for the Warrior - improved weapon ability can make up for your lack of size. But I'd stick with light armor, to take advantage of your natural agility."

"I prefer light, actually," Shanti said with a chuckle. "This was just the only suit I could make semi-fit. I hope Riverwood has a blacksmith willing to trade this for something less clumsy."

Hadvar laughed. "It does. My uncle Alvor, in fact, and I'm pretty sure he'll have something. He specializes in heavy, since that's what most Nords prefer, but I think he keeps some light on hand for mer, and the few Nords who use it. Since I can assure him that what you're wearing is salvage rather than loot, I'm sure he'll give you an even or near-even trade."

"In that case, Warrior it is. If the Stone agrees." Shanti climbed up on the Guardian Stones' platform, then approached the Warrior Stone, removed her gauntlets, and placed her bare hands flat against the Stone. "If it please you," she said softly, "grant me the ability to improve my skills faster than I otherwise could."

Warmth flowed into her hands, and light flooded her from the hole near the Stone's top. It felt wonderful and she didn't want it to stop, but of course it did. She stepped back and bowed to the Stone. "Thank you."

When she rejoined the group, Emund grinned at her. "Remind me never to go against you in battle, Legionnaire-to-be. I don't care to fight someone with such an obvious blessing." Then he changed the subject, rather to her relief. "I don't believe I've ever seen a Khajiit with long fur, or that mottled coloring."

"The short-hairs are much more common, but both my parents are long-hairs, so I am, too. Mother's a calico, and Father's a gray tabby. The result was me, a tortoiseshell. Or tortie, if you don't want to use the full name." She grimaced. "Times I wish I were a shorthair - they don't get as many hairballs!"

Everyone chuckled at that, and one of the civilian children imitated the harfing sound of a cat eliminating a hairball, until his mother cuffed him and rebuked him for his discourtesy. "And you call them Khajiit, not cats," she added for good measure.

They set off toward Riverwood again, but didn't get far before Hadvar signaled a stop, then called Emund forward. "Feel like doing some bandit hunting? As long as this place has been deserted, it must've attracted some. And Riverwood's home to decent people who don't deserve to be raided."

Emund nodded. "The two of us, one of yours, one of mine, and if she's willing, young Shanti, since neither of us have any magic. The rest keep on to Riverwood."

"Maybe, if she's willing. She's not under my command, so I can't order her to."

Shanti approached them. "I heard, and I'm willing. How do we do this?"

"I have a bow, and you have magic," Hadvar said, "so we go first. The rest follow, and when it turns into hand-to-hand, we fade to the sides and let them through. Have you had to kill people yet?"

Shanti nodded. "It was supposed to be a training exercise at Fort Hraagstad, but bandits had moved in without being detected in Solitude. When the first team of Juniors didn't come out, my team went in, backed by regulars. I was in the first rank, with a battlemage. We each killed one, then let the melee fighters through." She paused. "It was a human skeever. The kill didn't bother me at all, except for the smell." In fact, she'd wanted to haul the bandit's body home and present it to her parents, but it had been too big.

Hadvar looked a bit surprised, but then grinned. "Let's go, then."

Side by side, weapons and her flame spell ready, the two climbed the board steps toward the mine. As soon as the bandit sentry at the mine's entrance spotted them, he ran forward, his sword out, yelling an alert. Hadvar fired his bow at the same time Shanti launched her spell. Both struck him at the same time, and he was dead before he could scream.

"Fur armor and an iron sword," Hadvar said. "If they're all that poorly equipped, this won't be much of a challenge for the five of us."

Behind them, Emund chuckled. "That's fine with me. Escaping that damn dragon after almost being executed is plenty of excitement for one day. Just leave the rest of us a few."

Inside the mine, they paused to let the men's eyes adjust, then Hadvar and Shanti advanced, as quietly as they could. There were no bandits waiting for them, so apparently the sentry's yell hadn't been heard, but Shanti spotted a trip-wire seconds before Hadvar would've triggered it. She pointed it out, and they went around, then heard footsteps and voices approaching. Again the lead two readied bow and spell. This time Hadvar took the first one and Shanti waited for the second, aiming flames at his face. Hadvar's went down silently, but hers had time for a brief scream before he died.

As they continued, they found a skeleton with a small coin purse, which Hadvar took. The quarters were getting a bit too close for ranged weapons, so while they had room, the three melee fighters took over the lead. "Fur armor and iron weapons aren't worth salvaging," Hadvar said. "Normally I'd say the same about food, and just take cash and potions, but with all the escapees, I think we ought to take any food we come across, as well."

"Good idea," Emund agreed, leading the way to a small chamber. A lever there dropped a wooden bridge, which alerted bandits both entering the other end of the chamber and more on another bridge, who began firing arrows and spells. Hadvar and Shanti returned fire, able to take cover, unlike their foes, so they were quickly victorious. They followed the other three, now on the bridge they'd been firing at. That one led to another section of the mine, where they found a cell with food, a bit of gold, a Clairvoyance spell tome, a bunch of iron weapons, and a chest with more coins and some gems, plus an enchanted iron dagger.

That turned out to be the major find, as far as standard loot went, but they continued exploring, finding more coins, and a fair amount of food and drink - enough that all five were carrying full packs when they neared the mine opening again. Hadvar stopped them just inside. "Standard distribution all right with everyone?"

When they all agreed, he divided the cash and the five amethysts evenly, then they rolled dice for the three garnets and the enchanted dagger. Shanti ended up with about a hundred septims in cash, an amethyst, and one of the garnets. After distribution was complete, they returned to the road and finished the trip to Riverwood.

It was mid-afternoon when they arrived, Hadvar taking Shanti to see his uncle while the rest continued further into town. Alvor greeted them, frowning. "The first people to get here told us Helgen's gone, because of a dragon. Come inside, you two, and tell me all about it while we have an early supper. Sigrid's got a stew that's been simmering since noon."

Once they were sitting at the table with stew, bread, and ale, Alvor said, "Now, then, boy. Helgen was destroyed. How did you get away?"

"I don't know where to start," Hadvar said. "You know I was assigned to General Tullius' guard. We were stopped in Helgen when we were attacked ... by that dragon."

Alvor nodded. "That's what the folk from Helgen said. I didn't believe it at first - didn't want to."

Sigrid sighed. "Husband. Let him tell his story."

"We'd captured Ulfric Stormcloak and quite a few of his men near the Cyrodiil border, and took them to Helgen for execution. Ulfric actually had his head on the block when the dragon landed on the Keep and killed the executioner. Everything turned to chaos then, and I'm not sure what happened to him. Killed, I hope. Emund and I made a temporary truce to get what few civilians survived out through the Keep's escape tunnel. Not too long afterward, Shanti found us and ... Divines, Uncle, she was able to identify the dragon." He took a deep breath. "It's about as bad as it can get, I'm afraid. She says it's Alduin, back from whatever the first Tongues did with him."

Sigrid let out a muffled shriek. "Divines, no! Not the World-Eater!" She turned to Shanti. "You must be mistaken - tell us it's not Alduin!"

"Pray for the Dragonborn," Hadvar said grimly. "Remember the prophecy - when Alduin appears, so does the Last Dragonborn. But Alduin or not, we have to get word to Jarl Balgruuf. Uncle, can you help?"

"Of course!" Alvor exclaimed. "I'm glad to help however I can." He paused. "Riverwood is defenseless... We need to get word to Jarl Balgruuf to send whatever soldiers he can spare."

"Then do you have some light, non-aligned armor you can trade Shanti for what she's wearing? It's honest salvage, not stolen."

Alvor frowned. "You're not Legion, girl? I thought you were one of Hadvar's troops."

Shakti sighed. "Junior Legion only, sir. I should be wearing green, not red, but ... Alduin. I don't care to be unarmored in the open."

"Let me check, then. I think I have some of that fancy Elven stuff in storage ... don't get much call for light armor, here." He rose from the table and went downstairs, returning a few minutes later with some dusty armor. "I'll take this out to the forge, clean it up, make sure the straps are sound, that sort of thing. You'll both stay the night, of course."

Shanti nodded gratefully. "I appreciate the hospitality - the inn, if there is one, is going to be full. Just wake me at first light, if you would. I want to get on the road early."

Alvor laughed. "There's an inn, the Sleeping Giant, at the far end of town, and yes, it's full enough most of the Helgen folk are staying with local families until Jarl Siddgeir can make arrangements in his own hold."

He went outside, and Shanti heard noise from the forge while she, Hadvar, Sigrid, and Dorthe finished their supper. Shortly before dark, Alvor came back inside with the armor and handed it to her. "Try this on, please. I modified it a bit, so I think it'll fit, but I may need to make more adjustments."

Shanti went downstairs and changed, then carried the Legion armor back upstairs. "It feels fine, Alvor," she said. "Much nicer than the heavy."

He checked the fit, adjusted a strap, and smiled. "I'm glad someone will finally be getting some use out of it."

The group chatted for an hour or so, then banked the fires and went to bed - or, since Shanti didn't want to take over Dorthe's bed, a bedroll on a rug downstairs.