Hey everyone! No one has reviewed yet, so I don't know if anyone likes this story, but I'll publish another chapter just in case! This one is kind of longer, enjoy! :)
I try to make out the person standing in front of me, but my vision is blurred. With a few seconds to regain my strength, Ralof is calling me to get up. I stagger, but eventually I make it over to him in one piece. We run to the nearest guard tower and he practically throws me in. I stumble and collapse on the ground out of exhaustion. Preparing yourself to die is more tiring than it sounds.
I sit up and see the man who was on the carriage previously, standing against the wall fiercely yelling at the Stormcloaks to get moving. I watch him and study his every move, comparing it to his father. The strange part is, I barely remember what his father looked like, but I just can't stand the sight of anyone related to him. I finally realize I'm glaring at him, and he yells at me to get up and follow Ralof. He's fierce and his deep voice is terrifying me. I quickly get up out of embarrassment and run after the blonde Nord.
"Jump to the roof below and keep going! We'll follow when we can." Oh how I wish he didn't leave me alone... I closed my eyes and jumped, and surprisingly landed semi comfortably and made my way out of the half destroyed inn.
A young boy runs up to me and begs me to help him find his parents. I pull him off to the side and realize there is a large gash on his arm. I quickly heal him and ask if he is alright. As I finish healing, a man runs up to us and yells, "Get away from my son!" and pulls him away.
I yell after them, "I was just trying to help!". I look up to the sky and the dragon is burning down houses. I have had heard the legends from my father but I never knew they actually existed! I can't make its shape out too well, it looks likes a giant black blob as I try to look up as I run for my life. My long light brown locks are getting in my face as I run but I don't care.
I run into the man who called me up to the block earlier and he tells me to follow him if I want to stay alive. I reluctantly follow, although Sovngarde wouldn't be much worse than this. I don't understand why he is helping me, considering he just sent me to my death, but I don't want to throw away my safety. I watch as houses get destroyed one after another. Men and women are falling down all around me. I wish I could help the people in this village and heal them but it's too chaotic. I have never witnessed anything like this in my life.
After a time, I lose track of the guard with me and start to panic. I run towards the least chaotic spot I can find which ends up being the best decision I could have ever made.
I spot a familiar face and I call after him, "Ralof! Over here!". He turns around and grabs me by the arm. He leads me into the nearest keep where he cuts me free of my bindings. I realize that we're not alone, but that Ulfric Stormcloak and a man I have never seen before was with us. I try to regain my composure and steady my breath, but the screams and booms that hear from outside are very distracting.
"Sorry miss but we have to keep moving," Ralof tells me apologetically. I nod and take a sword from the dead Stormcloak on the ground. To be honest, I hadn't had to defend myself from anything in a really long time. The cold iron feels awfully foreign in my hands, but I pick it up and nod to Ralof anyways.
"I thought you were the mage type, guess I was wrong," Ralof points to the sword in my hand.
"I am a healer, but I refuse to use magic for anything violent." I hadn't used destruction magic since the incident in Hammerfell years back...but that was another story.
We keep moving and we come across many Imperials on the way out. I use my sword to the best of my ability, but the three strong Nords with me do most of the work. Once I get out of here, I'm taking some sword fighting lessons right away.
After much running and fighting, we make it out safely. We watch as the dragon flies away into the distance. The man known as Ulfric has already walked far up ahead, obviously not wanting to waste anymore time with us.
I look over at Ralof and the other man and thank them, "Thank you Ralof. If it wasn't for you, I would be here right now. What's you're name?" The other man looked quite uncomfortable in his armor. The man is about the same size as Ralof, but looks quite a bit younger. His dark hair is shaggy, and looks like it hasn't been washed in a very long time.
"I am Aeden Merlif of Riverwood, I live with my brother Alvor and his wife Sigrid. We can go and take refuge there if we need to," He seems nice enough.
Ralof replied to my earlier comment, "No problem, Winnifreid right?" I nodded in reply. "I have a sister who lives in Riverwood too. If you come with us, we can give you some supplies and food so you can be on your way."
"Yeah, you can call me Winnie though. And thank you, that would be the upmost helpful." I agreed and we made our way down the path to Riverwood. Ulfric was no where in sight, which angered me slightly. "So who does he think he is, just walking away and not even asking if we're okay? I know he's the leader of the rebellion, but don't you think it's kind of rude?"
Ralof replies, "Well, he is a strange soul. But the most dedicated man I have ever met. I respect him, and he has his reasons for being such a way."
I let out a little hmph, and ask, "What ever happened to his father anyway, the big ol' 'Bear of Eastmarch' as they'd say? Load of crap if you ask me." I rolled my eyes and looked off to the side. I've always had problems with authority. To think someone thought they were better than everyone else and that they could boss people around, boy did that get on my nerves. Aeden looked at me astonished, and I gave him a none-of-your-business kind of look.
Ralof looked at me a little stunned awell, "His father, Buurleif Stormcloak, died during his incarceration with the Thalmor. Ulfric came back after being imprisoned to find Windhelm in stage of mourning. That's what inspired him to take official action against the Empire and the Thalmor. You haven't been in Skyrim for awhile I'm guessing." I did not expect that answer, but it still didn't change my feelings towards that man. "You know, you should join the fight to stop the Empire. You've seen their true face today."
That surprised me, "Maybe, I'm not much of a warrior though..." I glance at my hands, the thought of using magic was strange. I look off to the side and something catches my eye, "Gods! These are blue mountain flowers! You never see these in Hammerfell..."
"Yeah those blue things are everywhere in Skyrim" Aeden answers with a puzzled look.
I shrugged my shoulders "Well, I'm kind of an alchemist buff. I'm a healer and I love making potions and harvesting ingredients, my friend from Hammerfell taught me the best recipes," The whole way down the path I picked and harvest mountain flowers and Mora Tapinella mushrooms. Alchemy here was going to so exciting! And on that note, we finally arrived at Riverwood.
Gerdur, Ralof's sister, let me eat a full meal and rest at her house. I bathed in the river right in back and then said my goodbyes. I gave my thanks to Ralof and Gerdur and head off with Aeden to Whiterun. Aeden tagged along he was sending knew to Jarl about the dragon attack at Helgen. We talked for awhile but the conversation slowly stopped when I started to think about Riften.
After my mother had left, my dad and my brother moved to Riften where they, just my brother now, lives. After I left, I never looked back. Sure I missed my brother and father, but I couldn't stand being in that depressing family any longer. Im guessing they didn't either because they moved to a sewer of a town (almost literally), Riften. After my mother left, and eventual talk of her committing suicide, led my father to become a drunk. Lofir would send me letters about his health occasionally, but after a few years they slowed and then completely stopped.
Once I reached Whiterun, I said thank you and good luck to Aeden, and got on a carriage that would take me to Riften. As I sat there in silence, I thought of what I was going to say to my brother Lofir. Would he be mad? Or would he understand that I needed to run away? The soft lull of the carriage beating against the dirt was a song to my ears. The silence was a nice change from the screams and dragon roars from earlier.
I took out the iron sword I acquired from the dead soldier, and felt a rush of grief. This sword was a man's sword, he had died with this sword. Right there and then, I promised myself that I wouldn't be the little damsel that couldn't protect herself any longer.
When I first ran off to Hammerfell, my destruction skills were at their upmost peak. I was a promising apprentice. But one night, after my friends and I had been drinking at the local tavern, one of them dared me to set a hay stack on fire. The fire got out of control and I didn't know how to stop it. I was intoxicated and couldn't use any of my frost spells, so we ran away. The next morning we found out a few houses got destroyed. Everyone turned out to be fine, except one little girl. She didn't get out fast enough, and she died. So from then on I haven't used my magic for anything but healing. I studied under the local healer and he taught me all he knew. I am now an accomplished healer and proud.
Once I get to Riften, someone is going to teach me how to sword fight. It is much safer than magic, and I can finally learn how to protect myself. It might cost money, but that's no problem. My grandfather was a wealthy land owner with an estate and left most of it to his son, my father. But when my father married my mother, he sold the estate. He still owned his fair share of septims, but wanted to live a less boastful lifestyle. My father was a great man before he turned into a drunk, and with that it brought me back to the worry of seeing my brother and going to the funeral.
The constant worry that had taken over my life for the past few days had made me quite tired. With the thought of Riften still fresh in my mind, I fell asleep almost immediately...
Reviews would be helpful, :) I don't know if I should keep writing! Oh and guess who Aeden is ;)! (He is not a love interest, don't worry!)
