Hadvar suggested that I head to the nearby town of Riverwood. His uncle is a blacksmith there and should be able to help me

I stood blinking in the sunlight, when suddenly a roar filled the air.

"Wait!" Hadvar hissed as he crouched behind a rock. I crouched next to him as the Dragon flew off, north-west.

"Looks like he's gone for good this time." Hadvar said quietly, "But I don't think we should stick around to see if he comes back." He waved me over as he started to walk down a trail.

"The nearest town from here is Riverwood, my uncle's the blacksmith there. I'm sure he'd help you out." I followed him along, slipping and sliding in my borrowed armour.

"You know, you should go to Solitude and join the Legion." He said as he looked back at me. "We could really use someone like you, and if the Stormcloaks have found a dragon. General Tullius will need all the help he can get."

I frowned, "The Empire ordered my execution, and now you want me to help?"

"You have every right to be angry, I would be in your shoes." Hadvar said, "But if the Stormcloaks had found a Dragon and woke it up. The war could get even worse."

We came round a bend in the road. Across the river, there was a mountain and on it clearly visible was a dark ruin, stark black against the snow. On our side there were three standing stones, inscribed with a star sign; The Thief, The Mage and The Warrior. I touched the Thief stone and a bolt of light lit up the sky.

"Thief, huh, well it's never too late to change your fate." Hadvar said, but I ignored him.

"What's that?" I asked, pointing.

"Bleak Falls Barrow." Hadvar said, "hate that place. Used to give me nightmares as a kid, draugr creeping down the mountain and into my bedroom, that sort of thing."

The path swung down to the mountain side to the river. I fell at its shores and scooped up water into my mouth.

"Thirsty?" Hadvar asked and I nodded. "You must be hungry as well." I looked at my reflection in the pond, a pale small girl, with red eyes, blonde hair, elfin ears and a large claw marks, still red against my skin, marred my cheek. I shuddered as I thought of the creature that gave me that.

"Yeah, I'm starving." I said as I got up. We followed the river north, and as we rounded a bend I spotted a village. At each end of the road through it there was a wall with a walkway on top, though it was unmanned. The river ran right next to it, and a lumber mill was on a small island next to it, connected to the main village by a simple bridge next to a hut with a sheltered blacksmith forge.

I stuck close to Hadvar because of my ill-fitting stormcloak armor, I feared that any Imperial soldiers might mistake me for a stormcloak.

"Uncle Alvor, hello." Hadvar called out to a Nord, who looked like an older version of him, with lighter blonde hair, like honey, who was busy at a forge hammering what looked like a sword.

"Hadvar?" He said as he turned around and placed the half-finished sword in a water trough, "Are you on leave from..." He broke off as he turned around and saw the two of us, covered in dirt and stone dust, blood (some our own, some definitely not).

"Shor's bones boy," He cursed as he looked at us, "what happened to you boy? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"Shh, Uncle," Hadvar hushed looking around, as an old woman stared at us. "I'm fine but we should go inside to talk."

"What's going on?" Alvor asked again as he stared at me curiously, "And who's this?"

Hadvar put a hand on my shoulder, reassuringly. "She's a friend, saved my life in fact." He said proudly, and I looked at him, shocked at the praise in his voice, before he turned serious, "Come on, I'll explain everything but we need to go inside." Alvor nodded, resigned, but curious.

"C'mon then Sigrid will get you both something to eat." He said and pulled a rope release a bucket of water to cool the forge.

He walked out to the porch and round to the house next to the forge. As he opened the door I heard the old woman call out "Dragon, I saw a dragon, it flew over the barrow!" I ducked inside.

"Sigrid, we have company!" Alvor called out as he entered the house. I looked around cautiously. It was set up like the houses in Bruma, with a single room with a fireplace opposite the only door, with a cookpot set over it, a table in front of that fire, and a bed and end table next to it. Like most homes in Bruma it had a basement, accessed by a flight of stairs next to the table.

I stood by the fire behind Hadvar, who sat opposite his uncle.

"Now then boy," Alvor said kindly, "What's the big mystery? What are you doing here, looking like you lost an argument with a cave bear?"

"I don't know where to start." Hadvar said, "you know I was assigned to General Tullius's guard, we were stopped in Helgen when we were attacked," Hadvar paused for a moment, "a dragon?"

Alvor laughed hesitantly, before realising that we weren't joking. "A dragon, that's ridiculous, you aren't drunk, are you boy?"

Sigrid admonished him from by the stairs, "Husband, let him tell his story."

"Not much more to tell," Hadvar said wearily, "The Dragon flew over the town and wrecked the whole place. Mass confusion. I don't know if anyone else made it out alive. I know I wouldn't have if it wasn't for Luna." The others looked at me, and I nearly forgotten that I told Hadvar my name when we arrived in Helgen. "I was hoping you could help us, food, supplies, a place to stay."

"Of course, any friend of Hadvar's is a friend of mine." Alvor said, he got up and walked up to me by the fire.

"But I need your help. We need your help." Alvor said, "Help yourself to whatever you need, within reason. But the Jarl need to know that there is a dragon on the loose. Riverwood is defenceless. We need to get word to Jarl Balgruuf to send whatever soldiers he can. If you do that for me, I'll be in your debt."

I took some bread and cheese from the table. "How do I get to Whiterun from here?"

"Cross the river then head north, you should see it just pass the falls." Alvor told me, "Once you're in Whiterun, keep going up. Once at the top of the hill, you're at the Jarl's palace, Dragonsreach." I nodded trying to keep the instructions straight in my head.

I left the house and looked up at the sky. I always had a good sense of time, and knew that it was a little past 3 in the afternoon.

I ran out of Riverwood, heading north, I spotted the bridge that Alvor told me about and crossed the river. The path snaked down hill and I was wary of meeting other travellers. So I headed off the path and dropped straight down the hill in a series of jumps. On one I tumbled skinning my knee and spraining my ankle so I was forced to heal myself.

I saw that the path would have snaked down hill in a series of twists and turns before turning east and running past a pair of buildings, before swing up another hill to Whiterun, the entire city was built on that hill, in a series of tiers, and I could see a castle at the top. I ran across the hilled plain to rejoin the path.

At a farm I saw a giant running rampant at a farm and a trio of warriors encircling them.

I swung my bow off my shoulder and drew an arrow, sending it at the giant's body. I spotted another archer turn to look at me.

I ducked behind a building. I was still wearing the outsized stormcloak armor and instead changed into the mage's robes I took in Helgen. They were surprisingly clean and fit better than the armor. It was more complex clothing than what I saw mages wear in Cyrodil. It was a long teal tunic, with a brown leggings, and a mantel with a sash and hood. I was just wrapping the bandages over my arms when the archer rounded the corner. She was wearing a strange leather dress, with pauldrons and gauntlets. Her face was streaked with war-paint and her red hair was tied back.

"Here, your arrow." She said. I jumped and pulled my hood over my face.

"Thanks," I muttered.

"You handled yourself well," She told me, "You'd make a decent Shield-Sister."

"Shield-sister?" I asked, unfamiliar with the term.

"An outsider, eh?" She asked and I nodded, "Never heard of the Companions?"

"No."

"We're brothers and sisters in honor, and we show up to solve problems if the coin is good enough." She told me proudly.

"You wouldn't want me in your group." I told her curtly and walked round the back of the farm. I could see that the giant had died due to multiple wounds, so my arrow didn't make much of a difference. I spotted a stable, with a man sitting on a carriage.

"Need a ride?" He asked, looking me up and down.

"Anything you can tell me about Whiterun?" I asked as I kept my head down. Better that he think I'm some-kind of barefoot mage.

"Well I know the Companions make their home here." He told me cheerfully, "Their mead hall Jorrvaskar is the oldest building in the city. There's also a nasty feud between two old families, the Grey-Manes and the Battle-Borns. The rest you can find out by asking the people. Go upto the Bannered Mare or the castle steward." I nodded and thanked him. At least there wasn't rumors about the Imperial army in the city yet. I walked up through the archway and around up to the main gates. Most of the guards seemed to be on high alert.

One walked away from his post to stop me.

"Halt," He commanded, "City's closed with the dragon about. Official business only."

"I have news from Helgen about the dragon attack." I replied, bluffing slightly.

The guard seemed to consider my response. At least I assumed so, with his helmet I couldn't see his face. His armor was identical to what the stormcloaks wore, except his sash was bright yellow.

"Fine, but we'll keep an eye on you." He said suspiciously. He and his friend pushed the gate open slightly.

I walked over a small bridge into the city. At a smith just inside the wall, a man in imperial armor was arguing with a smith. Trying to get her to make swords for the legion. I walked quietly past him and up the steps to the left. I kept running through Alvor's instructions. I was in a residential area and heard a Redguard woman argue with her husband. I walked towards a giant dead tree, and heard a priest, preaching about Talos.

I looked around and spotted more steps going up first to a pool, that was fed by water falls on either side another set of stone steps, towards Dragonsreach. I ran up them and then over a wooden bridge towards the palace doors.

The interior of Dragonsreach was huge. A set of stairs lead up to the main hall. At the far end of the room, sitting on a throne underneath a skull of a huge creature, sat the Jarl. He seemed to be arguing with his advisers. One of them, a Dark Elf woman, wearing leather armor drew a sword and came up to me. I drew a knife and summoned a Flame into my hand.

"What is the meaning of this?" She demanded, "Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving visitors."

"Alvor sent me, Riverwood is in danger." I answered but the Dark Elf still didn't lower her sword.

"As housecarl, my job is to deal with dangers to the Jarl or his people." She said, "So you have my attention now explain yourself."

"A dragon has destroyed Helgen." I said as I lowered my hands, and the Dark Elf looked shocked.

"You know about Helgen," She said, "The Jarl will want to speak to you personally. Approach." She sheathed her sword and walked back up to the throne.

I edged around the fire in the middle of the hall and followed her up. Jarl Balgruuf lounged in an ornate throne.

"So you've survived Helgen." The Jarl asked skeptically, "you saw this dragon with your own eyes?"

"Yes." I said brashly, "I've had a great view whilst the Imperials were trying to chop of my head." The Dark Elf and the Imperial man looked at each other.

"Really," Jarl Balgruuf said, "Well, you're certainly, forthright, about your criminal past." He paused, before continuing, "But it's none of my business who the Imperials want to execute especially now. What I want to know is what happened at Helgen."

"The dragon attacked the town, and destroyed it." I answered more calmly. "Last I saw it was heading in this way."

Jarl Balgruuf turned to the Imperial next to him, "What do you say now, Proventus?" He asked sarcastically, "Should we continue to trust in the strength of our walls? Against a dragon?"

The Dark Elf stepped forwards, "My lord we should send troops to Riverwood at once. It's in the most immediate danger, if that Dragon is lurking in the mountains..."

The Imperial, Proventus interrupted, "The Jarl of Falkreath will take that as a provocation. He'll assume we're preparing to join Ulfric's side and attack him. We should..."

"Enough!" Jarl Balgruuf interrupted before looking at the Dark Elf, "Irileth, send a detachment to Riverwood at once."

Irileth bowed, "Yes my Jarl."

"We should not..." Proventus continued to protest but Jarl Balgruuf glared at him.

"Enough!" He said furiously, "I will not stand by while a dragon burns down my hold, and slaughters my people."

"If you'll excuse me, I'll return to my duties." He said, with an air of submissiveness.

"That would be best." Jarl Balgruuf agreed before turning to me.

"Well done. You sought me out. On your own initiative." He said, I could hear the sincerity to his voice. "You've done Whiterun a service and I won't forget it." He handed be a heavy bag of gold. "Take this as a small token of my esteem." He paused for a moment before rising from his throne. "There is something else you can do for me, suitable for someone of your particular perhaps?" I nodded and we walked down from the dias, "Let's go see Farengar, my court wizard, he has been looking into matters of dragons, and rumors of dragons."

Hadvar's uncle Alvor asked me to take word to the Jarl of Whiterun of the dragon attack on Helgen, and to ask the Jarl to send soldiers to protect Riverwood. I delivered the news to Jarl Balgruuf in Whiterun, and he rewarded me for my help.