Chapter Two

Good Friends are Hard to Come By

"Wait!"

Ralof suddenly took hold of her wrist, pulling her back and into his chest. She went still at the sudden contact, not sure what to do with herself. But then she heard it.

A roar sounded overhead followed by the flapping of wings, and the two of them hunkered down near some brush. Both looked to the skies, the pitch-black form of the dragon soaring over them.

Kamama took in an involuntary breath, her mind going back to when she had last come face to face with that horrible creature. It had landed right in front of her when she had been running through the burning village, the young woman trying to make her way into the fortified keep. Once more it had stared at her, its demonic red eyes boring into her very soul it seemed.

Then it had spoken, its voice rumbling in some language she could not comprehend before it opened its mouth wide to issue forth a gout of flame.

Thank goodness Ralof had been nearby to grab her and pull her into the keep before she was burnt to a cinder.

A sudden sigh of relief came from the man she was still pressed up against. "I think it's gone for good now," Ralof breathed right next to her ear, unaware of the effect he was having on the smaller woman.

Kamama did her best not to think of how warm his body was next to her. She could smell him, his musky scent all around her and it was making her very warm and fuzzy on the inside. The natural smell of a man was always a weakness of hers. Though how she knew that due to her lack of memory was beyond her.

But Ralof was definitely all male.

Quickly she pulled herself away from him, mindful not to put pressure on her throbbing ankle.

"Are you all right?" Ralof asked, noticing her discomfort. "It hasn't gotten worse, has it?"

"No, not really," she replied. She shot him a hard look. "Though in retrospect, I can honestly say that this–" she motioned to her ankle "–is all your fault."

He looked perplexed by her statement, blue eyes wide. "M-my fault?"

"Yes!" Kamama found herself almost shouting. "It happened when you insisted on me jumping from that tower and through the roof of that burning building! I ended up twisting it somehow! I told you to cut my hands loose but noooo! I had to jump from a building and then hobble through a burning village with a dragon raging all throughout it! With my hands still bound!"

"Ah…"

The man seemed at a loss for what to say, his brows furrowed and mouth slightly open.

Kamama immediately felt bad for yelling at him, shoulders dropping slightly as she turned away. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I didn't mean to go off on you like that. It's just…"

"It's all right."

She looked back at him, seeing a slight but apologetic smile on his face.

"There was a lot going on, and I guess I wasn't thinking straight," he explained. He bowed his head to her, looking at the ground. "I'm sorry for what happened."

A heavy sigh fell from her lips, and she smiled at him. "Don't worry about it. At least we made it out alive, eh?"

A smile was on his face when he looked back up. "Yeah."

"So, what now?"

He shrugged at that. "Well, Riverwood isn't too far from here." He seemed to perk up at his own words. "It's actually where I was born and grew up. My sister, Gerdur, runs the mill there. I'm sure she'll help us out."

Fancy that. They just so happen to be near his hometown.

Kamama's smile widened. "All righty then. Shall we get a move on?"

"Absolutely. Here." He came close to her, offering his arm for her to lean on. "I'd ask if you'd be all right with me carrying you, but–"

"But that'd be too much," Kamama cut him off. "We're both tired. Besides, I don't think it's broken so a little pressure here and there won't cause any lasting damage."

He nodded at that but slung one of her arms over his shoulder, his own arm going around her waist for added support. "Let's get going then."

They started off down the steep hill, making their way through brush and such until a dirt road came into view. The going was a bit easier after that, but Kamama still let out a soft grunt of discomfort every once in a while when she applied too much pressure on her foot. They were silent as they walked, Ralof keeping an eye out for anything that might suddenly come up on them.

At one point Ralof let her go when a chorus of howls resounded through the air, the soldier drawing his bow and taking down a couple of wolves that tried to ambush them. Kamama hung back, watching as he cautiously looked them over to make sure they were dead. Then he came back to her, resuming his previous role as her living crutch.

"Ya know," Kamama said after a few minutes of silence. "I could walk on my own if I had a good solid branch to lean on."

"Aye," he replied. "But let's not waste time trying to find one. Better to get to Riverwood as soon as possible." He looked to the horizon as he said that, taking in the sun slowly making its way down towards the mountains in the distance.

She would have sighed in exasperation, but held it back. The last thing she wanted to do was offend him with her sudden need to be independent. Still, she didn't like being treated like a cripple, and the differences in their heights was somewhat annoying. She was practically hanging off his shoulder!

They walked in silence once more, Kamama letting her eyes stray around, taking in the surroundings. The land was wild with trees and brush of all sorts, the terrain itself rocky and uneven. There were mountains everywhere it seemed, some close while others were mere outlines in the distance. It was beautiful to look at, and Kamama found herself smiling slightly. It was a welcome change from the chaos that had been Helgen.

An involuntary shudder passed through her at the thought of her near execution. She was almost thankful for the dragon's appearance though it too had nearly ended her life. Again she thought of those intense red eyes glaring at her. The stare had seemed almost like a challenge, as if the beast knew who she was.

"Are you all right?" Ralof suddenly asked.

She didn't immediately answer him, her mind trying to come up with some reason why the dragon would look at her in such a way. But then she sighed, hanging her head slightly.

"I don't know," she admitted.

Ralof shifted his hold on her slightly, obviously uncomfortable with her answer.

"Is it true?" he asked gently, as if the subject would upset her more. "That Imperial said that you… that you have amnesia?"

Ah. She had wondered if he would bring that up. Another heavy sigh left her lips, and she raised her head, gazing up into the slowly darkening sky.

"Honestly, I don't remember anything before waking up in the cart with you."

The man drew in a deep breath. But he remained silent as if thinking over her words. Then, "When the Imperials ambushed us, I was ready to die fighting, but then Jarl Ulfric commanded us to stop and surrender. So, we did. And then they tied us all up and brought us to the carts. You and that girl were already there, but they had you in separate carts. You were already passed out in the back of one of them."

"Hm." She frowned slightly. Then how did she end up waking up leaning on the man's shoulder?

"You were laid out on the one of the benches," Ralof continued. "You looked uncomfortable the way you were, feet resting on the floor and the rest of your body laid out on the seat. So, the Jarl moved you when he sat down, leaning you against himself."

So that was how she came to be sitting up. The thought of the Jarl doing such a thing seemed at odds with his personality. Then again, she didn't really know him so…

"I hope I can thank him someday for such a small mercy," she found herself saying softly.

"Perhaps one day you can," Ralof replied. There was a hint of hopefulness in his voice that didn't go unnoticed by her. "You've seen the true face of the Empire today. How they just carted us off to Helgen for execution without a proper trial. You should head to Windhelm and join the fight to free Skyrim from their unjust ways."

Skyrim? She had heard that General – Tullius was his name? – use that word before. Was that the name of the country they were in? A pit seemed to open up inside of her, that same feeling from before where all these names and people seemed familiar to her but… she couldn't remember why. She thought of Maurice again and wondered if the girl had made it out of Helgen safe.

"Ralof," she suddenly spoke, mindful of his hand twitching where it held her waist. "I… Well, it's difficult for me to ask this, but…" She turned her head, looking up at him. He returned her gaze, his blue eyes questioning. "Could you… tell me what's going on? And… what this place is?"

Her face was burning as were her eyes, and she turned her face away lest he see the tears that threatened to fall. It was uncomfortable for her to ask a complete stranger such a thing. But she had no one else to turn to.

"I'd be more than happy to tell you all about Skyrim," Ralof said softly. He then let out a soft chuckle. "There's no need to be shy about it. Not that I've ever dealt with someone with memory loss before, but still. Where would you like me to begin?"

Kamama smiled at that, a single tear running down her cheek. She wiped it away and looked back at the Stormcloak soldier. "How about starting with Skyrim itself?"

"Absolutely."

And so they walked on, Kamama listening attentively as Ralof began to tell her all he knew about Skyrim and how it came to be. He told of a man named Ysgramor and his Five Hundred Companions who came from Atmora, the ancient motherland of men. He told of the mighty Talos who conquered all of Tamriel and created the Empire. He told of Cyrodil, the seat of Talos's mighty Empire and the other provinces connected to it. He went into detail about all the numerous races of Nirn.

The sun had begun to sink below the farthest mountain in the distance, the sky steadily growing darker and darker when they came around a bend in the road. Ralof stopped talking and let out a deep sigh.

"You see that ruins up there?" he suddenly asked, pointing off into the distance.

Kamama looked in the direction he pointed, gaze falling on a high mountain. Close to its summit she could just make out what looked to be structures covered in thick snow.

"Bleak Falls Barrow," Ralof went on. "I never could understand how my sister could stand living in the shadow of that place."

"What?"

Ralof grinned at her questioning look. "We're almost to Riverwood now," he said. "Just a little further and – there!"

They rounded a bend and in the distance Kamama could make out a village. Her heart leapt into her throat at the sight.

"Come on then!" Ralof said excitedly. "My sister should be finishing up things at the mill for the day."

They hurried along now, Kamama doing her best not to show that Ralof's quickened pace was causing her ankle more discomfort. She imagined the man hadn't seen his hometown in a long time, and she didn't want to put a damper on his enthusiasm by asking him to slow down. Soon they reached the village, a single guard eyeing them as they passed beneath the archway built into the wall that he stood atop.

"This is Riverwood. My hometown."

The contentment in his words solidified Kamama's thoughts that he hadn't been home in a while. He continued to help her along, taking a sharp turn left. They made their way across a wooden bridge that passed over a small rivulet from the river running alongside the village.

"Ralof?"

They stopped abruptly at the sound of the voice, and Kamama almost gasped at the man standing before them. Or more accurately, the elf.

He was tall and lithe, his tawny skin setting off his blonde hair which was pulled up into a ponytail at the back of his head, showing off his pointed ears. His dark eyes were wide in disbelief as he stared at them.

What race of elf was he? Kamama thought hard about everything Ralof had told her, and hesitantly came to the conclusion that he was a – what was it? Bosmer? A wood elf?

"Hello, there, Faendal," Ralof greeted cheerily. "Still helping out Gerdur with the mill, yes? It's good to see you again."

"Ah, well," the elf began, looking at Kamama briefly before settling his gaze back on the Nord. "Yes. I still work for your sister. And it's good to see you again as well."

"Is Gerdur still at the mill?" asked Ralof. "I wish to speak with her."

"Of course," Faendal replied. He glanced at the mill just off to the side of the village before addressing Ralof. "But, um, she's probably already back at her house by now. Finished up early what with the news and all…"

Both Kamama and Ralof went still at his words.

"What news?" Ralof inquired cautiously.

Faendal shifted uncomfortably, adjusting the wood in his arms. "There've been rumors that… the Imperials captured Ulfric Stormcloak."

Kamama balked slightly at that, her arm falling from Ralof's shoulder to rest on his upper arm. "Wow. Word travels fast, doesn't it?"

The elf's dark eyes focused on her, causing Kamama to shift uncomfortably. She wasn't used to such a gaze. Hell. Just seeing the elf had sent her into a state of semi-shock. A part of her had been skeptical when Ralof told her of the numerous elven races. But to actually see and talk to one…

"Who is your friend, Ralof?" Faendal suddenly asked. "A fellow soldier?"

What? Oh, yeah. She was still wearing the Stormcloak cuirass.

"No," Ralof answered quickly. "She was caught up in the mess at Helgen, and when we made our escape I had her put on something that would give her a bit more protection if we ran into trouble on the way here."

"Oh." Faendal was still looking at her though when he asked his next question. "What do you mean by 'mess at Helgen?'"

Kamama and Ralof looked to one another at that. The Stormcloak seemed uncertain if he should tell the elf about what had happened. But why should he be? Wouldn't it be best to warn everyone that a dragon had destroyed the village? Especially when Ralof had told her such creatures were supposedly only a myth?

"A dragon attacked the village." She couldn't help the words tumbling out of her mouth, and Ralof took in a deep breath.

"What?!"

Tearing her gaze from the man's blue eyes, Kamama leveled the Bosmer with a steely glare. "It's true," she affirmed. "It swooped down out of nowhere and proceeded to lay waste to the place. We barely got out of there with our lives."

"A-a dragon?" The elf's eyes immediately went to the skies.

"Which is why I need to speak to my sister," Ralof continued. "We need to get word to Jarl Balgruuf in Whiterun. Last I saw the dragon was heading in that direction."

"O-of course!" Faendal sputtered. "Like I said, she should be at her home."

"Right," Kamama nodded. She pulled herself away from Ralof, earning a confused look from the man. "Go to her," she said firmly. "I'll catch up. Which house is your sister's?"

"It's the one with a fence around the front and a single cow," Ralof answered automatically. But then he shook his head. "I'm not going to leave you to hobble your way there."

"Oh, please," Kamama sighed in exasperation, resting her hands on her hips. "Time is of the essence, and you'll get there faster by yourself than with me hanging off your shoulder. Besides, we made it here to Riverwood so I don't think I'm in any danger of getting caught unawares by wolves or anything."

Ralof stared hard at her for a moment, obviously thinking over her words. He still seemed reluctant though, and began to open his mouth to speak. But then Faendal suddenly piped up.

"I could help her get there," the elf offered timidly. He shifted nervously once again when they both looked at him. "Like she said, time is of the essence. Hurry and go tell Gerdur what has happened, and I'll make sure your friend gets there safe and sound."

"But–"

"Get going, man!" Kamama huffed, waving her hand in a shooing motion. "You've already wasted enough time as it is."

At that Ralof shut his mouth. He gave a deep sigh before turning and backtracking across the bridge. "You had better be right behind me," he called back before hurriedly making his way down the road that ran through the village.

"He's worse than a mother hen," Kamama breathed when he was out of sight.

"Ralof has always been that way. Even as a child."

She looked back at the elf, watching as he set the blocks of wood in his arms on the bridge. When he stood upright his dark eyes were studying her intently, shifting down to her ankle which she was being mindful not to put too much pressure on.

"Shall we get going then?" he asked though he seemed a bit timid in approaching her.

Kamama couldn't help but smile at his shyness. "Ya know," she began, crossing her arms beneath her bosom. "If ya find me a sturdy stick I can walk on my own."

That caused the Bosmer to let out a laugh, the light timbre of his voice making a pleasant sound. "I could do that," he chuckled. "But then again, Ralof expects you to be right behind him, and I think it would take too much time trying to find a suitable crutch."

It was Kamama's turn to laugh, and she did it unrestrained, enjoying the feeling it gave her. "Wow. Ralof said the same thing when we started heading this way."

"Great minds think alike, I guess."

They both laughed at that, and Faendal seemed over his hesitance to get close to her. Like before, Kamama found her arm slung over the taller male's shoulder, once again feeling like a ragdoll hanging off of a giant. Though this giant was much slimmer.

The going was slow since Kamama finally realized just how sore her ankle was, and would wince and hiss every few steps. Faendal even offered to carry her on his back after a few moments of her struggle, but she quickly shot that down.

"I refuse to be forced into the role of a sack of potatoes," Kamama mumbled grumpily, her eyes cast downward to her traitorous appendage.

Eventually they made it to Ralof's sister's home, the lone cow in the yard chewing its cud lazily as it watched the pair. There was a slight scuffle at the door of the building, and Ralof stepped out. A woman roughly the same height as him with identical blonde hair and blue eyes stepped up behind him. As soon as the woman caught sight of Kamama, she swept forward quickly.

"Aye! If I had known she was that badly hurt I would have stepped outside the house a lot sooner!" the woman exclaimed as she wound Kamama's free arm around her shoulders.

If she had cared to look, Kamama would have seen the look of relief on Faendal's face at the assistance in helping her along. Instead she was preoccupied with what was obviously Ralof's sister.

"Please," Kamama began haltingly, her face heating up. "I really don't need that much concern over my–"

"Nonsense!" Gerdur snapped at her. "An injury is an injury. No matter how small you think it is. Ralof! Pick one of the beds and get it comfortable for our guest. She will not be up and about whilst she heals."

Ralof stood there for a moment, giving his sister an almost bewildered look. She returned his look with a withering glare.

"Did the dragon's roaring deafen you, brother?" she all but growled.

The man seemed to finally come to his senses, and he quickly retreated back into the house. And almost tripped over his own feet.

"Still needs to be led around by his hand," Gerdur sighed though there was a touch of fondness to her words.

Kamama smiled at that, deciding that she liked the woman.

The inside of the house was warm and cozy, and Gerdur and Faendal helped her to one of the beds tucked into a far corner. The furs laid on top of it were a bit coarse, but Kamama sank into them gratefully. A soft sigh of relief left her mouth when she was able to lift her foot up off the ground.

Gerdur immediately set to work, carefully removing her boots and examining her swollen ankle. Kamama almost cried out in alarm when she saw the dark blue and purple bruises that wound around it. But the woman shushed her and proceeded to poke and prod at it. Satisfied that there was no real damage, Gerdur then proceeded to usher all the men out of the house, setting her son to heat up water so that Karessa could bathe. Then she proceeded to shoo the boy outside as well.

It was a little embarrassing at first when Gerdur helped her undress, but Kamama soon realized just how tired she was when a yawn came from her mouth instead of the protest she had meant to deliver. Soon she was cleaned up and dressed in warm clothes that were much more comfortable than the cuirass she had been wearing. Her ankle was wrapped securely in soft linen strips. Whilst washing her hair Gerdur had discovered blood matted in her locks and a nasty gash on the back of her scalp which she cleaned and bound with a length of clothe around Kamama's head.

Finally finished, Gerdur allowed the men to come back into the house though Faendal was absent. In his place was another man whom Gerdur introduced as her husband, Hod. The introductions seemed a bit rushed and Kamama soon found herself forced to eat a large bowl of steaming stew. Which really wasn't all that bad once the smell of it hit her nose, though she did burn her tongue a little when she tried to eat it too fast.

And all this occurred with Kamama scarcely moving a few feet from the bed. Which Gerdur promptly tucked her into once she was done eating.

"Now, get yourself some rest," the woman said firmly as she placed another thick fur on top of Kamama's already covered legs. "From what Ralof told me, you've had quite a rough time since waking up in that cart back in Helgen."

A soft frown touched Kamama's lips. She wondered how much Ralof had told his sister. Did she know about her amnesia?

Another yawn interrupted her thoughts.

She would think about it tomorrow. Right now her body was so heavy and the warmth of the covers was too soothing. And so she nodded off.

She woke a few times due to the dull ache at the back of her skull, her head buzzing with images of things she couldn't make sense of. A few times she heard hushed voices on the other side of the small house, but she couldn't make sense of what they were saying. A part of her wanted to stay awake and listen, but her tired body would not allow her to.

"Kamama?"

A soft frown pulled at her lips when she heard her name, but she opted to ignore it. She shifted slightly, snuggling further beneath the blankets. A heavy sigh reached her ears and there was a shuffling noise near her bed.

"I'm glad you decided to come with me."

Kamama opened her eyes at the soft words. The house was dark, the only light coming from the fireplace situated in the wall her bed was parallel to. She could just make out a form lying on the floor just in front of her bed, and so she leaned forward a bit until she could see over the edge. Ralof was on his back, hands resting beneath his head as he stared at the ceiling. The light from the fire glinted off his eyes every so often, and then he turned his head towards her. They stared at one another in silence for a few moments as if trying to read the other's mind.

Kamama could feel heat building up in her cheeks as they continued to keep their gazes locked. Should she say something? What could she say without sounding like a fool? She was thankful that Ralof had helped her escape Helgen. Hell. He had saved her from the dragon itself! Why would he be glad that she had deigned to travel with him?

A few moments later and Ralof sighed heavily once more. He turned onto his side, back facing her. A pit seemed to open up in her chest at the sight. The moment was gone. She had ruined it with her indecisiveness. Somewhere in the back of her head a voice seemed to chastise her, as if she was always doing such a thing.

A sudden yawn stretched her mouth wide open, a testament of how tired she still was. But she didn't move from the edge of the bed. She continued to stare at Ralof's back, eyes beginning to grow heavy, wishing he would turn back over and look at her once more. But he didn't.

But that was all right. Kamama wouldn't pressure him. Instead, she pulled her pillow more securely under her, mindful of the bandage Gerdur had put around her head. Another yawn tore its way from her and she put a hand over her mouth despite no one being able to see her.

"I'm glad I met you, Ralof," she murmured as her eyes closed, missing how the man's body tensed at her words. "And thank you for saving my life."