SHADOWS ABOVE RIVERWOOD

I awoke in a cold sweat. Jolted awake as if lightning had struck me. Where was I? I felt I had slept for centuries. Not even a dream pierced my sleep last night. I was in a small one room cabin. Cozy. A fire crackled in the middle of the wall. Books covered the two cupboards in the cabin. One table was littered with bows, arrows, and pelts. The other with food and ale. There was a bowl with a bloody rag in it on the small table next to the bed I sat in. My hand instinctively went to my temple. No more blood, dried or wet. Was this the Bosmer's cabin?

He…. he put a calming spell on me, I remembered. I went into shock. Almost being executed, a dragon attack, whatever bashed my head….. a giant? All of it had been too much for me. "You're finally awake." Faendal walked into the cabin holding clothes and a few books. His good looks weren't just the imagination of my clouded mind I realized. I hope I wasn't blushing. He placed the items on the edge of the bed. "These are a few things that I thought would be useful for you. Just a simple leather armor that should fit better than what you have now and a few spell tomes. A few of these spells have saved my life. Ralof mentioned you were a mage who had forgotten her spells."

I picked up the tomes and read the names. "Healing, flames, frost, and stoneflesh. Frost was what I tried to use yesterday." I said with a smile. "You didn't have to do this."

Faendal sat at a chair next to the bed and smiled. "I know I didn't have to."

"Why did you?" I pushed.

"That I don't know" he laughed."Maybe it was the excitement of another Bosmer being in town. Or possibly that you're not a Bosmer at all."

"What am I?" I asked.

"You really don't know your own race?" He asked. I shook my head. I just knew Bosmer didn't sound right. "How hard did you get knocked in the head?"

"You cleaned my wounds last night." I stated ignoring the question since I didn't have the answer. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me." He told me. "You're a Falmer. A snow elf." Yes, that sounded right to me. "They were thought to be extinct. At least…. well that's not important."

"Extinct?"

"How about some breakfast. Venison. Fresh from this morning." He walked to a pot hanging over the fire and placed a slab of meat on two plates. He added a chunk of cheese and cooked eggs. He's ignoring my question but my stomach growled and I was suddenly aware of how empty it was. I jumped out of the bed and rushed to the table stuffing a hand full of food in my mouth before sitting down. Faendal stared at me as I stuffed food into my mouth. It was so tender and tasty. I grabbed a tankard of water and washed the food down. I felt I hadn't eaten in centuries. "You… when was the last time you ate?" He asked.

"I don't remember. Sorry." I exclaimed embarrassed. I grabbed one of the spell tomes and a fork. I opened one of the books and began to eat a little more civilized. He chuckled and began eating as well. It was silent as we ate breakfast and I studied the spell tomes.

There was a loud knock at the door. Soldin barged into the cabin before Faendal could even stand up from the bench. "Hey you lover elves! Ready to go to Whiterun?"

"Lovers?" Faendal asked.

"Wait. You're going?" I asked ignoring his comment. Why is he going?

"Of course! You need a bodyguard don't you." He commented.

"She doesn't need one. I'm going." Faendal stated. He's going too? When did this happen?

"You?! Who are you?"

"Faendal."

Soldin snapped his fingers as if he realized something. "Oh! Oh Talos! I am so sorry for what happened. I was only helping. I didn't know what it was until it happened."

"Sorry for what" Faendal asked curtly.

"About that Camila chick." Soldin explained oblivious. At hearing her name Faendal's whole body tensed. "I handed her a letter. I was told it was from you. Something about how Man and Mer were never meant to be together. Blah, blah, blah." Faendal's hand was gripped around the hilt of a dagger he had at his belt. His whole body shook

"You should go." Faendal said through gritted teeth.

Soldin looked shocked. "What? As I see it I did you the favor. Not that Sven character! She's not even interested in either of you. She was leading the two of you on. She's already shown interest in me. And I'm not that great looking of a man." Soldin said with a laugh.

"Shut up." Faendal said.

Soldin shrugged. "I don't see what's so great about this woman. Does she have mead flavored tits?"

Faendal slammed the dagger into the table. It pierced into the wood panel almost to the hilt. "Get out!" He yelled.

"Whoa. ok. Settle down, elf boy. I'll wait for you at the Sleeping Giant Inn. Do not leave without me, little elf." Soldin said halfway out the door. He left closing the door. I did not like that he called me Little Elf. It was only enduring when Ralof said it. Funny since I only met him yesterday.

Faendal was still shaking. I didn't know what to say. There wasn't really anything to say. I placed my hand on his shaking shoulder hoping it might sooth him. He tensed up for a moment but finally relaxed. We sat in silence as he calmed. "I guess what she said to me at the trader this morning makes sense now." He stated finally. "About how quickly I moved on with an elf girl in town." I took my hand off his shoulder and began poking at the venison with my fork. I was no longer hungry. What does one say to a statement like that? Nothing. You say nothing. He stared at the dagger and began to chuckle. "I'm not sure I can pull that back out."

"Will you be ok?" I finally asked.

"What? Me? Yeah, I have a sword somewhere in here. Probably better to have on me than a dagger." He said avoiding what my question really meant. He left the table and started gathering supplies: food, water, a couple of bed rolls, and potions. I wasn't sure if he was doing this because we needed to head out or if he was just doing it to occupy his mind. He strapped on a set of steel armor, threw a quiver of arrows and his bow across his shoulder, sheathed a sword at his belt, and threw the knapsack over his other shoulder. "Ok. I'll wait outside for you to get dressed. Just come out when you're ready." He said with a smile. His smile couldn't hide the sadness in his eyes. I nodded and he headed out the door.

I quickly changed into the leather armor Faendal bought me. It was still a little big but at least I didn't feel like a toddler in her father's clothes. I grabbed the spell tomes and left the cabin. "Faendal, could you place these in the knapsack?" I asked.

"What do you want me to carry?" I handed him the books and he placed them in his pack. "Ready to go?" I nodded. "Do you really want that brute to go with us?" Faendal asked as we walked through the small town. I was still unsure when this trip became a "we" and not just me.

"Not really but I have a feeling we don't have much choice. He was at Helgen too. It's best if both of us told the Jarl what happened."

Soldin jumped up from a chair on the porch of the inn and ran to us as we walked by. "Ready to go I see." He exclaimed as he placed his arms around us. Faendal pushed his arm off and moved around the two of us so I was in the middle. The faster we get to Whiterun the better. For both their sakes. We had barely left the town when Soldin stopped us. "We're going to do a little detour. Help out a couple of people get their family heirloom or whatever it is back from the bandits."

"How about you do it and we'll continue to Whiterun." Faendal suggested.

"Ah, well, you see I need your archery skills and her mage skills to keep those bandits from overpowering me. Also the gold I'll get from this will help out. And of course, I'll give you a portion of it." He explained trying to convince us. "I'm guessing you don't have much gold."

Faendal grimaced. For the first time I wondered how much the armor and tomes he brought me cost. Not cheap I assumed. "Ok. Only to get the heirloom." Faendal agreed, "And maybe to see if there's some gold in the ruins."

"That's the spirit!" Soldin exclaimed clapping Faendal on the back. I watched as Faendal used stoneflesh and take out his bow and an arrow. I followed using stoneflesh as well. I was intrigued by Faendal's decision. Not just getting the heirloom back but also wanting to explore the ruins. There was more to this "simple" mill worker/hunter than met the eyes.

We followed Soldin up the mountain path as it winded further and further into the snowy peak. Soldin pulled out his mace when a fort tower came into view. "When you see a bandit I want you to hit him with an arrow." Soldin told Faendal. Faendal pulled back the string on his bow half way in preparation of the battle. "You will back us up, little elf." We quietly but quickly made our way closer to the base of the tower. One lone guard stood outside. An arrow whizzed by my head. It hit the bandit in the chest. Three other bandits ran out of the tower from the scream of the bandit. "Let's go!" Soldin yelled as he ran for the bandits.

He swung the mace down connecting to a shield the bandit was holding. They struggled with each other when an arrow hit the bandit in his shoulder giving Soldin the opportunity he needed to finish the bandit. "Dammit! My aiming was off!" Faendal cursed. Another arrow flew to the top of the tower where another bandit rained arrows around us. One slipped past Soldin and attacked Faendal. He dropped his bow and unsheathed the sword. His sword connected with the other's but the other man seemed stronger pushing Faendal down towards the ground. With his other hand Faendal took out a dagger hidden in his boot and stabbed the man in the side where he was exposed. A second dagger? The one he slammed into the table was never removed.

"Rhew! Back up now!" Soldin yelled. I ran to where Soldin was having trouble with a big brute of a man and sprayed frost at him. The frost slowed him down enough for Soldin to have the quicker swing. The last bandit, the archer at the top of the tower, was left. Soldin charged into the tower after him.

"Rhew! Watch out!" Faendal pushed me aside and reflected an arrow with his sword. What reflexes!

"How-" I started as he helped me up.

"Into the tower." He interrupted pulling me into the tower away from the archer's view. I ran up the stairs but by the time I reached Soldin he had finished the archer.

He was already searching for the heirloom. "It's not here." He muttered. I asked what the heirloom looked like. "Some kind of claw." After we searched the whole tower with no luck (except for the few coins Faendal pocketed) we continued higher into the mountains. "Looks like you'll get to explore the ruins, wood elf." Soldin said. Faendal didn't reply.

More bandits at the ruins fell as fast as the ones at the tower. I almost felt sorry for them if they wouldn't attack us. Faendal just shook his head "They don't practice their skills. That's why they don't stand a chance." He pointed out.

"It's not here!" Soldin sighed frustrated. We made our way inside the dank ruins where two more bandits sat next to a blazing fire. They fell at Faendal's arrows before they had a chance to defend themselves. "Safer than rushing into a fight." Faendal said. We followed the twisting corridors of the ruins. The further we traveled the more spider webs appeared until there were so many we had to cut through them.

"Is... is someone coming? Is that you Harknir? Bjorn? Soling? I know I ran ahead with the claw, but I need help!" A voice called out as we cut through the webs. We entered a room covered in webs and spider egg sacs. "Watch out! Here she comes!" The voice called out. Above a giant spider slowly made her way down to the floor.

"Oh my gods!" I exclaimed.

"Don't just gape at it! Attack!" Soldin yelled. I shot fire at it as it made it's way to the floor. Faendal shot arrows. Our attacks didn't seem to phase it. "Keep hitting it!" Faendal shouted. I tried to keep the flames at her but my head started to feel woozy. I couldn't concentrate on the spell that long. I fell to the floor as my head went light. Faendal and Soldin finished off the weakened spider once she was on the floor. Faendal kneeled next to me and helped me to my feet. "I had a feeling this might happen." He said, "You concentrated too much on your magic. I bought a few potions to help you." He dug through the sack and handed me a blue bottle. The light headedness went away as soon as the liquid in the bottle hit my lips. How much did he buy just for me? I wondered.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Just a potion to help concentrate on magic spells."

"Just lovely! If you're done standing around cut me down!" the voice called out. A dark man…. no, a dark mer was strung up in the web of the giant spider. He struggled but couldn't move.

Soldin lend on the stone wall next to him. "Looks like we got here in time. Where's the claw?"

"Claw? Oh yes! I have it and can tell you how to use it. You have to cut me down first though." The dark elf said. Soldin shrugged and asked Faendal to cut him down. Once the elf dropped to the floor he shot up to his feet and sprinted off further into the ruins. "Ha ha! What idiots! You think I'd share the claw with you?" He called back to us. Soldin cursed and ran after the elf.

I stopped Faendal from following the two. "How do you know how to do all of this?" I asked him. The hidden dagger? The concentration to hit the right person in the midst of battle? The sword skills? He didn't seem to have a qualm about killing another person.

"What do you mean?"

"What did you do before you were at Riverwood?" I asked.

He smiled "I was just your humble hunter." I couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't. We left the spider's lair and caught up with Soldin who was standing over the body of the dark elf reading a journal.

"Took you two long enough. Not long enough to really do anything interesting though." He said with a wink. "Let's find out what this poor sod was going to do with the claw."

"But the dragon-" I started

"We're this far in. Let's keep going." Faendal interrupted with a shrug.

We weaved through the dank halls of the ruins deeper into the mountain. bodies of long dead Nords laid in holes carved into the mountain. I felt uneasy and secretly wished Faendal had decided for us to leave. A rough hand pulled me from where I was about to step. "Watch where you step. There's traps everywhere in ruins like these." Faendal explained. I looked down at where I was about to step and saw a stone that was slightly different from the rest. Faendal took a large stone and threw it at the stone. An iron grate with spikes swung with such aggression it slammed into the wall with a loud thud. It made me jump.

"Looks like we have a seasoned explorer with us, little elf. I was not expecting that." Soldin commented as he walked around the iron grate. I gingerly stepped around the grate and followed after Soldin. Faendal was not far behind me. We entered a large room but we were not the only ones moving in the room. Ugly half decayed humans ran at us with weapons drawn.

"What are those things?!" I cried in fear.

"Draugrs! This is what I needed a mage for. Use your fire, girl." Soldin stated. Soldin ran at the closest draugr while Faendal began shooting arrows. I pushed back my fear and ran after Soldin throwing fire at which ever draugr he was attacking trying my best not to hit him as well. The draugrs went down faster than I thought. We were soon alone in the large room. "Good job, little elf." Soldin exclaimed ruffing up my hair as he walked by continuing through the room. Faendal stopped next to me and watched Soldin walk away. After a few silent moments he continued after Soldin. I had hoped the tension from the cabin would leave because of this adventure but I could see it was still there.

Soon we were in a long empty corridor with a door with a weird contraption on it at the end. "Is this what the claw is for?" I asked. Soldin nodded and began spinning the large circles in the door. After a few spins he pushed the claw into the middle and twisted it like a key. The door began to spin and slowly opened. We walked through the door into a cavern. It was beautiful. Waterfalls fell around the platform where it looked someone very important was laid to rest.

"Wow" Faendal breathed. "There has to be treasure here." He said as we walked to the platform. Behind the coffin was a wall with a language I could not read carved into it. The closer we got the brighter one of the words glew. It was as if the word was calling to me. It felt so familiar to me.

"The word is glowing!" I exclaimed. Both Faendal and Soldin looked at me funny. "No? No one else sees it?"

"Be careful. Who knows what will happen if you get near that wall." Faendal warned. I could not help but walk up to the wall. The word glew so brightly and seemed to beat like a heart. I felt a power rush into me. Power and knowledge. Force. The word entered my head. I suddenly was not in the cavern but in a village. A burning village. People ran trying to escape the carnage. Not just people. Elves. Snow elves. Nords struck down the scared elves.

"Rhew!" I looked up. Faendal was in front of me. His hands on my shoulders. I had fallen to my knees. I touched my cheeks. They were wet. Was I crying? "Are you alright?" He asked. I nodded and accepted his hand as I stood up.

"This wall" Soldin said intrigued. The coffin behind him began to stir. The draugr pulled his way out of it.

"Draugr!" I yelled.

"No, no, no. This looks like the dragon language." Soldin replied. Faendal shot an arrow over Soldin's head at the draugr. I shot fire towards it. "Whoa! What are you two doing!" He shouted. He finally turned in time to counter the draugr's sword with his shield. "Better warning next time!" He yelled pushing the draugr away. He swung his mace connecting it to the draugr's arm. It dropped it's sword. Faendal shot another arrow hitting the draugr's other shoulder. "Gods….. dammit!" He yelled in frustration. I blasted fire hitting the thing in it's chest. It fell. Finally not moving.

"We make a good team." Soldin commented once the draugr fell. "Who knew! Me! Teaming up with wood elves." He said laughing.

"I'm not a wood elf." I corrected him. He raised an eyebrow. "I'm a Falmer."

"Falmer! Those deformed eyeless….." Soldin's voice trailed when he saw Faendal frantically shaking his arms and head no. He cleared his throat. "I thought the snow elves were extinct. You must be very lucky or unlucky. Guess it depends on how you look at it." He supposed. There was an uncomfortable silence. Soldin looked inside the coffin. "What's this? Some stone? Looks like a map." He picked up the stone. "Egh, waste of space in my opinion."

"I'll take it." I said.

"Why? It's just a stone."

"It's more than just a stone. Looks important. I'll take it" I repeated. Soldin shrugged and

handed me the stone which was promptly taken from my hands by Faendal who placed it in his satchel.

"Anyway. I'll head back to Riverwood to give the claw back. You two continue on. I'm sure there's a way out and it's probably closer to Whiterun with how far we've gone into the cave."

"Hey!" Faendal yelled after Soldin as he ran back to the ruins.

"Don't worry, wood elf! You'll get your share!" Soldin called back to us.

We followed the stairs up the cavern into a small path. There was an altar where people left offerings. Just past the altar we found ourselves outside. Soldin was right. We were outside but where was Whiterun? We were on the cliff of the mountain in a valley. In the middle of the valley was a large lake. "Where are we?" I asked.

Faendal shook his head and laughed. "I know exactly where we are. I hunt here all the time. We're on the wrong side of Riverwood to get to Whiterun."

"So, we're going to have to go through Riverwood again?" Faendal nodded. We made our way slowly down the cliff. As we made our way through the valley back to Riverwood Faendal pointed out different areas he had taken down an animal. Always a bear it seemed. "I don't mean to brag but I once took down a bear right here that was 300 yards away. In the snow."

I chuckled. "Is it always a bear?"

He pretended to be shocked. "No! Sometimes it's a sabre cat. And once," he leaned down closer to me, "a troll." he whispered.

"A troll!" I said in disbelief.

"Of course! I have the skull in my cabin." He said matter of factly.

"You kept the skull!"

"Trophy." He puffed out his chest proudly. I couldn't help but laugh. Soon we were back in Riverwood.

"Rhew! I thought you had left long ago! And without saying goodbye to me either." Ralof walked up to us from the mill.

"I'm sorry, Ralof. Thank you for everything. You saved my life."

Ralof patted my shoulder, "Don't thank me, little elf." Soldin walked out of the Riverwood trader. Shocked to see us standing in the middle of town.

"What are you doing here? I said I'd catch up."

"We took the long way." Faendal said dryly.

Soldin laughed and handed Faendal a purse of coins. "Your share as promised. 100 coins. Should help you two get by for a little while." Soldin nodded at Ralof, "I'll see you back in Windhelm, friend."

"Of course!" Ralof replied, "Faendal take care of the little elf. She's a special one. Little elf, I hope you find something that helps get your memory back. Soldin….. behave yourself."

"Ah! Sometimes it's so hard to when a cute girl is by my side." Soldin exclaimed. He grabbed me around my waist with one of his huge arms. He dropped his arm when Faendal stared him down. "I'm kidding, wood elf." Faendal moved slightly but it was enough to put him between Soldin and me. After all of our goodbyes we left Riverwood for the second and hopefully last time for the day. I looked back at the small town as we left. A woman stood outside the door of the trader and watched us leave. Was that Camilla? When our eyes met I could feel her anger. She turned and went back into the trader. I was curious what had been between her and Faendal. Maybe I'll ask one day. It wasn't important right now. Getting to Whiterun was important. Hopefully we will get there before the dragon decides to attack.